Star Wars: Bounty Hunter - PlayStation 2

In addition to Jango's trademark dual blaster pistols, your armour bristles with gadgets and weaponry: darts, flamethrower, blowtorch, scanner, cable snare and--of course--a missile-launching jetpack. Utilise this arsenal to battle hordes of uncooperative guards, fend off rival bounty hunters, scale precipitous skyscrapers, and capture fugitives--dead or alive. The basic controls are surprisingly easy to master, and you've got enough armament at your disposal to fight your way out of almost any situation. Still, some finesse is required: as fun as it is to walk into a room and blast everything in sight (and it is fun--especially when you're the one wearing the jetpack), you may discover when the smoke clears that the guy you just fried was worth twice as much alive. Oh well...

The complex storyline is unravelled with extended cut scenes that let you rest your thumbs while Jango follows up the next lead (Star Wars fans will appreciate the quality and detail of these scenes, as well as the fidelity of the story arc--namely how Jango is chosen as the model for the clone troopers in Episode II). And anyone familiar with the LucasArts suite of games will not be disappointed by the superior graphics, music, sound effects and fully realised characters and locations. The pace of the game is up to you: methodically seek out the secrets of each level, or ruthlessly blast your way to the big payoff. --Maile Bohlmann