Although the set-up is weak, and the emphasis on commercialism and bling is rather trite, Def Jam Fight for New York: the Takeover is a surprisingly adept fighting game.

Those who are willing to give it a shot will find that it's a great package, offering wrestling fans more than enough to keep them entertained until next year's games offer something bigger, badder, and better.

Ridiculously difficult.

All told, Sam & Max fans have plenty to celebrate with three top notch (albeit brief) episodes.

Square Enix set out to correct the issues fans had with the first game, and they have succeeded across the board. With improvements to combat, exploration, and storytelling, it feels like this is the game that XIII should have been. But it isn't just a sequel, as it carves out its own tale to stand among the Final Fantasy pantheon.

Ship movements are heavily physics-based, which can make even simple movements near space stations or other ships problematic for anyone unused to this sort of gameplay. Docking is especially nightmarish for new players.

The gameplay is limited in scope and the maps are repetitive in theme, if not design. The visuals are decent enough, but definitely not up to the standards of most modern releases.

Fulfills bare minimum expectations of the typical fighting game sequel. It delivers more of the same with slight tweaks in the character roster.

What's most surprising is that titles such as "Pitfall" are still a lot of fun, and even the included sports games still offer a decent amount of replay value.

The animated sequences are less than stellar, the plot is trite, and the game feels like it was pared down at the last minute. Despite all those flaws, the running-based gameplay makes you want to forgive everything else. No other game is quite as exhilarating and uniquely exciting, and it’s this part of the game you’ll remember most.

The simple controls and short bursts of gameplay make it perfect for handheld consumption, and a wireless multiplayer mode that allows up to eight other flipper-flappers to play with just one game card pushes its value rather high.

The old school gameplay holds up nicely. Thanks to the incredibly sharp high definition treatment, the primitive animation style manages to still impress.

In short, if you like FEAR, you will love FEAR 2. It may be too scary for some and the wobble of your character walking might induce a slight bit of motion sickness, but it’s a well constructed horror/action title.

An hour a day will probably give any shooter fan a thrill, but prolonged and involved play makes all the small flaws more apparent and all the pyrotechnics more numbing.

It's the clunky design that, in my book, fuels Retro City Rampage's undoing. This is a game that plays better on a design document than it does in reality. It is pretty much exactly what the trailers and previews have sold it as, for better and for worse.

While it has a few issues (namely the lack of analog stick hitting/pitching) that keep it from being the hands-down, across the board best baseball on the market, MLB 09: The Show does just about everything else it can to give players a challenging, rewarding and realistic baseball experience. It looks incredible, plays smoothly, and offers enough on field and off-field goodies to please/occupy baseball fans for a long, long time.

It's the breakneck pace afforded by Tommy's spirit world resurrections and the dizzying effects of promiscuous gravitational pull that makes Prey such a fresh gaming experience.

If you can ignore the acting or enjoy it for camp, the rest of Gothic II is an incredible experience.

There are glimpses of genius here for sure -- the landshark gun, the topsy-turvy mine, and some of the level design and humor come to mind -- but it doesn't add up to a complete game.

Its best assets -- the branching courses and the grumpy girlfriend -- are almost 20 years old. Even drifting is now ancient. Perhaps a quirky story mode or a more detailed skill-progression system would have elevated OutRun 2 to higher status.

SNK has done a remarkable job of creating a new Metal Slug experience that feels nearly perfect on the small screen. Frenetic action, great graphics, and classic, refined gameplay are all highlights here.

It came so agonizingly close to being a great one. With some camera tweaks and a more effective method of combating multiple foes, this could have been a truly special title that would have appealed to more than just devotees of the "Buffy" show.

Action-based combat controls aside, Tales of Vesperia is a perfect example of why the Japanese RPG is so venerated. The game deals with serious issues like corrupt government, tyranny, crime, honor, friendship, and other familiar elements, yet seldom bogs itself down in overdone drama.

For many, it will simply be the fantastic graphics and sound that seal the deal.

If you have time to think, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The latest version of EA's yearly hit isn't the quantum leap ahead of last year's, but it's improved enough to keep it at the top, drinking from the virtual Cup.

New content is nice, but this piecemeal addition at $20 a pop of what should be sequel content is starting to feel more like gouging than a company generously giving its loyal customers what they want.

If you can still hum the theme to "Gigantor" and the line "I'll form the head!" means anything to you, Robot Alchemic Drive was made for you.