If you’re at all self-conscious about singing around people, Singstar may not be for you. On the other hand, if you’re tone deaf and have no shame, then your microphone has arrived. Singstar + Dance is the latest in the Singstar franchise, this time adding PlayStation Move support and thus bringing dancing into the mix. Unfortunately, my PlayStation is not Move equipped. However, my dance skills are unmatched, so I don’t feel the need to show off my skills when in reality it’s the singing that maintains center stage here.

Singstar is all about casting you as the vocalist in popular songs, both new and old. It does this job very well, giving you quick access to a good library of songs. You can tackle these songs as either a solo artist or a duet. The music video for each song plays in the background while the lyrics show on screen. This works great for newer videos, but some of the older ones definitely show their age. I’m looking at you, Cindi Lauper.

The microphones are high-quality and sturdy with a good weight to them. There is plenty of cord in case you have a big living room or plan on Move-ing around a lot. The menus can be navigated with voice commands, so you don’t have to be switching back and forth between the mic and a Sixaxis controller after every song. Also, the load times are nearly nonexistent in this game. The time between selecting a track and the start of the video is literally a second. Once it’s time to sing, Singstar does a great job of showing the lyrics with what pitch you need to be singing at. One of my favorite features is the playback mode. Once you’ve completed a song, you can choose to play it back with your voice during the video. You can save these to torture, I mean serenade, your friends later.

While Singstar is successful in making you feel like a world class vocalist, it comes up a bit short in the track list department. It’s great fun singing Baby Got Back and Poker Face, but some of the older tracks just feel like filler in my opinion. I don’t really want to sing the Jackson 5, for instance. Of course, my musical taste will be different from yours. That being said, I think the track list is a little weak for a game such as this. I would have liked to have seen bigger hits from the Black Eyed Peas and Gwen Stefani, for example. The inclusion of DLC will be nice, but it’s still too early to tell if that will help.

Even without being able to maximize my enjoyment with Move, I was impressed by what Singstar + Dance brings to the table. The ability for two people to be able to sing a song together out of the box is a great feature and one that adds a fun dimension to the gameplay. The microphones are great quality and will stand up to a toddler quite well (trust me, I know). The song list might leave a lot to be desired, but if you can’t find something you like on it, you’re not trying. Unfortunately, the replay value once you’ve exhausted the song list is on the low end of the spectrum.

• High-quality in every way.
• Zero load times.
• Song list needs more current hits.
• Is that Soulja Boy song in every dance game?

Final score: 6 out of 10

If you were interested at all in the new Windows Phone 7 and its Xbox LIVE functionality, you’ve probably seen screenshots or video of The Harvest. The flagship launch title for WP7 (and one of the most expensive games on the platform), The Harvest is impressive, both from a graphical and technological standpoint. It is the game you will show your friends when they ask about your phone. But, as they say, beauty is only skin deep.

The Harvest features a plot that’s so well worn its practically gossamer. Aliens have attacked earth and its up to you, as a Global Defense Force member, to stop them. The smack down will be dealt as one of three different classes of soldier which you choose at the beginning of the game. You will be flipping switches to open doors, backtracking to previous areas to find said doors, and killing a lot of aliens in the process. It’s a good time but can get tedious.

As I said, this game is one of the best looking on any mobile platform. The controls work very well. Just tap the enemy you want to focus your attacks on and watch it die. The main problem with this is, your character has the tendency to stand there once the enemy you tapped is dead, even though there are other enemies actively attacking him. It makes for little extra babysitting but doesn’t mar the experience too badly.

Leveling up and loot collection is a big portion of The Harvest. This is a dungeon crawler through and through. It will be tough going in the beginning, but as you level up and collect items that boost your endurance, skill, and accuracy you’ll be cruising through to one of the 4 end bosses in style. Speaking of the end bosses, they are relatively easy to beat. Each one requires you to use one of your special abilities to weaken it or take it down. Achievements unlock easily, although a few of them are on the more difficult side, mainly the one that requires a play through as each of the three classes.

What The Harvest lacks in depth, it makes up for in beautiful graphics. It is expensive, though. The chance to play through it three times as different classes with different abilities does soften the blow a bit. Of course, that is if you like grindy dungeon crawlers. If you have a Windows Phone 7, this should be in your library.

