So, yes—the online functionality is a little on the shallow, blunted side compared to that of its next-gen console peers, and there are some offputting load times…but these are minor complaints. There’s so much here in the way of cool details, nifty items and ubiquitous, understated fan service that it’s a little difficult to grade Brawl’s raw gameplay without factoring in the Nintendo-culture saturation factor.

For either system, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is a portable addiction, and while I recommend the PSP version, the DS game is almost as good.

SCIV certainly doesn’t break any new ground, but it continues to do what it does best by providing us with some of the best weapons-based fighting action in town. The character customization is worth the price of admission, and the online game will keep you coming back for more.

This is one of the few games I’ve felt the urge to replay on a harder difficulty, just because those 7 hours were so sweet. Nariko’s time on earth might be cut short prematurely, but she does offer a small taste of the milk of paradise.

A great looking, well-written beast of an RPG, though some of its technical aspects could’ve operated more smoothly. We don’t like the fact that everything feels unorganized, or that we still have to spend so much time with menus, but we love the story and the world and the humongous levels of customization.

The formula from the original series has been transplanted to near perfection and the Ready at Dawn crew has added a few gems that will keep you coming back for more.

An A-list, big budget, mass market, entry level MMORPG. It's simply terrific for a while, and the easiest-to-play massively multiplayer game so far.

Simple, stupid, silly, and easily the most fun I’ve had on the console.

The goal of any superhero game is to make you feel like the hero, and by that standard, Spider-Man 2 is unrivaled. That it also happens to be a fantastic action game is icing on the cake, a true treat for both fans of the webslinger and general gamers alike.

Thanks to its many improvements and additions, Bravo 3 has everything what fans have been loving about the series, and then some.

Smart, stylish, and original, Bully deserves a spot in your class.

It's informative, useful, well thought out, and exhaustive in it's attention to detail.

Yes, fanboys, it's okay to pick this one up. Transformers, Roll Out!

The kind of game that comes along only once in a long while. By pushing the boundaries of gaming, it has secured a warm spot in my jaded reviewers heart.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon is a great entry in the series, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Whether you’re new to the series or genre or you’re a seasoned FE fan this is a great game. It adds just enough new material without making it too different.

Taking the 2D online brawlers in the marketplace into account, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is easily the friendlier of the bunch in terms of new players jumping in.

About as slick as they come, with a presentation and verve that supercedes cutting-edge. It's a short one, but good things do come in small packages after all.

It does a nice job offering a much cheaper alternative without sacrificing too much quality. It's just a shame that the online play is broken, though I suppose you get what you pay for after all.

The cutscenes are just as fun to watch as the game is to play.

The weapons can get a little overwhelming and frustrating at times, especially when you’re in the lead (and the frankly unfair brutality of the 150cc-class rubber-banding, curse-evoking A.I.), but most of what’s in place, both old and new, still makes for a romping good time, locally or globally.

There are some flaws, including the lack of a local co-op mode, however there is just so much that was done right that you can't help but have a blast. It may not be everything you ever wanted out of a Ghostbusters game, but it's as close as you're going to get to perfection at this point.

This is another fun, solid entry in what’s quickly becoming the most dependable series in handheld gaming. To truly become an unstoppable power, however, it will also have to become the most daring.

The story wasn't much of a story at all. So for all you readers out there that are hoping for a whopper of a tale, I hope you can be satisfied with a mere kid's meal.

No matter how much you tweak it, no matter how realistic you make it, tennis eventually boils down to a game of "Pong."

A terrifying, chilling, disturbing, and in every sense scary psychological horror game.

Disgaea can be on the tough side, and the 'game over' screen will come up often, but with the Item World, the ability to continuously develop new characters from a pool of 150 and characters that can level up in four areas, the advantage is on your side.

If you can get past the difficulty swings, The 3rd Birthday is a surprisingly fun experience. It's pretty; it's easy to dive into (a pun!); and the story is told in such a way that it's easy to follow… especially for a Square-Enix game!

The whole package is very much worth playing through, even if it doesn't do much of anything outright new apart from the genre combination. This is the title, like Retro Game Challenge, that is helping to keep the classics around. And for good reason: everybody should get the chance to play them.