Add to this the solid graphics, the intense sound of warfare, and the electrifying strategy of squad command, and you have another great title from Gearbox. However, our patience for ingenuity is waning, and I only hope we can see some fresh features in the next installment.

Armageddon is just another fighter these days. It may have been one of the most popular fighting games of the mid-90’s but that time has long passed.

They are fun, interesting, huge, and have considerable depth within the gameplay. But I find reality frustrating enough to not want to pick up a game that threatens to compound that frustration further.

Conquest mode really shines on Xbox Live, especially if you have a full compliment of eight players on hand.

The premise is totally original and the presentation is flawless, and you can’t help but leave the game knowing more about prehistoric man and the time in which he lived.

Once your thumb learns the locations of those four weapon-select spots, you’ll be able to tear through wave after wave of enemy ships in what is easily the best looking and intensely challenging game on the DS to date.

UEFA Champions League is a good game, but for 99% of the soccer fans in North America, FIFA is a far better choice.

As long as one is willing to accept the fact that Sega Superstars Tennis is attuned to the younger crowd and does not expect an experience anywhere near as deep as the beloved Virtua Tennis - then Sega Superstars fits the bill.

Ultimately, however, Divine Wind doesn't add enough to be as much of a mandatory expansion as its predecessors were.

WWE '12 looks great, sounds great, and even comes with top-shelf presentation, and if it were not for the brutally difficult reversal system, the single-button system might not seem so bad – but the two together make for a game that is frustrating as heck and without any real reward.

As far as edutainment games goes, My Word Coach is one of the better ones I have spent time with and one in which nearly anyone age 8 or older should be able to get something out of.

The Jim & Frank Mysteries: The Blood River Files may very well be THE puzzle adventure game that people have been looking for on the iPhone.

It’s a great idea which sounds like a lot of fun, but falls short when it comes to fruition. I'd love to see Hot-B and Taito try this again, while paying closer attention to gameplay, controls, and streamlining the create-a-character in such a way that makes it much more accessible.

If you are looking for an outstanding visual and visceral action experience then you haven’t seen or played anything this cool since that old "Incoming" game from a few years ago.

Ramiro Cruz is no Max Payne, and he never will be – but if you have ever had even the slightest inkling to visit the dirty side of Mexico, Cruz is one heck of a travel partner.

Country music might not float my boat, but I have to imagine that most country fans will really enjoy Karaoke Revolution Country.

I admit that I was not expecting much from Dead Island, given the oversaturated subject matter and the delayed development time. And while the game definitely has its share of weaknesses, it is pleasantly surprising in its own right.

It spans nearly every genre including arcade, FPS, action, platform; there is even some stealth-action ripped right from Metal Gear Solid 2 if you remember hiding in that box and sneaking through the ship, and Madagascar even gives a nod to classic arcade games like Frogger, Simon and the crane game.

It truly makes you feel like you are living in the world that you have come to know and love through the movies and books and that alone has been what makes this MMO stand out from others for me.

I had low expectations going into this review so imagine my surprise to find that PAIN is not only a great and totally addictive game, it is probably going to be one of the biggest guilty pleasures in everybody’s PS3 library.

If you are a fan of shooters and are tired of getting your butt stomped in Ikaruga, then give Aces of the Galaxy a try.

It's great fun in multi-player when you have some friends over. It's also fun just playing the single player mode. The classic video highlights are both interesting and funny.

The story is innovative, and so is the attunement system and the character advancement system.

And even though the game is a bit light in its scope, the treatment of the subject is handled with as much attention to detail as you can possibly imagine, and with a stellar cast of voice actors and a music selection to set the mood, Contents Under Pressure is just waiting to explode on your Xbox.

All said, I still favor the formula of the original Red Faction over the more recent releases – but there is no denying that there is immense enjoyment to be had in in destruction, and Volition has never disappointed in this aspect. Armageddon may lack the storyline components of the prior releases, but it more than makes up for it in terms of overall action and gameplay ingenuity – and while I may never be able to recapture the experience of the original Red Faction, I can see many more hours of magnet gun follies in my future.

