If you've already played Guitar Hero 5, Band Hero is the exact same thing, just with brighter lights and an easier setting.

Kung Fu Panda is definitely one of the better movie-inspired games I've played. The combat system as well as the puzzle-platforming style of the game work well together, and the whole game is fun to play.

How many GBA to console ports can you name? Me neither. This is definitely one and it shows. But despite the somewhat rushed presentation which tries unsuccessfully to combine new graphics and menus with those of 32-bit system, this is still one heck of a fun game - with a four-player mode to boot.

Perhaps the best part about Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is its price point. At only $39.99 US for Xbox One and $29.99 US for the Xbox 360 version, it’s a relatively cheap and extremely fun take on shooters, which is all too rare these days.

Second episode was better than the first. Let’s see where this story goes.

Plenty of race types, a decent campaign, and online multiplayer will keep you coming back-if the community survives.

It's Tetris with lots of twists.

This game is satire in its sharpest form. It's self mocking, self aware attitude is always at the forefront and it makes the adventure, oh so very clever indeed.

Episode Two of Life is Strange really hooked me. I still want to know more about this world.

Like watching skate videos themselves, Project 8 simply loses its charm after a while. Realistic graphics and Nail the Trick aside, Project 8 comes off as a title that’s so rooted in its own genre that true innovation may prove unlikely.

It certainly rides on the coattails of 2033 Redux’s release, but it’s still incredibly fun. If anything, it’s a testament to how much fun Last Light was to begin with.

An immensely ambitious game, and in some ways, it's even a groundbreaking one. However, its focus on realism will turn off fans of arcade shooters, and the developers will have to do some patching before everything truly clicks. If you want a hardcore multiplayer FPS that thoroughly immerses you in the Battle of Stalingrad, this could be the game for you-someday.

You will never finish the game by random button mashing. If you're not going to spend the time don't buy this game. I'm warning you right now.

The new voice command system works flawlessly, and players should find it to be a mighty rewarding experience.

You might be able to squeeze 20 hours out of this game before you start repeating yourself.

In a world where most simulation games have moved to the mobile marketplace and include obnoxious timers and microtransactions, it's wonderful to see this good old series keep evolving and improving.

If you are looking for a new shooter that is like nothing else on the market right now, it’s definitely worth giving Evolve a shot.

Greatly expanded dual campaigns mix well with robust multiplayer modes.

This game is one of the most dark and disturbing games I have ever played and I'm still not sure if that's a good thing or not...Underneath it all I found the game one part infectious and one part repetitious. I enjoyed skulking in the shadows for the first half of the game, but after that it wore thin.

Its fresh take on the fantasy genre, excellent minion mechanics and morbid humor make for a gaming experience you won't soon forget.

For a weekend rental, you will be hard pressed to find a better, or more fun, racing game than Burnout Dominator. Hardcore fans need to be advised that this game could just as easily be called Burnout 2.

I’ve often slammed Mega Man for being resurrected from the dead, and deserved so. Fortunately Capcom has been able to breath new life into him with this ZX.

The game gives you a great feel of control, allowing you to give orders to your units with the press of a button.

You're only going to get your money's worth out of this game if you plan on getting a lot of use out of the multi-player mode.

It's all about picking up the controller, having some wacky baseball fun for a half an hour or less and then going to grandma's house for a nice homecooked roast beef dinner. Roast beef not included.

An excellent starting point for the episodic series. Wallace and Gromit are just as charming as ever, and their first episodic romp left us looking forward to seeing where Telltale will take the two in future episodes. Clocking in at several hours of solid playtime, episode one is a relatively short endeavor, but the content is brimming with quality.

The story mode alone is worth the price of admission, but the new multiplayer modes, characters, and map will keep you coming back.

I really enjoyed Order Up! It had everything I had hoped for and was surprisingly fun. Unfortunately, it is just a single-player game with forgettable mini-games that can be torn through in just a few hours.

If you're a fan of the Dynasty Warriors gameplay and the lore of The Legend of Zelda series, you will absolutely fall in love with Hyrule Warriors and enjoy the extensive list of replayable modes. For those of you who feel this is a taint on the Zelda brand, I can assure you that nothing but care and dedication has been given to the mythos of the franchise. That said, the gameplay itself can become quickly repetitive without a difficulty challenge besides beating the enemy to the punch.

