While Harry Potter doesn't offer much innovation for the LEGO franchise, it at least puts it back on track.

As good as that narrative may be, it's ultimately sandwiched between repetitive, mindless combat. [Sept 2010, p.93]

The easy respawns also add to the game's biggest issue: it's incredibly short. Then again, I'm not sure Treasure could have crammed much more insanity into this game without needing to put in a break from the exhilaration that makes it so awesome. [July 2010, p.95]

War for Cybertron isn't a perfect game, but it fulfills my youthful fantasies in a way that has me believing the developers had a window into my boyhood imagination.

War for Cybertron isn't a perfect game, but it fulfills my youthful fantasies in a way that has me believing the developers had a window into my boyhood imagination.

Toy Story 3 ultimately succeeds in the same way that Pixar's films do--it's attractive to young people who get a great surface experience and for older audiences who appreciate extra layers of depth. [Aug 2010, p.107]

Toy Story 3 ultimately succeeds in the same way that Pixar's films do--it's attractive to young people who get a great surface experience and for older audiences who appreciate extra layers of depth. [Aug 2010, p.107]

Toy Story 3 ultimately succeeds in the same way that Pixar's films do--it's attractive to young people who get a great surface experience and for older audiences who appreciate extra layers of depth. [Aug 2010, p.107]

Despite the fact that Hideo Kojima was directly involved in the game's development, Peace Walker doesn't feel like a fully realized chapter in the saga – but it still completes the mission.

As it is, this is no more than a briefly amusing spectacle for fans of the series.

If, like me, you’ve cooled on the music genre in recent months, I don’t think Green Day is the band to reignite your love affair with Rock Band. In the future, maybe Harmonix could attempt a single band title based around a more complex – and more fun to play – band like Muse or Rush.

If, like me, you’ve cooled on the music genre in recent months, I don’t think Green Day is the band to reignite your love affair with Rock Band. In the future, maybe Harmonix could attempt a single band title based around a more complex – and more fun to play – band like Muse or Rush.

If, like me, you've cooled on the music genre in recent months, I don't think Green Day is the band to reignite your love affair with Rock Band. In the future, maybe Harmonix could attempt a single band title based around a more complex – and more fun to play – band like Muse or Rush.

I think a lot of players won't notice too many of this year's more subtle new additions, but will instead help themselves to the 24-player online (where you can construct your own Ryder Cup-like competitions), GamerNet challenges, online tournaments, and five new courses. That's fine, but the smaller improvements made to this year's game offer players more freedom and customizability.

I think a lot of players won't notice too many of this year's more subtle new additions, but will instead help themselves to the 24-player online (where you can construct your own Ryder Cup-like competitions), GamerNet challenges, online tournaments, and five new courses. That's fine, but the smaller improvements made to this year's game offer players more freedom and customizability.

Combining the progress made with the WiiMotion Plus peripheral with an expanded online footprint, five new courses, four courses of actual mini-golf, and more, Tiger 11 is a full-fledged game with a motion-based swing and not just a slight curiosity.

It's an ambitious and exciting new franchise, but more importantly it shows off a small developer that deserves some big attention.

Mega Man fans that missed out on the Zero series should pick up the Mega Man Zero collection, as it makes the drought of new Mega Man titles a bit more bearable.

Snoopy Flying Ace is a fun and accessible aerial arcade shooter with a whole lot of polish and personality. It may not offer a whole lot of depth, but for only 800 MS Points you still get quite a bit of game for your buck with more in the form of DLC on the way.

Natural Motion’s Euphoria technology is a great building block for a football game, but Backbreaker suffers from too many rookie mistakes. Only the most hardcore gridiron fans dying for an alternative to the EA Sports offerings should bother bringing this one in for a look.

Natural Motion's Euphoria technology is a great building block for a football game, but Backbreaker suffers from too many rookie mistakes. Only the most hardcore gridiron fans dying for an alternative to the EA Sports offerings should bother bringing this one in for a look.

With a history including games like Knights of the Old Republic II and Neverwinter Nights 2, the team at Obsidian Entertainment knows role-playing. Alpha Protocol isn't necessarily a counter-point to that expertise; the RPG systems under the hood are solid. I just wish that I could experience them in the context of a compelling espionage adventure, not a last-gen third-person shooter.

With a history including games like Knights of the Old Republic II and Neverwinter Nights 2, the team at Obsidian Entertainment knows role-playing. Alpha Protocol isn't necessarily a counter-point to that expertise; the RPG systems under the hood are solid. I just wish that I could experience them in the context of a compelling espionage adventure, not a last-gen third-person shooter.

I'm not sure there is enough content here to appease all but the most diehard Sims fans. After what I thought was a pretty good add-on in World Adventures, this second Sims 3 expansion just feels uninspired and lacking.

Blur is the thinking person’s death race – if there is such a thing – where your mind is racing just as fast as your motor.

Blur is the thinking person’s death race – if there is such a thing – where your mind is racing just as fast as your motor.

The best imitation of The Behemoth's Castle Crashers that you're going to find on the Wii. [Issue#206, p.96]

This doesn't feel vastly different from last year's model, which is my biggest complaint. If you're a UFC fan and you didn't pick up Undisputed 2009, this is definitely a superior product. But if you still have your copy of '09 you probably won't find enough fresh meat on these bones to satisfy you.