The new HD graphics are not perfect, but they're suitable. The character models don't look too bad, but some of the environments and textures just look weird in their "upgraded" form.

This new release has just as much content as any other version of the game, if not more. Overall, it stands right alongside Cave Story+ as one of the best, if not the best, version of Cave Story to date.

Normally, I could forgive Pokémon for so poorly handling a fairly legitimate moral issue, but the plot has been so deeply integrated, and spans such a large portion of the game that I really can't let it go.

Normally, I could forgive Pokémon for so poorly handling a fairly legitimate moral issue, but the plot has been so deeply integrated, and spans such a large portion of the game that I really can't let it go.

Resident Evil 6 is a Michael Bay movie. There's really no more polite a way to put it. Stuffed to the gills with bombastic action segments, car chases, and relentless chaos, Capcom has abandoned any pretense of the survival horror genre and embraced a world of skin-deep Hollywood audacity. Listlessly wallowing in the depthless waters of homogeneity, Resident Evil 6 is a coward of a game, afraid to make its own individual mark in the industry and cravenly subscribing itself to every overplayed trope in the book.

A delicious surprise. While casual fighting game fans will be able to pick up and play, serious combatants will enjoy the rich and deep counter and hold system, as well as the tag team elements where unique match-ups can offer their own rewards. It's still not as technical a fighter as Tekken or Virtua Fighter, but it seems to be taking a step in that direction while still keeping what fans have loved about the series intact -- flashy characters, ease of play, and fan service. It's fun without being frustrating, the all-around fighter for everyone.

Aesthetics, however, can only carry a game so far, and Hell Yeah! doesn't get far before it slides into drowsiness. It's a solid little platformer in many regards, but those playing need to be aware that they run the risk of growing bored and agitated by the recapitulated ideas and unsavory controls.

If you're a fan of hack 'n slashes, loot fests, or dungeon crawlers, definitely pick up Torchlight II. It's absolutely worth your time and money, and should hold your attention for quite a while. There are portions of the game that could certainly use a little bit of polish, but it's unlikely these problems will turn you off from the game entirely.

It's a game with bite-sized levels and sensible controls yet all the action of its console brethren. This is what companion software ought to be.

It's a brilliant tribute to one of the greatest videogames ever made, and it's also a good game in its own right.

More than any other game I've played, more than the incredibly complex X series, more than the fanboy-titillating Star Trek: Bridge Commander, FTL made me feel like I was in command of a starship. Or, rather, a series of constantly exploding starships. If that's a something you'd be into, and I certainly don't want to know you if it isn't, then do yourself a favor and grab FTL.

The classic games aren't quite the selections I'd have made, but they're all worth checking out, and when combined with the extra content, they become one of the better anniversary packages out there.

To add insult to injury, RoAW makes it frustratingly hard to get into the lore.

It is so meticulously and lovingly crafted that it makes the traditional linear storytelling method seem drab and extraneous. This is storytelling distilled to its finest form; it is a game that does not waste your time. Moving forward, I will not look at storytelling the same way again.

Way of the Samurai 4 is an "acquired" taste (pun intended), and tends to demand that players give a little to get the most out of it. Unfortunately, most players won't, once again dooming it to the ghetto of niche interests and "quirky" Japanese titles. Those willing to stick with the game, however, will find a unique, rewarding experience that to date, can't be found anywhere else.

PC players will be happy to know that the game comes with some great customization options and looks stunning with settings maxed out. I was able to run the game at a very smooth framerate, despite having everything turned up high. The UI and controls are much kinder to keyboard/mouse players than thy were the first time around.

Fans won't be astounded by Joe Danger 2, but they will have a polished, enjoyable, different-enough new installment to look forward to playing. You can't ask for much more than that.

While a bit shallow, it's an insane idea done really well. If nothing else, it's worth your cash just to see your fantasy animal match-ups go down. Really, you haven't lived until you've seen a pack of puppies take down an alligator.

Jet Set Radio is still a fun title, but also a frustrating one. If you've never played the game before, you may be left wondering what all the hype was about. It may be a good game, but if it had been released for the first time today, many would see it as unfinished.

