Force Unleashed II isn't a bad game, far from it actually. But its very short adventure, lack of polish, and imprecise gameplay prevent it from being anything more than a cheap steam-venting endeavor. Despite some nice ideas (usually borrowed from the killer apps of the genre, but poorly implemented). From a fan service standpoint, though, it clearly works with customizable light sabers, a ton of alternative badass-looking costumes for Starkiller, and additional challenges to have players compete over the internet.

Force Unleashed II isn't a bad game, far from it actually. But its very short adventure, lack of polish, and imprecise gameplay prevent it from being anything more than a cheap steam-venting endeavor. Despite some nice ideas (usually borrowed from the killer apps of the genre, but poorly implemented). From a fan service standpoint, though, it clearly works with customizable light sabers, a ton of alternative badass-looking costumes for Starkiller, and additional challenges to have players compete over the internet.

Sonic The Hedgehog Episode 4 seems to be more of a Sonic the Hedgehog 1.2 (calling it "A.5" would put it too close to the brilliant Sonic 2...). The levels don't surprise, the soundtrack bores, and more importantly the blue hedgehog's inertia and dullness make it a real disappointment in 2010. We'll try not to resent it too much, since it's a rather cheap downloadable game, but it's still a very short game as well. Love is blind, so some may still enjoy it, but we'd rather advise them to try out the DS games, which are closer to today's expectations of a 2D journey with the supersonic hedgehog.

Sonic The Hedgehog Episode 4 seems to be more of a Sonic the Hedgehog 1.2 (calling it "A.5" would put it too close to the brilliant Sonic 2...). The levels don't surprise, the soundtrack bores, and more importantly the blue hedgehog's inertia and dullness make it a real disappointment in 2010. We'll try not to resent it too much, since it's a rather cheap downloadable game, but it's still a very short game as well. Love is blind, so some may still enjoy it, but we'd rather advise them to try out the DS games, which are closer to today's expectations of a 2D journey with the supersonic hedgehog.

The worst defect a video game can have, is to be so poorly designed and/or implemented that it becomes unplayable. Which is the case of Sonic Free Riders, a perfect example of an opportunistic product, a rehash of an older title repackaged to take advantage of Kinect's launch window. Movement caption is poor, the environments are confusing, the menus probably are the work of the devil himself... to sum it up, this surfing experience was more of a nightmare than the dream we'd all love to play thanks to Back to Future 2.

Pokémon Ranger: Tracks of Light is an excellent alternative to the main series, and will probably make up for the wait until Black & White arrives. Pretty, well paced, Tracks of Light is a nice adventure, perfect for children, far from the cheap spin-off.

As an action platformer, Naruto VS Sasuke is a fair and nice game to play. Its greatest flaw is the amount of similar titles on the DS, to which it doesn't offer anything new. If you're an unconditional fan, you'll still find a well crafted game, but if you're used to playing Naruto games on the DS, this may be a waste of time and money.

How to describe this new Naruto on the Wii ? An error, a joke, rip-off, an infamy ? Hard to tell, but one thing's clear : the game is completely and utterly disastrous. It's like the fillers of the anime : uninspired, tasteless, and botched.

Quotation forthcoming.

Quotation forthcoming.

Like Yoshi Touch & Go, Ivy the Kiwi? is a nice little game you can treat yourself with like a snack. Not much to keep playing it though, since both the gameplay and content are too light for the long run.

DBZ Tenkaichi Tag Team won't surprise anyone, but it has mastered its subject nonetheless. With a lighter but comprehensive Story Mode, punchy combat, and its news 4 player combat mode, it's a game perfectly suited for the PSP. However, it's still undergoing the fact that the franchise is running a little out of breath, given that it has spawned so very many games before it.

We expected just another installment of DBZ, with the same story, the same battles, with no originality... We were wrong! Dragon Ball Raging Blast 2 pushes the limits of the genre with a new combat system that makes all possible. A beautiful game, super fast, comprehensive and very technical. One of the really best DBZ fighting games.

If your bank account can withstand the investment for those pro instruments, or even if you want to keep playing the old way, Rock Band 3 is now the new benchmark of music games for groups. The Keyboard is a true bonus, especially in pro mode, and the Pro Guitar a real challenge for die hard gamers. Still blessed with its spot-on gameplay, as a videogame, it is beyond reproach and will entertain you for hours. But in terms of music teaching tool, we're not quite there yet. Only time will tell if the public will follow, and if the pro mode will indeed lead to new vocations, like the drums addition in the original Rock Band did. But Harmonix made progress and invested in innovation, while its competitors laze, and one may only applaud for that.

