All the elements gel perfectly here: The characters, the combat, the game flow, the dialogue. More than that, this is a game that revels in simply being a game. It celebrates the best parts of both role-playing and Mario games while mercilessly lampooning their worst habits. It's absolutely brimming with exuberance.

But affixing "Rock Band" to the title leads to certain expectations -- as a Rock Band player who still gets plenty of use out of Rock Band 2 and its ever-expanding setlist, I feel a little cheated that none of these songs are available online for the other Rock Band games.

But affixing "Rock Band" to the title leads to certain expectations -- as a Rock Band player who still gets plenty of use out of Rock Band 2 and its ever-expanding setlist, I feel a little cheated that none of these songs are available online for the other Rock Band games.

Like the legendary sword the game's named after, Muramasa easily cuts through all the unnecessary fluff and gives you just what you want: tons and tons of flashy sword action.

505 Games and 1C did an fantastic job of not only crafting a fine flight simulator that just about anyone can pick up and play, but also doing a fine job of paying homage to WWII pilots and aircraft. This title is a far cry from a cash-in or a port -- it is the best combat flight simulator one can own on the console. Still, for the hardcore, you would be better off on the PC, where the flight simulator still reigns supreme.

If anything, DiRT 2 plays it a little too safe, offering only minor improvements over GRiD.

If anything, DiRT 2 plays it a little too safe, offering only minor improvements over GRiD.

In the end, I'd say Dark Hero Days is mildly recommendable, but with a huge caveat: It's a decent Disgaea... just not anywhere close to the best Disgaea.

Whether as a Raiden game or a general shoot-em-up, Raiden IV doesn't really take any steps forward. That's not so bad, though: it looks good (better than most other similar games on Xbox 360), plays good, and has a suitable amount of extras. For a shooter enthusiast, it's just about all you can ask for -- and at around $40, less than standard retail price. It's just nice to see Raiden again.

Still, like I mentioned, the game is not that long. Nor is it nearly as deep as the Contras it attempts to emulate.

Unlimited Codes is a competent 2.5D fighter that's bound to raise interest in the fighting game community, for better or worse. Newcomers will enjoy the game's simplified inputs, but may grow tired and frustrated when learning strategies for high-level play and advanced combos.

The big downside to all of this frantic fun are the vehicles and heavy armor walkers.

Broken Destiny's visuals are gorgeous on the PSP's screen, and matches effortlessly flow without any noticeable stutters or jarring problems.

This is the game that can actually bring both hardcore and casual rockers together for a good time. The multiplayer is easier to jump into than Rock Band, but the game's more intense difficulty settings still provide a challenge for the plastic-instrument elitist.

The multiplayer is easier to jump into than Rock Band, but the game's more intense difficulty settings still provide a challenge for the plastic-instrument elitist. The franchise still has a long way to go to catch up to Rock Band's mind-bogglingly large library of downloadable songs, but, on the software side, GH5 is the current feature leader.

At the moment, Champs is a good MMO with the potential to become a great one.

As a stand-alone download, it's a short rendition of the Watchmen brawler experience that features more low points than high points -- but with an admittedly awesome moment of Rorschach punching a fat pervert.

That's Batman's general theme: so many of the mechanics turn Batman: Arkham Asylum into a bona fide "Batman Simulator," that the feeling of being Batman compensates for its flaws.

That's Batman's general theme: so many of the mechanics turn Batman: Arkham Asylum into a bona fide "Batman Simulator," that the feeling of being Batman compensates for its flaws.

Most of the game's enjoyment comes from building up characters over time through battling and buying, a practice that should be right up the average RPG player's alley. "Is it a fighter? Is it an RPG?" Well, it can be both, and still be fun.

While not every one of Retro's experimental ideas panned out (I'll never quite forgive Corruption for its embarrassing final battle), Trilogy is a welcome reminder that all three episodes are worth experiencing. Or, as the case may be, experiencing again.

Diabolical Box shows that the game's developers aren't content to just sit on their laurels -- they take a wonderful game, and make it even better.

