The real test of any exercise game is whether it works. That's a pretty simple measure. Getting on a scale pretty much tells you everything you need to know. Over the month I've played with Your Shape, I have definitely lost a few pounds.

The developers at Ubisoft are obviously Batman fans because they’ve made a game that sticks close to the source material while weaving a solid story and giving gamers a chance to play an episode of The Animated Series.

NHL Slapshot does a great job playing to the strengths of the Wii, which makes for an accessible experience and smooth on-ice action.

The game’s soundtrack is eclectic and solid but small.

Relic Entertainment cleared the hurdle the original game set as far as I'm concerned. Tweaking, remoulding and teasing out the underlying systems of the original, and then layering things like cold weather, may not set the world on fire like the original Company of Heroes did but it's still a solid strategy game and with the right support and continued release of content I can see it living on for quite some time.

Empire: Total War is not for the historically faint of heart. It's a sumptuous feast that has a lot of meat to it, though the meat could use a good carving knife to go with it.

But even though it's certainly not as huge as the second DLC, gamers looking for some new Red Dead Redemption gameplay with an expanded map of locations for gun-a-blazing enjoyment (and a great new weapon) should saddle up with the Legends and Killers Pack.

Big, bright, colorful, and a tidal wave quirkiness rolled into a ball, Katamari Forever can be a lot of fun if you just let yourself enjoy it.

If you enjoy something unique and want to change things up a bit, and if you want something that looks pleasing to the eye while you play on the go and is also fun to play, I would suggest giving Soul Bubbles a shot.

March Madness 06 is no Madden and no NCAA Football, but EA is getting very close to making a very good college basketball game.

Technically Jedi Starfighter is Starfighter’s recently paroled big brother, of the same gene pool yet just a little cooler.

There’s some trial and error early on that could have sunk the whole game, but the depth and style overcome that stumbling block.

With it's great sense of style and creative puzzles -- and easily digested price of $7.99 on Steam -- it's an easy title to recommend.

Prototype is about mucking around in a sandbox filled with viscera and it certainly excels at it.

Also funny is some of the dialogue and one-liners. On the whole the audio portion of Metal Arms gets good marks – if not for being memorable, then for being perfectly suited to the game.

All in all, Bulletstorm was a super pick up for me and I enjoyed playing it more than most FPS games in the last few years. Definitely looking forward to a sequel if it comes out.

NBA Live returns to the court with a solid outing this year

With a large roster of characters to choose from, the focus of three-on-three fights, and the overall art style and sensibility, King of Fighters XIII really does feel good to play.

Those wargamers will be able to find little wrong with BCT. (Plus, it runs like a dream on the lowest of the low-end PCs!) It’s a complex game, but it’s a satisfying experience once you get your hands dirty.

While there is room for improvement, the great feature about The Sims Online is the ability to update and add content at the game sign-on menu. (Maxis’ intends to add new material to The Sims Online for at least 2 or 3 years.)

As a Warhammer table top player, all I can say is this game has been a long time in coming. If you are tired of the PvE grind in WoW or simply prefer a more tactically oriented PvP game, I heartily recommend WAR.

It isn't very long (in single-player or co-op) or difficult, but with a healthy heaping of '80s nostalgia, old-school gameplay and robust modern multiplayer, Voltron: Defender of the Universe especially during cooperative multiplayer mayhem provides solid, budget-priced entertainment.

It's not impossible to play if you aren't a perfect infantry tactician, while still placing a heavy emphasis on proper strategy on the battlefield.

I’m a fan of the Red Alert series, warts and all. It’s just too much fun for me, whether playing with people through the co-op campaign of Red Alert 3 or the single-player aspects of Uprising, it’s all goofy fun. And that’s mainly what I want from my games: fun.

Besides the lack of truly original modes, the only other major problem I had with the game was the batting A.I. It seems impossible to get the computer batter to swing at a pitch outside the strike zone.

With good graphics, varied level designs, uniquely bizarre characters, different modes, a lot of pain-inflicting weapons, and decent control to go along with a lag-free and player-taunting laced rock-and-rollicking online play, this game has everything necessary to be a worthy addition to the party videogame scene.

The game sounds just as good as the visuals, except for some voice acting. Voices are a real mixed bag between great or ridiculous. Sound effects are good and the music keeps things tense.

Relatively good; on its own merits, not just because its set in the Godfather universe.

For the more casual player, Smash Hits is a good opportunity to breakout the instruments from On Tour and have some summer fun.

It might have come a little late to the table, but College Sports 2K7 is definitely worth taking a look at.

Like youth, EA Playground’s single-player mode is fleeting, but still a fun romp through the schoolyard of mini-games.

