The Simpsons has everything you need for an excellent free-to-play game, including universal appeal, a wealth of material, and excellent little sound bytes like "D'oh" and Krusty's iconic laugh. It's just a shame that Electronics Arts has to choke the life out of that wonder with their oppressive Origin service.

While both games more or less occupy the same video game space, Virtua Tennis 4 is less of an aggressive winner down the line and more of a straight, albeit simple, shot down the center of the court that lands deep enough to force players into a competitive but friendly rally.

The issues with the track layout and the so-so presentation mean that this game won’t Grip you for long. It’s great for a Sunday drive, but it’s not going to hold your attention forever.

Dragon Ball XenoVerse may not have a complex fighting system, but this game is all about fan service!

Ultimately, Wrath Unleashed’s biggest problem is that it sticks too firmly to concepts that were fresh twenty years ago, a mediocre strategy game and a mediocre fighting game wrapped up in one mediocre package.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX tells a good Pokemon story from a unique angle and with visuals that help enhance the storybook feel. However, gameplay that might have held up in 2005 has not aged well. There’s something here for diehard Pokemon fans to enjoy and potentially love, but anyone else should just stick to the mainline series of games.

A playable RTS and even marginally entertaining, but that’s only because its developers blatantly adopted every single hackneyed RTS convention they could get their hands on. Even the fall guy has enough self-respect to avoid doing that.

After playing through some of the early levels, I started to enjoy myself, but when it really got down to the challenging bits, I was left wanting to hurl my 360 out the window. I think Giana Sisters as a whole is nice, with some really colorful and interesting visuals, but it just left me mad more than anything else.

In essence, it’s a boat that looks nice from the outside until you jump inside and notice all the holes actively trying to sink the whole thing.

In the end, this on-paper depth doesn't translate well to the fishing experience, and the game's smiling aesthetic isn't enough to save it.

Whimsical, playful, and bright, MySims surrounds you with fun - but what you do is work.

Madballs in: Baboo Invasion's main problem is that it feels generic, even though the characters are so different than you would expect in a shooter.

In the end, the Wii Zapper is just a hunk of plastic and the game is too short and kind of boring. Link's Crossbow Training will make a nice chunky gift to fill in blank spots under the tree, but all wrapped up like that, you can never be sure exactly what you're getting.

While 1942: Joint Strike brings nothing new to its series, it’s just good nostalgic fun when you’ve got a wingman with you.

The Dreamcast fishing games came out much better, odd as it may sound, especially with the fishing controller and the native Naomi code instead of this haphazard port job.

I’ve played so many "Warcraft III" clones recently that it’s really refreshing to cover a game that’s actually doing something innovative. However, it’s the online and VS games that really flesh out Battlegrounds, since the single-player experience is pretty flat.

A more traditional control scheme and some serious gameplay polish could have done wondersfor this game. Instead, terrible control, lame AI and a few other rough edges hand Rise to Honor the Black Mask of shame.

As good funny and entertaining as Whiplash is off the bat, I don’t feel I grew as a result of having played it, and might have even shrunk a little four hours in.

If you live with your mother, smoke pot, watch wrestling, can’t vote, and love The Cramps or have a big brother who does, you will likely have a blast with this game. Not only can you get your violence fix by yourself on a Wednesday night, but you and your friends can have fun wrecking each other in the 4-player split-screen.

The lack of meaningful content holds the game back, which is a shame because the idea itself creates a foundation for something more.

This game aims to please anyone willing to give it a shot. Whether you’ve been away for a decade or kept up with every release, you’ll find something to like here. The character variety and self-serious nonsense mesh into a breezy good time that’s easy to recommend.

Although Blade & Soul is rough around the corners with its outdated quests and PvE envrionment, its strength in action-based combat and PvP shines through.

Unfortunately, it's only half a great game. Clocking in at around 6 hours, it might be the shortest adventure-horror game out there and has almost zero replay value.

As it stands now, Inside My Radio is a really novel concept that’s fun and great for the majority of its play. I give the game this: It never overstays its welcome. It’s too bad that it’s so short, though. I was having fun right up until that last boss battle, and I wanted more.

Gungnir looks nice, but it's underwhelming. Getting into the fights was easy enough when I decided to ignore the game's extra tactics, and the combat turned out to be engaging enough. But those characters… I've never actually watched paint dry before but it sounds more interesting than actually reading through these characters' plight. Let me summon the demon, let me slay some bad guys, and let me be engaged in a story… don't make me feel like I'm sitting on the sidelines.

