By virtue of being around longer, the Xbox 360 has more compatibility and a larger, more cohesive community to play with. While you're still guaranteed a good time on the PS3, it's tough to truly rock out when you know there's a bigger venue to play in and a better band on the way.

It isn't perfect, but Alan Wake is a superb mystery that has plenty to offer. Gamers willing to put up with the minor inconsistencies will be rewarded with a rich narrative that's definitely worth experiencing.

A fun game with some very noticeable flaws and some less-than-stellar presentation, but in the end it's a memorable adventure I'd certainly recommend to any aspiring roadie. It comes pre-packaged with its fair share of issues, quirks and bugs, but all of the near-misses in the world can't take the fun out of this inspired adventure. [Jan 2010, p.70]

Controlling your fighter can become a difficult chore as the characters often feel sluggish and almost unresponsive in heated bouts where quickly moving CPU characters always seem to have the advantage.

It's funny, it's charming, and it's an absolute blast to play for both aspiring Demon Lords and returning Overlords.

While the game immerses you in an enormous, compelling saga, its sheer complexity will scare off all but the most dedicated space-combat aces.

Although it doesn't break much new ground and the series' vibe has become more mainstream with age, Wipeout Fusion is simply an excellent, action packed racing game. [July 2002, p.73]

A supremely enjoyable online shooter. Against all odds, Battlefront II may make you forget all about that little game called "Halo 2."

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.

While it covers the same ground, there has been enough of a shift from the old roots to ensure the experience stays fresh while maintaining the features that have made the series the premier example of grand strategy on the PC today.

I hated geometry in high school, but Slice It manages to be fun in a similar way to the heady puzzlers found in Brain Age for the DS.

This game is a great value considering everything you get for only $10. A funny and fun title with tons of personality, Twisted Pixel has yet again shown its skill at being able to develop interesting characters and addictive gameplay in downloadable form.

The art is fantastic and the actual light mechanics of the torch are impressive, making for an all around high-quality feel.

With a four-player mode and user-created remixes, the replay value goes through the roof.

MLB 07 looks and sounds great. It's amazing how specific the announcers' comments are, players look like their real-world counterparts and stadiums have the intricate details that will make any fan proud.

It offers a strong finish to some great episodic gaming. Not Trogdor strong, but pretty close.

Boktai couldn't have been done on any other system; it is uniquely Game Boy Advance, yet not at all like any of its other titles. A paradox, a conundrum, and creativity incarnate.

While Pokemon Platinum may not be a completely fresh RPG experience, the rock-paper-scissors gameplay remains every bit as engaging as it's been for the last 10 years.

Valkyria Chronicles 2 isn't at all a bad game, but it is frustrating, both for newcomers that need to master the combat system and for fans that have to unlearn habits formed around the first game.

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.

All in all, despite the less than stellar PC graphics, Metal Gear Solid remains an intense gaming experience with a gripping story and heart-stopping action.

A fantastic platformer with a long and challenging adventure that also packs a healthy amount of replay value. However, it is highly recommended that you check out the first game before tackling the Zin.

It’s not the dominant game that its NBA brother is, but it’s still very worthy of a look.

Visually, Tony and friends have never looked better. The frame rate runs super fast, even when you're busting out multiple combos.

With an involved battle system and so many different characters and stories, you're guaranteed to enjoy every second that you'll inevitably invest in Odin Sphere.

It's an enjoyable and well-crafted continuation of Rocketcat's series, but Hook Worlds never really innovates beyond the series' token grappling hook gameplay gimmick.

BF IV's fantastic voyage and cool play techniques will keep fans of the series and newbies alike riveted for days.

If you’ve experienced Super Mario Kart on the SNES, this game will feel like a grand homecoming. New players of all skill levels will instantly pick up on the fun.

Art students, old-school gamers, and people with wild imaginations (and lots of free time) are going to love making their own masterpieces in WarioWare D.I.Y.., but if you have trouble drawing stick figures, you'll at least be able to enjoy a sizable new crop of fun, quick mini-games with tons of personality.

Overall, this game is for you. Intimidated by a tower defense? Don't be. It requires some heavy thinking and brain power, which is good for everyone. Since no one reads books anymore, you mind as well play a game that requires you to think on your feet. Defense Grid: The Awakening will love you if you love it.

If you value gameplay over graphics, there's no just beating the standard Xbox version of Legend -- it's just much, much smoother than its Xbox 360 counterpart.

When you come right down to it, though, Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 succeeds thanks to its amazing co-op, carefully balanced gameplay and memorable setting.

If there's one thing Guerrilla has plenty of, it's content.

A solid, riveting story combined with refined gameplay set this game firmly in the outstanding (or should that be "uncanny"?) category.

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.

A good combination of hazards (flying enemies, poisonous walls, crazy people with spears, etc.) and power-ups (invincibility orbs, magical flying mustaches, rockets, etc.) make this a perfect pull-out-and-play experience for the iPhone and ensure that things don't get stale.

