Even though the classic Pokémon formula still works as evidenced by HeartGold, I can’t help but hope for a new Pokémon title that breaks some new ground.

Even though the classic Pokémon formula still works as evidenced by SoulSilver, I can’t help but hope for a new Pokémon title that breaks some new ground.

Overall, Mega Man 10 offers all the nuts and bolts a diehard blue bomber fan could want in a retro sequel, while boasting even more content than Mega Man 9 with all its DLC combined. The game's technical ambitions are modest and it's not a life-changing experience, but it delivers nostalgic fun in truckloads.

The fundamental experience isn’t noticeably different, but the breadth and variety that Chaos Rising adds are solid improvements to an already good game.

If Scrap Metal was nothing but arena deathmatch missions, it would be much harder to recommend. An awkward camera angle and the lack of creative characters would keep it from being worth the asking price. However, the variety of vehicle types and mission objectives should satisfy car combat fans looking for signs of life in the genre.

A phenomenal RPG destined to be remembered as a technical milestone for the series. [Issue#203, p.88]

Yakuza 3 does offer an involved, lengthy story for those with the patience to wade through the repetition and annoyances.

Final Fantasy XIII is an excellent game regardless of what system you're playing on. However, the Xbox 360 version's graphics are a few steps behind, with noticeable compression in the cutscenes and less impressive lighting.

The game suffers from slow pacing throughout the eight-plus hour experience, which fittingly ends with an anticlimactic scene. You should just hit the ignore button on this one.

Although Max may provide a better realization of the "draw-in-your-solution" sub-genre of creativity-driven platformers than what has come before, the Wii remote still cannot offer the accuracy truly needed to make a game like this shine.

It’s a great downloadable title, packed with hours of fun in a setting unlike anything else out there.

Not content to settle for second place, DICE throws down the gauntlet with Bad Company 2, delivering its best multiplayer package since Battlefield 2 and a remarkably improved single-player campaign that openly mocks its rival while cribbing from them at the same time. [Issue#203, p.84]

Not content to settle for second place, DICE throws down the gauntlet with Bad Company 2, delivering its best multiplayer package since Battlefield 2 and a remarkably improved single-player campaign that openly mocks its rival while cribbing from them at the same time. [Issue#203, p.84]

MLB 2K10 is heading in the right direction, but it’s not quite where it needs to be yet.

MLB 2K10 is heading in the right direction, but it’s not quite where it needs to be yet.

Follows an old blueprint of the genre, but maintains a level of charm and humor that still works in 2010. [Issue#203, p.96]

No baseball game has come close to delivering a complete package like this game does.

You can have a good time with Supreme Commander 2. It’s just not all that different than the enjoymentto be found in any other solid RTS of the last decade.

Overall, Mega Man 10 offers all the nuts and bolts a diehard blue bomber fan could want in a retro sequel, while boasting even more content than Mega Man 9 with all its DLC combined.

It's barely a game in the popular sense of the word, but Quantic Dream's masterpiece makes groundbreaking strides in storytelling and character development, demonstrating that interactive entertainment still has a deep well of untapped potential. [Issue#203, p.91]

Napoleon: Total War may not rewrite history, but its subtle gameplay refinements, tactical variety, and new multiplayer campaign do more than enough to offset the litany of legacy issues hindering this otherwise impressive strategy game.

If you're a Metal Slug fan/PSP owner who hasn't had a way to play this entry in the series before, XX is worth checking out. It's a tough recommendation for everyone else.

If you’re looking for the next big thing in wacky racing games beyond a capable online framework, don’t look here. If you’re looking for straightforward Mario Kart clone with a glossy Sega veneer, then this game is for you.

Don’t go into Sonic Racing expecting tons of surprises or genre-redefining innovation. Rather, prepare for a Sega-studded interpretation of the classic kart racing formula.

If you’re looking for the next big thing in wacky racing games beyond a capable online framework, don’t look here. If you’re looking for straightforward Mario Kart clone with a glossy Sega veneer, then this game is for you.

As I added up all of the areas in which Last Rebellion is lacking, I couldn’t figure out if the developer had great intentions that it just couldn’t execute or if the team simply didn’t care. Whatever the case, it’s one of the least polished and least impressive RPGs I’ve played this generation.