Even on its lowest difficulty setting, Prinny 2 can be a beast.

Zoo Tycoon has all the cuddly critters up its sleeve (and I'm down with any game that features red pandas), and it wields the stick of cuteness without shame. But this simulation buries the cuteness beneath menus and squanders the power of the next-gen console by limiting the size of the zoo. Though creating a zoo is pleasant and breezy, after building several zoos with all of the animals, you've pretty much experienced the lion's share of what Zoo Tycoon has to offer.

Although Earth Defense Force 2025 is caught in a tangled web of technical flaws, its corny simplicity and sensible multiplayer makes for a title with surprisingly high replay value. In fact, numerous EDF fans would consider the framerate drops and shaky presentation to be part of its charm.

The sheer variety of games will entertain most any party for hours on end (or at least until the beer runs out.)

It remains faithful to its influences and loyal to its theme, but when its misgivings contribute to make it such an irritating experience, it’s impossible to overlook them.

The moment-to-moment activity of open-world Spider-Man is finally clean, smooth, and fun.

Overall, Nier has its ups and downs. There are brief moments where you can see the influence from more brilliant games, such as Zelda and Bayonetta, shining through, but the overall experience is lukewarm at its best moments.

A terrible football game with some good ideas surrounding it, and a marked tendency to make me wish I wasn’t playing it. If you enjoy football games, stick to Madden; Blitz is not a serious competitor, unless you enjoy getting a bit squeamish.

Even if EA and DICE decided to do an about face and remove or lessen the effect loot boxes have on gameplay, they're too wired into Star Wars Battlefront 2. It would take a full overhaul of the leveling and progression system to straighten up this mess. It's a shame because Battlefront 2 is really a great game underneath the predatory microtransactions.

Building a Label isn’t deep, but it’s fun and silly, the engine makes for some nail biting fights, everything looks great, and the musically-timed catastrophes are worth the price of admission alone.

Critics, business types, and your mom and dad don't understand that multiplayer is much more important to you than single-player these days. Head-to-head content gets the wealth of gaming time and Brink comes well equipped for hours and hours of gunplay.

Vanguard: Saga of Heroes might be a far better game in a few months time, but coming from the company that questionably destroyed one of its most popular MMOs ("Star Wars Galaxies"), nothing is guaranteed.

Despite some cool art and more playable characters, this sequel fails to improve upon its predecessor and actually drops the ball in its A.I. and camera, resulting in a pretty rusty blade.

Unfortunately, the lack of any sort of Franchise mode cripples the replayability, making this little more than a decent romp on the gridiron in between rest stops.

Problematically, it just doesn’t do too anything new and doesn’t space itself out from the crowd. It feels like you’ve played this game before and you probably have - in better, more interesting forms.

I also have to wonder what part of the world Uncle Sam dug up my own squad mates. They could often be seen running in circles and constantly blocking my line of fire. At least they were resilient; one of the guys was turned into Swiss cheese by an enemy bayonet and shrugged it off like nothing happened. Tough guys…tough guys.

The game is longer, the gameplay is more fun and flowing and the main character is a bit more interesting. The only parts requiring more work are the story, the visual interface and the camera.

Lost Planet 2 is filled with too much mediocrity to be a great game, but it is decent, and odds are that if you like third-person shooters, you'll at the very least enjoy the multiplayer modes. Just don't expect this to be the phenomenal game changer.

When I started Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable, I was looking forward to a charming, if uninspired, shooter for on-the-go action. What I found was just the uninspired part. Fans of the series will certainly find a lot to love, but the uninitiated should steer clear. As playable games go, Sandlot and D3 have packed plenty of gameplay in, but the charm quickly fades and all your left with is more invading ants.

It isn't exactly a bad game per se, but it just doesn't belong on a game system that only has one analog stick. If you absolutely have to play it, stick with the Playstation 3 version.

Like I said before, unless you have some sort of undying affinity for this series, I recommend you steer clear. Seriously, there are plenty of other titles on the PlayStation Store worth your hard-earned cash.

The combination of an indecipherable plot, throwaway character design, 90% standard platformer gameplay and the world's most irritating music counteract what should have been some interesting additions to an old genre.

