A solid gaming experience. Platformers may be an overdone genre of games, but The Simpsons Game does a decent job of providing a good game, while not necessarily an innovative one.

Swarm's bizarre take on platforming is a great, addictive challenge, but this strange journey is over too quickly. Here's hoping for some DLC.

What we have here is an incredibly long, incredibly flawed, and yet paradoxically engaging experience.

No deathmatch? What? Super old gameplay tenets and painful repetitiousness reign supreme here, which is what ultimately tanks the fun.

It's hard to recommend a game when there is a clearly superior alternative on the market that does everything so wonderfully. NHL 2K10 isn't bad and it is poised to make a run at the EA franchise sooner rather than later. But for this year, unless you are completely adverse to anything other than a quick arcade hockey fix, NHL 10 is the game to get.

Overall, Order of War asks consumers to forgive quite a few major gameplay errors in favor of a $10 price cut from the PC standard MSRP. This is a game that will be a tough sell for anybody who is a veteran of real-time strategy games, but it's not entirely bad. The right type of gamer (RTS newcomer/casual tactician) will be able to have some fun with it.

Here’s my guarantee to you. Rent this game first and play the hell out of it over the weekend. If you don’t find that it’s totally derivative of "Hoops 2K6," then go back to the store and buy it. That way nobody gets hurt.

I found myself struggling to “get” it, worried I was some degree of incompetent or something. But the more I thought about it, the more I feel like The Crew 2 doesn’t get itself, either. It wants so desperately to be an open world experience that can seamlessly become race-like events in a games as service-like multiplayer setting. But we just aren’t there yet, so the races exist in pocket universes where you and some friends can battle the computer or you can go it alone. Either way, you’re just grinding for the sake of it.

I'm not going to pretend that Need for Speed: Nitro can live up to the grandiosity of Shift. However, for an arcade-style racer, Nitro is a ton of fun. As a racer for the Wii, Nitro is phenomenal.

While the visuals are amazing, the game just doesn't deliver as well in the fighting as it should.

The linear nature of the gameplay ensures that you will be forced into the various scenes as the director and developer intended. The puzzles and mini-games are fun but they are like eating candy floss; there's not much nourishment.

High score fiends might like replaying this game, but the lack of ability to go back to earlier levels at will limits the play value.

Very few games are stuffed with this much personality. If you like humorous video games at all (and especially if you like Borderlands and Portal), you really need to play this. It actually makes you feel like you’re sitting in a room and hanging out with some of gaming’s favorite stars, and that’s an opportunity you shouldn’t pass up unless you simply hate video games.

The gameplay can become a bit a redundant and you won't find much for replay value but Ghosthunter is certainly one of the best rental choices of the year.

The After Years is an unusual experiment for the Final Fantasy franchise, but it’s one that’s already working its powerful magic on us. The story is smartly structured to tease you along, intermittently revealing important and interesting tidbits, before leaving you hanging.

If it's fast-paced racing you crave, and you don't care about adjusting every nut and bolt on your car, then Shift is an excellent game that exceeds expectations in all areas.

If you've played another Lips game, then you know exactly what you are getting here: a regular singing mode, the freestyle mode, and the MyLips social tool. There's nothing new in this title, which is disheartening considering this is the third iteration of the franchise.

While there is a decent amount of content to keep players occupied, Forsaken World tends to feel stale faster than it should.

The only real complaint I have-besides the non-scrolling map mentioned earlier-is that the game has no multiplayer mode.

BA is best played online, but the single player mode can be fun for awhile; it may not capture everyones attention span for the entire 20 missions.

The dialog is well acted and quite humorous. The music is perfect for this game and maintains a consistently light and upbeat mood. It’s hard to be in a bad mood when you’re in Thrillville.

The addition of dinos to this often generic genre of gaming is refreshing. And whether you're blasting them to bits, planting arrows in their eyes or slitting their scaly throats, you'll never tire of your next man-versus-beast brawl.

For every minor flaw though, Conan redeems itself with cool little touches; we love pulling health-draining arrows from our chests and torching village huts to reveal orb-filled treasure chests.

Gamers who are looking for an experience thick with atmosphere and who don't mind this linear approach will probably enjoy I Am Alive, but the rest of us might want to wait and see if there's a more interesting survival experience provided by the upcoming Tomb Raider reboot.

