Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure combines a block-matching, DS puzzle game--think Panel de Pon/Planet Puzzle League--with a side-scrolling platformer. This puzzling mash-up keeps the blocks on the bottom screen, Hatsworth jumping up top, and you toggling between each to maintain progress. We recently played this stylish title, due at the beginning of 2009. With so many small things to get right, we're uncertain that the puzzle-platformer will work, but we're impressed by its potential.

The PS2 and PSP versions of The Force Unleashed are close siblings, and I recently enjoyed playing nearly-finished editions of both. Each follows the same bounty-hunting apprentice story and settings as the 360/PS3 game, although specific level design occasionally differs. Unlike 360/PS3 game, the PSP version gets two-player duel-mode fights against a local gamer, and it also includes five "historical missions" pulled from the movies. The PS2 version includes the full camera control of the 360/PS3, but not those extras.

The PS2 and PSP games felt slightly scaled back from the 360/PS3, with fewer destructible objects or enemies in any one moment. But both maintained a fluid sense of battle, maintaining the visceral thrill of the Force powers. With the game's September 16 release, PS2 and PSP gamers will find a kinetic action title suited to their systems.

The DS version of The Force Unleashed tries to cram all of the light-saber-rage from the consoles into a handheld package. You'll be disappointed if you directly compare the two. I recently tried a late version of the DS game, and I didn't think enough of the system's strengths and weaknesses affected the design. The DS game gives a 3D perspective of the action on the top screen with adequate visuals, but the chunky graphics steal some of the excitement. And since the camera can't be repositioned, you'll be regularly attacked by people just off-screen. Worse, player attacks are issued by tapping on icons, causing hunting-and-pecking through battles.

Since The Force Unleashed is about going nuts with explosive superpowers, that sense of excitement got lost by scaling everything down to fit the DS. A wireless, four-player, local battle mode might make it a fun game to play with friends, but I wasn't able to test that feature. I hope the final game will grow on me after its September 16 release. But the time I had with this portable edition left me cautious.

For good and bad -- or should I say light and dark -- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for Wii is clearly a Wii game. Side-by-side with the PS3 and 360 versions, the Wii graphics disappoint, and the complexity and frequency of enemies feels scaled back. But the Wii motion controls are regularly interesting, mapping many of the game's controls into gestures. The simplest ones feel great, like punching the Nunchuk forward to do the Force-push.

After recently playing late-development versions of all four game editions--360/PS3, Wii, DS, and PS2/PSP--I think the Wii game holds up as well as any of them. I had fun throwing enemies, shooting them with lightning, and hitting them with the lightsaber. And while the Wii holds its own, I'm mildly concerned that the final game could be repetitious, just cutting down waves of attackers. Hopefully the many different attacks, and Wii-specific two-player duel mode, will keep the game interesting.

In the world of professional game blogging, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important groups: the bloggers who investigate the stories and readers who make silly comments. These are the first group's stories.

• Name: Zack Stern
• Job Position: Contributing Editor
• Past Experience/Education: I worked as an editor at Gamers.com in its (brief but glorious) 2000 heyday, and have since contributed to dozens of technology and gaming publications. Recent articles have appeared in PC World, PC Gamer, Maximum PC, Official Xbox Magazine, Mac|Life, Wired Test, Make, and many more.
• Life outside of the 'Stiq: I'm an improviser, photographer, videomaker, and cook. Those all blend together into a delicious, sometimes metaphorical hooch.
• Why I'm blogging: I'm entrenched in old media but want to maintain a presence online. The two styles inform each other; knowing their similarities and differences makes me better at both.
• First game experience: I used to play Chinese checkers at my grandparents' house growing up, and the pinball machine at my mom's ad agency was better than day care.
• Favorite games: Prince of Persia, Myth, Deus Ex, Pikmin, Kururin Paradise, Portal, Rock Band
• Compact Flash or SD? Compact Flash.

There's more to come every Tuesday and Thursday.

Crash Bandicoot returns for another platforming adventure in October, 2008. The boisterous character again has the power to ride defeated enemies, using their special abilities. For example, before crossing a lake, he might force a frost-breathing creature to freeze it solid. Other times, he might roll on top of a spherical enemy over ramps, like a Sonic or Billy Hatcher.

But unlike the previous Crash, players can carry along a favorite enemy at all times. This way, gamers can defeat an immediate puzzle, but still retain the abilities of another, go-to creature.

I recently tried Radical's Wii version of the in-development title. The team is building for the Wii first, and essentially scaling the graphics up for the 360 and down for the PS2. This approach gives the Wii title a finished sheen that beats most others Wii games. (Multi-platform games often scale PS2 graphics up to the Wii, but don't truly utilize the hardware.) Crash seemed fun; its bright graphics and light tone should attract its kid-targeted audience.

Few games appeal to adults and kids, but The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon could please both audiences. The younger group gets its beloved purple dragon and familiar platforming. The older crowd will like the depth in gameplay; among other changes, Spyro can now fly at any time.

After recently seeing a demo of the game, I was most impressed by its style and art; adults will find a lot of nuance here, too. Spyro mixes a lot of brightness and darkness in its style, reminding me of Fantasia or other old-guard Disney animations. Grasses leaned back as the wind raked over them, in a saccharine outdoor scene. But in another moment, sharp, muted stones matched the danger from an attacking monster.