Even if it doesn't exactly break new ground in the RPG genre, Hexyz Force plays its cards right, with a solid battle system and a pace that isn't too grating for quick portable gaming sessions.

The game mechanics, voice acting, and enemy designs are all wonderfully polished. But if people could live on polish alone, there’d be gourmet restaurants serving linoleum and fingernails. A game should first and foremost be enjoyable. G-Force’s downfall is in its repetitive puzzle design, bland visuals, and antiquated 3D technology.

Order of the Pheonix is all about homework and chores, and feels harder to take in than a whole book - those are poor marks for a video game.

Lost Planet 2 is filled with too much mediocrity to be a great game, but it is decent, and odds are that if you like third-person shooters, you'll at the very least enjoy the multiplayer modes. Just don't expect this to be the phenomenal game changer.

Surely, if it weren't for the awful, unnecessarily nihilistic item management, I could easily recommend The UnderGarden to just about anyone.

You have to credit Evil Dead: Regeneration for almost living up to its name by breathing some new life back into an abysmal video-game franchise. Still, this regeneration is a far-cry from a revolution and must be content with being familiar, satisfying, and diminutive.

The steady mechanics and sheer brutality of The Punisher save it from the slaughterhouse and lead to a decent rental, but repetitive gameplay and some stupid design errors make it hard to commit to Frank Castle's crusade.

Its simple controls and variety of styles will easily impress the newcomers. The rest of the vets might enter the ring for a fight or two, but this tournament isn't worth coming out of retirement.

It surprises with its cool references and attention to detail, but loses a lot of luster in attempting to appeal to a wee audience.

Gauntlet is not a roaring return for the arcade classic, nor is it a critical failure.

Viking is a weekend of relaxing ultraviolence, giving Xbox owners an easy thousand points to chase.

A great way to end the downloadable content run for Fallout 3. If it's indeed the final DLC we're to see for the game, it's surely an out-of-this-world way to close off our explorations of the Capital Wasteland, providing a thoroughly enjoyable ride that is likely to last almost as much as the longest of the packs that's come out so far - Broken Steel.

Maybe it's because I'm not Japanese or familiar with Japanese culture, but these otome games, I'm sure they have a place in Western society, but I don't quite know where to put them.

At it stands, Test Drive Unlimited 2 is like a used Ferrari with a broken passenger seat - a solid ride as long as the player doesn't mind some of the nicks and bumps and is willing to drive mostly alone.

If Wii Party was trapped in a mine for 70 days, it would discover the richest vein of ore and find a way to get it to the surface before ever asking for a sip of water. Too soon? I'm just saying. In terms of mini-game variety, I know exactly what it feels like to hit the motherload.

Still, I have to underscore the way Tokyo Crash Mobs maintains a truly unique sense of gameplay and aesthetic. Sure it's kind of stupid and not all that innovative, but it helps to define the burgeoning Nintendo eShop as a place to find wacky, nonsensical games that are willing to take risks.

What Ultimate Ride does, it does pretty well. The problem is that it does so very, very little. And with an entrance fee of $40, there should be much, much more: people in foam rubber animal costumes, women flashing their breasts on the log ride, kids barfing during the loops, etc.

This isn't a superb game by any stretch of the imagination, but it also won't cause you permanent damage like some of the other Army Men games.

A much better gambling system, improved breeding and hours and hours of racing keeps this one at the head of the pack.

Unfortunately, though beating the crap out of Rancor is cool, it's quite flawed, thanks to the wonky camera and targeting system.

Even with multiplayer modes that are mostly fun and the constant leaderboard competition to be had with friends and strangers online, Blitz is pretty much the same game you can play for cheap (or free) elsewhere, except with a new coat of paint and a heftier price tag.

The fast-paced action and variety of arenas make it perfect for killing some time even if it doesn't deliver the most rewarding gaming experience.

While I do believe some players may dismiss the game as a “walking simulator” (as they are wont to do nowadays), Neverending Nightmares falls into the must-play section of the horror genre. Whether or not you find it scary, you’ll definitely be disturbed and intrigued as you seek resolution to the madness.

Leaves a fairly bland taste in the mouth. With its cool creature-catching concept and some field items that would make a Boy Scout proud, it sets a good table. Unfortunately, the poor control and lack of solo playability hinder it from catching the big one.

