DiRT 2 is a game that is supposed to be all about extreme off road rally racing from mud covered courses, dirt roads, and various other special stadiums set up for rally racing. It’s also supposed to be the return of awesome racing, new and improved physics, visuals and intense head-to-head game play that the first Dirt was known for. It’s list of improvements is lengthy, but does it live up to all that was present in the past, especially the Wii and DS versions?

Check out the Wii review on page 2, and the DS review on page 3.

In case you missed it, check out our review of Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars for Wii before it starts to mold.

I’ve always been a console guy. The DS is my first Nintendo handheld — I know, right? — and in general, I’ve always had more fun with my Wii.

Stop snickering.

Occasionally, standout DS software will reverse the roles, but I usually prefer gaming on a widescreen television over suffering hand cramps and staring at tiny screens.

Compared to its big brother The Spore Wars on Wii, Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi encapsulates my reasoning and provides a veritable microcosm of the justifications of console guys such as myself.

This mushroom just isn’t as tasty on-the-go.

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Looking for some type of “Puzzle” game fix during the holidays? How about a game that was developed by Griptonite Games? Or maybe you are just looking for something casual with colorful graphics and nice music. Well before you actually decide to pick anything up be sure to check out my review as it may save your life.

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Like James Bond himself, cookie dough is sneaky and deceptive.

Sweet and gooey, it tempts an abandonment of the baking process altogether; why finish when something so delicious has already been made? Eat copious amounts, though, and reality sets in with stomach pain and a nagging thought: Why didn’t I just cook it properly?

Quantum of Solace prompts similar questions. And bellyaches.

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Everyone else? Not so much.

You see, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith was not intended for rhythm game fans. Maybe not even music fans. It was made for die-hard Aerosmith fans.

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Rhythm-based video games have garnered themselves an impressive cultural buzz, a fact perhaps most clearly illustrated on Wii.

Activision, for example, has had remarkable success on Nintendo’s system with its popular Guitar Hero series. Since its Oct. 2007 release, Guitar Hero III has sold 2 million copies on Wii in North America. And surprisingly, the Wii version has also become Activision’s top-selling Guitar Hero III SKU; IGN reported last Thursday 152,000 more copies were sold in North America last month.

With EA’s behemoth Rock Band franchise coming to Wii in June, it seems safe to predict millions more will be virtually rocking on Wii, gimped ports and all. Given the success with the genre on Wii, and the inevitability of blockbusters to come, the newly released Battle of the Bands represents a smart business move for publisher THQ.

Unfortunately, despite some unique ideas and genuinely enjoyable moments, Battle of the Bands doesn’t fully deliver on its interesting premise and never quite reaches the outstanding level of its powerhouse rhythmic counterparts on Wii.

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If it has achieved anything, the recently released Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast has proven Nintendo-produced Wii software is certainly not immune from negative criticism.

Dave Rudden of GamePro called Donkey Kong’s latest outing “offensive to all senses” and warned its “rancid nature…is likely to give you acid reflux.” IGN’s Mark Bozon bluntly called it a “waste of a game,” and Alex Navarro of GameSpot claimed it is nothing more than a “fifth-rate Mario Kart clone” with “frustrating AI and (a) total lack of personality.”

To say this game has received atrocious reviews would be an understatement. But while most critics have accurately honed in on the problems crippling Barrel Blast, they have been unnecessarily harsh with their criticisms. Despite the abundance of areas in which Barrel Blast whole-heartedly disappoints, there are some enjoyable qualities to be found within the game.

Not many, but some.

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