There’s a hands-on of an early preview level in USA Today this week, which goes into the basics of Heavy Rain’s unique control scheme. Like Indigo Prophecy, the game has players doing some pretty banal things – brushing teeth, playing in the yard with kids. In the previous game, one lengthy quicktime sequence involved playing the guitar, another involved slow-dancing.

From the USA Today preview:

Movement and action in the game is contextual, so most control inputs will attempt to mimic the action a character wants to perform. For example, when Ethan opens the refrigerator, a players will flick and hold the right thumbstick to grab the door handle, then maneuver the stick with a steady, quarter-circle motion to open the door.

To some, Heavy Rain might look like a repeated series of quick-time events. However, the action and controls feel more sophisticated and seem to relate better to the tasks players carry out.

When I think back on the experience of playing Indigo Prophecy, I don’t really remember much about the story, beyond the opening set-up (I do have a vague recollection that the ending was disappointing), nor any of the particularly “game-like” sequences. I do remember the guitar event, and finding things around the apartment, and switching from one character to another. Most of all, I remember the feeling that it gave me – it played out for me over several evenings, and it felt like taking part in a movie (admittedly, a made-for-TV movie, probably one with Eric Roberts in it). So I can agree with those who have accused it – and by extension, Heavy Rain – with “not really being a game.”

It’s game enough for me. Release is scheduled for February 18, 2010.

But the games chosen for the exhibit are good ones, all of them checkmarks in the “art” column of the argument’s tally sheet – flOw, Flower, and Machinarium are all represented, among others.

Those whose most-recent video game experience goes back a generation to “Ms. Pac-Man” should find “Game (Life)” as interesting as the 12-to-14-year-old boys Thompson hopes will be lured into an art gallery for perhaps the first time ever. He said video games appear to be at the same place films were half a century ago, on the verge of becoming the major visual-art form of their era. More than cinema, Thompson said, video games are morally ambiguous and open-ended, leaving them ripe for artistic exploration.

“It seems like it’s about to break,” Thompson said. “Video games are going to utterly transform our culture, there’s no getting around it.”

PSP Minis are small games, each under 100 megabytes, and though their quality varies greatly, the ones that are good are really good – like, better than many UMD games I have paid full price for. Their low price isn’t the only appeal – their small file size means that most gamers, even owners of older PSPs, probably won’t need to shell out for a bigger memory card to enjoy a bunch of them.

I’ve purchased and played a handful of these games, and let me tell you, the quality varies wildly – some feel like the shovelware that one comes to expect from shadier corners of the iPhone app store, while others are Mini-masterpieces that will occupy you for hours. The latter group are especially desirable to the hard-casual gamer, as they offer short bouts of play time ensconced in larger campaigns that can play out over time. Very satisfying.

Here are the good ones that I have experienced so far:

Fieldrunners is the pick of the litter. It has all of the best aspects of tower defense games, and none of the bad ones. There are only four types of towers, making this one a simple game to get up-to-speed on. But each of those types can be upgraded, and the wide open playing field lends itself to infinite creativity – you’re not just slashing at bad guys moving through a pre-planned forest path, you’re building the path yourself. A crazy amount of fun.

Fortix is a reimagining of the classic arcade game Qix, transported to a medieval setting and given a campaign story. As in Qix, you travel the periphery of the playing area, straying out where possible to seal off additional blocks of real estate. In this case, a turreted castle shoots at you, while dragons fly around trying to bust you in mid-block. There are power-ups along the way, and just enough of a story mode to keep you playing for just one more game.

Mahjongg Artifacts 2 is just about the perfect portable game, especially for people like me who are predisposed to love the classic tile-matching mechanism. The core game is nothing new – Asian-inspired tile sets, laid out in increasingly arcane patterns, and it’s your job to remove them two-at-a-time without getting stuck. What makes this implementation so great is a perfectly designed auto-zoom function which removes all frustration, and a neat story mode made up of comic book interstitials between cleared boards.

