This month is kind of a slow one for gaming, but thankfully we were able to dig up a few games to get you through your post-holiday depression period, some of which are actually pretty good, but none of which are as bitchen' as the following picture:



Lord of the Rings: Conquest



System: Multi-Platform
Release Date: 1/13

In this action/strategy game, you can take control of either the forces of good or of evil in the battle for Middle Earth. I don’t know why anyone would want to play as a bunch of fruity hobbits, elves and talking trees when you could have orcs, Nazguls, war elephants and the Balrog at your disposal, but at least the option is there, I guess.

Skate 2



System: Xbox 360, PS3
Release Date: 1/21

Skate 2 looks a lot like Skate 1, adding very little to the formula that brought them such great success… Which is probably a good idea, after seeing what happened to Tony Hawk Pro Skater after it added too many bells & whistles for it’s own good (and was subsequently abandoned by the skateboarding community). What this means exactly is that you’ll be pretending to fall down a lot and moving stuff around so you can try to jump off of it and fall down some more. I’m not sure why this is fun, but some people seem to like it.

Star Ocean: Second Evolution



System: PSP
Release Date: 1/20

Star Ocean fans are stoked right now, because Second Evolution is the second installment of the series to release within three months of each other on the PSP. Second Evolution picks up 20 years after the last game left off, retaining much of the same action and expert storytelling of the PS1 original, but adding new animation cut scenes, characters and quests to entice long time fans to come back for more.

Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop



System: Multi-Platform
Release Date: 1/20

Dead Rising: Chop Till you Drop is a remake of the 2006 Xbox 360 title, which looks and plays surprisingly well on the Nintendo Wii. Not only that, but it fixes many of the saving and difficulty problems that persisted throughout the original. Some complain that this makes the game too easy, but there’s always Mega Man 9 for the masochists out there. Me, I like to cut through my zombies like a hot chainsaw-knife through rotten butter.

SimAnimals



System: Wii, DS
Release Date: 1/21

SimAnimals is pretty much The Sims, plus animals, minus the gross consumerism. Probably not the most engrossing title of the year, but looks really cute for the children and old people that make up the majority of the Wii’s target audience.

Elebits: The Adventure of Kai & Zero



System: DS
Release Date: 1/6

The first Elebits game on the Wii was the closest thing to a Ghostbusters game that most of us have had the pleasure of playing. The new DS version retains the proton pack gameplay while also adding Legend of Zelda style puzzles and skill development. If you can get past the obnoxiously childish veneer, this should be one of the better DS games of the first quarter.

Afro Samurai



System: Xbox 360, PS3
Release Date: 1/27

Afro Samurai is based on some cartoon that no one’s heard of which stars Sam Jackson (because he is contractually obligated to appear in any media that includes one or more African American gentlemen in any capacity). The game looks pretty rad, with very stylish visuals and a great soundtrack by RZA that actually influences the flow of combat.

MLB Front Office Manger



System: Multi-Platform
Release Date: 1/26

MLB Front Office Manager is pretty much a fantasy baseball video game. Instead of pretending to be a baseball player, you pretend to be a baseball manager and balance budgets, negotiate contracts, and make sure that there are enough steroids to go around while also delivering press statements about your hardline policy against steroid usage. I’m not sure why this one is fun either, but again, some people seem to like it.