The city is his canvas

DEPENDING on your point of view, Marc Ecko’s Getting Up is either another example of a deplorable video game that will surely lead our society to ruin, or it’s a masterpiece of hip-hop culture.

In Getting Up, it’s all about the graffiti. As the central character Trane boosts his rep by beating up rival crews and tagging his nom de plume on walls, he uncovers a web of corruption in the city of New Radius’ government and starts a revolution.

For many of us who grew up in the hip-hop generation, graffiti is an artistic form of expression. Good “pieces” (the colorful and elaborate murals) are respected and treated as art. But, oh yeah, most are also illegal and considered vandalism.

That’s what will make Getting Up tough for some to appreciate. As Trane explores the gritty streets, he can stop and tag any wall. As he paints bigger murals in riskier places, his rep grows. Will this encourage gamers to go out and tag, or does it let wannabe taggers get it out of their systems? The answers, like the colorful pieces Trane “gets up,” won’t be in black and white.

Details: PlayStation 2 and Xbox platforms; $49.99; rated Mature (blood, strong language and violence).

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Good carnage wasted

The makers of the eagerly awaited first-person shooter Black strove to make a game that was full of big Hollywood-style explosions and fast-paced action. Though they may have succeeded in having the biggest bang, after the smoke clears, there really isn’t anything left -- except a whole lot of wasted potential. Black features a shallow plot, decent but not jaw-dropping graphics and controls that are lacking. (Where is the jump button? The ability to jump is an absolute necessity for any good first-person shooter.) These days, just blowing up the bad guys goes only so far.

Details: PlayStation 2 and Xbox platforms; $39.99; rated Mature (strong language and violence).

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We’ll just take the F

No one likes having to take a test. So why would anyone choose to play the maddeningly repetitive PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient? After all, the point of solving all 100 of these brain teasers is to determine how your “PQ” stacks up to those of other gamers who have posted theirs online. (And all of the tests have to be completed before a score is given.) Unfortunately, the puzzles get very redundant about halfway through. Most consist of moving blocks around to reach a goal while a timer ticks down to ratchet up the pressure and the frustration levels. I guess ignorance really is bliss.

Details: PlayStation Portable; $29.99; rated Everyone.

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Joysticks are so passe

The warning at the start of the Rub Rabbits says it all: “Continuous stroking, blowing and poking could lead to unwanted attention in public places.” A sequel to one of the most unusual games of all time (Feel the Magic XX/XY), Rabbits makes use of all of the different ways to interact with your Nintendo DS. That means wild blowing into the DS microphone and furious use of the stylus on the touch screen as you try to win the heart of a cute passerby through a series of outlandish mini-games. Rabbits is fresh, intoxicating, strange and painful all at once.

Details: Nintendo DS; $29.99; rated Teen (mild violence and suggestive themes).

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Curiously charming

It’s impossible to play Curious George, the tie-in to the charming animated film, without smiling. Especially when the happy little monkey is pulling off some fancy dancing during one of the mini-games you encounter. The game, packed with footage from the movie, expands on the film’s story line with fun new challenges set in a brightly colored world -- although the controls sometimes get a little clunky.

Details: All platforms; $39.99; rated Everyone.

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For previous columns, or to e-mail Pete Metzger, visit latimes.com/gotgame.