It's a bit of an awkward comparison, but I see shades of "Ninja Gaiden" here: It's unassailably gratifying when the mechanics finally click and you start slicing and volleying your way to victory, but at the same time, it's prohibitive to folks who don't want to spend hours in the school of hard knocks, pursuing what should be a relatively uncomplicated act of learning the game's basic rules and logic.

Origins isn't bad at what it does, but what it does isn't very ambitious.

Should veteran Dead Risers bother with this admirable, but limited port of the original? Not really. But should newcomers to the series give it a spin? Given the scarcity of genuine, old-school arcade content on the Wii (soon to be remedied by MadWorld), I'd say yes.

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.

It's clear 2K Sports learned from their mistakes and have delivered a product they can stand behind. Now let's see if they can best this effort next year.

Okabu would be a much better game if it only had the confidence to display itself proudly to the player. Until it gains some courage, we are left with a hampered game that never quite play as good as it looks.

Phantasy Star Portable 2's appeal ends with the multiplayer, however. The exceedingly dull single-player, frustrating boss fights, and dated combat system prevent this latest Phantasy Star from being anything more than just that.

Unfortunately, such a light-hearted plot doesn't seem like a suitable reward for the grueling strategic depth of the combat.

As a creative tool Unbound is great, but as a game it feels a little sparse. Despite its seemingly casual nature, the technical side of Unbound shouldn't be underestimated -- it quickly frustrates players looking for a light challenge while rewarding the more dedicated who are willing to invest the time.

The needless addition of QTEs to the formula and a relatively short single-player experience keep it from becoming a legend in its own right.

A ton of side missions offer varying entertainment value, plenty of doodads to collect and power Hulk up with, and even a few cool alternate character skins for the green guy to wear. But I can't just quietly ignore the fact that a similar, but far better Hulk game (the best superhero game, for my money) sits on my shelf at home, and is readily available for anyone to track down.

Dark Spire recreates both the best and worst qualities of a bygone era, making for a taste that's difficult to acquire.

It's weird...very weird. And whatever your expectations are, they're likely wrong. I enjoyed playing it, surely -- I just wish that it were as frustration-free as it is unique.

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.

Solid controls, multiplayer options, and creation tools stand out, though some jagged textures and their frustrating side effects hamper an otherwise solid execution.

For its six-hour playthrough (you can extend that by unlocking alternate characters, but they're so unmemorable and non-gameplay changing, that they provide no incentive to play through again), Wanted: Weapons of Fate is at best a competent, fire-and-forget movie game -- not much more nor less.

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.

Considering the production values and repetition, Wild West Guns is probably pushing it with a $10 price point, but for those looking to swap their virtual crossbow for a slightly less-enticing six-gun, this throwback shooter very nearly justifies the investment.

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]

I want to like Flashpoint 2, but instead, I just feel like the game is telling me: "war is hell, sorry."

The graphics and soundtrack warrant a look for their own sake, but it's a light-on-story alternative view of a classic, that's sometimes too easy, sometimes too hard, and never quite the enchanting game I hoped it would be.

As a creative tool Unbound is great, but as a game it feels a little sparse. Despite its seemingly casual nature, the technical side of Unbound shouldn't be underestimated -- it quickly frustrates players looking for a light challenge while rewarding the more dedicated who are willing to invest the time.

The fact that so much game is available for everyone for free right away is a noble idea, but there needs to be more of a benefit to those who invest in a premium version.

Resonance of Fate features some pretty substantial (and fussy) systems made for endless fiddling and tinkering -- which is why it's a shame that the learning curve is so ludicrously steep.

It's hardly the deepest game around, but its combo system, barrage of enemies, and difficulty all dovetail with the endless brutal carnage to recall, in some ways, the Ninja Gaiden remake: If you're good and quick enough, you'll avoid getting hit, but when you get cornered, you'll be walloped.

If you're one of those players who simply can't make do without a Tales-like RPG experience every few months, Arc Rise Fantasia might have enough of what you're looking for. But for most players, the game will simply be a flashback to the bad ol' days of the mid-'90s, when shoestring localization budgets botched many an epic RPG adventure.

So, is it all a disaster? Well, the A.I. problems are fixed to some degree by the robust multiplayer (if you can find friends willing to slog through the ugliest visuals since finger-painting class), and yes, the level of customization for both the world map and your alter-ego hero is nice -- but no number of small details can hope to salvage quality from this debacle of execution.

The Run takes an awkwardly serious approach to its story, eschewing the over-the-top fun and wackiness of its clear inspirations -- movies like the Cannonball Run series and classic arcade games like Cruis'n USA --to deliver a cross-country campaign that's sometimes exhilarating, but often frustrating and surprisingly banal.