Publisher: Ubisoft

System: Nintendo Wii

Cost: $50

ESRB rating: M

Review rating: 3 1/2 stars

When the Nintendo Wii was initially released, Ubisoft was the first company to use the Wii-mote controller to mimic natural sword movements in an action game. But "Red Steel" failed due to poor visuals and finicky controls.

Lucky for us, the popular publisher has learned from past mistakes because its latest Wii title, "No More Heroes," is as much fun to play as it is to watch.

Gamers take on the role of Travis Touchdown, a man whose life turns upside down when he obtains a Beam Katana (laser sword). Through a series of unexpected events, he finds himself as the lowest member of a group of assassins. Now it's up to the player to help Travis work his way up the "corporate ladder" and become the top-ranked assassin. Believe me, this novice executive will certainly give a new meaning to getting stabbed in the back.

In the vein of the movie "A Clockwork Orange," "No More Heroes" takes ultra-violence to a new level, but somehow keeps the tone light and humorous. In fact, the whole game is filled with comedic references and dark humor, which is very welcome on the kid-friendly system. However, youngsters may not understand the levity, so I strongly urge parents to keep this game out of their hands.

Roaming around his city on foot is fun and exciting, but controlling Travis' motorcycle is a bit tedious. However, the smooth, intuitive combat and abundance of cool attack maneuvers make up for this minor flaw. Amid exciting sword combat, death blows and wrestling moves add welcome variety.

With so many game developers taking the easy route by creating mini-game compilations for the Wii, it's nice to see a company take risks. It's just too bad that obtaining a Wii console is so much harder than finding "No More Heroes."

Game: "Turok"

Publisher: Touchstone

System: Sony PlayStation 3 (Xbox 360)

Cost: $60

ESRB rating: M

Review rating: 3 stars

Before the days of "Goldeneye," a first-person shooter named "Turok: Dinosaur Hunter" ruled the Nintendo 64 console. At the time, players were astonished by the vast, open levels, diverse enemies, and futuristic weaponry. Several sequels came and went, but the only one worth playing is the recently released, aptly named, "Turok."

While the player still takes on the role of an American Indian named Joseph Turok, he is no longer a descendent of ancient Earth guardians. No, this time around Joseph is simply a tough, hard-hitting former Black Ops soldier trying to survive a mission gone awry. In addition to fighting elite military units, the unlucky anti-hero must also take on vicious genetically mutated dinosaurs. With no moral guidelines to uphold, the player is free to take out the enemy any way possible. This includes silently perforating them with his trusty knife, striking them from the shadows with his compound bow, or blasting them to kingdom come with a vast assortment of high-tech weaponry.

One of my favorite strategies involves luring a dinosaur close to the enemy, grabbing a snack from the refrigerator and then reclining on my sofa as they take each other out. When the dust settles, the only spoils the victor receives is a virtual bullet to the temple.

Up to 16 players can duke it out online, but the online mode pales in comparison to other recent online-enabled games like "CoD4." Fortunately, the open-ended single-player campaign lets players go in guns blazing or eliminate foes by using stealth, and this greatly increases the replay value.