Another slow week on the new release front, but here’s what’s new:

For Consoles

Madden NFL 09 | PS3 | 360 | Wii | PS2 | XBOX
Collectors Editions: PS3 | 360
Also available on: PSP | Nintendo DS
I find sports games mind-numbingly boring… so here’s the description from Amazon. Savor the pulse-pounding excitement as Madden NFL 09 delivers an intense, real-world pro football experience like only legendary coach John Madden can. The action of the gridiron comes alive with stunning graphics, innovative plays and multiplayer competition that thrusts you into the center of the game with no nonsense and no mercy.

WiiWare

Strong Bad Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner (1000 Wii Points)
The Strong Bad game has arrived on Wii. Strong Bad’s plans to beat the snot out of Homestar backfire, and he ends up with an unwanted houseguest cramping his style. Now he needs to get life back to normal by any means possible. For a mere $10, you can grab it.

For Handhelds

Bangai-O Spirits | Nintendo DS
A side-scrolling shooter with strategic and tactical elements thrown in, in Bangai-O Spirits, you control your character in a robotic suit, and undertake the task of capturing criminals. This is a remake of the original Bangai-O, and boasts 160 levels, as well as a level editor, and features 1-4 player wireless co-op mode.

Imagine Teacher | Nintendo DS
Play as a teacher who takes over a class in a newly-built school. At the beginning your class only has a few kids because most of the kids are going to a school located in the next town over. For some reason, it’s your job to entice those students back (which, frankly, strikes me as unrealistic at best). The game supports multiplayer for up to 4 players.

N+ PSP
Based on the flash game, N, in N+ you must guide your ninja through levels of increasing difficulty. The game features 3 types of multiplayer play, including Race, Survival, and Co-Op.

It’s Friday. Time to slack off and do as little as possible, right? Unless you’re me, in which case (just in case the boss is reading this) I’m working diligently and tirelessly, not taking any breaks or speaking to coworkers about non-work-related topics. So let’s see some fun Friday time-wasters!

Escape the Phone Booth
I love escape games. The Afro-Ninja escape series are especially entertaining (and many of them are fairly quick, which make them perfect for a lunchbreak distraction). You should definitely check them out

Orange Runner
Run really, really fast, and avoid the inconveniently placed buzz saws… and if you get challenged by a mysterious man in black, be sure to beat him. Funny thing though… the runner’s not actually orange.

MINDFEED
It’s really more of a quiz than a game, but I still found it fun. And the bagels and orange juice at the end were nice.

Mahjongg
Who doesn’t enjoy a quick round of Mahjongg?

The Stupid Test 4
Are you stupid? Find out.

Today’s Hidden Gem: Okami
Released 2006 by Capcom and Clover Studios for PS2, ported to Wii in 2008

I shouldn’t even have to spotlight this game. It should be one of those games that absolutely everyone went out and bought the moment it became available and now refuses to sell. And yet…

In Okami, you play as a wolf who is the embodiment of the sun goddess, Amaterasu, called forth by the guardian of Kamiki Village to stop a demon accidentally released from his sealed prison. In addition to weaponry, Amaterasu can also make use of the powers of Celestial Brush Techniques, which involve painting what you want to happen.

Both bosses and many individual enemies have specific weaknesses, which brings the level of hack-n-slash button mashing down a peg. There are also a number of optional sidequests to complete and unlockables to unlock, and trying for 100% completion is a decent challenge.

Many of the characters you meet and situations you encounter have their roots in Japanese mythology, lending the game a fairy-tale quality that some games strive for but fall far short of. But what really makes this game worth at least one playthrough is the visuals. Normally, I would never say this… graphics in general rank pretty low on my measure of how good a game is… but I make an exception for this.

Okami is done in cel-shaded graphics (which honestly, is a look I normally just don’t care for, but it really works well here) made to look like traditional Japanese ink drawing, and the effect is nothing short of gorgeous. Throw in an exceptional soundtrack, an immersive plot, and solid gameplay, and it’s hard to figure out why this game didn’t sell better (only a little over 500,000 copies in North America between both releases of the game). Why aren’t you playing Okami? Go play Okami, right now!

That’s not to say it’s not without it’s flaws. There is an over-abundance of dialog, for one, which, though generally interesting, is a fairly substantial amount of reading. There are also times when you just cannot get a brush technique to work on the first try.

And it has Issun… who is essentially Okami’s version of Navi the fairy.

Difficulty-wise, the game is probably about on par with Kingdom Hearts. Not insanely difficult, but not so blatantly simplistic you get bored with it after the first five minutes (at least that’s my take… some may disagree with me about Kingdom Hearts).

Personally, I recommend the PS2 version over the Wii version, if you can find it. While the Wii version is a pretty good port, and the brush techniques translate well to the Wii-remote, I found the controls during combat to be better executed on the PS2. The Wii version also lost a bit of the visual filtering done on the PS2, making the images crisper and brighter, instead of like something painted on a piece of parchment.