As a fairly big defender of the "walking simulator" genre, I feel really let down by Dear Esther. It needed more of something, whether it be a better story, more gameplay than wandering, or more interaction with the island. Definitely needed more than a feeling of "huh" when it ended.

The most distinguishing feature of Justice League Heroes is its complete lack of any. The game's one, toted new feature, the ability to pick up rocks and sticks, is literally primitive.

If you have wimpy thumbs and are averse to difficulty, you probably ought to let this ninja go. But if you consider yourself the hardest of the hardcore, I recommend letting Nightshade kick your ass a little.

Spacecom is still fun if you’re not a social gamer, but if you plan to play by yourself exclusively I’d wait and see if it goes on sale.

Like I said before, unless you have some sort of undying affinity for this series, I recommend you steer clear. Seriously, there are plenty of other titles on the PlayStation Store worth your hard-earned cash.

In many ways, Fable Anniversary is just a prettier version of the original game with the added The Lost Chapters DLC thrown in for good measure.

Heavy duty item customization, a superb setting and fun, tactical strategy leads to a must-have for fans of the genre.

If you enjoyed Ninja Gaiden, Assassin's Creed, God of War, Devil May Cry, Dragon's Lair, Resident Evil, etc... then you will find something that you'll like in Ninja Blade, because there's a little bit of all of them in here. Just make sure that you have some eye drops handy for after all the quick-time events, since your eyes are going to be dry from not blinking.

No amount of zen can keep a player from dying so many times and feeling so helpless that they punch through a poster for a band they actually like. If you appreciate an abusive relationship however, this is the way to go.

The level design, added mini-games, and continuous action make the campaign surprisingly entertaining.

The only time you can use the Bat-grapple is when you get an onscreen signal to look for a huge, out of place Bat-insignia perched on the corner of some overhead location. Oh, I guess I'm supposed use my Bat-grapple here. Sheesh!

It surprises with its cool references and attention to detail, but loses a lot of luster in attempting to appeal to a wee audience.

The Simpsons Game may just be the funniest video game ever, but funny is not the same as fun,and it's just not a very good game. I found myself wanting to finish the game just for the humor, even though I was screaming at the TV after falling down the 10,000th pit or when the camera showing me the wall again while i get killed.

Despite some bafflingly arbitrary concessions to the casual crowd, MotoGP 08 still caters overwhelmingly to diehard racing sim fans.

The most distinguishing feature of Justice League Heroes is its complete lack of any. The game’s one, toted new feature, the ability to pick up rocks and sticks, is literally primitive.

Tex Murphy fans will lap it up, but everyone else will likely consider this a case not worth solving.

If it weren’t for the terrible plot, awful A.I., frustrating missions, and rampant slowdown, it might boil down to some magic worth finding. In the end, this weird hybrid is a mage of many schools, but a master of none.

Though Magnetica is a decent little puzzler, it’s also available all over the Internet in a million different versions, almost all of which are cheaper than this full $34.99 price tag. You're intelligent enough of a consumer to know that makes this a hard sell, and in this case, knowing is half the puzzle.

Deadlight has all the style, substance, and gameplay you could want, with none of the originality you need. The word "cliche" never left my mind, even for an instant. If you loved Limbo and want to recreate that experience, you could spend $15 on this, or you could just play the game you already own and have a much better time.

Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon isn't some fancy-ass, top-of-the-line flea bomb, but an inexpensive can of Raid that gets the job done.

A lot of learning material.

If you focus on the pure details of the cars and racing itself, Need for Speed: The Run stands head and shoulders above past installments as well as other racing simulations.

The game mechanics, voice acting, and enemy designs are all wonderfully polished. But if people could live on polish alone, there’d be gourmet restaurants serving linoleum and fingernails. A game should first and foremost be enjoyable. G-Force’s downfall is in its repetitive puzzle design, bland visuals, and antiquated 3D technology.

Take away all the mind-numbingly painful design choices and there may be a game deserving of the Square Enix name here, but all the extraneous material makes that nearly impossible. A game that you will soon undiscover… infinitely.

While technically polished, the artistic vision of the first game has been lost. There's just not enough style or substance to DMC 2.

Possibly the most misleading title of all time, since this game hasn't evolved at all.

Even though the combat is thrilling and the premise somewhat interesting, this DLC's very short and clumsily constructed story in detriment of gameplay makes skipping it an easy decision.