A Matrix game that FINALLY got it right. You're able to pull off all the cool moves and abilities that Neo possesses, including fighting off hundreds of Smiths at once, pole and all. With great graphics and great controls, this title will definitely impress with the first and second play through.

Most likely, players will find themselves having a love-hate relationship with the title, but ultimately they will be delighted by its varied charms.

Not all of the missions are more difficult than subsequent ones, but in general the game's level of difficulty does increase exponentially when amortized over the 30-plus missions.

Alice's second trip into madness isn't quite as satisfying or fresh as her first. Everything feels dated and there's an unfinished, even hurried quality to the game that's more than a little disappointing. That doesn't mean there's a shortage of great moments or fantastic ideas, because Madness Returns has both in spades.

Finally, the move to the consoles should make this game available to many more people, but it costs twice as much as it does for PC and isn't as good.

With Mario Superstar Baseball on the Gamecube being such a great game three years ago, it is fairly disappointing to see Super Sluggers not really doing much to improve on its formula. Sure, player chemistry and attack items are good additions, but there is really nothing else.

When Head Coach hits, it slams it out of the ballpark. Excellent structure and balance in the practice periods before game day ensure that you take your time and prepare extensively, while tasks at the front office put you in control of every aspect of the franchise.

The comprehensive tutorial is virtually guaranteed to get beginners up and running while offering more experienced players advanced tips and strategies.

Definitely a disappointment. The original Hottest Party did a lot for the franchise by adding the hand movements, and it would have been nice to see some more innovation implemented in the sequel. As it stands, however, Hottest Party 2 is almost exactly the same as its predecessor, just with different songs. Since the majority of those aren't even that good, it's better to just pass on this party.

The Wii-mote setup does take some time to adjust to and feels great in terms of aiming and movement, but loses points for some unavoidable fumbling which can occur at the most inopportune times.

With living, breathing backgrounds, smooth animation and a colorful cartoon presentation the graphics are nothing short of amazing for a game in this price range.

Delving fully into the game, you're bound to find many small nuances, some you'll find pleasing while others might cause you to complain. But as the time passes and you find yourself continually picking up your 3DS for another quick solo dungeon or a full afternoon with friends, you'll realize with pride that Heroes of Ruin was a worthy choice to add to your collection.

The graphic violence is shocking. The story is captivating and the disturbing scenes are sure to make even hardcore gamers a little queasy.

It's only a few hours long, but it's fun while it lasts.

If you absolutely need to look at the fanciest graphics, or if you just simply hate weird Japanese humor, Touch My Katamari is not for you. However, for anyone who can handle it, this title offers gameplay so addictive you'll struggle to put it down, despite its flaws.

The actual driving element is minimal, but if you like puzzle or arcade-style games, Burnout CRASH! is right up your alley. It's certainly charming and addictive, and for $10, it doesn't get a whole lot wrong. I'm just hoping that the next game that comes along with the Burnout name sticks a little closer to the roots of the series.

If you've been patiently waiting for the ultimate version of Silent Hill 2 and/or 3, this is it. What it lacks in extras, it more than makes up for in some of the best visual upgrades I've seen in a re-release and some truly fantastic new voice work.

Unfortunately the gameplay experience also feels fabricated. Glitches and slowdown expose this "matrix" for what it really is: a shoddy attempt at an MMORPG.

Project 8 is just another THPS, except without the "cool" factor.

In an effort to appeal to a wide range of gamers the gameplay is less than difficult. It's a lot less than difficult but it's not so much challenging as it is meant to be entertaining. Do I have to bring up the phrase "interactive movie" again?

Like a refreshing flagan of mead, Conan really hits the spot.

Quick exhibition matches, both locally and online, as well as a few memorable minigames are enough for a quick fix. The odd career mode, however, is more frustrating than fun.

I can only recommend this title to Guitar Hero enthusiasts that feel the band side of their collection is sorely missing the tracks included with this release. Everyone else out there could just as easily hold out for Guitar Hero 5, or wait for Smash Hits to hit the bargain bin or used section of their favorite game store.

First to Fight is very heavily militarily themed. It's almost too stuffy. This is one serious, no-nonsense game. Personally I like a little nonsense as it tends to make things seem more realistic.

