SPIDER-MAN 2 (T) (3.5 stars)
Activision
Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube
Forget Driv3r and Grand Theft Auto. Why explore a sprawling, realistic city from the road when you can do it as Stan Lee intended, from rooftop to rooftop? In Spider-Man 2, you do just that, swinging from the tallest skyscrapers in the five boroughs.
Surprisingly intuitive control mechanics make web-slinging so natural, you'll think that you've been bitten by a radioactive spider. The graphics, if occasionally blocky, do a good job of capturing the feel of the movie's CG action. And much of the action is voiced by the film's actors.
The story weaves in and out of the film's plot, incorporating additional villains like the Shocker and Mysterio into the conflict, as well as a better-than-expected subplot with Black Cat that builds on Peter Parker's big-screen angst.
The game's biggest drawback springs from the so-called open-ended game play. To earn Spidey Points, you'll be asked to repeatedly solve the same six problems. Before long, it feels like the Big Apple consists only of those who drive armored cars and those who rob them.
THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: ESCAPE FROM BUTCHER BAY (M) (4.5 stars)
Vivendi Universal
Xbox
Vin Diesel is gorgeous. There's something I never thought I'd see myself write. But thanks to the new graphics breakthrough known as "normal mapping," everything in The Chronicles of Riddick looks gorgeous, even the grime-covered prison toilets. But this title doesn't just get by on its looks. Its combination of stealth, role-playing, shooting and melée combat makes for one great escape.
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (E) (3 stars)
Electronic Arts
Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube
Ron and Hermione join Harry as playable characters in this latest addition to the Harry Potter game series, which is appropriate since they do most of the work, anyway. Varying character-specific traits make this session at Hogwarts better than previous efforts, but since the Zelda-inspired puzzles insist on retaining the childlike quality Daniel Radcliffe and company are quickly losing, Prisoner of Azkaban remains a lesson in wizardry for kids only.
MLB SLUGFEST: LOADED (T) (3 stars)
Midway
Xbox, PlayStation 2
In a genre that keeps pushing for more realism, Midway's Slugfest franchise has gone the other way, opting for the outlandish, extreme, and thanks to returning commentators Tim Kitzrow and Jimmy Shorts, hilarious. But, no longer content with flame-engulfed fastballs and base-runner fistfights, Loaded tries to cram in a weak but more traditional franchise mode, leaving the game feeling overloaded.
Matthew Scott Hunter has been known to mumble, "Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start" in his sleep. E-mail him at
[email protected].