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entertaining u newspaper: your monthly guide to entertainment
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video games
by norm stovall    normstovall@gmail.com

MLB Power Pros
For Nintendo Wii

      MLB Power Pros is a little bit special to me, mostly because it plays like the great 8-bit baseball games of yesteryear, games like RBI Baseball for the NES, with a little bit of Bases Loaded thrown in, topped off with some almost-modern day graphics and finished with a hint of next-gen bonus features utilizing motion controls. (Maybe I’m getting a little wordy with the description there.) For the most part, MLB Power Pros plays like a familiar baseball game. It has all the bells and whistles you would expect from a modern sim, but the looks of the game would suggest it was made for preschoolers. This is actually part of the charm that makes the game great. While graphical representation is animated and very cartoonish, with players that have oversized heads and no arms, the straightforward graphics leave no ambiguity that will lead you to control errors. While the main game modes actually DON’T utilize the futuristic control schemes the Wii is capable of handling, there are side games included, such as home run derby, that will let you play as if you were playing Wii Sports. With a surprising amount of depth and plenty to keep you busy in both single player and multiplayer modes, MLB Power Pros has enough to keep any baseball fan occupied for the season, cutesy graphics or not. I give this one 3 thumbs up. And yes, I can do that.


Tomb Raider: Legend
For Xbox 360

      I was perusing the bargain bin at the local Tar-jhey over the weekend and I came across this. 12 bucks. Usually the games that cost 12 bucks have some kind of sports name followed by years gone by, are based on some lackluster TV series from the early 80s, or are just plain bad. Tomb Raider: Legend, however, did get pretty decent reviews from popular gaming publications, so I thought I would give this a try. I was pretty impressed with the game, in all honesty. I had never been into games like Tomb Raider in the past; I don’t care too much for platforming adventures or heavy-hootered sex symbols without a personality. Well, I changed my mind. Tomb Raider: Legend has just the right amount of the good stuff all platformers should include, such as vine swinging, shooting guns, racing motorcycles, and swimming. Hell, you could even slap ‘Indiana Jones’ somewhere on the cover and I wouldn’t object. Well, maybe for the lack of Sean Connery… But in all seriousness Tomb Raider: Legend succeeds where the previous sequels have failed. With plenty of variety in scenery and interesting and mildly challenging puzzles, the game makes for a great weekend rental, or even a purchase if you can find it for the same price I did.

Entertaining U Newspaper, eujacksonville.com. Published by N2U Publishing, Inc. 3101 University Blvd., South #201 Jacksonville, FL 32216. Copyright N2U Publishing, Inc. 2006. Reproduction of any artwork or copy prepared by N2U Publishing, Inc. is strictly prohibited without written consent of the publisher. We will not be responsible for errors and/or omissions, the Publisher's liability for error will not exceed the cost of space occupied by the error. Articles for publication are welcome and may be sent to the following address: 3101 University Blvd., South #201 Jacksonville, FL 32216. We cannot assume responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. For information concerning classified advertising phone 904-730-3003.