It's a fair package -- more expansive than Dead Money but not quite as rich as Point Lookout, which is the current gold standard for Fallout DLC. And, of course, it's a long way from the expansion packs of yore, where $30 could occasionally yield what amounted to an entirely new game. Ten dollars is a fair price for what Honest Hearts brings to the table, but its ultimate appeal is down to whether or not you're still in the middle of a campaign. As it is, this four hour romp through Zion National Park isn't quite worth dusting off your seven-month old copy of New Vegas.

The Witcher 2 embodies everything that's good about PC development, and everything that makes it, in my mind, the best platform out there. It tells a mature tale full of intrigue, mystery, and frustrating but satisfying combat, and while it is difficult (remember, there is no shame in playing on easy if you're having trouble; no one's going to take your gamer cred away from you for doing so), it's bound to please any RPG player who gives it a try.

At $3, you're getting a near perfect port of a PSP Mini game that was originally six dollars.

And with all this fixing, adding, and rearranging, you get the sense that Dark Energy Digital desperately wants you to like their game, going as far as including an in-game "Dev Feedback" menu, letting players vote various aspects of the game up or down, as well as citing the reasons for those votes. But it reveals Dark Energy's focus on fixing the individual components of a fundamentally broken game, and while Prophecy's improvements make for a better experience, they only serve to make a bad experience into just another disappointment.



SpongeBob SquigglePants has a few problems that can be justified -- the lack of impressive 3D effects doesn't sting since the game includes a variety of cool art styles, and the game's derivation from the WarioWario formula can be forgiven since the core gameplay is entertaining. Unfortunately, there's no good reason for the game's biggest problem: the extreme dearth of content. At $40, there's not nearly enough of SpongeBob SquigglePants to justify a purchase.

Despite a terrible port job, Golden Axe III's old school barbaric aesthetic still allows you to crush your enemies, see them driven before you; and hear the lamentation of their women.

But aside from a boring narrative and some excessive backtracking, the cute art aesthetic and challenging platforming make this a satisfactory experience.

If you're an action RPG fan, don't make the mistake of ignoring Spiral Knights just because it's an MMO, as it is a sublime example of where you can take the genre.

If nothing else, The First Templar is an interesting look at what happens when an established developer moves beyond its comfort zone. Unsurprisingly, the results are mixed: a few glimmering moments of innovation diluted by hours of decade-old design.

It's a bold, cinematic step forward in a genre that's dying for innovation, and its implementation of the MotionScan technology is truly a game-changer.

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

True to the game's title, MX vs. ATV Alive is a game competing against itself. On one hand, you've got an amazing experience that any racing fan should check out -- it's truly the realization of a series that has been refined to near-perfection over the last half-dozen years. On the other hand, the game's pricing strategy has created a bit of an uneven value in which the available content is too lean for beginners to keep racing, especially if they're unable to go online. Fortunately, the game's positives are currently outpacing the negatives, and THQ's ability to create constant, quality DLC at a fair price can only widen the gap even further.

Despite showing its age, MDK2 is a great port. Ahead of its time when it was originally released, this updated model of an off-the-wall third-person shooter is well worth a look.

Even when you're not babysitting customers or fiddling with the iPhone's screen, the basic premise of tracing tattoos still turns out be to a mundane and banal experience.

Despite the lack of multiplayer capabilities and dearth of social options, the free game is definitely worth a look-- for shock value alone.

Basically, Dream Trigger is a shooter that comes off like it was trying to reinvent shooters, but falls pretty flat. And that's probably not the kind of "trip" it was going for.

This spooky social game is fun for a while, but an overemphasis on sitting and waiting may shorten the time it spends on your iOS device.

Kitty's Tattoo has a unique premise: gain fame by becoming the best tattoo artist in LA. But when you're not babysitting customers or fiddling with the iPhone's screen, the basic premise of tracing tattoos turns out be to a mundane and banal experience.

Vanguard Games is off to an impressive start. Their debut title is a blast to play, shows a keen attention to detail lacking in many downloadable games, and takes place in a fascinating world. I'm not exactly sure where Vanguard is taking us with its Mistbound universe, but if Gatling Gears is any indication, I'm looking forward to the journey.

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.

Fable III was released in October of last year and, somewhat bizarrely, is only now getting a PC port. The good news is that the PC version comes prepackaged with the contents of the Limited Collector's Edition and all of the DLC packs. The bad news is that the keyboard and mouse controller arrangement is awkward, with particular problems involving camera angles during combat. While you're manipulating the WASD keys to move your character, you'll also be utilizing the mouse to move the camera -- so you'll often find the camera is looking the one way you don't need it to. Using a console controller solves this problem, but PC purists will wish the game was better mapped to keyboard and mouse controls.

