There's no doubt that playing Earthworm Jim with updated graphics and game modes is a treat. Even though I had a lot of fun reliving my younger days, the game shows its age, and despite all the additions made in both the single and multi-player, I have a hard time recommending this game to newcomers.

It's not a total failure, and there are some improvements worthy of note, but the way it so callously steps on the toes of the previous title's story is a huge disappointment.

The Saboteur could have been one of the year’s most impressive games. Sadly, Pandemic tries to do too much, and players are left with a game that never becomes more than the sum of its parts.

The gameplay is strong, though it's not enough to really lift the product above its other issues for too long.

It's oddly addictive, which feels like it should clash with the repetitive nature, but never does.

While Cradle of Rome does have some unique additions to the formula, it’s not quite enough to make it really stand out.

If you can look past the fact that Dante’s Inferno is a very loose adaptation of the classic poem, the game offers eight to ten hours of fun occasionally interrupted by unnecessary annoyances. Though it’s an entertaining game, it doesn’t do anything original, and feels like it never quite reaches its full potential.

Despite there being an incredible amount of content in UFC Undisputed 2010 on the PSP, the actual in-ring action is a bit of a work in progress.

It's hardly one of the best games on the Xbox Live Arcade, but it might be one of the strongest in terms of providing an actual "arcade" experience without the need for quarters.

It has some issues that at this point in a generation are pretty much unforgivable, but if you are willing to look past them, you’ll find there’s a decent cooperative shooter there.

Overall, Legacy of Ys: Books I & II is a great value and will offer many hours of gameplay, but its appeal is limited.

It’s strange to think that a game with lackluster core game mechanics can make up for it with its variety of gameplay modes, most of which rely on those same core mechanics, but that’s exactly the case here.

A somewhat addictive action title that should please fans of the character and action gamers alike. The lack of replayability means you'll probably get your fill of the game in about a week, but it's definitely worth a playthrough.

Mafia II isn't a bad game, but it's an extremely uneven effort that fails as often as it succeeds.

When races go well, it's white knuckle action from beginning to end. Sadly, issues often make it so "going well" isn't always in the cards, and anyone ever upset by a Blue Shell in Mario Kart will spent a lot of time huffing and puffing during Blur races.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Athena is a suitable sequel to one of last generations best action games, but it fails to innovate in any way. With all the exact same controls, the disc feels more like an expansion pack than a proper sequel, but the graphical upgrades and multiplayer modes ensure that it’s not a rip-off in any way. It’s not nearly the eye-opening experience that its predecessor was, but it’s still a solid stealth title with excellent presentation that’s worth checking out.

It has some issues that at this point in a generation are pretty much unforgivable, but if you are willing to look past them, you’ll find there’s a decent cooperative shooter there.

Overall, there's some fun to be had swinging around the ruins of Ascension City, but don't be fooled - it's a flawed experience. The game's campaign is fairly entertaining, but lacks any real depth or originality, falling short of living up to the Bionic Commando name.

Despite having every opportunity in the world to triumphantly succeed, Singularity, instead, falls right in line with previous titles by the developer. Raven has, yet again, fallen just short of brilliance. The game is flawed in a number of areas, many of which detract from the overall experience and come across as sloppy or lazy.

It might be worth it for those who really want to see items added into a traditional racer, but for everyone else, it's likely worth trying before committing to a purchase.

The Saboteur could have been one of the year’s most impressive games. Sadly, Pandemic tries to do too much, and players are left with a game that never becomes more than the sum of its parts.

The lack of replayability means you'll probably get your fill of the game in about a week, but it's definitely worth a playthrough.

If you can look past the fact that Dante’s Inferno is a very loose adaptation of the classic poem, the game offers eight to ten hours of fun occasionally interrupted by unnecessary annoyances.

Raven has, yet again, fallen just short of brilliance. The game is flawed in a number of areas, many of which detract from the overall experience and come across as sloppy or lazy.

Overall, there's some fun to be had swinging around the ruins of Ascension City, but don't be fooled - it's a flawed experience. The game's campaign is fairly entertaining, but lacks any real depth or originality, falling short of living up to the Bionic Commando name.