Struggle through the admittedly bad third-person action, and you'll find a role-playing experience well worth your time.

Offers a treasure trove of stress-reducing content. [Issue#204, p.91]

Unless you're a hardcore fan of BurgerTime, Peter Pepper's Ice Cream Factory or Bad Dudes, you're better off saving your quarters. [Issue#203, p.97]

It's incredibly flawed in areas that some consider core to the gaming experience and requires patience to persevere through the problems and get to the best moments. But for everything it lacks, it transcends the stigma of a budget title. If you're looking for a strange but nonetheless unique experience, Deadly Premonition may satisfy an itch you didn't even realize you had.

The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom impresses with its puzzle design, offbeat humor, and sheer style.

Like an antithesis to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, it proves that two great flavors don't always taste great together. [Issue#203, p.87]

Like an antithesis to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, it proves that two great flavors don't always taste great together. [Issue#203, p.87]

I enjoyed my time with Edgeworth, but it's the weakest entry in the series. [Issue#203, p.95]

A solid interface makes this Xbox 360 port a reasonable - though not ideal - way to play Tropico 3. [Issue#203, p.92]

If your interest lies solely with the single-player experience - and let's be frank, this is why we counted down the days until BioShock 2's release - I walked away from it pleased, but also unfulfilled. BioShock 2 eventually becomes the sequel I hoped for, but spends too much time getting there. [Issue#203, p.82]

If your interest lies solely with the single-player experience - and let's be frank, this is why we counted down the days until BioShock 2's release - I walked away from it pleased, but also unfulfilled. BioShock 2 eventually becomes the sequel I hoped for, but spends too much time getting there. [Issue#203, p.82]

Dante’s Inferno features some interesting aspects (like its combat), but early innovation loses out to repetition. The game’s biggest strength – Visceral’s recreation of hell – wanes during the second half. Some entertaining unlockable content adds to the replayability, but for most gamers, Inferno doesn’t have enough new ideas to warrant a return trip through hell.

Dante’s Inferno features some interesting aspects (like its combat), but early innovation loses out to repetition. The game’s biggest strength – Visceral’s recreation of hell – wanes during the second half. Some entertaining unlockable content adds to the replayability, but for most gamers, Inferno doesn’t have enough new ideas to warrant a return trip through hell.

For me, it felt a bit like eating Cheerios with a fork - different, but not advisable. [Issue#204, p.90]

Even PS3 gamers who would be playing it for the first time should be wary about a purchase. [Issue#203, p.97]

White Knight Chronicles was a disappointment for me, especially coming from a quality developer like Level-5. Some of the studio’s trademark customization helps to give the game some legs, as does its hefty multiplayer component. However, for interesting combat, deep characters, and an engaging fantasy, I’d look elsewhere.

Character progression is interesting at first, but the game quickly becomes trivially easy. [Issue#203, p.95]

Character progression is interesting at first, but the game quickly becomes trivially easy. [Issue#203, p.95]

If you’re already a Blood Bowl vet, the Blitz mode makes this version worth your time. But even though I find satisfaction in pulling off even the simplest of the game’s maneuvers, setting up all of its dominos is just too exacting for my taste.

The loss of RPG elements may hit some people hard, and the repetition in minigames may lead to yawns and tired eyes, but none of these faults hold Mass Effect 2 back from being a work of bold ambition, and one of gaming’s most exciting sequels.

The loss of RPG elements may hit some people hard, and the repetition in minigames may lead to yawns and tired eyes, but none of these faults hold Mass Effect 2 back from being a work of bold ambition, and one of gaming’s most exciting sequels.

The game never gets too heavy though; the simple-but-fun beat-em-up combat and ridiculous boss scenarios rise above any minor remaining issues with No More Heroes 2...Finally, Suda51 delivers a game that almost anyone can appreciate.

