Online Games, Game Cheats, Latest Games

“The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks” improves on the previous version to provide players with a fun adventure.

Link trades his boat in for a train in “The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.” The game follows a similar structure and has the same cartoonish visual style as the series’ previous DS adventure, “Phantom Hourglass.” Like that game, “Spirit Tracks” is played mostly with the stylus.

Unlike “Phantom Hourglass,” it is not a direct sequel to the GameCube’s “Wind Waker.” Instead, it takes place a century or so later, with a new Link and a new Zelda, in a kingdom of Hyrule that is no longer covered in water.

Instead, this Hyrule is crisscrossed by Spirit Tracks, mystical train tracks that connect to a great tower in the center of the kingdom. When the track suddenly vanishes, strange monsters begin to appear, and with their chief mode of transportation gone, the kingdom’s citizens are thrown into disarray.

The disappearance of the tracks and the appearance of monsters is no coincidence – the Tower of Spirits at the center of Hyrule is a lock for the cage of the evil Demon King Malladus, and the Spirit Tracks supply it with energy from several temples. Link must journey with his train to each of these temples and restore the Spirit Tracks to stop the demon’s revival.

He’ll have help from a disembodied Princess Zelda, whose body is stolen by her own traitorous chancellor as part of the plot to release the Demon King.

The Tower of Spirits holds maps that can restore segments of Spirit Tracks, allowing Link to reach new areas of the kingdom. But these maps are guarded by various obstacles, including the hulking, armored Phantoms of “Phantom Hourglass.” Link and Zelda soon find the ghostly princess can possess and control these Phantoms.

The puzzles in the Tower of Spirits are clever, but Link won’t have Zelda’s help in the temples, which contain special items – such as the perennial boomerang – and a challenging boss enemy that has bottled up some of the Spirit Tracks’ power.

One of Link’s most important new items, the Spirit Flute, allows him to cause various effects by playing it, but it’s also a bit gimmicky. Players move the flute back and forth while blowing into the DS microphone to play it, which is clever but awkward.

More awkward is the Whirlwind, a new item that also requires blowing into the microphone, which is kind of tricky when trying to fight an enemy or two. That’s a pretty minor gripe, though. “Spirit Tracks” is entertaining adventure.

The game also features a multiplayer mode in which up to four players compete to grab the most gems as possible within a time limit.

PICKS AND PANS

The Princess and the Frog

3 stars

Chiefly a collection of mini-games based on the recently released Disney film, “The Princess and the Frog” doesn’t have much to it, but it carries an appeal similar to the “Mario Party” or “Rabbids” series.

Up to four players can take part in a variety of games, such as highlighting heart-shaped leaves, shaking spices into a pot of gumbo or playing music to annoy a character or two from the movie. The controls are simple and easy to grasp, so even young gamers should be able to play.

Playing the main campaign mode unlocks new outfits and other items for the heroine, Tiana, and her friends, and opens up upgrades for the restaurant she’s renovating. There are also other activities, such as cooking in Tiana’s kitchen.

Nintendo Wii, PC; $49.99 ($19.99 for PC)

Age rating: Everyone

Borderlands: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned

3 stars

“The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned” turns out to be just what the doctor ordered for “Borderlands.” The game play remains unchanged, but the new quests, enemies and locations are a welcome addition.

Ditching the dry and dusty environs of the main “Borderlands” quests, “Zombie Island’s” Jakob’s Cove location is a greener and moister place, but no less dangerous. The area is, as the expansion’s name suggests, overrun with monstrous zombies and abominations, vicious bats and other nasties, and it’s up to the player (or players) to wipe them out and discover what created them in the first place.

The new enemies aren’t too smart, but they keep players on their toes by, for example, spewing caustic slime to slow them down and leave them vulnerable to being mobbed by the zombie hordes.

Microsoft Xbox 360, also for Sony PlayStation 3, PC; $10 (800 Microsoft Points), $9.99 for PS3 and PC

Age rating: Mature

– Justin Hoeger

“The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks” improves on the previous version to provide players with a fun adventure.

Link trades his boat in for a train in “The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.” The game follows a similar structure and has the same cartoonish visual style as the series’ previous DS adventure, “Phantom Hourglass.” Like that game, “Spirit Tracks” is played mostly with the stylus.