Ratchet & Clank Collection is a reminder of how one developer dared to give some guns to a platforming mascot and made a couple classics in the process. In an era where every third-person shooter comes with bloodstains and a cover mechanic, it's nice to return to this lovable duo and discover that they haven't aged a bit.

LittleBigPlanet PS Vita is the definitive LittleBigPlanet. The new interface options work splendidly, the extra toys are fun to play with, and the portable format simply works best for such a creative and laid-back venture. It's not as visually attractive as its bigger brothers, and it does little to move the series forward in any meaningful way, but it's by far the most earnest fun I've had with a LittleBigPlanet game to date.

The puzzles and photography definitely overshadow the platforming, but generally they are so well integrated that the whole package is very solid. Unlike my wall. Which still has a hole in it.

For whatever reason, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 grabbed me, and then it didn't. Every time I boot up the game, I feel my old passion for Tekken growing inside, but then it subsides after about an hour or so. There's nothing glaringly wrong with combat; it just feels a bit bare-bones and too familiar sometimes after every hundred matches or so. While TTT 2 doesn't change the world, so long as you're already a series fan, you should be satisfied.

Simply put, Super Hexagon is one of the best mobile gaming experiences I've had this year.

Tower Wars is completely functional and full of spirit; however, lack of a single-player mode and unruly queue times will likely leave many gamers unfulfilled.

After all the good Phosphor did with Dark Meadow, it's sad that Horn will likely be used by detractors as proof that mobile gaming just doesn't work. It does. It's just that Phosphor went too far trying to prove it this time, and Horn is a worse game because of it.

I find Mark of the Ninja to be perfect. Let it stand as the benchmark by which all stealth games are now measured.

At $20, there are way better fighting games with way more polish for less money, making JoJo's Bizarre Adventure HD an incredibly hard sell. Given the rough edges, it feels more as if Capcom is trying to play off of the hype from the upcoming new JoJo's game which is currently in development, rather than give a nod to a classic.

With They Bleed Pixels, Spooky Squid Games tried to cleverly blend hard-as-nails platforming with beat-em-up mechanics. Though the end result is not the perfectly balanced fusion the team was aiming for, it's still an intense adventure for anyone who doesn't mind repeated death and dismemberment.

The brief respites from the unrelenting horror of the situation -- being Batman to Duck's Robin, telling stories of better times to Clementine as she falls asleep on your lap -- merely exist to make the sequences which follow all the more painful.

Damage Inc. is a hot mess. Choppy frame rate, ugly graphics, shoddy presentation, forgettable multiplayer, and an overall worthless feeling when playing doesn't amount to much. There's at least a good variety of things to do with the number of missions and planes involved, but you may be too frustrated with the gameplay itself to even care.

Starvoid is the first multiplayer RTS title I've been able to get into for a while, but it's not one I can see myself playing for hours on end.

Not a bad game. What it does, it does fairly well, and the art style looks neat. However, despite the graphics and accurate gameplay, the collection falls into the problem all mini-game collections have: repetition, which leads to boredom.

For those who enjoy beating down their friends in score-based challenges, the Score Wars feature alone will provide an endless amount of fun.

New, niggling concerns and abhorrent commentary aside, this is the most playable and robust Madden in years. The Infinity engine is shot in the arm the dulled, increasingly frustrated core gameplay needed. It makes plays more dynamic, fluid, realistic, and satisfying.

The actual gameplay feels quite disparate from the story and Quico's journey, unfortunately. The jumping, climbing and head-scratching never seem tied to the greater challenge of dealing with the addiction of a loved one. Though they are disconnected, the actual puzzles are still inventive and add to the experience, but the platforming elements can be weak.

It may lack some of the community niceties, beloved maps (Assault, anyone?), and little features of past games, but Global Offensive delivers on the promise of a faithful, polished, and better looking Counter-Strike for whoever wants it. Even if the community doesn't meet the golden standard of 1.6 and Source, CS:GO will remain a multiplayer classic for those willing to put in the time to learn the maps and weapons.

If the game had an engaging story and actually felt more like a "game" than a procedural chore, I would have been committed to finishing it properly. Instead Rainbow Moon offers you the gameplay you love, with none of the charm or interest.

