For someone interested in videogame design or history, The War of the Worlds is an interesting case study. But is it fun? Dear god, no. Just, no.

It's too bad, because Cursed Crusade has fleetingly interesting ideas, like forcing you to push a very slow-moving mantlet towards an enemy's defensive line, or the way the timing of tapping out combo strings actually encourages thoughtful player response. Co-op can actually be fun in short bursts with a friend, and even the detailed aesthetic is surprisingly competent.

It's too bad, because Cursed Crusade has fleetingly interesting ideas, like forcing you to push a very slow-moving mantlet towards an enemy's defensive line, or the way the timing of tapping out combo strings actually encourages thoughtful player response. Co-op can actually be fun in short bursts with a friend, and even the detailed aesthetic is surprisingly competent.

Overall, Okabu just doesn't feel like a finished game.

If you're hardcore about your angling, Sega Bass Fishing may whet your appetite, but for everyone else, turn your motorboat around and avoid this game.

My pretentious ramblings aside, Gummy Bears is a terrible piece of shovelware for the Wii.

The combination of puzzles, exploring, and Phoenix Wright-style point-counterpoint gameplay is honestly an interesting concept along with the attractive art, but the production is mired in soulless English dialogue, badly looping music, and awkward navigation controls.

Regardless, I think it goes without say that Spray is both very bad and very broken; and that's in addition to the ugly pastel graphics and terrible animation (like I said, the main character skitters). Let's just forget it ever happened, shall we?

Seasons could've just ripped off Animal Crossing entirely, and it would've at least been a good game. Derivative, but enjoyable.

Deluxe has some decent ideas, but they're badly marred by unbalanced, frustrating gameplay. As far as retro revivals go, this is probably for fans only.

If the game had been as unique as the controls, and it didn't just try to directly map first-person action gameplay onto a less responsive format, Rise of Nightmares could have been something pretty special. This game may not be that great, but it shows that the Kinect itself has potential.

You could also research a serviceable AI aid that would organize units into groups and automate functions like repair. Teleportation was a significant travel mode for many of the units. But unfortunately, cool ideas don't sell games until they're implemented into cool games.

King Arthur: Fallen Champions needs what it simply won't get -- varied units, improved AI, and some more thought placed into tactics and the utility of formations. I can't speak to the rest of the series, but unless you're a diehard fan, feel free to skip this one.

Largely an awful shooter. And instead of trying to do everything and failing to deliver virtually anything worthwhile, Bodycount probably would have been much more successful if its design was simplified by focusing on one or two key features it could attempt to do differently. But it didn't, and the end result is not pretty.

Largely an awful shooter. And instead of trying to do everything and failing to deliver virtually anything worthwhile, Bodycount probably would have been much more successful if its design was simplified by focusing on one or two key features it could attempt to do differently. But it didn't, and the end result is not pretty.

Crazy Machines Elements gives me a similar feeling where I just want to play with the pieces and see what can be built. But, like a parent worried their child will choke on the board game's tiny pieces, Crazy Machines Elements doesn't trust players with all of its tools from the start, preventing many from ever finding the fun lurking just beneath the surface.

If I could, I would seriously give Dive to the Titanic a 0.0 out of 5. Every time I started up the game at home, I had to make sure to have something going on in the background -- cartoons, the news, or a podcast -- just to distract myself from wishing that I was dead.

Alpha Polaris may drive you mad, but not for the right reasons.

Returning to the horror genre's roots might be a good idea, but Trapped Dead doesn't offer convincing evidence of the idea's merits. It fumbles at every step except -- with the possible exception of mimicking comic books in its menus and cutscenes.

If you're looking for light-hearted racing action that's not only affordable but fun, you've come to the wrong place. A disappointing title that doesn't reach its minimal potential, Monochrome Racing is a game best avoided.

Not even close. Burn the Rope is an under-produced, featureless port with uninteresting gameplay. Save your money -- there are many other titles on WiiWare more worthy of your time.

Even without the camera and control problems, Chantelise struggles to stand out amidst other similar games. It's disappointing, because you can tell there's a lot of heart and personality poured into the game, but it's just not that enjoyable to play.

Your $3 will be wasted.

Very short. I'm deleting it from my iPhone as soon as I turn in this review.

There's no exclusive content, just a new way to struggle with already poor combat.

Not being able to transform in a Transformers game is ridiculous.