Unlike “Phantom Hourglass,” it is not a direct sequel to the GameCube’s “Wind Waker.” Instead, it takes place a century or so later, with a new Link and a new Zelda, in a kingdom of Hyrule that is no longer covered in water.

Instead, this Hyrule is crisscrossed by Spirit Tracks, mystical train tracks that connect to a great tower in the center of the kingdom. When the track suddenly vanishes, strange monsters begin to appear, and with their chief mode of transportation gone, the kingdom’s citizens are thrown into disarray.

The disappearance of the tracks and the appearance of monsters is no coincidence – the Tower of Spirits at the center of Hyrule is a lock for the cage of the evil Demon King Malladus, and the Spirit Tracks supply it with energy from several temples. Link must journey with his train to each of these temples and restore the Spirit Tracks to stop the demon’s revival.

He’ll have help from a disembodied Princess Zelda, whose body is stolen by her own traitorous chancellor as part of the plot to release the Demon King.

The Tower of Spirits holds maps that can restore segments of Spirit Tracks, allowing Link to reach new areas of the kingdom. But these maps are guarded by various obstacles, including the hulking, armored Phantoms of “Phantom Hourglass.” Link and Zelda soon find the ghostly princess can possess and control these Phantoms.

The puzzles in the Tower of Spirits are clever, but Link won’t have Zelda’s help in the temples, which contain special items – such as the perennial boomerang – and a challenging boss enemy that has bottled up some of the Spirit Tracks’ power.

One of Link’s most important new items, the Spirit Flute, allows him to cause various effects by playing it, but it’s also a bit gimmicky. Players move the flute back and forth while blowing into the DS microphone to play it, which is clever but awkward.

More awkward is the Whirlwind, a new item that also requires blowing into the microphone, which is kind of tricky when trying to fight an enemy or two. That’s a pretty minor gripe, though. “Spirit Tracks” is entertaining adventure.

The game also features a multiplayer mode in which up to four players compete to grab the most gems as possible within a time limit.

PICKS AND PANS

The Princess and the Frog

3 stars

Chiefly a collection of mini-games based on the recently released Disney film, “The Princess and the Frog” doesn’t have much to it, but it carries an appeal similar to the “Mario Party” or “Rabbids” series.

Up to four players can take part in a variety of games, such as highlighting heart-shaped leaves, shaking spices into a pot of gumbo or playing music to annoy a character or two from the movie. The controls are simple and easy to grasp, so even young gamers should be able to play.

Playing the main campaign mode unlocks new outfits and other items for the heroine, Tiana, and her friends, and opens up upgrades for the restaurant she’s renovating. There are also other activities, such as cooking in Tiana’s kitchen.

Nintendo Wii, PC; $49.99 ($19.99 for PC)

Age rating: Everyone

Borderlands: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned

3 stars

“The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned” turns out to be just what the doctor ordered for “Borderlands.” The game play remains unchanged, but the new quests, enemies and locations are a welcome addition.

Ditching the dry and dusty environs of the main “Borderlands” quests, “Zombie Island’s” Jakob’s Cove location is a greener and moister place, but no less dangerous. The area is, as the expansion’s name suggests, overrun with monstrous zombies and abominations, vicious bats and other nasties, and it’s up to the player (or players) to wipe them out and discover what created them in the first place.

The new enemies aren’t too smart, but they keep players on their toes by, for example, spewing caustic slime to slow them down and leave them vulnerable to being mobbed by the zombie hordes.

Microsoft Xbox 360, also for Sony PlayStation 3, PC; $10 (800 Microsoft Points), $9.99 for PS3 and PC

Age rating: Mature

– Justin Hoeger

A snapshot of the action in “Assassin’s Creed II.”

The saga of the Assassins and the Templars continues in “Assassin’s Creed II,” which picks up just about where the original left off.

Players of the first game will recall that the skulk-and-stab action is actually part of a “Matrix”-like computer simulation: Modern-day Knights Templar are using a device called the Animus to sift through the genetic memory of bartender Desmond Miles, whose ancestors happen to be infamous Assassins.

In the first game, players controlled the actions of Altair, a surly Assassin who operated in the Holy Land during the Third Crusade. “Assassin’s Creed II” takes place far away and hundreds of years later, in Renaissance Italy.

Players now guide a youth named Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the son of a wealthy banker in Florence. He and his older brother spend their days brawling with rivals, chasing ladies and clambering over the rooftops of the city.