It comes across as more of a toy then a real game, and with a budget price of $29.99 it is well worth the purchase for anyone seeking a way to wind down that won’t numb the brain.

Forty dollars is a little steep for a cookie-cutter game with bad camera control and repetitive levels.

The microphones themselves are worth commending for their sensitivity and overall appeal, and even if karaoke isn’t your cup of tea it might be worth splitting the game with a friend in hopes that Rock Band and Guitar Hero might have a compatibility patch with the microphones down the road. It might not be the best game in the genre, but as far as a casual singing experience on the system you’d be hard pressed to find one better than Lips.

Tenchu: Shadow Assassins isn’t a bad game by any stretch of the imagination. It gives gamers a unique experience that while not always successful, certainly gives its all.

Metro 2033 has a lot going for it. The game may not tread any new ground in its narrative, but there are a lot of interesting concepts to play around with. Unfortunately, the mechanics behind those concepts often lead to more frustration than they do elation. A strong story and world will only go so far.

Sadly, after playing this year’s other solid platformers (Braid, Lost Winds, De Blob), Wario Land Shake It! just doesn’t grab me by the shirt collar and demand I play it.

Since there is no multiplayer, and much of what Vanquish does has been done before, I was a bit disappointed.

Experienced gamers will have no problem playing through the game without even the fear of death, but kids will have fun playing alone or with a family member, and parents or older siblings can jump in without being bored to tears. Upping the challenge factor and fixing some of the technical issues would have expanded the audience for this game even further, but it’s a nice step taken as far as video game tie-ins go.

Toy Story isn't just a game for kids; fans of the trilogy should have no reservations about picking this one up.

Sorry! Sliders is entertaining, and it’s certainly hilarious to ruthlessly knock your friends’ pawns off the board while steadily moving towards victory. However, it felt a little lacking for ten dollars; it almost seemed like it should have been part of another game, not a standalone title.

It may not be for everyone, but for fans of old-school RPGs, especially those who are sick of spiky-haired, angstful teenaged protagonists, it's well worth the $50 price tag.

It’s a fun game, and a good option if you’re in dire need of an all-ages music title, but longtime fans of the series probably won’t find this as satisfying as any of the other Rock Band games.

If you didn’t like the previous Trauma Center games, there’s nothing that’s going to draw you in now, but for long-time fans or those who have been mildly curious about the series, Under the Knife 2 is a good choice.

Despite its many flaws, Beijing 08 has a certain addictive quality to it. Some games, like many of the shooting and gymnastic events are a lot of fun, especially head to head, and it’s always a blast to wear out your thumbs in the many button mashing events.

Some of the dialogue had me laughing hysterically and some of the puzzles had great payoffs. I may sound negative, but it is just because of my expectations.

While there may not exactly be a shortage of RPGs available on the DS, Luminous Arc 2 does just enough right to warrant a playthrough.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood is a decent first attempt at giving the speedy hedgehog a new genre to explore, but the game lacks the addictive and challenging elements that make RPG fans want to keep exploring and progressing.

If you’re looking for something to play one weekend, and you’re in a racing kind of mood, definitely give this a look. I wouldn’t commit more than a weekend to it though. Why should you?

This lack of differentiation between the games and the various technical issues keep the collection from being a “must have,” but it’s still a nice look into the history of 2D fighters, and for skilled fighters, there’s plenty of fun to be had.

Star Ocean: First Departure is a solid game that has made me want to check out the other installments in the series, but the battle system kept me from really falling in love with it.

Credit should be given to the developers for turning the game into something more than a gigantic commercial, but that doesn't mean it's a must-buy.

Fans of the original game owe it to themselves to pick up this extremely challenging remake, if only to test their skills.

Fans of the series will likely still find plenty to enjoy here, but may have trouble getting into it. Covenant is not a bad game, but on a system overwhelmed with RPGs, this one really needed to be exceptional to stand out. Instead, it falls a bit short of greatness.

The problem is for as fun as Battleship might be, its longevity is very limited. After a game or two, odds are you’ve played enough for one day, and very few will find themselves coming back for more. For $10, though, it might be worth picking up for a rainy day.

