Chrono Trigger is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. The game’s story follows a group of young adventurers who travel through time to prevent a global catastrophe. Square re-released a ported version by TOSE in Japan for Sony’s PlayStation in 1999, later repackaged with a Final Fantasy IV port as Final Fantasy Chronicles in 2001. A slightly enhanced Chrono Trigger was released for the Nintendo DS on November 25, 2008 in North America and Japan, and will go on sale in Europe in early 2009. It has never been released in PAL territories on the SNES or the PlayStation.

The development team of Chrono Trigger was headed by three designers that Square dubbed the “Dream Team”, consisting of Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series, and Yuuji Horii and Akira Toriyama—two freelance designers known for their work on Enix’s Dragon Quest series. The game was produced by Kazuhiko Aoki. Masato Kato wrote most of the plot, while composer Yasunori Mitsuda scored most of the game before falling ill and deferring remaining tracks to Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu.

Chrono Trigger was well-received by reviewers and commercially successful. Nintendo Power magazine described certain aspects of Chrono Trigger as revolutionary, including its multiple endings, plot-related sidequests focusing on character development, unique battle system, and detailed graphics. The game has shipped more than 2.36 million copies in Japan and 290,000 worldwide as of March 31, 2003.

Gameplay

Chrono Trigger features standard console role-playing game (RPG) gameplay with several innovations. The player controls the protagonist and his companions in the game’s two-dimensional fictional world, consisting of various forests, cities, and dungeons. Navigation occurs via an overworld map, depicting the landscape from a scaled down overhead view. Areas such as forests, cities, and similar places are depicted as more realistic scaled down maps, in which players can converse with locals to procure items and services, solve puzzles and challenges, or encounter enemies. Chrono Trigger’s gameplay deviates from that of traditional RPGs in that, rather than appearing in random encounters, many enemies are openly visible on field maps or lie in wait to ambush the party. Contact with enemies on a field map initiates a battle that occurs directly on the map rather than on a separate battle screen. This concept had previously been featured in such titles as Secret of Mana and Final Fantasy Adventure, but was uncommon at the time for RPGs outside the action RPG genre.

Players and enemies may use physical or magical attacks to wound targets during battle, and players may use items to heal or protect themselves. Each character and enemy has a certain number of hit points, and successful attacks reduce that character’s hit points, while hit points can be restored with potions and spells. When a playable character loses all hit points, he or she faints; if all the player’s characters fall in battle, the game ends and must be restored from a previously saved chapter, except in specific storyline-related battles that allow or force the player to lose. Between battles, the player can equip his/her characters with weapons, armor, helmets, and accessories that provide special effects (such as increased attack power or defense against magic), and various consumable items can be used both in and out of battles. Items and equipment can be purchased in shops or found on field maps, often in treasure chests. By exploring new areas and fighting enemies, players progress through Chrono Trigger’s story.

Chrono Trigger uses an Active Time Battle system—a staple of Square’s Final Fantasy game series designed by Hiroyuki Itō for Final Fantasy IV—named “Active Time Battle 2.0″. Each character can take action in battle once a personal timer dependent on the character’s speed statistic counts to zero. Magic and special physical techniques are handled through a system called “Techs”. Techs deplete a character’s magic points (a numerical meter like hit points), and often have special areas of effect; some spells damage huddled monsters, while others can harm enemies spread in a line. Enemies often change positions during battle, creating opportunities for tactical Tech use. A unique feature of Chrono Trigger’s Tech system is that numerous cooperative techniques exist. Each character receives eight personal Techs which can be used in conjunction with others’ to create Double and Triple Techs for greater effect. For instance, Crono’s sword-spinning Cyclone Tech can be combined with Lucca’s Flame Toss to create Fire Whirl. When characters with compatible Techs have enough magic points available to perform their techniques, the game automatically displays the combo as an option.

Chrono Trigger features several other unique gameplay traits, including time travel. Players have access to seven eras of the game world’s history, and past actions affect future events. Throughout history, players find new allies, complete side quests, and search for keynote villains. Time travel is accomplished via portals and pillars of light called “time gates”, as well as a time machine named Epoch. The game contains thirteen unique endings; the ending the player receives depends on when and how he or she reaches and completes the game’s final battle.[10] The re-release of Chrono Trigger for the DS features a new ending that can be accessed from the End of Time upon completion of the final extra dungeon. The ending is reported to contain a new optional final boss. Chrono Trigger also introduces a New Game+ option—after completing the game, the player may begin a new game with the same character levels, techniques, and equipment (but not money) that he or she ended the previous game with. Certain items central to the storyline are removed and must be found again, such as the sword Masamune. Square has since employed the New Game+ concept in later titles, including Vagrant Story, Chrono Cross, Parasite Eve and Final Fantasy X-2.