Those coming from a Smash Brothers background will likely blaze through this game and walk away hungry, but for those looking for the casual fighter with charming characters and delightful animation, you can't go wrong with the cast of Shrek.

Xotic offers up fresh and original FPS experience that is well worth the $10 asking price.

It’s rare that we see this level of sophisticated squad-based tactical gameplay in a console title.

All in all I was fairly impressed with The Lost Crown. A deep story and a disturbingly creepy score put this title high on my list of creepy adventure titles and of adventure titles in general.

Smash Hits was just the breath of fresh recycled air that we needed.

TouchMaster might not be the deepest or the most rewarding game to ever hit the DS, but it is a lot of fun.

This is my first retail game for my new Vita and I'm pretty happy with both the game and the handheld. The twin sticks are going to allow gamers to play our favorite action and FPS games in a way that was never possible on previous mobile platforms. Unit 13 is a great first effort for the genre and I can't wait to see what's next.

The music is better if your turn it off and the tinny sound effects are a bit disappointing, but at its heart there is a fun and substantial gameplay experience to be had if you have the perseverance to tough it out.

Blitz Pro walks a fine line between serious sim and classic Blitz action and maintains a perfect balance from start to finish.

Only a marginal improvement over last year’s game.

What it lacks in fancy music and top-notch graphics it makes up for by allowing you to slip on the green skin of The Hulk and crush everything in sight. While it won’t be the kind of game you will play for many days straight, it is a fun distraction.

If you own a PSP at all and love a good horror story then I absolutely recommend getting Corpse Party from the PlayStation Network.

I am by no means the ideal Guitar Hero player so I enjoyed the less rigorous songs that this version offers thanks to Joe Perry’s repetitive riffs.

I can’t recommend Kung Fu Panda for the DS highly enough, especially for the younger kids, perhaps those that wanted to play Ninja Gaiden and weren't allowed.

But for even the most reserved Unreal Tournament players, the PSN version of CellFactor: Psychokinetic Wars is well worth the price of admission. It’s a blast through-and-through, and one of the best multiplayer experiences on PSN.

An extremely shallow game.

Despite some obvious flaws, Breakdown has probably had the single biggest impact on my perception of gaming since the original "Half-Life."

Arx should take you around 30 hours to complete, possibly more depending on how fast you are at figuring out a few of the puzzles or how often you have to reload some of the more difficult combats.

What impressed me the most was the quality of the music. While not as pristine as you'll hear on a Dolby Digital console, the DS boasts some impressive quality, and if you pipe it through a home stereo (or a Thunderbox Amp) you can really punch up the bass and immerse yourself in the concert experience.

As one of the few genuinely impressive movie-to-game conversions, Over the Hedge smacks of the old PlayStation and N64 Toy Story adventure games of yore – with top-notch presentation, killer graphics and solid gameplay throughout.

I found it more challenging than the previous adventure and I particularly liked being able to see more of the famed detective’s city.

As I said before, it may not be perfect, but it's a step in the right direction for the genre. It'll be interesting to see what improvements come to the game as the minor bugs are ironed out. And even more interesting will be where we go next, now that Nuclear Dawn has shown us what a game is capable of doing.

The fantastic cast of characters will keep us laughing throughout the adventure and the mini-games will allow us to involve an occasional buddy in our cartoon fun. Unfortunately, the PS2 already has dozens of platformers and Tak 2 doesn’t seem to add enough to the genre to rise above its competitors.

The best part of X3: Reunion is ultimately doing your own thing in space.

It has all the standard components of traditional platform titles but disguises them with clever game design, intuitive character interaction, and constant humor.

I suppose the game will ultimately find its limited audience, but for the majority, this is a track pack of fun, lighthearted, and easy songs wrapped up in a LEGO-style design that is starting to wear out its welcome.

It's been a good while since I've played an RPG title that has brought back the almost true spirit of the Nintendo Hard era. Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light may not be the perfect old school RPG but it is up there on my list of must play titles for the DS and of 2010.

Sadly, the shooting elements of the game are implemented rather poorly with the exception of shooting takedowns, and the driving game stuck in the middle is out of place and not that much fun, but you know they just had to try - it was such a huge part of the movie.