Fall of Cybertron has a lot of what made the original game so great, but it suffers from generation loss, relinquishing a portion of its quality in the cloning process. The decision to give players more of the same is made less palatable by the fact that its story is nowhere near as engaging and the multiplayer has not expanded in any way -- and even been scaled back in the case of Escalation.

It doesn't have the charm of PaRappa, the hummable tracklist of Gitaroo Man, or the addictive quality of Elite Beat Agents, but it's a nice shot in the arm for a genre that has grown stagnant.

It can be funny in its oddness, but it fails to ascend to actually being fun. There is a demo, which pretty much gives you all the experience you need of Neo Aquarium.

I can only hope the community breathes some life into this title. While the few songs that are included are a decent afternoon distraction, in the end, it feels like a wasted effort; the illusion of innovation wrapped in the familiar shell of Locco Rocco, LittleBigPlanet, and to a lesser extent, Frequency. Innovation is one thing, but familiarity breeds contempt.

The story is too light to augment the game's core mechanical focus, while ideas like the follower system feel tacked-on and inconsequential to strategy. Fans of dungeon crawlers may squeeze some enjoyment from the grind, but most players will be turned off by the tedious progression and repetitive battles.

By the end of the game, I truly felt attached to the characters and was excited to see what would happen next.

If The Last Story is the Wii's swan song, it is a miserable dirge, full of regret and remorse.

With a unique protagonist, killer art style, savvy level design, and ferocious combat, there's little left for an action fan to want, while the role-playing elements have been enhanced to such a degree that the overall experience feels deeper and more compelling than before. If this game is not a success, then truly the world doesn't know what's good for it.

Between its fantastic combat, shooting, presentation, storytelling, and RPG elements, Sleeping Dogs has just raised the demands for what it'd take for GTAV to get the throne back.

It's not a ground-breaking title, but it definitely offers a cool twist on the shooter genre. While I wasn't completely sold on the cover-only gameplay, after a few matches, I found myself really enjoying the time I had put into the game.

If you're willing to ignore the annoying system the game employs, then there's a few good hours of engineering impossible vehicles and general silliness.

At times it can get a touch repetitive, and there are a handful of exasperating moments, but this is nonetheless an arresting game that offers more (and offers it well) than the average XBLA title Yes, it's full of anthropomorphic rabbits and foxes, but if that stops you from playing, that'll be your loss.

The disappointment stems from the notion that it could have been truly great, but a few design decisions and strange lag keep it from achieving that.

One of the worst games I've played in a long time. And it's not necessarily because of the clunky controls, vapid shooting, or myriad of other issues that are at play here. The Expendables 2 Videogame just isn't fun. It's a long and tedious slog through the mud and a thousand enemy corpses, where time is the only thing that separates you from the end credits.

This dream collaboration between Atlus and Arc System Works brings us a game that will easily stand out even in the crowded fighting game segment. It's also sure to serve as a gateway drug for both RPG and fighting game fans to cross to the other side. Really, there's nothing else quite like this.

Despite a poor beginning and ending, I can't shake off the warm feeling Deponia left me with. It's a game with a big heart and some clever puzzles that recall a special time in the history of adventure games.

As much as I want to like Anna for being a horror point-and-click, with such extensive translation issues, I can't in good conscious recommend it to anyone. It has a few good scares and some startling imagery, but otherwise just can't deliver the well-crafted intrigue of its peers.

Mario Tennis Open feels a bit lifeless at first, simply because it doesn't give any other incentive for playing than to keep unlocking things and to just play more tennis.

While it sometimes loses focus, and at other time frustrates, Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time is an engaging, rewarding PSP SRPG. But, again, give it some time. There's a big world, a solid story with crazy plot twists, some great key battles and hours of gameplay to be found here. You'll just have to work through a couple of hours of dull and limited introductory play first.

At its core, New Super Mario Bros. 2 is a Mushroom Kingdom coin -- shiny and addictive, but carrying no practical value whatsoever.

A beautiful intro does not a great game make, and the full product is a disappointment to say the absolute least. Tequila clearly has a lot of talent and an ability to craft genuinely intimidating, memorable environments -- Deadlight demonstrates the wealth of inventiveness the studio possesses. Yet it feels squandered on lazy design in the second chapter and mistreatment of player trust in the third.

