Video-game roundup | "Battlefield" moves to consoles and more

Reviews of new electronic and computer games:

"Battlefield: Bad Company"

The first "Battlefield" game to be exclusive to consoles, "Bad Company" adds a little personality to the cookie-cutter soldiers of the series, as well as a proper single-player campaign.

The campaign stars a squad of undesirables given the riskiest, nastiest jobs around. The story's nothing heavy — our heroes decide to avail themselves of gold bars meant to pay enemy mercenaries — but the campaign is pretty good, considering it's the first time the series has had one.

"Bad Company's" real claim to fame is its destructible buildings and terrain. Weapons and vehicles really go boom in this one and tend to blow chunks out of houses, knock over trees, blast through bits of cover and so on. Not everything can be destroyed, but enough can be that firefights are thrilling.

No "Battlefield" would be complete without an online mode, and "Bad Company's" new Gold Rush mode for up to 24 players fits the bill. Instead of the command point capturing of previous games, Gold Rush has one side defending crates of gold and the other trying to destroy them. Additional game types would be welcome, but this is a strong start.

Publisher: Electronic Arts

System: Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3

Price: $59.99

Age rating: Teen

"Secret Agent Clank"

Ratchet and Clank's second portable adventure looks as good as the first one, "Size Matters," but plays a lot differently. The game splits the two up, which was done once before in "Ratchet: Deadlocked" to similar result: It's just not as much fun when the furry alien Lombax and his straight-man robot buddy are apart.

This time, it's because Ratchet has been implicated in a jewel theft and sent to prison. Clank's on a mission of his own in his secret agent persona (robo-tuxedo and all). He's supposed to protect the missing treasure Ratchet supposedly stole, and his investigation of the theft uncovers a plot against them.

Clank's fighting style uses gadgets like razor bow ties and explosive cufflinks to make his way though the levels, though he's skilled at "Clank-Fu" martial arts.

Ratchet has to fight off angry inmates in prison using guns he finds as well as those Clank sends to him in cake boxes.

Players will also take control of small Gadgebots and bumbling superhero Quark from time to time.

"Secret Agent Clank" is peppered with mini-games, which is nothing unusual for a "Ratchet and Clank" title, but they seem a bit too frequent here.

Publisher: Sony

System: Sony PlayStation Portable

Price: $39.99

Age rating: Everyone 10+

"Nanostray 2"

A serviceable and flexible scrolling shooter, "Nanostray 2" offers good graphics, solid game play and a wide variety of levels and challenges in an inexpensive package.

There's a story about the Nanostray virus, which infects machines or something, but this isn't a game one plays for the story. It's all about shooting down formations of enemy ships and avoiding destruction in the process.

"Nanostray 2" allows players to customize their fighter craft pretty extensively plus preset positions and firing directions for the ship's auxiliary satellites.

Publisher: Majesco

System: Nintendo DS

Price: $19.99

Age rating: Everyone