An impressively intense handheld game that may garner too many Metroid comparisons for its own good.

For $10 on PSN and XBLA, there’s a good amount of content here and replayability that makes it a worthy purchase for fans of the puzzle genre.

Even if you don't like Hyper Fighting, one can justify the purchase just because it will help convince Capcom to bring better stuff, perhaps stuff like Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Street Fighter Alpha 2, to the Live Arcade service.

An undeniable effort. It can be fulfilling and mightily rewarding, but there are too many frustrating moments to say it’s a classic.

Anyone desperately eager to play the episodic follow-up to Out From Boneville should certainly dive into this one. But, by all means, expect better.

Knights in the Nightmare isn’t a game that everybody will love simply because it’s one of the most complex games ever to be released. There is no game to really compare it to, except for maybe Ikaruga, and that’s not even an RPG.

It lacks a ton of polish in the visual and animation departments that are important to give the game all the details it needs to actually feel like you’re at the ballpark rather than just playing a game.

The battle system plays like something entirely new, and provides for an actually engaging handheld RPG.

A more rounded approach would have been welcome and perhaps a lesser emphasis on giving the computer dozens of legendary catches a game would let some players just enjoy the Bigs 2 and play baseball for fun, which is how it should be.

EA Sports did what they could, but it's all about the future now. Rest assured, Madden is probably a good way to finally retire your GameCube and Xbox.

The fantastic storytelling coupled with an equally impressive score though will make you forget your grievances with the finished product, and there are just enough extras in the campaign to make completionists return a couple times to get them all.

Perhaps it is time that Traveler’s Tales mellows down a bit and tries to make the next Lego game a bit more polished then this travesty.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty is certainly up to par for what the previous games have given us in the past, but in a much smaller scale at about three hours to beat, give or take some time depending on your Ratchet experience.

The new modes do a good job of forcing players to think during every race, but the lack of popular modes and online play really hurt the overall value of the game.

Average at best. The great voice acting and the solid graphics are just not enough to keep the game afloat. Somewhat shoddy controls and the lack of depth just drag this title down too much.

It’s best to just play the demo to see if the new tweaks to the combat interest you enough to jump in for the entire game as a whole.

The fantastic storytelling coupled with an equally impressive score though will make you forget your grievances with the finished product, and there are just enough extras in the campaign to make completionists return a couple times to get them all.

The gameplay has evolved nicely, but the wrapper that is the rest of the game seems to be wasting away as sloppy rosters and a little change elsewhere is a sign that something major needs to occur next year for the MVP series to rise out of the ashes forming around it.

This game just cannot be recommended to everyone for that price, but your decision should be based entirely on the demo itself.

It’s surprisingly inventive, filled with a ton of destruction and explosions, and overcomes its old-hat wartime premise with a durable mix of complexity and fun.

About A Blob has a great art style that was reminiscent of Genndy Tartakovsky's style that works really well for this 2D platformer, especially with the way the blob's eyes change depending on what you're doing.

The Club offers a great experience for all gamers who are looking for non-stop action while giving fans of old-school shooters something to talk about.

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Justice For All may seem short at four chapters, but rest assured that it is extremely lengthy, especially if you make a lot of mistakes.

If you haven’t played Kirby Super Star, this is a great remake that should definitely give you an experience—just don’t expect any of the features from the previous two Kirby games on the DS.

The sounds of battle are great along with the random chatter your characters have to say in the heat of battle.

Wii owners that crave the newest RPGs will definitely find a lot to like in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon, especially those that are into the rogue-like subgenre of RPGs.

What was wrong in the series’ first attempt on the PSP has been almost entirely fixed here, which could make Pro the game that "ATV Offroad Fury" fans have wanted all along.

The Pitt is a worthy addition to the Fallout 3 name, but its enjoyable setting and storyline ends far too quickly for it to have any impact.

Burn Zombie Burn doesn’t really give off the greatest first impression in the world since it seems to look like a dual-stick shooter but doesn’t play like one.

The strategy is a welcome touch with the game’s fantastic controls and nice use of the touch screen. If you want a game that makes use of most of the DS’ key features, this is the game for you.

Despite the familiarity of City Life’s gameplay, the social element is fresh enough to make it an easy recommendation, despite any political overtones it may carry. If you are a city building fan or just have time to kill until Sim City 5 is released, City Life is a good choice, thanks to its easygoing nature and appealing structure.

All this comes wrapped in what is arguably the best audiovisual package on Live Arcade, with lighting and water effects are so smooth and nuanced that it’s easy to forget, maybe even hard to believe, that this is a downloadable game and not a fully-realized retail release.

If you are someone who wants a game that will challenge their old-school gaming skills, as cliched as that sounds, then Hard Corps: Uprising is definitely for you. It's a game that is initially punishing, but ultimately satisfying.