Despite some annoying issues, NCAA 13's biggest problem is that the core mechanics are simply dulled by the franchise's repeat performances.

A year ago, I couldn't imagine another game mixing tower defense and third-person action as well as Orcs Must Die! Clearly, I was wrong.

Even as a tech demo it's pretty unimpressive, though the actual environments do catch the eye. It's certainly not worth the price. If you do feel like being annoyed for an hour, you'll have to grab it on Origin. It's an exclusive.

While the storyline may be a bit hokey and the voice-acting a bit childish, the fun that can be had with the gameplay and smooth easy motion controls just can't be denied. It's the best kind of fun: simple to play, but hard to master. It's a casual motion controlled game that actually works well, and offers up real satisfaction when that control pays off it high scores and massive destruction.

Offers a much bigger challenge than most recent adventure games, even with its streamlined features. Despite the much appreciated highlight-all-objects function, the puzzles are still challenging and this is a game that will take even point-and-click enthusiasts a while to complete. Newcomers, however, may find the steep difficulty too much and if you don't click with the characters and their story, then you may find Chains of Satinav just too overwhelming and frustrating.

This is some of the most fun I've had with a game so far this year, and it will go down as one of the best side-scrolling shooters of all time.

For a game about properly communicating your emotions in order to find success, the developer did a poor job of conveying its own desires to the player. The Act is a rough relationship that woos with visual charm, connects through some fantastic, emotional moments, but leaves the player a bit high and dry, in the end. There might not be another game like it, but there are better fish in the sea out there, even for a romantic gamer.

Dyad is not substantial or well designed enough to occupy this body's time once its effects wear off. The games's visuals that recall MTV's Amp are a treat and its manic gameplay is challenging, but these two elements never quite gel together.

Johnny Kung Fu certainly has its charms, and the dichotomy between the combat levels and the Game & Watch-inspired throwbacks is quite novel. It's just a shame that all the charm is burned through so quickly. The result is a game of extremes with no happy medium -- it's either too simple and brainless or too tedious and frustrating.

In a world where THPS 2X is still readily available for less than $10 on eBay, it's hard to give this HD downgrade any sort of recommendation. The original games earned our nostalgia, while this release abuses it. It's short on content, quality, and personality. This is not the Tony Hawk I remember spending middle-school summers with.

Praises and complaints aside, Heroes of Ruin does exactly what it wanted to do -- give 3DS users a solid hack n' slash RPG. While it flounders on the way to that simple goal, it's a goal that has been undoubtedly reached. Better may come along in the future, but right now, this does the trick.

It's a must for anyone looking to experience the genre for the first time; it's very newcomer friendly, but old hats might find it a bit wanting. Its longevity may also be increased by the multiplayer mode, but I personally don't have the patience for all these people who take far too long to take their turn. On the whole, it's more than worthy of your interest.

Here's hoping that Black Studio is able to make an even more ambitious and outlandish project someday soon. They certainly have proven they are worth it with this charming debut.

It's like the developers only made this title to keep the license alive while they worked on the next "real" iteration of the series.

Thomas Was Alone tells a story that's more complex than games orders of magnitude more expensive and difficult to develop. It's also a triumph of narrative's ability to convincingly superimpose human qualities onto nonhuman objects, telling the audience what's what (who's what?) and letting the imagination take over. It proves that you don't need tens of millions of dollars and hundreds of staff to make a game story worth telling, just a good hook, an engaging vision, and a whole lot of heart.

It's a very flashy, interesting shooter that doesn't bare direct comparison to anything else out in the market. Unfortunately, that's all it really has going for it since it's such a frustrating and poorly designed shooter. It doesn't help that the game is difficult, limiting health and continues until you unlock more through failed attempts. People love to say Sine Mora is style over substance, but the substance is still clearly there. In Ether Vapor's case, it just isn't and style can only go so far in this genre.

Oniken isn't quite the magical pairing of nostalgia and great game design that Mega Man 9 was, but it comes close to scratching that same itch that few other games have done since. If you love 8-bit games and hate yourself, dying repeatedly within Oniken's six merciless levels brings its own form of joy that is rare in games these days.

