The combination of a mostly-uninteresting puzzle mechanic, and many missed opportunities make what could have been a great game, a good one.

The third episode of the adventure series based on the Back to the Future movies delivers an entertaining story, but not necessarily an entertaining game.

Hamlet isn't my favorite point-and-click adventure ever, but it's quirky and certainly worth a look.

If you have nostalgia for the franchise, you'll probably love having this on their iPad, but those unfamiliar with FMV games might be more than a bit befuddled by Dragon's Lair.

If you can get over the fact that you might be using hints often, even if you're an old hand at adventure games, City of Secrets offers a few hours of cute 'n' clever entertainment at a respectable price, though younger kids will probably get the most out of it.

Given its challenging gameplay, emphasis on techniques, and required replayability, Rocket Bunnies has the potential to offer hours of fun while turning away the casual audience.

There's enough variation on the genre to keep things interesting, and the execution in terms of graphics and level design is top-notch. The simplified aiming system could be helpful for younger gamers or those looking for less of a challenge.

A great-looking game, but since a standard Monopoly board is so large and dense with information, it's often difficult to see certain elements on the board.

Do you love Rock Band enough to play a mobile version with streamlined, touch-based controls and downgraded graphics? If so, then Rock Band Reloaded has all the features you could possibly ask for, and it really is the best that it could be on a mobile platform.

Compared to the price of the console game, for 3 dollars, Battlefield 2: Bad Company HD is a bargain, yet one banking heavily on its multiplayer for replayability.

Quotation forthcoming.

While not as advanced or socially oriented as the recent Bomberman releases, players will find the original Bomberman pleasantly and subversively enjoyable. [Sept 2004, p.93]

The scores of happy families, the gentle and caring characters you've grown up with your entire life, and the chance to virtually wander around a place that is so beloved can't help but make you smile.

Even though some things need to be tightened up, WWE '12 shows that the video game side of the franchise is still improving.

Even though some things need to be tightened up, WWE '12 shows that the video game side of the franchise is still improving.

It might not be worth $40 for some gamers, but series fans will appreciate it.

When met with the game's linear nature and over-reliance on quick-time events, these technical issues tear away at what could have been the perfect tribute to the original film.

Ultimately, Freakyforms is a game of two halves. Playing mad scientist in the creature creator is fun and it's a great reward seeing your monsters come to life. The problem comes from what to do next. I know that when I was a boy, I envisioned my legion of monsters doing a lot more than gathering knick knacks.

If you were hoping for a game with the personality of Parodius, look elsewhere -- there may be a decent, if flawed, Gradius design somewhere inside Excellent, but finding it may not be worth the trouble.

Though maddening at times, it's easy to see Another World's rigidly scripted cinematic nature as a precursor to modern linear blockbusters like Uncharted, making it a fascinating, albeit antiquated curio.

Fusion: Genesis is an ambitious title that is well presented, but I can't help feeling XBLA is the wrong platform for it. The slow pace of gameplay is more suited to a PC title, and the interface, which is cumbersome and unclear to navigate with a controller, would work just fine with a mouse.

The journey across America is beautifully rendered, capturing the varied landscapes spectacularly as you travel over the Sierra, across the Great Plains, and head towards the East Coast. The quality of the movies is very good too, and the characters' faces are nicely rendered to convey emotion. But the story and the gameplay just don't hold up their side of the bargain, and the game ends up falling short of its considerable potential.

The journey across America is beautifully rendered, capturing the varied landscapes spectacularly as you travel over the Sierra, across the Great Plains, and head towards the East Coast. The quality of the movies is very good too, and the characters' faces are nicely rendered to convey emotion. But the story and the gameplay just don't hold up their side of the bargain, and the game ends up falling short of its considerable potential.

At its core, this is the Assassin's Creed we've grown to love in recent years, and it still serves as a pretty good time sink -- plus, it's a necessary bridge to next year's already-announced follow-up. But obligation shouldn't be the primary reason to play something, and sadly, that's too often the case in this humdrum campaign.

At its core, this is the Assassin's Creed we've grown to love in recent years, and it still serves as a pretty good time sink -- plus, it's a necessary bridge to next year's already-announced follow-up. But obligation shouldn't be the primary reason to play something, and sadly, that's too often the case in this humdrum campaign.

As an overall experience, Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest was a lot of fun, but the rigid precision of its motion controls forced me to take more breaks than I would have liked, and the on-rails style gameplay left me feeling bombarded way too often.

