This is a game that tells a story that's meaningful only to people who have played all of the games beforehand, but does so with repetitive, sometimes frustrating gameplay.

Nail'd works just fine as a mindless racing game with thin idiot-proof gameplay to tide you over when you don't feel like something substantial with a learning curve.

No matter what camp you belong in, LittleBigPlanet 2 is phenomenal. It's the first big game of 2011, and it may very well turn out to be one of the best experiences of the whole year.

It is still The Sims though, and it's remarkable how durable the core experience remains even on a small screen.

The game really needs either a slower pace or better situational awareness.

In every game, I reach a point where I start to wonder why I am still playing. I literally have more money than I know what to do with. With a successfully, healthy business, it certainly feels like the main goal has been achieved. But ultimately, Patrician is less about money than it is about the convergence of wealth, power, and influence.

Fans of Lucha Libre might enjoy seeing their favorite fighters in action, but even the most dedicated aficionado will find the turgid gameplay disappointing.

This is a winning formula, backed with truly inspired writing and art direction. I'd be happy to come back any day, no matter the occasion.

Does it accurately register your dancing? Heck no. Does it provide the impetus to cut loose and just, well, dance? Absolutely-and your party will be the better for it.

As a pure driving game with neat car collecting and modifying elements, it's simply amazing and the level of passion for the subject on display makes calling it "cold" or "sterile" almost laughable- Forza Motorport 3 is much drier and far less human.

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.

The game isn't bad but it does have a very narrow focus on Apache helicopter combat.

The game isn't bad but it does have a very narrow focus on Apache helicopter combat.

During this Christmas season, please don't take the chance and inflict Sonic Free Riders upon unsuspecting players as gifts. Christmas morning should be about joy, not pain and tears.

In taking away the screens and screens of dialog and the need to manage an overcrowded inventory or complex skill point system it boils itself down into the essence of what a good action RPG and portable title should be: tight controls, a well told story and the ability to get in, smack some monsters around and get out.

All things considered, this is a Final Fantasy game that expects you to pray at the altar of grind. 4 Heroes embraces the goddess of grind unapologetically, but throws in enough changes to the system to create something that's worth experiencing.

While it does lack some of the polish of Nintendo's best, Sonic Colors is very, very good and offers enough truly unique features to sit at the table and hold its own. Welcome back, Sonic – we've missed you.

Truly creative, polished, and incredibly satisfying, this is a title that every DS owner needs to try – even if it's just to see whether an army of vampires or zombies would win in a fight.

I cannot recommend this enough to folks who have some platforming chops. It's hard as hell, but incredibly rewarding and genuinely fun.

It's obvious this $60 piece of fanservice was meant to sway old and new DBZ junkies into a purchase, but as the entire game feels more like an expansion pack or a cheap cash-in attempt, there's nothing here to recommend over importing some of the more polished 2-D sprite fighters or at the very least checking out Budokai on the PlayStation 2.

The Rabbids have established themselves as veritable gaming icons in the casual sphere. Their frenzied faces, catchphrases, and ridiculous adventures may grate on the nerves for some, but for a formidable collection of simple-to-learn and difficult to mater mini-games, you could do a lot worse.

PopCap has done what modern science can't, made an insanely cheap time machine, capable of transporting you hours into the future with every match of a gem.

Other playable modes offer a little variety to Legend Mode, such as Dream Mode, which opens up a story not seen in the manga for rabid fans to devour, and Challenge Mode featuring endless waves of enemies to slaughter again and again, but unless you're that devoted fan with every single episode of the anime series and every volume of the manga, there just isn't enough here to recommend.

Lionheart remains appealing throughout because of how well it captures the period. It's not a perfect historical representation, of course, but it puts you in the seat of two all-conquering medieval heroes.

Superstars V8 Racing is a decent enough racer for the price, it looks great, and it's got enough content that you won't feel cheated for spending $20 as you wait for Sony's behemoth.

At its heart, this is a rock-solid, gorgeously drawn platformer with enough new tricks up its sleeve to recommend to anyone needing an excuse to play their Wii.

It's a bad time to release a new music game property -- and an even worse time to release a bad one.