Due in Fall, 2008 for 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, and DS, Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon could even interest players who know nothing of the character.

Sierra recently showed off its upcoming crop of XBLA games at a media event. While a couple have promise, most could be buried by the quantity or quality of competitors. All are confirmed only for XBLA, but Sierra is considering PSN versions of most. All will be out this Summer.

If you remember World in Conflict from last year, expect more of the same in this fall's World in Conflict: Soviet Assault. If you don't remember it, you might have been washed over by a dozen other great games. The real-time battle strategy takes gamers into an alternate 1989; the Cold War turns into a firefight.

Two changes define this update: 360 and PS3 gamers can play, and a new campaign lets you play from the Soviet perspective. PC gamers who have the original can opt for a download-only Soviet expansion, while those new to the title can get a bundled, PC edition. Console gamers will get the full, original game in this version, too.

If you buy only one game featuring 50 Cent and G-Unit shooting people in a quest to get back their diamond-encrusted skull this year, make it 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. I'm still overwhelmed by the game's plot, and when 50 Cent is your protagonist, you might as well embellish as much as you can. Go over the top, and then go even higher.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is a straight-ahead action game. You'll fire all kinds of guns to kill waves of disposable enemies, all trying to stop you from getting back what's rightfully yours. In a recent demo of the title, I felt a little bad for the sheer numbers of enemies you must dispatch; surely, these lowly thugs aren't making diamond-encrusted-skull money.

And before I get too far, a clarification: 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is not necessarily set in the Middle East. Lots of places have sand, including Miami Beach, school playgrounds, ant farms, and other non-Middle-Eastern settings. The game is merely set in a fictitious, unnamed country with sand, palm trees, and vaguely Middle-Eastern architecture.

After a recent demo of Sierra's Prototype, I came away feeling a little less excited for the title than when I started. I'm still anticipating its Fall, 2008 360/PC/PS3 release, assuming it ships on time. I think it could be an exciting third-person action/mystery. But I'm uncertain about if it will become a cohesive experience by then; I saw well-executed elements but I'm not sure if they will combine.

And admittedly, Prototype's open-world scope is much too big to take in from a single demonstration. The fast, physical action and control look better than other games, with the player able to change fighting techniques and attacks at any moment. Developer Radical Entertainment didn't spill too much about the story, only repeating that you play an amnesiac with the ability to morph into other peoples' identities.

I hope that plot can connect to the action. I think it could, especially because the character gains the memories and abilities of the identities he steals. And while the anti-hero is becoming a cliche, Radical stressed that you're not trying to save Manhattan from its plague of monsters. You're out for yourself, and the story is supposed to explain why.

Ghostbusters is one of those nerdy properties that when reissued, will never please all of its fans. Even in a brief demo with a few other writers, questions -- and follow-ups -- circled around "crossing the streams" and even geekier topics. I'm not at that level of spirit-stopping enthusiast, but I'm cautious about the new version, probably because it shows so much promise. I hate to get behind something, especially a beloved property, only to see it crumble.

The Ghostbusters animation, graphics, settings, and physics look great. The original cast has reassembled to record for this game. It's even being written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. But the biggest thing I didn't see was that story, and that narrative is an important part of Ghostbusters. We'll find out how well the script and setting hold up with its October, 2008 release.

Is Nintendo an ancestor of Aperture Science? A dummy corporation? We recently recorded the North American voice of the Wii Fit Balance Board, and it bears an uncanny resemblance to Portal's happy little turrets. Even the hierarchy of henchmen follows Portal. Aperture science has GLaDOS, and Wii Fit has a male- or female-voiced personal trainer.

Yes, there are still a few differences. The Balance Board voice -- and we presume nefarious AI -- comes through the Wii and out a TV, while the turrets are all self-contained. Plus the balance board might not be trying to kill us. The verdict is still uncertain, but be warned.

Aperture Science turret


Wii Fit Balance Board

I had low expectations for the Wii Wheel before playing a few rounds of Mario Kart at the Nintendo Media Summit. The circular chunk of plastic exceeded my expectations. And that's my advice in life: Expect little and be constantly pleased.

I twisted the small wheel to turn my racer. Gentle movements steered me around the tracks, and the setup was most sensitive if I held it at a 90-degree angle, with the face pointing directly away from the TV. A button pad pushed the B trigger, giving me a bigger target to hop and turn. I reached the other buttons easily.

But the control felt imprecise because it wasn't mounted to anything. I unintentionally dropped the wheel angle sometimes, making the system less sensitive. I don't know why someone would want to buy one of these, and I expect most gamers will stick with other control methods.

WiiWare will include casual, simple, and hopefully cheap titles with its upcoming release outside of Japan. While some of the Wiiware efforts on display at the Nintendo Media Summit impressed and surprised me, I was more ambivalent about Pop.

The simple game is just about pointing and clicking on bubbles that drift by. Click a bunch of like-colors in a row, and rack up a bonus score that's activated when you pop a different-colored bubble. Miss the bubbles completely, and the count-down timer jumps ahead, moving closer to the end of the game. The only other catch is that your potential points and time keep rising with bubble-popping combos, but they aren't added to the game until you break the run. Get too greedy, and you'll run out of time.