Annoying collect-a-thon aside, Nuts and Bolts is a rare delight that offers up big laughs and inventive gameplay. It also ends up being the closest thing there is to a virtual LEGO set.

It's not every day that a licensed game actually makes its source material cooler, especially when you are talking about Star Wars. [Mar 2006, p.114]

The Bigs delivers engrossing arcade-styled gameplay, but there's little here that you can really wrap your mitt around. [July 2007, p.96]

Despite these issues, EA Sports MMA is still a powerful brawler, and another year or two in the gym should turn it into a true monster.

Knights and Bikes successfully captures child-like wonder and fun in an unabashedly wholesome adventure – with just the right amount of danger.

Like LitteBigPlanet before it, Scribblenauts invites players to express their creativity in ways I never imagined. It’s one of my top games this year, and a DS game that has near limitless appeal.

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.

This impressive follow-up builds on its predecessor with emotional gut punches and unnerving visuals that stick with you.

The only area where the game fires shots on net is in the individual battle between a streaking skater and the goalie. The remainder of the game skates on thin ice. [Oct. 2006, p.102]

After finishing the first episode of Before the Storm, I was impressed at how well it retains the essence of the original Life is Strange, despite being handled by a different developer. That feeling doesn’t change with this episode; it draws you in with interesting characters, then builds them through quiet moments and big decisions.

If you're craving more after Sonic 4, looking for a great DS game, or just want to experience an awesome platformer, don't let Sonic Colors pass you by.

As competent as DOA Dimensions is, I have a hard time recommending it to anyone outside of DOA superfans. The fighting works quite well, true -- but there's that other fighting game on 3DS that trumps this one in every way except for overly jubbly boob physics. This is a gorgeous game (discounting the adolescent titillation factor) with decent-to-good gameplay. Luckily for us all, that's not enough to drum up widespread excitement any more.

Boss fights are rarely this exhilarating, but at the same time, disposing of pawns is hardly ever this boring. I walked away from Lost Planet with sweaty palms from combating giant monstrosities, but also with the feeling that I wanted so much more as I progressed through the quest.

I found myself frequently resisting the urge to throw down my controller in frustration. This wasn't my cup of tea, but I can't help but admire its dramatic artistic sheen. [Oct 2004, p.140]

What is on offer at release is worthwhile, both in gameplay and message. In focusing on environmental expansion instead of human expansion, Terra Nil delivers something wholly unique. While the peaceful nature and serene tone are sometimes interrupted by uneven mechanics, Terra Nil is a worthwhile experience for those looking for a new twist on the sim genre.

Pepper Grinder is an innovative indie experience, packed with tense battles, fluid platforming, and eye-catching visual design. While its short runtime left me wanting more, I'm happy with what it is: a bright action platformer that's anything but a grind.

It may not be pushing the genre forward in terms of plot, but Eternal Sonata's other components come together with such harmony that it will have you calling for an encore. [Sept 2007, p.118]

In other words, the series (at least the 360 version) is back to being Madden's waterboy. [Aug 2006, p.87]

You don't have to look forward to next year. [Dec 2001, p.104]

It's definitely one of the best console first-person shooters on any system. [Apr 2003, p.89]

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.

Horror fans shouldn’t let the disappointing story deter them one bit, however. Few Paranormal Activity fans care how these malevolent demons come back again and again – what truly matters is that the audience’s nerves are frayed until they’re raw.

Gun surrounds you with characters and a story that put their own stamp on the genre and make you a participant in a grand adventure that stands up to the rich tales of the legendary west. [Dec 2005, p.150]

The lack of online play is a shame, but the list of titles included here is a true all-star lineup from the Genesis era.

Outside of a couple of glitched spawns that left me stuck in mid-air, I didn't run into many issues when it came to lag or connection errors. As a downloadable title, Global Offensive offers a tried-and-true experience at a reasonable price, even if its gameplay isn't for everyone. If you prefer working with others and attacking the opposing team with well thought-out tactics instead of brute force, you should find plenty to like in this updated release.

With over 20 hours of gameplay, and one of the most enjoyable cooperative multiplayer experiences I've had, I couldn't recommend Legends more highly to fans and newbies alike. [Nov 2004, p.144]

The Fractured but Whole is a welcome sequel, maintaining the standard of quality set by the previous game and, in a broader sense, all of Parker and Stone’s work. Every aspect is overloaded with both smart and immature jokes, the combat is an improvement, the game is bigger and longer, and the sneaky moments of sincerity make you recall the charm of childhood in surprising ways – just like the show.

Traveller's Tales took some chances with Lego Batman 2. The addition of spoken dialogue paid off well, and I hope it becomes a standard for all of this developer's games moving forward. Moving the classic Lego gameplay into a vast overworld is also a success, but the redundancy in secret solutions in this play space hurts the experience, and almost becomes a mundane collect-a-thon. Thankfully, the classic Lego gameplay dominates the main game, making Lego Batman 2 another goofy brick-building blast to play.