This game will take you a bit of time to beat, but asking $40 might be a bit on the high side.

While all of Getting Up's diverse elements are to varying degrees lacking, the game ultimately comes together as a moderately entertaining experience.

As archaic and sadistic as The Dark Spire will surely seem to gamers raised on the post-FFVII world of Square Enix, it is proof that luscious graphics and orchestral scores will never oust the foundations of solid, old-fashioned gameplay.

It's unclear whether there will be more to Lume later (as the closing credits hint at a continuation of the story and a possible "part two"), but I'll be first in line if there is. This is a very light, charming little game that deserves an hour or two of your time. Just be sure to have a walkthrough ready for when you get to the crazy combination lock puzzle.

The levels are linear, the enemy AI is not very smart, and the game world feels weak even with the background chatter of your teammates and the constant radio contact with your superiors. Overall, SWAT: Global Strike Team is a good but imperfect game.

Yes, the graphics are bland. Yes, the controls are limiting. Yes, the action is slow-paced. Yes, there’s a bit of price-gouging with the “bills” system, especially if you want to get to the higher levels in the game. However, for fans of pick-up basketball, there's no denying that Freestyle Street Basketball is a fun outlet--and that’s the whole point, right?

As good as the game looks, this is a setting that is so familiar that you can’t just give the player a bunch of 20 minute tank battles and call it a day. Not when Relic has experimented with resource capture zones and static defenses in Company of Heroes.

The controls are slow and unresponsive, the kiss of death for a fighting game.

It delivers a coherent experience that mixes horror and humor very effectively, and does so with some beautiful environments.

Still, it's as good as it gets in terms of an arcade horse racing game, and it's impossible to deny its addictive qualities. It's just a shame that Tecmo took the series into this more solitary direction.

Tron 2.0 looks and feels just like the movie "Tron", but ultimately some poor choices in gameplay bring the overall package down.

The game offers a nice mix of action, interesting characters and a light but fun storyline that compliments the popular film its based on. But what Ace in Action does the best is target the audience it is for, delivering gameplay that is challenging but liberal in how it handles player failure.

Gumboy: Crazy Adventures isn’t perfect and does carry with it a bit of your typical puzzle-game tedium, but this remains a solid, well-crafted game that is well worth your time.

Runespell: Overture is good for an hour or two, the size of the demo conveniently enough, but beyond that, there's just not enough there to warrant spending the additional time playing it.

The new and improved Turok is easily the best since it left its roots on the Nintendo 64. Even though the title takes great liberties with some of the lore it manages to retain its integrity while at the same time delivering on a completely over the top albeit predictable experience.

I think they should have held the game off for another six months to deliver a real experience, rather than this shell of a game.

The story itself is well done, even though there are some jokes that fall flat.

Alice is a competent action-platformer with richly imaginative worlds steeped in allusive imagery. Half of the fun is seeing how American McGee has transformed the beloved stories into a wicked journey that nicely complements and embellishes its source material. Alice: Madness Returns can be darkly engrossing, but also, a devestating reminder that more is not always better.

The game is very ambitious for what it is trying to accomplish and although it may have not reached the goal that it wanted to on the Xbox 360, it’s as close as anyone has gotten so far.

As long as you remember that Super Mario Sluggers is more casual entertainment than an actual baseball simulation game, you should find it enjoyable, if a bit simple, playing with friends and family.

It is Quake 3 Arena and Team Arena in one package, and if you absolutely need to be on your couch to play, then it has you covered, otherwise keep in mind that there are cheaper and livelier options available.

Wait until next year when "Dynasty Warriors 6" comes out, buy Dynasty Warriors 5 then at the Greatest Hits price of $20, and then comfort yourself realizing that you’ll still be playing the same game the jokers who just shelled out another $50 for "Dynasty Warriors 6" are.

Fans of the X series may not be prepared to deal with the turn-based nature of the combat in the game, or the unsettling number of encounters they'll have to endure before the game comes to a climax.

New content including some game changing modules are promised for future release, but at this point Cities XL is more an intriguing concept than a revolutionary title.