More Information

• Developer(s)  Square, TOSE (PS and DS)
• Publisher(s)  Super Nintendo Entertainment System, JP Square, NA Square Soft, Inc., PlayStation, JP Square, NA Square Electronic Arts, Nintendo DS, Square Enix
• Designer(s)  Takashi Tokita, Yoshinori Kitase, Akihiko Matsui, Yuuji Horii, Hironobu Sakaguchi
• Writer(s)  Masato Kato
• Artist(s)  Akira Toriyama
• Composer(s)  Yasunori Mitsuda, Nobuo Uematsu, Noriko Matsueda
• Series  Chrono
• Platform(s)  Super Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayStation, Nintendo DS
• Genre(s)  Console role-playing game
• Mode(s)  Single-player

Links

• Official Japanese Chrono Trigger for Nintendo DS website
• Official North American Chrono Trigger for Nintendo DS website
• Chrono Trigger guide at StrategyWiki

Gamers’ Choice Wii

Super Smash Bros. Brawl – Super Smash Bros. Brawl is a brawling, battling, action-packed video game that features a varied roster of characters for four-player simultaneous melees! Use your Wii Remote and Nunchuck controls to deal serious damage to your opponents and win the game! This Wii entry in the popular series features a number of new additions, including an Adventure Mode (with co-op play), a wealth of new characters and stages, and online combat for multiple players to face off against each other from anywhere!

Gamers’ Choice PS3

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots – Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is a story-driven adventure game, with seasoned hero Solid Snake drafted for one final mission. Set across stages including the Middle East and South America, the now aged Snake has been asked to assassinate his old adversary, Liquid Ocelot. To do this, however, he must make his way through a series of battlefields, using his legendary stealth abilities and all-new OctoCamo suit to avoid detection and to reach his target. With series favorites such as Meryl Silverburgh, Raiden, Hal ‘Otacon’ Emmerich, Eva and Roy Campbell returning, and with all new gameplay features including a remote-controlled Metal Gear Mk. II and enhanced CQC (Close Quarters Combat) system, Metal Gear Solid 4 rounds out the Metal Gear saga with a fittingly cinematic and gripping final outing.

Gamers’ Choice Xbox 360

Fallout 3 – Vault 101 – Jewel of the Wastes. For 200 years, Vault 101 has faithfully served the surviving residents of Washington DC and its environs, now known as the Capital Wasteland. Though the global atomic war of 2077 left the US all but destroyed, the residents of Vault 101 enjoy a life free from the constant stress of the outside world. Giant Insects, Raiders, Slavers, and yes, even Super Mutants are all no match for superior Vault-Tec engineering. Yet one fateful morning, you awake to find that your father has defied the Overseer and left the comfort and security afforded by Vault 101 for reasons unknown. Leaving the only home you’ve ever known, you emerge from the Vault into the harsh Wasteland sun to search for your father, and the truth.

Gamers’ Choice DS

Chrono Trigger – When a newly developed teleportation device malfunctions at the Millennial Fair, young Crono must travel through time to rescue his misfortunate companion from an intricate web of past and present perils. The swashbuckling adventure that ensues soon unveils an evil force set to destroy the world, triggering Crono’s race against time to change the course of history and bring about a brighter future.

Remastered exclusively for Nintendo DS, the beloved RPG features a brand new dungeon, all-new dual screen presentation, wireless play mode, and touch-screen functionality.

Gamers’ Choice PSP

God of War: Chains of Olympus – As many who know the tales of the God of War know, Kratos, after being deceived into killing his wife and daughter, denounced his service to Ares. In order to seek absolution from his past sins, the Ghost of Sparta pledged himself as a champion to the Gods for the years to follow – these brutal crusades, in the name of Olympus, became legendary throughout the ancient world.

