The PES-versus-FIFA bout is always tough to call, but while neither disappoints, I'll narrowly side with the glitzier, überlicensed competition this season: FIFA 09.

The single-player's a solid step forward from "Call of Duty 3," and the cooperative multiplayer should give the game some legs...but I just wish competitive multiplayer had grabbed me the way Modern Warfare's did.

It attempts to emulate the spirit of its bigger cousin, but it falls short.

Populous DS floats somewhere between a time-waster and a strategy game, but it never provides the addictive "hook" of either genre.

While it's nowhere near as addictive as the regular color-coded Pokémon games, Almia's still a decent diversion -- I just wish the story offered something a little deeper.

To all the SmackDown haters out there: If you're going to jump back in the ring, this is the year to do it. Both of these exciting new additions, along with the aforementioned improvements -- and the upcoming downloadable content -- make SVR09 this year's grapple-game champ.

To all the SmackDown haters out there: If you're going to jump back in the ring, this is the year to do it. Both of these exciting new additions, along with the aforementioned improvements -- and the upcoming downloadable content -- make SVR09 this year's grapple-game champ.

To all the SmackDown haters out there: If you're going to jump back in the ring, this is the year to do it. Both of these exciting new additions, along with the aforementioned improvements -- and the upcoming downloadable content -- make SVR09 this year's grapple-game champ.

To all the SmackDown haters out there: If you're going to jump back in the ring, this is the year to do it. Both of these exciting new additions, along with the aforementioned improvements -- and the upcoming downloadable content -- make SVR09 this year's grapple-game champ.

Aficionados need not hesitate -- The Broken Bond presents the Naruto franchise in a largely engaging manner, with plenty to see and do in the campaign and via Xbox Live. It's a less definite prospect for newcomers, though, as the fan service and familiar scenarios go a long way toward masking the frustrations and limitations found within.

As great as the campaign is, the game will see its longest legs from multiplayer. And from the multitude of competitive match types to the addictive and strategic co-op Horde mode, what felt like a hugely entertaining afterthought in the original Gears now easily stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the campaign.

People who like deliberately campy, cheesy premises (like a Tarantino film) might find some subversive pleasure in this unique-yet-half-baked effort, but those looking for a little more depth would do well to pass this one by.

While the controls are frequently irksome, Exit DS is a challenging, rewarding, cleverly designed game for any puzzle fan.

Sadly, aside from the malaise-inducing offline modes, most of Vigilante 8: Arcade's issues are technical in nature. Framerate drops, floaty steering and physics, a shaky camera, and environmental clipping are all things you'd expect to be addressed by release (some are likely leftover from the earlier releases), and with just five total arenas available until the premium DLC comes out, it's hard to believe that gamers will stick around long enough to make Vigilante 8: Arcade an essential Live Arcade purchase.

Truth is, this is a game for kids -- kids with good medical insurance who can afford wrist braces. And the simplistic gameplay style, merchandising-tie-in storyline, and low difficulty level all play to that audience. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing right with it, either, though.

The voice command system in EndWar is terrific, and hopefully, future games will take advantage of a similar control scheme. It just isn't enough by itself to raise the game beyond "mediocre RTS." It's definitely worth checking out to see voice command done right, but overall, it lacks the depth and substance to bring anyone over from superior PC alternatives.

The voice command system in EndWar is terrific, and hopefully, future games will take advantage of a similar control scheme. It just isn't enough by itself to raise the game beyond "mediocre RTS." It's definitely worth checking out to see voice command done right, but overall, it lacks the depth and substance to bring anyone over from superior PC alternatives.

By the time I'd defeated my 10th werewolf, I was already tired of needing to cut or shoot its head off so it didn't regenerate. By the time I defeated my 200th, I just wanted to turn the game off.

By the time I'd defeated my 10th werewolf, I was already tired of needing to cut or shoot its head off so it didn't regenerate. By the time I defeated my 200th, I just wanted to turn the game off.