Ninjamurai's sense of speed doesn't last long enough to get you through the waiting room at the doctor's office, nor does it compare to other offerings on the PSP Mini lineup.

Games like this make me wish I could score them just by looking at the box and throwing it in the trash, but Transformers: Dark of the Moon 3DS nonetheless managed to fail my lowest expectations.

Wii Play: Motion offers a better balance of quality to questionable content than the original release, with more total games and play variations in the package, but in this day and age the experience feels very insignificant. Along with Mario Sports Mix, Nintendo's Wii offerings to date in 2011 seem content to mine past concepts with middling success, which may be fine to the dwindling number of new console owners -- but it's tough to believe existing Wii owners will feel the urge to rush out for another unremarkable mini-game medley.

Just like Jeff Hardy, TNA Wrestling iMPACT hides a closet full of crippling inner flaws behind a flashy, colorful exterior.

At the risk of repeating myself, the game is just broken. And in this age of "eh, we'll fix that with a first-week patch," it's particularly sad to see what feels like so little effort put into living up to what can even objectively be described as a legendary property.

This is a title made for a specific type of gamer -- someone who views an unbalanced game as a challenge and not as a flaw. For the rest of us, Overflow's poor gameplay mechanics and inaccurate controls will remind us how fun this game could have been.

The problem with Star Raiders is that it feels too bland.

Thor: God of Thunder looks terrible, plays poorly, and was obviously rushed out to market with no fine-tuning whatsoever. Considering that the DS version is so much better by comparison (along with the vastly superior free Flash title from Marvel Studios), I'm saddened that this game had to ever exist.

Thor: God of Thunder looks terrible, plays poorly, and was obviously rushed out to market with no fine-tuning whatsoever. Considering that the DS version is so much better by comparison (along with the vastly superior free Flash title from Marvel Studios), I'm saddened that this game had to ever exist.

No matter how you slice it, Elements has very little to offer: If you prefer a top-notch strategy experience, stick with the essentials, like StarCraft 2, Shogun 2, and Dawn of War 2. If you want to play a great Kalypso-produced title, give Tropico 3 a try. And if you're just looking to play an RTS on the cheap, type "GemCraft Labyrinth" into Google. It's a free Flash-based tower defense game that's light years ahead of Elements of War in terms of fun and playability.

From its terrible graphics to its awkward controls, Mercenaries is a complete and utter disaster. The iPhone version of Mercenaries is not the version you want to play.

What's most frustrating is that I know Gameloft can do better than this. Hell, they have done better with Asphalt 6 and even Asphalt 5 -- mobile alternatives that are much cheaper (and more fun) for anyone with an iPhone, iPad, or Android device. In fact, just buy one of those games instead. Even if you just don't want to play Ridge Racer, Asphalt 3D isn't the better option by any stretch.

Combat of Giants might work great as an early technical showcase of the 3DS' power, but there's really not much game -- or value -- here to speak of.

It's not at all surprising to play a franchise launch game that lacks polish and precision, but The Sims 3 comes off as careless -- especially for a series with such strong cultural and consumer cachet. Even the much cheaper iPhone version offers a richer portable take on the series, and that came out in 2009!

One of the worst games I've ever had the displeasure of reviewing.

No multiplayer; extremely shallow feature set; 3D is mostly pointless.

Maybe it's not the developers' fault that this just isn't much fun. Perhaps the formula for a Sonic game simply no longer holds up in the 21st century.

Personally, I wouldn't give this game the time of day, and I happen to like RPGs. However, I'm envisioning Trinity being available for 99 cents a couple years down the line, and some very poor college student may want to grab it because they're bored and can't afford the latest shooter du jour. To those people I say, hey, if you don't mind forgoing ramen for a day, knock yourself out. You'll get a healthy 15-20 hours of kicking around goblins for your money. As for the rest of you, you'll probably be happier sticking with the ramen.

Games shouldn't reach retail in this condition, and while I'd love to give Venetica a higher score, Atari should've never allowed Venetica to reach the market in its current state; if I wasn't required to finish the game for my review, I would've put it back in the box after a few hours because of the save bugs.

I was amused by Bloons TD 4 at first, but after a while the game's nagging balancing issues became more and more apparent.

That's pretty much Breach's biggest issue: Even if it's a cheaper XBLA alternative, everything it does has been done better elsewhere. If it had contributed something new to the FPS landscape, I'd forgive its attempt at imitation, but most folks interested in it already have immediate access to great games such as Halo, Black Ops and Battlefield.