I was happy to see that Propaganda at least put forward a decent effort and with a bigger budget and more development time, they might have been able to smooth out the game's edges and turn in something that could have been less of a "fans only" proposition and more of a mainstream contender.

I was happy to see that Propaganda at least put forward a decent effort and with a bigger budget and more development time, they might have been able to smooth out the game's edges and turn in something that could have been less of a "fans only" proposition and more of a mainstream contender.

The only thing that Naruto Shippuden: Dragon Blade Chronicles has going for it is a decent story, but everything else about the game makes it practically impossible to enjoy. It's dull, it's uninspired, and it's shallow in the extreme.

Splatterhouse is a mediocre remake of a mediocre game and once the main campaign is finished there's not much else left to do other than the Survival Arena Mode which pits you against wave after wave of enemies, which is just more of what the main game had you doing already.

I admire the developer's attempt to present a story and puzzles where partnership and collusion are the principle themes and while I was playing it I genuinely enjoyed working through each area and finding the collectible items. By the end, I found that I was more than ready to wrap it up and put its boring combat, snoozer story, and shaky production quality to rest for good.

I admire the developer's attempt to present a story and puzzles where partnership and collusion are the principle themes and while I was playing it I genuinely enjoyed working through each area and finding the collectible items. By the end, I found that I was more than ready to wrap it up and put its boring combat, snoozer story, and shaky production quality to rest for good.

The game may not come with a red hat, but it makes me feel like a DJ nonetheless.

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.

If you're not the type to shy away from enthusiastic Wii games, or loved any previous DDR games, then it's worth giving a shot.

"Quotation Forthcoming"

It doesn't reach the same heights as some of the truly great JRPG's available on the DS but it still provides plenty of solid role playing action and introduces a new generation of handheld gamers to the world of Golden Sun.

You spend most of the game with dominant powers treating you as a pawn in their own game, when the reality is that no one can achieve their goals without your intervention. That's fertile ground for an RPG to harvest and New Vegas ultimately succeeds in doing that.

The developers have taken everything awesome about Goldeneye (the plot and characters), the N64 classic (great mission-based gameplay and phenomenal multiplayer) and current FPS titles (the mechanics, a modern multiplayer leveling system), trimmed all the fat, added a few layers of polish, and printed it on a disc.

It's enough to make a fellow pine for the innocent days of yore, when Activision's Blur may have been a vehicle for Facebook nags, but at least it had the courtesy to include an actual game.

Treyarch didn't reinvent the wheel with Black Ops. Instead of fixing what wasn't broken, the oft-maligned developer gave it a needed polishing and sent it on its way. With everything that this game has to offer, both on and offline, it will be a resident of console drives for a long time to come.

With such a strong creative vision and almost unlimited access to Disney's archives, not to mention Mr. Spector's innovative and undeniable talent, it's an utter disappointment that the game has reached the public as an unpolished, uninspired effort riddled with slapdash technical qualities, dated gameplay concepts, and a surprising lack of direction.

Ubisoft has had a great year with gems like Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, R.U.S.E., No More Heroes 2, and Red Steel 2 to name a few – but the sooner this truly awful game is buried and forgotten the better.

I could go on about the terrible voice acting, the bad graphics, the abysmal enemy AI and the random bugs that forced restarts and locked up my Xbox but that seems like piling on so I'll just end this as I started it with an emphatic "don't play this game".

It's wonderful that console players of The Sims can finally enjoy the game in nearly the exact same way as their PC gamer counterparts.

Ultimately, ZHP is a great little game for the PSP that doesn't take itself too seriously. In other words – it's what people have come to expect from a NIS America.

It amazes me that a game of this caliber – that is to say, a game that is ridiculously good in spite of its missteps – comes just one year after its predecessor. It improves a lot, adds even more, and changes nothing I already adored. It's a shorter game than Assassin's Creed 2, if that matters, but aside from the storyline it's better in almost every way.

It amazes me that a game of this caliber – that is to say, a game that is ridiculously good in spite of its missteps – comes just one year after its predecessor. It improves a lot, adds even more, and changes nothing I already adored. It's a shorter game than Assassin's Creed 2, if that matters, but aside from the storyline it's better in almost every way.

