Just like a supermodel, Kameo is all about outward appearances. The visuals are stunning, but the weak and repetitive game-play, the vapid cutscenes, and the groan-inducing attempts at humor make this game perhaps one of the most disappointing of the Xbox 360 launch.

NBA Jam is exactly what you'd want and expect from a NBA Jam game, even one being released in 2010. Everything that made the series great in the mid-90s is intact, yet just enough was modernized so that it doesn't feel too dated.

Square Enix's iOS iteration of a role-playing classic is a slick upgrade on its predecessors, but this remastered port does show its age.

King of Fighters XIII is a title that every fighting game fan should take notice of. It's gorgeous and surprisingly accessible, yet challenging and deep for competitive play. There's no shortage of solo gameplay appeal, either: the characters are great, the story is intriguing, and there's a wealth of varied content to keep you playing.

But as a rhythm game, Unplugged is a wonderful portable title. [July 2009, p.84]

This is the best instance of video game flipper mashing since "Pokémon Pinball" on the GBC.

It does misfire in several key areas, but it's still a worthwhile addition to the Metroid canon. Even more interestingly, it showcases the human side of the previously silent bounty hunter, and although her backstory is full of holes and incongruities, it's still an interesting glimpse at the woman who lays hidden beneath the armor.

Final is a difficult game, even with its multiple skill settings, and it relies on a gamer’s patience for trial-and-error and memorization as it does deft skill and trigger-finger firing.

Overall, it's a must-have and a keeper in your PC collection. With crystal-clear visuals and addictive gameplay, not to mention loads of replay value, you'll be telling your friends about this one. Unscramble some words and get going. Lex is waiting for you, giant lenses and all.

Aching to be more than it is, Hunter: The Reckoning is a pretty-looking, atmospheric action game that makes a decent weekend rental with pals.

Revenge of the Titans is a nearly perfect game. It will annihilate all of your free time for as long as you're consumed by it. It will also make you want to punch your screen at least once. If you missed out on the opportunity to get it in the Humble Bundle, you can get the game on Steam for $14.99, or check the official website for special deals. Either way, it's worth your time, money, and occasional frustration.

The transition from the politics in episode 2 to the completely different slant of rock and roll in episode 3 never feels forced, out of place, or nonsensical. It just works because the writing is so damn good, and leads me to believe the creators of this series could cover any topic and still make a funny game.

The game's new vehicle-based emphasis will probably turn off some long-time fans, but I really enjoyed the game's premise. [Dec 2008, p.95]

Ultimately, Empire at War isn't just RTS-lite--it's RTS extremely lite. Hardcore RTS fans will rapidly grow bored, and even fans of the franchise are better served with Battlefront for its galactic conquest games, or Galactic Battlegrounds for a Star Wars RTS experience that's actually an RTS.

EA Sports MMA isn't perfect, the lack of UFC fighters is a huge gaping hole that is impossible to ignore and the number of special moves available are fairly slim. Those problems are overshadowed by smooth animations, intuitive controls, and incredibly dynamic online features.

Scribblenauts is the video game equivalent of your first kiss: it's awkward, it's sweet and it's utterly memorable.

The Skills Stick alone make NHL 07 a completely different game and one worthy of the new NHL. [Oct. 2006, p.96]

Playing Dead or Alive again has been a highly enjoyable journey of rediscovery. The more time I've spent playing it, the more I've remembered why I've really enjoyed the series over the years. It's a really fun fighting game that's easy to pick up and play, features some great characters, and delivers some very satisfying moments, especially when you pull off a huge series of moves that look spectacular, or punch someone off the top of a particularly high area so they fall to their death.

At the end of the day, playing Lost Planet is like dating a supermodel with personality problems: it's great looking and has the potential for good times, but ultimately, it's just not worth the trouble. [Feb. 2007, p.64]

You can find most of Asphalt 6: Adrenaline's content in plenty of other racing games. Still, you rarely see all of the content that Adrenaline offers in one game. You also rarely see all that content performing well together. It's definitely one of the better iPhone racing games out there.

Out of the Park Baseball 12 is a stats and text-based baseball sim where players are given complete control of any baseball club they choose. Unlike other sports games, players take a back seat for the action, but get a plush office as team general manager, with a full set of tools at their disposal to raise their team to glory.