If you're looking for something with a light sense of humor that's kid and family friendly and inexpensive, this might be the title for you. But for those searching for a deeper experience in their downloadable games or a nostalgic trip to the past, BurgerTime World Tour might not cut the mustard.

At its core, that's really the game's biggest problem -- Two Towns feels like one of the most dumbed down Harvest Moon titles in years, and whatever addiction you'll get maintaining crops/livestock might not outlast the boredom.

For what it attempts, the tower-defense aspects are not well explained enough, or implemented simply enough, to raise Dungeon Defenders above the slew of similar games out there.

Overall, I was actually pleasantly surprised by GoldenEye: Reloaded. There are enough nods to the source material to keep the game from being a complete derailment of the franchise, and while the multiplayer will never measure up to the original, it still has its English charms.

Overall, I was actually pleasantly surprised by GoldenEye: Reloaded. There are enough nods to the source material to keep the game from being a complete derailment of the franchise, and while the multiplayer will never measure up to the original, it still has its English charms.

The transition from polished first-person console shooter to 16-bit RPG is a smooth one on the visual front, thanks to Vlambeer's excellent pixel art and attention to minute details. It's just a bummer that the gameplay itself isn't quite as absorbing past the first world or so.

All things considered, Fate/Extra simply isn't a game I can recommend to everyone, but those who can accept the game's many imperfections will likely enjoy their time with it.

A perfectly competent beat-'em-RPG, even if it doesn't do much to carve out its own niche in the Lord of the Rings universe. Its strength and weakness is that it's completely inoffensive -- the perfect middle-of-the-road game. Unfortunately, it's hard to see what helps differentiate War of the North from the pack, and the pack is where it's apt to stay.

A perfectly competent beat-'em-RPG, even if it doesn't do much to carve out its own niche in the Lord of the Rings universe. Its strength and weakness is that it's completely inoffensive -- the perfect middle-of-the-road game. Unfortunately, it's hard to see what helps differentiate War of the North from the pack, and the pack is where it's apt to stay.

At best, Evolution is mediocre. While it's far from busted, there just isn't much to merit your attention past a handful of matches in each play session. Why, it's almost like it'd be better as an iPhone game or something instead!

It's tough to recommend Heian Love, even as a Shall We Date? game (hell, a cursory glance at the developer's other games reveals Ninja Love, which sounds infinitely more interesting), but hey, if it's your cup of tea, I'm not one to stand in the way of romance.

For something called The Book of Unwritten Tales, it treads awfully familiar ground; yet it does so with moxie and high production values. It's generally knowing and polished enough that it can be forgiven for not innovating a great deal. The Book of Unwritten Tales feels like a great cover of what's come before, even if it can't quite capture its forebear's magic.

While I think of Dance Central as a better video game (and Just Dance doesn't come close to matching the game's choreography tracking) I'd still rather play Just Dance whenever I have friends over.

Mahjong Cub3D is intriguing and unique, but the concept doesn't quite work that well.

It's barely better than mediocre, and just another game that should be heading to the used shelf in record time. Pick it up on the cheap for a young sibling/nephew/cousin if you do buy it at all.

Essentially, Spike could've developed a better game if they used some kind of fusion to merge the original Raging Blast's gameplay with Ultimate Tenkaichi's stellar graphics. But the end result here just falls short of being a memorable experience.

Essentially, Spike could've developed a better game if they used some kind of fusion to merge the original Raging Blast's gameplay with Ultimate Tenkaichi's stellar graphics. But the end result here just falls short of being a memorable experience.

Zombie Apocalypse 2: Never Die Alone is far from terrible.

Zombie Apocalypse 2: Never Die Alone is far from terrible.

A sloppy single-player campaign met with matchless multiplayer makes for an unbalanced first-person shooter experience.

A sloppy single-player campaign met with matchless multiplayer makes for an unbalanced first-person shooter experience.

PowerUp Heroes is cute and likable, and the motion controls work surprisingly well.

For fans wanting a return to the franchise's classic roots, I feel like Kirby's Return to Dream Land is apt to be a bit disappointing. The charm is still there, but the creativity seems to have gone amiss.

Despite its flaws, I found Payday to be more Ocean's Eleven than Small Time Crooks; it's got some clever moves, a fun sense of imagination, and it makes you appreciate (and rely upon) every member of your cast. Not since Left 4 Dead have I wanted to get my buddies together and spend late nights working together towards a common goal.

I plan on playing more Heroes VI, and if you've enjoyed past Heroes game, you're going to enjoy this one, too. But it'd be nice to see Ubisoft try more new things and ditch their lousy online strategy.

