BioShock for PS3 may not be as impressive as I thought it was going to be, but that’s not to say it isn’t the definitive version; it is. And the definitive version of one of the best console games ever made spells “must-buy” for the uninitiated. Nevertheless, the lack of Challenge Rooms was rather disappointing, but, thankfully, many of the glitches have been resolved.

Are there annoyances you will encounter? Sure. However, the one thing that you have to take into account while playing this title is the natural progression of the franchise. Opening it up to more comic book-focused storylines, allowing players to decide the outcome in various interesting ways, increasing the combat to make it enjoyable and easily accessible to anyone, and, of course, giving fans the Black Suit to play around with all do this admirably.

The one thing that you have to take into account while playing this title is the natural progression of the franchise. Opening it up to more comic book-focused storylines, allowing players to decide the outcome in various interesting ways, increasing the combat to make it enjoyable and easily accessible to anyone, and, of course, giving fans the Black Suit to play around with all do this admirably.

The combat system is also a good start, but the combinations need more variety instead of repeatedly mashing the same button. They also need to design a control scheme for the Wii instead of mapping buttons to motion swings because the controls feel tacky.

For those in search of single-player fun, Web of Shadows is an entertaining PS2 title, while not offering a whole lot of functions. There is absolutely no two-player action or any modes other than playing through the storyline with three different skill levels.

It's a great game, but it's over all too quickly. I highly recommend it, but I recommend it as a rental.

It’s short, there is a bit of tedium with the backtracking, and it’s competing in a virtual sea of gaming goodness ready to release within the next month or so. But for Spidey fans and action lovers alike, you can’t go wrong with this web-slinging adventure.

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.

As a single adventure, Bolt DS is mediocre. It’s not a terrible game, but it greatly lacks focus and the mechanics are too loose to offer even mindless, button-mashing pleasure.

A few more layers of polish, a little more originality, and an interesting story with some substance would make it a much better game. Regardless, it boils down to a good puzzle experience with gameplay that’s strong enough to carry the weight.

By adopting a laissez faire attitude to player discretion, Ubisoft has crafted a brilliant follow-up.

By adopting a laissez faire attitude to player discretion, Ubisoft has crafted a brilliant follow-up.

Going into Star Ocean: First Departure with the expectation of finding an adventure that's in line with current generation RPG fare is going to result in disappointment, but the strong genre mechanics are all here, well-oiled, and mostly in good working order.

DDR Universe 3 is the best entry in the series so far. It has managed to take a fairly run-of-the-mill arcade-style dancing game and has breathed new life into it.

For an RPG, Eternal Sonata isn't particularly long -- it clocks in at around 30 hours -- but it's a deep, rewarding, and completely entertaining experience while it lasts.

A kid who loves the TV show might find Transformers Animated: The Game amusing for a little while, and some adults might enjoy the more challenging puzzles. However, most players who aren't blinded by love for Transformers will probably find this title a bit boring. There are better games like this out there.

The actual gaming portion of this package is painfully unintuitive and fails to deliver any sort of experience of lasting worth. A food analogy properly sums it up. Pizza, salad, and cake are all good on their own, but haphazardly mash the three together results in an unpalatable mess. Sadly, such is the case with What’s Cooking.

Sure, it doesn't have the grandeur and scope of the Gran Turismo series, or the freewheeling mayhem of Burnout, but it does bring a style all it's own to the genre. With plenty of rides, modes, and personality to spare, this title is definitely worthy of having a spot on your automotive mantle, as long as you're up to the challenge!

Sure, it doesn't have the grandeur and scope of the Gran Turismo series, or the freewheeling mayhem of Burnout, but it does bring a style all it's own to the genre. With plenty of rides, modes, and personality to spare, this title is definitely worthy of having a spot on your automotive mantle, as long as you're up to the challenge!

While the graphics and hole designs are inviting, the frustrations caused by the controls and Barker himself successfully put a damper on the entire experience.

Midnight Club: LA Remix delivers an extremely proficient racing experience. However, potential boons for the game – like the open world and RPG-like leveling system for your car – are its biggest problems.

It’s a calculated, strategic exercise that requires ample time and patience. The Wii version gracefully combines the classic gameplay with new variations in a format that’s visually pleasing, entertaining to play, and a very strong representation of the Monopoly experience on a gaming console.