Voyage doesn’t explore new gaming territory, but it’s a solid adventure title. It also does a really good job of bringing a somewhat forgotten classic to life.

If you enjoy the Sims games, welcome the challenge of open-ended gameplay, and don’t mind some of the building limitations, you might also have a blast with Castaway’s unique take on classic Sims 2 gameplay.

In all fairness though Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy is one of the best aerial combat games that I've ever played and the folks over at Namco Bandai delivered another fantastic addition to their critically acclaimed franchise. It has the right amount of action, easy to use and fluid controls and great visuals for a 3DS title. Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy is totally worth the price of admission and a must have if you own a Nintendo 3DS.

The controls are simple and solid, and although there is a bit of hand-holding with the game highlighting all of the available squares and suggesting possible moves – it is still a fun experience to be had.

If you love quirky humor and challenging gameplay then this is a title you'll want to be adding to your game collection. And you can't beat the $20 price – just don't let it fool you into thinking this is less of a game than it really is.

It seems that the Smackdown vs. Raw series has really taken a step sideways with this year’s title. Instead of improving what they had, they tried to add a new feature that throws off the balance of the game.

Super Collapse is a classic game that almost everyone can enjoy. If you want a fun game that you will never get tired of this is the game for you.

Has a compelling story right out of the pages of Asimov's, with interesting and subtle characters whose soul-searching never tilts over into preachiness, and whose motives can remain unclear without becoming annoying.

This is a breath of fresh air that will hopefully inspire others to start creating some original works for this struggling system.

Ace Combat: Joint Assault is a fun ride and it was great to finally play a classic Ace Combat game, even if it wasn't totally next-gen.

I thought this game was really fun in the arcade. I didn’t realize how much the controller was part of the experience back then.

The only thing that was holding this game back was its limitations put upon it by having to follow an established movie.

There is just so much original thinking that went into this design, and it really forces you to strategize and play in whole new ways. Each encounter in the game is a new chance to plan some crafty tactics or just go in guns blazing. Rogue Trooper is a fantastic action experience and gets my highest recommendation for being added to your permanent game library.

If you think the idea of playing a first-person shooter as a gang member inspired by Batman or the Joker is a good one or enjoy playing comedic shooters, or just love playing with costumes, then there's no doubt that Gotham City Imposters is for you. If you just want to shoot the man; well, there's pretty much every other first-person shooter out there.

With all sorts of fun score challenges, bonus fruits, combo rewards, and that big red fruit at the end of each session where you get to go crazy, Fruit Ninja Kinect is a great way to liven up any party or gaming night. And if you have younger kids; they are going to go Fruit Ninja crazy for this game. It's a bit over-priced, but still a worthy addition to your XBLA collection.

Expect 15-20 hours of gameplay just to get through the game and that's not including any replays for secrets, alternate paths, or checking out any of the secrets or unlocks. The 3rd Birthday rivals a lot of console action-RPG's these days, and while it probably would have played better and received a wider audience on the PS3, I have to commend Square Enix for publishing a fantastic sequel and an exceptional gameplay experience on the PSP that any fan of the genre or the series should definitely check out.

Men of Valor tells the best story and delivers the best action of any of the Vietnam games currently available.

Grand Slam Tennis 2 is a tough one to call. While I have enjoyed other tennis games more, there is something surprisingly complete and authentic about not only the gameplay but the overall presentation. There are no cutesy mini-games or diversions. This is all business, and despite a few nagging issues, the overall mix of the new Total Racquet Control combined with the PRO AI and all the Grand Slam events including Wimbledon make this the most complete tennis experience you can play on your Xbox 360.

For fans of the films, you can hardly go wrong with the Back to the Future adventure games. If you've already bought the first, then you know the kind of quality you're in for. If you're hesitant and looking to see if it's maintained throughout the series, then you're in luck, because the Back to the Future games are still right up there with the gold standard that Telltale's set for licensed adventure games.

Chromehounds is probably one of the more inventive games of its time. It’s the first persistent online game on the 360 and it’s FREE to play (Live fees not withstanding). It has good graphics, challenging gameplay, and enough parts and upgrades to keep even the most diehard armchair mechanic glued to their TV for weeks and months to come.

