-- If online reports are to be believed, Google could be cooking up a rival for Facebook -- and bringing the maker of popular social games like "FarmVille" with them.

(CNN) -- If online reports are to be believed, Google could be cooking up a rival for Facebook -- and bringing the maker of popular social games like "FarmVille" with them.

Google Games, built around some sort of partnership with casual-gaming company Zynga, is in the works and would be part of a larger social network called Google Me, according to technology blog Tech Crunch.

Statements from notable internet players, including Digg founder Kevin Rose and a former Facebook chief technical officer, have suggested in recent weeks that the search-engine giant is working on a social network geared toward rivaling Facebook.

TechCrunch this weekend reported that unnamed sources said Google has invested between $100 and $200 million in Zynga, the maker of successful online social games like "FarmVille" and "Mafia Wars."

The investment part of the deal was confirmed last month and a "larger strategic project" is still in the works, according to that report.

A Zynga spokeswoman said Monday that the company has no comment on the reports. A Google spokesman referred questions to the company"s media-relations e-mail account, which did not respond to inquiries.

The popularity of Zynga"s games -- more than 50 million people play them on any given day, according to developerAnalytics -- could bring considerable heft to any online networking or gaming project Google launched.

The obvious question then would become whether the "Farmville" maker would pull its games from Facebook. That would be a tall order considering the success those games have seen.

The TechCrunch report also added a new wrinkle to the Google Me speculation -- saying the Zynga deal would be part of a project called Google Games, according to sources.

On the question-and-answer site Quora, former Facebook technical officer Adam D"Angelo said the Google Me rumors are real. The project would build on Google Buzz, a social networking effort rolled out by Google in February, he said. Google Buzz has been widely criticized by tech pundits.

Reports have not offered details on how a Google site would look, whether it would link to Gmail and other Google pages like Buzz does, or how Google Games would integrate with it.

"This is not a rumor. This is a real project. There are a large number of people working on it. I am completely confident about this,"D"Angelo wrote.

"They realized that Buzz wasn"t enough and that they need to build out a full, first-class social network. They are modeling it off of Facebook."

-- Forever 21, a clothing chain that attracts many under-21 customers with its inexpensive, trendy fashions, is being questioned about its motives in choosing a select group of states to carry its recently launched maternity line.

(CNN) -- Forever 21, a clothing chain that attracts many under-21 customers with its inexpensive, trendy fashions, is being questioned about its motives in choosing a select group of states to carry its recently launched maternity line.

The line, called Love 21 Maternity, is currently available in Arizona, Alaska, California, Utah and Texas.

The chain came under scrutiny when bloggers from the fashion site The Gloss noted last week that the states chosen to carry the line also have high rates for teen pregnancies.

Texas, Arizona and California are among the top 15 states with the highest teen pregnancy rates, according to a report from the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit organization that conducts sexual and reproductive health research. California and Texas have the highest number of teen pregnancies, according to Guttmacher.

The clothing line"s executive vice president, Larry Meyer, said in a statement Monday that the maternity line"s store locations aren"t part of a marketing strategy.

"Forever 21 did not create, design or distribute Love 21 Maternity to target, or appeal specifically to pregnant teens. Any relationship between teen pregnancy rates and the locations of our stores is unintentional," the statement said.

The line, launched at the end of June, features maternity tops and denim styles, leggings, knit and woven tops, cardigans, dresses and basics.

"The line will provide sophisticated, on-trend styles for moms-to-be at affordable prices, continuing Forever 21"s commitment to value, trend and freshness," a Forever 21 news release said.

CNN"s Divina Mims contributed to this report.

-- If masculinity could take the form of a 2-inch frosted cupcake, David Arrick would have the recipe.

(CNN) -- If masculinity could take the form of a 2-inch frosted cupcake, David Arrick would have the recipe.

