So, is it worth having an essentially infinite supply of crossword puzzles the size of a postage stamp to carry around with you for $30? If you have any sort of interest in crosswords, yes. Undoubtedly. It's one of the best uses yet of the DS, and it makes for a perfect portable game.

This superport does an admirable job of taking a complex PC game from an intimidatingly complex PC genre and making it an accessible console title. If any part of your heart enjoys playing on Live, you'll be too busy crushing the hobbits to even notice that you can't quite select the unit you were aiming for.

On a theoretical level it achieves a significant design accomplishment in pulling everything together into a cohesive package. As the person holding the controller, though, it stumbles too often on its inability to turn its potential into a consistently fun game.

Ultimately, sure, Dead Rising 2 has annoying technical flaws and uninteresting boss battles. But the ability to jump into a friend's game while wearing a Borat-inspired mankini and a Servbot helmet with a lawnmower blade strapped on top help you quickly forget those problems.

Griptonite has struck a delicate balance between utter linearity and the brain-numbing redundancy of "Harvest Moon," and the end result works pretty well.

Fine graphics notwithstanding -- this year's model has better arenas, improved sell animations, and much more dynamic camera presentation -- Day of Reckoning isn't much fun to play alone.

Call me a purist, but I like my traditional racers on consoles -- not my DS -- where I can sit on my couch, marvel at the crisp graphics, and feel the feedback coming into my racing wheel as I drive along the road. But if you really want to race on the DS -- and it's your only viable option -- GRID works as intended...mostly.

I would have liked to see an expanded tutorial mode, something beyond just showing players combos and such, but at the end of the day I am glad Capcom's main focus was improving the core gameplay even if it means skimping out on some of the more trivial features aimed at a more casual audience. For competitive players though, this is truly the ultimate version of the game, both in name and execution.

While virtually identical to its predecessor, the total revamp of the battle system makes Devil Summoner 2 more than "more of the same."

In an era increasingly defined by developers' ever-growing fear of creating anything that isn't a safe, conservative million-seller, Atlus' willingness to create and publish something as unique as this is truly commendable. Best of all, it's not just a weird game -- it's a great one, too.

Visual quibbles aside, Driver SF is a remarkable game that rescues the 12-year-old franchise from the scrap heap. The new shift ability adds impressive mechanics that are unique to a game about high speed chases and driving. Overall, it's a fun challenge too that doesn't go overboard as far as difficulty is concerned.

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.

Fat Princess' greatest strength is its comical presence, from the title screen to the ending credits.

The game's tightly focused plotting and puzzles work great in three-hour chunks and keep it free of the rampant illogic that most graphic adventures eventually succumb to&at least, when you consider the weird world that Sam and Max inhabit.

As a whole, the package doesn't come together nearly as well as FFXIII did. It's a mishmash of interesting systems and bold ideas that never quite gel.

A "good" game whose bugs keep it from being "excellent."

If you're cool with paying full price for another minor upgrade to last year's already good game, Tiger Woods 07 is for you. That sounds clichéd, but there's nothing so good, so bad, or wildly different this year that will make anyone change their opinion of the series. Only fans need apply.

When all's said and done, Episode 6 (like its predecessors) doesn't stretch much past the two-hour mark, but it's all just as well, since the assorted puzzles never get tough enough to become frustrating, nor easy enough to insult you.

To "normal" gamers that just want a bit of old-school flavor now and again, this cart's fine and dandy -- in fact, I hope it gives Nintendo some inspiration for a NES compilation of their own.

Unless you seriously have a thing for turn-based combat and having to really work for your progress, the game isn't for you. But if you do, Gladius is one of the better examples of the genre on the system.

Assuming you know what you're getting into -- namely, a meaty and occasionally tough action platformer in the 16-bit vein -- there's a lot to love about Monster Tale. It's brimming with detail; the monster evolution mechanics offer plenty of customization and variety; and all in all it's a wonderful homage to the classic games that clearly inspired it.

As a game steeped in immediacy, Mirror's Edge is an absolute must-play despite its idiosyncrasies. And as a pied piper for progressive design in first-person gaming, it's all the more important.

This game feels first and foremost like a pinball game, and a pretty damn good one at that. The Metroid motif's all well and good, but it's really only the icing on the cake.