-Graphically impressive for a mobile game.
-Multiple playthroughs offer some variety.
-$8? Really?!

-Buy

One thing that’s had a hard time finding its footing on consoles is the flight simulation genre. Maybe it’s the lack of joystick peripherals or the complexity involved. Whatever the reason, firing up Apache: Air Assault makes you question why we don’t see more air combat simulation games like this. Like Nicholas Cage in Fire Birds, you’ll take to the sky in an Apache helicopter to take down a drug cartel and terrorists. The only thing that’s missing is Tommy Lee Jones.

Apache offers a 16-mission single player mode as well as a co-op and multiplayer mode. The co-op mode puts both players in the same craft, giving one the pilot’s stick and the other control over weapons. I wasn’t able to try this mode since I only own one Sixaxis controller. I was able to get my Airwolf on in the single player campaign, taking out convoys and protecting allies. The multiplayer side of the game is a ghost town, with no games available any of the times I looked.

Piloting the chopper, no matter what view you use, is a thrilling experience. The simple training mode assigns altitude to the right stick and turning to the left. Once you’re in the air, push both sticks forward to fly at great speed. Changing the view to inside the cockpit is definitely where you’ll get the best feeling of actually being inside and piloting an Apache war bird. I was making quick strafing runs on enemy placements and convoys with ease.

Some of the missions in this game can be frustrating. Mainly because of the tiered structure of each one. There were many times that I would be on the last section of a mission only to fail and have to start back at the very beginning of the mission. This is pretty unacceptable in a game released in 2010. Also, while the helicopters themselves are lovingly recreated, everything on the ground looks remarkably low quality. It’s not a huge issue when you’re flying over at speed, but when you’re hovering just above the ground it’s very noticeable.

Honestly, the most fun I had with Apache: Air Assault came in the free flight mode. I set up the different options, of which there are many, and just took to the sky. It felt great flying over mountains and through canyons. This is obviously where the game shines. Unfortunately, the campaign’s paper thin plot and weak mission structure tarnished this otherwise solid flight simulation.

-Roaring through the air in an Apache feels great.
-Trophies unlock constantly.
-No checkpoints in missions.
-Multiplayer mode is a ghost town.

Score: 7 out of 10.

The Xbox 360 will have a two month exclusive on the game, after which it will land on the PSN. No announcement of a price yet, but Konami would be crazy to price this for more than 800 MSP, or $10.

X-Men Arcade will be available on the Xbox Live Arcade on December 15th.

Thanks, GamingNexus.

Before I had the phone in my hand, I had already been doing research on it. I had heard about the issue with the expandable memory slot. If you don’t know, some of the phones launched with a slot available for expanding the memory up to 32 GB using a MicroSD card. Unfortunately, once you put in the MicroSD card, it will become bonded with the phone, rendering it useless if removed. The OS assigns it a random password that makes it impossible to use in another phone. That is, unless you have a Nokia phone running Symbian, but that’s another story. So, until the issue is worked out and there are some Microsoft approved MicroSD cards available, I am living with the built in 8 GB of memory.

During the setup process, you are asked if you have a Windows Live login. This is the same e-mail address and password you would use if you have Xbox Live or a Hotmail account. Upon putting that in, the phone immediately had my Xbox Live user information, complete with my Avatar in the tile. It also populated my address book from my Hotmail contacts. I was then able to set up my GMail address and pin it to the start menu. Pinning items to the start menu is as easy as pressing and holding your finger on the item. Once you do that, a menu will appear with your options. Choosing the People tile asked me for my Facebook account information. Once logged in, the tile populated with my friend’s latest updates and pictures. Facebook is seamlessly integrated into the OS, making uploading pictures, sending messages, and commenting a breeze.

Taking pictures and video is quick and easy. Holding down the physical camera button on the side of the phone will start the camera application, even if the phone is asleep. You’re in the app and taking pictures within a matter of a couple seconds. Flipping to taking video just requires you to tap the picture/video toggle on the screen. The flash works well, but can be bright to your subjects, especially if they’re not expecting it.

Xbox Live is also built into the phone perfectly. Going into the app shows you what games you have and, with a swipe to the side, shows you the items in Spotlight and then your Avatar, gamerscore, and most recent achievement. You can edit your Avatar on the phone, so if you just have to, you can change clothes or features on the go. I haven’t heard that any of the Xbox Live enabled games have Avatar awards, but hopefully in the future.

