A must for every action RPG fan who doesn't mind sharing the love with only one friend.

No More Heroes easily ranks among the Wii's finest titles, busting a bunch of myths along the way. You say sword-based combat peaked with Twilight Princess? Wait until you slice a suit-wearing crony in half. The Wii can't do mature games? This game does it without the dark dreariness of just about every other violence-laden M-rated title. It could use a bit less filler, but No More Heroes is still a fine fight from the first blow to the last strike.

The game’s length, dialogue, and uneven difficulty are this legend’s only blemishes.

Has enough variations to satisfy extreme sports fans, and 11 levels, countless goals, and highly replayable two-player modes are sure to keep you busy for a long time. Still, if you’re a gamer jaded by the genre, the game lacks the level of innovation that would have left a lasting impression.

While it doesn’t look bad, what was good-looking on the Dreamcast is mediocre by Xbox standards. The controls are also unchanged.

a solid simulation of the sport that offers more teams and unique options not available in its main and only competitor on the PS2, "Winning Eleven." Some minor control issues remain and the depth is still not where it needs to be, but it delivers a highly worthwhile experience nonetheless.

One main feature that clearly separates Underground from other street racers is its visual presentation. The nighttime glow in the metropolis does take some time to get used to, but the evening air quickly adds to the stunning scenery and detailed avenues as you travel at high RPMs.

Killer zombies, gushing green blood, scary monsters...give it a try and it'll give you the willies.

In my opinion, Halo 3: ODST is the best Halo game yet. The campaign is shorter than in previous games, but the quality makes for a punchier, action-packed thrill ride from start to finish.

The conclusion the plot hurtles toward you may not be one you saw coming (I didn't), but the satisfaction of getting there cancels out all the tufts of hair you ripped out along the way working out the tougher puzzles.

PixelJunk Monsters's only drawback is the throw-your-controller-against-the-wall frustration found on some of its more difficult levels. Still, considering everything it does right AND the fact that it supports PSP remote play, it's certainly worthy of a download.

The Story Mode is decidedly different in that it doesn’t feel like a rehash of THUG and the inclusion of Classic Mode is brilliant—that’s without accounting for the expansive customizable and multiplayer options. Simply put, this game is skating nirvana.

With games like Forza Motorsport 2 pushing the boundaries of Internet racing, the inability to put even two human opponents on the same track is breathtakingly lame. It's testament then to DiRT's groundbreaking graphics, chaotic flare, and infectious love of all things dirty and damaging that it delivers a good gaming value in spite of such a startling deficit.

Minor complaints aside, Comet Crash does a fantastic job at easing the unfamiliar into tower defense territory, and is well worth your asteroid-powered space bucks if you are looking for a light (yet addictive) strategy title.

Hulk isn't quite the stellar action vehicle it could've been, but it's got more than enough solid fun to justify a purchase. If cathartic obliteration is up your alley, you'll find plenty to enjoy in Ultimate Destruction.

The best version yet of a game that doesn't redefine the genre but surely reinvigorates it.

Hardcore fans may be disappointed by the departure from the traditional survival-horror roots but trust me, the game delivers enough thrills that you probably won't care. [Apr 2009, p.68]

I'm still going to recommend you check out the title, though, because it shows that Capcom cares about its loyal fanbase and because it's such a well executed throwback to the series' roots.

Like other great physics puzzlers on the App Store, Cover Orange consistently adds plenty of variation to its puzzles as players progress.

The brilliant level design in this game doesn't take center stage when it comes to eye-popping visuals. There are now many more reasons to drool over your favorite female fighter.

So here's the real question: Does UT3 live up to high bar set by its prestigious predecessors? On a gameplay level, absolutely but on a visual level, it doesn't leave as lasting an impression. If you were a fan of the previous games, particularly the first Unreal Tournament, then UT3 is a definite must-buy.

Ballers’ best perks are its astonishingly hi-res textures (almost too hi-res—seeing the pores in the faces of player models isn’t exactly a pleasant thing), its depth of customization, the wide variety of smoothly animated street moves, and the intriguing 1 vs. 1 vs. 1 mode.

Even if you played the original Onimusha on the PS2 within an inch of its life, Genma provides enough new elements to merit repeating the adventure. But beware newbies: This game is tough.