Experience Kratos’ journey during the 10 years of servitude to the Gods of Olympus. In God of War: Chains of Olympus, Kratos will venture to lands that no mortal has ever walked upon. With the world plunged in eternal darkness and the Gods rendered powerless, Kratos will ultimately be forced to choose between his own personal redemption and saving the ancient world from certain destruction. Developed from the outset as an original story, God of War: Chains of Olympus delivers highly detailed graphics, incredible animation detail and yet another adventure in the dark and brutal world of Greek mythology.

Gamers’ Choice PC

Fallout 3 – Vault 101 – Jewel of the Wastes. For 200 years, Vault 101 has faithfully served the surviving residents of Washington DC and its environs, now known as the Capital Wasteland. Though the global atomic war of 2077 left the US all but destroyed, the residents of Vault 101 enjoy a life free from the constant stress of the outside world. Giant Insects, Raiders, Slavers, and yes, even Super Mutants are all no match for superior Vault-Tec engineering. Yet one fateful morning, you awake to find that your father has defied the Overseer and left the comfort and security afforded by Vault 101 for reasons unknown. Leaving the only home you’ve ever known, you emerge from the Vault into the harsh Wasteland sun to search for your father, and the truth.

Gamers’ Choice Multiplayer

Left 4 Dead  – Setting out to do for co-op gaming what Counter-Strike did for team combat, Left 4 Dead is an ambitious survival horror game. Running on the Source engine, Left 4 Dead leaves four armed survivors of a world overrun with zombies, and they must fight their way out to escape the outbreak.

Designed for co-op play, the four players must work together to finish each stage of the game, lending each other artillery support, sharing ammo and rescuing each other when zombies are on top of them. In addition to the standard four players as humans, another four players can be amongst the masses of assaulting zombies, seeking to take down the other players. Zombie players might even find themselves become one of the four mutant “boss” zombies, who have unique powers that can be used to devastate, injure, tie up, mark and track, confuse, or even humiliate the gun-toting human survivors

Source: Gamespy

As introduced in Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, new moves include clinging onto branches during a jump using Indy’s whip. As a promotion, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga features Indy as an unlockable playable character.

The game often follows the events in the films, however like the Lego Star Wars series, some scenes from the film have been altered to become more family friendly or just provide comic relief to the player.

Development

In an effort to make the game more family friendly, all references to Nazis have been removed, and the game refers to Nazi characters simply as ‘enemies’. Also, at the climax of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the death of Belloq and the Nazis is not nearly as graphic. Also, in the Temple of Doom, Mola Ram does not rip out a victim’s heart.

It was initially reported that the game would allow up to four players in co-operative mode,[9] but this later turned out to be a miscommunication. While four characters may be visible on the screen, only two can be controlled by players. On the Nintendo DS, up to eight characters may be in the party, but only two may be visible on the screen. Neither the Xbox 360 version nor the PlayStation 3 version support online play through Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network.

Gameplay

The game follows the storylines from the original Indiana Jones films: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and Last Crusade. However, the developers modified the storylines to fit the events into 6 game chapters per movie. Barnett College, Dr. Indiana Jones’ teaching location from the movies, serves as the main hub of the game, and different rooms allow access to each of the missions as well as the extra unlockable content and options. Once a player chooses a mission, a cutscene begins that introduces the section of the movie being played. Notable scenes have been recreated from the movies, such as the memorable boulder escape and the battle on the rope bridge, as well as Walter Donovan choosing the incorrect Holy Grail.

Instead of canisters like in Lego Star Wars, the characters collect treasure.

There are 83 regular characters in total plus the two custom figures which can be made by the players and a few extras only playable on certain levels. Each character featured in the game has his/her own unique ability, which are required to access new areas when replaying a level in Free Play mode. Lego Indiana Jones allows players to mix and match parts to customize characters and make their own creation like “Belloq Jones” or “Colonel Toht”. Unlike the Lego Star Wars custom characters, they can be taken control of in the Art room at Barnett College where they are created.[10]

New features were added to the gameplay from the Lego Star Wars series, such as the ability for the player to interact with objects in their environment, e.g. bottles, swords and guns. Players can also build and ride vehicles. The game also incorporates character phobias from the films; for example, if Indiana Jones sees a snake, Willie sees a spider (excluding giant tarantulas), or Henry Jones Senior or Elsa see a rat, they will be frozen with fear and have limited movement capacity until the animals are either gone or out of range. Also, new melee attacks, such as the Whip snag (trips enemies), have been added.