The colorful characters and environments will thrill young eye candy junkies while the ease of difficulty will give younger gamers a confidence boost because they'll be able to see a lot of what this game has to offer.

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.

Ultimately, while the setting, characters, and storytelling feel right at home, Darksiders III swings for the fences with its combat ambitions and only just barely manages to get on base. It gets points for trying something new, but the end result is a muddled set of ideas that clash with each other, with nothing in place to soften that collision.

You’ll get about 12-15 good hours out of Dragon Ball XenoVerse’s single-player and co-op missions, but you probably won’t touch it much after that.

This is a great package but the song list is always going to be a bone of contention with singers as the variety of songs is too wide to please everyone. There are already five different variations of this game released in Europe and we should see more focused song lists in the future.

Sure, it owes some major debts to Geometry Wars. But there's a ton of innovation here, and arcade-shooter fans would be well-advised to give it a download. The developers and Community should be proud.

Compared to other sim and tycoon games this one is not as deep which can be a good thing for Xbox players.

Don't lose your patience with this game, otherwise you'll be missing out on some good, old-fashioned, nerd-approved fun.

As much as I liked about Major League Baseball 2K11 (playing online and playing through My Player), I found even more that I didn't like (commentary, menus, bugs and glitches, frustrating AI). I enjoy the promise of the MLB integration, whether it's the updated scores every time I log into the game or the DRPS affecting my in-game roster and stats. But ultimately, MLB 2K11 is its own worst enemy, keeping it from being a great sports game and, once again, second fiddle to the MLB: The Show franchise.

While I admit this is undoubtedly the best version so far, it's far from original. It's built on the foundation of past games and smells suspiciously of a "best of."

You're going to have to play this game for a long time to learn how to win, or you may just get lucky and get all of the sequences rights.

Unfortunately, the multiplayer maps are pretty disappointing. But the zombie mission is great.

If you've played Earthworm Jim before there's really nothing new here besides a tacked-on and repetitive camera mini-game. Still, the action platforming core of the game is enjoyable while it lasts.

Despite the Marvel vs. Capcom brand power, the Capcom portion is absolutely the most important, but this time feels like it’s fetching Marvel’s coffee. But this isn’t a kitschy mobile game, it’s a Capcom fighter, and that Means Something – and I can’t shake the feeling that the Marvel Machine doesn’t care.

It's relatively easy and straightforward. It's a great introduction into the turn-based role of the RPG for any newbie or casual gamers.

While the promos, commentary, and female wrestler treatment could use more fine-tuning, the rest of the game does a wonderful job of delivering an experience that’s just a bit more impressive than last year’s entry. For now, all we can keep hoping for in each new game is increased accuracy, larger rosters, better treatment of female wrestlers, and fresher color commentary.

You can't fault a developer for trying something new with an old product but it does kind of feel as though Sonic is being thrown against many walls to see where he'll stick. Sonic Battle is not much more than a novelty.

For a budget title Powerdrome certainly has plenty going for it. It has great graphics, smooth animation, nice particle effects such as spark and smoke and several modes including time trials, quick race, championship and multi-player modes both system link and online.

If paintball is something you're passionate about, MAX'D is a superbly crafted digital representation of the sport jampacked with features, pros, gear and challenging gameplay that you'll enjoy far after paintball season is over.

There are some technical bugs, specifically the camera angles and perspectives, that spoil some of the fun but overall Worms 3D is in the ballpark - even if it's just standing in line to use the washroom.

The card battle system isn't exactly fresh considering it was similar on the GBA, but for new players it will be a challenge they must experience.

Much like the ocean, MySims is unfathomably deep in some areas, yet relatively shallow in others.

Painkiller will cater to fans that want their action simple and lightning-quick. The weapon selection is limited but versatile, while the body count is astonishingly high right out of the gate.

If you like third-person arcade shooters, and you have found yourself getting board with the relative dearth of gameplay opportunities this summer, take a look at Madballs in… Babo: Invasion - you'll be glad you did.

The linear nature of the gameplay ensures that you will be forced into the various scenes as the director and developer intended. The puzzles and mini-games are fun but they are like eating candy floss; there's not much nourishment.

With the biggest new feature being Rookie Mode and the lack of new features that are available on current-gen versions of the game, those who own recent Madden title on the PSP won't find much new here.