ShootMania Storm is a breath of fresh air in this world of carbon-copy military shooters. It’s a new take on an old genre that will satisfy anyone who grew up alongside the early shooters.

It’s got a great story with a fun and inventive design. The “recruit anyone” mechanic is well designed and well implemented as are the ideas of what happens when characters are taken out of commission, regardless of whether you’re using the permadeath mode or not. The world is gorgeous, continually inviting you to dive back in and see what/who you can find.

Most of the time, it's the kind of game that simply brings a smile to your face as you enjoy the fresh world and amusing dialogue. If it weren't for the tedious side effects of the card system and the disappointingly unoriginal cast, it could be a genuine Game of the Year award contender.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Batman: Arkham Origins. There is a ton of replay value here, and with a New Game Plus mode to explore, I’m ready to polish up my batarangs, throw on my classic Batman costume, and get to kicking supervillain ass, 60s style.

Konami succeeds in creeping us out, but due to substantial alterations to the gameplay, you might be more frustrated than freaked by the time you reach one of SH4's four endings.

The gameplay mechanics are good but it doesn't surpass FIFA, nor does it have half of FIFA's features.

With 80+ hours of content and an engaging story, you can stay immersed in the world of Phantom Brave for quite awhile.

While not as great as the console version, relatively speaking, Chamber of Secrets will certainly keep you interested - for a spell.

Personally, except for the glitch in the soundtrack and a few minor details in the graphics, the game is fun and that is what is important.

The game's replayability is arguably the greatest in recent gaming history, with so many reasons to keep going back, from the plethora of things to unlock, to the endless things to smash.

While Singstar may not be the game to do all by your lonesome, it is a great addition to your party game library.

For a free game that’s included with the system, we couldn’t be happier. We hope that Nintendo expands on the Bowling, Baseball, and Tennis games and tweaks Golf for future releases because they have a real winner on their hands.

A great compilation of old-school, classic arcade games. Yes, there are a few weaklings in the litter, but each game is delivered as close to perfection as can be expected on a handheld system.

The blockbuster production values make this one of the best comic book to videogame adaptations ever made. The control is equally as impressive which may not be apparent initially as I mentioned. The only things holding this game back from absolute greatness are basically the same flaws that held SM2 back from greatness: repetitive random missions, relentless chase missions, relatively short story mode and the lack of imagination in terms of game structure.

Space Marine doesn't break any rules or push any boundaries, but Warhammer fans across the globe might finally have the non-RTS Warhammer game that we've been waiting for.

Incredibly fun, especially with a group, and it is a great improvement over Lights, Camera, Action.

While The Iron Triangle may not seem like it’s for everyone, with a little bit of patience and trial and error, even an action hero could rule the world.

With multiple endings, different paths to choose, hundreds of characters and lots of environments to explore, Suikoden V, can take its place at the top shelf among classic PS2 RPGs.

Jam packed with solid fighting action. It's a great investment for fans, but those unfamiliar with the old series may not appreciate its relative straightforwardness.

The multiplayer focus and a lack of a more traditional, story-driven solo campaign may not sit as well with all players, but the streamlined action-RPG gameplay proves to be seriously addictive in short bursts. The development team managed to inject a surprising level of gameplay depth into such a pared-down RTS design, and it works out.

Only you know how badly you want this game and if you could really care less about it one way or the other, I would suggest "the other."

The puzzles are well done, as usual, and the rest of the game is fun too.

You certainly can't go wrong with a rental of Touchmaster 2. But keep in mind that most of these games, or variations of them, can be found on the net for free. The only two factors that make this version unique is that it's portable and features the touchscreen control system.

There's a surprising amount of gameplay here. There are six sports and countless difficulty levels for each. This will keep you training for weeks.

If you were enamored by the creative ideas promised by games such as Drawn to Life, definitely give Max & the Magic Marker a look. It's not an epic adventure by any means, but there's still something magical about it.