Once the game reaches 100%, studs begin and continue to fall from the sky of Barnett College.

Nintendo DS Gameplay

The handheld version has some significant changes to accommodate both the memory and size limitations of the DS as well as its unique touch screen controls. Characters’ special abilities, such as Indy’s whip or Satipo’s shovel, and elements such as switches can be controlled by using the touch screen. In addition, the built-in microphone comes into play, allowing the player to physically blow out torches in some levels and inflate rubber rafts to cross water hazards.

There are four classes of characters that can use special access panels to enter hidden areas; these all require the player to match a four block sequence by solving a mini-puzzle on the touch screen. Scholars can access scroll panels, and must flip pages in a book to find the correct blocks. Thuggee use red skull panels and move a torch to illuminate the blocks on a darkened screen. Military characters can use the green radio panels and scroll through a set of slot-machine wheels to match the pattern. Brotherhood characters enter the red sword panels and solve a block switching game. In addition, Marion (and Monkey Man) can transform into a monkey on special red pads to climb to otherwise inaccessible areas, and throw bottles of alcohol into flaming trash cans to blow up certain obstacles.

The DS version features cameos by Star Wars characters, including Wicket the Ewok and Luke frozen in an ice cave resembling the Wampa’s, but unlike the console versions none of the characters are playable. Santa Claus, Strong Man, Castle Knight, and the Clown are the only non-movie characters who are unlockable. There are also no hidden levels and no bonus reward for completing the game at 100%.

Red power bricks remain in the DS version, despite being replaced with red parcels in the console/PSP versions. Also, the characters do not suffer from fear of creatures as they do in the console versions.

More Information

• Developer(s)  Traveller’s Tales
• Publisher(s)  LucasArts
• Engine  Modified Lego Star Wars II engine
• Platform(s)  Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
• Release date(s)  NA June 3, 2008, EU June 6, 2008, AUS June 4, 2008
• Genre(s)  Action-adventure

Links

• Official site
• Games for Windows listing
• The Lego Indiana Jones Wiki

Gameplay

The Curious Village is a puzzle game, with the player controlling the movements of Professor Layton and his young assistant Luke around the village of St. Mystere to locate the “Golden Apple” and solving other mysteries that arise during their searching. St. Mystere is divided into several sections, which the player can move between, though some sections are inaccessible until certain parts of the story have been advanced or they have met a minimum requirement of number of puzzles solved. The player can talk to characters or investigate objects on screen by tapping them. In many cases, the characters will ask Layton and Luke to try to solve a puzzle; there are also hidden puzzles that can be found by investigating certain objects. As the story progresses, if the player has not solved some of the puzzles made available by talking to characters, these will be collected at a special location so the player may still attempt them.

Puzzles include brain teasers, sliding puzzles, logic puzzles and others. The player is presented with the puzzle and the value of the puzzle in “picarats”, and is given unlimited time to solve it. Each puzzle has three hints available for it, but the player must spend one “hint coin” to see each hint. Hint coins are limited; the player starts with ten, and more are available by searching around the village. Once the player feels he has the answer, he enters it, either by selecting an answer, drawing a circle around a specific part, or entering the answer through character recognition on the DS’s touchscreen. If the player is correct, the picarats are added to his total score, and he is sometimes rewarded with an item. If the player is incorrect, they can retry the puzzle indefinitely, though the first two times they are wrong, the value of the puzzle will decrease by approximately ten percent each time. Optionally, a player can quit a puzzle at no cost and try another, though certain puzzles are mandatory to progress. Once a puzzle is completed, the player may retry it at any time via the game’s menus.

As a reward for completing a puzzle, the player may earn one of three rewards. Gizmos are collected in order to create a robot dog that can help sniff out hint coins for the player. Pieces of a portrait can be assembled as in a jigsaw puzzle. Pieces of furniture can be distributed between Layton’s and Luke’s rooms at the inn to try to satisfy the overall happiness of both. By completing all 120 puzzles in the main game and each of these additional puzzles, the player can access 15 additional puzzles accessible as a bonus item in the game. The game is compatible with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, allowing players to connect to the internet and unlock new puzzles. The first unlockable puzzle was made available on the day of the game’s Japanese release, and one new key has been released every week thereafter. A new key is released every Sunday. There is also a “The Hidden Door” that is only available after the player finds a unique code in the sequel Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box that contains development art of the characters in the game.