Fighting genre fans who spent countless hours mastering the intricacies of the Street Fighter Alpha, Guilty Gear, or King of Fighters series may find Tatsunoko vs. Capcom's control layout to be too forgiving and easily learned, but at the very least it gives casual fans a taste of the maniacal action that they never experienced with the more hardcore titles. [Feb 2010, p.96]

MAG’s player count is an impressive technical achievement, but the game world feels oddly mechanical. Outside of the high player count, the uninspired world fails to stand out from the pack. If every gameplay mechanic were kept intact and shrunk down to a 16- or 32-player game, MAG would be an experience as generic as its title.

The disturbingly dwarf-sized characters may serve as an analogy for the game’s place among strategy RPGs: It’s shorter and uglier than most that have come before, but it’s also unique in a way that some will find charming.

The disturbingly dwarf-sized characters may serve as an analogy for the game’s place among strategy RPGs: It’s shorter and uglier than most that have come before, but it’s also unique in a way that some will find charming.

Unfortunately, the shining strengths of the game are buried underneath a thick layer of rust that only the thirstiest of air-junkies should bother chipping through. [Feb 2010, p.95]

Unfortunately, the shining strengths of the game are buried underneath a thick layer of rust that only the thirstiest of air-junkies should bother chipping through. [Feb 2010, p.95]

Unfortunately, the shining strengths of the game are buried underneath a thick layer of rust that only the thirstiest of air-junkies should bother chipping through. [Feb 2010, p.95]

With so many great co-op experiences available to gamers, it’s tough to recommend The 40th Day. Lacking a cohesive story, solid controls, key multiplayer features, and polish, this sequel fails to close the gap of mediocrity running through its core game design.

With so many great co-op experiences available to gamers, it’s tough to recommend The 40th Day. Lacking a cohesive story, solid controls, key multiplayer features, and polish, this sequel fails to close the gap of mediocrity running through its core game design.

Matt Hazard’s debut missed the mark with gamers, and though this entry isn’t a bull’s-eye, his aim has gotten a lot better.

Divinity II isn't without its charms, but weak game design sullies the thrill of digging into the many secrets of its outstanding world.

Matt Hazard’s debut missed the mark with gamers, and though this entry isn’t a bull’s-eye, his aim has gotten a lot better.

Even without a clear narrative purpose, Darksiders never wavers from being an enjoyable adventure. I had a blast playing it, and strangely enough, the obvious nods to other games added to the fun. Despite a lame last boss fight, the setup planted for the sequel has me counting the days until it arrives.

Even without a clear narrative purpose, Darksiders never wavers from being an enjoyable adventure. I had a blast playing it, and strangely enough, the obvious nods to other games added to the fun. Despite a lame last boss fight, the setup planted for the sequel has me counting the days until it arrives.

When you’re chaining combos together, switching between weapons, and punishing otherworldly opponents, Bayonetta is the epitome of its breed. It isn’t so much an evolution of the genre as a well-tuned and highly polished culmination of its history.

When you’re chaining combos together, switching between weapons, and punishing otherworldly opponents, Bayonetta is the epitome of its breed. It isn’t so much an evolution of the genre as a well-tuned and highly polished culmination of its history.

Divinity II isn’t without its charms, but weak game design sullies the thrill of digging into the many secrets of its outstanding world.

After a cool introductory sequence, things go downhill immediately. [Jan 2010, p.85]

Van Halen deserves better. [Jan 2010, p.79]

Van Halen deserves better. [Jan 2010, p.79]

The concept is original, the aesthetics are striking, and the game behind it all is a simple, condensed package of fun.

The Saboteur may lack the polish of the contemporaries it boldly mimics, but protagonist Sean Devlin’s quest for revenge and an alluring 1940s Paris make this a World War II memory worth making.

The Saboteur may lack the polish of the contemporaries it boldly mimics, but protagonist Sean Devlin’s quest for revenge and an alluring 1940s Paris make this a World War II memory worth making.

If you’re a Silent Hill fan interested in a fresh take on the stale formula, this Wii entry may be the Cheryl you’ve been searching for – but it comes at a cost.

The Saboteur may lack the polish of the contemporaries it boldly mimics, but protagonist Sean Devlin’s quest for revenge and an alluring 1940s Paris make this a World War II memory worth making.

In my tenure as a game critic, I haven’t come across a game that fluctuates between highs and lows as frequently as Spirit Tracks. I often found myself taken aback by an amazing puzzle, only to be bored to death on a train moments later.