Lord of Arcana is one of those games where the amount of fun you're having is directly proportional to how many people you play with. But there's the catch: if you're playing by yourself, you'll have little to no fun at all, and the lack of online play makes getting a party together unnecessarily difficult. Online play should be standard for this kind of experience, and the game suffers immensely for it.

Everything about it is horrible: the writing, the illustration, the voice-acting -- everything.

It's not that the idea of pushing Ghost Recon into on-rails territory to make good use of the Wii's control setup is without merit -- other franchises have gone a similar route with great success. The problem is that it's executed so poorly that it feels like a cheap cash-in on the Ghost Recon name rather than an innovative twist that brings something new and exciting to the series.

It doesn't matter if you're a hardcore or casual fan: there's no magic to be seen here.

It's almost not Sonic's fault -- 3D games just don't age well -- but this lazy port makes the Blue Blur look slower than ever.

It's a shame, too, because had it hemmed in the play time and polished the combat, it could have provided a lean and mean eight hours of satisfying God of War-like, gore-fueled fun.

While many maps have some great design choices, Things on Wheels feels like a dated and out of place title that may have been more accepted in the earlier stages of Microsoft's Arcade platform.

Kung Fu Funk has a fantastic style, pulling from the craziness found in '70s era kung-fu action movies; however, none of the fun found in its art has translated into its gameplay.

The ideas behind Fishie Fishie have a lot of potential, but the "single-button to do everything" concept makes the entire thing a frustrating battle of man versus machine.

Despite the improved character roster and so-bad-it's-funny decapitations, Samurai Showdown Sen has very little to offer you except easy Achievement Points.

A generic, buggy and broken shooter with limited appeal, even to dedicated fans of Marcinko and the many books and novels that have documented his incredible life.

Simply a rather dull experience, which could be the worst thing you could say for any piece of entertainment. From my time with it, James Cameron's Avatar: The Video Game only furthers the point, rather than dispels it, that the movie-to-video game genre is as treacherous as the planet of Pandora itself.

While it is a nice throwback to the retro arcade-style basketball games of yore, the overall package is an accumulation of bad design decisions that adds up to one of the worst basketball games ever made.

The game is also easy, and you will have no problem rushing through the eight skimpy levels in a matter of hours. Add in the simplistic combat that becomes repetitious very quickly, level designs devoid of creativity and the fact that you can't level up or gain new moves and you have one disaster worth skipping.

As for the game itself, I like to call it "Band Hero: Abridged." The set list is varied, fun and up to date, with tunes from Avril Lavigne to The Rolling Stones. However, without a career mode, you have access to all 30 songs from the start.

Most of the casual crowd, even word search fans, would likely rather buy a book of puzzles for 99 cents or just find a free flash version. The rest would probably prefer to carry it around with them for long waits at the doctor's office.

There's really no good reason to suffer Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga--it's ugly, broken, and seems hellbent on depriving you of fun at every opportunity. Even if you're hard up for a Wii RPG, you're better off skipping it and never looking back. Meanwhile, I'll be hearing those footsteps echoing endlessly in my nightmares.

Since the game is fairly reasonably priced, players shouldn't be too discouraged that they are basically purchasing a Wii tech-demo.

Darkest of Days' best missions come right at the end (with closer-quarters action and a fantastic original weapon), but by that point, it's too little, too late. An entire game built in that mold might've been able to overcome the numerous problems, but unlike with time travel, there are no do-overs in game development.

The game does have one redeeming factor, the visuals.

At 500 Wii Points, it's hard to recommend the title to anyone. Sexy Poker is one of those games that would be better served as a 99-cent iPhone app reserved for no more than novelty purposes.

The visual and music portion of the game offer up little to no innovation, it all seems very plain and lacking, almost like a rejected Warner Bros. cartoon.

While there are some cheap thrills to be found in the title's rail-shooter segments and hardcore Terminator fans will no doubt want to rent the title just for the chance to go toe-to-toe with a T-600, I can't recommend Salvation as anything more than exactly that: a rental.

While there are some cheap thrills to be found in the title's rail-shooter segments and hardcore Terminator fans will no doubt want to rent the title just for the chance to go toe-to-toe with a T-600, I can't recommend Salvation as anything more than exactly that: a rental.

