VIDEO GAME REVIEWS

'NCAA Football 07'
(EA Sports) for Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2, PSP.
Genre: Sports; Rating: E
Grade: C+
As August approaches, football fans finally breathe a sigh of relief; another year is at hand. And new for football gamers is "NCAA Football 07," which makes its debut on the Xbox 360, as well as reappearing for the traditional platforms.
Everything about the 360 version of NCAA 07 just screams HD, and that's great to see. From dynamic stadium crowds to loading and menu screens and, of course, the players themselves, it's all more realistic. It just feels right to have The Swamp load up and see fans doing the Gator Chomp or to see the green-shirted students bouncing up and down in Notre Dame Stadium.
But let's not overlook the football action itself. The hits are much more vicious and a lot of the AI has been tweaked to better simulate real games.
Running the ball is harder, and yet you can still break a big run now and then -- just like the real thing. Actually, the defense probably gets too much credit here; there are more forced fumbles and INTs than likely. But it's all good.
First thing to gripe about is the lack of content on the 360 version. The PS2 and Xbox versions feature the Legend mode where you start as a freshman and make your way to the Big Man on Campus status. This is not in the 360 version, which is disappointing because you're left with a dynasty mode. It's a good mode, but it's the same dynasty mode as last year and it needs to be expanded because it's as much fun to play as the actual football itself.
The in-game commentary needs work, too. Almost everything is rehashed from last year, and this year, it just sounds stale.
All said, however, this is minor stuff and should not detract anyone from getting a copy of this game.
-- Chris Campbell, Scripps Howard
'Point Blank DS'
(Bandai Namco) For DS
Genre: Shooter Rating; E
Grade: C
It's a novel approach to bring a light-gun game to a hand-held system. In fact, on the surface, the concept seems impossible. Some say the light-gun era is dead forever (so no "Duck Hunt" remake?) but you can count me in as a fan of the Time Crisis franchise who will always prefer light-gun shooters.
"Point Blank DS: is a re-imagining of the old Point Blank series. In all there are some 40 games to play here, and since it is a shooter you will spend every waking second tapping away at the touch screen to achieve victory.
Even with 40 games to play, you won't go long before noticing the repetition. Just changing the color schemes sometimes passes for an entirely new game. If you can make it past this hiccup without getting bored, you'll still have a good time and be pleased to add this niche game to your DS library. Besides, if the light-gun era does die, "Point Blank DS" may be the last you'll hear of it.
-- Chris Campbell, Scripps Howard