If you believe games are non-competitive ways to express yourself and where not much effort is required, then you will probably love Wii Music. However, if you believe games are all about skill, scores, and hard work, then you probably won’t enjoy this title at all.

With such an expansive and ambitious space-faring adventure it would have been easy for the development team to bite off more than it can chew, but Egosoft has much to be proud of in its accomplishments here.

It’s a good package of short and amusing episodes for new players to dig into. Series vets may want to stick with the PC version.

Story mode is long enough to keep you engaged, and the online mode is amusing for a few rounds. However, I can’t imagine getting more than seven or eight hours of playtime out of this title.

It is quite unfortunate that the company that essentially invented the music genre has produced such a poor title, but Rock Revolution just doesn’t have any redeeming qualities. From the poor music selection to the bad visuals, this game doesn’t stand well on its own, and can’t even be considered good as a supplement to current music titles.

The best way to describe Rock Revolution is like a Xerox copy of fine art. Sure, it looks like the real deal, but there is nothing unique about it and in the end it’s just a cheap imitation of something that truly is revolutionary.

The problem comes when you stare too long: there are constant screen tearing and randomly dropped frames.

It's a hack-and-slash, so there isn't any compelling depth lurking under the surface. The extra modes – Challenge and Trials of Tyris – are just extended hack and slash sessions. Where's the two-player support?

SOCOM has always catered to the hardcore and Confrontation is no different in this regard. Slant Six has done an admirable job updating the formula of past games, but the decision to wipe the single-player slate clean and the copious amounts of bugs are standout problems.

This game is little more than a lowbrow, yet humorous, thug-life simulator.

This game is little more than a lowbrow, yet humorous, thug-life simulator.

But this game is definitely unique among its peers, and although it is not quite the best of both worlds, it is definitely worth checking out if you are a party game or RPG enthusiast.

But this game is definitely unique among its peers, and although it is not quite the best of both worlds, it is definitely worth checking out if you are a party game or RPG enthusiast.

A masterful title that is sure to scare the crap out of you. Plus, there are three modes of difficulty, so this is an experience that casual and hardcore gamers alike simply cannot miss. This is a highly polished and well-crafted title that transcends standard video gaming. Simply put, it is one of the best games I've ever played.

A masterful title that is sure to scare the crap out of you. Plus, there are three modes of difficulty, so this is an experience that casual and hardcore gamers alike simply cannot miss. This is a highly polished and well-crafted title that transcends standard video gaming. Simply put, it is one of the best games I've ever played.

A fun game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Therefore, players shouldn’t take in-game action too seriously either, and if true-to-life football, play-calling, and tactics is your thing, Blitz is definitely not for you. At the most, this is an arcade intended for a good time, though the fun can tend to be short-lived.

A fun game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Therefore, players shouldn’t take in-game action too seriously either, and if true-to-life football, play-calling, and tactics is your thing, Blitz is definitely not for you. At the most, this is an arcade intended for a good time, though the fun can tend to be short-lived.

Overall, it offers a fun and rewarding experience, but unfortunately, it's not quite as entertaining and addictive as it could have been.

If you haven’t played FIFA in a while, now’s the time to jump back in; this is a great game of soccer. But, if you’re an old hat to the series, the most compelling reason to purchase FIFA 09 may only be the roster update.

If you haven’t played FIFA in a while, now’s the time to jump back in; this is a great game of soccer. But, if you’re an old hat to the series, the most compelling reason to purchase FIFA 09 may only be the roster update.

FIFA Soccer 09 is a must-have for sports fans. The simplified touch screen control system ensures that everyone will be up and running in no time with plenty of moves at their fingertips. Don't pass on this one.

It may very well be their best offering to date, and while less enthusiastic fans of the sport may not feel the need to update their yearly collection, if there is one PSP soccer title to purchase, this is it.

This is exactly the kind of experience WiiWare seems designed for. 1500 Wii Points is really a small price to pay for excellence, especially when the sheer quality of World of Goo handily puts more than a few full-blown Wii releases to shame. It's a blast from start to finish. If there's one game you pick up on WiiWare this year, make it this one.