So far, I’ve only encountered one real dud, and that’s Brainpipe. Avoid at all costs.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game, based on the smash hit motion picture franchise, is penned by original Ghostbusters writers and stars Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd and reunites many of the original cast members to recapture the unique blend of humor and fright that established Ghostbusters as a pop culture sensation. In collaboration with Sony Pictures Consumer Products and acclaimed development studios Terminal Reality and RedFly Studios, Atari published this completely all-new chapter of the blockbuster Ghostbusters saga to advanced gaming platforms to coincide with the 25th Anniversary celebration of the film’s original theatrical release.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game on the PSP® systems offers the ability to switch between four equipment sets to access eight unique proton pack functions and use gadgets like the PKE Meter and Paragoggles to scan and analyze targets. Get pulled into the world of the paranormal, unleash your blast stream and tear it up on the go. Ghostbusters: The Video Game for PSP is rated E10 and will be available for the recommended retail price of $29.99.

In addition to the PSP® systems, Ghostbusters: The Video Game is currently available at retailers across North America for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft ($59.99), Windows PC ($29.99), PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system ($59.99), PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system ($19.99), Wii(TM) ($39.99) and Nintendo DS(TM) ($29.99).

Set two years after Ghostbusters 2, with Manhattan once again overrun by ghosts and supernatural forces, the game also features performances from fan favorites such as William Atherton (Walter Peck), Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz) and Brian Doyle-Murray (lending his voice as Mayor Jock Mulligan).

Allowing budding pop stars the ability to perform with friends and family in living rooms across the globe or take their newfound fame on the road as they command center stage with their band anywhere they choose, Band Hero confirmed today additional songs from both the console and Nintendo DS(TM) Lite set lists, comprised of the most fun to play, chart-topping hits. When the games ship on November 3, fans can live out their music fantasies as they step on stage as their favorite music superstars, including singer/songwriter Taylor Swift and Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, while strumming, drumming and singing along to the most popular songs of yesterday and today including;

Available for Band Hero console:

* The Airborne Toxic Event – “Gasoline”
* Big Country – “In a Big Country”
* The Bravery – “Believe”
* Cold War Kids – “Hang Me Up To Dry”
* Counting Crows – “Angels of the Silences”
* Dashboard Confessional – “Hands Down”
* David Bowie – “Let’s Dance”
* Devo – “Whip It”
* Evanescence – “Bring Me To Life”
* Fall Out Boy – “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down”
* The Go-Go’s – “Our Lips Are Sealed”
* Hilary Duff – “So Yesterday”
* Jesse McCartney – “Beautiful Soul”
* The Kooks – “Naive”
* Marvin Gaye – “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”
* Mighty Mighty Bosstones – “Impression That I Get”
* OK Go – “A Million Ways”
* Pat Benatar – “Love Is A Battlefield”
* Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue – “Kids”
* Styx – “Mr. Roboto”
* Yellowcard – “Ocean Avenue”

Available for Band Hero for Nintendo DS Lite:

* The All-American Rejects – “Believe”
* Boys Like Girls – “The Great Escape”
* Foo Fighters – “Monkey Wrench”
* Lacuna Coil – “Our Truth”
* The Pretenders – “Boots of Chinese Plastic”
* The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus – “You Better Pray”
* Sublime – “All You Need”
* Sum 41 – “In Too Deep”
* The Vines – “Get Free”

Previously announced tracks include:

Band Hero Console:

* The All-American Rejects – “Dirty Little Secret”
* Alphabeat – “Fascination”
* Aly and AJ – “Like Whoa”
* Carl Douglas – “Kung Fu Fighting”
* Cheap Trick – “I Want You To Want Me” (Live)
* Don McLean – “American Pie”
* Duran Duran – “Rio”
* Jackson 5 – “ABC”
* Janet Jackson – “Black Cat”
* Katrina and The Waves – “Walking On Sunshine”
* Lily Allen – “Take What You Take”
* Maroon 5 – “She Will Be Loved”
* No Doubt – “Just A Girl”
* Roy Orbison – “Oh Pretty Woman”
* Snow Patrol – “Take Back the City”
* Taylor Swift – “Love Story”
* Taylor Swift – “Picture to Burn”
* Taylor Swift – “You Belong With Me”
* Tonic – “If You Could Only See”
* Village People – “YMCA”

Band Hero for Nintendo DS Lite:

