E3 07: Crave

by: Chuck - posted: 7/12/2007 11:04:00 AM

Crave Entertainment was tucked away into a corner of the LeMerigot hotel (which John and I just call Hotel Frenchie) and they had a few interesting things to show off this year.

George of the Jungle is a tie in with the upcoming re-make of the cartoon on Cartoon Network and will feature the same look and voice over actors from the new series.  The action platformer  will be out for the DS, Wii, and PS2 this fall and has you playing the game as the titular character.  The graphics look good and while this game doesn't have a lot of hardcore cred it might find some traction with its 9-12 year audience.

Pinball Hall of Fame - Crave has partnered with Williams Entertainment to bring ten of their classic pinball games to the Wii, PS2, and PSP.  The Wii version has you using the trigger buttons on the nunchuck and Wii remote to control the flippers with gamers able to use the waggle control to shake the table.  The PSP version will allow you to turn the PSP on end so you can see the entire table at one time.  If they price the game right the game's solid graphics and game play could do well.

Brunswick Pro Bowling - If you were frustrated by Wii Sports bowling's lack of different lanes, balls, and avatars then this game is right up your alley.  The Wii version plays exactly like Wii sports but with the addition of new bowling alleys, different bowling balls, and customiable characters.  The alleys all have different oil patterns so you will have to approach each one differently. 

Spelling Challenge - Those looking for a fun spelling/language building game may want to check out Spelling Challenge when it comes out later this month.  The $20 game has a spelling bee mode as well as 14 other mini-games. With 25,000 words and 100 different levels the game is sure to be a challenge to those just learning to spell or those who need a refresher (such as myself). 

Napolean Dynamite - While the Napolean Dynamite meme has come and gone the upcoming PSP and DS game does feature some cool momenets from the movie as you can throw the ball with Uncle Rico  or do a short DDR game with Napolean Dynamie himself.