A tragic event forces Ezio to take up the mantle of an Assassin and hunt down Templar agents in a quest for revenge. Florence is not the only place to explore – players will also visit Venice, the countryside and other locations in pursuit of vengeance.

The assassination missions and sideline activities are much less repetitive this time around, and the game is more fun as a result.

The game play is similar to the original but improved significantly by numerous tweaks and additions. Ezio is a more amiable guy than Altair was; he easily blends into groups of civilians and can spread money around to distract guards or hire helpers to draw attention away from him, and he has other ways to remain incognito, as well.

Ezio also has more weapons to wield. He carries a spring-loaded assassin blade, a sword, throwing knives and his fists, like Altair. But he’ll wield maces, axes, spears and other weapons, too. He can spend money to upgrade equipment or dye it different colors, and to buy medical supplies. And by improving his home base, Ezio can gain a steady income.

He’ll need all his tricks, because as he performs high-profile actions (killing guards, bulling through crowds, being spotted on the rooftops), his notoriety goes up, making guards more alert. Ezio can reduce his notoriety by tearing down posters, assassinating officials or bribing criers – a broader range of actions than Altair had.

Speaking of Altair, “Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines” for the PSP continues his story as he sails to Cyprus in pursuit of the Templars. The game lacks many of the new features of “Assassin’s Creed II,” but it’s a fairly effective portable take on the original game’s formula.

The combat, running and hiding of “Bloodlines” all carry similar mechanics to its console cousins, though some controls have been modified. The game world is broken up into smallish chunks with loading in between, enemies can be rather blockheaded, and the environments can appear drab at times.

Still, the character models look quite good, and the basic feel of fighting and climbing up buildings is intact.

PICKS AND PANS

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles

2 1/2 stars

“Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles” revisits several notable events from the series and adds an original scenario that takes place in South America.

One or two players can take on the zombie hordes, but they have no control over the characters’ progression through each level. Their main contribution is shooting the zombies and other monsters that pop up on-screen, and grabbing items before they pass out of view. Players can pick up a variety of weapons or swing a knife when enemies get up close.

The game looks great, and the uncontrollable viewpoint means there’s always a chance for something to pop up right in the player’s face. It’s an effective shooting gallery-style game, though the “camera” does bob about a little too much in some places.

Nintendo Wii; $49.99 • Age rating: Mature

Katamari Forever

2 1/2 stars

In “Katamari Forever,” the King of All Cosmos has managed to knock himself out, and his son, the Prince, has created a robotic replacement that malfunctioned and destroyed all the stars in the sky – again. Now the Prince and his cousins have to work not only to restore the King’s memories and wake him up but also to create a new sky full of stars.

The Prince does this by rolling up as much junk as possible into a ball, often starting with tiny items before graduating to larger ones such as the Katamari ball, which grows exponentially. There’s usually a time limit, item limit or some other stricture on creating the ball, which the King (or RoboKing) judges and places where it needs to go.

The controls use the same two-stick setup as the previous ones, though the Prince can now jump, and can attract items to the Katamari with the use of special items.

Sony PlayStation 3; $49.99 • Age rating: Everyone

WireWay

3 stars

“WireWay” has the player fling a little alien from elastic wire to elastic wire, trying to collect stars called Elan.

The alien, Wiley, must make his way through each stage to his partner’s ship. Players use the stylus to pull and launch Wiley like a stone from a slingshot. He can be bounced higher into the air if the player smacks him with a pulled wire on his way down, and pinball-like bouncers can send him flying on his way.

The levels have various obstacles, from wildlife to nasty aliens, and some require keys to take down barriers or have other special conditions.

Outside of the main Quest Mode, the Challenge Mode offers two kinds of games. In Flick Trials, players have only a limited number of launches for Wiley. In Strategery, much of the level is bare, and players must fill in the blanks with their own wires and bouncers.

Nintendo DS; $29.99 • Age rating: Everyone

– Justin Hoeger

A snapshot of the action in “Assassin’s Creed II.”

The saga of the Assassins and the Templars continues in “Assassin’s Creed II,” which picks up just about where the original left off.

Players of the first game will recall that the skulk-and-stab action is actually part of a “Matrix”-like computer simulation: Modern-day Knights Templar are using a device called the Animus to sift through the genetic memory of bartender Desmond Miles, whose ancestors happen to be infamous Assassins.

