Best New Games: Week Of 8/25/08

Could this be the first ray of light at the end of a long, dark tunnel of few worthwhile releases? Judging by the bumper crop of new games hitting the streets this week -- not to mention the decidedly bulging selection coming up through September -- it looks like we're finally through the traditional summer slump and approaching the bountiful fall harvest. About time, too.

Top Three:

Mario Super Sluggers

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The fine folks of Europe aren't generally known for baseball prowess, preferring instead to skip about in fields playing games with silly names like "soccer" and "cricket." So it's a good thing the distinctly Italian Mario has brought along a cast of all-American Nintendo favorites to give him a hand with the rules. Super Sluggers promises to expand on the limited Wii Sports Baseball with a huge pile of goodies: multiple modes, assorted control options, deeper gameplay, and, of course, multiplayer.

The Sims 2: Apartment Life

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According to The Sims, apartment life is all about breakdancing, making evil potions, beating on your apartment walls, and raising the dead. Just like our college days, then. This latest expansion pack offers a fine set of new content for Sims fans, but to be frank, anything with "The Sims" written on it is guaranteed to sell like gangbusters no matter what we say. To demonstrate the truth of this, here are some facts we just made up: it includes forty-eight different species of hat-stand, is set in the seventh circle of hell, and is guaranteed to impregnate your cat, or your money back. Now watch it rocket to the top of the charts.

Great Chocolate Chase

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Come back, chocolate! No, this isn't some sort of confectionary racer, it's something much more sensible. This twist on the beloved Chocolatier series takes the classic characters into a brand new assembly-management adventure. Set right after the turn of the 20th century, it sends players to exotic locales like Peru, Libya, Indonesia and Nepal in search of hard-to-find delectables. Yum.

Best of the Rest

• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09:
  Tiger might be out with a bum knee, but the latest in his market-leading links game is healthier than ever.
• N+:
  Everyone's favorite minimalist platformer hops, skips and jumps its way onto the DS this week.
• Vampire Rain: Altered Species:
  Battle the ferocious Nightwalkers in this shooter sequel.
• Ferrari Challenge:
  Looking for the complete Ferrari experience? This uber-realistic racer will fit the bill.
• Three Stooges: Treasure Hunt Hijinks:
  You'll like this game after you play it. It grows on people. "So do warts!"
• Hawaiian Explorer 2: Lost Island:
  Hunt for treasure in this idyllic paradise.
• Rock Garden:
  This addictive puzzle game will rock your world. And your garden.