Basketball fans who want more arcade-like action than the sim-heavy "College Hoops 2K8" may find some fun in March Madness, but serious hoops fans should stick with 2K.

It’s not polished enough to hang with the games that inspired it – the action gets messy to the point of frustration far too often, and the level designs are rudimentary to say the least – but if you’re looking for a weekend sugar-rush you could do much ­worse.

I don't regret my time with The Simpsons one bit and would have downloaded the game whether I was reviewing it or not. I'm sure plenty of brawler fans are in the same boat and won't be swayed one way or the other by reviews. However, if you've never heard of this game before now, it probably won't have the same sprinkling of magic dust as it does for longtime fans.

As a huge fan of Doom and someone interested in the possibilities of virtual reality, I came away from VFR immensely disappointed. Outside of some nifty moments involving the slo-mo mechanic, VFR just isn’t compelling. The finicky teleporting mechanic hinders movement, the levels don’t accommodate VR well, the protagonist is annoying, and the combat isn’t fun. The biggest selling point for VFR is that it’s a full campaign in virtual reality, but with stiff competition in the genre like Robo Recall and Superhot VR, it’s hard for me to recommend Doom VFR to anyone.

These various problems aside, though, The Callisto Protocol is still doing a lot of what Dead Space did, for better and worse. And to that end, there are moments of fun, even if, in contrast, they’re light on genuine terror. I’m okay with The Callisto Protocol being another version of its spiritual predecessor, but it struggles to nail even the basics. As a result, I’m underwhelmed, annoyed, and disappointed. If you wanted anything more out of this second crack at making a new sci-fi IP in survival horror, or something markedly different that acknowledges just how far gaming has come since 2008, The Callisto Protocol is not your answer.

There’s not much to hate about The Conduit outside of some lamentably uninspired design decisions. There isn’t much to love, either. It feels like a 10-year-old game at times, albeit a reasonably polished one. It’s on Wii, though, and that will be enough for some people.

Playing a mess like NHL 2K9, it’s hard to think that just a few years ago this was the hockey game of choice for serious puckheads. Now it would take several pucks to the head to even make me consider paying money for this experience.

A fairly well-rounded angling title that doesn't really jump off the deep end in any particular area. [Feb 2002, p.100]

Unfortunately, a sterile open world and excessive backtracking drain Catalyst of the fun found in the original.

It's a ball with friends, amusing solo, and a nice purchase for anyone that already owns the bongo controller. [July 2005, p.121]

Despite the improvements made to this year’s title – including a noticeable bump in graphical quality – it still doesn’t have all the corners dialed in yet. AI cars take better racing lines than in 08, but they still don’t show near enough variety or smarts to pit at different times, take rim-riding race lines, or avoid plowing into each other during a caution.

Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam is an unimaginative and often times annoying game that hangs its hat on a Wii controller interface that is interesting because it is different, but easily forgettable after a few short hours.

Despite the strength of its career mode, it’s too bad AO Tennis 2’s gameplay isn’t more dependable, because the genre has needed a new light for several generations. However, this game can’t muster the consistency needed to be a credible threat.

Star Fox Zero isn’t ever bad, but it’s generally uninspired. It’s a musty tribute that fails to add much to the series, aside from tweaked controls and incremental vehicle upgrades. I loved Star Fox when it came out, and I’ll even defend Star Fox Adventures (to a reasonable degree). For now, I’ll stick to Super Smash Bros. when I feel like reuniting with Fox.

I feel proud for beating BloodRayne: Betrayal, but I can't recommend it for anyone who lacks an ocean of patience. [Sept 2011, p.93]

Graphics (especially on Xbox) are sharp and colorful, the characters and areas from the movie are represented well, and the licensed songs are far more impressive than most similar fare. [Dec 2004, p.168]

With classic role-playing elements and addictive combat mechanics, Magnacarta 2 is a solid game for RPG veterans looking for a new challenge.

Man of Medan isn’t the success that Until Dawn was, and it represents a big step back in terms of player interaction and storytelling, but it’s still a thrilling horror experience that made me scream, laugh, and want to jump right back in for a second or third playthrough to see if I could keep everyone alive.

Fans have been holding their breath for this sequel for 11 years, yet Sega answered their dreams with a game that feels like a Sega Saturn expansion. Only approach this game if you still love playing the original, otherwise your fond memories of this series will likely be tarnished.

Midway has taken the story mode to the next level, now we need to see the gameplay step it up a notch to match the flash. [Apr 2006, p.117]

If you’re a fan of the franchise it’s a fun dip into the prehistoric pool, but the water isn’t deep enough to satisfy a voracious carnivore.

I can't think of a single reason to spend time with Maniax when far more polished fighters like "Dead or Alive Ultimate" and "Mortal Kombat: Deception" are available. [Aug 2005, p.102]

The amount of content is a bit disappointing. Three levels just aren’t enough nowadays, despite a handful of variations on each. The fact that they play out exactly the same way every time doesn’t help, either. Playing through solo or with a buddy is definitely worth an afternoon, though, regardless of the game’s relatively short legs.

A trend-setting effort and an absolute must-have for platforming fanatics. [Jan 2003, p.91]

Tackling the relatively brief career mode is sweat-inducing fun in the harder difficulties, and I enjoyed the retro Power Pad appeal. However, the pad constantly needs to be re-centered in front of your TV and it’s not wide enough for two adults to squeeze onto.

The demon-like enemies, while apt enough in their personification of the evils that the crew brought on themselves, are brainlessly simple to slay. Similarly, the puzzles cleverly illustrate elements of the story but require little creative thought to solve.

The isometric view means that you can frequently get stuck behind things or die because you misjudged distance and/or height. [Nov 2003, p.177]

It feels more like a next-generation "Colony Wars" than Defender. This, of course, is the highest of compliments. [Feb 2003, p.105]