Video games: Thumbs down on dull 'Tango Down' shooter

A downloadable shooter that focuses exclusively on online play is bogged down by a clunky interface and unimaginative spawn points.

The nuts and bolts of the game are solid. You can partake in standard shooting modes, with team death match as the default, choose a weapons loadout and get to work picking off your opponents.

I was frustrated because after I was dispatched by a far-off sniper, the game kept making me re-spawn at the exact point where I started, so walking down the same corridor led to repeated deaths. There were other paths I could have taken to get around my instant-death path, but there were often people waiting for me there as well.

More variance could have shaken up this shooter into something more memorable.

"DRAGON QUEST IX: SENTINELS OF THE STARRY SKIES"

(DS, $35, Everyone 10+)

The latest entry in the popular Japanese series debuts on the handheld DS, skipping consoles for the first time.

Formerly known as "Dragon Warrior" in the United States, "Dragon Quest" is the role-playing series of choice for hard-core gamers who adore the old-school, you're-on-your-own-with-no-handholding aesthetic. You navigate your hero - a celestial immortal sent down to help mortals overcome evil - and his party through an obtuse, open-ended world. Getting by is a rewarding struggle. You need to make your own way, relying on clues, gut instinct, and trial and error to grind to victory.

Wireless connectivity lets you trade and share items and enter friends' quests, helping them along. There are also regular downloadable sidequests, giving the game near-infinite replayability.

"SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI: PERSONA 3 PORTABLE"

(PSP, $40, Mature)

A remake of the lauded 2007 PlayStation 2 role-playing game that adds a new character and game mode.

Part high school simulator, part dungeon crawler, the game tasks you to juggle your social life by day with your night life tangling with demons, some of which you must destroy, others which you can battle and defend.

Gorgeous animated cutscenes tell the story in between battle and exploration phases. The game looks just as great on the PSP, and this version is stronger than either the original version or the director's cut released on the PS2, making it the RPG of choice on the PSP.

"SINGULARITY"

(360, PS3, $60, Mature)

The first-person shooter that mimics the exploration and upgrades driven sensibilities of "Bioshock" unfolds in an alternate timeline in which the Soviet Union has taken over the world.

You play as a time-altering gunslinger who attempts to seek out the truth in a vast conspiracy, hopping back and forth from the 1950s to the present day.

A device that lets you speed up, slow down or reverse time is handy for solving puzzles and dispatching enemies. For instance, you can restore bridges by reverting the materials back to their former state and kill enemies by having them age dozens of years in seconds.

A creative concept makes the game a winner, although some may find the combat and puzzle-solving frustratingly difficult.