Naruto: The Broken Bond
Platform: Xbox 360
Release date: November 2008

The sequel to 2007’s Naruto: Rise of a Ninja, the new game picks up where the original left off, in a story that corresponds to episodes 80 to 135 of the anime series. The young ninja and his companions go on a journey in search of Naruto’s best friend, who has been corrupted by a lust for power. The game features anime-style shaded graphics, a stand-alone fight mode to compliment the story mode, and 1 vs. 1 and 2 vs. 2 online multiplayer modes.

Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X.
Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC, Wii
Release date: 2009

The second Tom Clancy game in the Ubisoft lineup, H.A.W.X. is a tactical dog fighting sim that uses actual satellite data to create its 20 maps. Each mission requires you to score a set number of enemy kills while avoiding all of the local landmarks (such as the giant statue on top of the mountain above Rio de Janeiro, which will no doubt be a prime target for virtual pilots everywhere). The game features 50 real fighter planes that can be unlocked as the player increases in experience. Multiplayer modes include 4-player coop and 8-player team deathmatch.

Petz
Platforms: PC, Wii, Nintendo DS, Sony PSP
Release date: November 2008

These pet-ownership sims, available in Dogz, Catz, Horsez and Monkeyz editions, are too cute to adequately describe. Even a nasty, grizzled old man like me can’t help but get all warm and fuzzy as my newly adopted Siberian husky pounds his paws when I scratch him behind the ears or takes off down the street in a race against up to three other canines, stopping and looking quizzically at an obstacle he’s supposed to jump. Fortunately, I’m not the target demographic for these games, which are designed for children ages 6 to 12.

Armored Core for Answer
Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Release date: 9/16

This is the 13th game in a series that began with a 1997 game for the original Playstation console. Armored Core is a third-person mech fighting game in which you can choose to fight for either a sinister group of corporations known as the League, or for ORCA, a resistance group made up of people forced to live on the surface of a dangerously polluted Earth. Pilot your mech through 40 levels or more (the precise number was unavailable at the event) on missions for your chosen side. Multiplayer modes include 2-player coop and 8-player deathmatch.