His New York cupcake company, Butch Bakery, is an anomaly in a world seemingly dominated by all things dainty and cute. Arrick refuses to serve the "frilly, pink-frosted, sprinkles-and-unicorns" variety. Instead, customers can proclaim their machismo with cakes made with beer, whiskey, bacon and crushed pretzels.

"It was born out of necessity and a love of buttercream," Arrick said of his 9-month-old business.

Each Butch cupcake sits under a generous layer of frosting and a chocolate disc with a camouflage, wood grain, plaid, houndstooth or other "manly" pattern.

Like a mixed-martial arts fight, Arrick"s cupcakes can pack a serious punch. Six of his 12 varieties feature alcohol -- and customers feel the hit.

"The ones with alcohol are actually pretty potent," said David Barrineau, who ordered Butch cupcakes as a joke for the men and women in his advertising agency.

"The first one I tried ... it had wood grain on it. It definitely had whiskey in it," Barrineau said. "I think we all got a buzz from these -- it was pretty strong!"

But can whiskey-infused cupcakes disguised in camo really transform cupcakes into macho fare?

"I think if you try them, you wouldn"t have to ask," Barrineau said.

Arrick said he doesn"t think the average man would necessarily turn down a pastel, ladylike cupcake.

"Men like to eat," he said. "I"m not saying I"m not going to go for a cupcake with a peony on it."

But, if given the option, "a guy is going to go for the one that has camo or plaid on it."

The flour-and-frosting world seems a far cry from Wall Street, home to a major law firm where Arrick worked as an asset-backed securities attorney. But like many in 2007 and 2008, Arrick"s career caved unexpectedly.

"I was laid off. I didn"t know what I was going to do," he said. "I"m 40 years old, I have student loans out the wazoo. What am I going to do?"

As Arrick looked around the streets of New York and mulled his options, he marveled how the city"s vast array of bakeries and cupcake shops kept growing and making money during a recession.

But all the cupcakes seemed too cookie-cutter.

"There"s been a vacancy in the market with marketing toward men," he noticed.

That"s when the epiphany hit. Arrick liquidated his 401(k) and gambled $25,000 on the macho bakery of his dreams.

Butch Bakery went from selling 40 cupcakes a week to 400 cupcakes a week -- all without a storefront. The bakery operates out of a commercial kitchen shared with other businesses and sells its manly confections online.

While most cupcakes are, stereotypically, feminine or frilly, Arrick is keenly aware that he himself is playing on stereotypes with his use of bacon, beer and in-your-face manly advertising.

"It"s so tongue-in-cheek," Arrick said.

Ironically, 95 percent of Butch Bakery"s customers are women. Arrick said many are searching for creative gifts after exhausting cliche ideas such as neckties.

Arrick has received order requests from around the world, including from troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Kathryn Donaldson tried to place an order for her husband, who is stationed in South Korea. Donaldson said the Butch baked goods would be the perfect pick-me-up for soldiers overseas.

"The stuff we send them, it means a lot to them," Donaldson said. "We can send them care packages and everything, but something like that is so much more special because it"s so unique. We can"t do the flavorings like rum and coke. We can"t figure out how to make them taste like rum and coke."

Butch Bakery delivers to Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn, but does not ship out-of-state. Arrick said his growth is limited by storage and oven space, but he hopes to start shipping orders outside New York by the end of this year.

Arrick doesn"t have a target date for setting up a storefront. But Barrineau, a loyal fan of the "Tailgate" cupcake, says he can already forecast the entrepreneur"s future:

"I think he would see a line of big, hairy men waiting in line for cupcakes."

Editor"s note: Scott Steinberg is the head of technology and video game consulting firm TechSavvy Global, as well as the founder of GameExec magazine and Game Industry TV. He frequently appears as an on-air technology analyst for ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and CNN. His most recent book is "Get Rich Playing Games."