Overall, Overlord is an exciting romp through a twisted fairy-tale land. While it lacks any incredibly difficult challenges, it delivers a laugh-a-minute story that is very well executed.

The new modes do a good job of forcing players to think during every race, but the lack of popular modes and online play really hurt the overall value of the game.

There are so many things that might have been implemented that would have taken it from being a very good game, to an excellent one. Nonetheless, the game is still a very good one.

Nightlife looks much the same as before, sounds much the same, and plays much the same. On this front, we’d rather spend a night in with the original than shell out the money for this second expansion.

With the exception of Boxing, everything in Wii Sports is entertaining, and there's a little more depth than the simplistic presentation might lead you to believe.

With newer topics, an improved interface, and online play, Box Office Smash is loads better than last year’s rookie attempt.

Fans of the series will no doubt enjoy what Underground brings to the table, and if newcomers can look past the fast-moving story and clunky fighting and enjoy the adventure elements for what they are, then they surely will have a good time as well.

Even though Second Evolution plays pretty much the same as First Departure, don’t let the similar conventions fool you—Second Evolution is a much better game.

The Signal is a great addition to the Alan Wake story but there is not enough here to really understand the reasoning behind it.

It may be underappreciated just for what it is, but those who pick it up and really play into it will quickly find that this one is something special.

Despite the horrible name and the similarities to Lumines, Empty Clip has produced what's probably the best available game on the WiiWare.

EA Sports did what they could, but it's all about the future now. Rest assured, Madden is probably a good way to finally retire your GameCube and Xbox.

If you have an Xbox or PS2, save yourself the pricetag of a brand new game and pick up a version that's frankly just as good and holds greater value. If you just have the 360, you can go ahead and pick this game up, but don't count on it to blow your mind.

Though there are control issues that make it a more clunky experience than we’d like, the quality of the story and jokes is enough to make it worth enduring those issues.

Though the game takes probably around eight or so hours to beat like the first, less if you know what you’re doing, it feels longer than the first episode since there are more variety in the quests that you’re given throughout the game.

Sega Rally Revo has its market and it knows it. You probably won't change your mind about arcade or rally racing games because of this game, but if this is your genre already, or you've just liked the past Sega Rally titles, feel free to jump straight in behind the wheel.

Regardless of some of the stumbles in NBA Live 09, this year’s game is definitely worth a purchase for the first time in years.

Newcomers will love its pick-up-and-play nature, while the hardcore platform enthusiasts will spend a lot of time looking through every nook and cranny in the game to find something special.

The end result is a game that will satisfy neither hardcore fighting gamers nor casual players outside the core MK fanbase. This is a fan game to the core, and can only be recommended to the most devout of the MK faithful.

if you’ve got a PC, and if you’re reading this you obviously do, then you might be better served to just buy Bejeweled 2.

The world of Baten Kaitos is a place of luscious and beautiful color that anybody would want to visit in a fairy tale. But is that enough? If you've played the first game, you're bound to be disappointed with the way the first half of this title turns out.

In the end, this is the same kind of game as the original. It's much more polished and rewarding to play, but it still requires a lot of trial-and-error and quick reflexes.

Fans of the series will no doubt enjoy what Underground brings to the table, and if newcomers can look past the fast-moving story and clunky fighting and enjoy the adventure elements for what they are, then they surely will have a good time as well.

Even the PSP version is online, but there is some noticeable lag with the game, but it really doesn’t kill the gameplay at all.

It’s filled with enough nuance, emotion, and charm to be an instance classic—and with better, more difficult puzzles, could have surpassed the original from every angle.

Perhaps it is time that Traveler’s Tales mellows down a bit and tries to make the next Lego game a bit more polished then this travesty.

While the level designs deserve plenty of praise for creatively exhibiting the Nine Circles of Hell, Dante’s Inferno really has nothing else to offer itself other than its obvious comparison to God of War.

Much like Flower, there’s not much of a game or a point to Noby Noby Boy, but the cool community aspect of working together to unlock new locales for you to explore is a really unique hook that makes this a game you can come back to more often to see the progress towards that next planet.

Mutation mode is tons of fun for the Infected as it allows you to truly feel dominating, but the real adrenaline rush is for the Survivors, who have to communicate and have fast reflexes in order to survive.

Black & White 2 is even more unique, more playable, more endearing than its antecedent, and so full of provocative moments that you may find it difficult to tear yourself away.

Pursuit Force isn’t an incredibly unique experience, but it is a lot of fun.

A lot of fun. It’s just that there’s not much here to keep the fun going unless you head online for the leagues or tournaments. While for the latest installments in an established series, it’s a bit of a disappointment. For the first installment of a promising, new series, it’s a pretty good start.

If you are someone who wants a game that will challenge their old-school gaming skills, as cliched as that sounds, then Hard Corps: Uprising is definitely for you. It's a game that is initially punishing, but ultimately satisfying.