You'll, fire thousands of rounds in hundreds of white-knuckled shootouts facing everything from soldiers to grotesques to specters, and tromp around in a totally bad-ass mech suit. Most importantly, you'll love every minute of it.

Like its namesake color, Black is bold in its simplicity, an elemental force that makes a strong, singular statement: It intends to be the most adrenaline-pumping, testosterone-infused shooter ever. And in that regard, it succeeds.

As a Ghostbusters fan, this game came through by delivering an entertaining experience with plenty of laughs and just the right amount of action.

As a whole, the package doesn't come together nearly as well as FFXIII did. It's a mishmash of interesting systems and bold ideas that never quite gel.

Damn, is this one fine game. If you've ever dreamed of shredding blistering licks in front of an adoring audience, you need to pick up Guitar Hero III.

Dark Dawn may not be a great game, but it's striving to become something better. Despite its flaws, it has charm enough to be worth a look -- even on a platform glutted with RPGs.

Purely as an action-RPG, it's a competent game with a few significant flaws in the name of simplicity/accessibility, but as an experience, it shines with humor and wit all over, and makes me hopeful for an improved sequel.

The A.I. is generally good, but constant one-timer goals and did-you-see-my-stick-clip-through-the-goal-post wrap-arounds can get quite annoying.

If only the Native American mysticism had figured in more. If only the spirit "death walk" had developed into something more than a shooting gallery. If only the voice acting and storytelling were a little better. If only there were more than just deathmatch to the multiplayer. All those half steps...but even combined, they don't amount to a stride backward.

It's not the best-designed shooter of the year, and it's far from the nicest-looking, but it is one of the most fun to play, thanks to solid controls and some of the most drop-dead hilarious cutscenes in recent memory.

There's an undeniable appeal to nailing that perfect drift, sliding in past the finish line with just a few seconds to spare. Especially in a Ferrari with a cute girl in the passenger seat.

Despite the limitations, it's an incredible feat that SNK was able to get a GBA game to look and play this well on its first try.

Most soccer nuts awaiting this summer's Euro-only tourney in Switzerland and Austria will buy this one anyway, but for those on the fence, I recommend giving this one a shot. Particularly at the slightly reduced $49.99 price tag.

Can a game that lets you pick up a body, throw it, and tilt it with the PS3 controller as it flies at other enemies be bad?

It really seems like the biggest mistake is calling it "DA2," as it's just different enough from Dragon Age: Origins to not feel like a sequel, but more like a reboot. The different main character, the faster and more streamlined combat, and the overall structure makes it feel like a fine Dragon Age adventure, but not a direct follow-up to DAO.

Traditional elements -- an anime-styled cast, a lush, expansive overworld, and a familiar fantasy setting -- will always be welcome, so long as they're done well. And Vesperia succeeds as well as any Japanese RPG this generation.

But looming over everything is the fact that the most fundamental gameplay element of Tiger Woods 08 -- the swing -- is essentially flawed. And so in spite of the solid competence of most of the rest of the game, I'd recommend you rent the game before purchasing. Just to make sure you've got the patience for it.

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.

It comes off as a hasty advertisement for Guild Wars 2.

Most notably, the game does its best to reward creative pathfinding. Do a little searching in each level and you'll find myriad vents, air ducts, and the like, which, when utilized, help give you the jump on your opponents and let you avoid head-on fights.

A "good" game whose bugs keep it from being "excellent."

It's hard not to be a little disappointed with MotorStorm: Arctic Edge -- it plays just like its siblings on the PS3, and I mean just like its siblings. While that's likely good enough for many, the "been there, done that" feel of the game means that it gets old quickly.

MTX may be fun to drive, but it's a little short on car-wreck appeal, which probably has to be considered an important factor in an extreme sports game.

On a theoretical level it achieves a significant design accomplishment in pulling everything together into a cohesive package. As the person holding the controller, though, it stumbles too often on its inability to turn its potential into a consistently fun game.

What Perfect Dark still manages better than most is putting all those good things together in one convenient place. It's kind of a jack-of all-trades game that's long since been eclipsed in all its individual skills, but still ranks pretty strongly overall.

Offers a plethora of options, online play, and no innovation to a game that doesn't really need innovation (except to my own twisted imagination).