It's by no means perfect, but Virtua Tennis 4 shows there is still life (and maybe a few trick shots) left in the tennis simulator genre.

All in all, a disappointing effort given that Pirates of the Caribbean should have been a natural fit for the franchise. Maybe I was a mistaken on that front, or maybe it was just poor execution on the part of the developers, but this is certainly one of the weaker entries in the series. And yet, for all my complaints, the formula still works. It's still fun to unlock new characters and hunt for secret collectibles.

Brink is about two or three updates from being one of my favorite shooters of all time, but I'm not reviewing the game I want it to be. I'm reviewing the game that it is, and what it is is something just short of being the awesome experience that I want.

Samurai Girl is a Korean 2-D RPG that offers a bizarre spectrum of creatures to defeat, admittedly fun combat, and some truly beautiful art. Too bad the level grinding and uninspired maps make it a chore to play through.

Absolutely. Bangai-O is similar, but not quite like a typical arcade-style "bullet hell" shooter, since you have more effective ways of fighting back. So if that brand of insanity doesn't appeal to you, perhaps Bangai-O's will. Not to mention that it's better and cheaper than its DS predecessor.

With vector graphics and line-drawing mechanics, A.I.R Defense has just enough to distinguish itself from other tower defense games. But its brutal difficulty and limited depth may turn some players away.

It's hard to take Destructopus! seriously. Yet, the cartoony looks, the trash-metal title track, the tongue-in-cheek environmentalism--are actually assets in the game's favor. Sadly, all of the ironic, ridiculous stuffing can't distract the player enough from the realization that they're playing a thin, easily-forgettable experience.

High Voltage's shooter sequel is certainly not a vast improvement over The Conduit, but its campy campaign and decent multiplayer is enough to make Conduit 2 worth recommending to fans of the first game. And if you're a fan of shooters who's willing to look past the game's many flaws, you might want to give the game a chance.

The nonsensical setup and steep difficulty makes this a game that wouldn't have felt out of place in an arcade 20 years ago, so it's a good thing that this is just a $0.99 App Store download; otherwise I'd be perpetually out of quarters.

The running control scheme could stand for a little bit more precision tuning, and sometimes it's possible to force one's way through a level by randomly changing the gravity, but iJumpman feels like a game that should cost much more than it does.

Really, I don't blame WayForward or Sega for such a boring game -- both companies have had their share of excellent games. But it's like being given a painter's canvas and three crayons -- you can create all you want, but the material you're given isn't the best to work with. But when I think of all the other things I've could've done on my Saturday -- went for a walk, strolled by the beach, gone to see a movie -- I can only gaze up at the heavens and curse Thor's name.

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.

Trouble Witches Neo is a fantastic value for its price: It's easily one of the best shooters on XBLA, and offers a depth of play and wealth of content that will keep you coming back for more. While it's still a bit rough around the edges, the core game is so solid that you can't help but be charmed.

Darkspore probably won't replace your favorite dungeon crawler anytime soon. The satisfying controls and mountains of loot really only serve as a baseline in terms of this genre's gameplay. It would've been great if Maxis could have added some variety in the game's missions, but as it stands, Darkspore is a fairly redundant game with a slightly interesting character editor.

Considering everything you get with this title -- a solid single player campaign, a diverse multiplayer suite, and just plain fun shooter gameplay -- Section 8: Prejudice is a steal at $15.

Thematically brain dead.

Word Searcher Deluxe offers a great value for fans of the word puzzle genre, but it's clearly geared towards a very specific clientele. With plenty of puzzles, a local co-op mode, and downloadable content, word search aficionados looking for a new way to play their favorite newspaper-to-arcade game should check this title out. Everyone else may find the game lacking.

If you've ever had dreams of being a wartime tank commander, you just absolutely have to try it out.

For $5, you get a great-looking game as finely-tuned as any of Cave's other arcade-style games, making it more than the sum of its parts. Anyone into platforming action should give Nin2-Jump a go.

All quibbles aside, though, there's a worthwhile experience waiting to be unearthed for lovers of aesthetics and adventure alike.

Cut the Rope should be another huge hit for Chillingo. The simple premise is executed with clean, beautiful graphics, responsive multi-touch controls, awesome physics, and top-notch level design. Om Nom never ate so well.

The fact that Ubisoft was able to remaster one of the greatest chapters of the Splinter Cell on a portable platform with only minor downgrades is a small miracle. Splinter Cell 3DS is far greater than it has any right to be, given the drastic overhaul made to the control scheme and the newness of portable 3D gaming.

Sometimes a game can be a little too authentic. This is one of those occasions. While a dose of realism is a good thing in a game, My Little Baby takes it a little too far. Besides being a ton of work, infants also bring great joy, a feeling not experienced while playing My Little Baby.

