Cavin-SmithThe game wowed audiences with the Xbox 360 demo, but can it reproduce the same magic on the Playstation 2 and PSP? While these versions may not be up to snuff compared to the next-gen standard, they still look quite nice! Fight Night Round 3 features many of the great boxers throughout history, including Mohammed Ali. Though some have complained of the slow controls, the lack of a HUD combined with the visceral nature of the gameplay makes this one of the most realistic and engaging boxing titles to date.
Platforms: Playstation 2 and PSP
MSRP: $39.99
Mobile Suit Saga: A New Dawn
Yet another new RPG this month, this one is set in an alternate Mobile Suit Gundam universe. You play as a young orphan named Tristan who is on a quest to restore the world using the power of the enemy that nearly destroyed it. Though many aspects of the game are purely traditional, it spices up the RPG formula by the player the ability to use different kinds of Mobile Suits and juice them up with over 260 custom parts. Though, as mentioned above, it is not set in any established Gundam timeline, fans will be happy to know that some famous Mobile Suits from the other series show up in the game.
Platforms: Playstation 2
MSRP: $49.99
Toca Race Driver 3
Featuring 6 different genres of autosport racing (GT, Touring Cars, Off Road, Open Wheel, Track, and Classics), the third in the series features more immersive graphics than ever before. Progressive damage models and an extensive online mode round out the package.
Platforms: Playstation 2
MSRP: $39.99
Sonic Riders
Considering Sonic's emphasis on speed, you'd be surprised there aren't more racers featuring the series' characters. Well, there was Sonic Drift for the Game Gear which, ironically, put the characters in cars, and Sonic R for the Saturn, which was actually pretty fun despite the lack of courses and racers. Either way, SEGA's making another attempt with Sonic Riders. Instead of just being your standard arcade racer, though, a number of new features sets this game apart from the pack. Characters are divided up into 3 classes: Air, Speed, and Power, each being able to take advantage of tracks in fundamentally different ways (which you'll need to do in order to refill your air tank, which acts like a speed booster). Players can also ride in Turbulence (read: air tunnels) behind their opponents to make turning and other manuevers easier or do simple tricks over jumps and on rails to earn more boost. Sonic Riders looks to be a solid arcade racer with some interesting concepts and sharp graphics.
Platforms: Playstation 2
MSRP: $39.99
