It's extremely smart, has a great sense of humor, a bold design and fantastic art direction.

Although appearances may be deceiving, don't judge too soon—Critter Crunch is a high-quality addition to the PSN library, and a must for PS3 puzzle fans with an internet connection. Just be ready to grit your teeth a bit towards the end.

Without question, Demon's Souls is one of 2009's finest titles, and an amazing, challenging journey without equal.

What little the game does add to the saga is forgotten by everyone at the end. Disney fans will be most disappointed of all: Disney's characters barely put in an appearance, and Disney's worlds are just window-dressing for a killzone.

Lair of the Leviathan is, I think, the best chapter of Tales of Monkey Island so far.

Persona takes everything that made the original so memorable (the demon-fusing, the storyline, the atmosphere) and streamlines/updates it while restoring things that were cut from the original as well.

Despite those shortcomings, though, Wet's experiment is a mostly successful one. It's a game entirely devoted to appearances, never asking the player to kill people, but rather to kill them as spectacularly as possible.

NHL 10 could very well be one of best hockey video games since the immortal NHL 95, and that in my books is a great comparison.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 basically accomplishes what it sets out to do, but doesn't move the series forward in any significant way, even feeling like a minor step back in certain aspects.

In every way save the graphics, I found Muramasa: The Demon Blade to be a failure.

Although I'll be the first to admit that online multiplayer is usually the least interesting aspect of any game for me, Section 8 did a great job of making it easy to learn and easy to take part in. That facility combined with the excellent abilities of the armor and fast-paced nature of play make for a solid experience that 360 owners should certainly take note of.

Despite those issues, there is no question that Cursed Mountain is not only one of the finest titles currently available for the Wii, it's a welcome detour from the well-worn survival horror path that so many developers seem only too happy to tread.

Simply put, this game effectively captures the gameplay experience of being its main character better than any other comic-based title I have ever played, but surprisingly the character development side feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.

It was pretty short, I forgot it had a story, and the interface needs some work. It wasn't bad, though. It was just Sudoku.

If The Siege of Spinner Cay has a weakness, it's that the game's secondary characters aren't as rich or as interesting as they were in the first installment.

I think it's pretty clear that I hold Mass Effect in the highest possible regard, having nothing but the utmost respect and affection for it, but I need to be honest when I say that Pinnacle Station is not only a complete waste of money, it's an insult to Mass Effect itself. I can't imagine why this shoddy cash-in was even released at all, except for a quick infusion of ill-gotten income from all the suckers like me who bought it on faith.

Looking a little deeper as someone who's been around the block, it's disappointing to see that so much of Shadow Complex feels utterly bereft of inspiration. It's certainly a job well done, but really, this job's been done before.

It's tempting to write off Osmos as a "been there, done that" experience. While all of the mechanics in play here certainly aren't new, the team at Hemisphere Games does a wonderful job of wrapping them up in a cool, calm, and collected package that makes it feel new and refreshing.

With a notable level of craftsmanship and clear focus on its subject material, Trials HD is going to be endlessly addictive to the right kind of player. I wouldn't have guessed that player was me, but no matter how many times my bike crashed, I kept thinking I could do it if I tried just one more time, and I was constantly hungry to get it right.

Beautifully stylized, beautifully implemented, and a true joy to play, NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits is another excellent title in Nintendo's already-impressive WiiWare library.

Although it's unavoidable that some players won't be able to get past the graphics, those that do will be treated to an entertaining and worthwhile experience for a system that currently boasts the highest shovelware-to-keeper ratio I think I've ever seen.

If Mothership Zeta had been half as long and available at half the price, it might have been worthwhile simply for giving players a quick peek behind the origins of the main game's enigmatic alien wreckage. As it stands, this dog-leg jaunt into outer space ends up a giant could-have-been without any real reason to recommend it, save completion for completion's sake.

Every time I came close to defeating it, my game would freeze up (no pun intended) and I'd have to reset. After half a dozen interruptions like this, I gave up.

I strongly suspect people will pick up Wii Sports Resort on name recognition alone, and be mystified by the odd white attachment inside. If enough WMPs are sold, and enough developers pay attention, it may just work.

I could mention the razor-sharp graphics, cleanly minimalist design and absolutely phenomenal soundtrack, but there's really no point... Shatter is easily one of the best offerings available on the PSNetwork even without taking any of those things into account.

It's visually attractive, tuned to perfection, and presents a classic formula that never goes out of style.

And Guybrush is so likeable-in that pestering, caddish sort of way-that I want to know what happens to him. That, really, is what a serial game should accomplish; to leave players hungry for more.

Despite Techland's efforts, the Western genre is still wide-open for someone to ride in and claim it.