Though flawed, it adds a handful of creative new elements to the basic mix, preventing it from being a callow rehash. There are better games for DS, but this one demonstrates moxie, technical brilliance and no lack of ambition.

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

The game mostly manages to walk that fine line between catering toward the casual and the hardcore, but in those moments when it leans more toward the hardcore crowd, you experience DS-shaking frustration.

Under the Knife 2 is an experience all gamers can enjoy, not just stylus savants -- and that's how Trauma Center should've been done from the start.

This slowly-increasing sense of challenge is what elevates Pac-Pix above so many of the clever tech demo that comprise the DS library.

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.

DJ Hero attempts to mold turntablism into a mainstream medium. It succeeds, but stumbles along the way. I didn't experience the sensation of scratching and mixing, until I turned it up to Expert difficulty. Beginner is way too easy, and Hard is lackluster.

This is a bargain-priced re-release of an older title. Did you always want to play the original, but forgot where you put the disc? Grab this puppy off Steam or XBox Live and have yourself a grand ol' time. But if you are into realism, refinement, cohesive plot structure, and/or crates, go blow your hard-earned cash on some pansy, frou frou FPS and quit wasting my time.

A worthy entry in the series that manages to one-up its DS predecessor.

No More Heroes is practically two entirely different games mashed together. One is a funny, smart, stylish action game that never fails to entertain. The other is an open-world game that fails so completely in every regard that, despite all appearances, it's easier to question the developer's intent than it is to accept that it's what they were going for. Fortunately, you barely have to play that second game to enjoy the first one.

Well, yeah. I think it's pretty darn fun.

So long as you don't mind guiding a hapless bird to the exit a couple hundred times, Ivy the Kiwi? is a gorgeous tale with a whole lotta heart.

So, sure--Beijing may not be gold-quality throughout, but it's the best Olympics game we've had since, well...probably ever.

For players willing to fully invest, Spectrobes can prove to be as interesting and fulfilling as a Seaman/Pokémon hybrid. If the thought of excavating and incubating ancient creatures doesn't thrill you, though, you should probably consider collecting monsters that are a bit easier to catch.

The physics issue on its own isn't that big of a flaw, but when you combine it with the occasionally questionable bullet hit detection, it becomes more aggravating...So though it's far from perfect, it is a good overall game.

A solid, serious, deeply competent game. This competence may not prove an adequate substitute for the moment-to-moment buzz of the mindless FPS in its terminally adolescent pomp.

When the strength of the game lies solely on the shoulders of an inconsistent narrative in a limited yet gorgeous environment, I can't help but feel robbed of an experience that should be greater than the sum of its parts.

It's not heavy on strife, narrative, or story, but there are a considerable number of medals, feathers, and extra levels to collect even after you finish the game. So long as you don't mind guiding a hapless bird to the exit a couple hundred times, Ivy the Kiwi? is a gorgeous tale with a whole lotta heart.

When the strength of the game lies solely on the shoulders of an inconsistent narrative in a limited yet gorgeous environment, I can't help but feel robbed of an experience that should be greater than the sum of its parts.

When the strength of the game lies solely on the shoulders of an inconsistent narrative in a limited yet gorgeous environment, I can't help but feel robbed of an experience that should be greater than the sum of its parts.

As laughable as the context for the story might seem, the apocalyptic vision of a destroyed city by the bay feels very real, and surprisingly, as a space for races, works very well.

If you're looking at the game for continuing the fun, campy Mortal Kombat legacy, you'll find a lot to like here. If you're looking for highly technical fighting matches or evolved modern game storytelling, you'll do better looking elsewhere.

Well, yeah. I think it's pretty darn fun.

Few developers have been able to master the horror aspects of games as well as Surreal has done in the two Suffering games thus far, and with a bit more balancing, this could have been a great current generation sendoff for players looking to move on to the next-generation terror of "F.E.A.R." and "Condemned."

Star Ocean contains an interesting plot buried in its depths, but it's incredibly demanding of your time and your patience.

If you have friends to play with and any measure of nostalgia for the arcade original, there's no doubt that you'll get every penny's worth from NBA Jam. If you have plans to play it alone or against random strangers, there are better options out there -- and it doesn't even take calculus to figure that out.

The game design is often thoughtless and shortsighted. Rockstar treats Liberty City as a backdrop...when it should have been the stage itself.

A true classic. The Souvalou moves at a somewhat glacial pace and the graphics are hopelessly flat, but besides those shortcomings it's still a phenomenal action game.