Those of you turned off by MLB Front Office Manager should try this game out to see what a proper management sim is like. I still find a game like Out of the Park provides a bit more depth than this game, but for the price ($20), you sure do get every penny out of Baseball Mogul.

It might be a little on the short end when compared to Square’s other JRPGs, but there is more than enough content to extend the game significantly. That said, anyone who isn’t already a fan of the genre will likely grow tired of the cliché locales and repetitive gameplay, as well as not being as forgiving of the game’s many other missteps either.

It’s a good-looking game that can be fun or frustrating, but it may just keep you coming back for more.

Lego Rock Band, while not a bad game, is easily the weakest in the series.

The writing, acting, and graphics are stellar. If only the gameplay, camera, and lack of variety weren't so stifling.

I'll end with this, if you're willing to put the effort in, and the realism aspect sounds like it will appeal to you, the $30 price of Arma II: OA is an easy entry into the series.

NCAA Basketball 10 is a satisfactory college basketball game, but its AI and gameplay issues keep it from being a standout, the lack of game modes keep it from being a great value for the money, and the absence of any “hook” to catch fans’ attention may make it a financial failure.

Just as is the case with prequels, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed provides insight into the dark areas of the Star Wars Universe while being flawed in many ways.

Baddest of the Bands is a much better episode than the previous was. The plot is humorous, the writing is spot on, and the puzzles are fun when the game is cohesive, and it is more than it's not.

WarioWare Snapped! might have set the bar for DSiWare, but it didn’t set it incredibly high. The amount of time it takes to set up the camera usually outlives the amount of time that can be spent with the game, and the limited number of microgames included is regrettable.

Even though NASCAR Kart Racing may not be the most innovative racer on the market, that shouldn’t turn you away. The game is an unabashed "Mario Kart" clone that, while not looking nearly as good, plays almost exactly the same.

The main problem with Need for Speed Undercover is that even though it is a lot of fun, it’s just not compelling or interesting enough to keep you coming back for more. While playing, I kept thinking, “Man, this would be a perfect weekend rental or budget title”, but I never thought about dropping $60 to get it new.

While it's not a bad episode by any means it definitely doesn't feel like the ending Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures needed to end a success. A grand adventure this was not.

NCAA Basketball 10 is a satisfactory college basketball game, but its AI and gameplay issues keep it from being a standout, the lack of game modes keep it from being a great value for the money, and the absence of any “hook” to catch fans’ attention may make it a financial failure.

It’s a fairly run of the mill third-person shooter, with some less than enthralling multiplayer, and an impressive visual package.

A decent attempt at a sports title.

While the concept holds strong, the game can become repetitive fast and doesn't always end with a logical finale. Hopefully with some modification to the formula they can make a sequel that solves some of these problems, but as of now this is likely a niche game at best.

Savage Moon isn’t a bad game, but a good one with a number of technical and focus issues.

It might be a jack of all trades and master of none, but that’s better than sucking.

Serious fans of motorcycle racing will no doubt appreciate the realism found in MotoGP 08’s Simulation mode. That said, most gamers, who wouldn’t know Hiroshi Aoyama from Thomas Lüthi, will find everything but Arcade mode too difficult to bother with.

The sum of all the parts is much greater than the individual pieces, and I hope that strong word of mouth gets this title into more homes.

Donkey Kong Country Returns is maddeningly frustrating. In fact, I've never been happier that I didn't have to play a game anymore than when I finished playing Donkey Kong Country Returns.

It’s close to being amazing, and there are times when it is, but there are too many times where it just simply isn’t up to par with the current generation’s standards. The camera is too jumpy, the bosses are too frustrating, and the platforming just isn’t any fun.

It simply isn't as fun as Super Smash Bros., and it's too similar to pull in anyone who isn't already a fan of Nintendo's fighting game. All in all, it should be reserved for only those who still sleep in Michelangelo pajamas and play with their the Ninja Turtle Pizza Shooter.

I’m still willing to give the other games in the series a try, but my patience for this franchise as a whole is wearing thin.