Editor"s note: Scott Steinberg is the head of technology and video game consulting firm TechSavvy Global, as well as the founder of GameExec magazine and Game Industry TV. He frequently appears as an on-air technology analyst for ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and CNN. His most recent book is "Get Rich Playing Games."

(CNN) -- The more things change, the more they play the same.

Credit a growing onslaught of video game remakes, as evidenced by recent blasts from the past from "Monkey Island 2 Special Edition" to a modernized spin on "Rocket Knight."

Helping bridge the gap between generations, these titles look to be a major force in gaming going forward, much to the delight of fans new and old.

There are several reasons why retro gaming is suddenly flourishing again.

Thanks partially goes to the growing accessibility of high-speed broadband, the burgeoning market for smartphones and other connected devices, and a rise in public awareness of modern PC and consoles" ability to download games on-demand.

But while 50 million iPhones have been sold, and services like Xbox Live and PlayStation Network now boast tens of millions of subscribers, fundamental economic factors are also at play here.

Consider that games designed for digital distribution services are typically smaller, are easier to assemble and cost less for publishers to deliver -- savings that often translate into lower price tags.

At the same time, cash-strapped yet tech-savvy players are increasingly looking for ways to stretch every dollar. For publishers looking to offset the risks associated with spending tens of millions of dollars and countless years creating traditional blockbusters, it often presents an opportunity too good to ignore.

Dipping into their back catalogue of games and dusting off popular franchises with small but loyal built-in followings can many times provide a profitable sideline.

Even free Facebook apps or fan-made outings such as the episodic "King"s Quest" update "The Silver Lining" can help developers gauge public interest in updates or stir up excitement for planned reboots.

Classic games from "Contra" ("Hard Corps: Uprising") to "Castlevania," "Bionic Commando" to "Rush"N Attack," are all due to get an extreme makeover shortly.

But nostalgia also continues to be a powerful force on traditional gaming platforms like the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Rehashes of old favorites including "NBA Jam," "Donkey Kong Country," "Splatterhouse," "Metroid," "GoldenEye 007" and "Mortal Kombat" are all due shortly.

Series like "Myst," "Final Fantasy," "Tetris" and "The Legend of Zelda" continue to thrive on handheld platforms too, with even yesteryear"s longest-running holdout, "Kid Icarus," getting a much-overdue comeback on the Nintendo 3DS shortly.

The iPhone and iPad are playing home to revamps of "Frogger," "R-Type," "Pac-Man" and other retro franchises.

Classic online storefronts such as the Wii"s Virtual Console continue to offer access to childhood hits including "Punch-Out!!" and "Super Mario Bros" (both of which have also been reborn on the Wii courtesy of custom retreads).

Today"s smartest game publishers aren"t content to let their titles fall into the category of "abandonware," or software that"s become discontinued and unsupported. Instead, they"re learning that with a little bit of spit and polish, even the mustiest old gems can once again shine.

Resourceful video game fans know that software emulators like MAME, DOSBox and ZSNES have long allowed enthusiasts, legally or not, to relive the magic of yesteryear"s arcade and home gaming hits.

But all you can do with them is watch virtual history repeat itself. With classic gaming icons ranging from Guybrush Threepwood to Sonic the Hedgehog all lining up for extreme makeovers lately, going forward, you may get a chance to rewrite it instead.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Scott Steinberg.

-- You can"t beat Japan for variety and quality of native cuisine. Here are some of my favorite types of restaurants, followed by a few recommended Tokyo spots.

(CNN) -- You can"t beat Japan for variety and quality of native cuisine. Here are some of my favorite types of restaurants, followed by a few recommended Tokyo spots.

Noodle shops

A little more than an hour off my plane from the U.S., I was starving and had some time to kill, as my ride was going to be late to Shinagawa station. It is a very busy, somewhat bewildering train station. I"m a noodle fanatic, so I naturally homed in on a noodle shop.

