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.

Overall, "ConQuest Online" is a satisfying online CCG that is likely to improve over time as future expansion packs introduce awesome new pieces.

Most gamers may not want to pay full retail price for only a handful of light features, despite how pretty the game is, but if you love your fighters old-school and 2D, The King of Fighters XII is probably worth checking out.

Feel[s] more like a legitimate game rather than a rushed tie-in.

If you can get past the quirks of the AI, Hidden and Dangerous 2 still is a fun game to play. Sure, stealth doesn't really work out well, but the action is rewarding when enemies don't space out.

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.

A decent basketball game with an excellent online tie-in. Still, this series needs a serious wake-up call if it hopes to compete with the likes of EA and ESPN next year.

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.

Overly realistic controls are unforgiving, turning tiny slip-ups into disasters.

This is still one of those timeless classics you can enjoy over and over again. It’s just a very simple shooter that takes you back, if you played it back in the day that is.

The gorgeous GameCube version delivers the best graphical pop in the slew of Chamber of Secrets games.

It does offer some interesting variations on a tried and true shooter formula, but I can't recommend this to anyone looking for a deep and compelling experience. If all you want is an adrenaline rush or to feel like a total badass for short, explosive bursts, however, then it's something worth considering.

There's no denying it: Blood on the Sand is completely senseless, wholly obnoxious, incredibly thoughtless, and insanely fun. Hampered by a sore lack of multiplayer, Fiddy's second console excursion still remains an entertaining, if completely mindless experience.

While it doesn't do anything new for the genre and pales in comparison to some of the more substantial XBLA racing games that are currently available, there is fun to be had with Sega Rally Online Arcade if you know what you're getting yourself into. It's a family friendly title, and a good starter game if you're looking to indoctrinate one of your kids (or wife). And if you're a racing aficionado with a nostalgic bent, it's not a bad way to spend some time.

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

Gardening Mama doesn't do anything that we haven't seen already in the Cooking Mama games. [Apr 2009, p.79]

In many ways this game is like a zombie. It's not too bright, nor does it require much effort to defeat, but it's still fun to toy with every now and then. If you're a zombie aficionado, Dead Block isn't a bad way to kill time while prepping for the next zombie gaming apocalypse. For everyone else, just hunker down and wait.

Far from perfect but still an incredibly entertaining play, Afro Samurai captures all of the style and substance from the hit TV show with amazingly innovative combat and absolutely stunning visuals.

By the last level of the first world the game had become absolutely brutal. Don't get me wrong -- I think it's an excellent game that's perfect for the platform, but I wound up more stressed than anything else while playing those more difficult levels.

In many ways this game is like a zombie. It's not too bright, nor does it require much effort to defeat, but it's still fun to toy with every now and then. If you're a zombie aficionado, Dead Block isn't a bad way to kill time while prepping for the next zombie gaming apocalypse. For everyone else, just hunker down and wait.

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.

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.

The action does deliver its fair share of thrills, but its repetitive and simple nature quickly wears thin.

This frantic fighter/shoot-'em-up hybrid is chock full of explosive content, but its distinctly Japanese tone and uneven production values may put off some gamers.

EXA doesn't do much to further the legacy of the series but at least it doesn't critically damage it either.

Sticking to a basic and virtually flawless RPG format isn't necessarily a bad way to introduce X and his frieinds to a turn-based style of gameplay. [Nov 2004, p.156]

I didn't expect Guitar Hero Smash Hits to dramatically change what has become a tried-and-true formula, but I definitely anticipated a better value proposition than this.

The action has a "vanilla" feel. Although the missions are engaging and fairly exciting, you've played ones just like them dozens of times before, and the hefty helping of silly, ornate gadgets and Bond-girl quips is cumbersome.