The people who will enjoy Frogger the most are the die-hard fans of the series looking to celebrate its 30th anniversary alongside Konami, and anyone with a 3DS looking for a worthwhile challenge.

It's still worth the time for aficionados and platform nuts, but All 4 One is much less likely to pull casual fans away from the season's other heavyweight fare.

When you get down to it, Infestation's excellent presentation and grim atmosphere outweigh most of its minor faults. The old-school gameplay offers a fun challenge and blends well with the source material to deliver an authentic trip through sci-fi memory lane. For a hardened Alien fan like me, that's reason enough to grab a DS and dim the lights.

The fact that there is so much misinformation potentially in play, and your own units can basically be turned against you without you knowing, is a great twist and could have made for a great strategy game if AGOT: Genesis either placed all its emphasis on those mechanics, or if it paired them with equally solid combat and controls. But that's not the case here. Instead, there are a couple potentially great ideas, surrounded by poorly-executed mediocrity.

Blackwell Deception has some good ideas and it's refreshing for a game to deal with ghosts and psychics in a way that's not entirely shallow. The script is at its best when it's disarmingly sincere, as the attempts at humor are hit and miss. It's just a shame then that the story is as old-hat as Joey's fedora.

This latest HD collections doesn't hit the high-water mark set by similar releases, such as the amazing Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection, but those craving a classic stealth-action romp will want to don the night vision goggles for this three-for-the-price-of-one package.

Worms: Ultimate Mayhem has a lot of content and gameplay mileage to offer those with the patience to look beyond its faults, but despite its obvious charm, it still remains one of the weaker offerings in the Worms arsenal.

Road of Devastation may not be quite as robust of an expansion to Dead Nation as fans had hoped for, but there's enough new content here to make it worth the price of admission.

This soothing strategy title's mellow vibe and simplistic visuals make it a neat downloadable distraction, but some frustrating quirks keep it from greatness.

Playing side by side with some friends did yield some fun moments at times -- tag-teaming enemies with combos of physical and magical abilities, working together to solve puzzles, or the flustered excitement of teamwork-under-duress that's only possible in local multiplayer made me really wish the game wasn't quite so gimped. But in the end, the series' rep for punishing gameplay is intact, leaving this competently flawed experience as an oscillation between fleeting enjoyment and agitated boredom.

Don't skip this new Spider-Man game, but just be aware that it's a few strands short of a full web.

Don't skip this new Spider-Man game, but just be aware that it's a few strands short of a full web.

If you haven't picked up Tetris in a while, this isn't the best or the cheapest version available, but if it's really is all you can find, it's impossible not to recommend playing a few matches.

Each fight is punctuated with some of the worst metal music I've ever heard, and fights generally end in unrealistically gruesome finishes. Really, I haven't seen this many broken necks and snapped limps in a fighting game since Mortal Kombat​.

Each fight is punctuated with some of the worst metal music I've ever heard, and fights generally end in unrealistically gruesome finishes. Really, I haven't seen this many broken necks and snapped limps in a fighting game since Mortal Kombat​.

X-Men: Destiny isn't a bad game -- it just plays like an unfinished one.

X-Men: Destiny isn't a bad game -- it just plays like an unfinished one.

In many ways Red Bull X-Fighters is an exercise in frustration. Many of the elements of a really cool extreme sports game are here, but this title just can't pull it together. If you're a big fan of this genre, or of the real-life X-Fighters racers, it's certainly worth a look. But for others who require more refinement, there are much better options available.

Deca Sports Extreme is, like the past Deca Sports games, an all-around solid mini-game compilation.

For the most dedicated puzzle fanatics, Cubixx HD will likely become a quick favorite, with an abundance of levels, modes, and leaderboards to compete on. However, due to some unfortunate design decisions, the majority of its players will likely never see all that it has to offer.

This charming destruction-based puzzler is a literal blast, but it suffers from a short shelf-life and a meager selection of levels.

This top-down arcade game based on Burnout's Crash mode is addictive, but it could've used a little more focus on mindless carnage and less on planning and repetition.

This top-down arcade game based on Burnout's Crash mode is addictive, but it could've used a little more focus on mindless carnage and less on planning and repetition.

While Resident Evil Code: Veronica X remains an interesting (and difficult) side-story in the Resident Evil franchise, an impressive coat of HD polish just can't make up for terrible controls and archaic game design.

While Resident Evil Code: Veronica X remains an interesting (and difficult) side-story in the Resident Evil franchise, an impressive coat of HD polish just can't make up for terrible controls and archaic game design.