As an adventure game, UNS' pacing feels slow and forced, with the best parts (the bosses) at the end of a chapter. As a fighting game, UNS defies conventions by using an atypical third-person approach, but its execution feels a bit loose and sloppy. The beautiful visuals may attract a new audience outside of the Naruto brand -- but not many devout followers.

This is so innovative and so polished a game that if you pass it up, the real moron is you.

GoldenEye's heyday is long gone, and Solace relies too much on nostalgia and imitation to be anything close to the next shooter milestone.

If you're really picky, you can quibble about certain aspects -- not as many cool visual effects as you'd hope for in a modern shooter (depth-of-field, motion blur, etc.) or occasional slowdown (mostly when respawning after an active firefight), to name two. But, overall, Resistance 2 is an extremely well-assembled FPS, with an improved campaign, fun competitive multiplayer, and a damn neat take on co-op. I wouldn't go as far as to say this is the definitive PS3 game, but it's certainly one of the best PS3 exclusives I've played.

The more you invest yourself, the more surprised you'll be at exactly what you can accomplish with this innovative, groundbreaking piece of software. Keyboard? DJ tool? Game? It's all of these things.

Shuffle Dungeon's strength lies in its level designs, which are cleverly crafted so as to force tough choices at the spur of the moment. The limited structure grows a bit long in the tooth once you've been playing for a while...but even so, it never stops pushing you to make those snap decisions.

Again, those with a mind for puzzles and pestilence may be able to stick with Theresia, but discerning adventure fans -- who at least like their games to move faster than a snail's pace -- can skip it with little shame.

But with a few refinements and over seven hours of new gameplay (far more if you choose to tackle the game's unlockable and aptly named Insane Mode difficulty), its $5 price drop from the original won't leave you feeling like an orange on the business end of...well...an old friend.

Red Alert 3 seems to have been designed entirely by Internet geeks, as hilarious Easter eggs abound. I won't ruin them for you, but I will say that at the end of one campaign, you'll witness the greatest, most unexpected cameo in videogame history.

Faults be damned, though; this is the kind of hugely ambitious game that doesn't come around very often, and when it does, you'd be a fool not to play it and enjoy the hell out of it and look forward to the day (next-next-gen?) when the fidelity of open-world RPGs takes another big step closer to the uncanny valley's far side.

This is the kind of hugely ambitious game that doesn't come around very often, and when it does, you'd be a fool not to play it and enjoy the hell out of it and look forward to the day (next-next-gen?) when the fidelity of open-world RPGs takes another big step closer to the uncanny valley's far side.

Faults be damned, though; this is the kind of hugely ambitious game that doesn't come around very often, and when it does, you'd be a fool not to play it and enjoy the hell out of it and look forward to the day (next-next-gen?) when the fidelity of open-world RPGs takes another big step closer to the uncanny valley's far side.

I just wish it had more material. To compete in a genre with games that offer so much more for so much less, SingStar needs to bulk up. It's possible, however, that Rock Band killed the karaoke star.

As it stands, Pacific Rim edges out "Pure" as the most enjoyable off-road racer on the market.

The more leisurely Wii version is designed to the hardware's constraints, condensed into small, manageable lands, but the DS version's spread thin. Traversing the kingdom on foot causes hours of aimless wandering, and with the surprising lack of direction, I quickly became dismayed that I'd never rebuild the Sims' land.

Kingdom shelves any cleverness, attaching training wheels to your creativity for the first two-thirds of the game. It's not until the last few islands that you're given an invitation to be creative.

If you can get past the saccharine coating of the Ninjatown world, you'll find a surprisingly good tower defense-style filling hidden inside the hard candy shell.

The lack of a versus mode is a gross oversight that makes versus battles an uncomfortable chore (the winner can't switch characters without resetting the entire game -- just like in the arcades!).

