Sega Amusement Vision

Simply put, the game is fantastically entertaining. I had doubts as to whether or not a brawler could keep my interest for any length of time, but Yakuza not only went the distance, it had me coming back post-completion and smacking down fools after the credits rolled—something I rarely ever feel compelled to do.

There are three conventions that a game for the Wii ought to follow. First, it shouldn't be a rushed port from another system with a new control scheme shoehorned in for its own sake. Second, it ought to present a new method of gameplay, and have it work. Third, and most importantly, it shouldn't hurt.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Cartoon Violence

Game Description: Super Monkey Ball fanatics rejoice! AiAi and all his friends have rolled their way onto Nintendo's new console with new mind-blowing puzzle levels and a wealth of new and exciting Party Games specifically designed to fully exploit the innovative Nintendo Wii controller. Other titles will have a difficult time matching the multitude of possible variations in game control as presented in Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz.

In this age of cynical disillusionment, the Yakuza is perhaps the only international crime organization that North Americans can still look on with any kind of nostalgia. The once mysterious tongs are now thought of as little more than drug running slave traffickers. The Mafia’s suave counterculture image replaced by balding men with four fourth-grade educations clad in track suits, partially because they're too fat to wear anything else and but mostly because they just don't care about their personal appearance.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Violence, Strong Language, Alcohol use

Game Description: Yakuza is your entry into a society where respect and honor holds great importance. Kazuma is a former rising star in the Yakuza who is rebuilding his life after serving a 10-year prison term for murder. He suddenly finds himself caught in a spiraling underworld plot involving a mysterious girl known as Haruka and a missing $100 million. Kazuma must use his fists and his wits to stay alive as he unravels the complex web of truth and lies that surrounds the notorious Yakuza.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes

To be fair, once the initial disappointment dissipates, Shining Force Neo is a damn good game—it's just hard for an old guy like me to get past the whole Shining Force not being a strategy RPG thing. Why call it Shining Force? Why must Sega continually toy with my emotions? What's next? A Nights RPG? A Phantasy Star card battle game…oh, wait, they actually did that. My bad.

Game Description: Shining Force Neo is a fast-paced action-RPG featuring a dramatic, character-driven story and a high gloss anime aesthetic. You become Max, a young traveller on his way to becoming a warrior or sorceror. Master martial arts, face the deadliest fighters around and prove yourself, in a wild, action-packed storyline.