To call Shadow Complex inspired by the Metroid series would be a terrible slander to the word "inspiration." It's not so much that the developer, Chair, looked to Super Metroid for ideas as it is that they took a sheet of wax paper and did a rubbing of Samus Aran's entire career. It's a clone.

Wolfenstein's plot is little more than an excuse for you to revisit the titular Wolfenstein castle and cause unnecessary mass destruction, but even without the added magical powers, Wolfenstein is built on a solid foundation and packed with hectic action.

Those new abilities feel a little gimmicky at times, but when considered together with the multiplayer, Wolfenstein provides enough firepower and over-the-top storytelling to satiate anyone's desire for occult, alternate history action.

Consider Spectrobes a fun opportunity to bond with your kids by saving the galaxy from the latest alien menace, and enjoy these times while you still can. In just a couple years, they'll probably be asking you to buy them the equivalent of Modern Warfare 2.

Football fundamentals matter now. Successful plays come from knowing the situation, calling the right play, making a good pre-snap read, and then executing -- the same criteria that determines the outcome in a real game.

Football fundamentals matter now. Successful plays come from knowing the situation, calling the right play, making a good pre-snap read, and then executing -- the same criteria that determines the outcome in a real game.

I commend the game's focus on simplicity -- Trials HD doesn't have gratuitous power-up integration and smartly avoids an unnecessary Jump button. And the game is rife with content: the heavily replayable 42-stage campaign complements the Skill Games mode and the easy-to-use level editor.

From a game design standpoint, Extreme Challenge isn't bad, it just feels lazy; it's a collection of shallow minigames of variable quality that grow progressively more repetitive with time. Namco Bandai takes players on a monotonous minigame excursion that has some bright points but is simply attempting to to cash-in on the casual Wii demographic.

It'd all be mitigated a bit if you could unlock the arcade version, but you can't. I hate to say this, given the comparative effort that goes into a full remake versus a simple port, but if you're really jonesing for a turtle throwdown, get the XBLA version of the first arcade game. It's cheaper, less jarring, and every bit as much fun.

The Rise of Cobra's biggest problems aren't in the way it uses the license -- the problems are that, on anything but the lowest difficulty setting, the game is unnecessarily unforgiving and uses a completely counter-intuitive health regeneration system.

The Rise of Cobra's biggest problems aren't in the way it uses the license -- the problems are that, on anything but the lowest difficulty setting, the game is unnecessarily unforgiving and uses a completely counter-intuitive health regeneration system.

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

As a stand-alone download, it's a short rendition of the Watchmen brawler experience that features more low points than high points -- but with an admittedly awesome moment of Rorschach punching a fat pervert.

Beyond the bugs/glitches, the online matchmaking feels lacking compared to, say, Super Street Fighter 2 HD Remix or Street Fighter 4.

As a stand-alone download, it's a short rendition of the Watchmen brawler experience that features more low points than high points -- but with an admittedly awesome moment of Rorschach punching a fat pervert.

Like Wii Sports, Wii Play, and Wii Music, this is a game made to be played with friends, and your enjoyment with the title will directly relate to how much time you're able to spend playing it with other people.

KOF12 fails to seize the windfall in online matchmaking. It uses an archaic, even backwards, system that serves only to frustrate the player.

KOF12 fails to seize the windfall in online matchmaking. It uses an archaic, even backwards, system that serves only to frustrate the player.

It's a fine interpretation of the old brick-breaker style, and it should keep you entertained, even if it's only once or twice.

A few poor design choices keep this game from being easily recommendable to all. Everything but the unforgiving boss fights get repetitive quickly; the game can be light on explanations, leaving a lot to your own deduction; and the pathfinding is terrible.

A "solid" game: It works great on a technical level, and presents enough challenge to engage veteran players, but also enough on-screen direction and help to make it accessible to the game's younger audience -- it's just too long.

A "solid" game: It works great on a technical level, and presents enough challenge to engage veteran players, but also enough on-screen direction and help to make it accessible to the game's younger audience -- it's just too long.

