Devotees will immediately recognize Retro Evolved 2's myriad improvements.

So with the classic, new-school, and infinitely customizable character roster at the ready, and with online play fully operational, it's not a stretch to say this might be 2008's best fighting game.

Where SC4 really shines, however, is in its character-creation mode. The more you use your custom characters, the more options you unlock -- with a wealth of weapons and armor pieces offering boosts to strength, impact, speed, and more, while certain stat modifiers improve your chances to escape throws or reverse counters.

For all of Atlus' hype about the game's "full HD support," SF3 looks no better than your average PS2 title.

All successful cities tend to necessitate more or less the same choices, which in turn leads to City Life's biggest problem: lack of replay value. Expansions are typically created to remedy that issue, but 2008 Edition just doesn't. And that's a shame, because the solid city-building engine still has legs -- just nowhere to walk.

Thinking about substituting Pong Toss for a Beer Pong table at your next party? Don't. You'll just end up with irritated friends, and you don't want angry drunks hurling Wii Remotes at your television.

Despite the hoops you need to jump through prior to playing, Blood Curse more than makes up for it with some of the most intense and perfectly paced survival horror I've had the pleasure of being terrified by.

Joint Strike is a great way to kill a short period of time...just like an arcade game should be.

Ultimately, Mister Slime feels like a decent level-traversal concept in search of a more attractive, ambitious game.

Joint Strike is a great way to kill a short period of time...just like an arcade game should be. It's brief (you can beat it in about 30 minutes), but that plays to its strengths, as it never feels repetitive during such a short time period.

An unexpected visual delight (especially for HDTV owners) -- and it makes an already strong multigenre affair even better.

It's a game of trade-offs and cautious play -- a challenge meant for hardcore RPG fanatics but amusing enough that newcomers might find it worthwhile, too.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor isn't without its charms, but it's hard to believe that the younger target audience will wade through the difficulty spikes to see the convoluted narrative to its conclusion.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor isn't without its charms, but it's hard to believe that the younger target audience will wade through the difficulty spikes to see the convoluted narrative to its conclusion.

It's neither "Konami SuperStar Athletics," nor is it exactly the arcade game you remember from the '80s -- New International Track & Field straddles the line between both, and it turns in a respectable portable performance of its own.

"Cooking Mama" does have more recipes than Order Up!, but it lacks that special ingredient that keeps me coming back for more. In fact, now that I've tasted what a fleshed-out cooking-game experience can really be, it'll be hard to go back to "Cooking Mama" -- I'll definitely be coming back for more Order Up.

An upgraded version of a 16-bit masterpiece -- but it's needlessly redundant for anyone who picked up "FFIV Advance."

Elefunk is sublime in concept -- ultimately addictive and quite entertaining, despite a steep learning curve.

That each best-of-three contest lasts no longer than perhaps three minutes is the final nail in a coffin that should remain firmly closed.

It's enough to keep golfing fans entertained, and it's nice to see Camelot's golf system enhanced with motion controls. But, like I mentioned earlier, players looking for a more true-to-life golf sim on the Wii may want to go with something like Tiger Woods -- or simply just play more of Wii Sports Golf, which comes packed in with the system.

After years of online fumbles by developer EA Tiburon, our annual war cry for an online dynasty mode has been answered. Not only is NCAA Football 09's most impressive innovation brilliantly seamless, but it's full-featured as well (from recruiting and scheduling to talking sure-fire pros into staying on an extra season).

After years of online fumbles by developer EA Tiburon, our annual war cry for an online dynasty mode has been answered. Not only is NCAA Football 09's most impressive innovation brilliantly seamless, but it's full-featured as well (from recruiting and scheduling to talking sure-fire pros into staying on an extra season).

Missing modes -- no online, no Campus Legend, no create-a-player, and no minigames (which is a must for the target audience) -- further illustrate the game's shoved-out-the-door nature.

Genre enthusiasts, beware: Golf: Tee it Up! hits the basics of the sport, but it lacks both the necessary finesse and panache to match up against the pros.

It's maddening to repeatedly fail a mission because you simply can't maneuver that well...especially when the only control you have over your character is movement. If this is the epitome of cooperative games, then I'll gladly go back to playing by myself.

A port that doesn't have anything new or interesting for PC gamers. Sure, it's Devil May Cry 4, and by golly, its enhanced high-res visuals sure look swell. But if you're going to port a game to the PC, you should take advantage of the most versatile platform out there. DMC4 fails to do so.

But Revolution's greatest omission is testament to just how addicting the game is. It's disappointing not having the option to play "one more turn..." after a victory condition is achieved and continuing to build (or rebuild) your empire.

But Revolution's greatest omission is testament to just how addicting the game is. It's disappointing not having the option to play "one more turn..." after a victory condition is achieved and continuing to build (or rebuild) your empire.