For a minute or so, I studied the action: People lined up at little machines, dropped some coins in, got a ticket and entered. I followed suit, punching a button next to a picture of a bowl of udon and a small bowl of rice with some yellowish stuff on it.

Inside, I was greeted and gestured to a standing table. I gave my ticket to a waiter who asked me haltingly, "hot or cold?" I opted for hot. Moments later, my noodles and rice showed up. I still don"t really know what the bland topping on the rice was, but I ate it. The udon in dashi (with a few bits of stuff floating around) was one of the best dishes I"ve ever had.

Maybe you"ve heard that in Japan, it"s not only acceptable but polite to slurp your noodles. In a busy train station noodle shop at rush hour, the slurping is positively deafening.

There are three main warring noodle factions vying for hearts in Japan: udon (fat wheat noodles, and my favorite), soba (spaghetti-sized buckwheat noodles often eaten cold) and ramen (a Chinese import, a sexed-up version of the American college staple).

Yakitori

For my first dinner in Tokyo, I have to say I was a little disappointed when my friend suggested his favorite local yakitori joint. In a country full of unique and risky options, yakitori seemed a safe fallback. I thought it was grilled chicken kebabs, and it is, mostly. But it is all of the chicken, and it"s not always grilled.

This spot offered chicken sashimi and a few other semi-cooked versions. For the sashimi, the raw chicken is dipped in a quail egg and soy sauce before eating. I tried it, and that is about all I can say for it.

Chicken is maybe the only meat I can say, unequivocally, that I prefer cooked. And the cooked chicken was great. Even the half-raw chicken with an ume plum sauce was good.

Yakitori chefs stand in the center of the bar and carefully cook their skewers over a small bed of charcoal. Some interesting chicken parts I was served, which were all on the menu, were hearts (decent), necks (better, and boneless) and um, cartilage. Chicken cartilage is apparently something people enjoy for its "unique crunchiness." I am not one of those people. Still, the other bits of smoky goodness, including regular dark and white meat, made it a great meal.

Kaiseki

Kaiseki is the traditional Japanese meal, often served in traditional inns, consisting of many courses -- eight or more -- of small dishes. There is a lot of focus on presentation, with the arrangement of the food and even the choice of plates garnering nearly as much thought as the food itself.

Typically, there is a sashimi course, a tempura course, a rice course and one or more courses of Japanese pickles. It is a very leisurely affair, lasting hours. Many restaurants offer a toned-down version, or casual kaiseki, where you still get many elaborate small dishes, but they all come on one tray.

Bento

Bento are to-go meals in a box, consisting of many tiny dishes divided into little compartments. Most have half a dozen compartments, with at least one filled with Japanese pickles, rice, a protein and a couple of mystery items. There are purveyors of bento in train stations (and on trains), and many restaurants offer a bento that you can buy at a little side counter.

Sushi

Yes, they have sushi. You can pretty much run the gamut in price and atmosphere, including shops where the sushi rattles around on a little conveyor belt and you grab it as it comes by.

Some recommended locations:

Torishige

3-11-12 Azabu-Juban, Minato-Ku. Phone: 03 5445 1589.

The aforementioned yakitori-ya In Azabu-Juban. It"s a nice, cozy space with great chicken. The yakitori master has an interesting haircut, which I thought might have something to do with yakitori. It does not.

Udon Kurosawa

Nakagin-Roppongi Manshion 1F, 6-11-16, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Phone: 03-3403-9638.

There is a great noodle restaurant between Azabu-Juban and Roppongi Hills. Udon Kurosawa takes its name from Japan"s most famous film director and approaches popular noodle dishes with the same precision. The curry udon is the same genre of curry noodles you could find at thousands of Japanese restaurants, but it is a cut above. The dish tastes like curry, but it is only slightly piquant, in a way that just catches up to you at the end of the bowl. In addition to the curry and a few other noodle bowls, they also offer complex oden (stew) dishes.