Playing Otogi 2 not only reconfirmed our opinion of the original, but it also disappointed us as it's nearly just as constrained. [Nov 2004, p.108]

Overall, the physics find a solid balance between fantasy and reality, and the smooth controls make running contraband an addictive experience.

Puzzle Dimension feels like the old fashioned cousin of Ilomilo, a similarly Swedish spatial puzzler. Its charming retro aesthetic and upbeat chiptune soundtrack give it a nostalgic vibe, while its absence of story and punishing difficulty recall the puzzle games of yesteryear. It's not going to convert non-fans of the genre and its score system is negligible for all but the most die-hard fans, but the actual puzzle design is fiendishly clever, and plentiful to boot.

There's plenty of fun to be had but the title falls just a little short of the hurdle that it's trying to leap. [Oct 2007, p.83]

A limited camera, slightly wonky unit A.I., and a few absent unit-handling features seem like a retreat from ground already covered by other, older 2D RTS games.

Never before has a college football game been this fun or looked this good. The level of visual brilliance featured in NCAA 07 is unrivaled in any current sports game.

Safe and insatiable, Pac-Man Collection delivers high comfort but low thrills.

You know this gameplay: There’s been a lot of excellent tuning but no mammoth overhauls.

It's outlandishly short (10 hours if you're good), the controls take getting used to, and the multiplayer mode's limited to only two players, but the whole of Baldur's Gate is still far greater than the sum of its parts.

A gripping and action-packed experience that will appease if you’re jonesing for a straightforward FPS.

Mega Man 10 is an extremely fun and worthwhile purchase, and a much better overall value.

For some strange reason one of the best features of the original game, Mission Mode, is absent. Even more disappointing is the lack of any online versus mode. Sure I can thump my brother in 2-player offline whenever he comes over, but fighting games are perfect for multi-player.

All in all, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is an extremely solid assemblage of some of the Genesis' greatest hits, and with extras and achievements, hidden interviews and an entire museum of concept art thrown in for good measure, it's definitely worth a look from old school gamers looking to re-live the glory days when a hedgehog didn't need a lame Werehog gimmick to prove that he was the baddest mascot around.

Stellar cell-shaded graphics, excellent voice acting (with Patrick Stewart reprising his cinematic role as Professor X), and multiplayer mayhem that make Legends look and feel like the A-list game that it is.

Team Fortress 2 addicts should definitely enjoy the very obvious similarities at work here, while the average gamer will probably appreciate the genuinely unique atmosphere that Monday Night Combat brings to the stage.

It could have innovated, or at the very least, reinvigorated the console RTS genre, but instead, it only achieves a certain level of mediocrity.

With procedures rarely clearly explained, frustration is quick to take over, and the time limit is just annoying. A normal operation has a time limit of 5 minutes, which doesn't seem so hard until you get stuck randomly away at the screen, trying to figure out what to do next.

Fun co-op play, fun weapons, short and sweet.

The writing is hilarious, the variety from level to level is impressive, and the game's chunky 3D art style looks great in action, especially when the game switches to slow motion to show off the destruction you've wrought with your meteors.

When taken as a whole, La Pucelle: Tactics is a great strategy/RPG loaded with hours upon hours of solid gameplay, multiple endings, side-quests, and a high degree of customization. [June 2004, p.91]

Telltale hit it right out of the park with the first installment of the series. It has plenty of humor, fun gameplay, nice puzzles and wonderful music and voice work. The only real setback to the game is that the hint system can be too helpful.

To be sure, it's not a must-buy if you own last year's edition. (Well, unless you're a hardcore Masters fanboy. Do such things exist?) But it's another step in the right direction for the series, and an easy recommendation if you've missed a year or two.

Some of Deadly Alliance's game elements are still very arcade-minded—such as ludicrously difficult bosses and schizophrenic A.I.

The feel of parody is gone; rather than being a wild action game based on hockey, this year’s edition is a hockey game with some wild action.