Tomb Raider Underworld was far more enjoyable than I ever thought it would be. The expansive environments, solid platforming sequences, challenging puzzles, and adventure-filled storyline should appeal to anyone who loved the Prince of Persia games and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Disappointingly, combat is fairly mediocre, and a lot of technical inconsistencies are troublesome. Nevertheless, Underworld is a very good game.

On the whole, Ghostbusters is an impressive production most fans should eat up. We had a fun time with the game, though we were also left with serious reservations due to glitching that might cause less-experienced gamers to hang up their proton packs well before the journey ends.

There is virtually no difference between the PC and Xbox version. The Xbox Live feature lets you play others worldwide in a series of modes that gives the game good replay value.

The game is not a failure by any means, but you will find yourself asking for more or wanting to play other more fleshed out fighting games. The visuals were also a big letdown, especially the backgrounds, mainly because we've been spoiled by other visually appealing fighting games.

All things considered, Dead Space 3 just isn’t made for those of us craving another horror experience. It’s far less scary and far more shooter-y than the previous games in the series. But for fans of set piece-based action games, Dead Space 3 has a pretty healthy buffet of amazing content. Just don’t spend any money on the microtransactions; EA needs to know that we’re not going to tolerate that sort of crap.

Having multiple control options, not having to change out tiny discs midway through the game, and having better audio are definitely pluses, but I don’t think they are big enough improvements to merit picking up this title if you already own the GameCube version.

It's a testament to innovative thinking that the brilliant developers at Avalanche Software are able to find a way to breathe new life into an old premise and a series that most gamers would probably imagine has run its course.

Most quality RPGs can easily absorb dozens of hours of your time; Second Evolution doubles that with multiple playable character perspectives and a compelling tale that simply screams for a second playthrough.

Victoria II incorporates challenging strategy and sim elements with enough flexibility to satisfy any weasel-beating gaming goof.

Ten dollars seems like a bit much for what's on offer here, but the regimented design ensures you'll have a quick blast of fun for a long, long time.

The best aspect of the game is the two-player co-op mode. It's so much more fun to play this game with another person.

The Godfather is not a perfect game but it's a hell of a lot of fun. There's nothing particularly frustrating about it so the challenges won't be insurmountable to casual gamers. Hardcores can immerse themselves in the mob world and enjoy the game as an interactive movie.

Unfortunately, point-and-click games don't lend themselves to replayability. The time you spend with The Dream Machine, though, will be immensely enjoyable.

Career mode is a bit on the short side, and there isn't much in the way of new challenges or modes. Still, there is a lot to do, and the new control keeps things from getting stale.

Aside from going back and collecting more notes, there’s essentially no replay value here at all. While there’s no doubt that Despereaux will make a great present or stocking stuffer, if you’re considering it for yourself, you would be advised to rent it.

The crew at Infinite Interactive did a fantastic job of continuing the Puzzle Quest series without letting it get bogged down in the mire of unoriginality. The story is great, the presentation is slick and polished, the puzzles are challenging, varied, and fresh, and the new setting really makes things unique.

After the 30 hours of gameplay in the single-player mode, the game has pretty much peaked and waned. For the money, that's still a pretty good deal considering that you'd pay this for games that lasts less than 10 hours.

Everything we love about this game only gets better when you factor in its cooperative play mode; playing alone is creepier, but having a bloodthirsty buddy by your side really ratchets up the fun factor.

A good game that never seems in danger of being great. It’s like exploring a slice of life in another culture; you’re not quite sure what you’re going to get but you keep trying to get something.

Most of my differences with Duchovny may be personal but nobody would argue with me that his performance in Area 51 is atrocious. He is to videogame voiceovers what Perry Como is to rock and roll.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a messy ending to a messy remake of a messy franchise. But it’s messy in a way I was compelled to see through to the end, shining in ways that were engaging and faltering in ways that fall far from ruining anything.This Tomb Raider trilogy has been full of ambition and missteps, but never failures, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, despite its problems, ends things on a high note that reminded me both why I loved the 2013 reintroduction so much and why Rise of the Tomb Raider left me wanting. It lies somewhere in-between, and I’m glad the Trinity story has concluded so we can move on to something new again.

More user-friendly than the original. It's much more free despite what appears to be an overwhelming amount of decisions and option. This is a good thing however and thanks to the handy interface it couldn't be made easier.

