Naruto: Path of Ninja 2 is a missed opportunity, lacking consistency and polish. Fans may embrace the game for the Naruto brand alone, but the story and unadventurous level designs will fail to keep their interest. At least the battle mechanics are a step in the right direction.

OK, so maybe it is sorta piratey, after all. Either way, assuming you can find some friends to sail with, Booty's more fun than a barrel of grog with a wench on top.

But the inadequate drum peripheral and minimal extra content expose the fact that development's been problematic since day one. Konami's always been synonymous with awesome rhythm games, but with Rock Revolution, the rock crown and scepter have officially been passed to a new generation of games.

With the exclusion of co-op -- what people really want to play -- and the constant hint that a sequel's already on the way, Beast Rider feels like a difficult, drawn-out, $60 tutorial. Why bother?

With the exclusion of co-op -- what people really want to play -- and the constant hint that a sequel's already on the way, Beast Rider feels like a difficult, drawn-out, $60 tutorial. Why bother?

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]

Saint's 2's main deficiency, however, isn't the graphics, gameplay, or anything technical -- it just doesn't hold a candle to GTA's signature style. Not one character in the entire cast stands out as anything other than generic. The city, too, is an uninspired, washed-out metropolis.

Saint's 2's main deficiency, however, isn't the graphics, gameplay, or anything technical -- it just doesn't hold a candle to GTA's signature style. Not one character in the entire cast stands out as anything other than generic. The city, too, is an uninspired, washed-out metropolis.

If you've got the patience for a slow-burn party game and tolerance for hands-off interaction -- and you're cool with indirect mayhem and humiliation instead of constant head-to-head brawls -- I can see the game growing on you. Dokapon Kingdom may well hook a certain type of player, but I will say that it just didn't grab us.

Dead Space ultimately feels like an incredibly polished and varied 6-hour game stretched out to make it twice that long. While I felt like I was repeating the same objectives a few too many times, the combat held up so well that I didn't even mind...too much.

Dead Space ultimately feels like an incredibly polished and varied 6-hour game stretched out to make it twice that long. While I felt like I was repeating the same objectives a few too many times, the combat held up so well that I didn't even mind...too much.

Blitz II may be well ahead of its most recent competition -- EA's NFL Tour fiasco -- but after the initial wave of gross-out injuries, you'll see this for what it is: an anti-NFL dare reliant on limp shock value and a subpar football game.

Prey the Stars looks cute, but it isn't a cakewalk. Balancing the rhythm and the type of food you eat can be overwhelming, and with so many wild-card moments, frustration can trump fun. In multiplayer, though, Stars begins to shine as its complexity emerges in an engaging and extremely competitive game.

FIFA 08 suffered from stilted, unnatural movements and imprecise controls, but 09 models players' physical weight, speed, and momentum with impressive verisimilitude.

It's the atmosphere that transforms World of Goo from a great concept to a fantastic game, with production values well above what you'd expect from a tiny indie developer. The crisp, hand-drawn visuals burst with care and creativity, recalling the wonderfully distinct approach of another recent downloadable favorite, Castle Crashers. And the music -- who would've expected such intense anthems from a physics-based puzzler?

Supersonic seems a tad overpriced at $15 -- especially considering the nigh-featureless multiplayer and bland aesthetics -- but the single-player is short and sweet, and the core mechanics are simple and rewarding.

A bit more ambition could've made this a true classic (how about some Wi-Fi co-op?), but as it stands, it's the next best thing to cramming GBA cult classic "Ninja Five-O" into your DS.

Those coming in clean to the series will wonder what the fuss is about, though -- and should probably wait for the next installment in the series instead.

Somewhere deep within Fracture, far, far below its offensively derivative crust, lies a worthwhile, original game. It's very much a game with a gimmick -- terraforming terrain on the fly -- and while that gimmick works well (if a bit too predictably), Fracture is thoroughly unexciting.

Somewhere deep within Fracture, far, far below its offensively derivative crust, lies a worthwhile, original game. It's very much a game with a gimmick -- terraforming terrain on the fly -- and while that gimmick works well (if a bit too predictably), Fracture is thoroughly unexciting.

Problem is that neither the strategy nor combat elements are developed in any meaningful way. All but the most strategy-savvy gamers will regard the capture-and-hold mechanics as primitive, and as for the combat...well, I really wasn't kidding with the Dynasty Warriors comparison.

While the story's stock sci-fi-RPG material and the combat system could use a bit more polish, Spectrobes is a great choice for those looking for a little no-commitment, light RPG action, or for bored Pokéfans still waiting for Platinum.

Bleach: Dark Souls will surely appeal to both fighter fans and anime devotees. The learning curve's gradual enough for casual players, while the varied, complex game mechanics will definitely please seasoned fighting-game vets.

It does provide a few satisfying hours of gameplay before the backtracking sets in, and it has plenty of content to keep you busy for a while if you're a completist. But if you're looking for something new other than jokes, you won't find it here.

The game shines particularly bright in the Total Team Control mode, which allows you to hook up online with nine other players for 5-on-5 basketball. This mode simulates the experience of playing an actual game of basketball more closely than any videogame I've played.

The game shines particularly bright in the Total Team Control mode, which allows you to hook up online with nine other players for 5-on-5 basketball. This mode simulates the experience of playing an actual game of basketball more closely than any videogame I've played.

Live 09's made significant strides, particularly in terms of innovation, but like the Houston Rockets exiting in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, it's the same old story here. NBA 2K9 continues to be the dominant basketball title, hands down.

Live 09's made significant strides, particularly in terms of innovation, but like the Houston Rockets exiting in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, it's the same old story here. NBA 2K9 continues to be the dominant basketball title, hands down.