There's no shortage of modern racers, but most of the current crop seem obsessed with the attitude of tuner culture than racing itself. Toca Racer Driver 3 has no truck with that: It's all about the driving experience. [Mar 2006, p.80]

Despite my frustration with what Dance Central can't do, I'm giving this game a high score for what it can. It can get me off my couch and sweating more than Wii Fit ever did. It can bring my friends and coworkers together for thirty minutes while we try to figure out what a "real" Cabbage Patch is. It can tempt non-gamers into giving it a go because unlike you maybe they actually can dance. And even if it can't wave a wand and make me a good dancer, it can inspire me to at least try.

Despite the dents, GT Advance is a solid early contender in the handheld racing championship—just be sure to drive with the lights on.

RR64 has all the bouncing, sliding, and action of the original classic, which is all just old hat. The new cars, new tracks, and somewhat improved graphics can't get this game beyond its quirky and outdated controls.

Ultimately, Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 is still going to appeal to people who like golf games.

FIFA 07's allure is hard to deny, making this game a sure-fire rental for seasoned vets and a must have for new soccer fans.

Sure! Collision Effect's core puzzle mode isn't really worth putting time into, but it's one of the more interesting action-puzzlers on the App Store, and is easily worth the price tag.

As a conversion, Villains doesn't feel finished. As a sequel, it's simply not enough. But judged alone on its gameplay and design merits, it's a rip-roaring blast.

If you haven't played Cave Story before and want to see what the fuss is about, or are a die-hard fan who needs to have it in every form possible, you simply can't go wrong with Cave Story 3D.

Extraction is one hell of ride. It isn't pants-wettingly scary but it's a well-told story full of believable characters and situations. It does a great job of delving deeper into the Dead Space universe and offers up some genuinely engaging moments of run-and-gun action.

NBA 2K10 continues its legacy of dominance! 2K Sports delivers one of the finest basketball experiences since the glory days of the Dreamcast.

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.

All told, this is a game that meets expectations and does absolutely nothing to surpass them.

I never got bored with the shooting mechanics, mostly because leveling up to earn new skills and new guns is inherently fun. It goes without saying that fans of the first game are going to want to pick this one up, but I'd recommend anyone who likes shooters give it a spin.

Transcending PaRappa, this Japanese import combines innovative control with a hot soundtrack for a frustrating yet addictive experience.

This game is very fun once you get the hang of it, but it takes a die hard sim fan to give this game a very long life.

In no way flawless, but once you get the hang of it, it's a fun game.

Intensively addictive. The battles are lightning-fast, the controls are completely stress-free, and there’s still something primordially fun about filling up those Pokédex pages.

MVP earns props for looking good and trying something new while delivering solid baseball. "High Heat" is a much better playing ballgame, but MVP will appeal to baseball fans intrigued by its individuality.

If you’re looking for rowdy, raucous action backed by unusual staying power and that familiar Midway gameplay, you’ll savor the smell of what Hitz is cooking.

There's no doubt that it's yet another improvement on the concept. The game rocks...and so will you. [Dec 2004, p.118]

The Incident is quirky without trying too hard, and its core conceit is a concept that's both wholly original and immediately engaging.

It's juvenile, it occasionally objectionable (I'm sorry, I just don't like blasting away at bikini models, even if they are trying to kill me too) and sometimes after playing I feel like I should go take a shower. But I can't remember a game I've played recently that was so dedicated to letting the gamer have as much fun as possible any way they want to. And when it comes to having fun, Saints Row: The Third is like a big party that you don't want to see stop.

The single player campaign does a good job of gradually introducing new gameplay concepts and putting them to use. Unfortunately, the great gameplay is saddled with a ludicrous story (complete with overacted FMV cut scenes and techno-fascist iconography).

Most gamers will balk at being asked to pay $15 for a WiiWare title, and considering the game's visual presentation and accelerated difficulty level, that's a legitimate gripe. However, MotoHeroz has so much to offer and is so much fun, you shouldn't let that get in your way.

The 2nd Runner is also easy as hell, and if you're willing to skip through the cut-scenes, you'll button-mash your way through the sucker within six hours.

Despite some irritating design elements, Trouble in Paradise is a fun game that retains the charm of the first Viva Pinata. It's sort of like trying to hit an actual pinata while wearing a blindfold-you'll be frustrated at points but it's still pretty awesome.

Bejeweled 3 takes a few risks, and the result is essentially Bejeweled 2 plus a handful of both worthwhile and throwaway modes. If that's enough to warrant a purchase, however, is up to you.

It has its faults, and they’re similar to last year’s, but there’s no better game for getting the feel of being a WWE superstar.

While kids will love the cheerful graphics and cute characters, adults can marvel at the simple but polished 3D levels-such as the reflective floors in Monkey Bowling.

But those are small problems in what is otherwise a wonderful, simple game. The colored loot calls out to the loot hound in me, and the customization option available for both my mech and his pilot make me want to play a few more matches just to earn the money to trick them out differently. Trenched's campaign isn't terribly long, but like Double Fine's other recent downloadable games, it's completely enjoyable throughout.