But these flaws can't keep Trails in check for too long. The game delivers a lot of what JRPG fans want -- a long, epic story (which, it should be noted, doesn't end with this game), lots of fun dialogue, and an engaging combat engine -- and does so in a charming, enjoyable fashion. It might be a crowded market on the platform, but Trails in the Sky manages to soar well above many of its peers.

If you can get past the War Mage's obnoxious personality and the repetitive and equally obnoxious Gothic metal soundtrack, which isn't asking for much, you'll find endless hours of good times in Orcs Must Die.

As difficult as it all sounds, You, Me, and the Cubes is actually one of the few games I can play that actually relaxes me.

Though the shelf life is capped at little more than a week or two, gamers will be pleased to know that Limbic's Zombie Gunship is indeed as much fun as it sounds.

Street Fighter Alpha Anthology is a canonical addition to any fighting game fan's game library. For the listed price of $29.99, Street Fighter fanatics couldn't ask for more. With the addition of Gem Fighter, friends and family members will be holding Street Fighter Alpha tournaments and trash-talking each other in no time.

Aside from the enhanced one-on-one, the five-on-five gameplay also gets a bit of a brain boost. Fast-breaks and transitions spread the court in a more realistic fashion than before, and the two-person motion capture technique makes for some very cool animations on defense.

There's a dozen different enemies to add some variety, which is good because the fast-paced nature of the game makes that a necessity.

This may just be the best comic book–based game ever.

Complete with giant bosses, exciting gameplay, days of exploration, and an involving narrative, this is the best Castlevania game in years. More importantly, it’s Castlevania in 3D but done right.

I'm quite taken with this roguelike; it feels like a game that came out of nowhere and hits all of the dungeon-crawl buttons -- steep challenge, lots of loots, and a ton of monsters. Throw in its humor and soundtrack and you've got a roguelike that should appeal to anyone who likes a good dungeon-crawl.

Take the time to learn the nuances and you will be suitably rewarded.

The real meat of this Director's Cut, however, comes in the form of new content, although sadly, there are no new storylines or assassination targets.

Cearly, the new team feature needs to be better tuned as do the disappointing visuals. [Oct 2005, p.100]

Not only is it in on the joke, but it's willing to take the punchline-accompanying prat-fall and mandatory pie to the face.

But what Ys Seven lacks in depth it makes up with energy. There's little downtime, making it a good fit for a portable platform, and the boss fights are just fun enough to keep things from getting tedious.

This is Final Fantasy like you've never played it before.

As far as multiplayer goes, while a couple heroes dispatching entire enemy armies on their own might seem true to the spirit of the films, it hardly makes for a balanced and satisfying online encounter.

I suspect that some people will find their enthusiasm drained more than mine by the shallow enemy gene pool, but even they're bound to get swept away by the myriad pleasures of tearing up town as a ghoulish and preternaturally fleet-footed shape-shifter.

Dead Rising 2 is filled with quirks and lingering flaws, but they're easily shrugged off when delivering the business end of an Electric Rake -- that'd be a car battery and rake joined with duct tape -- to an unsuspecting zombie, as the pure joy of creation and destruction alike come together to create an enthralling action experience that's still unlike anything else out there.

In the PS2 version, the game’s depraved humor is intact, and the gameplay is still a refreshing variety of action and strategy, though the RTS aspects of the base-building missions have been simplified.

Dynasty Tactics makes the sometimes slow and daunting challenge of launching grid-based military campaigns fun and entertaining.

The gameplay is certainly realistic, but overall, the physics of how the ball moves feel a bit floaty at times. In the final analysis, ESPN MLB trails after "MVP Baseball" and "MLB 2005," making it a good choice for those who aren't satisfied with those league leaders. [Apr 2004, p.89]

A challenging game that tells a good story (if you get the best ending that is). Lots of replay value and let's not forget huge full screen bosses.

While regular Joes will miss nothing if they pass this up, the art galleries and new music are enough to make Origins worth it to hardcore FF fanatics.

Isn’t really The Sims as you know it - it’s more like "Animal Crossing" with human beings instead of sapient anteaters.

The game's greatness lies in its intuitive interface and ease of use. Just about anyone can sit down and make music in a matter of minutes. [Aug 2004, p.68]

The game's controls are comfortable, but newbies shouldn't be deterred: Reckoning features an extensive tutorial mode that runs through the moves, from the most basic to complex holds and attacks. [Nov 2004, p.110]

Rochard the man may be ordinary, but the adventure he stars in is anything but.