I love history. I love a good story. I love a good game based on history, a good story, or both. The problem with RTK is that the scenarios take too long to complete.

MAX'd would probably appeal to hard core paintball players, but the average gamer may get confused with all the gear and stat configuration that normally don't go hand and hand with a First Person Shooter.

In spite of its slow pace, Fishing Resort has an awful lot going for it. It's beautiful, it's charming, and it's got a ton of content to explore. Most importantly though is that the game is simply a relaxing a good time.

Even with a budget price, Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon is tough to recommend. The mediocre graphics and monotonous gameplay bring down an otherwise solid premise. This is only worth playing if you have friends to play with, solo players should take a can of Raid to this repetitive mess.

For those looking for a mindless, fun romp through some of the creepiest environments you'll come across, killing everything in sight with some great tunes and distinctive weapons, Painkiller could be just what you're looking for.

Madballs in Babo's weapons offer a lot of variety and are the main source of fun in the game.

While I can’t recommend the game at $60 simply because it’s superior than previous EA attempts, I can say that it might lead to a better series down the road. You have to start somewhere, right?

Unreliability truly is the recurring hallmark of 1942: Joint Strike. Like a used-car dealership, it seems to have a vehicle for every budget and lifestyle, and each one is covered with a thick sheen of low-grade wax. Yeah, they look tasty, but you have to wonder if even a single one can make it off the lot.

Harvest Moon enthusiasts might enjoy this unpolished gem for its sinfully cute graphics and marketplace feature, but, like that KFC commercial says, it's not for the faint of heart.

Overall the game does little to elevate itself beyond being fleetingly entertaining, and other than really enjoying the combat itself there is little reason to stick around for too long.

Silent Hill: Downpour is not for gamers who've gotten used to having the path pointed out to them over the last generation of survival horror games. Its moments of brilliance tend to shine through the fog of frustration. Having played through the game a single time, I feel like there were many, many things that I missed. Diehard Silent Hill fans shouldn't miss this one, and anyone else hurting for a new horror game could certainly do worse.

For kids with a serious dinosaur affectation, playing Fossil Fighters: Champions will feel like discovering a buried treasure, and there's something to be said for a monster fighting RPG that doesn't require the same time commitment as the Pokemon games. For everyone else though, there are better monster battling RPGs out there, published by the same company, and once you've played them it's hard to see imitators, even ones with dinosaurs, in the same light.

If you're a fan of old school, simple role-playing and haven't had the pleasure of playing the mobile version, then Orcs & Elves is a grand diversion that won't leave you feeling like someone stole $30 from your wallet.

A near-perfect Spidey game. The core Spider-Man elements people care about are all present, and arguably better than any game to date. Sadly, the developers forgot to find a way to eliminate the grinding feel of the basic gameplay. The result is a game hard line Spider-Man fans will want to beat in order to experience the story, while casual fans will likely get bored halfway through.

A substantial improvement over the original game. It’s very fun to play and although you’ll probably finish campaign mode in a day or two, there’s enough online replay value to get you through the season.

Splash Damage's union of parkour and class-based shooter will hook you with excellent character-customization, and it is enjoyable under optimum conditions. Other times, it is nearly unplayable. Brink gave jaded fans of first-person shooters hope for a revolution. Instead, we got a mild and temporary disruption of the status quo with some fancy footwork.

There is clearly an audience for this sort game, and the base design certainly has its share of interesting (and fun) concepts, but it was clearly not ready for public consumption.

While the multiplayer does add a little something to package, it’s obvious that the campaign – the true co-op campaign - is where the main focus is. As good as the game looks, and as huge as the bosses are, it’s not all that fun to go through alone.

The game has been simplified to give more casual and younger players an easier play experience, but hardcore gamers may find the gameplay too simple for their tastes.

I recommend this game mainly to collectors, whom try and buy an entire series of games, like the Suikoden franchise, but other than that there are more enticing games out there.

Thankfully, the game isn’t terribly long so only a limited supply of caffeine is needed to get through it, but at $60, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is overpriced and only recommended for the ten year old Harry Potter fan that may not need gratifying gameplay when simply walking around Hogwarts as Harry Potter is enough.