Monster Dash is easily one of the best iPhone games released this year, and if Halfbrick is as generous with updates to it as it has been with Fruit Ninja, this game can only keep getting better.

The game does a great job of continuing to reward you for your performance and because of that, SHIFT is an engaging and addictive sim racer. It sets a great foundation for future iterations but hopefully, the sequel won't suddenly throw the e-brake on the action and force you to the side of the road every now and again.

The tight, intuitive controls, thankfully, help you carve the curves with smooth precision in this year's Rally. [Nov 2004, p.108]

An eclectic mix of rock and hip-hop tunes resonate well, but it's the authentic (and sometimes funny) banter between the dispatcher and other cops that really shifts your driving experience into high gear.

It's obviously aimed squarely at the hardcore DS gamer; and while the intense action and high difficulty will probably turn off the casual crowd, it's a solid shooter for anyone who's looking for a challenge. [Sept 2008, p.84]

Complaining about the lack of a Japanese audio track might seem like nitpicking but it goes back to my main point: XIII ignored me -- me, a dedicated JRPG and Final Fantasy fan -- to try and seduce someone else with user-friendly tutorials and a Leona Lewis theme song.

NCAA Football 10 is like an above average college football recruit: it plays hard, keeps its nose clean and eventually gets drafted in the second round. It doesn't make ESPN's Top 10 Plays segment on a weekly basis nor does it rack up the jersey sales but it works hard in the trenches and is a great locker room presence.

Silverfish is an expertly crafted arcade-style "shooter," and I expect to find myself playing it regularly for a long time to come.

Packed with a bevy of features, TimeSplitters Future Perfect is a cornucopia of candy-coated goodness for any FPS fan. If you start now, you just might be able to unlock everything by the time "Halo 3" ships to stores.

Crush does a great job of turning buzzwords into true and terrific gameplay.

Those without boiling Guardian Heroes nostalgia are probably going to wonder what makes it any better than Castle Crashers, another celebrated downloadable beat-'em-up that was greatly inspired by Treasure's classic brawler. They have their little similarities, but is there anything that makes one less worthy over the other? Not at all -- GH still has that extra complexity in the fighting and the RPG-like leveling system.

Other baseball games might have a more unique feature or two, and several absolutely have better graphics, but only High Heat delivers such consistently riveting gameplay.

One main feature that clearly separates Underground from other street racers is its visual presentation. The nighttime glow in the metropolis does take some time to get used to, but the evening air quickly adds to the stunning scenery and detailed avenues as you travel at high RPMs.

Everyday Shooter is one of the most compulsively re-playable games we've ever played and a terrific value. PS3 owners bemoaning the lack of quality titles should stop whining and get their hands on this budget-priced masterpiece immediately.

Crackdown is ridiculously fun, and that "Halo 3" beta code may go unused for longer than you think. [Mar 2007, p.88]

EverQuest II a metric crapload of game, to be sure-complex, huge, versatile, and lots of fun with friends, but slow-paced and visually schizophrenic. When Norrath calls, you'd better be prepared to give a very long answer.

UFC 2009 Undisputed does have a couple of issues that keep it from being a MMA-fan's dream come true but it is still a tremendous title that will make any fan of the sport proud.

Still, Terraria is a great adventure, one of the best sandbox games around, and an absolute steal for ten bucks on Steam. It's well worth checking out for anyone, regardless of how they feel about Minecraft. Despite having one fewer dimension, Terraria hides greater depth than its 3D cousin.

The controls are tight and responsive, and the overall flow of an NFL contest feels realistic.

Baseball fans might want to jump into all the new features, but really, this is the same basic game from last year, though a nifty online MLB news service is a nice added bonus for all those MLB fantasy fanatics.

While it's insane stunts and action-packed firefights ooze their own brand of explosive charm, Just Cause 2 falls victim to an unwieldy mission structure and unfortunate lack of variety. [April 2010, p.86]

It's a good little title that's enjoyable but ultimately of limited appeal. [Sep 2007, p.80]

If you've got to choose between one version or the other, it's hard to go wrong, though the PS3's Get in the Ring mode is a tempting bonus. Otherwise, it's pretty much a draw.

The best Spider-Man game yet made. From the rich combat system to the simple, inexhaustible joys of swinging through the city, Spider-Man 2 delivers the experience web-slinger fans have been begging for since time immortal.