The Maw definitely succeeds in its quest to be a fun, charming, and simple game that anyone can play and enjoy for as long as it manages to stick around.

Elebits is original, addicting, easy to pick-up and play, and comes highly recommended. However, because of its relatively short length, a rental might be in order to decide if the extra features are worth the money.

What you’re getting with Folklore is a solid game that takes a few chances to differentiate itself from the norm and gets most of it right.

For now, though, Frontlines is just another average shooter with a political slant.

When all's said and done, Top Spin 3 is very much the best simulation tennis game out there, though it’s not like there's much competition in that corner of the tennis market.

With the online multiplayer mode, a fun single player campaign, and a full copy of Quake 2 for a second helping of FPS goodness, Quake 4 has a tremendous amount of value and replayability.

While it's by no means the defining game, Madden NFL 11 on the Wii is simply solid-nothing more and nothing less.

A great story, addictive and intuitive combat system, polished graphics and with a multiplayer component that will keep you coming back, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days should keep fans interested for months to come.

The single player component in Chocobo Tales is roughly 10 hours long, so while it won't keep you busy for a month, the game's pure fun factor is just enough to make it worth a purchase.

The lack of multiplayer that was so proudly distributed on the PSP is long gone on the PS2 version and players who already played the previous version will see no reason to pick up this title as well, as it offers nothing new in terms of actual gameplay.

But buyers beware, the best way to play this game is through the DS, so while both the DS and Wii versions go for about $39, the DS version is definitely the better buy.

A solid racing game. It might have a few rough edges and frustrating spots, but overall it's a fun game.

Don't be expecting one of those RPG's like Buu's Fury though, this is Dragon Ball the way you first expected it to be-full-on action, and it's pretty good considering that this is the first side-scrolling Dragon Ball game released in the states.

Overall, Raven Software did a very good job of sticking close to the movie plot while simultaneously delivering a rewarding experience.

For $10 on PSN and XBLA, there’s a good amount of content here and replayability that makes it a worthy purchase for fans of the puzzle genre.

If you require hollandaise with your FPS's, you'll be disappointed with its straightforward gameplay, but it's still an unpretentious delight in small doses, and it's replayable enough to stay on your hard drive for a little while.

Because humor is subjective, Sam & Max Save the World is pretty much a textbook example of that principle, so it’s best that you try out the demo first to see if this game is right up your alley.

A decidedly old-school design keeps it from entering the ranks of today’s great shooters, but it does well what it sets out to do: give us visceral action in dark environments.

It’s got some fun gameplay elements and a cool setting, but it fails as a superb action game that a lot of people were definitely expecting it to be.

Overall, Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution is a great fighter for the Wii that isn’t as full-featured as it could be, but it’s probably good enough to take the crown of the best fighter on the Wii this year.

It lacks a ton of polish in the visual and animation departments that are important to give the game all the details it needs to actually feel like you’re at the ballpark rather than just playing a game.

Games are games, and Radiata succeeds at being one more than anything else. It’s a highly enjoyable, recommendable RPG that should maybe keep you busy until "Dragon Quest VIII" comes out.

Fans of the series might consider this entry to be the worst in the series, but compared with many other strategy RPG’s on the DS, this one is actually quite solid.

Army of Two didn’t exactly deliver as a cooperative experience much better than Gears of War, but it made up for that by being a solid shooter in its own right.

Capcom Classics Collection volume 2 is not the hit-loaded package one would expect, but it is still a must-own for fighting gamers and fans of old-school co-op gaming.

The addition of playing the games from different viewpoints just add some variety and welcome change for newcomers and veterans of these two games, and they're sure to keep players stressful while coming back for more.

In just three years, Vicarious Visions has taken a well adapted formula and created an enjoyable, polished and all-around better sequel. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 will give fans a reason to enjoy playing, and with the dynamic fusion powers, wide cast of characters, and the storyline based around the events of Civil War, there is surely something here to please anyone.

Ankh doesn’t play host to a menagerie of well-thought out, mind-bending puzzles. If anything, Deck 13 plays it safe in this regard; yet, the sheer playability of it all: the satisfying gameplay, quirky characters and rousing visuals ensures that Ankh is a worthy recipient of our praise.

Unlike Brain Age, Big Brain Academy was probably actually developed to be a game. Big Brain Academy doesn’t have all the nuances and support from neuroscientists and other simply brainy things, but in the end—the goal is the same.

Perhaps it is time that Traveler’s Tales mellows down a bit and tries to make the next Lego game a bit more polished then this travesty.

A solid racing game. It might have a few rough edges and frustrating spots, but overall it’s a fun game.

Mutation mode is tons of fun for the Infected as it allows you to truly feel dominating, but the real adrenaline rush is for the Survivors, who have to communicate and have fast reflexes in order to survive.