Even when the game seems to be working against me at every inopportune time, the drive to see the fate of Heinrich and Gretchen made me push forward. I'm glad I did. I didn't see the ending coming, and I love how the story concludes.

Even when the game seems to be working against me at every inopportune time, the drive to see the fate of Heinrich and Gretchen made me push forward. I'm glad I did. I didn't see the ending coming, and I love how the story concludes.

Fun, innovative, and surprisingly deep, de Blob 2 is bright spot in a sea of gray games and iterative sequels.

Fun, innovative, and surprisingly deep, de Blob 2 is bright spot in a sea of gray games and iterative sequels.

Fun, innovative, and surprisingly deep, de Blob 2 is bright spot in a sea of gray games and iterative sequels.

An exceptional shooter brimming with personality and originality, but the concept is spread too thin in the later levels. New homicidal toys are constantly introduced in the first three-quarters of the game, which makes the final few hours a little stale. Mix in a ho-hum ending and the stellar experience goes out on a bit of a low note.

An exceptional shooter brimming with personality and originality, but the concept is spread too thin in the later levels. New homicidal toys are constantly introduced in the first three-quarters of the game, which makes the final few hours a little stale. Mix in a ho-hum ending and the stellar experience goes out on a bit of a low note.

Bulletstorm is an exceptional shooter brimming with personality and originality, but the concept is spread too thin in the later levels. New homicidal toys are constantly introduced in the first three-quarters of the game, which makes the final few hours a little stale. Mix in a ho-hum ending and the stellar experience goes out on a bit of a low note.

Pokemon Black and White do a great job building upon already solid features and taking them to the next level. [March 2011, p.95]

Pokemon Black and White do a great job building upon already solid features and taking them to the next level. [March 2011, p.95]

Radiant Historia succeeds where those attempts fail; it is an inventive role-playing game that delivers the sensation of playing one of your old favorites for the first time. [March 2011, p.94]

Mario and his pals starred in some great sports titles back in the Nintendo 64 days, but gameplay like this just doesn't cut it in 2011. [March 2011, p.93]

Killzone 3's shocking and abrupt campaign ending serves as a suitable wrap to Guerilla's extended war-themed trilogy. Even if it is a conclusion of sorts, Killzone 3 stands on its own. The franchise has always fallen just shy of greatness for me. This time, there's plenty for any action gamer to dig his or her teeth into.

Most exciting of all? The end hints heavily at more entries in this excellent series. [Mar 2011, p.96]

Small gripes aside, you shouldn't miss Marvel vs. Capcom 3 if you have even a passing interest in Capcom, Marvel, the fighting genre, or good games. This pugilistic prize mimics the polished, accessible reinvention of Street Fighter IV, forming another strong leg for the resurrected fighting genre to stand on.

Small gripes aside, you shouldn't miss Marvel vs. Capcom 3 if you have even a passing interest in Capcom, Marvel, the fighting genre, or good games. This pugilistic prize mimics the polished, accessible reinvention of Street Fighter IV, forming another strong leg for the resurrected fighting genre to stand on.

If you're among the majority of gamers who didn't play Beyond Good & Evil when it originally came out for PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube, you have no excuse for passing up its new form.

Dungeons may not be for everyone, but it will more than satisfy the needs of anyone who takes a shine to it. Better yet, it probably won't imprison you and drain your life energy afterward.

Explodemon isn't a broken game by any accounts, but the presentation, controls, and level design are wholly unoriginal and unsatisfying if you enjoy action platformer. Those that dig deep enough may find some fun buried beneath the repetition, but it won't last long. If you're looking for a downloadable distraction on your PS3, there are many more fulfilling options than Explodemon.

Surprisingly, I found myself enjoying DQ VI more than its technically superior descendant. Maybe it's easier to forgive dusty design choices knowing that this was originally a 16-bit game, or maybe it's because DQ VI embraces the mile-a-minute imagination and sense of adventure that made me fall in love with RPGs as a kid.

Stacking is a bit rough around the edges, but the puzzles are clever, the humor hits the mark more than it misses, and the characters and story are delightful, leaving adventure fans with little more to ask for.

Stacking is a bit rough around the edges, but the puzzles are clever, the humor hits the mark more than it misses, and the characters and story are delightful, leaving adventure fans with little more to ask for.

The hardcore fans that don't want any handouts can stick to the arcade mode. You start off with set abilities and limited health and lives. At least players can learn the stages and patterns in Rising Mode beforehand. Even then, it's tough to imagine anyone but the absolute best making it all the way through arcade. I guess that's why Konami put the word "hard" in the title.

The hardcore fans that don't want any handouts can stick to the arcade mode. You start off with set abilities and limited health and lives. At least players can learn the stages and patterns in Rising Mode beforehand. Even then, it's tough to imagine anyone but the absolute best making it all the way through arcade. I guess that's why Konami put the word "hard" in the title.

You Don't Know Jack is proof that games don't need to be excessively complex in order to be fun.

You Don't Know Jack is proof that games don't need to be excessively complex in order to be fun.

You Don't Know Jack is proof that games don't need to be excessively complex in order to be fun.

You Don't Know Jack is proof that games don't need to be excessively complex in order to be fun.