Even with a few shortcomings, Fuse is a terrific game and hopefully it gives rise to a franchise.

Diddy Kong Racing DS ends up being a slightly above average racing game. If you are expecting to find a better time than Mario Kart here, keep looking.

Gangland is a good game, with a great mix of real-time combat and strategy, and the economics of crime.

A great game if you’re looking for a racer that you’ll spend a lot of time on. It’s also great for those of you who are constantly on the go.

In the end, hardcore Deadpool fans may want to get this game sooner rather than later, but for everyone else I'd say wait. There is some fun to be had here bashing baddies over the head with hammers and the like, and the story is pretty hilarious. However, the extremely short length of the game is a deal breaker. Wait until Deadpool gets a Steam sale or some such before picking it up.

I love the animation and look of the game and some the technical fighting aspects, but there's not much else.

All told, Outcry isn't a bad game. It's not one I would recommend for players who aren't already a fan of the genre.

Any hardcore pinball fanatic should immediately pick it up.

The single-mindedness of the gameplay makes it easy to get into, but in the long term, the game has less to offer.

Like its Wii counterpart, the game is adequate but not outstanding.

Two genres thrown together that don’t really try to be better than the games that they’re based on, descending into a mundane exercise in repetition.

Battlefront are an admirable group whose games all feel like labors of love, and you can feel developers’ blood, sweat and tears all through Combat Mission: Shock Force.

An alarm should go off when you read the subtitle of the expansion pack, which is simply, "Expansion Pack." There are no bells, no whistles, and no sunroof.

Taking flight for the seemingly last time, Spyro gets regrettably grounded by some debilitating gameplay features, most notably the camera that will have gamers madly spewing fire and brimstone.

There is very little reason to own this game. There are simply much better street racing games on the market, more worthy of your money.

If you're a soccer nut FIFA 06 is your only fix for the Xbox 360, but it'll probably disappoint you with a complete lack of "standard" features.

You could say that it is a competent video game that fans of the franchise will enjoy. But you could also say that Bakugan fans are goddamned idiots.

A prime example of a good idea gone bad. If it weren’t for the annoying controls and the ho-hum nature of the game it would actually have been pretty good, but as it stands unless you are a huge fan of the movies this game isn’t worth buying.

Despite some inane gameplay features, the arcade-style flying and fighting is very good.

You’ll have to be extremely familiar with the controls to have a hope in hell of finishing the game.

In terms of challenge and entertainment Mario Pinball Land is a good choice for a long flight or a series of shorter periods.

In short, controlled bursts Odama is fun but in stretches no longer than half an hour. And for all the uniqueness and quirkiness of the title, it can't offset the fact there's more luck involved than actual skill.

And I say in conclusion (with great sorrow and apologies to the late Lloyd Bentsen): "Silverfall, I played Diablo II. I knew Diablo II. Diablo II was a friend of mine. And Silverfall [sigh], you’re no Diablo II."

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.

Despite getting slammed harder than a flying elbow smash to the cranium with some aggravating control issues and a somewhat short single-player experience, wrestling gamers, especially TNA fans, will be able to tolerate TNA iMPACT!

Overall, it’s a satisfying Pokémon romp. The perspective is a little different but the addictive turn-based battles and exploration are in full effect and still lots of fun.

Mario Party 8 has sold extremely well but it seems to be riding the crest wave of previous Mario Party titles, because there’s nothing worth coming back for.

Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters isn’t a bad game (even if the camera is troublesome), but judging by the forum feedback and general critical feedback it doesn’t seem to hit the same high water marks the other games have, which is likely why I can only see completionists grabbing a copy.

On the outside chance that some nameless gamer out there is thinking about picking up Rumble Roses XX on the basis that it will provide an excellent wrestling experience, I should plainly state, that the actual wrestling action is just average.

Capcom deserves all the praise in the world for bringing back the folks behind Rearmed. It's just too bad their attempt to win back Bionic Commando lovers after the devastating (in more ways than one) 3D experiment fell short.

Its [slow] pace will kill the game for some, but others not so experienced in the RTS genre will appreciate the accessibility the speed affords.

Sure it starts to build up interest when you reach level 40 but it takes forever just to get to level 20.