It's a testament to innovative thinking that the brilliant developers at Avalanche Software are able to find a way to breathe new life into an old premise and a series that most gamers would probably imagine has run its course.

Perhaps it was my lack of real interest or the length of time since I played the first game, but the challenge level was a little intimidating.

The story is more or less self-contained, which means the previous titles are not really a prerequisite. It’s a solid shooter which can easily fill that weekend itch if you need something to play off the cuff. It will also tickle the fancy of my fellow history buffs, as the alternate timeline brings a “what if” spin on a dark piece of our past.

The game simply delivers some no-nonsense, hardcore space shooter fun that's decidedly tough to beat but easy to pick up and jump right into.

After Burner Climax is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting new entries into the downloadable space. SEGA managed to preserve most of the intensity and all of the fun of the original game, and this latest iteration packs in a few extras that complete the package in a meaningful way.

I suppose that ultimately, what counts in a Soulsborne or Metroidvania or action-RPGs is combat, action, bosses and exploration and in all these areas, Vigil: The Longest Night makes a pretty strong case for itself. It’s a great looking game with a dark and lush visual style and melee combat against some challenging monsters and human type enemies. A tighter story and less labyrinthian levels might make a very good experience even more compelling, but Vigil: The Longest Night will probably please fans of Salt and Sanctuary and those looking for a solid 2D Dark Souls-like game.

Gamers weaned on games like "Final Fantasy" who recognize that Tolkien's masterpieces are largely responsible for the genre they love and admire, probably won't be too pleased with the dumbing down of their favorite gaming conventions in The Third Age, but may want to experience the battles nonetheless simply due to their commitment to the subject matter.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit feels like a technology and toy that can work in the right conditions. If you have a home with a large living room or an office with some empty space, I could see you having a good time making a constrained course in a single room and racing around. The less space you have and more types of flooring, obstacles, and creativity you employ, the odds increase that you’ll be hit by constant and performance-hampering connection issues. Still, it seems like a step forward for remote control cars and like this could lead to something bigger and better down the road. For now, it’s a novelty that can sometimes feel like the best times come from using it to explore your home.

The quality of the presentation, action-oriented battles, and solid multiplayer mode all add up to a game that is worth a recommendation. With little on the Wii these days aside from ports and mini-games, Battalion Wars 2 is a breath of fresh air.

Linear romps of destruction are enjoyable in mid-length spurts. Multiplayer offers a few different modes to play competitively or cooperatively.

I applaud the developers for not dragging the gameplay out. It's as long as it needs to be, and even if that means a little on the short side, so be it. It just leaves me wanting more.

There's tons of content to play though here if you've never experienced Tales of the Abyss. If you have, though, skip it, because there's not so much as a single word of dialogue added to this release.

Taken as an interactive movie it's not so bad. It's engrossing but it's not engaging. I felt as though I were watching a show and not so much a part of it. Definitely a renter.

The game's superfluous combat and unforgiving puzzle-solving mechanics only serve to bog the experience down; I can only assume that, without them, Sticker Star would have been infinitely crisper and more enjoyable.

The series premiere set the ball rolling nicely, but Episode Two picks up the uproarious humor and killer story and runs with it.

Even though most of the modes are all very similar, you'll have a blast rally racing every time you pick this one up!

With the exception of adding super-powers, it’s pretty much the same old thing.

Despite issues with the Drop System and a story that splashes merrily in the deep end of the Pool of Absurdity, Kingdom Hearts 3D is a genuinely fun game.

If you are limited to just one console, or you plan on playing with youngsters, FIFA Soccer 10 for Wii is a quality game that does just enough to satisfy the majority of players' soccer lust.

Due to the game's repetitive nature I would advise that you don't play it for long periods at a stretch. It will get boring. Savor it. Play one level and then put it away for a day or a week.

Webfoot actually improved just about everything in this sequel. They probably didn't have to but fans will be glad they did.

A game with its fair share of problems. Bugs and technical issues are all too common and shouldn't be present in this capacity. The multiplayer, while fun at times, is difficult to get into and seems a little tacked on for a game in the FPS genre, where multiplayer is generally a primary focus. On the other hand, it is nearly unrivaled in creating a truly immersive and creepy setting.