Chanko at sumo

In the Ryogoku Kokugikan

If you are attending a sumo match, consider eating at the restaurant at the Ryogoku Kokugikan. They serve large bowls of noodles to sumo and non-sumo alike, and you could end up sitting next to a rikishi, or wrestler, carb-loading for a bout. I had the "chanko," billed as the sumo wrestler"s meal. It has a pot of broth over a burner where you cook various meats, vegetables and fungi. This is complemented with pickles, a bowl of cold precooked stuff, rice and an egg. If I ate this on a regular basis, I might bulk up enough to compete.

London, England -- The Church of England took a small step toward allowing women to serve as bishops Monday, with its governing body voting to recommend their elevation despite warnings from traditionalists that it could split the church.

London, England (CNN) -- The Church of England took a small step toward allowing women to serve as bishops Monday, with its governing body voting to recommend their elevation despite warnings from traditionalists that it could split the church.

Church leaders meeting in York overwhelmingly supported changing canon law to accommodate women as bishops. But the move by the church"s General Synod must be approved at a future meeting of the governing body, after parishes take at least a year to consider the question.

"This is good news for the whole church, and we are delighted," the Rev. Rachel Weir, leader of the group Women and the Church, which supported the change. The decision "gives the church a powerful mandate to move forward enthusiastically, welcoming the ministry of women at all levels within the church, whilst making space for those who are opposed to stay within our body," Weir said in a statement applauding the vote.

The Church of England first began ordaining women as priests in 1994 and has been debating whether they should become bishops since 2005. But the issue, along with the debate over the ordination of gay priests, has put a serious strain on the 77-million-member Anglican Communion worldwide.

The Catholic Church has reached out to disaffected Anglicans, raising the possibility that conservatives could leave en masse. The General Synod rejected a compromise backed by the nominal head of the church, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, over the weekend, with priests rejecting the measure despite the support of bishops and lay leaders.

Forward in Faith, a conservative group that opposes the ordination of women as "contrary to the scriptures," said Monday"s vote "contains nothing which can satisfy the legitimate needs" of its members.

"Now, though, is not the time for precipitate action," it said. Its leaders will take stock and debate the issue at upcoming meetings in September and October, the group said in a statement on the decision.

Editor"s Note: Scott Steinberg is the head of technology and video game consulting firm TechSavvy Global, as well as the founder of GameExec magazine and Game Industry TV. He frequently appears as an on-air technology analyst for ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and CNN. His most recent book is "Get Rich Playing Games."

(CNN) -- These days, it"s impossible to overstate the popularity of games for social networks, with Facebook titles like "Pet Society," "Happy Aquarium" and "Zoo World" all boasting massive followings.

To cynics, popular games such as Zygna"s new "FrontierVille," which recently racked up 20 million users in just 36 days, may seem like simple carbon copies of earlier hits -- most obviously "FarmVille," which once touted four times as many players.

Not so, argue industry insiders, who maintain that imitation is both the sincerest, and most sensible, form of flattery available to today"s game designers.

"Zynga certainly uses a formula for its games," says Libe Goad, editor-in-chief of Games.com. ""FrontierVille" takes elements of "FarmVille," including harvesting and helping neighbors, and then adds elements from more traditional strategy games to it. Since [the company] is notoriously metrics-driven, I predict that they will stick to this formula... It seems to be working well for them."

It"s a sentiment clearly echoed by Wade Tinney, CEO of Large Animal Games, makers of popular Facebook, MySpace and Bebo outings like "Bumper Stars" and "Lucky Strike Lanes."

"Certainly there are some play mechanics that reappear in "FrontierVille," but I"d expect that from any game developer," he says. Arguing that "FarmVille" was "basically a rip-off" of earlier title "myFarm" anyway, Tinney counters that "FrontierVille" is "a step in the right direction" for the company because it offers a more original take on an existing formula.