A playable demo of The Curious Village is available on its official website.

Plot

Specific order of events in the game will vary depending on choices that the player has made during the game, but the overall plot remains unchanged.

The game opens with Professor Layton and Luke driving to the town of St. Mystere by request of Lady Dahlia, widow of the late Baron Reinhold. The Baron has left in his last will and testament that whoever solves the mystery of the Golden Apple would inherit the Baron’s fortunes, and several people have attempted and failed. The two enter the town, and find that most of the population is fond of puzzles and brain teasers, both which Layton and Luke are adept at solving. They also see a large, haphazard tower that occupies one side of town that no one can get to, but that people keep hearing strange noises emanating from at night. Layton and Luke meet Lady Dahlia, other family members including Simon, and their servants, but before they can discuss the matter further, a loud exploding sound is heard and Dahlia’s cat Claudia flees out of the door. Layton and Luke chase Claudia through town, solving puzzles along the way. Meanwhile, a strange soot covered man plots a deadly plan against the heroes. Eventually they discover the cats fondness for fish and tempt her back with one. upon returning to the mansion, Layton and Luke to find that Simon has been murdered and the case is already under investigation by Inspector Chelmey. Chelmey initially suspects the two, but as their alibi holds up, lets them go, but tells them to stay of out of the murder investigation. However, Layton cannot help to notice a small gearwheel near Simon’s body.

As Layton and Luke continue their search for the Golden Apple, they witness the kidnapping of one of Dahlia’s servants, Ramon.a strange man stuffs Ramon into a bag; they give chase but are unable to catch him, though they do find another gearwheel similar to the one before. However, they are befuddled as the next day, Ramon is back as if nothing had happened. They continue to explore the town, eventually led to the town’s abandoned amusement park by a young girl met at the dead end. As they explore the Ferris wheel, the sinister figure from earlier uses a remote to tear the wheel from its moorings, sending it chasing after Layton and Luke, who barely escape as the wheel smashed through a locked building. Exploring the wreckage, they find a key shaped similar to the tower, and Layton gets an idea of what’s going on in the village. The two return to face Chelmey, who Layton realizes is an impostor. The man reveals himself as Layton’s arch-enemy, Don Paolo, seeking the Golden Apple for himself and who tried to use the Ferris wheel to knock Layton out of the picture; Paolo escapes before Layton can capture him.

With Luke in tow, Layton heads for the tower, using the key to unlock a secret wall in the dead end. Inside, they discover the man that previously had kidnapped Ramon, named Bruno. Layton exposes the truth with Bruno’s help; all the residents of St. Mystere are robots, created by the Baron and Bruno to challenge the wits of anyone seeking the Golden Apple, explaining why all the townsfolks were obsessed with puzzles. Simon wasn’t murdered, only that he malfunctioned; similarly, Bruno kidnapped Ramon in order to perform repairs. Having solved the puzzle of St. Mystere, Layton and Luke climb the tower, solving puzzles and meeting minor characters along the way. Eventually, the pair reaches the top of the tower, and much to their surprise, find a small house there. Inside, the young girl from before awaits. She reveals herself as Flora, the only daughter of the Baron, and was the Golden Apple that the robots were protecting. However, this realisation is short-lived as Paolo returns in a flying machine, and starts demolishing the tower. Luke escapes down the stairs, but Layton is forced to improvise a glider to take Flora and himself to safety as the tower collapses. the villain swears revenge and leaves. the three are safe in town and as Flora laughs in happiness an apple like birthmark can be seen on her shoulder. As they regroup at the Reinhold manor, Layton realizes that there’s more than just Flora as the treasure, as the birthmark points to the Baron’s riches. Luke finds a switch on the portrait of Flora which leads to a secret room filled with gold. A note from the Baron congratulates those that had followed the clues, and tells Flora to take the treasure, warning that if it is taken, all the robots will stop functioning. Flora opts to leave it as a way to repay the robots for their years of service to protect her and as her friends. As the game ends, Layton, Luke and Flora leave St. Mystere, having not taken the treasure, allowing the residents to continue on with their lives. Flora leaves the village with Layton and Luke. the three (and other characters)are shown laughing and living together during the game credits.

As the first part of a trilogy, the main story ends with a “to be continued” message with a picture of Luke and Layton at a train station.