For only $10, Fancy Pants Adventures offers gamers plenty of bang for their buck. If you are up to the challenge, and don't mind the game's occasionally derivative feel, you'll be pleased with your purchase.

Branching the Lego brand off into RTS territory is a good idea, and one that, at times, can be seen bearing some fruit. Unfortunately, there are just too many problems to make this game worth recommending. With a graphical overhaul and a few tweaks, this game might be able to briefly make the kids forget about their desires to catch all those Pokemon. However, like that space jet you attempted to construct when you were five, this game is probably better off forgotten.

There isn't much originality in the tower defense genre, but browser-port GemCraft adds RPG elements and additional modes that help separate it from the masses.

While the controls make handling your snowboard a breeze, executing the automated tricks becomes boring quickly in this lackluster simulator.

All these criticisms may make it sound like Apocalypse is a substandard game, but it isn't. It's just that the stuff that's different from previous MotorStorm games is mostly bungled or simply boring, but the stuff that's the same is still enjoyable. Apocalypse is just a vanilla, if basically solid, racing game that tries to throw a few curveballs at you, but ends up hitting the backstop instead of the strike zone.

If there's a problem with Rabbids 3D it's that it's a little too forgiving, despite the game's best efforts to be otherwise in its latter half. Still, given the as-of-yet anemic selection of 3DS releases available, Rabbids 3D is one of the better options.

But honestly, it's the puzzling that makes Clash of Heroes tick. Even without the online multiplayer and superior graphics, I would still recommend this game to RPG and puzzle fans, as not nearly enough people played the original. Here on high-definition consoles, it's cheap and accessible, meaning that it demands a look. If you missed out on the original, consider this a second chance. Go and take it.

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.

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.

Considering everything you get with this title -- a solid single player campaign, a diverse multiplayer suite, and just plain fun shooter gameplay -- Section 8: Prejudice is a steal at $15. Just get to it before Nic Cage ruins it.

While it shows significant improvement over its previous release, Divinity II's visuals and gameplay still lack the level of polish we've come to expect from this generation's entries.

When you consider that the game is at its best when the 3DS' depth slider is at its lowest setting and the game is already available for other platforms at a price far lower than $40, Rayman 3D makes little sense on Nintendo's newest handheld. While it's nice to have a 3D platformer for this 3D platform, a more polished effort would have been better.

Like every other remake of Final Fantasy IV, the Complete Collection has its share of quirks. But ultimately, the quality of the 20-year-old original shines through.

For casual fans who want to have a fun bloodbath, plus the hardcore crowd that carries the franchise with its gaming dollar, this definitely won't disappoint you.

Bigger, tougher, and funnier, Portal 2 manages to expand on its perfectly succinct predecessor in just about every way. Boasting two excellent campaigns, each rife with satisfying puzzles and even more satisfying "Eureka!" moments, Valve's latest is an absolute must-own, plain and simple.

If playing the demo intrigues you, you'll probably not have a bad time going through the rest of the game, as I did. Re-imagining something as simple as an Atari 2600 game makes it pretty easy to get creative, and the new Yar's Revenge is definitely creative, with a respectable level of quality in its art design. But while it has the looks, and is a decent clone of games like Panzer Dragoon, it needed a little more attention to be able to match them.

Big Time Gangsta is a successful sim with a gritty, urban aesthetic. Likely to offend, this addictive game has a familiar gameplay mechanic but an unfortunately short shelf life.

Although it comes wrapped in an attractive package, Monster Blaster just doesn't hold up when compared to other puzzle alternatives, even on iOS.

Cross Fingers is a challenging tangram puzzler that combines problem-solving, creativity, and reflexes. From the beginning levels to the brutally difficult later missions, this digit-twisting game is great for puzzle fans of all abilities.

If you remember the days of Game and Watch with fondness, or are intrigued to see what gamers played back in the day, this is definitely a fabulous gaming curiosity!

The game's presentation is ugly, and there are some leaderboard issues to work out, but Squid Drop's varied level types and random missions keep the player on their toes.

Drawing favorable comparisons to puzzle legendary franchise Lemmings, Arctic Escape is a challenging game that tasks the player with saving adorable penguins from environmental hazards.

This WiiWare adventure may appeal to younger gamers, but an older audience will likely be turned off by its repetitive nature and unappealing presentation.

Even though it doesn't provide a bridge between the Guerilla and Armageddon storylines, Battlegrounds is still an enjoyable, chaotic romp. Gamers looking for gratuitous explosions or some items for the next Red Faction game (you get them at Rank 10 and 20) will have fun with this title.

You have to dig a little deeper, but that Patapon goodness is still overflowing in Patapon 3. It's just too bad its creators are starting to forget what made it so great and special in the first place.