But Arena Football Road to Glory does truly capture, in true EA Sports form, the real essence of indoor football that will offer the average football gamer another choice to select from if they want a pigskin alternative to both of EA’s other more revered football franchises covering the NFL and college football.

Commandos Strike Force is the only game I've ever attempted to play on Xbox Live where there wasn't a single player playing.

Great action-RPG elements and beautiful graphics will keep you glued to the screen from start to finish.

Chronicles of Mystery: The Scorpio Ritual is a decent title that is just a little shy of greatness.

The mouse sensitivity is atrocious, even when set to maximum.

This is the kind of game perfectly suited for kids. The graphics are big and bright, the levels are straightforward enough that there's never a situation where they'll get lost, and the co-op play means there's no shouting about "It's my turn!" as they clean-up the town with Cuisinart-esque implements, which are a lot of fun to use according my kids.

Its problems stalk it like Jason stalks his victims – they’re always right behind you just when you thought you had lost them.

Once your island is set up, you can tackle the missions. Well, tackle may be too strong of a word, trudge may be more correct.

Don’t bother with Rock Manager unless you’re a huge music industry fan.

Manages to be an average action game but a great translation of Wolverine in his first starring game on this generation of consoles. For that alone it’s probably worth a look.

If you have to suffer through a zombie armageddon, there's no better way to pass the time until the doomsday clock reaches midnight than unleashing carnage on the PS3 with the apocalyptically action-packed need-for-killing-speed enjoyment of Armageddon Riders.

At the end of the day, the sheer amount of repetitive, uninspired quests, and dreary battles make the game a chore to play.

So, as long as you’re between the ages of 6 and 9 (or you’re buying/renting for such a person) you’ll likely have some fun with Madagascar : Escape 2 Africa.

Possibly the biggest letdown of TS is the small number of tracks available.

Nothing ruins a fond memory like a crap game.

Back to the point though, Splatterhouse is actually more satisfying than the original games, even with all of the game's problems. In that way it's a successful reboot.

Gretzky NHL 06 showed some serious improvement graphically over last year’s version but otherwise all the same flaws remain untouched.

I hope to God the guys at Firaxis are watching this, because Jagged Alliance: Back In Action is, and probably will for many years hence be, the definitive textbook example of how to mess up by the numbers when attempting to "relaunch" a classic franchise.

A competent, if somewhat unremarkable, beat 'em up. Fans of the comics who weren't angered by the movie will definitely find enjoyment out of a rental, but there's not much more than an a few hours of brainless fun to be had.

But at least the dance mat support lends enough to the experience to make it something different and worthwhile -- at least for a rent -- and turns it into a fine workout too.

For all it's faults, Blacklight certainly has the potential to be a great little game. If it can overcome the shortcomings of its design by adding on to it, and if it can get a much larger and more active player base, it could be a viable contender to Modern Warfare 2. Until that happens, however, it's not quite good enough to outright recommend, nor bad enough to outright dismiss.

The competition this year is far too talented and the upper tier of baseball games on the PS2 this year relegates MLB 2004 to a last-place finish.

It’s got some good-looking graphics, is easily accessible since it relies on convention, and enough challenge for young and old.

A lack of true performance tweaking and additions makes this a rather hard sell on the 3DS, but it's certainly not the worst version of the game out there.

In the end, Harry Potter & The Order of The Phoenix fails to enchant.

Alive offers a great racing experience. It's just a shame that everything outside of the actual racing is sub standard. The frustrating levelling up system almost ruined the entire experience for me and the lack of tutorials leaves a lot to be desired.

Loki: Heroes of Mythology may not bring anything really new or exciting to the table, but if you enjoy this sort of game you will find hours and hours of enjoyment and after all, that’s really what it’s all about isn’t it?

Nostalgic cameos and sweet pyrotechnics aside, Ninety-Nine Nights is ultimately a frustrating experience.

Fans of the soldier shooting genre are better off sticking with the current and upcoming Tom Clancy games than looking at the weak shadow of a game that SORM ultimately turns out to be.

In short, if you enjoyed the original game enough that you would like to experience more of it, than Joe's Adventures is a worthwhile investment.