As it stands, outside of its presentation, there isn’t much to write home about. For the newly enrolled, it’s a solid entry in a familiar and seldom changing formula, for veterans, you may as well skip this class.

As with most poker games World Poker Tour isn't much to look at but it does look a sight better than the PS2 version.

Even if you feel you're more precise by simply holding the Wii-mote, you definitely have to give the Zapper a try and play until you're awesome at it. It's worth it and it brings the game to a whole new level!

What's on offer here is pretty fun, regardless of what age you are. The game makes smart use of its few mechanics, and the missions are a nice, quick burst of entertainment. There's very little under the hood, though, and not much incentive to retread levels.

In the end, I feel like I’ll continue to struggle with how I truly feel about Wolfenstein: Youngblood. Its strange and uncomfortable structure, or rather my reaction to it, clearly stems from my love for the “normal” games. It isn’t more of what I loved; therefore, it’s scary. At the same time, some of those scary things are legitimate frustrations that seem to compromise the game to make it more gimmicky. It’s still as charming as ever, and is full of fun characters and dialogue, which makes it harder to really be disappointed. Wolfenstein: Youngblood comes off as a big experiment, and attempts to take something people like and do something new with it. I’m glad MachineGames was afforded the creative leeway to make it.

The five chapter campaign offers dozens of hours of gameplay, but I would be ecstatic with the prospect of creating my own adventures.

Joint Strike's short length is bolstered by its difficulty, but it's hard to see gamers coming back for repeated solo player; co-op is the most impressive feature of this update.

Both combat styles balance and carry each other making this game playable and even fun for the most part. Due to the relative ease of the gameplay and control system Rise to Honor will appeal mostly to beginners and casual gamers.

For $ 19.99 it certainly is worth the price as long as you remember the games are the way they were made and not enhanced versions.

There's a good amount of game here for people drawn in by the concept. The gameplay mechanism of the bazaar is engaging and helps you keep going, although, a large amount of the game is a retread over previous versions.

It just doesn't have enough of its own identity to make it a necessity.

Nikopol is a concise, smoothly flowing sci-fi adventure that offers plenty of challenge for the old school crowd and a more pleasantly streamlined and updated approach to the genre for anyone who’s been longing for something a little different.

This is the path Silent Hill needs to continue to take, because it has that old school survival horror flavor that fans, including myself, have been clamoring for since 2003.

It'll scratch the itch of hardcore strategy fans, but there's not a ton to miss by skipping it, either.

Only attempt this game if you are looking for a challenge, otherwise you are unlikely to finish. If you can get past the main story mode, there is a fun re-play mode, but it will likely go unnoticed due to the game's punishing difficulty.

The game starts off slow but really pays off after turning pro. A lengthy career and the ability to take to the online slopes will keep you playing this one for longer than you may expect.

The single-player is jam-packed with varied game modes. The simulation of Formula One racing is very accurate. As a bonus, playing with friends through ad-hoc support is a nice touch.

Dynasty Warriors 8 is a simple, solid title that does the Dynasty Warriors franchise proud. It’s not really reinventing the wheel, nor is it trying to cater to fans outside of its small demographic. It just wants to be the best button-mashy, Chinese-soldier murder simulator it can be, and in that, it succeeds. If you are a fan of the Dynasty Warriors franchise, definitely consider picking Dynasty Warriors 8 up.

All in all, Dark Legend gets a lot right, and as the Wii missed out on the well-reviewed original Overlord, gamers who own Wiis but no other gaming platforms should definitely give it a shot.

I'm obviously not the target audience for Kinect Rush, and I'm sure that many of my control problems stem from that fact. Still, when I was done playing, I walked away from the game with a huge smile on my face. No matter what which way you look at it, Kinect Rush is a fun game, and it would make an amazing birthday present for a child.

All commands are delayed by a second or two because of the stock animation that plays out. I found myself furiously tapping the controller as if the problem was a defective button that just wouldn't listen.

Actually a better game than either of the console versions - but not by much. It's more fun to play and the puzzle elements will give your brain a good burn.

Orcs & Elves is a simple dungeon crawler that harkens back to the FPS PC games of old. The graphics, combat, and puzzle elements are crude and uninventive. The game isn't awful, but it isn't very fun either.

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.