Retailing at $40, it's clear that Activision understands that this is not a AAA title but that doesn't excuse the lack of polish and content.

With the exception of the car sequences and the stand out voice acting, Blood Stone is an average game with average gameplay and a rather short single player campaign. The game can be completed in about five hours and while it does have its interesting moments and explosive set pieces, they are few and far between and it leaves fans of 007 without much to be excited about.

There are a lot of things this content pack does well, just like in the main game, but there is also an equal number of things the game does maddeningly wrong, just like in the main game, leading to an experience that is worth having, provided you're willing to put up with some frustrations.

If you can get past the presentation and can stomach Road to WrestleMania's 3D adventure, then you are likely to enjoy what Yuke's has done this year.

If you are looking to play online with friends, then it's a solid buy, or if you want to play online after learning how to play the game against the zombie-brained AI. Failing that, it's best to stick with the pewter and plastic.

Despite a non-existent story and poor characterization, Vanquish manages to breathe life into an otherwise stagnating genre.

Likewise, Quantum Theory is a technical disaster but I don't think it's impossible to have some fun with it- as long as you don't pay full price for it and know what you're in for from the start.

All the heroics of harder games without any of the fuss, and set in a place you've made your own.

Even though Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is a short ride, it's a fun one.

Its greatest strength is its ability to rustle up nostalgia and good, old-fashioned Halloween fun.

The simple fact is that New Carnival Games is not an enjoyable game.

The execution and the boring gameplay coupled with the heavy handedness of the humour combine to make the game a true exercise in tediousness.

The mech combat is fast paced and brutal, but once that veneer wears off you find that under the hood is a slap shod mix of broken balance, goofy game mechanics, and an abject lack of the tactical gameplay for which the franchise is known.

NBA Jam is a delightful return to a classic game, and a bizarrely perfect fit on the Nintendo Wii.

It's unfortunate that the story you're controlling the character through is so uninspired and vanilla, but the multiplayer, simple yet effective combat and cool item fusion makes the game worth a look for fans of the genre.

Unfortunately, with the issues the game has in its short singleplayer campaign and the lack of originality in the multiplayer, Medal of Honor is a decent enough shooter and reboot of the franchise, but isn't the blockbuster that EA was aiming to deliver.

The bottom line is that this game is strictly for younger fans of the property, all others need not apply.

Like Resident Evil 5 and Lost Planet 2, this Dead Rising is no mere comfort food. It's skillfully made-to-order for people who are hip to zombie mythology, who don't think of Doom or Daikatana when they hear the name "Romero".

The only leg it has to stand on is its cartoon style that will certainly attract less demanding gamers as well as the merely curious. If that's worth $15 to you, more power to you.

Def Jam Rapstar has some pretty impressive speech recognition under the hood and a great start with its community site but at the same time, some track list omissions and a career mode that feels somewhat tacked on makes this game a good start with plenty of room to grow.

As a puzzle game, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is an excellent offering, however, as a Professor Layton game it is simply extraordinary.

There are other modes like the new My Player which allows you to live the life of an NBA player, giving press conferences and rising thorough the ranks from D-League to NBA Superstar and the aforementioned Jordan Moments but really it's the gameplay that sells NBA 2K11. It's a huge step for basketball fans and every other game that comes out is going to be inevitably compared to it.

With its latest offering, Ninja Theory has proved it is capable of pulling off an engaging, enthralling and – dare I say it? – enslaving action game.

It's great to see some real competition for THQ in this genre and MMA fans shouldn't hesitate to pick this one up.

I can tell the game is really trying hard to be something fantastic, and maybe for the Russian side of the market, that's how things have actually turned out. For us Americans however, I'd recommend taking the money you might spend on this game, and instead blowing it on an awesome discount joystick (if you don't have one already) and copies of Freespace 2 and the Independence War series. I guarantee you'll have a superior experience.

Hegemony otherwise does a good job of capturing the nature of war in this time period.