Everything’s been upgraded and/or redone to make tactical team gameplay as cohesive and fun as the series has always been. Just make sure you have a powerful machine to enjoy every aspect of the game.

A masterpiece of cinematic, anime-inspired, science-fiction storytelling, but only if you have the patience (and time) to endure cinemas that can last upwards of 45 minutes.

Astronut's developers clearly understand how to design for a touch-screen device. All the menus are well-organized and easy on the eyes, as is the actual in-game art. I particularly liked the collection mechanic.

Wow! Steet Fighter Alpha 3 looks and plays great on the GBA with very few compromises made for the handheld. [Oct 2002, p.76]

Among the most addictive, frantic, and fun of the latter-day Tetris/Puyo Pop/Dr. Mario clones, but the true insanity is reserved for two people.

The game wisely fights the urge to simply build upon the thick feature set of its predecessor, and by focusing on striking a fresh tone and delivering some of the most intensely memorable encounters in recent memory, it's transformed a pretty great system exclusive into an essential genre experience.

Beneath Land-a Panda's adorable exterior is a surprisingly solid physics-based puzzler that's an absolute steal at it's bottom-shelf price of $0.99.

It shows depth, talent, and imagination. Everything any winning team needs.

Braid may seem like the closest contemporary to Winterbottom, as time manipulation is key to each game's platform challenges, but World of Goo is a near-equal counterpart in my mind. Both offer devious challenges complemented by fantastically clever aesthetics, but regardless of which game makes the most sense as an existing touchstone, simply mentioning The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom in their company should say a lot about how worthwhile and refined a game The Odd Gentlemen have created.

The feel of the controls takes some getting used to and there are several levels that will try your patience, but the excellent atmosphere and clever challenges make 6th Planet a space trip worth embarking on.

Its unique modern-day setting along with terrific characters and a dark story make Persona 2 an engaging game from start to finish. It's truly a must for serious RPG fans.

The game that "Doom 3" and "Quake 4" wished they could be. It's ruthlessly violent and action-packed, yet consistently subversive and innovative -- not unlike "Duke Nukem 3D," another 3D Realms-produced game. It's also one of the least frustrating games we've ever played.

The Story Mode is decidedly different in that it doesn't feel like a rehash of THUG and the inclusion of Classic Mode is brilliant-that's without accounting for the expansive customizable and multiplayer options. Simply put, this game is skating nirvana.

That said, Lords of Shadow, when weighed against both the Castlevania legacy and the games it tries so hard to emulate, doesn't add up.

It's so hard not to like Crisis Core because it does so many things right. [Apr 2008, p.76]

The idea behind the franchise has enough merit that it deserves a better effort and it's lamentable that they didn't realize that from the very beginning.

Sim fans will be disappointed with the under-powered defense, but for twitch players, NBA Live 2003 is a dream come true.

The game's voice recognition works great and enables you to switch from a low baritone to high falsetto without confusing the judging. Unfortunately, it doesn't distinguish whether you’re actually singing the correct lyrics, so you can get by with just "na, na, na'ing" it when you’re in trouble.

If it weren’t for the low frame rate—evident especially in the outdoor environments—and the really dumb A.I., the action would have been more pleasant. Even the sounds of weapon fire and panicking victims should have been refined.

While Indigo Prophecy is an intense gaming experience, it's easier to compare the title to a film affair. If you can get past the minimalist game interface Prophecy can be an awesome entertaining play.

Combining the old-school feel with new-gen intensity, Pac-Man World Championship is the best Xbox Live Arcade game since Geometry Wars.

Rogue Galaxy is what every RPG should strive to be: an immersive experience that places you in a new world populated by intriguing characters. It's backed by an engaging and accessible story, possesses an intuitive control scheme and maintains a sense of depth will have you gladly coming back for more.

The missions are unimaginative (even compared to the original), navigation issues prevent you from ever attaining a movement rhythm, and the various narratives are a mess. But worse still, the combat isn't as tight as it could be and the world itself just seems less polished than its predecessor. Yet, for those moments when the game shines, it shines brightly.

Despite some screen layout flaws, Nintendogs is infectiously cute, and pretty addictive. It's really easy to form an emotional bond with your puppies--they're so life like. Who knew rubbing a pixilated sprite could be so enjoyable.

