Game On

They just don't make video games like this anymore…thankfully.Back in the early 1980s after the Atari 2600 system was released, other
companies wanted to cash in on the video game craze and one such
company was Coleco. Considered a second-generation game system, the
ColecoVision was released at the end of 1982 with 12 arcade-quality
titles. The system was sold with a licensed version of Nintendo's
"Donkey Kong," and helped beat its main rival, the Atari 5200, which
also provided more advanced, arcade-quality games, but was ultimately
less successful than the ColecoVision. The system sold more than a
million units in its first year and more than seven million during its
lifetime. 

Bio-Ware returns to the role-playing format with the excellent “Mass Effect.” When BioWare made "Star Wars: Knights of the Republic" and "Jade" for
the original Xbox system, they made a lot of gamers happy. They put
some time and effort into it, and the result was great RPG storytelling
that made Microsoft a major "player" in the console wars. Now BioWare
is taking its turn on the Xbox 360 with "Mass Effect." The game
publisher is so confident about the game that it plans a trilogy. In
the meantime, it's providing downloads to bridge the gap between game
releases.
As with BioWare's other RPG titles, you have the option of
playing as a man or woman. The decision influences your interaction
with other characters and enables you to customize the character's
appearance. You also have limited control of two other characters that
will help you along.

Only the Wii can get away with a game about sleeping…Way back in the old days, 1996 to be exact, Sega released a game for the Sega Saturn called "Nights into Dreams." This game was from the same makers of the "Sonic the Hedgehog" series and was a bestseller for the Saturn. Unique in its game play, there was a strong demand for a sequel and at one point there was one on the drawing board for the Sega Dreamcast. Due to Sega's problems developing game systems, a "Nights" sequel was put on hold. After a decade, the game has finally arrived.

"Nights: Journey of Dreams" is a Nintendo Wii exclusive that makes use of the Wii's motion-sensing controller. The story is a lot like the original "Nights" game and takes place in the dream world of Nightopiam, a land under a threat from the nightmare beings of Nightmaren. The game is presented through the dreams of the game's two protagonists, Helen Cartwright and William Taylor. The player becomes Nights, a jester-like character with a child's personality that can morph genders depending on the player's interpretation.

There have been years when the releases almost stagger the imagination with studios putting one “gotta have” title after another. There have been years when it was a decent year, but mostly rehashes or sequels. But the best may be yet to come. Let’s run down some of the more anticipated games left to release […]