The lack of a versus mode is a gross oversight that makes versus battles an uncomfortable chore (the winner can't switch characters without resetting the entire game -- just like in the arcades!).

An uneven effort, MotoGP '08 is a decent game that should please most newbies and occasional riders but proves that Milestone has a ways to go before it fully grasps the handlebars.

An uneven effort, MotoGP '08 is a decent game that should please most newbies and occasional riders but proves that Milestone has a ways to go before it fully grasps the handlebars.

An uneven effort, MotoGP '08 is a decent game that should please most newbies and occasional riders but proves that Milestone has a ways to go before it fully grasps the handlebars.

An uneven effort, MotoGP '08 is a decent game that should please most newbies and occasional riders but proves that Milestone has a ways to go before it fully grasps the handlebars.

Regardless, after only five to six hours of family-friendly trivia, questions start to repeat -- effectively killing the fun. Microsoft promises downloadable question packs sometime down the line, but the jury's still out on the price or size of these additions.

Yes, it's the most charming game that I've ever played, and it's one of the most enjoyable. But the real beauty of LBP is even less tangible: creative empowerment at its finest and an unparalleled motivator to want to create.

While the adventure entertains about as well as its predecessors, Baddest of the Bands makes one notable misstep -- auxiliary elements like Teen Girl Squad and the classic-gaming minigames are less prominent in this iteration.

While the adventure entertains about as well as its predecessors, Baddest of the Bands makes one notable misstep -- auxiliary elements like Teen Girl Squad and the classic-gaming minigames are less prominent in this iteration.

Guitar Hero delivers exactly the things I want out of a rhythm game: great peripherals and fun-to-play music. It's not perfect, but I have a great time whenever I turn it on -- and that's what's most important.

By making the game available to a broader audience and including several excellent challenges (along with all-new Achievements), Portal isn't merely alive -- it's stronger than ever.

Fable 2 is filled with more great ideas than the last 10 years of "Final Fantasy" combined.

The game's buggy as hell, with severe slowdown, characters getting hung up in the level geometry, and stuttering audio.

But decent two-player co-op's just ketchup on a crap sandwich. The game's buggy as hell, with severe slowdown, characters getting hung up in the level geometry, and stuttering audio. Those problems are amplified in the PS3 version, whose only other major differences are unneeded Sixaxis flight control and a noticeable lack of Trophy support versus the Xbox 360's Achievements.

With this game, series director Koji Igarashi proves that he can still breathe new life into this long-running, often self-cannibalizing franchise.

You might have some fun if you've never played another Naruto fighting game -- but anyone who's spent time with the franchise will find this pales in comparison to its predecessors.

BioShock remains one of the most impressive and (if you never had the chance to play spiritual predecessor "System Shock 2") fresh first-person shooters around.

Shadows is halfway there. I experienced plenty of cool "Spider-Man" moments throughout thanks to the basic locomotion and combat and the occasional well-done cut-scene...but Shadows never really hits any sort of stride. Rather, it settles into a rhythm of repetition and drags out as its third act self-destructs.

Shadows is halfway there. I experienced plenty of cool "Spider-Man" moments throughout thanks to the basic locomotion and combat and the occasional well-done cut-scene...but Shadows never really hits any sort of stride. Rather, it settles into a rhythm of repetition and drags out as its third act self-destructs.

Bully's biggest problem is that it's a shoddy port job, rife with technical missteps that wouldn't warrant comment if they weren't so profoundly damaging to the game.

Even if I find the multiplayer too staid, I find the possibility of cool user-made levels (via the easy map editor) tantalizing. Like any good Grand Theft Auto, Far Cry 2's overall package makes up for any individual flaws -- enough for it to be on a short list of best FPS games this year -- and so it's fitting to summarize it as...well, GTA: Mogadishu.