These flaws are mere minor annoyances. Anomaly: Warzone Earth gives you a flexibility I've never encountered with tower-defense games, allowing you to determine the strategy you think is best suited for the situation at hand. The game is a lot of fun--and I hope this isn't the last we've seen of Anomaly from 11 bit studios.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 combines beautiful graphics with excellent controls to bring all the excitement and frustration of golf to your iDevice.

Mos Speedrun plays a lot like the recently-released League of Evil, and by that I mean that it does platforming right on a device where few have succeeded. Everything from the beat-heavy chiptune soundtrack to the high-resolution "8-bit" graphics reek of polish, and the game itself controls beautifully.

But in the meantime, it's the only game in town, and it's certainly not a bad one at all. While it might be lacking some options to give it longer replay value, PES 2011 plays a sophisticated and subtle game of football, and delivers a terrific-looking 3D soccer experience.

Brotherhood is the best showcase yet for the series' formidable quality and range, with an excellent campaign and an equally intriguing online approach, and while I hope the next one actually answers some questions, I can't begrudge Ubisoft in the slightest for giving us one more memorable voyage with Ezio.

Percepto is a mind-bending puzzle game that blurs the line between 2D and 3D. While the app doesn't have the greatest art, the clever mechanics and challenging gameplay keep it interesting.

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.

To paraphrase its own introduction, Wakfu is an enigma wrapped in a blanket wrapped in a tortilla. But it very well could be the best-looking tortilla on XBLA. A fun game with lots to offer those with an open mind, Islands of Wakfu is worth a look for those with a sense of adventure.

If you've ever been into castle defense games, this is an interesting approach to the genre that you'll very likely have some fun with (while it lasts, that is).

Street Fighter IV 3D is an excellent fighting game that packs a reasonable challenge in one-player mode, but truly excels in multiplayer mode, where its lag-free fighting is surprisingly effective and fun.

It's unique and memorable, and with two new enjoyable multiplayer modes, fans of puzzle games are sure to get their money's worth with Chime Super Deluxe. If you didn't catch the original Chime when it came out last year, be sure to check out this latest iteration. The definitive version is not to be missed.

Sure the soundtrack and controls are a bit strange, but Sr. Mistu is one of those games that deserves to be played. It's pretty and sports a genuinely unique mechanic, which I thought was a lot of fun. After a patch or two, this has the potential to be really great.

If you're looking for an iOS game with triple-A production values and you've already played both Infinity Blade and Rage, Death Rally is a good bet.

Woozle is a deceptively challenging puzzle game in which your goal is to direct marbles along complex, maze-like tracks. If you're after a laid-back puzzler, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better option than Woozzle.

Too challenging for young gamers and too kiddie for adults, this title just can't decide what type of game it wants to be. While it does offer some nice features, its uneven gameplay leaves Planet Fish cold.

So while the campaign should only take you a few hours, a great deal of that completion time will be simply replaying particularly brutal encounters.

Fans of Double Fine's most unique game yet will enjoy their time in Camelfoot, but those who never saw Stacking to completion probably won't be satisfied with this new tale.

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.

Despite their distinctive art style, Madfinger makes amateur mistakes with Samurai II that show they're not quite ready for the jump from mobile to the big leagues.

It's got a decent amount of polish, and the extra content it continually dangles in front of you is a nice incentive to keep the app on your iPhone or iPad, regardless of whether or not you want to start paying small bits of actual cash for the game's exclusive weaponry.

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.

If you're a diehard Ghostbusters fan who sleeps in a Ghostbusters bed, takes your food to school/work in a Ghostbusters lunchbox, and can recite every line from both Ghostbusters flicks, chances are you'll get your money's worth out of Sanctum of Slime. Everyone else will find a pedestrian shooter that doesn't live up to the Ghostbuster name.

Despite some minor griping, Legendary Wars is a very good title with great longevity and a design that adapts equally well to both casual gaming and longer, more involved playing sessions.

That said, the suite of options completes what is a very nice package for strategy fans. Honestly, I'm a little shocked by the overall quality of the experience; in lesser hands, I'm sure it would have ended up being a mediocre port of the console shooters. Instead, we've been treated to a scrumptious strategy experience from one of the best designers in the business. It's not a turn that I was expecting for the Ghost Recon franchise, but I will definitely take it.

I've played free games on my cell phone with better content and more personality than this.

This downloadable shoot-'em-up boasts plenty of explosive arcade-style combat, but frustrating boss battles and frantic on-screen action mean it might be better reserved for genre diehards.

Despite cute graphics and an adorable aesthetic, the brutal difficulty and overly-simplistic design won't keep Super Stack Attack on your iDevice for long.

Yet these nitpicks have but barely interfered with the fun I'm having with Lego Star Wars III. With all of the additions, it's the biggest and most enjoyable Lego game yet, and even better, it shows that something good can indeed come out of the awful Star Wars prequel trilogy.