'Mini Ninjas,' 'Borderlands'

Those two games in the title of this post have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

They're only combined because they are the immediate present and immediate future of my Xbox.

Last night I FINALLY got started playing "Mini Ninjas," a birthday gift from the girlfriend, after work and sickness kept me from having a chunk of a few good hours to sink my teeth into it. While I'm only three hours into it (and the three hours flew by, which is always a sign of a good gaming experience), but I'm really enjoying the game so far.

While the game can really be reduced to simply a hack-and-slash, even at its toughest level, I don't think I've ever played a game which can be more accurately described as "charming." The characters are bright, shiny and cute, without becoming sickeningly so, and you can even access your "spirit form" to possess the local wildlife.

However, I'm going to have to push off "Mini Ninjas" once again for the next few days. When I walked into the office today, I found a review copy of 2K Games' "Borderlands" waiting for me.

Goodbye happy, furry woodland creatures. Hello looting, pillaging and killing everything in sight. I'll hopefully have a full review for you good people up within a week.

In the meantime, get a load of the box art from "Borderlands." Is it just me, or is suicidal imagery just a step too far for a game which anyone of any age will be able to see on the shelves on Tuesday? (And yes, I know, I'm just as bad for posting it here).