Even as a non-fan, I've been finding my time as the jolly green git rather enjoyable and have found plenty to like about it. It's definitely worth a weekend's smashing and bashing, at the very least.

Its gameplay mechanics are abysmal in almost every conceivable way. Its story is nonsensical at best, sacreligious at worst. Its entire running time is completely disrespectful to the player's intelligence, assuming that if the character models and locations change, the player won't realize he's getting into the exact same gun battles and fistfights he engaged in at the very start of the game. Looking at The Bourne Conspiracy as a list of bullet points, it is an undoubtedly awful game...But why, then, did I have fun with it?

Fans of high-speed action titles can't go wrong; in fact, they'd be foolish to look anywhere else for anything better this generation. It's just disappointing that Ninja Gaiden II -- which is said to be the last in the series -- isn't quite the flawless masterpiece I’d hoped for

There's enough new content to make it worth the asking price over the original, and the new online multiplayer modes take this one well above par.

Unless you don't find Penny Arcade remotely funny, or if you demand that your action-RPGs be really deep and really challenging, then I'd highly recommend Episode One.

Though I can't imagine it being anyone's all time favorite game (unless you only enjoy videogames you play with your feet), I also can't imagine anyone not enjoying it either.

Ultimately though, Assault Heroes 2 is a great little game for shooting fans in need of fresh distractions.

Completion of a stage in R-Type Command is every bit as rewarding as it was in its shoot 'em up predecessors, but without the painful hand cramp. Give your trigger finger a rest and pick this title up.

I'd have never thought anyone would ever make a game which combined the tactile joy of knocking down block towers with the ingenious design of a puzzle game, but Boom Blox manages it: it's fun, accessible, intense, and mentally stimulating all at once.

SNK Playmore did a pretty good job of putting together a nice sampler of their classic titles. It's fun to poke around and play through these older games. Going through them almost gave me a sense of strolling through the dimly lit arcades of yesteryear, armed with a pocket heavy with quarters.

The stages walk that thin line between difficult and frustrating, which sometimes forced me to shut off the PSP and take a little break from the game because I only had one more goal to reach, but no visible way to get there. Then again, this could just be the fault of my weakness at the game. Thankfully, after each stage, I’ve had a feeling of satisfaction, so I haven’t had a point in time where I’ve not looked forward to a free moment to lay my hands on Echochrome.

As a game, it is flawed in many aspects, but as an immersing experience, GTA IV is simply unparalleled.

Newcomers will find a fast-paced, easy-to-play title that relishes in its own ability to capitalize on the wacky approachability and fun of Nintendo’s mascot characters.

Persona 3: FES manages to take one of last year's best RPGs and make it even better, trumping the original with loads of gameplay and fantastic value.

One of the dumbest ideas in this game is the “Shut ’Em Down” move. Basically, you fill a “special” meter by doing well (hitting shots and dunks, and doing jukes), and you can build up three different levels of Shut ’Em Down moves.

The musical combat and genre hopping madness of Battle of the Bands showed so much promise, it's just disappointing that the gameplay is too shallow to hold up in the long-term.

A must-have title for anyone who has ever loved a Zelda game, a Clover Studio game, or any time-intensive 3D adventure game. The only people I would advise against buying Okami are those on the extreme left or extreme right of the "casual/hardcore" gamer divide.

It bugged me that there was so much about this game that got it right, but it was ultimately too pulled down by super-linear level design for me to love it to the end.

It may look like a silly anime girl brawler, but the underlying complex fighting system can provide a challenge to even the most seasoned fighting game fan.

It's funny, its puzzles are satisfying, and, as Anthony mentioned, is a fine example of episodic gaming's potential.

Whether you enjoy shooters or not, it is simply something that must be played. Treasure created a wonderful experience, and has delivered that very same experience to the 360, perfectly intact, accomplishing far more than it aspires to do, and offering much more than just a shmup.

The first twenty minutes of playing this game, I detested every second of it.

There's not a lot of variety or extra content here, but these three very solid and deep fighting games alone are well worth the asking price.

A fun if slightly derivative third-person shooter. It certainly isn’t close to perfect -- the melee is kind of wonky and disappointingly underdeveloped, it suffers from a fair bit of repetition, and the enemy A.I. is only somewhat smarter than the girls on Flavor of Love. But the infected powers, the occasionally dazzling visuals, and Michael Rosenbaum’s sweet, sweet voice definitely make the game worth a look if you’re a fan of the genre.

The bad menus, controls, unplayable online component, and terrible campaign mode completely shroud any real accomplishments made in terms of the game's balance and feel.

It's perfect for action junkies who love visceral and brutal fighting but hate to think about things.

If Opoona had a more motivating story and more enjoyable in-game tasks, it would rank as one of the best RPGs of the past five years, due in no small part to its innovative battle system and unique in-game world.

To be fair, Dragon Sword is a blast to play and there’s nothing that really comes close to the same experience on the DS. But when it takes roughly five or six hours to complete a game -- and most of those six hours are spent reliving some of the best moments from the first hour and a half -- something feels a bit off.