Speaking of Xbox Live enabled games, yes, there is a difference between games that come complete with achievements and Xbox Live support and the ones you can buy in the Marketplace. Browsing the Marketplace, you can filter buy all games, Xbox Live games, or free games. There are a few freebies that I picked up immediately. Halo Waypoint, ilomilo, and Flowers. I also downloaded the free Avatar editor, which for some reason is not pre-loaded. I also purchased The Harvest. It’s a great looking isometric RPG that features real-time combat. It was $6.99, which is a bit steep for a cell phone game, but I couldn’t resist the lure of achievements on the go.

Speaking of cost, most of these Xbox Live enabled games will cost you at least $2.99, with the AAA titles weighing in at $6.99. The non-Live enabled games pretty much stick to the pricing model set by the iTunes app store. The upside is that any purchases you make on your phone, be it an app or a game, will show up on your monthly bill. Play now, pay later. I like it.

Since I’m coming from the world of iPhone, there have been some adjustments to make. Syncing the phone requires downloading the Zune software. I’ve had experience with this software before, but that doesn’t mean I love it. It’s less intuitive than iTunes. Downloading podcasts requires more attention. One of the features I was most excited for, wireless sync, has yet to work for me. It’s frustrating knowing that it’s there and I can’t use it. I also miss the ability to take a picture of the screen like on the iPhone using the home and lock buttons.

Also sending pictures to people, whether by media message, e-mail, or Facebook, is quick and easy. For some reason, there is no option to send videos using any of these options. I could understand if it was limited to Wifi, but that’s not the case. The only way to get your videos off the phone is to sync, then click on each one and add it to your collection. It’s only then that you can find it on your PC and upload it to whatever service you choose. While this might sound like a small complaint, but for a device that can record video in 720p, uploading to Facebook or YouTube should be built in.

I’ve also been adjusting to the touch-sensitive home buttons. There is a back, home, and search icon at the bottom of the phone. These are not physical buttons like on the iPhone, making them much more easily hit whether you want to or not. I’ve found myself back at the home screen many times when all I was doing was trying to tilt the phone to play a game or take a picture. I can’t say this is an issue with all Phone 7′s, but it is with the Focus.

All in all I’ve been having a great experience with my new Windows Phone 7. I have yet to feel any major regret for not buying an iPhone 4. The inability to copy and paste at launch is a small complaint. Even the lack of video sending isn’t a deal breaker when you weigh in things like having Xbox Live on the go and the ability to use voice commands for things like search and phone calls. For a brand new OS, this feels like a true contender.

My expectations were set firmly to “low” when I started up Bakugan: Defenders of the Core. Fortunately, the game was able to meet and then exceed my expectations, making me feel a little better about the state of kid’s games these days. Not that this is Crono Trigger by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a respectable battle game that’s accessible and fun.

Bakugan starts you out in a character creation mode. You’ll be able to choose your character’s face, skin tone, hair, eyes, clothes, etc. Once you’re happy, you’ll be dropped into a battle with your new dragon Bakugan. Upon winning that brawl, you’ll get to explore your apartment, which will act as a hub between missions. Here is where you can level your brawlers, change your features, and launch missions.

Bakugan follows a formula for each level. You’ll start out confronting your enemy in a cut scene. Once you get control of your character, you will have to run through an environment filled with cameras, guards, and robots that are all looking to spot you. You will need to get passed them and make it to your objective, the battle. Each of these enemies have a cone of vision that is clearly displayed, so avoiding them is not usually a problem. Sometimes you’ll have to throw your Bakugan ball at a nearby barrel or button to get passed them. It’s a stealthy snack before the brawl main course.

Once you reach the end of the stealth segment in each level, control will change to your brawling monster. You start out with a dragon, which is pretty powerful. You battle in real time, so there’s no card battle system. You can find cards to enhance your monster, and different monsters can be unlocked that have different strengths. Battles will normally pit you against one or more enemies. You use the face buttons and D-pad to attack and move. The touch screen is used, but not very often.

The DS version allows for two players to battle via DS download play with only one game cartridge. This is a good thing. Unfortunately, the game does not feature any online play, so don’t expect to take your leveled up Bakugan online to show it off. Also, the story is simple, which is fine. It’s just nothing that blew me away. Of course, I’m an adult. I could easily see someone that’s into the whole Bakugan universe being very entertained.

