Nintendo 3DS

CHICAGO – One can never argue that Nintendo doesn’t know how to treat their most beloved properties. Every few months seems to produce a game featuring one of the icons of the most important video game company in history and the latest is “New Super Mario Bros. 2,” a tweaked version of the classic now presented in 3D on the Nintendo 3DS.

CHICAGO – Our fourth and final calendar could be your most essential! When is your next addictive video game hitting store shelves? And how can you pre-order it early? Bookmark this page and come back for a regularly updated list of what’s upcoming in the world of video games complete with links to buy them!

CHICAGO – Do kids still play pinball? Or is it a piece of nostalgia now? I must confess to hours spent in the arcade playing the addictive game, always my personal favorite when I had quarters burning a hole in my pocket. And so I’m kind of a soft target when it comes to Farsight Studios’ “The Pinball Arcade,” a clever new title available for the PS3 and PlayStation Vita.

CHICAGO – A release date has been given for the reworked update of one of the best PlayStation 2 games ever released. On February 21 of this year, “Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D” will be released to Nintendo 3DS players everywhere. Konami also confirmed the game will use the new Circle Pad Pro accessory on the 3DS.

CHICAGO – The video game publisher Activision has never shied away from charging a little extra for the add-ons of their video games. The publishers of the “Guitar Hero” and “DJ Hero” series, Activision always seems to find a way to create fun and entertaining games that cost more than just the price of a disc.

CHICAGO – Like a lot of video game critics my age, the original Sega Genesis “Sonic the Hedgehog” games hold a special place in my heart and my gaming history. Nearly as much as the adventures of Mario and Link, the time I spent with that speedy blue hedgehog impacted the way I would judge games like it forever. I was woefully addicted to “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.”

CHICAGO – EA’s “Need For Speed: The Run” features some adrenalin-pumping moments but they’re undercut by some truly poor mechanics and some awful development decisions. The concept behind the “story” of the game is clever and promising enough to warrant a rental, but the execution is flawed enough to steer clear of a purchase.

CHICAGO – Nintendo has arguably received more negative press than at any other time in their existence regarding the lack of must-own titles for their newest product, the Nintendo 3DS. Why upgrade to 3D if there are no games that demand it? Every single console has been driven by the software available for it.

CHICAGO – Honestly, one of the few reasons left to own a Nintendo DS (or 3DS) outside of the well-known franchises like “Zelda” and “Mario” is the consistently addictive and creative franchise known as “Professor Layton.” A blend of anime, fantasy, mystery, and, above all else, puzzle-solving, these games are about as enjoyable as a handheld title can get for a puzzle fan. The latest, “Professor Layton and the Last Specter” dips just a bit in quality in terms of puzzle structure and storytelling, but that’s only because of the high standard set by this franchise before and the areas in which it improves — setting, value — make up for it. It’s WELL worth the purchase price, especially if you’ve been sucked into the Layton world before.

CHICAGO – When talking about sports stateside, it is pretty common to discuss the major four: football, baseball, basketball, and hockey. Even golf and tennis come up frequently. One sport that really hasn’t taken off is soccer. Maybe you have to call it football to be obsessed with the sport, but soccer tends to be pretty low on the average American sportswatcher’s list of favorites.