DiRT is by no means for everyone. Most racing games are difficult at first, but you eventually master them. In DiRT, you are always on the verge of totaling your car. There's never a moment to screw around, because you will crash.

It's admittedly pretty satisfying to watch a team you've slaved over perform well, but what's even more fun is making the worst team imaginable.

Dynamic action, tons of features, and highly-detailed visuals come together for the first significant step forward of console first-person shooters since "Halo: Combat Evolved." While there are a few minor quibbles, you're assured to become addicted to Bad Company's twitch gameplay.

With beautiful graphics, well designed maps, and user-friendly features like the ability to speed up the flow of time to minimize downtime make this an easy contender for the honor of best TD game on both the iPad and iPhone.

A certifiably insane party game that is a must buy for any Wii owner and just further proves that the Wii is the must-have console for when you have friends over.

It is still far from revolutionary, but Tiger Woods PGA Tour '06 is the virtual golfer's best bet for a realistic round out on the links.

The single-player isn't as compelling as Modern Warfare but it's still worth playing nonetheless; the best part though is that there's a deep and satisfying multiplayer component waiting for you when you're done.

With fast-paced combat, a distinct atmosphere, a variety of options to help you explore the dungeons, and a recession-friendly $20 price, Torchlight is a wonderful choice for gamers looking to tide them over until Diablo 3. Just don't be surprised if you find this appetizer to be just as satisfying as a full meal.

Simply the best air combat action the PC has to offer.

You'll be hard-pressed to score more than a couple goals. But that just mirrors real life, and the action delivers plenty of thrills.

Where the wheat gets separated from the chaff, however, is the A.I.; and Sega’s game is all whole-grain goodness.

Digital déjà vu. Your brain knows that it’s a brand-new game…but you never quite shake the feeling that you’ve played it all before.

A very, very, very old-school platformer that doesn’t have enough standout new features to keep it fresh in this day and age.

It’s really a thinking man’s shooter that plays out like an explosive game of chess—a very, very hard game of chess with limited continues.

Most WipeOut race fans will play Extreme G3, say, "wow, cool," and just drool over how potentially cool "WipeOut Fusion" is gonna be.

While it doesn't change much from Layton's previous adventures, the small tweaks (and the generous extras) make this my favorite Layton game to-date. The series is one of the few remaining champions of the graphic adventure, and, fortunately, they're doing a damn fine job of keeping that genre relevant for a modern audience.

Despite some screen layout flaws, Nintendogs is infectiously cute, and pretty addictive. It's really easy to form an emotional bond with your puppies--they're so life like. Who knew rubbing a pixilated sprite could be so enjoyable.

As a standalone DS game, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is an amazing adventure almost at the level of "Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass". [Apr 2008, p.79]

If someone asks me to recommend them a good action-RPG for the iPhone, Dungeon Hunter 2 will likely be my chief suggestion. Sure, it has a few issues, but overall it boasts some major refinements over what was already a fun game.

As a ninja connoisseur I can easily say this game is one of the top ninja based titles on the market with the exception of the grand daddy of all ninja games: Ninja Blade.

Tank battles can get quite challenging.

Features immense replay value.

Still, with such a wide selection of games to choose from with over 30 core mini-games, not to mention medals to win, "Perfect" ratings to earn, and incredibly simple yet insanely engaging Endless Games and Rhythm Toys to unlock (never thought I'd spend two hours digitally flicking a coin in tune with an ever-changing tempo), Rhythm Heaven is a must-own for handheld gamers everywhere, plain and simple, and a welcome breath of fresh air for the gaming scene in general.

More structure proves more comfortable for the console environment, and the addition of two-player really opens up the game as something more than just a spectator event.

Across the board, the slick environments, cut-scenes, and character faces shine, although some of the animations are awkward, particularly when 007 runs. A great title song by Mya, strong voice acting, and booming sound effects complete the package.

At the plate, the cursor-assisted hitting is solid, but base-running can be a button-pressing adventure with multiple runners on the bags.

Why Sam has stepped out of the shadows and is on full out attack makes complete sense in context with the story, so if you can accept it for what it is and not dwell on the fact that it isn't what you've come to expect in a Splinter Cell title, you'll no doubt agree that Conviction rivals Chaos Theory as the best title in the franchise's history. [Jun 2010, p.78]