If you’re a fan of the series, it’s definitely worth looking into. If you’re looking for a new platforming experience with some action thrown in with a non-human character, try checking out ‘The Legend of Kay’ at your local retailer. You’ll find it more enjoyable in the long run.

The enemy AI is predictable, typically running straight at Jack; ordering Shadow around is hit and miss; there's zero help when it comes to targeting enemies (i.e. no lock-on function); and the animation can be disjointed and completely bizarre.

Comes up shooting blanks with a very mediocre adaptation that has few redeemable features outside its strong multiplayer Xbox Live presence.

Might interest younger gamers and please parents with it’s inoffensiveness, but there are still better games out there for the younger audience.

One of the better action titles available on the PSP, From Russia With Love is definitely not without flaws: it doesn’t last too long, the gameplay is a bit too easy, and there are some control issues.

If you have a hankering for a beat 'em up / RPG hybrid, you can do better than Sacred Citadel.

You sever someone’s head and you need to lob it into a goal! Sounds fun? Yup, right up there with watching grass grow.

If one can look over the odd, “brave Sir Arron ran away” combat method, and a ineffective story sewn together from fantasy cliche’s, there is some fun to be had with Nightcaster.

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.

Had Access Games come up with a better way to implement the disguise system, and eliminated all of the minor problems, Spy Fiction could've been a winner.

EA still can't find that elusive GoldenEye touch in GoldenEye: Rogue Agent. But they finally seem to be on the right path to glory.

Splinter Cell: Double Agent on Wii is definitely workable and even enjoyable, but you've got to work for it and and that may turn a lot of people off.

I didn’t like this game because my threshold for frustration is not what is used to be. The camera problems are just too much.

The online setup is great, supporting an in-depth ranking system and easily accessible online options.

Avatar does look awesome (even better, I'm told, when you're playing in Stereoscopic 3D) but there's so little fun here that your money is better spent elsewhere.

It's achingly repetitive.

The first downfall of Build-a-Bear Workshop is that there's no spoken instructions.

Hands down, this is one of the weirdest games I’ve played this year. But it’s also the funniest.

Naruto Shippuden: UNH3 isn't a bad game, but it does at times feel more of a chore playing than it is actually having fun.

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.

Defeat twenty muggers and save twenty innocents and make it to the end of the level in four minutes? Tossing down a controller is one thing, flinging a brand new piece of hardware a the nearest hard surface just isn’t possible.

There is no real choice or variation however, as gamers must exhaust all the dialogue options before they are able to stop talking to someone.

A difficult FPS-style game that suffers from a few short-comings that prevent it from being a truly great game.

Brings back fond memories of older puzzle games but doesn’t show the polish that could have made the game better.

Unlike Midway's Arcade Treasures series there's nothing in the way of background, historical or inside information on the titles.

What makes Le Mans so fun to play is the simplicity of the racing experience. This will no doubt cause the game to lose favour from serious racing sim fans, but I found the level of difficulty perfect.

All in all, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam was a lot of fun to play, not a particularly deep game with extensive replay value, but fun nonetheless.

However, if you loved last year’s Crash of the Titans or are a grade school-gamer with a love of offbeat humour, this game may just appeal to you.

Play it for a few hours, play it with your friends, after that, go to sleep and dream of SSX 5.

The single-player game is so easy as to be boredom inducing. As a multiplayer game, it shines but is marred by a limited number of boards.

I'd go so far as to say the single player mode is almost entirely worthless.

PokePark 2 is, more or less, on the same footing as the Dead or Alive Extreme Beach Volleyball games. It's much more kid friendly, of course. But like DOA Extreme Beach Volleyball and Xtreme 2, PokePark 2 is all about playing nice and doing favours (or maybe even "battling") in hopes of acquiring more friends in this world devoid of humans trying to stuff unwitting creatures into Pokeballs.

Shooter fans will probably find that GoldenEye: Rogue Agent is an average experience, with enough slick action and challenge to warrant at least a rental.

Critical flaws in a console game are unacceptable, especially when updating (i.e. patching) console games just isn’t done yet.

The multiplayer mode is a waste of disc space thanks to the decision to forgo split-screen and could have easily been improved with a few minor changes.

$30 for a barebones package that doesn't have nearly the addictive qualities or visual panache of other games in its genre is a bit steep.