The controls could do with a bit of work and I still think that vastly increased challenge either through puzzles or conflict would more appropriately match the tone of the game, but all of these are things I thought after I was done with it. None of them got in the way of the experience.

The 3D models are simple, but effective, and the cut scenes add a lot of extra life to the proceedings.

A harrowing, but fantastic, experience.

The Real Texas is an incredibly smart game, particularly in how it deals with large metaphysical ideas and conveys them to the player. The dialogue is well written and the humor is one of game's brightest aspects. Although not all of the ideas work out perfectly, this is certainly an experience that is hard to find anywhere else and is certainly worth trying out.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is beautiful and charming in many respects, but an absolute drudgery in others.

All of the additions for Xbox Live Arcade -- most notably, new graphics and sound, competitive multiplayer, and cooperative play -- come together to flesh out what was already impressive in its earlier stages. To avoid Spelunky is to miss out on an incredibly satisfying, well-designed game.

If you enjoyed them then, you'll enjoy them now, but there's nothing to entice you to purchase them again beyond Trophy support or slightly smoother graphics if you already had the originals.

Overall, new features like the stat boards, the Lord of the Rings-esque music, and the ability to tap mana have won me over, making this third edition a charm.

If you're a fan of the LEGO titles, there's a lot to enjoy in LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, and the new bits Traveller's Tales added -- when they work -- work wonderfully. When they don't, though, be prepared to buy a new controller as you hurl the one in your hands through the wall.

A solid puzzler that keeps the rules as well as the controls nice and simple. It might not totally blow you away or engage you for long if you aren't a total score junkie. Still, the ability to play with another person on a single 3DS is such a novel treat that I can see the game being pulled out months down the line for quick pick-up games with your friends.

Still a good game, even if it does feel like a wasted creative opportunity. It steals liberally from the Bat, but it does so with a high enough degree of skill and style that it can be forgiven.

We usually refrain from swearing in our reviews, but I must emphatically say that Revelations 2012 is the worst piece of f..king shit I have played on the job, and they can stick that on Metacritic.

I can't think of another game where I replayed chapters, after beating it, for the sole purpose of fully understanding the gravity of key story moments.

With the market now full of unbelievably fantastic fighting games, and it being a revision of a five-year-old title, Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown still manages to stand head and shoulders above most of its competition. It may not have the install base of other fighters, but it's still one of the deepest fighting game experiences to date.

There is an interesting backstory to the world of Krater, even if it isn't fully realized.

You really can't go wrong by spending some time with Resonance. While at first glance it may hark back to games like Beneath a Steel Sky, it's a fresh, modern mystery. It's set the bar rather high for other adventure game developers, and not just indies, though they really drive the genre right now. It might have been over all too quickly, but it was undoubtedly worth the five year wait.

This game is amazing, and I would gladly pay forty bucks for it. It almost seems wrong to enjoy a $15 title this much. Quantum Conundrum has more polish and charm than most full-price retail releases, and it plays just as well. It took me about eight hours to get through the story once, and I could easily spend another eight with it.

Gods and Kings is a strong expansion overall, but it fails to live up to the series' own pedigree. Religion adds so much subtlety to advanced strategies that, by comparison, espionage comes off as a half-assed attempt to add back an old mechanic.

Adventure Time fans would do better to wait for WayForward's upcoming DS game, because that stands a chance of actually being good. This is little more than a shameless little attempt to make a quick buck at the expense of a fun little show. I know it's a show primarily for kids, but even kids can reasonably expect better than this.

This motion never works consistently, and the controller itself (which the game says you need to hold, as both movement and firing are done from it) even blocks your hands from the sensor sometimes. This basically means that in the heat of battle, you're putting your hands in front of you back and forth constantly just to see/shoot/move, and go back to view your instruments.

Outside of hating action RPGs or not having $20, I can't think of another reason to pass on this game.

Unfortunately, I spent most of my experience with the title cursing in frustration at all the bugs, or wishing I was doing something -- anything -- other than sitting in front of my PC, watching ships move with the haste of a geriatric. With enough patches it could be a perfectly serviceable RTS, if not a particularly fun one.