As rewarding as Choplifter HD can be, it demanded a few too many hours of trial and error for me to enjoy the game past the introductory levels, but the more masochistic amongst you will undoubtedly find something to love.

The main adventure still has serious pacing problems, combat's still too easy for the most part, and load times -- though reduced -- continue to get in the way of the action.

At its best, Darksiders plays like an interactive compilation of this console generation's most interesting game mechanics. At its worst, it's like sitting through a mediocre cover band as they fumble their way through your favorite tunes.

With a little more polish, Dokuro's take on puzzle platforming could be fantastic, but a few problems hold it back from true greatness. From its cheap (though stylish) Flash game appearance, it's clear that GungHo didn't give this project the highest of budgets, which leaves some of the more precise levels feeling incredibly rickety and awkward, with escapes coming thanks to luck rather than strategy. And, at times, the developers bite off a little more than they can chew; Dokuro's floaty jumps and touchy controls aren't exactly made for boss battles or Canabalt-style death runs, but well, there they are. If you're able to overlook these minor problems, though, Dokuro makes for a fine addition to your Vita library -- which, judging by the state of the system, is probably in dire need of something new. It's not a system-seller by any means, but small, digestible, and charming experiences like Dokuro are exactly what Sony's ailing portable needs to survive.

Symphonia isn't any great shakes as a narrative, and its graphics may inspire more hate than love, but it's fun to play, and that's the important part.

A sequel worthy of the other Hawk games I spent countless hours playing.

It's a mostly well-built title with seemingly good intentions, but it lacks the weight -- whether it's in the narrative, campaign length, or feature set -- to seem like much more than a quality diversion.

Kinect Sports works well enough as a launch title and has more than enough heft to ensure that it's not labeled as just a tech demo. Yes, there are some kinks that need to be addressed, particularly with the hardware, but if you're looking to pad out the library for your shiny new peripheral, Kinect Sports should be a definite consideration.

With a thumping sound and sudden cloud of dust, grenades erase whole sections of houses. Bullets, however, stop dead in the thinnest wood slat. But what Bad Company needs isn't a trip to a real-life firing range -- it's its inflexible A.I. that requires the lessons.

Fret Nice reminds me of LocoRoco in the way its stages aren't terribly difficult to plow through, but finding all of the enemy locations, music notes, and little extras will take a lot of time. Still, I wouldn't advise picking up Fret Nice unless you're okay with abandoning its peripheral-centric gimmick to get down to the game underneath.

It's a mostly well-built title with seemingly good intentions, but it lacks the weight -- whether it's in the narrative, campaign length, or feature set -- to seem like much more than a quality diversion.

Is El Shaddai unconventional just for the sake of being different, or were the developers going for something bigger? Is being such an abstract game (on multiple levels) the overall point? Ultimately, I don't know the answer to these questions, but I'd definitely call El Shaddai an unconventional game and an entertaining adventure despite some of the creative gaps.

Whether it's playing through a level that's obviously a rip-off of Gauntlet, the inclusion of a double jump, pits that cause instant death, or enemies who resemble some of the most memorable characters in gaming, The Simpsons Game takes 2D platforming, points out its clichés, and then uses them anyways.

It's a mostly well-built title with seemingly good intentions, but it lacks the weight -- whether it's in the narrative, campaign length, or feature set -- to seem like much more than a quality diversion.

Is El Shaddai unconventional just for the sake of being different, or were the developers going for something bigger? Is being such an abstract game (on multiple levels) the overall point? Ultimately, I don't know the answer to these questions, but I'd definitely call El Shaddai an unconventional game and an entertaining adventure despite some of the creative gaps.

A notch better on the PC than Xbox, thanks to significantly better visuals, but that's still not enough to push these valorous men past the paces of the best military games of this season.

The Xbox incarnation appears more faithful to the animation, while GameCube and Playstation2 versions look slightly less crisp.

One warning to potential consumers, though: The bizarrely long cut-scenes (and the baby-game story they painfully tell) will bore any gamer old enough to read them. Avert your gaze.

Behind the premise, though, the game hides a surprising layer of complexity and strategy. The tile-based settings invoke the spirit of tabletop gaming, which carries through excellently to its tactics-focused play.

If you absolutely need to play Modern Warfare when you're on the go, well here it is, and it's pretty good. But really... how often will you want to?

I know this all sounds negative, but I also know FIFA could be much more than it already is -- and as a soccer fan, I want the series to take the same leap I saw Madden take. Still, FIFA's always a recommendable experience.

Taken for what it is, though -- a cheap collection of tons of Genesis games -- the Ultimate Genesis Collection satisfies. No compilation is ever perfect, and Sega and Backbone definitely leave room for improvement. But there's a lot of great gameplay to be had here, and plenty of interesting obscurities for the adventurous to explore -- and all for an enticing price.

It refines previous ideas but lacks that big "wow" factor we've seen in the past. It's thoroughly, thoroughly competent and shouldn't be overlooked, but it really is "Need for Speed Again."

Here, at last, the developer proves they can do things differently or they can do things conventionally, and they can do both of them very well.

Ultimately, Resident Evil 5 shouldn't be looked at as a failure in the series, merely too ambitious, inconsistent and uneven. Earlier entries in the series benefited from their simplicity and focus, and while it's laudable for RE5 to try and include so much variety, perhaps a little more of the same ol' same ol' would have resulted in a slightly better game.

I know this all sounds negative, but I also know FIFA could be much more than it already is -- and as a soccer fan, I want the series to take the same leap I saw Madden take. Still, FIFA's always a recommendable experience.

The control hiccups may cause problems, but most of them can be countered with care. But the biggest bonus: Not once will you see starlight dancing off the ball.

From the custom voice work done by show creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, to original artwork for the over-the-top-but-barely-there story, there's a treasure trove of unlockable artwork and hilarious video clips of the show.