Major League Baseball 2K11 has the fortunate (for 2K) distinction of being the only Xbox 360 baseball game, and one of just two on the PS3. However, it has the dubious distinction (for gamers) of being the one sports game this year that fans should absolutely avoid. If that means taking a year off of baseball, I definitely advise taking that vacation.

Had this not leveraged the Ghostbusters license, we'd probably not even be talking about this game.

Crysis 2 may not live up to every expectation, but its pleasant surprises make up for most of its shortcomings.

Portal 2 continues the original's model, both in terms of gameplay and humor, and reviewing it poses just as many challenges. So let's just get this out of the way right now: Portal 2 is videogame nirvana for the thinking man.

The silky smooth combat combined with the classic twists on the fatalities in the game, of which there are at least two per character not including stage specific ones, and naturally some hidden things that I don't want to spoil here.

There's just not quite enough variety to hold my (or my son's) interest, and the occasional collision/gesture detection snafu doesn't help matters either.

Brink can be awesome and annoying, euphoric and inexplicable, all in the same breath. Unfortunately, fist pumps are followed by fits of controller throwing all too regularly to make this one score much higher.

The game can be fun, but it's strictly a multiplayer affair, and it needs more meat. As it stands, it feels a bit like the publishers' way to lead owners into a world of endless microtransactions.

Some of the games seem similar to one another, and occasionally you'll find yourself frustrated at a performance, but the younger gamers to whom this is geared will almost assuredly have a blast.

But when the game does things well, it does them really well. Activating Dr. Doom's multiball is a joy, and trying to keep those four balls in play makes for quite a feat – but when you hear the Super Jackpot has been hit you know you've done something right. Even when non-standard things such as The Human Torch lighting the ball on fire and the ball absorbing Dr. Doom's power in other modes are not as distracting as you might think – and they fit really well into the game.

Coming in at 240 points, it's a tad more expensive than the rest of the Pinball FX 2 tables for some reason or another but don't let that $0.50 scare you off as if you're a fan of what Zen has done to revitalize video pinball then you'll be happy with the new table to help fill in your grid.

From a compilation or "archival" standpoint, this set is great at showing how much the series has evolved and grown. From a pure enjoyment standpoint, the first two games drag down the overall experience, not through any fault of the developer, but by simply not having benefited from the additional years of gameplay updates that current titles enjoy.

With its focus on fun over competition-like accuracy, this is the first dancing game to grab and hold my attention beyond just a couple of songs. Plus, the soundtrack is just plain hard to top.

Dungeons and Dragons: Daggerdale could have been a great title if the developers had taken the time to work out the bugs. If you're easily frustrated over games or their glitches, you most likely will be spiking your controller on the floor and walking away in bitter shame.

The movie tie-in curse rears its ugly head again, producing what's possibly the worst game of the first half of 2011.

Some dedicated Dirt fans might feel slighted by the shift, but as a newcomer to the series this was a fantastic place to slip in.

The gameplay is exactly what you've come to expect from a LEGO game, but the graphics look better than any LEGO game before. The issue is more a matter of the franchise it's tied to, which isn't as memorable or charming as the other movies with LEGO tie-ins and thus doesn't provide the same number of memorable levels, scenes or characters.

Frustrating at times but on the whole a great game for individual or multiple players. It's definitely worth the low price of 800 Microsoft Points.

A surprisingly good racing game, and not just because it's a licensed title, that also happens to have fantastic 3D effects for those who have a 3D TV.

For a guy like me who had to borrow a friends guitar to actually try the game – the fact that I'm now contemplating visiting a pawn shop to cash in on someone else's inability to make ends meet and buy my very own guitar should speak volumes to the titles power as a fun learning tool. Beginners, give this a shot – especially if you've already got a guitar collecting dust in the closet.

Spider-Man Edge of Time isn't a completely bad game, as the mechanics are all in place and nothing really is broken within the game – but it's not necessarily what I'd call a good game either.

Gears of War 3 is a solid game and likely worthy of the praise it's received. I just happen to think it falls a bit flat.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon may suffer from some derivative level design, and its introduction of the cool Stealth Force form does have some repetitive gameplay consequences. But kudos to the developers for injecting something new into the formula.

Other than that this is a great table that will take a while for most to master – but once you find out the little tricks and tips, it's sure to keep your attention for quite some time.

Short of the opening music, which is awesome and sounds like a demonic mariachi band, I can't think of many redeeming qualities in Shadows of the Damned. It's not in the same craptastic league as Thor, which suffered from horrible gameplay and production values; it's just a waste of time.

The combat's fun, the plot's well executed and the multimedia's solid. If you don't mind a heavy dose of platforming with your non-gun combat, you won't be disappointed by Captain America.

While not a perfect game, the only real nitpick I have is the platforming sometimes became a little difficult due to the art style and camera angles, it's definitely an experience that shouldn't be missed.

In spite of an abundance of cheap shots, the game's personality and originality elevate The Gunstringer into the upper echelon of Kinect titles. In fact, it's my favorite Xbox Kinect title to date.