While the multiplayer does add a little something to package, it’s obvious that the campaign – the true co-op campaign - is where the main focus is. As good as the game looks, and as huge as the bosses are, it’s not all that fun to go through alone.

The biggest problem with the game is that there just isn't enough in either the single or multiplayer arena for hardcore puzzle players.

If other games had the problems found in Deadly Premonition, they would be laughed off the 360 and into obscurity, but this game just has that staying power, that "je ne sais quoi" that makes you want to keep playing, to keep going forward, to keep unraveling the mystery, no matter how awful the controls and graphics.

I’d confidently recommend this game to anyone with a computer and some free time.

All the flaws combined don't sink the game as much as they simply make it frustrating to play and for purists the physics will certainly cause eyebrows to raise. Moto GP10/11 is best suited for racing fans who simply want to hop on a bike and go while leaving believability at the door.

It's lovely to look at, the collectible musicians are relatively enjoyable to listen to, and it generally plays well enough (barring the aforementioned puzzle hiccups). The problem is that the sum of the game is never greater than its parts, and it starts to feel old pretty quickly and never induces the relaxation you expect from such a game.

Tinges of monotony near the end of the game aside, there is plenty here to love, and if you’ve been searching for a good, solid real-time strategy game for consoles that succeeds in spirit where PC-to-console ports have failed, this is a rather smart buy.

One of the best “pick up and play” renditions of a 4X space strategy title I’ve seen to date, and with the possibility of third-party mods opening up and even an expansion pack, I’m looking forward to seeing that the future brings for this interesting title.

Unfortunately the terrific visuals simply aren’t enough to save the game from its increasingly monotonous gameplay.

Most of today's crop of gamers will be left disappointed by the point and click game play, static environments, and the overwhelming amount of text to read.

The fact that Midway has pared down the number of games from previous offerings does not worry me nearly as much as how much they pared down the historical extras.

A fun experience that feels like a light RPG snack rather than an epic role-playing game. If you dig action more than actual role-playing and can deal with all the hassles then Monster Hunter might be for you.

The game is certainly fun, but is also seems hamstrung as a turn-based strategy game due to its overly linear nature and lack of any true sense of story cohesion or character progression.

The world needs to push back; the missions need to get more serious more quickly and there needs to be greater stakes than whether you make 150,000 bucks this year or 200,000. I think Nitro has that game in them. Alas, this is not it.

One of the better games based on a licensed property that I've played this year on the Xbox and while I wish there were more characters and some kind of sand box battle mode, I really can't complain about what the game does offer because there's a lot of game to be played even after going through it multiple times on several different difficulty levels.

What's nice is the character animations, the huge environments, and the overall ominous feel. Great sound effects add to the atmosphere.

Is it harder? Absolutely—but it's also not nearly as much fun, the witty banter between the Prince and Elika is gone, and the ending leaves the player, and the Prince, wondering just what all of the effort was for. Combine that with the short play time (about two hours) and the recycled enemies and you're left thinking that your ten bucks could have been better spent elsewhere.

A big disappointment. While the game does try to bring over the fun of the DS title and the controls aren’t bad, no one should be forced to pay full price for such a very small number of games with little or no replay value.

The game has cutting edge visuals and Hollywood-level production values, but the gameplay isn’t anywherenear as powerful or compelling as you would think the franchise would allow for. A real shame.

As fun as UFO is at times you can’t help but ask yourself – what’s the point? Haven’t we already played this game before? It’s one thing to ask for a clone of a 14 year old game – it’s another thing to actually get it.

At the end of the day Avencast is a solid action role-playing game with some great puzzles and a combat system that tries to do things differently.

Ninja Blade does have its faults, like only being able to wall run up a wall where it is explicitly specified and not two feet to the left or right of the certain spot, and glitchy animations during some up close battles, but all in all, the game is an effective over the top action title that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

A fairly hard game that regularly borders on the frustrating.

The controls are great, but the rest of the game is lacking in so many areas, that there's no point in spending more than rental money on it.