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 is still a spectacle, but compared to the first time around, the hype feels far more subdued.

Rather than being unfocused, Catherine is probably too focused, with its binary split between light adventure gameplay and challenging puzzles. But it clicks.

Originally on WiiWare, there are some concessions to the touch screen with virtual buttons occasionally getting in the way of objects you need to move. This is a small price to pay for such a wondrous platformer at a fraction of the price.

The one-player game is a lot of fun, if perhaps a little on the short side, but at least there are plenty of side missions and things to do after you've completed the main game to help round out its lasting appeal. But I do think it's the multiplayer mode where most people will get their kicks.

The transition from the politics in episode 2 to the completely different slant of rock and roll in episode 3 never feels forced, out of place, or nonsensical. It just works because the writing is so damn good, and leads me to believe the creators of this series could cover any topic and still make a funny game.

One of the most original downloadable games to date. The amount of strategy that exists is plentiful and there is more than enough content included to justify the purchase.

Meets or exceeds its predecessor in almost every way. The dialogue is better, the story is more interesting, and the puzzles feel like they serve more of a purpose.

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is a fair bit more interesting than EA's most recent film adaptation, but I would've rather seen the developers tackle the project with the same level of creativity as a precocious kid with a pile of LEGOs, rather than squeeze the Potter universe into an existing and well-worn template.

A fast, frantic blast.

After a few plays, though, the game becomes tiresome—mostly due to repetitive gameplay and lack of balance.

The series could use a bit more depth and original features, but its pedigree as a top-ranked fighter remains intact.

The game's greatness lies in its intuitive interface and ease of use. Just about anyone can sit down and make music in a matter of minutes. [Aug 2004, p.68]

In the end, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 is a solid golf game that should keep you interested for hours. [Nov. 2006, p.103]

Most of the good 'uns ("River Raid," "Pitfall") still hold up surprisingly well, though "Kaboom" is totally unplayable without the paddle controller. [Apr 2004, p.86]

The actual gameplay of Gladius is innovative, but the execution is just as slow as the story telling. Combat is dished out through turn-based clashes; when an arena is filled with at least a half-dozen pugilists, the action tends to be very, very sluggish as you wait patiently for your next turn.

Although the game doesn't have a two player mode or the same "wow" factor that "Sega Bass Fishing" did when it hit the stores, Sega Marine Fishing is a fun diversion for those times when you'd rather carry a pole than a gun or sword.

While blatant, Pac'N-Jump is actually one of the better Doodle Jump clones out there, and for its 99-cent price, it's well worth a go if you have any fondness for the little yellow dude.

If the level design had focused more on open environments and giving you the freedom to run, and if the combat wasn't such a roadblock, this would have been a near-perfect game. But it's still a great first step and I can't wait to see how DICE improves upon the formula for the sequel.

If you're looking for casual puzzling that gives you plenty of game time for your buck, Mini-Land Mayhem is decent for fans and great for newcomers. Let's just hope that next time, Nintendo does a major overhaul instead of a tiny tune-up.

There's a very limited selection of game modes. Players can select Single Mission, Multi-Mission, or Multi-Player, however all the game modes feature the same Metroid Pinball tabletop worlds and goals--there's just a lack of variety.

It represents Mega Man doing what he does best-beating bosses with cool themes, collecting their weapons, and overcoming well-designed levels that are difficult…but not stupidly-super-frustratingly difficult.

Now, the spine tingling sequel, Project Origin is here to continue the story of the psychic and psychotic Alma with damn good results. [Mar 2009, p.78]

If Black was created to produce an adrenaline-induced euphoria of maddening guns going wild, then it is a total success. In the sequel, as the end of the story sets up, let's hope the AI is improved and includes at least some type of multiplayer.

Though I was ultimately somewhat disappointed by the flawed and fundamentally repetitive nature of my time as a green recruit, Ghostbusters' tight online component renewed my long-term enthusiasm for slam-dunking slimers.

Despite its questionable ethical objectives, Warzones is simply a frantic driver.