We can see clearly now

WE have seen the Lite. And man, does it shine.

No matter how they spell it, the new Nintendo DS Lite is an amazing improvement of an already solid hand-held game system. The smaller, improved design and brighter screen almost make us forget all about that other game player, the PlayStation Portable.

This shiny white model is a lot lighter in weight than its predecessor, the silver model introduced in late 2004. But it’s the brighter screens that have us in such awe. Playing the same game on both systems really shows off exactly how much brighter the new screen is. On the older model, the colors look murky and dark, as if you’re looking through smog. On the Lite, the 260,000 possible colors are as sharp and vibrant as on most laptop computers. It’s almost as if the screen were backlit by a 100-watt bulb instead of the old 40-watt in the previous model.

And the unit’s sleek and stylish new design offers a sophistication lacking in the older version while keeping the same great features. If the old one was like a clunky Walkman, the new one is like a slick iPod, with its symmetrical clamshell design and rounded corners.

Cost: $129.99.

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Mario mushrooms

Super Mario is back, only now he’s bigger than ever. In New Super Mario Bros., the latest incarnation of the classic side-scrolling series, besides the usual magic mushrooms Mario gobbles to give him super abilities, he now can eat one to become Mega Mario, capable of smashing everything in sight (even the green pipes). NSMB also makes good use of the DS by adding two features: a gauge on the lower screen showing how much longer in the level Mario needs to go, and a power-up mushroom holder to save bonuses for use when needed by tapping the screen.

Details: Nintendo DS platform; $34.99; rated Everyone (comic mischief).

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G-rated whack-fest

Table Tennis is the newest release from the people who brought you the violent and excitingly deplorable Grand Theft Auto series. Table Tennis? With guns and the mob and hookers, right? Actually, nope. Just a solid, well-made game that is strangely relaxing and exciting all at once. (There is something hypnotic about hearing the sound of that little ball as it click-clacks back and forth across the table during a furious rally.) This title is so easy to pick up and play that anyone can get the hang of it quickly and easily. And the facial expressions of the international players you choose from are amazingly lifelike.

Details: Xbox 360 platform; $39.99; rated Everyone.

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X-Men didn’t cross Ts

Want proof that X-Men: The Official Game was rushed to stores before it was truly ready? How about the still-frame cut-screen “movies” whose job it is to advance the story? (Though the art on these is nice, they come off like placeholders for some work that will now never be completed.) And then there is the inconsistent difficulty of the various levels. (One level is a breeze, the next is nearly impossible, even at the same difficulty setting.) Playing as Nightcrawler, the mutant who can teleport behind his enemies and smack ‘em around, is fun, but it doesn’t warrant a purchase of this shameless movie tie-in.

Details: All platforms; $59 to $49.99; rated Teen (violence).

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Don’t jump this shark

To put it simply, Jaws: Unleashed really bites. Controlling the giant shark as it terrorizes Amity Island is almost as painful as watching a hapless swimmer get ripped limb from limb. And the camera that follows Jaws while in third-person view often moves out of the water, making it impossible to see what is happening in the sea, where the action is. Go read a book or something, instead of wasting your time with this video game chum.

Details: PlayStation 2 and Xbox platforms; $29.99; rated Mature (blood and gore, intense violence).

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