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Crave has shifted their focus somewhat and is now honed in on casual games and games for kids. Sounds like a good plan. First up is World Championship Poker: All In coming out in August for the PS2 and the PSP and in September for the 360. You can opt to Create A Character and play through the Career Mode (a 52 week stint) or choose Quick Play to jump in and get started. You've got 18 different varieties of poker to choose from, with 9 poker pros chomping at the "bet" to beat you in the PS2 and PSP versions, and 6 in the 360. Wireless ad-hoc is available for the PSP. The PS2 will utilize the Eye Toy and headset during online games and the 360 uses a USB camera and headset. So feel free to don your best poker face and trash talk the competition. Up to 8 players can participate on PS2 and 64 on 360!
For those who aren't poker fans, but still want some Vegas-styled fun, they can turn to Hard Rock Casino for the PSP and PS2 scheduled for late summer. There are lots of table games and machine games available here, complete with a Story Mode and missions. Tutorials are plentiful for those who aren't yet card sharks.
How about a little target practice? Try Gun Club, an NRA-sponsored first person shooter with no blood! It's all about the targets here. There's a strong emphasis on gun collection and the knowledge of gun safety, so they are trying to focus on the good aspects of guns. There are 100+ licensed guns in the game and there's a Certification Mode that you must complete to unlock certain guns. The guns will have realistic attributes and lots of attention to detail was utilized in this one, really hoping to reach out to the non-gamer who likes to hunt. And no, Dick Cheney is not an unlockable character. This one hits the PS2 only.
Last, but certainly not least, are the kid's games. Crave is bringing the Veggie Tales property to the PS2 and GBA in conjunction with a new Veggie Tales DVD which will release in August. LarryBoy and the Bad Apple is a light-hearted kid's game with a strong moral message as the undercurrent. While the Veggie Tales is a Christian show, the game will not have overt Christian tones, but rather simply "good over evil" sentiments. LarryBoy will get tempted on a regular basis by "The Bad Apple" and he will have to enlist his friends to overcome temptations such as chocolate and sweets. The Candy Land area I saw had a very Willy Wonka feel to it. You'll be able to unlock Silly Songs in the game and you can't die, so it's a good one for the younger set.
On the GBA are Cartoon Network's Camp Lazlo: Leaky Lake Games and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. In Camp Lazlo, you'll be able to control Jellybean campers Lazlo, Raj and Clam through a number of mini-games and platforming experiences. You'll also see many other recognizable characters from the show. In Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, you'll be controlling Mac and Bloo from the show in this platformer. Fans of the cartoon will spot familiar characters and some memorable moments. Both of these titles are aimed at kids and are due out this Fall.
We'll have full reviews on them as they release. |