It’s short, repetitive, and crappy all the way through.

It’s short, repetitive, and crappy all the way through.

In the end however, these extra layers can’t fix the subpar combat and disappointing storyline at the game’s core, leaving Avatar a lackluster, though not entirely unpleasant, experience. While forgiving sci-fi fans might still appreciate this intergalactic romp, the average gamer is left with an easy choice: this game is a rental at best.

In the end however, these extra layers can’t fix the subpar combat and disappointing storyline at the game’s core, leaving Avatar a lackluster, though not entirely unpleasant, experience. While forgiving sci-fi fans might still appreciate this intergalactic romp, the average gamer is left with an easy choice: this game is a rental at best.

MX vs. ATV: Reflex features some great racing moments, but the game's technical ambitions sometimes get in its way. The possibilities of reflex racing with the right analog are clearly there, they just haven't been mastered yet.

MX vs. ATV: Reflex features some great racing moments, but the game's technical ambitions sometimes get in its way. The possibilities of reflex racing with the right analog are clearly there, they just haven't been mastered yet.

I came in expecting nothing, and ended up having a pretty good time exploring the battle system's many nuances. [Nov 2009, p.115]

Your Shape featuring Jenny McCarthy is a decent title, but it's in dire need of a shot in the arm. [Jan 2010, p.87]

This is the latest example of the European development community stepping up its game as American PC studios flock to consoles on a seemingly daily basis. With outstanding creative titles like this coming from the most unexpected sources, I wouldn't trade my PC for anything.

Gyromancer is not as complex or demanding as many of the big name titles on retail shelves, but high production values and polished gameplay carry it a long way.

Gyromancer is not as complex or demanding as many of the big name titles on retail shelves, but high production values and polished gameplay carry it a long way.

Assassin’s Creed II is a complex, mature, and engaging journey from beginning to end. It stands as a benchmark for design that combines innovative ideas with tried-and-true techniques to create one of the great games of this generation.

Assassin’s Creed II is a complex, mature, and engaging journey from beginning to end. It stands as a benchmark for design that combines innovative ideas with tried-and-true techniques to create one of the great games of this generation.

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles acts as a fantastic primer for those who started with the more action-centric Resident Evil iterations, while simultaneously providing fan service and fun for dedicated followers. Novices and veterans alike would be doing themselves a disservice by passing up this game.

The huge level of frustration is not worth the time it takes to master the awkward gameplay idiosyncrasies. Instead, it’s more tempting – even as someone with experience – to just spam the waggle movements for a passable high score.

The huge level of frustration is not worth the time it takes to master the awkward gameplay idiosyncrasies. Instead, it’s more tempting – even as someone with experience – to just spam the waggle movements for a passable high score.

The huge level of frustration is not worth the time it takes to master the awkward gameplay idiosyncrasies. Instead, it’s more tempting – even as someone with experience – to just spam the waggle movements for a passable high score.

The newest chapter in the undead uprising now oozes with even more of the proven developer’s trademark personality and polish. If you are among those who think the sequel is coming too soon, prepare to eat your words like so many brains. Left 4 Dead 2 is everything a sequel should be: perfected, expanded, and an absolute riot.

While I appreciate the desire to try something new with the game structure after so many titles, the resulting mishmash of ideas is frustrating, repetitive, and unfriendly to both kids and adults.

While I appreciate the desire to try something new with the game structure after so many titles, the resulting mishmash of ideas is frustrating, repetitive, and unfriendly to both kids and adults.

Indy’s newest adventure wasn’t built to last.

For those who have never played the Naruto Clash of Ninja fighting game series, start with this one. It’s got 40 characters, a slick fighting system, tons of unlockables, and online combat for the first time. Longtime fans might be wary of the game, however, as this is the fifth game in the series in four years.

Great platformers are a rare breed these days, so I hope PSP owners take a chance on this pint-sized powerhouse.

Ultimately, this collection isn’t much more than the sum of its parts, but that is hardly a bad thing considering the quality of the parts. If you still haven’t played the God of War series, you aren’t just missing out on great games. You’re missing pieces of gaming history.