Even if I find the multiplayer too staid, I find the possibility of cool user-made levels (via the easy map editor) tantalizing. Like any good Grand Theft Auto, Far Cry 2's overall package makes up for any individual flaws -- enough for it to be on a short list of best FPS games this year -- and so it's fitting to summarize it as...well, GTA: Mogadishu.

So, if it feels a bit dated, why the hell have I been staying up till 4 a.m. playing this game, then? Easy -- the ridiculously engrossing crafting minutiae sucks me in every time, whether it's cooking up a sumptuous feast, penning tomes of arcane knowledge, or composing orchestral opuses.

You don't have to settle for mediocrity as a fan of the genre -- and you sure as hell don't have to support it.

It's the game part of this game that stinks, and the rest of it should have just been a DVD.

It's the game part of this game that stinks, and the rest of it should have just been a DVD.

It's the game part of this game that stinks, and the rest of it should have just been a DVD.

While MC:LA won't necessarily wow you beyond its technical achievements -- it sticks too close to the feel and formula of preview MC games -- it still offers plenty of thrilling (and sometimes frustrating) driving.

Innovative only in its exceptional presentation, L.A. Remix is nevertheless a fast and furious jaunt through not one but two massive bergs, and it does just about everything a city racer could ever be expected to do within the miniaturized PSP environment. Despite its few foibles, this is a keeper.

Wii Music may have a hard time winning over the skeptics who just want to laugh at it, but give the game the chance it deserves. You just might realize it's pretty damn fun being in on the joke.

The real attraction here is the game's Sticky Fingers-like bulge of music.

I guess what I was hoping for was a true band history, a sort of playable "Behind the Music" -- not just a collection of songs and significant venues. As it is, it's fine for existing fans of the band...but it's not likely to create any new ones.

The game's still fun and unusual, and it's worth checking out if only to enjoy some of the more clever writing in gaming. But don't forget your patience -- you'll need lots.

Naruto: Path of Ninja 2 is a missed opportunity, lacking consistency and polish. Fans may embrace the game for the Naruto brand alone, but the story and unadventurous level designs will fail to keep their interest. At least the battle mechanics are a step in the right direction.

OK, so maybe it is sorta piratey, after all. Either way, assuming you can find some friends to sail with, Booty's more fun than a barrel of grog with a wench on top.

But the inadequate drum peripheral and minimal extra content expose the fact that development's been problematic since day one. Konami's always been synonymous with awesome rhythm games, but with Rock Revolution, the rock crown and scepter have officially been passed to a new generation of games.

With the exclusion of co-op -- what people really want to play -- and the constant hint that a sequel's already on the way, Beast Rider feels like a difficult, drawn-out, $60 tutorial. Why bother?

With the exclusion of co-op -- what people really want to play -- and the constant hint that a sequel's already on the way, Beast Rider feels like a difficult, drawn-out, $60 tutorial. Why bother?

It's been a mess. But growing pains aren't unusual for online games these days. These sorts of kinks get worked out in time, and there's no reason to doubt Confrontation's issues will be smoothed out in the process of a patch or two. But in the meantime, the game is available for purchase at retail and via download through the PlayStation Store, and you deserve to know what that game's like right now. [10/20/09]

Saint's 2's main deficiency, however, isn't the graphics, gameplay, or anything technical -- it just doesn't hold a candle to GTA's signature style. Not one character in the entire cast stands out as anything other than generic. The city, too, is an uninspired, washed-out metropolis.

Saint's 2's main deficiency, however, isn't the graphics, gameplay, or anything technical -- it just doesn't hold a candle to GTA's signature style. Not one character in the entire cast stands out as anything other than generic. The city, too, is an uninspired, washed-out metropolis.

If you've got the patience for a slow-burn party game and tolerance for hands-off interaction -- and you're cool with indirect mayhem and humiliation instead of constant head-to-head brawls -- I can see the game growing on you. Dokapon Kingdom may well hook a certain type of player, but I will say that it just didn't grab us.

