Title: The Dark Knight (aka Batman: The Dark Knight, Batman Begins 2, The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience)Price: $35.99Format(s): *Blu-ray (DVD, Digital Download)Release Date: December 9, 2008Publisher: Warner Home VideoRating: “PG-13″Pros: Amazing quality video and audio of a great movie that doesn’t lose anything moving from big to TV screen. Free digital download and a few decent extras including a few animated short films on BD-Live.Cons: BD-Live still needs some work for smoother community interaction and incorporating PS3 features (including the video camera).Overall Score: Two thumbs up; 91/100; A-; * * * * out of five.

I’ve already given The Dark Knight a glowing review so I’ll skip the equally glowing rehash and concentrate on the extra features included in this worthy three-disc Blu-ray release including BD-Live.

Click through for the full review…

System: iPod TouchPrice: $229 (8GB), $299 (16GB) and $399 (32GB)Release Date: September 2008 (2nd generation)Publisher (Developer): ApplePros: Incredible audio support and very accurate touchscreen and accelerometer (motion) controls. Lots of games to choose from including standard casual, card and puzzle games, as well as several system-only and online games. External speakers.Cons: No manual game buttons and a naked iPod is a bit slippery to hold. Home button slip exits the game without pause. No external media slot.Overall Score: One thumb up, one thumb sideways; 88; B+; * * * 1/2 out of five.

Apple has been promoting the crud out of the iPod Touch as being “the funnest iPod ever” with commercials that show a bunch of motion-controlled games.

While certainly not a Nintendo DS killer, the iPod Touch does offer some rather decent motion and touchscreen controls as well as all the iPhone’s main features sans the phone and microphone. There are a few small concerns for touch-only games but, otherwise, it performs well above most phones as a gaming device…

Click through for the full review!

While dashing through my nearest Target store, I passed a rack stacked with tins in the underwear, er, pajamas section.

The tins, priced at $9.99 each, include a set of colorful men’s boxers that reflect the packaging: a Wii (as in the console), a red Guitar Hero guitar, black Guitar Hero speaker, an Xbox 360 controller, Super Mario Bros. 3 with Mario, the Superman logo and the Batman logo.

I did find a few listed on the Kohl’s and Sears web sites…

Product: Seinfeld Scene It?System(s): DVDRelease Date: August 2008Publisher: Mattel (Screenlife)Price: $39.99Pros: Wide variety of trivia questions, nice board design, unique player tokens and really follows the Seinfeld theme.Cons: Too easy for die-hard Seinfeld fans, too difficult for those with a passing interest in the series. Only four people can play.Overall: A great gift and game for people who watch the show when its on TV or own some of the DVD sets.Rating: One thumb up, one thumb sideways; 85/100; B; *** 1/2 out of 5

I was eager to try and play Seinfeld Scene It?, the latest entry in the series of trivia games which also incorporate video segments via DVD. I had to prove my wealth of knowledge concerning the show, especially after a Harry Potter Scene It? debacle where, despite my having read all the books and seen all the movies at least twice, I still came in last…

Title: The Ultimate Matrix CollectionPrice: $129.95System(s): Blu-ray (and DVD)Release Date: October 14, 2008Publisher: Warner Home Video, IncRating: “Restricted” for sci-fi violence, language and sexuality; “PG-13″ for sci-fi violence and language.Pros: High-def goodness, lots of extra content and amazing transfer. Includes iPod/Windows Media version of The Matrix.Cons: It’s so clear some character in CG fights scenes look extra rubbery. The price. Dupe of the 2003 collection.Overall Score: Two thumbs up; 90/100; A-; * * * * out of five.

The Ultimate Matrix Collection will quite simply amplify your feelings about The Matrix movies.