The idea of recycling core game mechanics isn"t really a big deal -- witness the number of military-themed shooters on the market for PCs and consoles, Tinney said. "If something works well, why not keep using it?"

"Games in general, including board games, sports, video games and more, tend to use successful mechanics over and over again, just like movies have formulaic plots," concurs Brenda Brathwaite, creative director at lolapps.com. "It reduces risk and takes advantage of existing player knowledge."

But Brathwaite believes the practice of recycling game concepts, while appealing to profit-minded companies, also has the potential to backfire.

"In casual games, players not only want, but need to have some kind of idea how to play a game when they first [try] them, and these common paradigms provide context," she says. "The key, however, is to innovate on them or introduce a completely new mechanic. The potential downside is that players can get tired of the same old patterns over and over again."

In FarmVille, players manage a virtual farm by planting and harvesting virtual crops and raising livestock. FrontierVille transplants this concept to the wilderness, where players fell trees, clear brush, find arrowheads and build a Western-themed homestead.

Some outspoken critics say that enough is enough already.

"There will always be some players who want more of the same," says Joel Brodie, founder of casual game reviews site Gamezebo.com. "I think the majority of game players online, however, have a short attention span and always want to be challenged."

"Some companies are releasing very innovative games," he says. "Examples include "Lucky Train" (create and send trains between friends), "Office Wars" (create an army of office workers and fight away) and "Growing Diary" (a chance to relive your life as a 5- year-old).

"I think the bigger question is whether companies that take such risks are rewarded with success on Facebook. "FrontierVille" in one hour is making more money and driving more game traffic than all the innovative games combined."

For those seeking the next big thing, experts agree that social games are just scratching the surface when it comes to pushing creative boundaries. "Social game makers are just getting warmed up," says Games.com"s Goad, citing Playfish and its swashbuckling title "Pirates Ahoy!" as a prime example.

"Nobody"s run out of ideas," agrees Brathwaite. "In fact, I think we"re seeing more diversity of topics in social games than we"re seeing in the traditional game market. Because of [social gaming"s] nature and shorter development cycles, though, we"re also more able to see the "me too" clones way faster."

-- Fresh off their E3 convention in June, video-game makers are setting their sights on new audiences as they arrive at the Comic-Con convention opening Thursday in San Diego, California.

(CNN) -- Fresh off their E3 convention in June, video-game makers are setting their sights on new audiences as they arrive at the Comic-Con convention opening Thursday in San Diego, California.

This time, game makers and developers are homing in specifically on games that have a comic character tie-in.

"DC Universe Online" (Sony Online Entertainment) and "Marvel vs. Capcom 3" (Capcom) have direct relationships to the superheroes and villains from the comic book world. After all, readers of those publications also play video games.

Nintendo doesn"t attend Comic-Con every year, but when it has a game that might appeal to the comic world, the company shows up big.

CNN Challenge: Take the Comic-Con quiz

Marc Franklin, director of public relations for Nintendo of America, said hands-on demonstrations of two new games -- "Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies" and "Metroid: Other M" -- will be featured at the convention. Those themes and characters resonate with the attendees of Comic-Con, he said.

"We have been seeing these kinds of trade shows attract a broader, more diverse audience," Franklin said. "Which fits right in with Nintendo"s goal to expand the world of video games to new audiences."

Eric Levine, Sony"s manager of product public relations, agreed. He said Comic-Con isn"t just about comics anymore.

"The show celebrates pop culture, from gaming to movies to television and everything in between," Levine said. "This show allows us to engage an audience that is passionate and excited about games."

Ricardo Torres, Editor-in-Chief for the online game review site GameSpot.com, said that more gaming companies are taking Comic-Con seriously as a launchpad for new material. Game developers also will experiment with how much they show, and even allow attendees to play unreleased software, he said.

It is all about building a buzz with the audience, he said.