If you’re looking for a good DS game for a ten year old, this is it. The battles are fun while not being too challenging. The lack of online play is a bummer, but single cartridge download play helps ease the pain a bit. This won’t keep you busy forever since it’s not a long game, but Bakugan fans will surely overlook this and enjoy it anyway.

Buying a $299 160GB PS3 will net you the bonus of Uncharted 2 and Medal of Honor Limited Edition. Buying the 4GB Xbox 360 includes the bonus of Modern Warfare 2 and Mass Effect 2. That’s a better bonus than three LEGO games, if you ask me. The red Wii console will be $249 and include 2 sets of controllers and games including Wii Sports Resort and Super Mario Bros Wii.

Halo: Reach will be $35, which seems to be the standard price all stores will be selling it for. There will be some good $30 games, including Red Dead Redemption and NBA 2K11. Another notable item is the Band Hero bundles available for $75. Also, there are a bunch of games that will be $10, so if you missed them the first time or just traded them in, this is a good time to grab them again. I’m in for InFamous and Killzone 2.

So, where are you camping out on the day after Thanksgiving?

Character Backgrounds/Weapons

Witchblade: Sara Pezzini is the current possessor of the Witchblade, an ancient and sentient gauntlet with immense power. She works as a New York City police detective while trying to protect the Witchblade from the people that wish to possess its power. The Witchblade itself is the offspring of The Darkness and The Angelus, darkness and light.

Bayonetta: A shape-shifting witch that uses the firearms, magic, and her own hair to take out her enemies, Bayonetta is one formidable witch. Over 500 years old, she has fought the sides of light and dark trying to find the pieces to the past she doesn’t remember.

The Battle

Arriving on the scene of a homicide is nothing new for Sara Pezzini. Being a homicide detective in one of the toughest neighborhoods in New York, she’s seen her fair share of shocking crime scenes. As bearer of the Witchblade, she has also had more than enough experience dealing with the supernatural. Unfortunately, none of this prepared her for what she found today.

Crossing the police line, she can see more blood than she’s ever seen. It covers everything. The walls of the building, the cars parked in front. It’s as if someone sprayed the entire area in red paint. The bodies are piled up in groups and in a way that looks like they were killed at the same time and fell together. What’s worse is they don’t look human. They look angelic. What could have killed so many creatures in such a bloody, vicious way?

Her partner, Patrick Gibson, walks up and surveys the damage. “Estacado do this?”, he asks.

“I don’t think so. There are bullet holes everywhere. The wall, the sidewalk, the cars. Jackie isn’t so random.”

“Hmmmmm.”, Patrick mumbles.

The pair go about their business investigating the scene. Knocking on doors in the area, trying to find anyone who witnessed the bloodbath. Sara goes through the motions, although she knows she’ll be coming back when the sun goes down to do her own brand of investigating.

Meanwhile, in the distance, a woman dressed in all black watches the two detectives. She knows Pezzini’s secret and also knows she’ll be back when there are less innocent people around. She takes off her glasses, checks them in the sunlight, then puts them back on.

“Until tonight, my dear”, Bayonetta whispers.

It is around midnight when Sara arrives back in the area. The abandoned building is dark, with only a streetlight illuminating the blood-caked war zone. As soon as she steps out of her car, she can sense something isn’t right. She’s wearing a bracelet on her arm with a large jewel in the center. It immediately begins to glow red.

Being the bearer of the Witchblade, Sara knows what this means. She shouts in to the night air.

“I know you’re there! Come out into the light!”

She knows if it’s Jackie Estacado, the bearer of The Darkness, he will not be able to use his powers in the light. To her surprise, a tall, statuesque female in black leather steps out from the shadow of the abandoned building.

“I see you’re no fool”, Bayonetta says with a sly smile.

“You’re the one responsible for this bloodbath?”, asks Pezinni.

“I had to get your attention somehow. What better way than to paint the street with blood?”

Sara can see that her adversary is armed. This causes the Witchblade to start growing over her body to protect her.

“What do you want?”, she asks.

“The Witchblade would prove to be a formidable weapon in my fight against the forces of light and dark. And, shouldn’t it belong to a real witch?”

“I think it might object to that”, Sara retorts.