If you can get past its price and lack of online multiplayer, though, Rotastic should at least keep you happily swinging-and-flinging until the holiday release schedule heats up.

No two matches -- even between the same teams -- ever feel quite the same, and it's that element of surprise that just might, at least offline, make Pro Evolution my go-to soccer game this season.

No two matches -- even between the same teams -- ever feel quite the same, and it's that element of surprise that just might, at least offline, make Pro Evolution my go-to soccer game this season.

P2, while a good game, is very much a product of its time. Players were more willing to overlook a lot of the JRPG's stereotypical frustrations and foibles back in the late 90s and early aughts. With shifts in consumer tastes and the desire for fresher experiences, however, a brand new game structured like P2 -- with its somewhat clunky story presentation and traditional, slow-paced progression -- simply wouldn't fly in the marketplace either in Japan or abroad.

You can cut corners and do the developer a solid by paying for experience points, but you won't feel like you're getting a lesser experience if you don't.

The most ruthless design decision is found in Astro Tripper's unforgiving and unflinchingly old-school life system. You start out with just a few lives and only gain new ones after reaching score benchmarks. The problem is you're forced to re-start a timed stage from scratch every time you die, and when you run out of lives altogether, that's it. Game Over. Add that to the cumbersome controls and absurd difficulty curve and you get an experience that's not very accessible or enjoyable.

Regardless of the system you play it on, Trenches: Generals is a strategy game that offers a unique take on the genre, and is sure to appeal to players of all ages, but only if you can overlook its shortcomings.

I am left with the feeling that Hard Reset's title is not a reference to the game's plot or gameplay, but to the videogame industry as a whole. The developers are applying a "reset" to the entire FPS genre, stripping away or outright mocking several modern shooter staples.

BloodRayne: Betrayal is a lot like how I'd imagine being a vampire would be. Initially my newfound powers would be awesome and invigorating. Eventually though, immortality would inevitably lead to weariness. Thankfully, Rayne's six hour jaunt requires less commitment than a vampire's unholy contract, and while it may not be a life-changing event, its seductive pull is worth having a taste of.

BloodRayne: Betrayal is a lot like how I'd imagine being a vampire would be. Initially my newfound powers would be awesome and invigorating. Eventually though, immortality would inevitably lead to weariness. Thankfully, Rayne's six hour jaunt requires less commitment than a vampire's unholy contract, and while it may not be a life-changing event, its seductive pull is worth having a taste of.

And while you could chalk up Apocalypsegeddon by recommending it only to fans of the show, it's slightly better than that. It's short-lived and a little monotonous at the same time, but as long no one in your group is offended by the TV show's adult-rated sensibilities, there are worse ways to spend an afternoon than fending off the end of days.

The Baconing is a good game, but a lack of innovation or worthwhile improvements stop it from being a much better one.

The Baconing is a good game, but a lack of innovation or worthwhile improvements stop it from being a much better one.

Tropico 3 had a very clear progression of campaign missions, and while Tropico 4 does have a campaign, it seems more focused on intra-mission tasks rather than overall goals.

It's a little repetitive, but smooth controls and varied weapons make this pig's tale an addictive game of revenge.

Fighting Fantasy's writing doesn't do much to differentiate itself from the stock fantasy novels that litter bookstores, but the novelty of seeing what amounts to an e-book with branching paths and light RPG elements may be worth five dollars.

While those curious about the unsolved mysteries from the first game get some much-needed answers, the puzzles used to forward the story are rehashed and noticeably easier.

Madden NFL is as gratifying and frustrating as ever.

For a budget PC title, you'll get a good hour of entertainment out of the gun stacker's novelty and likely a few chuckles out of the dialogue and enemies. But what could have been either a really clever parody or a tight side-scrolling shooter is unfortunately neither.

After years of claiming that they have to get the "gameplay right" before moving on to other issues, it seems that Tiburon has, for the most part, done just that. So, the foundation seems to be in place, but as with the Detroit Lions, Madden 12 is probably still a year away (sorry, Lions fans). But take heart: it'll be a good year nonetheless.

With over 40 challenging stages to push through and bot upgrades that reward you with cool retro game blocks to collect on repeat play throughs, Blocks That Matter has a lot of content for its meager price. But despite the immense level of creativity infused throughout the entire experience, there are still moments where the gameplay is not that enjoyable to muscle through. Unless you crave a good brain bending, your mileage may vary with this one.

If Tindalos Interactive can attract more players and implement a more stringent matchmaking system, Stellar Impact may follow in the footsteps of Frozen Synapse and become an indie strategy star.