Guilty Party

Developer: Wideload Games

Publisher: Disney Interactive
Release Date: Aug. 31, 2010
System: Wii
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Why is this game so endearing? It's a mystery...

0:00 Usually I wouldn't be this excited about yet another Wii party game, but I've heard surprisingly positive things about this title from people I respect, so I jumped at the chance to get a review copy.

0:01 I know I'm supposed to play this game with multiple people, but I'm a lonely misanthrope so I'm just gonna go it alone today. Nice tinkly spy music loops on the preview screen.

0:02 Loading, logos and the title appears in front of a salt-and-pepper-bearded man, contemplating something in an ornate chair. '60s style doo-wop singers come in: "There's been a crime/A crook is on the loose/You have to act/Before he cooks your goose. ... You have to find the guilty party before the guilty party finds you!" Catchy.

0:03 On to story mode, where I have my chocie of six stereotypical-looking detectives. I go with big fat lug in a fedora, Max. I can only choose the Rookie difficulty and the Prologue chapter. What is it with party games locking content? I was forced to play the single player version of WarioWare: Smooth Moves at a party recently because we didn't have the multiplayer mode unlocked yet. Ugh.

0:06 More loading. Love the piano-heavy backing music. "I see you've accepted my offer in a refresher course in the art of detection," says salt-and-pepper beard (S&PB) to all six detectives. "Mom said we can't have dinner unless we humor you," says Max.

***-->CONTINUE READING<--***

***-->AT GAMERONI<-***

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Bolt

Developer: Avalanche Software
Publisher: Disney Interactive
Release Date: Nov. 28, 2008
Systems: Xbox 360 (reviewed), PS2, Wii, PS2, DS, PC
ESRB Rating: E
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Baby's first action game

0:00 I vaguely remember someone on Twitter saying this game was actually better than its movie-based origins would suggest. I've never even seen the movie, so I'm just looking for a decent family-friendly action game.

0:01 "The WHEELBAR allows you to move along pipes, ledges and ceilings," says a helpful if somewhat confusing loading-screen message. Cut to a title screen with a panting Bolt sitting on a TV screen, then a montage of action ... Bolt uses laser eyes, sonic barks and super-resilience to take out a bunch of bad guys.

0:02 A can of strawberry soda sits on a sofa. "OK, this has gone on long enough," says an off-screen voice. "I'm going to unleash fury on the count of five and I'm starting at 3 ... 4 ... 5!" The microwave dings and a hamster leaps onto the couch with a ball full of popcorn. He's sitting down to a DVD marathon of "Bolt," the TV show. "Most noble magic box, may you run glitch-free and with fortitude. Let the awesomeness ... COMMENCE!" Man, this guy's really getting into the role of the hamster.

0:04 "22:36 hours, somewhere off the coast of Italy," in the driving rain of a thunderstorm. I'm a little girl in tight black spy gear. Not that I, er, noticed the tightness or anything. She has quite a nice running gait and an awkward double jump that doesn't make much sense in the context. Is she a super-powered warrior or just a regular girl ... who happens to have a double jump?

***-->CONTINUE READING AT CRISPY GAMER<--***

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