More Information

• Developer(s)  Level-5
• Publisher(s)  JP Level-5, Other regions Nintendo
• Series  Professor Layton
• Platform(s)  Nintendo DS
• Release date(s)  JP 15 February, 2007, NA 10 February, 2008, AUS 10 April, 2008, KR 11 September, 2008, EU 7 November, 2008
• Genre(s)  puzzle

Links

• Official website
• Italian official website

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information.

Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane’s chocolates! And then there’s Hermione, simmering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

In the game of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, players will return to Hogwarts to help Harry survive a fraught sixth year. They will also have a chance to engage in exciting wizard duels, mix and brew magical ingredients in Potions class and take to the air to lead the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory. Players may even get sidetracked by Ron’s romantic entanglements as they journey towards a dramatic climax and discover the identity of the Half-Blood Prince.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Achievements:

1. Grime Buster: Clean up after Fred and George at The Burrow – (10)
2. Used the Pensieve: View Dumbledore’s first memory of Tom Riddle in the Pensieve – (10)
3. Quidditch Captain: Assemble the Gryffindor Quidditch Team – (10)
4. Great Party: Create a great Christmas party for Slughorn – (10)
5. Good Deed: Help the student retrieve her stolen Gobstone – (20)
6. Great Mate: Help Ron avoid Lavender – (20)
7. Hidden the Book: Hide the Half-Blood Prince’s Potions Book – (20)
8. Portrait Novice: Use your first portrait shortcut – (10)
9. Portrait Pro: Use all of the portrait shortcuts – (20)
10. Adventure completed: Conclude the adventure – (100)
11. Crest Collector 1: Complete Crest Collector Level 1 – (10)
12. Crest Collector 2: Complete Crest Collector Level 2 – (10)
13. Crest Collector 3: Complete Crest Collector Level 3 – (10)
14. Crest Collector 4: Complete Crest Collector Level 4 – (10)
15. Crest Collector 5: Complete Crest Collector Level 5 – (20)
16. Crest Collector 6: Complete Crest Collector Level 6 – (20)
17. Crest Collector 7: Complete Crest Collector Level 7 – (20)
18. Crest Collector 8: Complete Crest Collector Level 8 – (20)
19. Crest Collector 9: Complete Crest Collector Level 9 – (30)
20. Crest Collector 10: Complete Crest Collector Level 10 – (30)
21. Crest Collector 11: Complete Crest Collector Level 11 – (30)
22. Crest Collector 12: Complete Crest Collector Level 12 (40)
23. Crest Collector 13: Complete Crest Collector Level 13 (50)
24. Crest Collector 14: Complete Crest Collector Level 14 – (60)
25. Potions Beginner: Earn the Potions Beginner’s Luck Badge – (10)
26. Speedy Brewer Badge: Earn the Speedy Brewer Badge – (10)
27. Potions Club Star: Earn the Potions Club Star Badge – (10)
28. Potions Club Veteran: Earn the Potions Club Veteran Badge – (20)
29. Master Potioneer: Earn the Master Potioneer Badge (50)
30. Duelling Beginner: Earn the Duelling Beginner’s Luck Badge – (10)
31. Reflex Badge: Earn the Reflex Badge – (10)
32. Duelling Champion: Earn the Duelling Club Champion Badge – (10)
33. Duelling Veteran: Earn the Duelling Veteran Badge – (20)
34. Master Duellist Badge: Earn the Master Duellist Badge (50)
35. Quidditch Beginner: Earn the Quidditch Beginner’s Luck Badge – (10)
36. Precision Flyer Badge: Earn the Precision Flyer Badge – (10)
37. Combo Flyer Badge: Earn the Combo Flyer Badge – (10)
38. Keen Flyer Badge: Earn the Keen Flyer Badge – (20)
39. Master of Flying: Earn the Master of Flying Badge (50)
40. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement. – (20)
41. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement. – (20)
42. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement. – (30)
43. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement (40)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, developed by EA Bright Light Studio, is scheduled for release later this year to coincide with the Warner Bros. Pictures film based on J.K. Rowling’s sixth Harry Potter book. on Wii„ PS3, X360, PS2, PSP, NDS and PC.

For the Wii, Nintendo has only two releases planned, both remakes of GameCube games designed to support the Wii Remote’s motion-sensing capabilities. The self-explanatory New Play Control Mario Power Tennis and New Play Control Pikmin will both launch in March.