* Avril Lavigne – “Girlfriend”
* Blink-182 – “First Date”
* Evanescence – “Call Me When You’re Sober”
* Fall Out Boy – “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs”
* Kaiser Chiefs – “I Predict A Riot”
* The Killers – “Spaceman”
* KT Tunstall – “Suddenly I See”
* No Doubt – “Excuse Me Mr.”
* P!nk – “So What”
* Queen – “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”
* Queens Of The Stone Age – “No One Knows”
* Spin Doctors – “Two Princes”

Gyromancer is a new puzzle-RPG developed in collaboration between Square Enix and PopCap. With a blend of puzzle elements from the PopCap Games puzzle hit Bejeweled Twist(TM) and the RPG mastery of Square Enix, Gyromancer is an all-new experience that defines the puzzle-RPG genre.

“Gyromancer is a cool puzzle/RPG hybrid that uses Bejeweled Twist’s game mechanic at the heart of its battle system,” said Jason Kapalka, Chief Creative Officer and co-founder of PopCap. “We’ve worked with Square Enix as a distribution partner in Japan for several years, and it was fun to collaborate with them in a more creative way on Gyromancer.”

“We’ve always enjoyed a strong partnership with PopCap Games and Gyromancer represents our goal of developing unique gaming experiences, ” said John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix, Inc. “We believe that Gyromancer will appeal not only to core gamers, but will further introduce the RPG genre to casual gamers as well.”

Players assume the role of Rivel, a summoner who ventures through the enchanted Aldemona Wood. Each stage contains its own objectives, from defeating beasts that block the player’s way, to solving puzzles before time runs out. Rivel can learn to summon dozens of the unique beasts he encounters, bending their power to his will and commanding them in battle. Hidden within each stage are a number of rewards earned for completing feats great and small. Finding them all won’t be easy. Are you up to the challenge?

Rivel, leader of the rebel faction Temperance and sorcerer vessel of the Godseye, follows Qraist, the countslayer, into the enchanted Aldemona Wood. The wood whispers to the two. For Rivel, the wood holds the key to his locked memories. For Qraist, the wood holds his calling — to be its master. Unbeknownst to either, the nefarious Everett watches quietly from the shadows. Within this enchanted wood, severed from the outside world by ritual, lie mysteries and answers, knowledge and wonder. Each enters in search of something — but what is it they will find?

Among the mixes in the game featuring Daft Punk are:

* Daft Punk “Around the World” vs. Young MC “Bust A Move”
* Daft Punk “Da Funk” vs. NASA “Strange Enough ft. Karen O, ODB and Fatlip”
* Daft Punk “Da Funk” vs. Queen “Another One Bites the Dust”
* Daft Punk “Robot Rock” vs. Hashim “Al-Naafiysh (The Soul)” – Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts
* Daft Punk “Robot Rock” vs. Queen “We Will Rock You”
* Daft Punk “Short Circuit” vs. Boogie Down Productions “Jack Of Spades”
* Daft Punk “Technologic” vs. Gary Numan “Cars”
* Daft Punk “Television Rules The Nation” vs. No Doubt “Hella Good”

“Partnering with Daft Punk is a rare opportunity in any medium and we are extremely honored to have worked with them so closely on integrating into DJ Hero in such a compelling way,” said Tim Riley, Vice President of Music Affairs for Guitar Hero®. “This is the first time in a video game that fans will have this kind of direct interaction with Daft Punk while also experiencing never-before-released mixes that feature some of their most popular tracks. It’s amazing working with Daft Punk as they are the quintessential electronic music act known around the world for their unique style and music.”

Expanding upon the revolutionary easy to pick up/challenging to master gameplay mechanics developed and refined in Guitar Hero, DJ Hero delivers an all-new interactive music experience that allows players to start the party and not only experience, but to hear music in an all-new way. With over 100 individual songs, highlighted in 93 unique never-before-released mixes that blend genres of music, including hip-hop, pop, rock and dance, DJ Hero delivers the most diverse and international collection of music ever assembled in a music game by incorporating anthems from legendary artists. Created exclusively for DJ Hero, the turntable controller immerses fans into the DJ culture and a sea of music as they utilize and master various DJ techniques including scratching, crossfading and sampling, while leaving room for creative expression with a variety of effects and player chosen samples and scratches, transforming a face in the crowd into the life of the party.

“Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 builds on the gameplay that made the first title a hit and takes the experience to all new heights,” states Rob Kostich, Head of Marketing for Licensed Properties, Activision Publishing, Inc. “Players will fight through cinematic and immersive environments, engage in graphically vivid and devastating fusions, and interact with or destroy everything in their path as they experience one of the most tumultuous political events ever imagined in comic book lore.”

“Just as Civil War will be remembered as this decade’s most memorable comic book event, so too will Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 go down as one of this generation’s greatest Super Hero games,” says Ira Rubenstein, Executive Vice President of the Marvel Digital Media Group. “The notion of heroes fighting heroes is compelling both in terms of action and storytelling, and Activision has brought it all to life in a way that’s sure to please everyone who plays.”

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 allows gamers to play as some of the most popular Marvel heroes and villains in an explosive action-RPG experience. For the first time, players will be able to take full advantage of the Marvel Universe by combining dynamic Super Hero powers to create over 250 unique fusions, such as a fiery tornado between Human Torch and Storm, or a powerful beam splitter between Wolverine and Iron Man. The game also features deep character customization, including upgrading abilities, powers and boosts on the fly, as well as storyline choices that will influence character stats. Gamers can play on their own or with up to three friends in co-operative multiplayer modes, allowing them to assemble unique dream teams from 24 playable heroes and villains, giving fans one of the most exciting action/RPG experiences of all time.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 is available on the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system, by Vicarious Visions; the Wii(TM), Nintendo DS(TM), and PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system, by n-Space; and the PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable), by Savage. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 is rated “T” (Teen) on all platforms except for the Nintendo DS(TM), which is rated E10+ by the ESRB.

Customers can participate in the video game trade-in program at Toys”R”Us stores in the United States as follows:

* Used video games in their original cases, with the original case artwork may be brought to a Toys”R”Us Guest Services desk.
* Games will then be scanned and prices will be offered for individual titles.
* Gamers confirm that they want to accept the offer to exchange any, or all, of the games they brought to the store.
* Once the transaction is complete, customers receive an activated gift card equal to the total worth of all games traded.
* Immediately upon receiving the gift card, customers can purchase any product from iPods and toys to candy and diapers at any Toys”R”Us or Babies”R”Us location or online at Toysrus.com.

“The video game trade-in program is another way we’re providing customers with additional value when they visit our stores,” said Bill Lee, Vice President, Divisional Merchandise Manager, Toys”R”Us, U.S. “This program is designed to make the exchange process completely hassle-free for customers by accepting games from even the oldest systems, including the original Atari 2600 and 32-bit Sega Genesis.”

Beyond helping customers trade games from current systems such as the Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable, Toys”R”Us stores will accept games from almost every gaming system imaginable. Games from systems such as the Atari 2600, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo 64, Nintendo NES, Intellivision, Sega Genesis can be exchanged.

Peggle Nights is the top-selling follow up to the award-winning game franchise, Peggle, whose XBLA version quickly became a fan favorite of Xbox LIVE Arcade players earlier this year. Peggle Nights will feature all the great gameplay of the original PC version as well as the ability to battle friends and foes, and compare Peggle prowess in the 4-player Peg Party and 2-player Duel modes, the only online multiplayer modes available in any of the many Peggle adaptations to date.

Features in the Peggle Nights expansion pack for XBLA will include:

• 60 new Peggle Nights levels for multiplayer over Xbox LIVE and all single player/local modes
• Peggle Nights Adventure mode (60 levels), including the Nights story
• 60 new Peggle Nights Challenges
• A new Peggle Master, Marina
• Peggle Nights trophy room
• Peggle Nights adventure statistics
• New style shots from Peggle Nights PC (available as title upgrade for all Peggle XBLA players)
• Three new Xbox 360 achievements worth a total of 50 gamerscore, bringing Peggle up to a total of 250 gamerscore.

“The addictive and fun gameplay of the Peggle franchise translates extremely well when tuned for the XBLA platform,” noted Sukhbir Sidhu, co-creator of Peggle and studio chief at PopCap. “Since launching earlier this year, Peggle for XBLA earned top awards from industry critics while taking full advantage of the XBLA multiplayer format to deliver an incredible gameplay experience. Peggle Nights essentially doubles the size of the Peggle XBLA universe for players everywhere.”