It's notable for not being just another dungeon- or trap-making game like other villain-centric games that would probably be better anyway. It's a collection of arcade sensibilities mixed with imaginative design you don't see too often anymore, outside of indie developer circles.

This is quite a perfect adventure game that joins a not-as-perfect-but-still-really-damn-good modern adaptation of a perfect adventure game. What we have is a classic game packaged in a way for everyone (PC or console gamer alike) to finally and easily play it, and that's exactly what you should do -- whether you're learning the secret of Monkey Island for the first or 50th time.

Simply put, this is quite a perfect adventure game that joins a not-as-perfect-but-still-really-damn-good modern adaptation of a perfect adventure game. What we have is a classic game packaged in a way for everyone (PC or console gamer alike) to finally and easily play it, and that's exactly what you should do -- whether you're learning the secret of Monkey Island for the first or 50th time.

While that all might be good enough to satisfy the core audience, it won't save NCAA 10 from being seen, like its predecessors, as a second-string Madden.

With solid, yet incremental, improvements on the field since last year, college football fans will certainly appreciate the more balanced game NCAA 10 puts on the field.

New for some and familiar for others, 1943 will once again keep players up well into the night for just one more round. Before long, the greenhorns will be wily vets, experts on the ins and outs of all three maps, and eager for more.

New for some and familiar for others, 1943 will once again keep players up well into the night for just one more round. Before long, the greenhorns will be wily vets, experts on the ins and outs of all three maps, and eager for more.

An unfocused baseball game that neither excels as an arcade experience nor as a baseball game -- it's only an average player in the bigs.

What we're left with is an unfocused baseball game that neither excels as an arcade experience nor as a baseball game -- it's only an average player in the bigs.

Overall, The Bigs 2 falls short of providing balanced difficulty, instead easy is too easy, while hard is unnecessarily merciless.

Whether or not you've ever experienced Monkey Island's ridiculous puzzles and eccentric characters, this is a great opportunity to explore the reemerging world of adventure gaming.

Its biggest flaw is feeling old hat in an already overcrowded marketplace, and it is unlikely to pull any FPS devotees from their game of choice. No Mercy -- despite being a competent shooter set at a value price -- simply doesn't stand out like its title character.

The game should be called "Harry Potter and the Half-Assed Game."

The game should be called "Harry Potter and the Half-Assed Game." Even though Endless Day mode allows you to visit the Hogwarts grounds at your leisure after the primary game finishes, letting you round up the rest of the collectibles and deal with any unfinished dueling or Potions challenges, I felt as though EA delivered only half the game I had hoped for.

While it doesn't reach the status of a great Western, it's still a marked improvement over its mediocre predecessor (I likely would have given Call of Juarez a C+).

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

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

Their work deserves attention -- and praise -- because it exceeds expectations and delivers a thoroughly well-thought out, pragmatic, and enjoyable online experience. I can say without hesitation that BlazBlue raises the barometer on which all fighters should be judged.

Their work deserves attention -- and praise -- because it exceeds expectations and delivers a thoroughly well-thought out, pragmatic, and enjoyable online experience. I can say without hesitation that BlazBlue raises the barometer on which all fighters should be judged.

Coming back to the franchise after several years away has been frustrating for me, because it reminds me how good these Mega Man RPGs could be... and also how little Capcom has actually done to realize the concept's potential. There's the foundation here for something great, but the games continue to plod along in unambitious mediocrity.

Coming back to the franchise after several years away has been frustrating for me, because it reminds me how good these Mega Man RPGs could be... and also how little Capcom has actually done to realize the concept's potential. There's the foundation here for something great, but the games continue to plod along in unambitious mediocrity.

This is simply giddy, cartoonish mayhem with an extremely low bar for entry.

Developed by an all-new team and re-built from the ground up Fight Night Round 4 is in good hands with the team at EA Canada; not only have they matched the quality of the original title, but in many ways they dramatically exceeded it.

Fight Night Round 4 not only matches its predecessor, but improves upon it and has reclaimed it's title as the best boxing game in the world.

