Forza 3 upholds the franchise's tradition of excellence, but also plays it a little too safe; it irons out the previous game's clunky interface and sports a minor visual upgrade, but the gameplay feels strikingly similar to its predecessor.

I'm a casual fan of the series and I still found myself excited to get home and play the game each night the past week. It may be a lot of more of the same, but more of the same has never been so darn addicting.

The biggest change to the formula, however, is the persistence of your player as a "Summoner," not to be confused with the 30-odd in-game characters, which get a clean slate at the start of every match.

Even without multiplayer, Torchlight makes for a remarkably entertaining 10 to 15 hours, with plenty more custom content to come thanks to the powerful game editor TorchED, which you can download free of charge. Even if you aren't waiting impatiently for Diablo III, Torchlight's a great value at a mere $20.

Nostalgia is determined to make its way in a crowded market on sweetness alone. It's charming and competent, but you can do much better on the DS. In this lousy economy, with so many quality alternatives, Nostalgia's attempt at repurposing fond memories isn't quite good enough.

Call it a first-person Diablo, an evolution of Resistance 2's co-op mode, Monster Hunter for the west, or a party game for FPS gamers. Call it the best example of the transformative power of multiplayer. Whatever you designate it, Borderlands is a decent single-player FPS/RPG that simply becomes great -- when playing with others. Besides, sheer midget panic is something that has to be shared with friends.

Call it a first-person Diablo, an evolution of Resistance 2's co-op mode, Monster Hunter for the west, or a party game for FPS gamers. Call it the best example of the transformative power of multiplayer. Whatever you designate it, Borderlands is a decent single-player FPS/RPG that simply becomes great -- when playing with others.

Tropico 3 beats the hell out of history books, and strangely, most games of its kind. I only wish that the soundtrack had more tunes. And that I could have the DJ shot. God, I can't stand that guy.

All that really matters here is if you like the idea of a very simple, kid-oriented brawler featuring cute versions of Marvel characters. The rest of the game falls in line adequately.

SVR 2010 is the ultimate wrestling gamer's sandbox. And the combination of one of the most finely tuned 3D wrestling engines with the ability to create and download so much new content, makes 2010 the best SmackDown title to date.

SVR 2010 is the ultimate wrestling gamer's sandbox. And the combination of one of the most finely tuned 3D wrestling engines with the ability to create and download so much new content, makes 2010 the best SmackDown title to date.

In a way, the main reason I'm somewhat disappointed is that developer EA Canada has the tough part down: the gameplay and controls. But soccer is about so much more than that -- it's about patriotism, atmosphere, and passion. For the inevitable World Cup follow-up, I'd really like to see those elements shine through -- and it wouldn't hurt to not ship with so many bugs, either.

In a way, the main reason I'm somewhat disappointed is that developer EA Canada has the tough part down: the gameplay and controls. But soccer is about so much more than that -- it's about patriotism, atmosphere, and passion. For the inevitable World Cup follow-up, I'd really like to see those elements shine through -- and it wouldn't hurt to not ship with so many bugs, either.

While it maintains its easily accessible, casual gameplay, obsessive players (like myself) can still work hard towards getting 100% on all dishes. This blend is exactly what makes me love Cooking Mama in general, and Cooking Mama 3 is a great, if occasionally exasperating, addition to the series.

As a PSP game, it's still a well-done portable GTA; not necessarily a better one than before. But that's fine; it's still worth playing Chinatown Wars for those bite-size bits of the GTA formula, and if you're still warm to it, then definitely give it a go.

Extreme 2, though, offers little to differentiate itself. It's a coincidental callback to 1979's Space Invaders Part II: most of the improvements will matter to those who were already obsessed. For some, that's probably enough for a buy, and if you haven't played SI Extreme before, now's the time, as you're still getting an enjoyable rewrite of an arcade classic. But those who had a passing fancy before can pass it up for the time being.

The main problem is that it doesn't feel like it was poorly designed, but that simple things were simply forgotten. But really, those things don't make the story any less entertaining, the rock god theme less enjoyable, nor the characters' well-animated faces less expressive. And with long practice and good friends, the multiplayer can be incredibly rewarding.

The main problem is that it doesn't feel like it was poorly designed, but that simple things were simply forgotten. But really, those things don't make the story any less entertaining, the rock god theme less enjoyable, nor the characters' well-animated faces less expressive. And with long practice and good friends, the multiplayer can be incredibly rewarding.

Uncharted 2 is simply a vast improvement over its predecessor, and it's a damn great PS3 game. Let's leave the "are games art?" question for another time; what Uncharted 2 proves is that games are, at the very least, craft. Just as Raiders is Spielberg at the top of his game, Uncharted 2 is Naughty Dog at the top of theirs, and further proof that they are masters of their craft. [Grade = A+]

It's a first-rate puzzle platformer. And it's so charming that you won't be able to help but make frequent use of that hug button.

The events aren't anything mind-blowing, but they're all competent and solid enough to keep me coming back to improve my last run.

Sometimes, stereotypes exist for very good reasons. Korean role-playing games have a reputation as low-rent incarnations of their more polished Japanese counterparts, and Magna Carta 2 does nothing to combat that perception -- instead, it embraces it wholeheartedly.

Though once you get sucked in, it's hard not to search for the absolute fastest path out. After all, it's only 30 seconds, right?

Nothing to write home about.

If city simming is something that appeals to your obsessive-compulsive tendencies, well, Cities won't disappoint. If, however, you're more interested in creating something that's very much your own and making it part of a world full of similarly unique creations, I'm sorry, but I don't think that'll be happening here.

Critter Crunch is one of the more clever puzzle games I've played recently, and it has charm and personality to spare. The numerous modes grant it a longevity that makes the $6.99 asking price easy to justify even for the tightest wallets.

It's got a few design holes, but in part because of those, Lucidity presents a type of game you don't see very often.

It's got a few design holes, but in part because of those, Lucidity presents a type of game you don't see very often.