I can't say this is a must-have for golf fans. I reckon there are Tiger maniacs that'll buy it regardless, but if you're not obsessed with the Ryder Cup, I suggest trying to make do with Tiger Woods Online. If it doesn't fill your putt-sinking needs, this absolutely will.

If there's one thing you can say about Head On, it's that it certainly provides you with plenty of game to play.

The DS doesn't exactly have an overabundance of fast-paced shooters, so Galaxies is a refreshing change of pace. Visually, it's well suited to the device, and it offers plenty of gameplay to make it a worthy choice for shooter fans.

Sonic Advance 3 finally comes up with a way of introducing teamwork and variance between characters that doesn't overwhelm Sonic's bread-and-butter gameplay.

Gameplay concepts this imaginative deserve more thorough exploration than the handful of basic, regurgitated puzzles that populate de Blob 2. Instead, we're stuck with a mediocre platformer that's too easy for adults and too repetitive for most anyone, kids in particular.

Overlord 2 offers a lot of options for customization, be it in the form of minion upgrades, spell specializations, and purely aesthetic options like how to decorate your fortress and which of your mistresses you choose to favor.

The hyper-speed of this game makes it feel like more of an arcade experience than a real hockey simulator. It's still a huge step in the right direction, though.

Make no mistake, what's offered in Outrun Arcade Online is brilliant, addictive fun, but it could have definitely offered more.

I'm impressed by the effort on the part of Digital Extremes to deliver a satisfying sequel that builds on the ideas of the first game. Jackie's empowering abilities encourage players to experiment and try different tactics, and ultimately allow every player to discover combat techniques that they think work best. His world is realized through a remarkable graphic style and nuanced and meaningful character interactions.

You'll, fire thousands of rounds in hundreds of white-knuckled shootouts facing everything from soldiers to grotesques to specters, and tromp around in a totally bad-ass mech suit. Most importantly, you'll love every minute of it.

This game's stunning details should keep you engaged all summer long. But the lack of overall gameplay innovation keeps this from making the All-Star team.

It's all down to the style and irresistible cheerful feeling you get when you play these games.

As an enjoyable, pick-up-and-play package with a sublimely simple design, N+ succeeds, and it's hard not to recommend for the price. Just be wary of the inevitable eyestrain, and if you're only going to play it at home, make sure you've exhausted the XBLA and PC versions first. It's still the most badass ninja simulator around...just less so.

If the developer had tried to keep anything from Silent Hill, they should have ditched the faux plot relationship to past games and gone after what makes Silent Hill truly unique: the psychological scares.

If you're willing to overlook a few flaws and the occasional desire to punch a wall out of frustration, this is one of the better puzzle games this year.

Pro Evo feels more like real soccer, but it doesn't really look like it a lot of the time.

A great example of the types of experiences the eShop needs moving forward: It's a fun game that poses a fair challenge without being overly complicated.

As a game steeped in immediacy, Mirror's Edge is an absolute must-play despite its idiosyncrasies. And as a pied piper for progressive design in first-person gaming, it's all the more important.

I've got a tremendous amount of respect for the men behind Blue Dragon...but at the same time, I can't overlook its massive warts just because three developers I grew up idolizing created the game.

These two games are badass. Those of you who remember them fondly from your Osh Kosh days will be swept up in a wave of nostalgia right at the title screen, and everybody else will be hooked from level one.

While MHX isn't a definitive reinvention of a classic along the lines of "Metroid: Zero Mission," it's a solid re-creation that's been given an exceptional audiovisual upgrade.

Charged seems like an amped-up, carnivalized reincarnation of Nintendo's own classic Ice Hockey.

The biggest problem for Madden at this stage in its existence, though, is that it seems to lack a clear direction or vision of what it should be. Instead, it's listing back and forth, rudderless, between attempts at being a serious simulation and trying to attract a more casual audience, and it's not doing great service to either.

Roogoo is simply delightful. Its bright and cheery art style, adorably cute characters, and challenging play make this one of my favorite XBLA titles to date.

I can't say this is a must-have for golf fans. I reckon there are Tiger maniacs that'll buy it regardless, but if you're not obsessed with the Ryder Cup, I suggest trying to make do with Tiger Woods Online. If it doesn't fill your putt-sinking needs, this absolutely will.

