If you were a huge Zelda nerd as a kid, or if you still are, this is probably going to be a complete and welcome nostalgia trip for you.

Sadly, for everything Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 does right, the experience is ultimately marred by EA's use of coins to determine so much of the experience. It feels wrong... and I wouldn't have such a problem with it if it didn't cost so much to unlock the extra courses, and that so many of the extra courses are unavailable to you at the beginning. To access it all either involves a major time commitment or shelling out more of my hard-earned money for what I honestly feel like I've already paid for. It's difficult not to feel extorted.

NCAA Football 14 offers a worthy culmination of this generation of football games. It won’t blow anyone out of the water, but again, we really have come to a point where only so much is going to happen this generation.

I would recommend that anyone who likes the Metroid style of exploratory gameplay try it out though - you'll probably enjoy it a lot.

The injury system provides an added adrenaline kick to gameplay, and the campaign mode, while not fully as explored as it could be, is more than enjoyable for most players.

This is a robust collection that allows series completionists to enjoy the entire franchise in just a few compilations – which will become only two when the PS4 version of the 1.5 and 2.5 Remix comes out in March.

Destiny is an excellent FPS that falls short of expectations for a variety of reasons.

Overall, WWE 2K19 is an evolutionary step forward for the series – but a big one. The return of the showcase mode offers up a lot to enjoy for fans of Daniel Bryan while the MyCareer mode brings things back that worked before – but tells a far better narrative than most. The debuting 2K Towers offer an ever-present challenge and are sure to make even seasoned players wince a time or two, and the revamped gameplay for things like striking and cage-related modes allows for more realistic matches than prior entries across the board.

It's not bad, exactly, and a lot of people are going to have fun with it just by virtue of the fact that they get to play as an awesome Transformer. It's just not as good as it could be.

There’s a lot of unrealized potential in Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising. I don’t believe the developers were able to squeeze as much out of the open world island warfare concept as they could have.

A game that is less puzzle-like than "Commandos" and more action-like than the roots of which this game originated from.

Overall, despite some performance issues, I rather enjoyed the mercenaries, spies and private eyes campaign that is Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. I’d like to see the development team get a chance to really flesh out a longer campaign in this style, but you know…the call of duty.

If you are a fan of mini-games, then Rayman Raving Rabbids is easy to recommend. Though some games are repeated in different forms, and some controls problems are present, there is certainly plenty of fun to be had.

It looks good, plays great, has an above average story, but never manages to be better than the game(s) that inspired it.

Though the undercarriage of the game has not changed, EA has done a tremendous job of adding features, tweaking gameplay, and providing visual touches for NCAA Football 13. Heisman Challenge mode really puts this one over the top, providing a new experience and hours of gameplay outside of the well-known modes of play. Even if you have NCAA Football 12 sitting on your shelf, this is a must-own for any virtual football fanatic.

The game still is not much to look at, however, and still does not even come close to the other next-gen versions in terms of options, creating players and teams, etc. If you're new to the series and looking for some fun, go pick this one up, but if you're a hardcore Maddenite, I'd recommend going with one of the other two next-gen versions.

While the gameplay is adequate and the concept behind the title is a solid one, the brevity of the single player campaign and the drab multiplayer, along with some quirky features makes Big Red One a game to check out first before you buy it.

If you like singing or dug the first game, you’ll definitely want this edition, but other players should rent it to see if they want to become a lyrical superstar.

Like the original, GRID Legends aims to not only offer many kinds of racing, but do them at a fairly high level. That is a lofty goal, but one that is largely achieved albeit with a few odd sacrifices. The exciting on-track action is undercut by only the story mode having a bumping soundtrack, and that’s just a bizarre move that I don’t recall saying in a modern-day racer. Franchise fatigue is a real thing and the GRID reboot was hurt by being a series of races with no framework, while everything in GRID Legends has a sense of purpose to it that helps keep a “one more race” mentality throughout each play session. It’s an outstanding racing game and one that fans of the genre should pick up.

I'm hoping that with patches (and some more players) that most of those can be corrected, and the basic concept of the ruses is solid and very enjoyable. It really is an RTS that plays like no other, and it deserves a second look on that basis alone.

It's not often that you can say it, but this year the college game actually comes off better than the professional title. NCAA March Madness 06 features a more complete presentation of the emotional and tactical facets of the game.

With zany characters, extreme action, and a solid baseball background, this is the definite break that casual fans of the sport can totally root for.

One thing the GBA version eschews is the spotty camera system that was noted on just about every platform. That's not to say things look bad on the GBA version. Things look really good indeed.