The only thing that proved to be memorable about this game was how terrible it was. From the broken controls to the mysteriously disappearing audio, this game should definitely be avoided, even for die-hard fans. Although it might be tempting to play a game based on such an awesome series, the game channels none of the amazing spirit of the show.

The only thing that proved to be memorable about this game was how terrible it was. From the broken controls to the mysteriously disappearing audio, this game should definitely be avoided, even for die-hard fans. Although it might be tempting to play a game based on such an awesome series, the game channels none of the amazing spirit of the show.

Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars delivers a unique concept that stands out among the increasingly populated downloadable pack. It's too bad this charm wears off quickly, resulting in a game that feels more like a novelty than a crafty idea brought to realization.

The gameplay gets a bit repetitive, but there are incentives for exploring every nook and cranny of the game.

If you’re a newcomer to the series, it’s recommended that you play the first two before delving into this one, as you’ll miss out on the developed story up to that point. If you’re looking for a new World War II multiplayer experience, it would be best to skip over Hell’s Highway and wait for something a little more multiplayer-oriented.

I've played worse games than Fracture, but it's certainly not one I'd ever recommend. As it turns out, the core concept of terrain deformation is more of a gimmick than a fully fleshed out feature, and the rest of the shooter mechanics are painfully subpar.

I've played worse games than Fracture, but it's certainly not one I'd ever recommend. As it turns out, the core concept of terrain deformation is more of a gimmick than a fully fleshed out feature, and the rest of the shooter mechanics are painfully subpar.

Beyond the Portals isn't a particularly long game and there's little reason to replay it; local and online multiplayer extend the life of this title if you really love the battle system.

This title has the great control and excellent assortment of play modes that made the original title so impressive, and it adds more characters and a new story mode to make the whole experience feel new.

Sure, Crash: Mind Over Mutant doesn't reinvent the wheel, and there's no way it's vintage-inspired gameplay can stand up to modern titles. But, it still manages to be quite fun, and it's worth a spin if you have ever played (and loved) a past Crash game.

These little pleasures make it relatively painless to play this game for extended periods of time, and even make it worth putting up with the repetitive and sometimes annoying music. It takes about eight hours to win on the medium ("Tricky") difficulty setting, not counting the side missions and the plenty of quirks you can unearth.

A solid platformer. It's fun to play and addictive, and its charming spirit easily overcomes its numerous problems.

Mind Over Mutant gets more wrong than it gets right, leaving anyone who picks up the game with nothing more than the aching feeling of buyer’s remorse.

Whereas Live 09 offers similar new features, 2K has the ability to back up their new features with smooth on-court gameplay. This is simply a more fun basketball experience.

Whereas Live 09 offers similar new features, 2K has the ability to back up their new features with smooth on-court gameplay. This is simply a more fun basketball experience.

Dark Horizon is a game that should be seen, not heard. Whether it should be played depends on just how empty your life is.

Though EA is doing all they can to create a realistic basketball sim, there are far too many blatant errors in their formula that make it far from perfect. The inclusion of new online features may not be enough to make up for repetitively frustrating mechanics.

Though EA is doing all they can to create a realistic basketball sim, there are far too many blatant errors in their formula that make it far from perfect. The inclusion of new online features may not be enough to make up for repetitively frustrating mechanics.

Imbalanced gameplay, a lack of career mode, poor online, and a gameplay system that just isn’t fun make it hard to enjoy NBA Live 09: All-Play.

Puzzles are engaging and plentiful, and the freestyle mode can easily occupy days of solid creativity.

It's a shame too because NBA 09: The Inside has a lot of good qualities. Simply, the bad ones outweigh them.

It seems Everlight struggles to break free from the generic mold it was cast in.

Undoubtedly, there are quite a few aspects of Valhalla Knights 2 that action RPG fans will find very appealing, but it ends up being a wash when you look at the game's numerous faults. In short order these issues wear what little fun is to be had down to a dull point.

This is a full-sized 8-bit title, complete with a time trial mode. Playing through the story once can take between six to eight hours, but you could easily spend twice this amount of time with the game and still be having fun.

The folks at Double Helix gave me the Silent Hill I wanted: a nerve-racking, scary as hell experience to hold me over this Halloween season. Any fan of Silent Hill should be checking this out, and anyone just needing a good scare can join in the Homecoming.