In the first game, players controlled the actions of Altair, a surly Assassin who operated in the Holy Land during the Third Crusade. “Assassin’s Creed II” takes place far away and hundreds of years later, in Renaissance Italy.

Players now guide a youth named Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the son of a wealthy banker in Florence. He and his older brother spend their days brawling with rivals, chasing ladies and clambering over the rooftops of the city.

A tragic event forces Ezio to take up the mantle of an Assassin and hunt down Templar agents in a quest for revenge. Florence is not the only place to explore – players will also visit Venice, the countryside and other locations in pursuit of vengeance.

The assassination missions and sideline activities are much less repetitive this time around, and the game is more fun as a result.

The game play is similar to the original but improved significantly by numerous tweaks and additions. Ezio is a more amiable guy than Altair was; he easily blends into groups of civilians and can spread money around to distract guards or hire helpers to draw attention away from him, and he has other ways to remain incognito, as well.

Ezio also has more weapons to wield. He carries a spring-loaded assassin blade, a sword, throwing knives and his fists, like Altair. But he’ll wield maces, axes, spears and other weapons, too. He can spend money to upgrade equipment or dye it different colors, and to buy medical supplies. And by improving his home base, Ezio can gain a steady income.

He’ll need all his tricks, because as he performs high-profile actions (killing guards, bulling through crowds, being spotted on the rooftops), his notoriety goes up, making guards more alert. Ezio can reduce his notoriety by tearing down posters, assassinating officials or bribing criers – a broader range of actions than Altair had.

Speaking of Altair, “Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines” for the PSP continues his story as he sails to Cyprus in pursuit of the Templars. The game lacks many of the new features of “Assassin’s Creed II,” but it’s a fairly effective portable take on the original game’s formula.

The combat, running and hiding of “Bloodlines” all carry similar mechanics to its console cousins, though some controls have been modified. The game world is broken up into smallish chunks with loading in between, enemies can be rather blockheaded, and the environments can appear drab at times.

Still, the character models look quite good, and the basic feel of fighting and climbing up buildings is intact.

PICKS AND PANS

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles

2 1/2 stars

“Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles” revisits several notable events from the series and adds an original scenario that takes place in South America.

One or two players can take on the zombie hordes, but they have no control over the characters’ progression through each level. Their main contribution is shooting the zombies and other monsters that pop up on-screen, and grabbing items before they pass out of view. Players can pick up a variety of weapons or swing a knife when enemies get up close.

The game looks great, and the uncontrollable viewpoint means there’s always a chance for something to pop up right in the player’s face. It’s an effective shooting gallery-style game, though the “camera” does bob about a little too much in some places.

Nintendo Wii; $49.99 • Age rating: Mature

Katamari Forever

2 1/2 stars

In “Katamari Forever,” the King of All Cosmos has managed to knock himself out, and his son, the Prince, has created a robotic replacement that malfunctioned and destroyed all the stars in the sky – again. Now the Prince and his cousins have to work not only to restore the King’s memories and wake him up but also to create a new sky full of stars.

The Prince does this by rolling up as much junk as possible into a ball, often starting with tiny items before graduating to larger ones such as the Katamari ball, which grows exponentially. There’s usually a time limit, item limit or some other stricture on creating the ball, which the King (or RoboKing) judges and places where it needs to go.

The controls use the same two-stick setup as the previous ones, though the Prince can now jump, and can attract items to the Katamari with the use of special items.

Sony PlayStation 3; $49.99 • Age rating: Everyone

WireWay

3 stars

“WireWay” has the player fling a little alien from elastic wire to elastic wire, trying to collect stars called Elan.

The alien, Wiley, must make his way through each stage to his partner’s ship. Players use the stylus to pull and launch Wiley like a stone from a slingshot. He can be bounced higher into the air if the player smacks him with a pulled wire on his way down, and pinball-like bouncers can send him flying on his way.

The levels have various obstacles, from wildlife to nasty aliens, and some require keys to take down barriers or have other special conditions.

Outside of the main Quest Mode, the Challenge Mode offers two kinds of games. In Flick Trials, players have only a limited number of launches for Wiley. In Strategery, much of the level is bare, and players must fill in the blanks with their own wires and bouncers.

Nintendo DS; $29.99 • Age rating: Everyone

– Justin Hoeger

The challenge for “Tropico 3″ players is to build a thriving island nation from the ground up.