What this all boils down to is a solid and intuitively controlled skating game that is optimized for younger players but also quite fun for fans of the Tony Hawk series.

WWE 2K22 is a fantastic game and one of the better offerings in the 2K era of the long-running franchise. The core gameplay isn’t quite as solid as it was in 2K19, but that’s something that can be improved upon later in some ways with things like a patch at least being able to do things like address locking in carry holds. The planned post-launch content map showcases a lot of legendary characters throughout WWE history and the launch DLC with the multi-era Undertaker and NWO content is excellent and makes recreating some of WCW’s most memorable feuds a breeze.

Gritty wartime antics, good graphics, atrocious AI targeting all around, pretty involved missions, nice multiplayer action, generally playable, and almost utterly lost in the background haze of the other 50 FPS games that came out in the last year.

Oddly captivating in its mediocrity. If you're a Star Wars fan, you'll undoubtedly have a blast reliving the epic conflicts of the Star Wars universe, but at the same time you might find it a little too frustrating to enjoy and I could sympathize with that.

There is absolutely nothing to keep Shadows of the Damned in your system except for achievements; it's made to be played once, then fondly remembered, like the action movies it's based upon. It's still very much worth checking out, but it's impossible to give an unqualified recommendation.

So if you like adventures and have $10 to spare, do yourself a favor and purchase Resonance -- and keep an eye on Wadjet Eye Games in the future, since their recent history makes them the best adventure game publisher around.

DDR Extreme 2 makes some great strides to attract new players to the same old franchise.

A damned scary game, and it's one of the better survival horror titles out there because of that. It's good to see its designers taking risks and experimenting with the formula. This time, however, it's kind of a misfire. It's by no means a failure, but it's not a success, either.

Supplementing the streets with glowing collectibles and earning the use of a weaponized dildo (yes, you read that right) can only take you so far before one begins to wonder why Bruce Campbell wasn’t hired to voice the main character.

If you’re a Lovecraft fan, you’ll want Dark Corners of the Earth because it’s great service to a fanbase that’s rarely treated this well. Any of the game’s problems can be overlooked considering what’s being given in return.

What this all boils down to is a solid and intuitively controlled skating game that is optimized for younger players but also quite fun for fans of the Tony Hawk series.

Rome 2 is a colossal let down and while I’m sure the game will be decent after the 20th patch, I’m just tired of being jerked around. Get your head in the game, Creative Assembly!

Overall, Dead or Alive 5 is not only the best entry in the series yet, but my favorite fighting game this generation. It's got the smoothest gameplay of anything out there now and delivers the goods online more often than not. It also raises the bar for graphics in fighters and has some great animation too. The story mode's a blast to play through and provides the right mix of drama and B-movie wackiness to make it fun to get through despite its epic length. If you've ever loved the series before, make this a part of your collection ASAP, and if you've been turned off by it before, at least give it a rental – I'm positive it'll win you over.

MLB 2K10 is a good game of baseball. Not a great game, yet, but a good game. I will say that for the first time in recent memory, I get the sense playing this game that it does have the chance to be a great game in the next couple of years.

With an emphasis on squad-based tactics, it’s equally a strategy game. It’s a little rough around the edges and multiplayer is generally forgettable, but with a poignant story, believable characters, and intense and varied battle scenes, it’s a single player experience well worth enlisting in, even if you think you’ve had enough of World War II.

Gunslinger is the best game in the Call of Juarez series and a gargantuan improvement over The Cartel. I thought that game might have killed this series, but thanks to a few smart moves on Techland’s part, I think they’ve cleaned this brand up a bit. Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is definitely worth your time.

While its engine handles combat well enough, the targeting crosshair was not made for human eyes. It'll lock onto somebody's chest effectively enough, but it's got a sense of humor. You'll often aim at a crate or barrel when you really want to be aiming at the chest of the guy who just stormed into the room.

A fantastic return to form for an underrated franchise.

Unfortunately a lot of the good aspects are overshadowed by poor controls and camera angles that are downright scary.

It’s far from perfect but High Heat Baseball 2002 is as good as it gets… for now.

Despite some shortcomings, Contra Rebirth is a fantastic download for Wii owners and at just $10, it provides a lot of fun at little cost.

The open-ended gameplay is solid from start to finish, the production values are top notch for a current generation title, and the game just oozes charisma. You don't even have to be a fan of the Scarface film to enjoy Scarface the video game.

