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The ultracolorful visuals of Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise hide a deep and engrossing simulation of what it must be like to pump papier-mache animals full of candy. Following on the heels of the deceptively addictive 2006 original, developer Rare has brought the whole cast back for a second tour along with a bevy of new pinatas and gameplay modes to complement your cultivating endeavors.

A better tutorial and clear-cut objectives make this easier for novices to tackle their own gardens, and the intricate balancing act required to tame the more complex pinatas should delight seasoned players as well. The core experience may not have received a noticeable overhaul in the last two years, but the fictional animals are still so charming, and the rewards are so fulfilling, that Trouble in Paradise is even harder to resist than its predecessor.

There is actually a reason why you must capture and forcibly breed these lovable party animals this time: In an attempt to steal all of the vital data about the inhabitants of Pinata Island for himself, Professor Pester and his dim-witted associates accidentally erased the entire encyclopedia of knowledge. It is your job to repopulate these virtual pages. It’s a thin excuse to get you back on the romance wagon, but it thankfully stays in the background after an early cutscene.

You will still have to deal with the aptly named Pester throughout as he attempts to destroy your wonderful little world, but the overarching tale is largely forgotten after the first few minutes. Your gardening duties are interrupted only by the various movies that play each time a new character or pinata appears, or when you achieve a particular milestone, and these movies are usually so darn cute that they serve as rewards for your hard work.

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Tiger Woods 09 includes 16 golf courses, which is the same number as last year. New courses include Wentworth, Sheshan, Wolf Creek, and Bay Hill. The Gary Player Country Club in South Africa is an excellent addition to the mix, but it’s disappointing that there aren’t more courses–especially when you consider how quick EA was to charge for downloadable courses in 08. The roster of male and female professional golfers is about the same as before, but there are a few new faces, such as Se Ri Pak and Darren Clarke.

Like previous iterations, you can create a golfer using the game’s deep customization tools, and you can even import your own photos to make a truly lifelike version of your mug (you can even add eyebrows this year). Improvements have been made to the flaky controls of last year’s version of this golf game franchise, which improves gameplay and makes this a great buy.

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Forza 2 is a simulation style video game with realistic gameplay, making you feel like you’re behind the wheel of an exotic sports car. Forza 2 is XBOX’s response to the ever popular Gran Turismo series. Buckle up for authentic simulation physics, bone-jarring damage, and photo-realistic graphics, as well as licensed tuning and customization options.

Loaded with over 300 of the world’s hottest cars for you to collect, personalize, and race, Forza Motorsport 2 gives you the complete racing experience.

Gear up with a racing simulator chair and turn your living room into the ultimate race car.

   If you thought the action of the Battlefield franchise was intense before, you haven’t seen anything yet. Thanks to a fleshed-out single-player campaign, Battlefield’s trademark multiplayer action, and a new level of destructibility, Bad Company is quite simply one of the most fun shooters released this year. 

   A good place for new players to enter is Bad Company’s single-player campaign. That’s right, a Battlefield game has a bona fide single-player campaign and not a collection of multiplayer maps littered with AI bots. You play as Private Preston Marlowe, recently reassigned to the 222nd Battalion, B Company, which is a collection of misfits and castoffs that the Army likes to send into battle first. B Company, in short, is expendable. You complete a four-man squad composed of Sergeant Redford, a grizzled veteran who volunteered for B Company so he could retire early; Sweetwater signed on to take advantage of a college scholarship without realizing he may actually have to fight; and Haggard is a country bumpkin and demolitions expert who loves to blow stuff up.

Together, you’ll fight your way into Russian territory and take out a number of well-guarded installations. When the Army leaves you stranded behind enemy lines–something about plausible deniability–the squad goes AWOL in search of mercenary gold. Along the way you’ll rescue a flamboyant dictator that resembles Saddam Hussein on ecstasy, and then make your escape in a pimped-out gold chopper. No, the story isn’t exactly the stuff of Stephen Ambrose, but the tongue-in-cheek humor and numerous unlockables scattered throughout the campaign make it worth fighting.

Codemasters’ Race Driver series has long put the emphasis on making the driver, not the cars, the stars of the show. Grid is the spiritual successor to this series, and though it still offers you the chance to travel the world as a racing driver, the emphasis is firmly back on the racing itself. Taking in a wide range of international venues and racing disciplines, Grid’s career mode puts you in the shoes of a top racing driver. You’ll freelance as a driver for other teams, form your own team, and negotiate sponsorship contracts so you can buy new vehicles.

In addition, Grid has a highly accessible 12-player online mode, a new flashback feature to rewind the action after devastating crashes or costly mistakes, and a novel approach to trading vehicles. It may lack basic features such as adjustable weather and split-screen multiplayer, but Grid still has enough fresh ideas to make it a notable entry in the racing genre.

Also available on PS3, DS, and PC

GTA 4 is every guys fantasy. Doing a drug lords dirty work, driving recklessly, and running from the cops are part of you’re everyday tasks in this exciting game. This video game has it all. The amount of gameplay possible, is endless. Meet a girlfriend, take her on a date and practice your drunk driving home. This third person strategy game will keep you busy for hours, days, weeks, or months depending how fully you experience the game. With a mature audience in mind, GTA 4 expands on its previous versions.

The object of the game is the same. You are the enforcer. You try and restore order to Liberty City, but the boss is never the same. While working your way over three islands, you will encounter drug lords, crooked cops, and the occasional hooker.

The graphics have greatly improved. With huge explosions, graphic head splatters, and close range shotgun hits, this is not a game for the weak hearted. If you’re looking for a truly entertaining video game with endless possibilities, then this is  a must have.

The Xbox 360 version of Unreal Tournament 3 proves that fast, furious online action, when done correctly, is timeless. Of course, it’s a lot like previous games in the series: You’ll cringe when you’re stuck with the bio-rifle, celebrate killing sprees that come courtesy of the powerful rocket launcher, and memorize all the best vehicle spawn points. But whether or not you’ve played an Unreal Tournament game before, this sequel provides endless replay value and plenty of memorable, fist-pumping moments that will keep the adrenaline flowing. But the awesome action at its core doesn’t make this version of Unreal Tournament 3 the best. Noticeably missing is the inclusion of player-created content, which greatly expanded the PlayStation 3 version’s online possibilities and was (unsurprisingly) a central element of the original PC release. To help ease the blow, however, developer Epic Games has added a few new maps and local split-screen play. Local split-screen multiplayer is probably the most interesting addition, allowing you and a buddy to join each other in an online game or even play the single-player campaign together. Jumping into a vehicle in split-screen limits your viewing area a little more than you may be comfortable with, but the feature itself is a welcome addition that helps mitigate the missing user content.

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