"PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END," by Disney Interactive, for the Nintendo Wii, Rated T for Teen, $49.99
My arm hurts from sword fighting with my "Wii-mote."
That's the biggest selling point of this video game, a tie-in designed to capitalize on the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End."
You alternate between playing a third-person version of Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner or Elizabeth Swann. The game's storylines borrow directly from the movies, making it pretty easy to keep up with the plot. The game moves pretty quickly through the story, too.
The character graphics are not that impressive on the Wii, and it can be difficult to switch your weapons while in the midst of a fight with a small army of surly sailors.
However, the fun of "Pirates of the Caribbean" is running from sword fight to sword fight. You move the "Wii-mote" from side to side, up or down and stab directly at your TV to create a number of combos that slice and dice your opponents.
Once in a while, the game entices you to perform a few "Jackanisms," where the Wii coaches you to perform a series of maneuvers to replicate the bizarre behavior made popular by Johnny Depp in the movies. There are also a few puzzles to solve throughout the game, and you can engage in a friendly pirate's game of Texas Hold 'Em.
The game's biggest strength on the Wii is the sword fighting, but the rest is better in the movie theatres.
"PRINCE OF PERSIA: RIVAL SWORDS," by Ubisoft, for the Nintendo Wii, rated T for Teens, $49.99
The latest installment in the "Prince of Persia" video-game series makes for a fun adventure game on the Nintendo Wii.
The plot builds on the previous "Prince of Persia" games. The prince has returned home to find Babylon in ruins. The Empress of Time is captured and the prince soon finds himself dueling with a major "split personality."
The story is interesting and the graphics in the animation sequences are impressive. The game can be a little difficult to pick up, even with a specialized Wii tutorial in the first portion of the game.
Some of the combo moves are a little too tricky, especially if you don't spend days on end playing video games. I found my character dying more times than advancing in the first part of the game.
For most of the game, your character is running, jumping, climbing and crawling through a maze of a city. The dual personalities of the "Prince of Persia" make for fun breaks in a story line that will last for days. Gamers will definitely get their money's worth with this one.
E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com