Nintendo’s DS lineup is a little more robust, spearheaded by the March 22 launch of Pokemon Platinum. Platinum reuses characters and settings from Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl in a franchise tradition dating back to Pokemon Yellow for the original Game Boy, a pseudosequel that incorporated elements of the previously released Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue.

Beyond Diamond, Nintendo has two more DS games planned through March. Up first will be Personal Trainer: Math on January 12, an arithmetic addition to the practical game series that started with Personal Trainer: Cooking. Those looking for something a little more gamey can try Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon on February 16. The latest release in the turn-based strategy series will be a remake of the original NES Fire Emblem (which never made it to North America), with new touch-screen controls.

Wii

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• SimAnimals (Electronic Arts)–January 27
• Coraline (D3Publisher)–January
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• Word Jong Party (Destineer)–January
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• Brave: A Warrior’s Tale (Southpeak)–February 17
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• Cradle of Rome (Destineer)–February
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• Sonic and the Black Knight (Sega)–March
• We Ski & Snowboard (Namco Bandai)–March
• Super Pick Ups (XS Games)–Q1
• Trivial Pursuit (Electronic Arts)–Early spring
• Marble Saga Kororinpa (Hudson)–Spring

Nintendo DS

• Phineas and Ferb (Disney Interactive Studios)–Winter
• Paws & Claws Pampered Pets (THQ)–January 5
• Big Bang Mini (Southpeak)–January 6
• Retro Game Challenge (XSEED)–January 6
• Personal Trainer: Math (Nintendo)–January 12
• Moon (Mastiff)–January 13
• World Championship Games (The Game Factory)–January 19
• SimAnimals (Electronic Arts)–January 27
• Coraline (D3Publisher)–January
• Drivers’ Ed Portable (Dreamcatcher)–January
• Inkheart (Dreamcatcher)–January
• Jake Power Fireman (Ubisoft)–January
• Jake Power Policeman (Ubisoft)–January
• Learn Math (Dreamcatcher)–January
• Monster Band (Dreamcatcher)–January
• Powerbike (Majesco)–January
• USA Today Puzzle Craze (Destineer)–January
• Wonder World Amusement Park (Majesco)–January
• My World, My Way (Atlus)–February 3
• Legacy of Ys: Books I & II (Atlus)–February 10
• Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (Nintendo)–February 16
• Brave: Shaman’s Challenge (Southpeak)–February 17
• Jagged Alliance (Empire Interactive)–February 17
• My Fashion Studio Paris Collection (Ubisoft)–February 17
• Roogoo Attack (Southpeak)–February 17
• Avalon Code (Marvelous)–February
• Imagine Cheerleader (Ubisoft)–February
• Imagine Family Doctor (Ubisoft)–February
• JoJo’s Fashion Show (Ubisoft)–February
• Music Star: Pop Star (Dreamcatcher)–February
• My DoItAll (Tomy)–February
• My Personal Diary (Dreamcatcher)–February
• Petz Horseshoe Ranch (Ubisoft)–February
• Zoo Quest (Dreamcatcher)–February
• American Popstar – Road to Celebrity (Gameloft)–March 9
• Animal Planet (Activision)–March 10
• Chicken Hunter Star Karts (MumboJumbo)–March 10
• Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (Rockstar Games)–March 17
• Trackmania DS (Atlus)–March 17
• Pokemon Platinum (Nintendo)–March 22
• American Popstar – Road to Celebrity (Ubisoft)–March 24
• Monsters vs. Aliens (Activision)–March 24
• Pimp My Ride 2 (Activision)–March 24
• Broken Sword: Shadows of the Templars Director’s Cut (Ubisoft)–March
• DinoPets (Destineer)–March
• Dreamer: Top Model (Dreamcatcher)–March
• Flower, Sun, and Rain (Marvelous)–March
• Hot n’ Cold (Majesco)–March
• Imagine Ice Champions (Ubisoft)–March
• Jake Power Handyman (Ubisoft)–March
• Learn Chess (Dreamcatcher)–March
• Matchstick (Dreamcatcher)–March
• Monster Pals (Crave)–March
• Paint by DS (Dreamcatcher)–March
• Sarah: Keeper of the Unicorn (Dreamcatcher)–March
• Zubo (Electronic Arts)–March
• Elebits: The Adventures of Kai and Zero (Konami)–Q1
• Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure (Electronic Arts)–Q1
• Litlle Magician’s Magic Adventure (Konami)–Q1
• Our House (Majesco)–Q1
• Puzzle Quest: Galactrix (D3Publisher)–Q1
• Suikoden Tierkreis (Konami)–Q1
• Dragon Master (Dreamcatcher)–April
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (Square Enix)–Spring

“Rockstar Leeds have once again created a game that far exceeds our standard for deep and innovative entertainment,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “We are incredibly excited to share this enormous and uncompromising Grand Theft Auto experience with DS fans.”