It's part of the "thug in a sandbox" action genre, so if you don't mind playing a criminal and can accept a few minor bugs here and there, The Godfather: The Game is a solid title.

Technical hiccups side, Project 8 is as solid as it ever was, and Neversoft is slowly but surely improving the formula without diluting it.

Should really appeal to fans of rhythm games and fans of watching their friends look like idiots.

Has its charms for those with some patience and a thirst for a different take on real-time strategy.

Some of the best graphics on the PS2, and... completely refined battle and character progression systems...On the other hand players will have to sit through a heavy handed, all together weak story, weak characterization of the cast, and a lack of any sense of exploration.

And with the kind of game V-Rally 3 is with it’s realistic rendering of the sport, good numbers of options, and good racing, it’s likely we’ll see a V-Rally 4. Recommended to rally fans for sure.

The great unknown with Brink is whether a strong online community will form and maintain itself. And that's the crux of the matter. Blazing through the Campaign takes little time and earns a good number of achievement points but the game is lumbered with awful AI. I had limited online play with real people and found Brink to run smoothly enough but this is before a thousands of people jump on to find a game.

At this moment in time, Battlefield 4 is less of a work in progress than it was at launch. It's enjoyable for long stretches, which is a lot more than I could say for it a few weeks ago. It has yet to reach its final form but at least Battlefield 4 isn't a train wreck any longer (at least on PC).

Dragon's Crown is a throw-back game that borrows heavily from side scrolling beat-'em-ups. The end result is a modernized interpretation of a classic genre.

Ultimately, Dragon Age 2 still manages to be a good game, but it will also be a VERY divisive title among RPG fans.

On the normal difficulty setting most veterans of the genre are bound to find the game too easy.

Even though Indigo Prophecy is grim, it’s also engrossing.

It remains to be seen if LittleBigPlanet’s portable community will be as dedicated or creative enough to continually pump out user-made levels, which has allowed the original PS3 version to enjoy repeated success even years after its launch, but regardless of whether you own both consoles or not, Sackboy’s portable world tour isn’t one you want to miss.

The environments in this game might be pretty cold but I’m happy to say the game is pretty hot.

It's all there, it's just not all that different than NHL 13.

It's stylish, fun and let's you go nuts with a whip.

It's everything good to be expected from a basketball game, plus loads of customization.

The adventure is on the short side, but with good writing, a strong translation of the TV show, and the fact it makes you think makes Law & Order II: Double or Nothing a solid purchase for fans of the show and those that want a bit of a mind exercise.

An enjoyable game. It emphasizes teamwork and really gives a lot of character tweaking to sink one’s teeth into, but you really need to be patient individual to deal with the mining aspect of the game.

The camera and the linear fashion of the levels didn’t make me a Rayman convert but I did have fun – especially with those drug-inspired transition sections. Far out, man!

It's an old school run-n-gun shooter that perfectly captures the flavor of the best "bad sci-fi" movies out there.

With a great baseball-playing control setup, MVP 07 NCAA Baseball is a solid hitting title that will stay entrenched in the gaming lineup of baseball-gaming fans everywhere.

While I didn't appreciate the sudden difficulty of the racing mission, it doesn't wreck the game as a whole.

Strangely, despite Arc the Lad: TotS being anything but innovative, it has an interesting charm and still manages to be quite fun.

It is once the main game is over that the real fun of The Movies begins.

Furthermore, their solution to the lack of known teams and players was clever and, most importantly, works.

An awesome game that reminds me more of an updated version of a classic than something new, but that’s exactly what I was waiting for.

A perfect buy for the “thinking” strategist that is willing to learn something; all others steer clear because you’ll get bored real quick.

It is still pretty stunning to me that I can lay on my couch with a wireless hand-held and play total strangers from across the globe.

Aimed toward the more "casual" sport gamer. If you just want to pick up the controller occasionally and play some basketball, ESPN is your game.

All in all, Crysis 3 is an impressive game – it delivers on style and experience, just doesn't do all those little extras to really set itself apart from the pack as a true AAA title.

Europa Universalis III represents an older and more thoughtful style of gaming. It's easy to pick up, and very easy to get your head handed to you. For those who persevere, you'll find a deep strategy game that will challenge your skill as a statesman and a general.

With plenty of characters to choose from, solid combat, and the ability to customize items without the whole process becoming overwhelming the game manages to be highly accessible to a wide variety of gamers.

Although the character switching adds gameplay possibilities to Sonic Heroes, most of them are negated by the too-obvious clues.

The motto of the United States Marine Corps is "Semper Fidelis." I can think of no higher compliment for ArmAII than that.