Dead Space ultimately feels like an incredibly polished and varied 6-hour game stretched out to make it twice that long. While I felt like I was repeating the same objectives a few too many times, the combat held up so well that I didn't even mind...too much.

Dead Space ultimately feels like an incredibly polished and varied 6-hour game stretched out to make it twice that long. While I felt like I was repeating the same objectives a few too many times, the combat held up so well that I didn't even mind...too much.

Blitz II may be well ahead of its most recent competition -- EA's NFL Tour fiasco -- but after the initial wave of gross-out injuries, you'll see this for what it is: an anti-NFL dare reliant on limp shock value and a subpar football game.

Prey the Stars looks cute, but it isn't a cakewalk. Balancing the rhythm and the type of food you eat can be overwhelming, and with so many wild-card moments, frustration can trump fun. In multiplayer, though, Stars begins to shine as its complexity emerges in an engaging and extremely competitive game.

FIFA 08 suffered from stilted, unnatural movements and imprecise controls, but 09 models players' physical weight, speed, and momentum with impressive verisimilitude.

It's the atmosphere that transforms World of Goo from a great concept to a fantastic game, with production values well above what you'd expect from a tiny indie developer. The crisp, hand-drawn visuals burst with care and creativity, recalling the wonderfully distinct approach of another recent downloadable favorite, Castle Crashers. And the music -- who would've expected such intense anthems from a physics-based puzzler?

Supersonic seems a tad overpriced at $15 -- especially considering the nigh-featureless multiplayer and bland aesthetics -- but the single-player is short and sweet, and the core mechanics are simple and rewarding.

A bit more ambition could've made this a true classic (how about some Wi-Fi co-op?), but as it stands, it's the next best thing to cramming GBA cult classic "Ninja Five-O" into your DS.

Those coming in clean to the series will wonder what the fuss is about, though -- and should probably wait for the next installment in the series instead.

Somewhere deep within Fracture, far, far below its offensively derivative crust, lies a worthwhile, original game. It's very much a game with a gimmick -- terraforming terrain on the fly -- and while that gimmick works well (if a bit too predictably), Fracture is thoroughly unexciting.

Somewhere deep within Fracture, far, far below its offensively derivative crust, lies a worthwhile, original game. It's very much a game with a gimmick -- terraforming terrain on the fly -- and while that gimmick works well (if a bit too predictably), Fracture is thoroughly unexciting.

Problem is that neither the strategy nor combat elements are developed in any meaningful way. All but the most strategy-savvy gamers will regard the capture-and-hold mechanics as primitive, and as for the combat...well, I really wasn't kidding with the Dynasty Warriors comparison.

While the story's stock sci-fi-RPG material and the combat system could use a bit more polish, Spectrobes is a great choice for those looking for a little no-commitment, light RPG action, or for bored Pokéfans still waiting for Platinum.

Bleach: Dark Souls will surely appeal to both fighter fans and anime devotees. The learning curve's gradual enough for casual players, while the varied, complex game mechanics will definitely please seasoned fighting-game vets.

It does provide a few satisfying hours of gameplay before the backtracking sets in, and it has plenty of content to keep you busy for a while if you're a completist. But if you're looking for something new other than jokes, you won't find it here.

The game shines particularly bright in the Total Team Control mode, which allows you to hook up online with nine other players for 5-on-5 basketball. This mode simulates the experience of playing an actual game of basketball more closely than any videogame I've played.

The game shines particularly bright in the Total Team Control mode, which allows you to hook up online with nine other players for 5-on-5 basketball. This mode simulates the experience of playing an actual game of basketball more closely than any videogame I've played.

Live 09's made significant strides, particularly in terms of innovation, but like the Houston Rockets exiting in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, it's the same old story here. NBA 2K9 continues to be the dominant basketball title, hands down.

Live 09's made significant strides, particularly in terms of innovation, but like the Houston Rockets exiting in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, it's the same old story here. NBA 2K9 continues to be the dominant basketball title, hands down.