The folks at Double Helix gave me the Silent Hill I wanted: a nerve-racking, scary as hell experience to hold me over this Halloween season. Any fan of Silent Hill should be checking this out, and anyone just needing a good scare can join in the Homecoming.

If you are really into farming, and don’t mind the repetitive tendencies of the series, then Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility is a solid entry and definitely worth your time.

A noble effort by the folks at BioWare to translate the lore of SEGA's beloved hedgehog and his cronies to an RPG format. Largely, the game succeeds at providing an interesting experience. However, it seems to be too simplistic for its own good, lacking the depth of gameplay needed to make it truly special.

Orc Lords doesn't reinvent the genre, but it doesn't have to. It keeps us busy, entertained, and challenged.

WipEout HD is a remix in the most proper sense - it takes what made the series popular, gives it an ample layer of polish, and slaps on a hard-to-resist price tag.

This is a full-sized 8-bit title, complete with a time trial mode. Playing through the story once can take between six to eight hours, but you could easily spend twice this amount of time with the game and still be having fun.

Aspiration got the best of this title - it ultimately promises more than it delivers.

Aspiration got the best of this title - it ultimately promises more than it delivers.

B-Boy has a lot going for it, but it's not for everyone. The gameplay is limited and there are some technical flaws here and there, including the control system, which is more awkward to use than the PS2 version, since there's a tendency to move the screen around too much.

There are other, deeper, and ultimately more satisfying racing games out there. But for a pure, pick-up-and-play sense of speed and fun, Pure is hard to beat.

There are other, deeper, and ultimately more satisfying racing games out there. But for a pure, pick-up-and-play sense of speed and fun, Pure is hard to beat.

Players could live with the low-rent production if that meant enjoying great controls and balanced shooting levels. A little less sensitivity in the steering, a little more challenge from the rival planes, and an easier way to target enemy guns would have provided this.

Unfortunately, even though this game sounds great, the controls reduce it to a mediocre status.

WO2 just does not offer enough new features to warrant anyone other than the most serious fans of the series to make a purchase. It is apparent that Koei is less concerned with releasing innovative and groundbreaking product and is more concerned with releasing a Warriors title they know will sell to its loyal fan base.

Playing alone is no fun, unless that's how you roll. However, it's a great party game, and online play makes it extremely addictive and entertaining - perfect for a rainy day at home.

There isn't a lot of replay value here with only three modes, one being nothing more than a sliding picture puzzle mode. It's also very short, clocking in at a couple of hours.

Disgaea DS is an SPRG-fan's dream; it's got incredible customization options, the potential for hundreds of hours of gameplay, and a unique and varied job system.

Regardless of Rhapsody’s shortcomings, the game manages to offer an enjoyable and very funny experience; none of it makes much sense, but then, it’s not really meant to.

Even though LEGO Batman does a few new things to set it apart from past entries in the LEGO series, it feels like Traveller's Tales is giving us more of the same.

Even though LEGO Batman does a few new things to set it apart from past entries in the LEGO series, it feels like Traveller's Tales is giving us more of the same.

With so many characters and cutscenes to unlock, it's a shame that repetitive and often head-scratching objectives cause boredom and discouragement.

No challenge, but weirdly addicting, with lots of secrets to come back for.

Time Hollow offers an enticing story, cool cinematics, and a nice soundtrack. It's possible some players will be bored after a while, especially with things constantly changing back and forth. Others might be left wanting for more, especially because there's only one game mode available. However, this is a quality title that some of you should explore.

It's fun to pick up and play whenever you have a moment, but with the lowered production values you might have just as much fun with a mobile trivia game.

Exploration is as good as ever, and the Wii Remote mini-games, from cooking to building to foraging for food, are solid. But the problem with the health gauges really detracts from the experience, and it’s getting more and more difficult to overlook that problem as we see it in game after game.

Aside from the new tracks, SingStar: Pop Hits 2 is the same old song and dance.

In the end, it seems like Baja: Edge of Control was trying to please everybody and, in doing so, managed to create an experience that isn't ideal for anyone.

In the end, it seems like Baja: Edge of Control was trying to please everybody and, in doing so, managed to create an experience that isn't ideal for anyone.