While it doesn't reach the status of a great Western, it's still a marked improvement over its mediocre predecessor.

A complete and total rip off of "Metal Slug." But we mean that in a good way.

Seeing as how Tiger is one of the launch titles for the PSP, the game's atrocious load times are understandable, but entirely inexcusable.

Still, while the setting, strategy, and sprite-based visuals -- this wouldn't have been impressive in 1998, let alone 2008 -- are a tad disappointing, they're also all quite serviceable.

Whereas the original Doom 3 featured dense, serpentine level designs that played every bit as much of a starring role in exerting dread and ambience, the environments here lack a sense of coherency, even while it tries to hit you over the head with its own exoticism.

Yakuza 4 provides a deep, unique story that you won't often hear told as well a style of gameplay you don't often get to experience. Do yourself a favor and try something different.

There's just something about raising hell and experience points in Dark Alliance II that makes it more addictive than any of the Dark Alliance clones out there.

The biggest problem for Madden at this stage in its existence, though, is that it seems to lack a clear direction or vision of what it should be. Instead, it's listing back and forth, rudderless, between attempts at being a serious simulation and trying to attract a more casual audience, and it's not doing great service to either.

If anything, this seems to be a great way to see how inFamous 2 plays and feels by only spending 10 bucks rather than the full 60. It's a cheap entry point into some of infamous 2's core mechanics without committing to a full price open world.

If Sakaguchi intends to turn Lost Odyssey into a franchise -- and all indications are that he does -- I'd like to see these refreshingly adult themes expanded on further in future titles.

Namco deserves credit for creating a game so perfectly suited to the handheld format. Each stage is subdivided into multiple sections so that it's impossible to lose more than a few minutes of progress at any given time, and an autosave function makes recording and restoring progress a completely transparent task.

Despite its control and camera issues and the general predictability of the game's structure (and laughable plot), it's a pleasant throwback to some of the better early 3D adventures.

A very respectable entry and a much better game than last year's version, even with a few unresolved issues.

Where Overkill will truly be divisive is in the narrative: some people will love the nonsensical, fast-paced story. But, with its constant stream of expletives and toilet humor, it may turn just as many people away. And as purposefully offensive as it is, I still enjoyed the game. The dialogue is strained, and the barrage of f-bombs is played out by the second level, but there are several genuinely funny moments.

Like so many games that try to straddle a balance between mass market and fervent gaming enthusiasts, what Big Bang does well and what it does bad are both incredibly noticeable. Yet, on the whole, it's worth a try. Weird.

Despite the hoops you need to jump through prior to playing, Blood Curse more than makes up for it with some of the most intense and perfectly paced survival horror I've had the pleasure of being terrified by.

Yes, FIFA is the superior offering this year -- but it's a lot closer than you might initially think. If Takatsuka's team tackles the animation issues and online hiccups next year like they addressed the graphics, presentation, and Master League this year, we could have a 2010 videogame footballing derby worthy of Premier League titans Liverpool and Man United.

Hotel Dusk is in a class of its own, with a vastly more interesting story and setting than its predecessor. It's stylish, intriguing, and unique -- definitely worth tracking down.

On a theoretical level it achieves a significant design accomplishment in pulling everything together into a cohesive package. As the person holding the controller, though, it stumbles too often on its inability to turn its potential into a consistently fun game.

Most notably, the game does its best to reward creative pathfinding. Do a little searching in each level and you'll find myriad vents, air ducts, and the like, which, when utilized, help give you the jump on your opponents and let you avoid head-on fights.

There's a bit more quest variety, but that's really about it in terms of changes. So, if you're itching to get your hands on more DeathSpank, Thongs of Virtue is more of the same, in the best way possible. It's just as well written and silly as its predecessor with just as much charm.

There's not much in the way of new content in single-player, nor is much of it different or even "uncut," and the multiplayer segment suffers from a lack of play balancing. Still, it looks really, really good and the gameplay mostly holds up, which is probably enough for most people.

If nothing else, this is the best game ever to carry the title Castlevania: The Adventure. And that alone is worth the asking price.

Ultimate Alliance is more than enough fun to last through the main story -- especially if you bring a couple friends -- but whether you'll be returning to it again and again over the course of months is dependent largely on your superhero obsession and tolerance for repetition.