In the heat of this action, The Conduit comes closest to realizing its aspirations to become the first epic shooter for the Wii. By comparison, the best moments in single-player only highlight the missed potential for The Conduit to be more than the rather ordinary game it turned out to be.

A tough but rewarding game, a welcome addition to DS despite the system's RPG glut.

If nothing else, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is an apt representation of what you'd expect from a Transformers movie: a disposable, explosion-laden piece of mindless entertainment featuring robots beating the crap out of each other.

If nothing else, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is an apt representation of what you'd expect from a Transformers movie: a disposable, explosion-laden piece of mindless entertainment featuring robots beating the crap out of each other.

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.

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.

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 game's main hook is that it's entirely played with the stylus. If only said stylus mechanic was actually responsive.

In a way, Dark Legend is like Overlord with training wheels on. Which isn't by any means a bad thing.

Freedom Unite is a huge game, and, naturally, a little intimidating. But not only are you getting the best installment of the Monster Hunter franchise so far (though Monster Hunter 3 will no doubt be just as grand), you're getting an enormous action RPG that gives you a lot in return for putting a lot in. And it can potentially keep you attached to your PSP longer than you ever thought.

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 Ghostbusters fan, this game comes through by delivering an entertaining experience with plenty of laughs and just the right amount of action. Instead of being a hashed-together port, the Wii version of Ghostbusters shows that when a developer puts real effort into tailoring the look and gameplay of a port to the system, the results can be every bit as enjoyable as the original.

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

But the game feels low-budget and leaves more questions than answers, and the underlying "math" theme isn't exactly the best implementation of the puzzle system.

Seemingly because of the simple interface, however, none of the individual minigames held my attention for more than 30 minutes.

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.

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.

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.

It's a slight advancement over its predecessor, VT 3, but its biggest weaknesses, the online and single-player modes, mire an otherwise satisfying experience.

It's a slight advancement over its predecessor, VT 3, but its biggest weaknesses, the online and single-player modes, mire an otherwise satisfying experience.

Unplugged's gameplay and high-fidelity music fits the PSP almost perfectly, but for all the big features that are mysteriously missing, the developers didn't pay enough attention to the small details, either.

EA's tennis game is far from perfect, and the control inconsistencies will be too much to overcome for any but the most dedicated tennis fans, but it's a good early attempt; hopefully as developers become more comfortable with the add-on, they'll create more precise (and easier to learn) controls.

I'd be hard pressed to find a better golf videogame out there today other than Tiger Woods 10, but EA needs to be mindful of complacency with next year's release. They got awfully close to not making par this time around.

There is just enough here to entice fans of the franchise to dip back in, especially with the online options, in spite of them needing a little tweaking.

With the addition of MotionPlus, Woods 10 on the Wii is a fantastic golfing videogame, besting its console counterparts because of its control options, extra courses, party game modes, and Frolf. Not to mention, it's casual friendly for anyone to play, but with enough difficulty options for the hardcore to stay interested. It's almost hard to imagine it getting better than this for the foreseeable future.

A so-called sequel that doesn't really look or feel much different from the last one. However, that just means it fits perfectly on DSiWare, where casual, quick-hit software is the focus. And regardless, there are plenty of new, fun levels.

It reinforces just how fresh Trash Panic is compared to the timeless (if a bit long in the tooth) nature of the world's favorite puzzle games.

Guerrilla isn't a terribly deep game, but as a "summer blockbuster," it works just right. It doesn't expect you to get lost in a deep, engaging sci-fi world -- you're on a mission to Mars to watch stuff explode. A deeper story might have made it more enjoyable in some respects, but it might also have killed the momentum of the demolition action.

Guerrilla isn't a terribly deep game, but as a "summer blockbuster," it works just right. It doesn't expect you to get lost in a deep, engaging sci-fi world -- you're on a mission to Mars to watch stuff explode. A deeper story might have made it more enjoyable in some respects, but it might also have killed the momentum of the demolition action.

And while the information overload does come with a steep learning curve, it will smooth out eventually if you stick with the game. What won't smooth out, however, are The Sims 3's problems with stability and performance.