But that's Other M: occasionally nonsensical (and always extraneous) story elements wrapped around generally excellent action and fun abilities. When you introduce more plot, you introduce more room for plot holes.

You might chafe a bit at having to pay for it -- I'd much rather have seen this as part of some sort of pre-order deal -- but you can't argue that Case Zero is not only an effective way to set the stage and build anticipation, it's also a meaty, satisfying slice of the zombie apocalypse.

My enthusiasm for the XBLA release was initially tempered by busted online play, which took months to correct, but the PSN version luckily lacks significant issues. Lag occasionally pops up, and I've encountered a couple of issues connecting to matches, but by and large, it works -- and aside from having three friends in your living room, playing online is the best way to experience Castle Crashers.

For barebones-but-respectably-polised arcade fun (and all those terrible voice clips), the Gunblade and L.A. Machineguns pack isn't a bad pick-up.

It's tough for me to complain too much in the face of what is really a well thought out sequel that takes full advantage of the PSP though.

Comedy's a tricky thing to nail in any format, and episodic gaming remains just as elusive for most developers. Against all odds, Telltale gets both right with Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse.

Comedy's a tricky thing to nail in any format, and episodic gaming remains just as elusive for most developers. Against all odds, Telltale gets both right with Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse.

Scott Pilgim's real problem: the lack of any online multiplayer.

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.

Shank is the freshest, most unequivocally rewarding beat-em-up game to come along in almost a decade.

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.

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.

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.

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.

You might die a little too easily at times, but with such a short campaign, and puzzles that are easy to figure out (if sometimes are hard to pull off) AYIM's is an indie game worth owning on Wii.

Though the game would still be fantastic with its co-op dungeon puzzles alone, Guardian of Light contains a surprising amount of substance; each of its many levels offer a series of achievements that add interesting weapons and items to your inventory.

Dog Days ultimately feels less like a typical crime shooter, and more like a player-directed version of the Crank movies.

Dog Days ultimately feels less like a typical crime shooter, and more like a player-directed version of the Crank movies.

For those looking to relive some of the fun of the movie, avoid this mediocre flight combat game; you'd be a thousand times better off sitting around with your co-workers and seeing who can recite the most lines, or figuring out who can chomp their front teeth the loudest.

Given the white-knuckle speed and immediacy of Ys Seven's action, it's strange to think the game requires so much patience.

Despite the minor qualms I might have, Puzzle Quest 2 is still a very good game.

An entertaining multiplayer romp.

This year's iteration in the more than a decade old series has brought me back into the "drinking the Madden Kool-Aid" fold, because it's improved the things that matter to me. That said, Madden NFL 11 still needs some improvement.

This year's iteration in the more than a decade old series has brought me back into the "drinking the Madden Kool-Aid" fold, because it's improved the things that matter to me. That said, Madden NFL 11 still needs some improvement.

And that highlights Scott Pilgim's real problem: the lack of any online multiplayer. If you want to play with friends, they have to be sitting on the couch in the same room with you.

It's not nearly as robust at what you'd expect from a current-gen racing title, but, at 15 dollars, Hydro Thunder Hurricane's blast of late-arcade-era nostalgia is a perfect match for Xbox Live Arcade.

Continuum Shift provides a seamless fighting game experience by offering excellent Tutorial and Training Modes to help you learn your character before testing their skills in the game's near-flawless online mode.