A nation-building game in which the action is confined to islands, “Tropico 3″ installs the player as dictator of a fictional Caribbean country.

The game is not unlike this year’s “Dawn of Discovery” for the Wii, though it is more involved and more informative.

Players can choose from several prefabricated leaders, such as Fidel Castro, Che Guevara or Augusto Pinochet, or create their own from scratch.

Each has several personality traits. Some are positive: A hardworking leader boosts all production, for example. Others are negative: A womanizer will find it tough to impress the religious community or educated women.

Leaders all have two of each kind of trait, along with a personal background and method for taking the presidency; these aspects influence their effectiveness and how certain groups will react to them.

Whatever their traits, a leader would do well to keep the people happy, providing jobs, food, spiritual fulfillment, housing and education.

Unhappy people may protest or revolt, though the threat or use of force is a possible response; secret police and a strong military presence can keep the citizens in line at the cost of liberty.

It can be easier simply to improve conditions and relations with the various interest groups of Tropico. A detailed almanac keeps track of many important factors, such as the condition of the people and what they want, foreign relations, the status of services and the overall economy.

The main thrust of the game, whatever the player’s style, is to build a strong economic engine based on crop and mineral exports, tourism and fees. Foreign aid and trade deals may also contribute to the national treasury, as can contracts with corporate interests that may or may not seem beneficial a few years down the line. And of course, a savvy dictator squirrels some money away into a Swiss bank account.

The player may also issue edicts, usually for a price. There are several kinds. Social edicts include such decrees as banning alcohol, allowing gay marriage and banning contraception. With Foreign Policy, players may curry favor with the United States or the U.S.S.R. (the game can run from the 1950s up to 2000).

Economic and Domestic Policy edicts are also available, provided the player has met the conditions for using them.

The game can be played in a Campaign mode, which offers a chain of scenarios on predetermined islands. There’s also a Sandbox mode, in which players are free to adjust the conditions of their island to their liking; and Challenges, special scenarios created and uploaded by players.

PICKS AND PANS

Left 4 Dead 2

3 stars

“Left 4 Dead 2″ does what any good horror sequel does: It ups the ante. More zombies, more weapons, more gore – “L4D2″ has them all.

The four new Survivors face a new set of campaign scenarios, and they’ll find new equipment, such as a defibrillator for reviving dead allies, and an assortment of new weapons, including melee weapons like chain saws and swords.

The Survivors will need them all – the Infected now include acid-spewing Spitters; Chargers, who can grab a Survivor with their huge arms; and Jockeys, who can jump onto a Survivor’s back and steer them toward danger. The original game’s Infected forms return as well.

The game offers solo and online campaign play; the Versus mode, in which one team plays as the Survivors and the other as the Infected; and three new modes. The Realism mode makes the game harder for the humans; Survival sends waves of Infected at the Survivor team; and Scavenge has the Survivors trying to gather fuel for an escape while the Infected try to stop them.

Microsoft Xbox 360, also for Sony PlayStation 3, PC; $59.99 ($49.99 for PC) •

Age rating: Mature

Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron

2 stars

The second portable-only “Star Wars Battlefront” game, “Elite Squadron” goes from land to air to space and back again, all in the same battle.

“Elite Squadron” brings back the open-ended character classes of the previous “Renegade Squadron” – players can choose a predetermined equipment set or make their own.

As the clone trooper X2, whose genetic material was from a Jedi, players will fight on the Republic’s side before switching to the Rebellion in the single-player campaign. The game also features Instant Action and Galactic Conquest modes, as well as online competition for up to 16 players.

The campaign has some interesting elements, but it feels like the game and graphics are straining against the PSP hardware — controls are clumsy and visuals can get choppy.

Sony PlayStation Portable, also for Nintendo DS; $29.99 • Age rating: Teen

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City

2 1/2 stars

“Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City” packages the two downloadable add-ons for “Grand Theft Auto IV” together on one disc. (Both episodes are also available for download.) The first, “The Lost and Damned,” introduced a host of new missions revolving around a biker gang. The latest episode, “The Ballad of Gay Tony,” has a more likable cast, and its own new missions, vehicles and weapons, along with other additional material.

Microsoft Xbox 360 (or Xbox Live download); $39.99, or $20 (800 Microsoft Points) each • Age rating: Mature

– Justin Hoeger