Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath (Xbox, out January 25) Even fans of the quirky Oddworld series are in for something new with Stranger's Wrath, a full-on action game that maintains Oddworld's trademark sense of humor. Fire live ammo (no, it's really live--chipmunks, skunks, and wasps) at enemies as you hunt down bounties in this weird, wild western.
Karaoke Revolution 3 (PS2, out now) Toss a copy of Karaoke Revolution into your PS2, plug in a mic, and you've got your own karaoke machine. Now you don't have to be drunk enough to make an ass of yourself in public... just drunk enough to make an ass of yourself in front of your friends.
Gradius V (PS2, out now) Maybe you're not into this highly touted "third dimension." Maybe you fondly remember those great old 2D games like Defender and R-Type. Gradius V is the final chapter of the retro space shooter series, and it's filled with an appropriate number of laser power-ups, extra lives, and huge bosses. It's sure to hit the spot for those old-school cravings.
Katamari Damacy (PS2, out now) Roll a sticky ball around, picking up everything from tiny thumbtacks to school kids before adding cars and office buildings to your increasingly large orb. Weird? Yes? Incredibly fun and strangely addictive? Also, yes.
Blood Will Tell (PS2, out now) Besides the fact that it's based on a story by manga god Osamu Tezuka, this game is just plain cool. You play Hyakkimaru, a samurai who's had 48 parts of his body stolen by 48 demons; with the help of the resourceful street urchin Dororo, you embark on a quest to regain your missing pieces. Sounds existential, right? Well, it's really just about hacking monsters to death with swords. Which is awesome!