Mercurysteam had been developing the title before Konami proposed that Lords of Shadow would be the new Castlevania game. It really shows that this is very much their vision of Castlevania without fealty to fan expectations or demands, and I think it absolutely paid off given that the goal was to revitalize and modernize an aging brand.

Hydrophobia isn't a great game, but it certainly has its moments, not to mention an entertaining storyline. It's also extremely short, with roughly five hours of gameplay before a sudden "To Be Continued" message flashes across the screen. That's not a lot of payoff for 1200 MS Points ($15).

In all, FIFA 11 accomplishes exactly what it set out to do in that it's a much better game than FIFA 10.

Don't get me wrong, Borderlands is still one of the best co-op experiences in gaming and the mix of player classes and relentless stream of enemies is very easy to slip back into, however with the ability to play more than one playthrough of the main game and all of the DLC packs, if all you want to do is shoot high level dudes, you don't need to pay another ten bucks to do so.

This Guitar Hero game is no different than its predecessor, which is both a positive and negative. On one hand you'll still enjoy the game if you like the set list. Then again, with the tantalizing introduction of keyboard play in Rock Band 3, I get the feeling that the Guitar Hero franchise will experience the final curtain call with Warriors of Rock.

Civilization 5 remains a threat to my productivity and household happiness. Though not quite the complete triumph it could be, Firaxis has shown how a twenty year old design can still be tweaked and improved in the hands of a team unafraid to break things in the interest of progress.

Lapses like the holds in pit-lane, the AI nuisances, and lousy rules enforcement prevent this game from reaching its full potential.

If the first two games left you wanting more, more is exactly what the third game in the series offers.

Cladun gives you more for your $20 than many games give you for $60 and does so in such an endearing fashion that you won't want to put it down. It absolutely should not be missed.

Halo is still a superlative multiplayer game, and with a group of friends, there's nothing quite like a well-tuned game mode or a white-knuckle finish to a Firefight. It's a shame that Halo: Reach couldn't add $60 worth of improvements to it.

There's almost nothing to like about Sonic Adventure. It's clunky and awkward at best, painfully buggy and broken at worst. Its most unforgivable sin, though, is that it's just not fun.

I love the synergy of all these different play mechanics. On their own, these different bits would become stale very quickly, but together each compliments the other to create what I think is a brilliant game.

In any case, Amnesia: The Dark Descent is an unforgettable survival/horror experience, one that should not be missed.

NHL Slapshot does not, of course, offer the kind of depth or hockey authenticity you'll get from NHL 11 on the 360 or PS3. It's not meant to. This game is purely about flying up and down the ice, scoring goals, and putting the lumber on people. If that's what you're looking for, you're going to be satisfied.

This is the best hockey game ever made, and is a real feather in the cap for EA Sports in a year where the company literally doesn't have any competition on the Xbox 360 or PS3.

Maybe if Morrigan's ending had been a satisfying one I would have been fine with paying for a 45 minute side quest through places I've already been but it wasn't-so I'm not.

R.U.S.E. might be the best RTS released this year, and it is certainly the most original.

Still, there's more to life than money and the interesting firefights, further fleshing out of the Mass Effect universe and satisfying emotional resolution to Liara's story is reward enough and acts as a fitting epilogue to Mass Effect 2.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions takes a truly interesting concept, with great characters, good action, a wide variety of attacks, combos, upgrades, unlockable costumes and wraps it all together in the most tedious way possible.

Platforming veterans will find the game entirely too easy but as an entry point for younger gamers looking to start playing platformers, or learning about Batman, it's a good, if entirely too brief start.

Sports Champions is a good opening effort for the PlayStation Move. It's not going to capture the attention of the world the way Wii Sports did, but it has put to rest any speculation that Sony's technology isn't up to snuff.

The game is amazingly well-crafted-the only negative is that unless you have room on your memory card to install a good chunk of game data, you'll be sitting through some halting combat transitions and some unbearable load times.

It's a frustrating game because of the technical issues. The core game remains as solid as ever but unless you have the patience to wait for the game to load at every turn it's a very tough sell. As a result I can't fully recommend it but I do encourage those UFC fans that want an authentic mixed martial arts experience to buy UFC Undisputed 2010 for Xbox 360 or PS3.