Mmm… tasty, tasty new Fatal Frame IV: The Mask of the Lunar Eclipse videos have surfaced, and they include not just the standard cutscene fare, but actual gameplay. The Wii-exclusive was released in Japan just a week ago, so it’s not really surprising to see videos popping up… but seeing as Tecmo and Nintendo still haven’t announced a North American release date for the title, they’re nice to see.

There are three new videos to take a look at:

The Hallway

Finding the Camera Obscura

All Alone

And if you’ve missed the previously released trailers and videos, check them out here.

I’m not a huge survival horror fanatic… I like it alright, but my thing (and most of my game library) is more in the RPG realm. Fatal Frame, however, is the one survival horror series I absolutely love. I’m also very pleased to see that the camera control looks much improved from the previous games… as in you can now control the camera. It’s definitely one I’ll be preordering… if Nintendo ever lets me know when it’s going to be available, that is.

Death is a part of life, and that’s just as true of video games as it is of reality… so here’s a list of my five favorite deaths in video games, complete with links to video clips.

5. Ganon (Legend of Zelda: Windwaker)
To be honest, despite playing through scores of Zelda games over the years, most of them multiple times, the only incarnation of the “death” of Ganon (quotations due to the fact that the guy has yet to have the decency to… you know… stay dead) that sticks in my mind is the one from Windwaker. Link plunged the Master Sword into his freaking head. Into. His. Head. That’s hardcore right there.
See the death

4. Aeris/Aerith (Final Fantasy VII)
I know, I know. It’s cliche, and it’s on every top deaths list on the planet. You know, I wasn’t especially upset when Aeris became a human shish-kebob at the end of disc one… in fact, she annoyed me from the moment she joined the party. But I was rather shocked. It was the first time I’d seen a developer abruptly kill off one of the main characters not even halfway through the game. I was even more surprised when she didn’t get the resurrection later in the game that I was certain she would.
See the death

3. Agent 47 (Hitman: Blood Money)
Ok, so I know that technically 47 doesn’t die at the end of Blood Money… but the bad guys all think he does, and that’s all that matters, because it leads to one kick-ass final mission. You know, the one in which you suddenly rise from the dead in the middle of your own funeral, and have to kill all the people attending said funeral. How’s that for retribution?
See the death

2. Zack Fair (Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII)
What strikes me about this death is the fact that, if you’re the least bit familiar with the original Final Fantasy VII, you already know it’s coming. You knew it when you pre-ordered the game four months in advance, and yet that doesn’t detract from it’s emotional impact… if anything, it adds to it. Congratulations, you beat the game! Annnnnnnnnnnnd… you’re dead.
See the death

1. Pretty Much the Entire Village (Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly)
This makes the list primarily because Sae’s maniacal laughter as she stands amongst the corpses of her fellow villagers with the Kusabi hovering beside her actually gave me nightmares. As such, I think it will forever live in my mind as the single most disturbing scene in a video game. It will also remain one of my favorite games.
See the death

The summer continues, and so do the somewhat meager new release offerings. It’s Monday, so that means to time to tell you what’s new this week.

For Consoles

Monster Madness: Grave Danger | PS3
Destroy the monster menace that’s attacking the town of Suburbia. Previously released on the 360 as Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia, this port adds 25 new challenge modes, 4 player online co-op in adventure mode, new items and costumes, and an updated control scheme and camera system.

Crash Time | 360
An arcade racing/action title that advertises daring stunts, spectacular crashes, and thrilling criminal chases. Play as part of the Cobra 11 police force and complete several different missions in several different types of vehicles.

Puzzler Collection | Wii
Also Available On: Nintendo DS
Experience to thrills of crossword puzzles, Sudoku, wordsearch and more, all on your Wii (or your DS, if you are so inclined). Puzzler Collection offers over 2000 puzzles and three difficulty levels. Multiplayer is suppored, as is tournament play.

Little Leagues World Series Baseball ‘08 | Wii
Also Available On: Nintendo DS
Bat, pitch and field your way from your local sandlot to the Little League World Series. Little League World Series features sixteen U.S. and international teams, character customization, World Series Mode, and skill based challenges.

WiiWare

Wild West Guns (1000 Wii Points)
See if you’re the fastest gun in the West. Point and shoot at the targets and enemies that appear in front of you, avoid harming innocent people, and explore the environment to find bonuses. Multiplayer co-op and head-to-head modes are available.

For Handhelds

Rock Blast | Nintendo DS
Fans of online flash games might find this one familiar. Destroy the multicolored rocks by matching up three or more of the same color. 99 levels are available in Story Mode, and the game also features Time Attack and Survival Mode. Multiplayer is supported for two players.

Quick Yoga Training | Nintendo DS
Not just yoga training… but QUICK yoga training. On your DS. This one provides you with a virtual trainer, over 180 poses, and voice-activated menu navigation to allow for a hands-free training session. Poses were arranged and motion-captured by a certified instructor.

GRID | Nintendo DS
The DS release of GRID, previously released on PS3 and XBOX 360. GRID is a racing title that takes place over three continents, and offers up some of the racing world’s most powerful cars to choose from. Online racing is available over Nintendo Wi-Fi.