Essentially, what the player is buying is a competent music video player with microphone attachments.

At the same cost as a single map-pack for Modern Warfare 2, Blacklight makes a pretty strong case for itself based on price alone. Just know that this is one instance where you get exactly what you pay for.

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.

As I played through Dynasty Warriors 6, the series' first entry for this console generation, one thought kept permeating my head: "This is exactly the same game I played in college."

If you're interested in throwing down cash for a beta and maybe getting in some practice before things get smoothed out, go ahead and bump that score up a letter grade. Anybody else should find something else to do until then.

If you have a younger sibling or a rugrat of your own, sure, it may well be worth dropping 30 bucks on this thing to express your affection or shut them up or whatever you need to do. You probably just won't want it for yourself.

Some players will be creeped out playing soldier in a whitewashed mirror-universe version of an ugly war that's still in the headlines. The score is not being docked for it, but it's something that needs to be mentioned.

Though I'm open to new possibilities and reinterpretations of Mario Party, playing this game made me want to just jump on my Gamecube and play the original console versions -- even if I have to play against 3 CPU players because frankly, being the only player on a board game that's advertised as a party is just disheartening.

Reservoir Dogs won't appeal to hardcore aficionados of the film; the almost-total omission of the original cast and likenesses will probably cause fans to attempt a bullet festival of their own.

Even more painful is being forced to say bad things about a game that, for all intents and purposes, you happen to be rather fond of.

If you have a younger sibling or a rugrat of your own, sure, it may well be worth dropping 30 bucks on this thing to express your affection or shut them up or whatever you need to do. You probably just won't want it for yourself.

If you spend large chunks of free time debating the relative merits of Captain Picard and Captain Kirk, there's probably a teensy bit of enjoyment to wring out of this bare-bones game.

Intermittently, flashbacks are thrown into the game's progression by heavily blurring the screen and overlaying some audible forgotten memories. This style isn't very effective -- the blurring gets old and it's a forced narrative that gets old fast.

You know that "PS2 game with shiny characters and lots of bloom lighting" look that plagues PS3 and 360 ports of last-gen titles? It's dripping all over Spider-Man 3. Except it's not a port. Which is almost okay, until it throws in some vicious slowdown whenever you make the mistake of breaking environmental objects.

Most people will have a laugh at the mere sight of the game, but if they actually play it, and want to be good at it, a lot of frustration is in store.

This series serves no viable purpose anymore, nor does it really warrant yearly release.

This series serves no viable purpose anymore, nor does it really warrant yearly release.

There is still a better product for consumers to pick up this year, and this is not it.

A super repetitive punch-and-kick fest.

In short, it's your typical platformer -- with all the good and bad connotations that term holds...It's just not very engaging.

The muddy controls make it difficult to judge where your creature is standing in proportion to the buildings.

This kart (and plane and hovercraft) racer has received the sort of imperceptible face-lift known as the "enhanced port" treatment. But not enhanced enough, when you could be playing Mario Kart DS instead.

If you spend large chunks of free time debating the relative merits of Captain Picard and Captain Kirk, there's probably a teensy bit of enjoyment to wring out of this bare-bones game. Just do yourself a favor and pick up the cheaper PS2 version (or really, just rent it).

While the uninspiring movie didn't help matters, it's the lethargic gameplay that winds up making King Arthur an equally disappointing game. Repetitive and frustrating, it fails to live up to the potential of its cinematic presentation.

NFSW features a big open-world to explore, but it's largely just the cities from Most Wanted and Carbon slapped together.

In short, it's your typical platformer -- with all the good and bad connotations that term holds...It's just not very engaging, no matter how familiar you are with the source material.

The problems on defense, the monotony of the wait for the pulsating circles, and the frustrating goals in the Life mode really drag the game down.

Penumbra: Overture hits all the old notes like the Stones on their tenth farewell tour.