The Force isn't with 'Unleashed'

Most of the things that make up the "Star Wars" universe these days -- movies, TV shows, toys and video games -- are lacking the magic that made the original trilogy of films so incredible. Gone are the spectacle and awe. Instead, we get halfhearted disappointments (such as the current "Clone Wars" animated movie).

Sadly, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is no exception. It should be an amazing story bridge between Episodes 3 and 4 and one that boasts groundbreaking new artificial intelligence and gaming technology. But Unleashed fails to register the tremor in the Force we were hoping for.

Playing as Darth Vader's secret apprentice, gamers use Force powers to throw around things and people as well as wield a mighty light saber. (Controlling such awesome power takes time to get used to, however, and never feels as precise as it should.)

Newly created technology called Digital Molecular Matter (which simulates trees breaking like wood, metal denting and so on) is supposed to yield amazing results when things get smashed. But the effect is lost when all the trees splinter the same way each time.

And the game's new Euphoria artificial intelligence, which supposedly makes enemies react differently each time, is underused, as Stormtroopers still stupidly walk right into the line of fire -- just like in the movies.

Lame characters (such as the stereotypical sexy female copilot and jive-talking robot sidekick) and even lamer cutscreens aside, Unleashed isn't a miserable game. It's great fun to use the telekinesis of the Force to create a big mess. It's just disappointing that this couldn't be the one product that finally sets the "Star Wars" universe right.

Grade: B (Is this really the best they could do with all those elements?)

Details: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable platforms; $59.99-$39.99; rated Teen (violence).

Super Mario hits a home run

In Mario Super Sluggers, Nintendo has successfully found a way to take a baseball title and add a Super Mario-style adventure -- solving puzzles and exploring a 3-D world -- to the mix. The game is set on an island populated by baseball stadiums, and after you complete a challenge (which covertly teaches the finer points of playing Sluggers), you can add teammates in Mario's quest to build a squad to defeat the evil Bowser and drive him from the island.