I'm going to recommend Gay Tony but only to GTA-fanatics who are willing to gloss over the still persistent faults; it's with them in mind that I award the game a high score. But gamers who've already given up on GTA won't find anything here to change their minds, so save your MS points for something else.

LocoRoco Midnight Carnival is more than worth the sub-$20 price tag. Fans new and old will enjoy the hours of gameplay provided. But be warned: although the controls are simple and the levels short, this is by no means an easy game.

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

Take the time to learn the nuances and you will be suitably rewarded. [Jan 2010, p.81]

The music really does most of the heavy lifting here and I'd gladly purchase the soundtrack if one was made available but the game's lack of polish left me a little flat.

The music really does most of the heavy lifting here and I'd gladly purchase the soundtrack if one was made available but the game's lack of polish left me a little flat.

Forza Motorsport 3 isn't exactly a leap for the series. The incredible realism of Forza's physics, car mechanics and driving simulation, especially when it comes to the slippery, hard-to-control upper-class cars, is going to bore arcade racers or casual drivers. But car junkies and passionate racing gurus are going to find a nice cave to hole up in for the next few years and it'll make you less jealous when PS3 owners start crowing about Gran Turismo 5.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time has just enough new content to justify its existence as a standalone title, and the fact that it looks, sounds, and plays like a dream only helps its case.

I liked Adventures to Go, though its flaws are hard to ignore. It's a good game to play when you've got a bit of time to kill or when you need a brief break from a more demanding title. AtG doesn't demand extensive commitment to have fun, but it also won't provide much for players looking for a meatier role-playing epic.

There's just nothing to hold your interest over the long haul and while roaming around with some friends helps, it just isn't entertaining enough for me to recommend it to anyone, not even those who love fairy tales and platform titles.

There's just nothing to hold your interest over the long haul and while roaming around with some friends helps, it just isn't entertaining enough for me to recommend it to anyone, not even those who love fairy tales and platform titles. [Jan 2010, p.82]

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.

Even with it's impressive handheld graphics, assortment of interesting characters and intriguing steampunk setting, Will couldn't help but feel that he'd played this JRPG somewhere before.

The fun I had with the rock-solid gunplay and extensive role-playing elements was considerably amplified by each additional player. Borderlands is an absolute blast that I'll go back to again and again, even if my friends aren't around to help out.

It doesn't reinvent the wheel with new gameplay mechanics or revamped graphics, but WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 excels once again as the definitive pro wrestling game on the market. Fans of the series and pro wrestling alike should definitely put it in their queues. [Dec 2009, p.77]

It doesn't reinvent the wheel with new gameplay mechanics or revamped graphics, but WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 excels once again as the definitive pro wrestling game on the market. Fans of the series and pro wrestling alike should definitely put it in their queues.

I feel pretty confident in saying that it is the most enjoyable sports game I've ever played. It has the depth that diehard and sim fans require while also offering up the option for a simplistic experience that casual fans can enjoy, and with a ton of new goodies, FIFA Soccer 10 is surefire winner all around.

Just don't expect any plot to further motivate you through the game, and don't assume that lots of money was spent on localization (clearly a Japanese woman attempted to voice the part of Mama, and clearly she did not earn her paycheck). That being said, where else are you going to find a game that times how fast you can rip the heads off of shrimp?

An absolute blast from start to finish with plenty of trademark Liberty City locales ripe for exploration, not to mention a cast of incredibly memory characters (Chan Jaoming, I hardly knew ya.) If you're looking for a good action adventure experience that harkens back to the more cartoony Grand Theft Auto days, then Chinatown Wars is certainly worth the investment.

I didn't find myself particularly enthralled with Laevatein -- the dull as dirt presentation did little to augment a game system I often found flawed.

The game has its pluses, and for old and new Astro Boy fans, you could do a lot worse. And for those who just want to experience the unbridled power of shooting hundreds of bullets out the ol' poop shoot, you should know that it's not as fun as it sounds.

Even with its flaws, this is an excellent title. A lovely game with charisma to spare, Winter of the Melodias shows off WiiWare's true potential.

Seemingly everything Magic players would want in a virtual adaptation of the now classic card game.

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.

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]

The A.I. is a little suspect, the camera can be stubborn, and you will die your fair share of cheap deaths. But it's still a fantastic effort and Naughty Dog deserves full credit for building upon the momentum of the first installment. PS3 owners should definitely experience it, especially if they liked the original.

No one says that a game has to move fast to be entertaining, and those blemishes are easily made up for by the title's creative use of strategy when attempting to solve its numerous platforming-puzzles. This again is a credit to this game's ingenuity and is something it shares with the original A Boy and His Blob, whose legacy is only strengthened by this great title.

It's a decent follow-up to the original and the variety of events will make for some good times, especially in a party setting. But the lack of improvement or innovation since the first game means that it will never be anything more than a simple title that's more a marketing tool than anything else.