For $50, players deserve more than a badly-programmed mish-mash of the Burnout series. It’s easily the weakest console entry in the series yet.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is one of those games that will have you saying, “Just one more quest, one more battle, one more level,” and then you look at the clock and wonder where the last several hours went.

Can at times be both fun and frustrating. The engine looks good and runs well, but the friendly fire problems really killed whatever enthusiasm I built up for the game.

With an emphasis on squad-based tactics, it’s equally a strategy game. It’s a little rough around the edges and multiplayer is generally forgettable, but with a poignant story, believable characters, and intense and varied battle scenes, it’s a single player experience well worth enlisting in, even if you think you’ve had enough of World War II.

An excellent arcade boxing title. Obviously inspired by the popular Punch Out series, Boxing Fever offers a little more strategy and a fantastic two-player mode.

Sadly, there's little depth in Season of Flame.

A lack of checkpoints, imperfect weapon design and control along with a lack of a story that players will care for makes this the low point for the impressive franchise.

On the heels of Unity, Syndicate is an easy recommendation for Assassin’s Creed fans and a step in the right direction for this long-running franchise.

Twisted Metal might have a few matchmaking bugs to iron out, but once that's fixed there's more than enough content packed in to make this worth your hard-earned dollar. Twisted Metal doesn't reinvent the genre, but it's definitely a long-awaited return of a kickass series that we really need to see more of.

Fun for what it is, but definitely a niche game if ever there was one.

It's a great chapter to Torque's story, but some of the restrictions with the combat and linearity make it a good action title instead of a great sequel.

It looks good, plays great, has an above average story, but never manages to be better than the game(s) that inspired it.

I liked Rush for Berlin and found myself returning to it many times. Unfortunately after about an hour or two, I would grow weary of the slow and repetitive progress I was making across the map.

The Club is a classic example of an excellent rental game. Its brutal, rapid pace will wear you out in a hurry, and just when you think you can’t take much more POOF! It’s over.

MAG is not particularly user-friendly. I am told that below its exterior, if you find a good clan and have a good headset, it is a deep, fluid military shooter with hundreds of hours of gameplay lurking within it.

A faithful representation of that old school gaming experience, but the extremely high difficulty level, continue flaw and lack of additional features or levels past the original arcade game hinder this from restoring faith in the side scrolling genre.

I've already seen it done before - and quite possibly done better.

The Online Everywhere system is an excellent demonstration of what continual online connectivity can provide, the precision throwing system is a nice addition to fielding and the Load and Fire system is a great addition to how baseball games will be played from now on.

Whether The Pitt is worth your money sort of depends on how much of a Fallout 3 fan you are. All said, the new quest line will probably only take you a few hours to go through once, a few more for checking out alternate solutions, and that’s about it.

The Sims 3 succeeds on all counts, despite some technical difficulties.

I'm hoping that with patches (and some more players) that most of those can be corrected, and the basic concept of the ruses is solid and very enjoyable. It really is an RTS that plays like no other, and it deserves a second look on that basis alone.

Even with the plethora of weapons, zombie types, game modes, and levels to choose from, the game can get stale after awhile.

While NBA Live 06 makes a couple of steps forward with the Freestyle Superstar Controls, it manages to make a couple steps backward at the same time.

Toy Story 3 is not quite on par with the big boys as a hardcore adventure game. However, I can safely say that this is the best family movie tie-in game I have ever played-and I've played a lot of bad ones.

The radical game imbalance makes this one for the FPS hardcore gamer or the Sci-Fi player who loves futuristic titles.

It seems crazy to say this, but Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands is a little too big for its own good. It’s hard not to admire the time and effort that went into crafting this truly massive and beautiful open world, but there’s simply too much copy and paste going on when it comes to the content within; the side missions especially, but also the story scenarios. While the initial hours of Wildlands are thrilling, repetition ultimately seeps in and as such you’re enjoyment of the game may depend on whether you have a friend or three to play through the campaign with. Ubisoft has done a tremendous job supporting a pair of other recent Tom Clancy titles post-launch – Rainbow Six: Siege and The Division – so even if you’re not sold on Wildlands as it stands, I highly recommend keeping your sights trained on the game as the developers tweak the experience and eventually add the competitive multiplayer suite.

It does not revolutionize any concepts in the genre but it manages to get the basics down right to make an enjoyable urban planning experience.

Overall, Prejudice is a vast improvement over the original with new modes to experience, polished controls and an even deeper customization system. If you're looking for a fun time alone or to share with some friends, for $15 you really can't go wrong here.