Birth of America is a good historic turn based strategy game that is not only fun to play but very educational.

I really like Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 despite the troublesome controls. The graphics are gorgeous, especially on a widescreen HDTV in all their panoramic glory, which only makes you wish for more than the six included courses.

Kung Fu Panda for the PC is my choice for the button mashing fun as Po the Panda but I am a PC gamer at heart and am quite used to the mouse and keyboard control scheme.

Despite its short length and overall lack of interactivity, Asura's Wrath is quite a spectacle; one that all anime lovers need to experience at least once, but for now you can get that done with a one-day rental. Everyone else can wait for a huge price slash or just go watch some of the great anime they are adding to Netflix each new week.

Ridge Racer Unbounded might not be the Ridge Racer game your dad played back in his day, but don't let the name fool you. It's dark and dirty visual style is second only to the dirty and explosive racing action that awaits when you strap in behind the wheel of this addictive arcade racer where the only limit to your fun is your imagination.

Battles can be short and sweet, easy for the pick-up-and-play nature of the system, or you can settle in for countless addictive hours of combat.

Just like Lament of Innocence, the presentation and core gameplay fails on almost every level, making it difficult to differentiate it from any other generic action game out there.

This is one game that was a joy to play and review even though my kids where constantly bugging me to play it themselves. I guess that shows how well liked Eragon for the GBA is for many age groups.

Overall, I strongly recommend Hector: Badge of Carnage to anyone who doesn't mind their comedy getting a little bit filthy.

It’s not too hard, and it’s not too boring which equates to a fairly good game. But because of the nature of its design it also isn’t very replayable as there is little to no reason to go back and do it all again.

Ultimately, Red Faction Armageddon isn't a bad game so much as it's a disappointment. While it achieves what it set out to do, providing a linear, set piece-based shooter reminiscent of early Red Faction games, it's a shame to see this kind of step back after the last game dared to take the series in an interesting new direction.

Retailing for $49.95, The Sims 3 Pets is a solid game that provides hours of creative and exploratory sandbox gameplay.

Excellent visuals and voice acting really draw you into this film-like adventure experience known as Still Life.

Certainly an improvement on its predecessor, but it still lacks the visual punch to offer any competition with the PC or Xbox games.

All told, Virtua Tennis is a well-put-together tennis game with some strategic depth and an arcade flare.

The unique blending of 3D gameplay elements blended seamlessly with exquisitely rendered 2D backgrounds works extremely well, and there is so much Egyptian flavor I was half expecting to see the National Geographic or Discovery Channel logo in the corner of the screen.

So if you are a Crash Bandicoot fan who happens to own a Wii this is a must have game. But if you are just looking for a great new game to play, this would be a good, but not great, addition to your video game collection.

While the basic concept that forms the core of this game may still be too simple for some to find entertaining, it still provides a fairly lengthy and fun game with several outstanding qualities.

It’s a more linear experience, but it hasn’t lost touch with what makes The Sims unique and appealing.

At the end of the day, Payday is a game that doesn't live up to the sum of its parts.

But even so, there is a solid core gaming premise here and one that I hope is polished and refined in a future sequel. Until that day, your military service might better be served in any of the other battlefield-style games.

007: Quantum of Solace was supposed to be the game that got the James Bond franchise out of its slump, but instead it succumbs to its own mediocrity and will only satisfy those with the lowest of expectations.

I realize that I am painting a fairly bad picture of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and I admit that it is hard to be objective when I have already had the pleasure to play the title on both the Xbox 360 and the PS3. Comparing across the platforms is hardly fair when the Wii's processing power is so limited that it forces developers to make significant modifications to the gameplay. But even considering that, Modern Warfare 3 is merely an average shooter compared to the other FPS titles on the Wii.

This particular game is essentially a glorified chess match. What sets Worms apart is the plethora of strategic possibilities and its sense of humor. While I don’t expect the series to develop much beyond this point, it’s a pleasant diversion.

An excellent storyline, high production values, sweeping sound, impressive graphics and an attention to detail that would make my professors at Berkeley proud all combine to make Desert Rats one of the best World War II real time strategy games I’ve come across in a long time.