'ROGUE GALAXY'

'ROGUE GALAXY'
(Sony) for PlayStation 2
Genre: RPG; Rating: T
Grade: B
Just to keep the PS2 gamers happy, Sony has released a truly engaging sci-fi RPG that takes its cue from several classic Hollywood and literary sources and churns out an entertaining game.
The main character is Jaster Rogue and the plot is like the "Treasure Planet" movie -- a young boy yearns for more excitement and soon finds himself traveling the galaxy on space pirate ships. The traditional RPG framework exists, but there are plenty of areas in "Rogue Galaxy" where the game takes on a more action/adventure vibe.
The bulk of the game relies on combat, and this is one of its strengths. Shucking the normal turn-based action, you have instead more of the action gaming style. You can just hack away at enemies instead of the gave-and-take-until-death format many are accustomed to. This ends up creating some unnecessary button-mashing, but in all it's a solid effort to fuse genres.
Leveling up characters has a distinctly fresh appeal to it. Instead of earning and assigning experience points to particular traits, you discover treasures and other items and place them on a character map that heightens your abilities. The anime visual style is beautifully rendered on the PS2, and it will come as a surprise to those who thought they'd seen it all on that console. "Rogue Galaxy" certainly won't be the last game released on the PS2, but it may be the last great game developed specifically for it, and shouldn't be missed.
'SID MEIER'S PIRATES!'
(2K Games) for PSP, Xbox, PC
Genre: Strategy; Rating: E
Grade: B
Perhaps the greatest prize in playing "Pirates!" on the PSP is how wonderfully it has been translated onto the hand-held system from its big brothers, the PC and console versions. Normally this is a horrid affair, and the portable versions end up as tack-ons and half-hearted efforts. Here, you get the full gaming experience and for those who missed out on the original releases, this feels like a game built specifically with the PSP in mind.
All of the standard tricks of the trade are present here. You'll guide your ship from port to port, with the pleasure of crossing swords with other pirates and soldiers, as well as battling it out on the high seas as you search for buried treasure. Just about all of the original game's modes and levels are present, so you shouldn't feel short-handed at playing on the PSP. The game is broken up into smaller missions and tailored for hand-held gamers looking for a fast-paced strategy game. Its depth is more than you will find on almost any PSP game, and "Pirates!" can be held up as one of the benchmarks other hand-held games should try to mimic.
'METAL SLUG ANTHOLOGY'
(SNK Playmore) for Wii, PlayStation 2, PSP
Genre: Compilation; Rating: T
Grade: C
In the spirit of the Contra games and others like it from the 1980s, "Metal Slug" was a franchise that kept churning long after the appeal of side-scrolling shooters began to fade. Now that we're in the throes of nostalgic gaming, the complete "Metal Slug" series has been released for all those looking to relive their glorious arcade years.
There's little point dwelling on the gameplay, because it's relatively straightforward. Honestly, just run from left to right and gun down everything. Repetitive? Yes. Fun? Absolutely. While the controls on the PS2 and PSP make perfect sense, it really drags on the Wii because the scheme is just too confusing. And while it is great to look at, fans will notice some changes to the visual style and audio that don't quite match the original games. "Metal Slug" was always good at keeping you pumping quarters into the arcade machine. Amazingly enough, "Anthology" seems bent on maintaining that tradition.
-- Chris Campbell, Scripps Howard