American Nightmare isn't just a fantastic game that packs a ton of content inside a budget price, it's also a look into the exciting future of Alan Wake. I hope this isn't Alan's only assault on the arcade, because American Nightmare is good fun, and the Fight til Dawn mode is a welcome addition to the series.

No longer does incorporating the rules of Dungeons and Dragons mean a compromise between fun and complexity. Dark Alliance is a testament that both can be brought to the table -- even to a smaller one that fits in your hands.

What was most surprising about Chessmaster was its inclusion of a tutorial that teaches you in set games how to best maximize the use of your pieces, including tricky moves like castles and turning pawns into queens.

A game with a fundamentally really messed up economy in a lot of ways (money, trust, gas, ammunition, motorcycle repair – none of it works right) wrapped around a so-so open world zombie combat sandbox. I think more than anything else, it makes me want to play more Dying Light.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is definitely a mixed bag. It's not a "bad" game per se despite having some poorly-executed parts to its gameplay, but it's also not as good as the franchise's best gaming entries either.

Easily the best WWE game made for the Gamecube and arguably for any system, Day of Reckoning 2 addresses a number of bugs from the previous title and adds a larger sense of strategy and timing to the game itself.

I eventually stopped playing after about 30 hours because the game was just too mind-numbingly boring to continue. I was also shocked that I had only played for 30 hours. It felt like at least twice that long.

There is a very specific kind of player for whom Hard Corps: Uprising is going to be better than crack. These are the people that keep Cave employed, who lined up for Gradius V, and who have characters from Metal Slug tattooed on their unmentionables. It's an arcade game for serious shooter fans, and only for serious shooter fans.

I'm aware I've probably come across as being overly negative in this review, but I think it's just because I'm such a huge football nut. It's not that FIFA Street is a bad game per say, but I don't think it works nearly as well as it should. The fact is that FIFA Street was designed specifically for a small percentage of gamers; namely those with the same fanaticism I have. I don't see this appealing to anyone who isn't a diehard footy fan, but then I can't see anyone who isn't a diehard footy fan buying this in the first place. So consider this a warning to temper your expectations football fanatics: FIFA Street is worth playing if you can get past a slew of minor annoyances and some sore thumbs.

It’s quite tricky to evaluate this rendition of the Bard’s Tale compared to the older titles in Fargo’s legendary series. This is particularly true when you consider that this Bard would’ve skewered it with his wit.

Overall, Broken Age is a fine game.

If you can get through a slow start and endure the troubles with bothersome levers, there is a lot of hack and slash fun to be had. The combat system is not quite the innovation that it has been made out to be, but it is smooth and responsive and quite fun to play with.

All in all, the entire gameplay experience is a recommended one.

The combination of frustrating mission mechanics and limited replay value leads me to strongly suggest renting Destroy All Humans before buying, if at all, regardless of your love for bad sci-fi.

Battlestations: Pacific does improve on its predecessor in several ways, but overall it just doesn’t do enough to make it a must-buy. The machines control well, but the action is just a bit slow to keep you on the edge of your seat (or couch, or Lazyboy).

The sound quality of Manhunt is surreal, simply because the game seems like a living, breathing entity by itself.

Madden 25 is a fantastic culmination of a generation. There is plenty to do, and the game feels as good or better in all aspects. If you’re a fan of football and the series, you owe it to yourself to pick it up.

For those of us who remember how good an adventure can be though, Fright should provide a solid if brief diversion.

Packing a solid plot, creative elements not really seen in RPGs, and tons of action, Volition looks to have another hit on their hands.

A damned scary game, and it's one of the better survival horror titles out there because of that. It's good to see its designers taking risks and experimenting with the formula. This time, however, it's kind of a misfire. It's by no means a failure, but it's not a success, either.

They simply traded realism for a little wreckless abandon. If that’s music to your ears, we can finish the paperwork in my office. If you’re driving solo though, you might want to lease before you buy.

The action is fun, but a couple of the vagaries of gameplay kill that. This is a case of an otherwise high-quality game being hindered by a few iffy additions that wreck the whole experience.

With multiplayer in tow, Space Marine represents a pretty solid foray into third-person action, particularly for a developer which founded its reputation on real-time strategy.

King of Fighters 2003 is a great addition to anyone's Xbox library, and it's another great 2D fighter on Xbox Live. Just try to pretend it's the only game in its case, and leave King of Fighters 2002 to gather dust.

The presentation is fine, and RoboBlitz's sheer challenge factor will probably attract serious platformer fans. It's frustrating, though, and all the moreso when a seemingly simple task just refuses to work for no good reason.