Holiday Review: Bratz, Call of Duty 2 and Harry Potter
It is the time of year that I try to take a look at some of the new releases out there to give you my 2 cents about holiday gift-giving. This time there are some winners, some no-so, but all in all it should be a nice tech-Christmas.First up is “Call of Duty 2”, the sequel to the phenomenally successful World War II drama that was named “Game of the Year” by more than one magazine two years ago. Before you even consider this game make sure your PC is up to it. You need a honking video card here, the more memory on board the card the better (minimum 64 MB but 128 is better). Even so, check the box to make sure your card is supported.
You must have Windows XP or 2000 and 512 MB of RAM and 5 gigs of free disk space.
Assuming you gather all of the above you are in for an amazing first-person entrée into WWII. This time you can follow the Americans to Normandy, the British thru North Africa or even the Russians thru Germany.
It is a first-rate, realistic thriller for teens and up. Cost is $45. Details at www.callofduty.com
---Second on my list is “Bratz: Rock Angelz”, which appeals to me far less than the above. But I need to confess my bias up front; I probably am not the target demographic for this game. (And I don’t allow Bratz dolls in my house)
That said, this game will appeal to girls who follow the Bratz, who tend to dress on the trampy side, on their mission to take over a fashion magazine. You get to run various errants, try on some clothes, form a rock band and basically collect things. (I am told this PC version (rated E for Everyone) has toned down the clothing when compared to the gaming console versions (Playstation, etc.) but even so these teens would be tossed out of any school I know.)
Anyway as far as game play goes the game is good, probably pretty fun for the right audience. The best part is the price… I’ve seen it for less than $17. You can decide for yourself with the screenshots at www.bratzvideogame.com or www.thq.com
---Last but not least is “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” another reasonably-priced video title out to help promote the movie. For less than 25 bucks you’re in the movie, taking the characters on various adventures. Though the movie is too dark for many kids, this game is nicely rated “E” and has lots of role-playing that will engage kids of all ages. That’s a noticeable change from the previous titles…this game is clearly light on difficulty.
Players pick their character (Harry, Hermoine or Ron) and head off into adventureland. The other two will hang around whether you like it or not. You can hack your way through, use spells and various other tools from the movie to survive each level. Unlike previous versions, the spells will “autoselect” the best spell for the right circumstances, which will be great for younger players.
The game looks great and most kids will find it entertaining, even if they can’t see the movie. See the details at www.masterthemagic.com
WEEKLY WEB WONDER: Got Silly Putty? Why not? The toy of my youth is now online at www.sillyputty.com. Smoosh it against the Sunday comics like the days of old.
James Derk is owner of CyberDads, a computer repair firm, and computer columnist for Scripps Howard News Service. His email address is jim@cyberdads.com
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