"You live and die with these people," Torres said. "Now with tweets, you can just see "oh my God this panel sucks" or "oh my God it"s really cool." It is a great way to find out where on the cool scale they"re going to land."

Here are some other game titles looking to find their place on the "cool scale" at Comic-Con, which runs through Sunday:

• "Halo Reach" (Bungie/Microsoft) -- The end of the legendary series is coming, and Microsoft will be showing off new material and revealing details about the final game between humanity and the alien Covenant.

• "The Force Unleashed 2" (LucasArts) -- This title is set six months after the events of the first game and a year before "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" takes place. Starkiller, Darth Vader"s secret apprentice, returns as the protagonist to use new Force powers against stronger enemies.

• "Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions" (Activision) -- Everyone"s favorite wall-crawler is making a return -- across time and space in a story written by "The Amazing Spider-Man" comic writer Dan Slott.

• "Pro Evolution Soccer 2011" (Konami) -- This sports title hopes to piggyback off World Cup euphoria and ride the wave through Comic-Con. The soccer game will feature leagues from all over the world and include Argentina star Lionel Messi on its cover.

• "Assassin"s Creed Brotherhood" (UbiSoft) -- The follow-up to the immensely popular "Assassin"s Creed" game will be on display. But in a twist, the game publisher will be showing off the first issue of a three-part comic book miniseries based on the franchise.

What gaming news from Comic-Con are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below.

Editor"s note: Scott Steinberg is the head of technology and video game consulting firm TechSavvy Global, as well as the founder of GameExec magazine and Game Industry TV. He frequently appears as an on-air technology analyst for ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and CNN. His most recent book is "Get Rich Playing Games."

Editor"s note: Scott Steinberg is the head of technology and video game consulting firm TechSavvy Global, as well as the founder of GameExec magazine and Game Industry TV. He frequently appears as an on-air technology analyst for ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and CNN. His most recent book is "Get Rich Playing Games."

(CNN) -- The more things change, the more they play the same.

Credit a growing onslaught of video game remakes, as evidenced by recent blasts from the past from "Monkey Island 2 Special Edition" to a modernized spin on "Rocket Knight."

Helping bridge the gap between generations, these titles look to be a major force in gaming going forward, much to the delight of fans new and old.

There are several reasons why retro gaming is suddenly flourishing again.

Thanks partially goes to the growing accessibility of high-speed broadband, the burgeoning market for smartphones and other connected devices, and a rise in public awareness of modern PC and consoles" ability to download games on-demand.

But while 50 million iPhones have been sold, and services like Xbox Live and PlayStation Network now boast tens of millions of subscribers, fundamental economic factors are also at play here.

Consider that games designed for digital distribution services are typically smaller, are easier to assemble and cost less for publishers to deliver -- savings that often translate into lower price tags.

At the same time, cash-strapped yet tech-savvy players are increasingly looking for ways to stretch every dollar. For publishers looking to offset the risks associated with spending tens of millions of dollars and countless years creating traditional blockbusters, it often presents an opportunity too good to ignore.

Dipping into their back catalogue of games and dusting off popular franchises with small but loyal built-in followings can many times provide a profitable sideline.

Even free Facebook apps or fan-made outings such as the episodic "King"s Quest" update "The Silver Lining" can help developers gauge public interest in updates or stir up excitement for planned reboots.

Classic games from "Contra" ("Hard Corps: Uprising") to "Castlevania," "Bionic Commando" to "Rush"N Attack," are all due to get an extreme makeover shortly.

But nostalgia also continues to be a powerful force on traditional gaming platforms like the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Rehashes of old favorites including "NBA Jam," "Donkey Kong Country," "Splatterhouse," "Metroid," "GoldenEye 007" and "Mortal Kombat" are all due shortly.

Series like "Myst," "Final Fantasy," "Tetris" and "The Legend of Zelda" continue to thrive on handheld platforms too, with even yesteryear"s longest-running holdout, "Kid Icarus," getting a much-overdue comeback on the Nintendo 3DS shortly.