If your bank account can withstand the investment for those pro instruments, or even if you want to keep playing the old way, Rock Band 3 is now the new benchmark of music games for groups. The Keyboard is a true bonus, especially in pro mode, and the Pro Guitar a real challenge for die hard gamers. Still blessed with its spot-on gameplay, as a videogame, it is beyond reproach and will entertain you for hours. But in terms of music teaching tool, we're not quite there yet. Only time will tell if the public will follow, and if the pro mode will indeed lead to new vocations, like the drums addition in the original Rock Band did. But Harmonix made progress and invested in innovation, while its competitors laze, and one may only applaud for that.

What a formidable tribute this Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is for the 30th birthday of Pac-Man. Addictive, thrilling, psychedelic, this frenzy-inducing downloadable title reinvents the classic gameplay with subtleness, without spoiling the substance of the original. Being able to refresh such an oldie without crushing it... kudos !

Kinect Joy Ride is typically the game that would have won everything to be playable with a traditional controller. Playing it with your body is a real stress, as it is completely approximative and capricious. Even with all your patience and goodwill, it's a failure you have to quickly forget!

Undoubtedly, Camelot has faithfully reproduced the GBA episodes' formula, and that includes its old-school narrative approach. With the exception of the brilliant transposition of this universe in 3D, the actual changes are not so numerous. Of course we can find some nice adjustments, but they fail to balance out a lack of personality. We still think all the qualities of a Golden Sun game are still there : a solid RPG with an excellent combat system, good puzzles, and of course an army of oh-so-useful Djinns to collect.

Apache : Air Assault is for a niche audience. So if you're not a chopper fan, don't even consider it. If you are, but a little, then Apache will offer you some nice sensations. Too bad its interface is so basic, its staging non-existent, and its solo campaign lacking diversity in the missions, because Apache would have been a real benchmark, with a position to appeal to a larger audience.

Splatterhouse is for people who want 100% bashing and 0% brains, and who won't care too much for current production values or gameplay standards. The mask and Corrupted story is nicer to follow than we expected, and there's enough content there to quench your thirst for B-Movie style blood. But it still has a more shortcomings than good surprises... a simple title for simple tastes.

Super Scribblenauts fixes most of the flaws of the original, but isn't yet fully able to fulfill the tremendous potential of its brilliant base idea. A fault we can pin on puzzle levels that seem more restrictive than previously, despite the inclusion of adjectives and a decent physics engine to offer a better frame around the player's creativity. It still is a gem of emergent gameplay for all lovers of sandbox experiences, a title unlike any other.

If you like the rail shooters, and own a PS Move, The Shoot is a nice deal. It's still a little expensive for a game you'll finish soon enough, but on the other hand, FPS games with less-than-6-hours solo campaigns are legion... It's also a nice way to start playing with your PS Move.

You can't judge a game like SAW II as you would any blockbuster, because it is the kind of guilty pleasures some are fond of... Of course, if you hate the SAW movies, choose another way to do it, since SAW II is clearly aimed at fans of the series... fans who are treated with respect here.

What a formidable tribute this Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is for the 30th birthday of Pac-Man. Addictive, thrilling, psychedelic, this frenzy-inducing downloadable title reinvents the classic gameplay with subtleness, without spoiling the substance of the original. Being able to refresh such an oldie without crushing it... kudos !

Monopoly Streets does have some aces to play, but can't make us forget that it's still funnier with the real tabletop version.

Quotation forthcoming.

Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom could have been a great game. Its touching characters and well crafted gameplay make it a good game, blessed with a distinct personality. That's always something, but the concept lacks any sort of innovation. Even though you've most probably already played something very similar, you'll probably cruise through the 15-or-so hours of the game with ease, to discover the end of this friendship story.

Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom could have been a great game. Its touching characters and well crafted gameplay make it a good game, blessed with a distinct personality. That's always something, but the concept lacks any sort of innovation. Even though you've most probably already played something very similar, you'll probably cruise through the 15-or-so hours of the game with ease, to discover the end of this friendship story.