Ultimately this is a game that only the hardcore are likely to enjoy. Even if it isn’t a successful design at heart, it’s a good-looking tribute to the characters they love, and that’s a step up from what anime-licensed games usually used to be.

Xenosaga's failing is not its presentation, but its mediocre story. Merely putting a story in a game doesn't exempt the game from criticism that would be leveled at any other story-based medium.

If you ever were a fan of the Twisted Metal games, and especially if you’re still a big fan of the series now, give this a look. You’ll probably have a good time with it, and you’ll definitely learn a few things you never knew before.

This feels like yet another genre shoehorned poorly onto hardware that just isn’t equipped to handle it.

Strip away the license and it’s a by-the-numbers production – not irredeemably bad, but not remarkable enough to plow through for tens of hours.

The effect of collisions is inconsistent. You can pass through some objects and be stopped dead in your tracks by others. The car physics are far too "floaty," and you'll find yourself catching too much air and doing crazy spins and rotations from minor bumps.

Lacks some of the technological prowess of other shooters, but its personality and extras keep its head above water.

It’s just not a terribly compelling game in any way.

Fans of the anime will love the look, but the game just retreads the plot. Aside from the fantastic dismemberment, Afro Samurai doesn't manage to be anything loftier than essentially the same beat 'em up that we've been playing since Double Dragon. On the other hand, it is fun in short doses, looks great, and can be hilarious.

When you play it in bite-size sessions, you'll appreciate wading into a sea of overgrown beetles or phosphorescent foes, spiked baseball bat swinging. Despite a few design shortfalls, the gameplay succeeds admirably, as does its presentation.

Though it’s refreshing to play a quirky game amidst a sea of copycats, Samurai Western is far too repetitive to merit a purchase unless you are the type who feels an action game isn’t fun unless your thumb is throbbing and your wrists are one flex closer to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Completely relying on the stylus to handle the ball is a bold design choice, but tends to feel unnecessary and rather gimmicky.

Mediocre presentation also holds it back a bit, but Kohan II is otherwise a solid and unique strategy game.

Has much potential, but fails to deliver in the variety department. A straight-up sequel to "X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter," complete with online multiplayer, may have been a more successful venture.

It may not have the same depth as other puzzle games, and it’s certainly not a showpiece for DS technology, but it will keep your heart racing and mouth smiling for short doses, which is often all you are looking for in a portable game.

There is also an annoying amount of trash talking cutscenes after each play, but fortunately they can be skipped or turned off entirely.

If you’re not a fan of online play, you’d do better to keep your germs to yourself.

And on a rare personal note, this is the only game other than "Dance Dance Revolution" and "Animal Crossing" my wife has wanted to play. That has to count for something.

The attempt to support an RTS with a compelling storyline is not a new idea and it has certainly been done with more imagination and style.

But anyone who hasn’t been indoctrinated into fandom will be put off by the thought of dozens of hours of poor scripting, repetitive combat and insistent AI.

Conquest hits the same beats that we’ve hit over and over again in previous titles. It’s not that they don’t hit them well, but they hit the exact beats we’ve come to expect from a Lord of the Rings title.

To make matters worse, the game slows down dramatically when there's too much happening on screen. It's almost like the building is collapsing in slow motion.

Dark Age is easily one of the best massively multiplayer online RPGs available today, and Trials of Atlantis is a solid addition to the experience.

All that being said, Hot Shots Tennis is still a decent game, but only if you’re going to be taking advantage of the multiplayer options. Unfortunately, there is no online setup. In the end what we’ve got is a slightly low-budget spin-off.

WWE '13 has all the potential to be great. Varied game modes, a slew of classic wrestlers to choose from and an unheard of commitment to historical accuracy all form the foundation for what should be an excellent wrestling game. Unfortunately, the gameplay is so weak and the entire game suffers for it.

Good looks and tactical high jinks aside, it's tough to recommend HoMM5 with a mere ten skirmish maps, no map editor (for shame!), and a barrel of bugs, e.g. random desktop crashes, missions that "break" if you perform certain tasks out of order, heroes that attack through castle walls, incorrect initiative bar tallies in battle, etc.

If you didn't know what "taisen" means, you can probably give it a pass.

With an MSRP under thirty dollars, MVP NCAA Baseball 07's strengths outweigh its negative points, but players who already own 2006's game shouldn't expect anything more than some new teams, a new pitching interface and related mini-game, and new behind-the-pitcher and batting cameras.