More than just a game

How do you do it?

Just how do you explain ignoring your 6-month-old child while Daddy spends a few months playing the wildly engrossing “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness”?

This is my dilemma.

The latest installment of the successful franchise, “Angel of Darkness” makes use of platform advances -- nerdspeak for better graphics, sound and game play -- to create an interactive movie, something that might be directed by David Fincher (“Fight Club,” “Alien3”). Only instead of Brad Pitt or Sigourney Weaver, you guide the voluptuous Lara Croft through her dark, moody environments by jumping, shimmying, climbing and running.

But that requires some getting used to. Because of the way the camera follows Lara, it takes awhile to get comfortable with which buttons to push -- and when -- to get that perfect running-jump-to-grab-the-ledge-then-pull-yourself-up-and-over move you need to learn early on. The good news is you can save your progress in the game anywhere you like. Miss that jump and fall to your death? No problem. Just load your saved game and try again, little buddy.

The graphics are as strong as you’d expect if you played any of the first four “Tomb Raider” games. Although the story-enhancing movies are technically beautiful -- no weird polygonning or jerky movements -- they kind of remind me of those “Fabulous Thunderbirds” puppet shows from my childhood (with their creepy, jerky movements).

One improvement over Lara’s predecessors is forcing the heroine to choose how she interacts with other characters. I’m choosing all the polite answers in a conversation with a character named Margot Carvier so she gives Lara clues to what’s ahead and slips Lara an all-important notebook, crucial to the plot of the game. Then I reload that level and this time play Lara like a big meanie: The lady won’t give up the notebook, kicks her out and then calls the cops. Sheesh.

And remember when a game was just a game? This one comes with a stylishly produced “making of” segment that offers insight into where the story is headed and a trailer for the live-action “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life” film opening July 25. (Imagine that.)

I just wish it came with instructions for cuddling a 6-month-old while you play the game.

Turning green is the easy part

Who would pass up the opportunity to turn into some 10-foot green guy and smash windows, throw cars and grab bad guys by the throats?

Not me, my friend.

And “Hulk” lets you do just that. The great-looking graphics of this tie-in to the summer film are original -- in fact, “Hulk” looks better than the green guy from the movie trailers.

The plot of the game jumps around -- one minute you’re chasing some big guy named Ravage, then along comes the Energy Vampire (huh?) -- and it forces you to play as the “smash and grab” Hulk as well as the “sneak around quietly” Bruce Banner. Quite a change in game styles, and not always a fun one. As I was playing Banner, I was longing for the next level where I could bust things up as the Hulk.

But when that gamma radiation turns you green, watch out.

*

Games

“Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness”

Good: Returns the franchise to the upper echelon of games.

Bad: Hard to control at first.

Details: PlayStation 2 platform; $49.99; rating: teen (blood, violence).

“Hulk”

Good: Fun to smash things as the Hulk.

Bad: Sneaking around as Bruce Banner -- not so fun.

Details: All platforms; $49.99; rating: teen (violence).