Unreal Tournament III's game style is still too tied to the PC's mouse-and-keyboard interface to be easily playable on a console controller (and believe me, I tried). Had Epic dialed down the speed, simplified the interface, and re-tuned the weapons to leverage the strengths of the Xbox 360's input device, Unreal Tournament III might've found a niche on Xbox Live.

While it's still Mega Man at heart, it's managed to grow up while also staying young. It's a gaming anomaly, but one that's worth a serious look.

Incredibly difficult and insanely enjoyable, Gradius V is one of those magical games that you can pick up and play instantly, but spend weeks mastering. [Nov 2004, p.104]

We wish good luck to anyone looking to pry any comic collector they know away from this game long enough to complete a sentence.

It's a decent football sim thanks to its excellent Dynasty Mode; and the new tackling physics, custom playbooks, and other features are sorely needed additions. But we're deep into this generation, and expectations have been raised for sports games (and pretty much everything else). So why does it feel like I'm playing a game that should have come out in 2008?

As strangely uneven, poorly paced, and ultimately unsatisfying as The Darkness is, it remains worth checking out for its unusual ideas, twisted gameplay elements, and uniquely dark atmosphere.

If you haven't picked up a copy of Disgaea previously, be sure to give the DS version a try. [Oct 2008, p.93]

The spiritual sequel to Konami's solar sensor enabled "Boktai: the Sun is in Your Hand," Lunar Knights is a deep action-RPG that could have been a DS classic if it weren't for a couple of major blemishes that detract from the game's greatness...Chief among these is the lackluster character development.

If you have been following the Tales of Monkey Island saga up to this point, Lair of the Leviathan offers a few more hours of swashbuckling adventure and knee-slapping comedy that is sure to tickle your fancy.

Blur has the potential to be a game that will be spinning in many a gamer's consoles for a long, long time. There seems to be an unlimited number of goals to shoot for at any point, and the core racing gameplay that Blur offers has enough depth to it to remain satisfying after hundreds of races.

Need for Speed has its game down to a science at this point. [Jan 2006, p.82]

Despite slow and repetitive gameplay and the lack of a compelling story, the premise is cool and the low-tech mech shootouts are tense. Ring of Red will be hypnotically fun to some and sleep-inducing to others; rent first.

A rock ‘n’ rollin’, wrist-snapping slug of adrenaline on four-wheels that challenges you at every turn.

The only downer to this great game, however, is that you’re allowed to leave a dead SEAL behind, which in real life would never happen.

It will be remembered for being REALLY FREAKING HARD.

What makes Ape Escape 2 rule is that it simply feels like no other game, thanks to an intuitive analog control scheme in which pressing or rotating the right stick both aims and activates your various gadgets.

With its PixelJunk Shooter series, Q-Games has created some fascinating, beautiful worlds that are fun to explore and play in. And to its credit, PixelJunk Shooter 2 manages to successfully do what every sequel hopes to accomplish -- improve on the original in almost every way.

But as a game, its streamlined mechanics and more action-oriented combat should appeal to console players, but hardcore fans of PC RPGs may feel slighted.

An absolutely gorgeous game, packing in fantastic animations, lavish player models, and stadiums with cool details like flags waving in the stands.

It's somehow not quite as fun as "Gettysburg."

Beyond the frustrating team dynamic, the overall single-player campaign exudes with special-operations intrigue. Several missions feel realistic to the point of reflecting what the actual SEALs train for and experience, which for fans of military shooters, is hard to pass up.

It's as addictive as Puzzle Quest, but instead of utilizing an RPG element, EA married the puzzle concept to a platformer. The result is a fantastic title that should appeal to gamers of all stripes.

It may get overlooked with bigger Wii titles like Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M on the horizon, but for fans of the earlier titles, it's definitely worth a purchase.

This is a well-made physics puzzler that only costs $.99. This rock-bottom price and the sheer fun that you'll derive from knocking down pins makes this absolutely worth it.

A fair loot distribution system rewards everyone in a party equally, and deaths result in a simple respawn at the entrance of a level, so I never got frustrated during my time with the game -- it's just good, simple fun.

A great version of DDR, but in the end it is DDR - love it or hate it.

The freshman debut of this series has quickly moved to the head of the class, but it has to share the seat of honor with "March Madness."

Extreme G will keep N64 racers sated until F-Zero 64 debuts. While it's not the deepest or most original racing, it will still take you on a fun ride.

An immense treat that offers fresh and innovative gameplay experiences. If I had to level one complaint against the title, it's the fact that it's missing the little bit of extra polish that gamers have come to expect.

Much like Chibiterasu, Okamiden faithfully does the job of its predecessor, although it lacks much of the grace and poise that we saw last time from Amaterasu's adventure. Still, the feel of the franchise is intact, and that's what really matters here. With extra post-game content and plenty of quests to complete before and after the final battle, Okamiden is a solid closing entry in the original DS's history.

The open, expansive world of Hitman is certainly what makes this game an enjoyable experience. There's a good mix of stealth and action, and your enemies are smart enough to give you a challenge to the very end.