Parents' Guide to Code Name S.T.E.A.M.

Code Name S.T.E.A.M. takes a fresh approach to turn-based strategy games and not just because of its strange assortment of familiar characters and their often bizarre weapons, such as a scissors-extension boxing glove, a banana peel launcher, and exploding pumpkins. It melds the notion of gridded, turn-based movement with 3-D shooter action in unconventional ways: Players can precisely aim each shot (Hint: Target glowing spots on enemy bodies) for additional damage or creep around stealthily to avoid detection. They can even explore the boundaries of a character's current square to see if they can find a better shot without expending an additional unit of steam. But you need to be careful of your enemies' real-time reactions to your movements. Tread into their field of vision and they'll take a shot at you -- unless you can quickly aim and tap the fire button first.

There's still some room for improvement, though. You have to wait -- sometimes as long as a couple of minutes -- as enemies take their turns. That's a drag. Plus, enemies can sometimes react to player interactions as subtle as a shift of camera, potentially carrying out as many or more attacks than your character during his or her turn. That just feels unfair. Still, it's an unusual blend of considered tactics and real-time action that ought to prove plenty of fun for people looking for something other than games that reward reflexes over strategy.