PS3

CHICAGO – Harmonix and MTV Games took something of a surprising turn after the massive success of last year’s best music game, “The Beatles: Rock Band,” by choosing the follow-up band from a very different arena of radio rock and announcing “Green Day: Rock Band.” With dozens of bands on player’s wish lists of who they would love to get the “Beatles Treatment,” many were surprised that Green Day was chosen as the follow-up group.

Video Game Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – May 2010 has seen a trio of racing games that might blur together for casual players but that all come with their own unique identities. Sony’s “ModNation Racers” (which we will review later this week) is about the customizable experience and plays closer to something like “Super Mario Kart” meets “Little Big Planet”. Disney’s “Split/Second” is a car chase scene from a Michael Bay movie brought to life. The most traditional and arguably most addictive is Activision’s “Blur,” a thrill ride that moves at such a high rate of speed that decisions need to made in the blink of an eye.

CHICAGO – One might assume that the disappointing Jake Gyllenhaal summer action flick “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” would have a movie tie-in game that’s equally frustrating but Ubisoft’s “Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands” is actually unrelated to the film other than being a part of the franchise that inspired it. No, you won’t be able to play Alfred Molina’s ostrich races, although you may wish you could.

CHICAGO – 2K Sports announced today that the legendary Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan would grace the cover of “NBA 2K11,” to hit stores on October 5th, 2010. Just as the current season is ending with a potentially historic finals game between the longtime rivals Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, 2K Sports looks to the past of the popular sport for the next installment of their hit franchise.

CHICAGO – As the video marketplace gets more and more crowded, it becomes even harder for some titles to stand above the competition, especially in the incredibly crowded month of May 2010. It takes confidence to challenge highly anticipated titles like “Red Dead Redemption,” “Alan Wake,” “Super Mario Galaxy 2,” and “ModNation Racers” for gamer dollars.

CHICAGO – Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play an over-the-top car chase like the centerpiece of a Jerry Bruckheimer production like “Bad Boys II”? Dodging explosions, other vehicles, and your own tendency to swerve left when you should swerve right? Welcome to the world of “Split/Second,” a variation on the “Death Race” concept in that it’s often the last man standing named the winner.

CHICAGO – After watching a large number of their soldiers pick up their gear and trudge off to the amazing multiplayer of “Battlefield: Bad Company 2,” Activision and Infinity Ward have made some recent moves designed to bring video game warriors back to the beloved “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2”. Xbox 360 players got the “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package” first but it’s now available on the PS3 with word of a “Resurgence Pack” hot on its heels.

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Carnival

CHICAGO – This 5-image slideshow contains the official press images of the five new maps soon-to-be available for “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” in the DLC entitled “Resurgence Pack”. The add-on will be available on the XBLA on June 3rd, 2010.

Video Game Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Namco Bandai’s latest punch-and-shoot game, “Dead to Rights: Retribution,” has moments of visceral enjoyment but they become fewer and farther between as the structural flaws and awful combat system make the title nearly impossible to enjoy. As poorly designed games get more difficult, their drawbacks go from annoying to aggravating with deaths caused more by game design than player control. “Dead to Rights: Retribution” is such a game.

CHICAGO – When the representative who sent me a copy of the newest Square Enix RPG “Nier” suggested that I needed to give the game time to impress me, I was immediately concerned. Modern gamers don’t like to wait for their entertainment. And, more often than not, “wait, it gets better” is a false promise. But not in the case of “Nier”.