Without hesitation, Bayonetta draws her guns and begins firing at Sara. The Witchblade springs to life, destroying her clothing and covering her in a protective armor. Bayonetta starts running left, letting loose a constant stream of bullets at her enemy. Witchblade deflects them, then dives behind a car. Bayonetta takes the fight to her opponent, doing a flying somersault and landing on the hood of the car. Witchblade punches the car, sending it sliding back. Bayonetta jumps up, flips, and fires from the guns mounted on her feet. Witchblade deflects, then responds with an energy blast that narrowly misses its target.

Bayonetta lands in front of Witchblade. She stands face to face with Sara, taking a second to look her up and down, surveying how the Witchblade has covered its host.

“You’re a beautiful woman”. Bayonetta says with a moan.

“You’re insane.”

“Maybe.”

With that, she reaches up with both hands, takes Witchblade’s face in them, and plants a kiss firmly on her lips. Sara’s eyes are wide with shock.

Witchblade pulls back and punches Bayonetta in the chest, sending her flying back and into the air. Bayonetta screams and begins firing from her hands and feet. Witchblade puts up a shield to block the bullets. Wanting to end the battle as quick as possible, Witchblade runs towards Bayonetta as she lands. The gauntlet on her arm takes the form of a sword and she plunges it into Bayonetta’s stomach.

Blood starts to trickle from Bayonetta’s lips as she gasps for breath. She slowly closes her eyes and lowers her head. Witchblade withdraws the sword, but Bayonetta doesn’t fall down. Her head raises and her eyes open.

Suddenly a portal opens and a giant high-heeled boot comes shooting out. Witchblade is knocked back and slammed into the wall of the abandoned building. She falls to the ground, landing on her hands and knees.

The wound in Bayonetta’s stomach heals as she waves her hand over it. She walks confidently towards Witchblade.

“End of the line, sweetie”, she whispers.

Witchblade raises up on her knees and fires an energy bolt that misses Bayonetta but hits the street light above, shattering it. The area is bathed in darkness. Witchblade sits back, looking defeated.

“Nice try”, Bayonetta says, leveling her gun at Witchblade’s head.

Suddenly, a hissing sound comes from Bayonetta’s feet. She looks down in time to see two black, snake-like creatures with glowing eyes wrapping around her legs. She instantly targets them, but two more tentacles wrap around her arms. She is raised off the ground and held in captivity. She watches a figure walk towards her, the tentacles originating from him somehow.

“You’re messing with the wrong girl”, he says.

Without warning, the four tentacles pull hard, tearing Bayonetta to pieces.

“Jackie…”, Witchblade mutters before collapsing.

The Darkness picks her up and carries her off into the night.

As you can see, Best Buy is offering a Doorbuster on the Wii for $169. For the uninitiated, a Doorbuster means quantities will be severely limited. I mean, like 5 per store. It’s a deal meant to get people in line and in the doors as early as possible.

More Doorbusters include select games on for $35, including Madden 11, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, and The Sims 3. A lot of other titles are marked down as well. The console bundles are where Best Buy really goes all out. A 4GB Xbox 360 is $199 and includes LEGO Batman, LEGO Indiana Jones, and LEGO Star Wars. The PS3 bundle includes the 160GB model, ModNation Racers, Little Big Planet, and Cars on Blu-Ray, all for $299. Not too shabby.

Anything tickle your fancy?

Target is having some good deals on tv’s, although they all look to be clocking in at 60Hz, which means no 3D upgrade. If you don’t care about that sort of thing, then Target is the place to be.

The video game deals look better than Sears. Titles like Halo: Reach, Fable 3, and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit will be $35. Dance Central will be $50 but will come with a $10 gift card. NBA Jam and Shawn White Skateboarding for the Wii will be on for $27.

On the bundle side, you can pick up a 4GB Xbox 360 slim for $199 and get a $50 gift card. The PS3 bundle includes a 160GB model, The Force Unleashed 2, and Prince of Persia on Blu-Ray all for $299. You’ll get a $10 gift card with any purchase over $100, also.

Other notable items are a Wii Fit Plus bundle for $67 and a PSP3000 holiday bundle that includes Little Big Planet, the Karate Kid on UMD, and a 1GB memory stick for $127.

All in all I think this Black Friday is shaping up nicely. See anything you can’t live without?