If you love them, you’ll enjoy them even more and happily gorge yourself on the multitude of extra content. If you hated them, you’ll now be able to pinpoint the tiniest flaws and laugh at them in glorious high-def…

Archie McPhee, the company known for creating silly and unconventional amusements, has just created a new item for the holiday season – the inflatable fruitcake. Yes, for $9.50 you can send your family, friends or even yourself a life-size inflatable fruitcake. My favorite part is the Frequently Asked Questions sections of the site, which tells you why fruitcakes are so terrible and how you possibly lived before the inflatable fruitcake was invented.

Now, you may be wondering what exactly a fruitcake has to do with gaming. Good question! First – I’m sure there are some desperate gamers out there who, after receiving that game they’ve wanted for weeks for Christmas decided to pull an all-nighter playing it. After hour 23 of their gaming marathon, their sense of judgment have been impaired and they might have accidentally ingested some of the ornamental family fruitcake. Now, with the inflatable fruitcake, there is no more temptation to actually eat a real one.

Second, the act of giving a fruitcake is a bit of a game in and of itself. Its like playing hot-potato…

Last year (2007), Hallmark released the Player 1 Christmas ornament, which was a pretty cool mini game controller with sound effects.

This year (2008), Hallmark is again releasing a game-themed ornament, reaching a little further back in time and producing a mini Pac-Man arcade machine complete with sound effects. The ornament, which stands approximately 4.5 in. tall, retails for $18.50, is battery operated (batteries included), lights up and plays classic Pac-Man sounds. Wakka-wakka!

The cabinet is…

Title: Travel Games for DummiesPrice: $29.99System(s): DSRelease Date: October 28, 2008Publisher (Developer): Electronic Arts (Electronic Arts and Beanbag Studios)ESRB Rating: “Everyone”Pros: Three different games, 100 Crossword puzzles, 500 Sudoku puzzles, 10 kinds of Solitaire. Informative.Cons: You have to go back manually clear Crossword boards when you’re done. Solitaire is very hard. Sometimes the letter/number recognition is a bit off. Only one player profile allowed per cartridge.Overall Score: One thumb up, one thumb sideways; 80/100; B-; *** out of 5

EA Games’ Casual Entertainment division recently teamed up with Beanbag studios to create three instructional/casual games, two for the PC and one for the DS. The DS game, Travel Games for Dummies is actually a collection of three popular puzzle games – Sudoku, Solitaire and Crosswords. The goal of the endeavor is to teach people how to master these three games, and then offer a wide variety of puzzles to test their newfound skills in.

Its very straightforward, since it is supposed to be educational, but also is surprisingly fun. While it isn’t as diverse as say, Crosswords DS, it is better than the shovelware sudoku and casual game compilations you see cluttering GameStop shelves. And, surprisingly enough, it can help you become a better player. At least, the Crosswords and Sudoku segments can – I’m still on the fence about solitaire. Travel Games for Dummies would make a good gift for casual gamers this holiday season – I know my mom would adore it…

Apparently the craze of selling real-life toys to unlock virtual counterparts in an online world isn’t going to abate anytime soon. The next forthcoming, possible craze creator is Abandon Interactive Entertainment, which is going to be releasing a line of action figures called Freaky Creatures in 2009. Freaky Creatures is going to be an MMO, where players must purchase real-world action figure starter packs to get the USB flash drive with the game, creatures, creature powers/parts and lair furnishings.

You get started in Freaky Creatures by purchasing a $19.99 starter pack that comes with two creature figurines, a reusable USB drive with the game on it, and codes for 50 random creature parts, 20 random creature abilities and four random decorative objects. You install the game, enter the codes for your two creatures and assorted items, and then go to face off in battles against other Freaky Creatures players…

We were officially blown away when Logitech unveiled its $250 super guitar controller for Guitar Hero World Tour with all its realistic body features. That was before we knew about the Gene Simmons Axe Guitar that’s made for both Guitar Hero and Rock Band for the PlayStation 2 and PS3. It’s being sold for $79.99 on Amazon and will become officially available on October 31, 2008.

The main draw of this guitar is its unique look. This guitar looks like a battle ax and…