Mortal Kombat is an acquired taste and is looked down upon by most coin-op fighter enthusiasts because of its lack of strategy and its stiffness of control. UMK3 got rid of the stiffness, and the game truly is playable on the DS if you can get by the fact that the D-Pad is so small.

It may be best to just check out the demo for Midnight Carnival to see if you’re interested in plucking down any money on a LocoRoco game and then going from there since any of the three games offer a good time.

It mostly fails to deliver standout action sequences, but fans of the real-time strategy genre should find their place in this game.

Perhaps the most notable improvement this year is the AI's adaptation, finally, to the new NHL rules.

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

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.

What may be one of the year’s sleeper surprises, though, is the way in which War Front: Turning Point picks and combines elements from all these franchises, presenting a final product that ultimately incites the senses.

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.

However, this is a solid entry for gamers that have yet to indulge in the Animal Crossing experience.

While Savage Moon doesn’t really provide as satisfying of an experience that PixelJunk Monsters offers, it does enough of a good job to be something that Monsters’ veterans should give a shot.

This shot definitely goes in, but not before taking a few lucky bounces on the rim.

For what its worth, Thrillville does a fine job of offering more amusement park managing fun while also adhering to the kid in everyone. It’s still a little too kiddy for its own good, but if you are a fan of the series you will no doubt have a great time.

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

Marvel Ultimate Alliance is certainly worth picking up. With an adequate campaign and more playable comic book characters than you can shake a stick at, plus bonus side missions for all of them, you’re definitely getting more than what you paid for.

Neversoft and RedOctane played it safe by changing little to nothing in the Guitar Hero franchise with Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.

Metal Slug Anthology does nearly everything right, however, those without GC controllers may not find a perfect control scheme.

Though there are a lot of negatives to be said about Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Endless Frontier, there is a weird hypnotic enjoyment to the battle system that made enduring the overly-complicated, fanservice-filled story a bit easier.

As a multiplayer game it shines, when ignoring the uneven playing field the weapons provide; but its offerings on the single-player front simply don’t do much for it. It’s short-lived and unsatisfying.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is an enjoyable game with plenty of action and mementos to keep fans happy for quite some time.

Given the high-standards the series has set in the PC strategy genre, it's a big shame that Total Warrior couldn't have done better for the name in the console action genre.

It is really hard to find anything to really gripe about in Banjo- Tooie except maybe how much it is TOO like Banjo- Kazooie.

So if you’re looking for a great party game this holiday season, and you happen to like movies, there isn’t anything better than Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action. Even by yourself, the game provides a lot of fun, but it gets even better when you play with others.

Certainly, Earth 2160 is a long game, but tedium does set in and it’s difficult to escape the feeling that you’ve played this sort of title before.

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.

FIFA 07 represents the best soccer you can play on the Xbox 360, but falls short of the bar set by Konami and, ironically enough, EA itself.

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.

But as a cool little party game you pop in from time to time, you can’t beat the features, the fun, and the price.

Despite the admittedly addicting gameplay, Beautiful Katamari falls short on every other front. From sub-par graphics, mediocre sound, lack of story, and few stages supported by a lack of fresh new gameplay mechanics, the title fails to justify its $60 price tag.