While it may be too late for Ninja Gaiden 3 to be salvaged, perhaps Team Ninja and Tecmo should consider a "fire-sale" approach and try to sell the rights to all further titles to Itagaki over at Valhalla and see if he can salvage the legacy.

Trials Evolution is a must-buy for anyone who loved either THD or any motorcycle racer pretty much ever. It's a blast to play, easier to learn now than before, gives you a lot for $15 and is one of the most replayable games on XBLA even with some rough edges. RedLynx could've just phoned it in with a glorified mission pack and it still would be worth buying, but they went far beyond that and really created something special.

MLB 12: The Show is once again the king of the hill of baseball games, but I'm starting to wonder if the developers might be taking the series for granted slightly. They aren't taking risks or dramatically improving the mechanics to any significant degree. This is all well and good seeing as how they are miles ahead of the competition.

Overall, Yesterday is a fine adventure with a unique look, competent puzzles, and a compelling story. The only downside is that it's relatively short. It only took me a little more than five hours to complete the game, and so Pendulo definitely had some room to add in an extra chapter or two. But otherwise, as long as you don't mind some disturbing content, Yesterday is well worth its $30 price tag.

Overall, Ridge Racer Unbounded is a great game with some fairly annoying problems that drag it down. The good news is I think they're all issues that could be addressed with a patch - the bad news is I don't know of one coming out, which means that while this game is worth your time, I don't quite think it's worth full-price in its present state.

All in all, Wheels of Destruction is a mostly fine game that doesn't really stand out in the car combat genre. It's also greatly hurt by its controls, which work well for most things, but when simply driving in a particular direction is tough to do in a game where driving is the focus, it's nearly impossible to recommend it right now. If the developers fix the control issues down the line, then it's a maybe; right now, your $10 is better spent downloading Twisted Metal 2 on PSN.

So I'm (perhaps disappointed isn't the word because I come into tower defense games expecting so little) confused as to how the designers saw these elements coming together and didn't comprehend the problems they would cause in actual game play. I also have to confess a long-held desire to see a game that is like tower defense only reversed, where you get to be the invader. DoA has that, and I'm left contemplating that old axiom about getting what you wish for.

I'd argue that Shoot Many Robots would've done better as a straightforward, linear shooter with regular acquisition of new weapons, rather than having you buy everything, but it's a relatively minor complaint. The rest of the game's fast, funny, and incredibly well-designed.

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.

The idea of two teams of humans fighting it out in the middle of a zombie outbreak is pretty solid, and it's worth exploring further in another game. Operation Raccoon City is more frustrating than fun, though, with one class dominating the others and a lot of seriously questionable choices marring the co-op campaign. It's easy to imagine a theoretical ORC2 being a great game, both offline and on, but this isn't it.

Perhaps this game would have been a blockbuster back in the days when all games required you to use your imagination to fill in the gaps where graphics and processing power weren't up to the task yet. And indeed, for those "gamers" who still pine for their Commodore 64's, Crusader Kings 2 may provide everything they would ever need. For those of us gaming in the year 2012, however, there just isn't enough here.

Uprising is a must for any 3DS owner, especially fans of either the series or rail shooters.

Whether you're a Silent Hill aficionado or someone who's been patiently waiting for the opportunity to experience some of the best games the horror genre has to offer, this is a collection you really shouldn't miss.

The first hour or so is pretty dull, as you fight uninspired enemies in an equally as uninteresting old mine. Once you get into the town of Silent Hill, things get far more engaging, and everything gets better from there on. Downpour isn't the strongest installment in the series, but it is a very good old school survival horror game. If anything, it'll make you nostalgic for the days when finding that evasive red key so you could unlock that mysterious red door to find the blue key for the other door was the most important thing on your to-do list.

All in all, Sumioni is a very good game, but one hurt by its limited scope. It allows you to do a nice variety of things with the touch screen, and even made great use of the back panel, but its strict formula gets old pretty quickly. Its $20 price tag feels a tad steep given that, but most of what's offered is done really well, so I think you'll get your money's worth out of it if you like hack and slash games with some platforming and even a touch of bullet hell shooter gameplay thrown in.

ME3 is a tough game to love, but a pretty easy one to like.

As I said initially, I'm not the biggest baseball fan in the world, but I definitely know enough about baseball to know why Major League Baseball 2K12 falls short. This game is passable at best, and for those on a Xbox 360, it's their only option.

Tales of Graces f is one of the latest Japanese role-playing games filled with tons of nostalgia and charm for loyal fans of the series. It doesn't break any new ground, but it's certainly a welcome and refreshing change of pace from recent titles like Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Hyperdimension Neptunia MK2.

All in all, Lumines Electronic Symphony is an outstanding puzzle game and a worthy addition to the series. However, I think its price of $40 at retail and $36 on the PSN is a bit too steep for the relatively lean amount of content here.

If you've ever enjoyed a shooter, you'll enjoy this a lot, and at the least, give the demo a shot to see if you like the time-based gameplay.

Anyone who loved Team Ico's games or thatgamecompany's other efforts like fl0w and Flower will love this – it's easily worth the $15 asking price.

Street Fighter X Tekken is a great game in some ways and does a surprisingly good job of blending two completely different styles of fighting games. However, it's got too many rough edges to warrant a full-price purchase right now, and is definitely best-suited as a rental until the kinks are worked out. If that happens, then I'd say it's a worthy addition to any fighting fan's library for about $40.

Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 is an improvement on the original that offers some fun gameplay elements unique to this sequel. While those new to the series might pass it over, it's still a fun game that is both charming and enjoyable. It is not necessary to be familiar with the original game as mk2 will quickly bring you up to speed on the unfolding events. Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 is highly recommended for fans of the original and for RPG fans looking for an engaging, humorous and one-of-a-kind experience.

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.

Jagged Alliance: Back in Action is one of those games that I enjoy despite itself. It has an almost unlimited number of flaws, and yet, I can't help booting it back up over and over. It's fun to gradually capture town after town and steadily grow your army. Unfortunately, it's hard to play in anything other than small doses because before long, it once again starts feeling like a job. Similar to how the old Sim Tower really should have been named Sim Elevators, Jagged Alliance should have been named U-Haul Alliance.

Syndicate may not be for everyone. Purists who enjoyed the original back in the day might well be disappointed by the direction Starbreeze took it. But if you're into sci-fi shooters this is definitely worth a look.

No matter what price you pay, you'll get one of the best platformers of the past half-decade, and the best game in the series as well.

This is a surprisingly risky game, which deals with a lot of uncomfortable subject matter. It reminds me of a lot of the games that came out in the middle of the Dreamcast's lifespan, where you could go ahead and release whatever you liked and Sega would probably approve it, because why the hell not. It's exactly the kind of thing I like to see in the online marketplace, and I'm glad I finally got the chance to play it. It's dark, frightening, intense, and often very satisfying.