Star Ocean contains an interesting plot buried in its depths, but it's incredibly demanding of your time and your patience. The long-winded, poorly conceived dialogue, and formulaic cut-scene, dungeon crawl, cut-scene, dungeon crawl design isn't getting any fresher. I still enjoyed the game and its comforting, monster-slaying grind, though.

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.

Despite being a botched rendition of a pair of classics, Legacy of Ys is nevertheless a pair of classics, and that's what ultimately redeems this package -- that and Atlus's meticulous care with the localization.

So while I'm excited about the changes to the formula for Galactrix, the downsides aren't sorted out nearly as well as I'd hoped, making this huge bundle of gameplay seem more like a chore than a boon.

It's a highly compelling new form of social gaming, if only because the already-bizarre nature of the experience makes the promise of new settings and potential abilities an exciting prospect.

I'm taking Blue Dragon Plus for what it essentially is: a flat, RPG-like outing, which is mostly the fault of a design platform that needs revising.

The fact that it does something genuinely different than the rest of the genre earns it a lot of goodwill from me; if DOW2 really was just the expected "COH in space" or "DOW with spiffy graphics," then those flaws would be intolerable. So yes, I love it, flaws and all. Besides, watching Assault Marines or Stormboyz fly in the air and slam down onto some fools doesn't get old.

Capcom and DIMPS have done an amazing job with Street Fighter 4. It's obvious from front to back that the people working on this game knew the legacy they were contending with, and found the guts to finish this project with conviction. This is no mere copycat; this is a proud new addition. It's a bold, confident fighter that celebrates its heritage while bringing fresh, new ideas to the table, arriving in a remarkably complete package that -- if this were the last Street Fighter to ever be created -- earns its rightful place in the series' canon.

Capcom and DIMPS have done an amazing job with Street Fighter 4. It's obvious from front to back that the people working on this game knew the legacy they were contending with, and found the guts to finish this project with conviction. This is no mere copycat; this is a proud new addition. It's a bold, confident fighter that celebrates its heritage while bringing fresh, new ideas to the table, arriving in a remarkably complete package that -- if this were the last Street Fighter to ever be created -- earns its rightful place in the series' canon.

Even if most of the modes are just variations of existing ones, they're still a hell of a lot of fun to play. Chopper versus Chopper mode and the Road Rash-style races breathe new life into GTA4's multiplayer, and additional apparel gives you new options for customizing your online persona.

Nippon Ichi's RPGs always demand a high level of patience, persistence, and masochism; by that measure, Prinny seems like a perfect adaptation of the Disgaea mindset to an action milieu. It may only appeal to the fanatically obsessed, but it does a damn fine job of it.

DQV is a great RPG just in terms of its mechanics, being built on the series' time-tested fundamentals while throwing in enough improvements to make it feel far fresher than its predecessor. Factor in the game's story, though, and it becomes truly exceptional: an intimate, personal odyssey of a kind rarely seen in this medium.

Nintendo and Intelligent Systems succeeded in making the first Fire Emblem more casual, and is an excellent choice if you either found the previous games intimidating, or have never played one. Still, those looking for a hardcore strategy game will be sorely disappointed.

It's by no means awful, as it's smartly-designed for what it is, but it asks for a certain amount of dedication that those who don't have an affinity for early '80s arcade hits may not have.

The game's short -- the seven areas only take about two to three hours to finish on the first try (if you don't play it obsessively like I do). But it's a joy to revisit each stage -- the freedom of movement makes the game feel as relaxing as a gently wafting breeze. The challenge is there for those who seek it, but Flower is something everyone can enjoy.

Even with the issues, 3 on 3 NHL Arcade's a must-play for fans of arcade sports, and I want to commend the makers for mercifully extracting the pointless bloat of pre-game intros and a circling zamboni between periods.

You'll, fire thousands of rounds in hundreds of white-knuckled shootouts facing everything from soldiers to grotesques to specters, and tromp around in a totally bad-ass mech suit. Most importantly, you'll love every minute of it.

You'll, fire thousands of rounds in hundreds of white-knuckled shootouts facing everything from soldiers to grotesques to specters, and tromp around in a totally bad-ass mech suit. Most importantly, you'll love every minute of it.

You'll, fire thousands of rounds in hundreds of white-knuckled shootouts facing everything from soldiers to grotesques to specters, and tromp around in a totally bad-ass mech suit. Most importantly, you'll love every minute of it.

The game exudes a sense of innocence and charm that quickly sweeps away any frustrations, and leaves you whistling the theme song long after you put it down.

You'll have an easier time picking out the jokes if you actually lived through the NES era, of course. Despite the constant presence of two kids on the lower screen, RGC is aimed directly at people who fondly remember saving their pennies to purchase titles the likes of Metroid or Super Mario Bros. 3.

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.

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.

Where Overkill will truly be divisive is in the narrative: some people will love the nonsensical, fast-paced story. But, with its constant stream of expletives and toilet humor, it may turn just as many people away. And as purposefully offensive as it is, I still enjoyed the game. The dialogue is strained, and the barrage of f-bombs is played out by the second level, but there are several genuinely funny moments.

So yeah, it's stupid. It's brutally stupid, to be honest. But "Underpants Deadguy Cutters: Ultimate Tittykill" has enough game to keep you going for a few days, and it sells for twenty bucks less than usual. Honestly, I don't know why big breasted women wading through gallons of blood took so long to get to America.

I can still hear the ba-thump ba-thump of the paused game behind me, begging me back for more abuse, and I'm caught in a spiral of disbelief. Nothing can be this awful, yet I find myself straining to look over my shoulder. I don't know how long I can hold out. I am lost, but you may yet save yourselves. Save yourselves from this game.

I can still hear the ba-thump ba-thump of the paused game behind me, begging me back for more abuse, and I'm caught in a spiral of disbelief. Nothing can be this awful, yet I find myself straining to look over my shoulder. I don't know how long I can hold out. I am lost, but you may yet save yourselves. Save yourselves from this game.

Once you grow accustomed to the game's quirks, you soon find yourself in a rhythm where gamer instincts overcome sloppy game mechanics. Eventually, the thrill of starting a level -- unarmed -- and slowly but surely making your way over rooftops and underwater and over rafters becomes a guilty thrill.