A great and humorous story, colourful environments, deep campaign and swappable characters make this a great game you shouldn't miss.

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is one of those games that has “cult hit” written all over it – maybe it won’t hit critical mass with a general audience but those that appreciate a good shooter and a well-told story should be happy.

All in all, Grid 2 is a beautiful game that does a spectacular job on the presentation and delivery for an authentic as you're likely to get racing experience. Enthusiasts will find the experience a little too thin for their lacking, but the mainstream audience will find much here to keep their attention if they are willing to put in that initial investment.

It doesn't feature the same level of changes of most expansion packs, but the strategic elements are sound and the campaign is long enough to justify the paltry $20US price tag.

Sounds good, looks good, takes about 40 – 50 hours from start to finish (plus more to complete the game 100%), it's filled with action, and is a good time for those that like being a criminal in a virtual sandbox.

Those that like management sims, dealing with the minutia of number crunching and furniture placement, and still enjoy The Sims will have a good time with it.

Although the single-player adventure runs out of fuel way too soon, the intensity of the racing while driving beautifully rendered "dream" autos makes up for the brevity, and a few replayable modes (Challenge and online) greatly increases Need for Speed: The Run's gameplay driving distance.

A great fast-paced action (but repetitive) game that pays homage to a number of arcade games and will probably show up on the console side of the industry.

A somewhat eclectic game, Big Bang Mini offers all the spectacle of fireworks with plenty of visual attraction paired with an old-school-tough level of challenge and classic arcade-style gameplay.

The designers have created exceptionally rewarding three dimensional puzzles.

Scores big points for recreating the animated series in video game form with you in control of Batman.

There may be some complaints about the game being a linear affair, with nothing in the way of free-form exploration. Those complaints are absolutely accurate, but I hardly view it's linear approach as something to whine about. It lets the story run it's course without the chance of the player running off the rails trying to dig around through a branching story.

After some effort is put into actually learning it, the flow of the game actually feels pretty good, even to me.

Those expecting a more action heavy experience will feel a little let down, but as a puzzle heavy action game, Lara can more than hold her own.

If you are still stuck on the edge of strategy games, hanging on to what you can before delving into the real-time games that seem more popular now – your are going to love this game.

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2: The Phantom Fortress is a really good game. If this is your first time with the series, I would definitely recommend picking it up. If you own the first one you might be slightly disappointed with the improvements but there’s enough here to keep anyone busy for quite a while.

A really interesting game that some people will think is great, while others will harp on the shortcomings. Personally, I really enjoyed the title and will keep the game in my rotation until I defeat all of those missions completely with all bonuses.

There’s no diplomatic way to say this, it never feels like you have anything interesting to do across MM3's many missions.

A linear action game that certainly brings style in spades, but has a series of flaws that prevent it from being a truly great game.

The visuals are top notch – all of the effects look great, even down to the muffler stutter when throttling up.

The ability to take this many arcade-perfect ports on the go (legally) makes this a good buy.

Never taking itself completely seriously despite the seriously challenging gameplay at times, Aaaaa! is a great indie game that goes outside the mainstream gaming genre, possessing a “now for something completely different” attitude with matching Monty Python-esque humor.

It is definitely not for snobby role-playing twits. However, there is still a lot of fun to be found and this game should be given a fair shake.

All in all – I particularly enjoyed my time playing with these Star Wars themed tables and had fine time reminiscing while using them and are definitely recommended for any Star Wars pinball enthusiast.

NHL 06 may not be the greatest hockey game I've ever played, it's leaps and bounds above last years offering.

The storyline follows the exploits of the pantheon of Batman villains after their escape from Arkham Asylum and the subsequent mayhem that ensues, but you don't need to be familiar with any of that to sit down and play along with your kids.

The single-player game sticks closely to the tried and true Bomberman action we have come to know while not relying too much on the involvement of the Pokémonesque charabom characters (that were introduced in the original versions last year) to create a surprisingly good handheld title.

I may die a dozen times in as many minutes, but the simplicity of the controls and game mechanics and the great level design make for an experience that can be equally rewarding and damning.

Of course, broadband users get the best deal as all the modes benefit from more players. TMB was always about slightly controlled chaos, and it is hard to obtain that vibe with only one other user in the level.

Not intended for those with moderate experience with sidescrollers.

Although there are multiplayer options included, just as with Doom 3, you can tell that the focus was definitely on the single player aspect of the game. While the storyline isn't exactly gripping, the gameplay is.

Definitely isn’t as good as "Mario Kart," but bring some friends over and you can still have one hell of a fun gaming experience.