There is just so much wrong with this title that it is crazy to think that this passed the focus testing from Nintendo.

Charming idea met with terrible execution, deep fried in repetitive, unresponsive gameplay, more bugs than an ant farm and served with constant, nonsensical lag.

The premise, when paraphrased, is an interesting one and as a huge fan of last year's Time Hollow and any good mystery in general, I'm always willing to sit through any amount of text if it provides a means to an end, or at the very least, something somewhat cohesive. Lux-Pain fails on both accounts, serving as a poorly thrown together, somewhat interactive novel that really doesn't know what it wants to be - or, if it does know, it certainly doesn't want to be a game.

The PSP version, however, has this incredibly unfun, dual-pronged fork-in-the-eye problem of too many pokey load breaks paired with one...h-ell of a...won---ky, fra-me...rate. There were so many times until I got used to it that I thought the game was just going to crash altogether.

Leaving you with a bad taste in your mouth and an unwashable feeling of downright sleaziness, Onechanbara can be simulated by checking into a shady motel.

I can't in good faith recommend Rygar: The Battle of Argus--both fans of the original and newcomers should avoid it. [Feb 2009, p.77]

Moon is a decent time killer and is great for anyone looking for an interesting sci-fi adventure for their DS handheld.

Even with improved graphics and a large character roster, Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World ends the DBZ series on PS2 with a bust instead of a bang.

Say what you will about Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon's shoddy graphics, lame script and bad physics -- when you throw it in the trash, it at least lands inside of the can instead of embedding itself in the wall.

While I want to give Konami credit for trying something new with the series, the obvious missteps and overlooked elements of Castlevania Judgment makes the game look and feel like a cheap cash-in.

If this is where the series is going, Neverland Card Battles is going to be a tough sell in the future. I'd really like to find something nice to say about it, but the game is so boring, cliche (there's that word again) and badly designed I'd be lying through my teeth.

Add in tired and repetitive level designs, a lackluster story and the general absence of fun and you have a title that isn't worth playing. [Dec 2008, p.95]

Fans hoping for a worthwhile update to one of gaming's most revered hack-and-slash franchises will be sorely disappointed by this poorly designed and utterly mediocre title.

If anything, I can't help but see We Cheer as a missed opportunity. The game is filled to the brim with personality and has something for everyone on its rather impressive track list, but the gameplay itself is simply exhaustive trial and error routines that leave you with a sour taste in your mouth.

Overall, Air Traffic Chaos's controls are simple enough, but that doesn't mean that they're not a pain to navigate.

Quotation forthcoming.

Unfortunately, Gas Powered Games forget all the elements that make the games in this genre so damn fun and addictive. It's really a shame because had they done it right, it would have made the wait for Diablo III that much more bearable. But as it stands, this is without a doubt the worst addition to the Siege series yet.

Double D Dodgeball should be skipped. Certain gimmicks like skill shots and a variety of arenas do not add enough to warrant a purchase.

MLE: The Game is extremely shallow in both gameplay and modes available. The only people who would have any fun with this game are youngsters who cannot stop laughing at bathroom humor.

Just don't expect any depth if you pick this title up... and don't be surprised when your kid asks if he can trade it in for another game.

The worst part is that Jake Hunter had a lot of potential. [July 2008, p.84]

The crummy gameplay combined with Frogger 2's deceiving graphics (kids will struggle with this game) and jab-a-screwdriver-into-your-ear music make this one of the worst titles available on XBLA.

Protöthea's music is the worst offender, though -- its muffled tunelessness recalls the early days of hack composers attempting to extract vaguely music-like noise from the Super NES's default sound libraries. Expect lots of muddy bass and cheesy synth guitars.

The creepy lifelessness of it all can be mitigated somewhat with the addition of up to three human opponents in a barebones multiplayer mode, but otherwise, the most fun you'll have with V.I.P. Casino Blackjack is in watching Mr. Paradise slowly clap his hands like one of those cymbal-playing toy monkeys whenever he wins a hand.

Any way you cut it, it's just not worth the aggravation to play through what is just another botched licensed movie game. [June 2008, p.81]

The characters models are ugly despite aspiring towards cuteness, and the soundtrack will turn your brain into oatmeal.

An even larger frustration, though, is everyone's inability to recover lobs. In most tennis games, if you hustle you can often find some way to smack the ball back over the net, even if it's behind you. Here your characters just give up even if you are clearly within a reasonable rescue range.