Edge Magazine commented, “How does Rockstar follow Grand Theft Auto IV? By rebuilding Liberty City from the ground up on DS and not compromising its vision one iota.”

Nintendo Power added, “…it’s undeniable that Chinatown Wars is doing something no other DS game has come close to: creating that living, breathing world the Grand Theft Auto games are known for.”

Stay tuned for more details as and when they arrive.

That it plays such a good game is largely down to a control system that will be instantly recognizable to anyone who’s played FIFA or Pro Evo on another console. Gameloft haven’t done anything radical, they’ve simply transferred a tried and tested button set-up to DS, and familiarity breeds contentment.

On the downside, holding the DS like a joypad for any length of time does become seriously uncomfortable. There is the option to use stylus controls for shooting, tackling and passing, but we couldn’t get them to work with any degree of efficiency.

There are plenty of competitions to tackle, with regional and worldwide international cups and European domestic leagues, although a lack of any management-focused mode is something of a downer, whatever the competition, it’s only really a succession of games.

Most of the player names are correct, but the squad lists are out of date and there’s no option to edit your team. Likewise, there’s the full license for La Liga but not the Premiership. Oh, and there’s no commentary aside from occasional yelps declaring you’ve been awarded a set piece. This is never going to be a serious rival to games on the bigger consoles but it’s a fine effort for a handheld.

At first glance, you might mistakenly believe Blue Dragon Plus to be a strategy game in the style of Final Fantasy Tactics, with little hand-drawn heroes and monsters arranged on an isometric 3D stage. But once the fight begins, everything starts happening in real time and you must feverishly put together your plan of attack, because those enemies aren’t waiting for your turn.

You command your units around the field with quick but simple controls that rely totally on the touch screen. You tell your units where to go, who to fight, when to heal, and when to move to special areas on the map. It seems like your attention is constantly needed everywhere at once, but the game gives you some room for error by providing a high number of healing items. Also, as you progress through each map, the game occasionally pauses to let some part of the story play out.

Speaking of the story, it picks up one year after the first game, as Shu and his pals journey to the center of their world to make sure everything is still OK where they defeated the ultimate evil. In a big twist, the nefarious Nene isn’t as vanquished as they thought, and trouble starts all over again. While it doesn’t have the console version’s voice acting or so-bad-it’s-good rockin’ battle music, it does have a big dose of 3D cutscenes. It’s possible that the game’s first couple of hours are just unusually heavy with them, though, seeing as we haven’t yet had a chance to spend more time with the game.

We’re interested to play more, especially after seeing Blue Dragon Plus attempting to shake things up compared to its more traditional predecessor. Hopefully it will give this franchise another chance at the big time. Expect to see more of its high-end presentation and simple but fast techniques when it releases early next year.

Season 2 sees the cuddly yet violent detectives investigate a giant robot attack on their beloved city, perform an exorcism on Santa Claus, and even visit Hell, a heavily bureaucratic limited-liability company. As part of the international release, Sam & Max Season 2 will introduce full French and German translations to the episodes, as well as Spanish and Italian subtitles.

Season 1 of Sam & Max also made it to stores for the Wii and PC, courtesy of Dreamcatcher, The Adventure Company, and JoWood Group. For those who don’t insist on a hard copy, all of Telltale’s Sam & Max episodes are downloadable for the PC from the developer’s Web site and from the GameTap subscription service.

Sam & Max aren’t the only cute critter additions to Atari’s lineup. According to a report in Variety, the publisher has picked up the just-released Tale of Despereaux games from the recently defunct Brash Entertainment. The Hollywood trade paper claims that Atari has snagged Brash’s rights to the PC, PlayStation 2, DS, and Wii editions of the movie adaptation, while leaving the Xbox 360 version on the shelf.