Like I have mentioned before, the title isn’t without its many flaws and problems, but the good aspects of the title heavily outweigh the bad, and the amount of hate for the game seems disingenuous. That said; it feels like the game could have benefited from another year of development time, which might sound crazy given the game’s delays.

Need for Speed: Nitro does a good job of washing the taste of the last few entries of the franchise out of your mouth, but it doesn’t really do anything to establish a new status quo. The racing is fun, and the customization is cool, but outside of that, there’s not a whole lot going on here.

For anyone who considers themselves a fan of the series I would recommend a purchase, there is definite replay value in repeating earlier levels with newly gained abilities, and many of the game’s flaws fade into the background when your character is powerful enough to dominate a level.

While it is nice to finally see a graphically upgraded, SIXAXIS enabled version of Sony’s tactical shooter, you feel a little cheated by the fact that there is no single player campaign. Oh, and there are server issues, many, many server issues. Users have had difficuly connecting to games while some haven't been able to connect to a single one.

The minigames, although plentiful, are archaic and reminiscent of early games on the Wii, and the lack of online multiplayer drops the replay value a bit.

A fun, if shallow and mindless shooter. For those looking for quick-hit action without worrying about things like story or a sense of purpose, it’s exactly what you’re looking for.

Being closer to the action gives each game a more intimate feel, and having Power Meters for each and every pass gives a more complete feeling of control.

It's kid friendly, but has enough witty gameplay to make any fan of the genre giddy.

The presentation is better, there are options enough to allow basic customization of your chosen game and the 'undo' feature alone puts this game ahead of Touch Solitaire.

Even more so than the other Hasbro Family Game Night titles, this is really for fans, and should please anyone who considers Yahtzee to be fun.

But no matter how enjoyable it might be, the fact remains that Animal Crossing: City Folk is a sloppy, lazy port of a Nintendo DS title to the Wii.

If there had been a stronger plot, more character customization options, a reasonable difficulty curve, or more unique fighting elements, this would have been one of the best dungeon-crawlers in recent memory. Class of Heroes isn’t a bad game, but doesn’t do enough to make you want to stay with it for the many, many hours it will take to complete it.

Success or failure, expect to see APB replicated, ripped off, and copied completely in the coming years. It's revolutionary in many ways, even if it isn't actually all that great.

A decidedly capable arcade-style flyer that’s a bit short on content, but big on tight gameplay and challenge. If you can find someone to play the multiplayer modes with, you’ll be better served by this title, but the singe-player campaign is well worth playing as well.

Completionists will love the amount of things to find and collect, and with the unlockable Free Play mode and extra characters, the game has a fairly decent replay value. This game is a lot of fun, especially if you have someone nearby to play with.

However, it appears that they weren't able to perfectly hit their stride in terms of puzzle creation, and this episode definitely has some of the early-season jitters that the first few episodes of Sam & Max had.

The biggest problem I had with Army of Two as a whole was the game’s seeming inability to ever raise the stakes...Even in the middle of an intenese firefight, you never feel any more in jeopardy than in those first training models.

The combat is great... in theory, it just struggles due to a poor camera and uninteresting battles.

In the end, NPPL Championship Paintball 2009 is exactly what it advertises itself as – a paintball game made for paintball fans.

In addition to the questionable controls, the main problem with this game is that there really aren’t any significant improvements over its predecessor, and definitely not any to make this game worth fifty bucks.

While Guitar Hero: Smash Hits is a solid option for fans of music games, the short and inconsistent tracklist alone makes it not worth the price.

If you’re a fan of turn-based strategy, don’t let my little multiplayer rant deter you from picking up this game; it’s definitely a fun and interesting title, especially if you’re actually going to utilize the multiplayer modes.

Flaws in the presentation keep it from being eye candy, and there are issues with the gameplay and controls that prevent the game from being anything special. Instead, it's an average package, and there's little to draw in old or new fans who aren't willing to spend a good deal of time learning how to ride a bike again.

It's always great to see someone present their passion for comics in a new way, and Twisted Pixel has shown their love in spades. Were the gameplay a little tighter, and more forgiving, I think Comic Jumper could have been a great title. Instead, thanks in large to its unevenness, it's simply a good game with the occasional fault.