Video game reviews

‘ENDLESS OCEAN’

(Nintendo) for Wii

Genre: Adventure; Rating: E

Grade: C+

The life of a video gamer sometimes goes like this: Play sports game until you get bored; switch to first-person shooter. Play that until you’re tired of it; go to role-playing game. Back to newly released sports title. Then repeat. Not a bad life to lead, but when a genre-busting game arrives, it awakens you to new possibilities.

“Endless Ocean” is this genre-buster. There is no danger, no boss battles, no score being kept. Instead, the ENTIRE point of the game is to peacefully swim among aquatic wildlife, learn more about them and enjoy the tranquility and beauty of the ocean itself.

Sound like a bore to you? Well, it shouldn’t. This is such a radical shift from traditional game play that you can’t help but appreciate its simplicity.

Maybe it’s the Enya-inspired dreamlike music that lulls you into glossing over the oddness of learning about whales, sharks and such by petting them. Whether you are taking photos for a magazine or collecting species for an aquarium, that mellow sensation won’t bother you at all.

It doesn’t matter if you end up loving or hating “Endless Ocean.” If you’re a Wii owner, you should at least try it, just to experience something wholly original in the video-game world.

‘PURSUIT FORCE: EXTREME JUSTICE’

(Sony) for PSP

Genre: Adventure; Rating: T

Grade: B-

Sony has found gold with its “Pursuit Force” franchise, and this second game in the series lives up to expectations.

“Extreme Justice” is an apt title, since the action is ramped up considerably. You are no longer playing as a rookie on an elite crime-fighting task force. Now you are the team’s commander, and when your marriage ceremony is interrupted by gunfire and packs of angry villains, it’s time to unleash your harsh brand of justice.

The story is predictable, but engaging, because it’s exciting to guess what the next twist will be. There are lots of minigames throughout, and the action is spread out among third-person shooting and platforming elements that are the franchise’s bedrock.

Jumping from car to car during a high-speed pursuit never gets old, and neither does laying waste to foes from the vantage point of a helicopter cockpit. Luckily, once you are done with the main story there are plenty of multiplayer modes to keep you sticking around.

You have to wonder how great this franchise could be if it were a full-fledged PS3 game — but that might take away one of the truly great franchises the PSP has to itself.

‘MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES’

(Sega) for Wii, DS

Genre: Sports; Rating: E

Grade: C

It’s about six months until the Summer Olympics in Beijing begin, so Sega has stepped up with the first Olympics-themed game featuring two classic video-game rivals — Sega’s own Sonic vs. Nintendo’s Mario.

Using a solid list of characters from both franchises, you can compete in 20 or so events. There’s a nice mix, from diving and swimming to traditional track-and-field events.

Visually the game is excellent, though you could hardly expect otherwise, since the game combines two of the most colorful and visually interesting franchises. The controls are much better on the DS than the Wii version, because the DS’ touchscreen is more fluid and natural.

This game would have made more sense anytime in the last decade. Sonic and Mario used to be heated franchise rivals, so seeing them paired together has some intrigue. But with Sonic fading hard in recent years, that rivalry is fading — so this should never have taken this long.

— Chris Campbell, Scripps Howard News Service