Classic compilations really don't get much better than this...A nostalgic dream come true.

A Hat in Time lacks polish, but it makes up for its shortcomings with excellent platforming and a universe I was happy to be part of. The whole experience is adorable, and in many ways it improves on the very platformers it uses as inspiration.

Though it is not for the faint of heart, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number provides thrills at the occasional and momentary cost of your sanity. Though you’ll likely find yourself screaming at your screen on a regular basis, you’re equally as likely to find yourself eagerly loading the next level.

At the end of the day, I walked away with a handful of great memories and the satisfaction that I had experienced something so innovative and insane. Unfortunately, I also left Killer7 with an insatiable hunger for answers and clarity. [July 2005, p.115]

I enjoyed my time with the game, and I can see it grabbing a rabid cult audience. I'd recommend it to anyone who can relax their expectations a bit, particularly when it comes to the voice recognition. The more you're able to focus on where it succeeds and look past its obvious failings, the better.

They're both classic and well-done puzzle titles, ripe with hours of increasingly difficult strategy to master. [Jan 2006, p.157]

No aspect of life remains unscathed, from sexual repression and homophobia to government conspiracy and rampant paranoia. And it's funny. Very funny. [July 2005, p.114]

Yakuza Kiwami 3 continues the solid streak for Ryu Ga Gotoku and the series. The gripping narrative and fun combat deliver on what players enjoy. It doesn’t raise the bar in any way, but newcomers and returning fans will find it a thrill ride from start to epic finish.

The Escapists implores you to dig deep for your strategy, but it doesn't offer enough excitement along the way. The concept is sound; I just wish I had more fun. I like the idea of The Escapists better than the game it actually is.

Ultimately, The Raven's underlying mystery is intriguing enough to continue traipsing back and forth between witnesses and reinvestigating crime scenes. However, the chapter ends on such an abrupt cliffhanger that you won't get much satisfaction out of the experience if you don't plan on playing the next installment.

Guardians of the Galaxy has always evinced a slapdash weirdness. It is so bonkers it shouldn’t really hold together, and that’s exactly why it works. Judging by this first episode, Telltale’s interpretation lacks that sense of risk; it safely treads familiar territory for admittedly fun characters. I’m not sure that is enough to hold up five playable episodes, but chapter one shows glimmers of potential.

Japanophiles will thrill, but traditional action fans would also be remiss if they didn't at least check out what the fuss is about. [Oct 2005, p.134]

Where The Water Tastes Like Wine is a surprisingly beefy adventure game, offering over 20 hours of content and a treasure trove of stories that never cease to entertain.

The core action is top-notch, and the roster rocks, but the Fusion attacks and half-hearted story hurt the experience, turning a once great play into a punchless grind.

Batman: Arkham Origins delivers more of what made Rocksteady's games great, but doesn't break new ground. Like a youthful Bruce Wayne, it isn’t as crafty, and it takes its dings during combat, but still puts on a hell of a show when it needs to. Once Joker steps into the spotlight, it becomes a hard game to put down.

Meteos: Disney Magic sports nearly identical gameplay as its predecessor, but the music is so uninspired and bland that even the notable improvements to the bread and butter block-clearing can’t make up for it.

The game's levels take you through a variety of iconic areas, but they ultimately lack the wow factor that more fanciful takes that other games in the genre offer. At the end of the day, however, Cars 2: The Video Game is a satisfying racing game with a reserve tank of charm. And if multiplayer is your thing, the entire game can be played via a four-way split screen. Chances are, if you have younger gamers in your household, you'll have a few eager challengers in no time flat.

Predictable, it improves on its predecessor in some regards, while somehow sacrificing some of the addictive qualities that made "Brain Age" so compelling. [Aug 2006, p.92]

H.A.W.X. is the best flight game so far this generation, and a worthy addition to the best in the Clancy stable.

All of that level design stupidity can't stop Magicka's brilliant core gameplay from shining through, though.

If you don’t mind taking the scenic route, Mages of Mystralia provides the unique opportunity to write your own spell book. Up until the end of the game, I was unlocking new runes that exponentially added to my magical arsenal. Piecing all of those runes into a new master spell made me feel like the most creative mage who’d ever lived, making this light-hearted adventure truly magical.

The Turing Test joins Portal as another great puzzle game featuring an ominous A.I. entity. The puzzles will make you think, but not as much as the story’s wonderful exploration of life.

It's a fantastic addition to XBLA and PSN, and it's a great way to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Galaga.

Full of fan service, this one is for the Naruto faithful. It's competent and looks great, but if you're just after a good fighter, you can do better. The fighting genre is experiencing somewhat of a second golden age of games right now and Generations isn't quite one of them.

The charm of LEGO blocks is exploring your creativity and building new things, so Traveler’s Tales’ habit of sticking to one formula stands in stark contrast to the entire LEGO philosophy. We’ve had fun with this series, but it’s time to dump the franchise out on the floor and start piecing it back into something new.

The game is, for lack of a better term, tired. [Mar 2002, p.89]

The combat isn't super-innovative, with lots of ducking behind things and corner creeping, it does the job, however, and is complemented by some clever puzzles. [June 2002, p.78]

Just as addictive as its predecessors, but features more thoughtful challenges and conquests. [Mar 2004, p.97]