The iPhone and iPad are playing home to revamps of "Frogger," "R-Type," "Pac-Man" and other retro franchises.

Classic online storefronts such as the Wii"s Virtual Console continue to offer access to childhood hits including "Punch-Out!!" and "Super Mario Bros" (both of which have also been reborn on the Wii courtesy of custom retreads).

Today"s smartest game publishers aren"t content to let their titles fall into the category of "abandonware," or software that"s become discontinued and unsupported. Instead, they"re learning that with a little bit of spit and polish, even the mustiest old gems can once again shine.

Resourceful video game fans know that software emulators like MAME, DOSBox and ZSNES have long allowed enthusiasts, legally or not, to relive the magic of yesteryear"s arcade and home gaming hits.

But all you can do with them is watch virtual history repeat itself. With classic gaming icons ranging from Guybrush Threepwood to Sonic the Hedgehog all lining up for extreme makeovers lately, going forward, you may get a chance to rewrite it instead.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Scott Steinberg.

-- Whether or not you"ve played the original "Sin & Punishment," a Japanese cult classic that debuted on the Nintendo 64 a decade ago, action fans looking for a frantic and bizarre ride need look no further than "Sin & Punishment: Star Successor" for the Nintendo Wii.

(CNN) -- Whether or not you"ve played the original "Sin & Punishment," a Japanese cult classic that debuted on the Nintendo 64 a decade ago, action fans looking for a frantic and bizarre ride need look no further than "Sin & Punishment: Star Successor" for the Nintendo Wii.

In this third-person shooter game -- in which most of your movement is handled by the game, as you aim and fire at enemies -- you play as either Isa Jo or Kachi, who wear jet packs and ride hoverboards while they take out targets.

The game has seven stages and it takes place both above and underneath a futuristic Japan. At some points, it takes players underwater and into outer space, too. The story is a bit difficult to follow, but the gist is this: Isa Jo, a male soldier, aims to protect the female Kachi, an alien reconnaissance fighter, who has no memory of her past.

It seems the evil Nebulox wants Kachi destroyed, presumably for information she carries but cannot yet recall. The two characters are on the run from a number of forces working together to stop them, including soldiers, robots and wild creatures like killer fish, giant birds and multi-armed beasts.

One of the highlights in this anime-inspired, sci-fi game is the enormous boss characters you"ll need to take down in order to progress through the campaign.

Players must assess the bosses" movements, find weaknesses and chip away at their health bars with well-timed attacks in order to succeed..

Your character will probably die at least once while fighting all major bosses, but at least you"ll start at the beginning of the fight each time.

You can choose from one of four control schemes to play the game: a Wii remote and nunchuk combination, Wii classic controller, GameCube controller, or the Wii Zapper, which is a plastic gun that snaps onto the Wii remote.

Also, this game is classified as an "on-rails" shooter, so you"re whisked to each new area by the game automatically, instead of having to move the character throughout the game manually.

Downsides

While wacky, fast and fun, this "Sin & Punishment" sequel isn"t a flawless adventure.

For one thing, the game offers a cooperative option, but instead of allowing two friends to battle enemies together, only one player is seen in the game at a time. The second one can only set his or her sight and shoot at targets.

This is very disappointing, as the second player is merely helping out the first, instead of feeling as if they"re performing actions together.

Another letdown is finding out the "Wi-Fi Connection" sticker on the front of the game box -- which seems to imply online multiplayer support or at least downloadable extras -- only refers to the ability to post your score to a global leader board.

Shortcomings notwithstanding, "Sin & Punishment: Star Successor" is an enjoyable third-person shooter game with wild environments and enemies. It"s fast and furious, and a lot of fun to blast through.

Gamers who haven"t yet played the original "Sin & Punishment" can download it from Nintendo"s Wii Shop Channel for $12.

The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of Marc Saltzman.