Again, I realize that some people will absolutely love the challenge that BloodRayne: Betrayal brings. It has an old school Castelvania flavor to it and the ability to search for powerups as well as the exhilaration one feels when making it out of a massive battle alive will no doubt thrill some of the hardcore among us.

Superb graphics and tons of game play make this title more than worthy of a rental at the very least.

All and all it is a satisfying game, but it could have been a lot better, especially when it comes to those nasty time limits.

Smash Court Tennis 3 isn’t an awful game – there’s just not a whole lot here to keep your attention. There is a lot of depth in the game but will you keep coming back to play it?

An excellent game that I honestly don't think could have been any better.

Even though, at it's core, the game is just about killing bugs, saying so doesn't quite do it justice.

Need for Speed: The Run is a true black sheep trying desperately to fit in with its siblings, but simultaneously getting so much so very wrong.

What we’re left with is a reminder that no matter who you are, the most important aspect of a game being successful and enjoyable is what goes into the product, not the names that are on the display case.

It's a shame that the gameplay hasn't evolved all that much since last year's release and that there is a real lack of contrast between Pandora and Death Jr.'s character, but there's still a solid and fun game experience to be had if you give this title a chance.

A great pick up and play and slash sort of game. Long periods of playing this game will probably bore you, but if you need a quick RPG fix while commuting, it’s not bad.

It is great to see at least one respectable Terminator game. It is not the best game out there, but it is the best Terminator game the fans of the franchise have ever seen.

Given the low $30 street price it’s worth a look for anybody feeling the pure adventure-game genre is dead. I truly hope the developers are encouraged to develop a sequel to the title with some added refinements. The game deserves it.

For the right person, Puddle will get in your head and refuse to leave until you've unlocked every damned Au in the game. That's precisely what makes it an excellent puzzler – and a completely pure experience.

Hands On!: Tangrams is a basic, casual affair of a puzzler that is perfect for killing a few minutes here and there as you go about your day. For twenty bucks the game provides a ton of puzzles in a genre not usually represented in video gaming despite having been around for hundreds of years.

I think the X-box magic is starting to wear off.

While RAW 2 may suffer from a few minor old (and new) bugs and flaws, the overall game is pretty solid, easier to play the the first game and entertaining due to the sheer volume of new content.

Overall The Rub Rabbits is a very nice diversion well suited to a handheld. Just don’t let the young ones play it, otherwise they may truly believe babies come out of cakes.

You're going to give your controller a real workout as wave upon wave of enemies rush you and you send them straight to Hell. On the other hand this is a pretty mediocre looking game and it is a bit of a one-trick pony.

There just isn’t enough punch in this game to make it last in today’s hardcore gaming market.

There are so many spoofs of classic martial arts characters and one-liners that I found myself laughing hysterically. Director Shao Ting seems to be filled with more stupid jokes then just about any character I've seen.

A decent core game despite its stripped down status.

Only two things really let me down. First off was the combat system. The dated concept puts two players against each other while lacking the fun multiplayer options most of the other games have.

It has some good stages and good production values. Unfortunately, when for half the game the player is surly thinking, "Oh no! I'm on the ground again.", it does not speak well for the overall package.

Still, for its budget price ($19.99), Metal Slug XX more than delivers on its promise of old-school mayhem.

FMA 2 does a grand job of portraying the boys as they are in the show and improves on the weaker elements of the first game to create an action adventure that is fun and easy to play. It's a real shame that it's so short.

If you don't like the idea of having to buy parts and designing your own warship then this game might not be your cup of tea, but if you like the challenge of building the most powerful warship on the high sea to play through numerous diverse missions then this is definitely a game for you.

While Alien Shooter: Vengeance does have a few flaws in it's mix and is a rather old-school title in both it's gameplay and it's graphics, at the same time it is actually quite entertaining in that it can be increasingly hard to put down the farther you get into the game.

A near-perfect Spidey game. The core Spider-Man elements people care about are all present, and arguably better than any game to date. Sadly, the developers forgot to find a way to eliminate the grinding feel of the basic gameplay. The result is a game hard line Spider-Man fans will want to beat in order to experience the story, while casual fans will likely get bored halfway through.

It's still pretty boring.