Overall, Smash-Up doesn't break any new ground, adhering to the groundwork laid by Smash Bros., albeit with less content and less polished gameplay.

Fallen Earth doesn’t exude the polish witnessed in recent MMOs. It’s barely adequate in terms of visuals, excruciating stretches of nothing are common, and I have never encountered so many bugs in a launch-product. And yet, it’s crawled beneath my skin.

The makers of Majesty 2 call your heroes “somewhat obnoxious subordinates.” That is an understatement. Their stubbornness makes this terribly challenging RTS, at times, nearly impossible.

If you can look past the repetitiveness of the arena battles and the sometimes clunky controls of the acrobatics, WET is definitely worth giving a go even if just for its visual and gameplay uniqueness, not to mention its kick ass soundtrack.

If you can look past the repetitiveness of the arena battles and the sometimes clunky controls of the acrobatics, WET is definitely worth giving a go even if just for its visual and gameplay uniqueness, not to mention its kick ass soundtrack.

What EA has done here is reinvent a bloated franchise, and turned it into a product that the hardcore and the more casual among us can enjoy equally.

What EA has done here is reinvent a bloated franchise, and turned it into a product that the hardcore and the more casual among us can enjoy equally.

The true value of this release is how it represents another glorious step forward for the ongoing lean towards of co-operative gaming in the industry. In that sense, it's a huge success.

All told it’s a compelling package that makes NHL 10 an outstanding upgrade over NHL 09 and it’s hard to ask for much more than that from a yearly sports release.

All told it’s a compelling package that makes NHL 10 an outstanding upgrade over NHL 09 and it’s hard to ask for much more than that from a yearly sports release.

If you're a PC gamer that is a bit intimidated by IL-2 Sturmovik and are sick of playing H.A.W.X., then Heroes Over Europe might be worth a look. If you're expecting it to completely fulfill your air combat needs though, you'll be disappointed.

If you're a PC gamer that is a bit intimidated by IL-2 Sturmovik and are sick of playing H.A.W.X., then Heroes Over Europe might be worth a look. If you're expecting it to completely fulfill your air combat needs though, you'll be disappointed.

So the story is so-so and the RPG section watered down with limited development choices, weak voice acting and script writing.

So the story is so-so and the RPG section watered down with limited development choices, weak voice acting and script writing.

Scribblenauts succeeds in being an incredibly creative game. It just isn’t enjoyable after the effect of its initial charm wears off.

True to its predecessor, Zuma's Revenge is overall an entertaining game.

Those technicalities take a pretty good game and drag it down into the realm of mediocrity. Still, automatic weapons during a Civil War battle…it’s hard to pass that up.

Once again the developers at Harmonix have shown the gaming industry how it’s done.

Once again the developers at Harmonix have shown the gaming industry how it’s done.

Once again the developers at Harmonix have shown the gaming industry how it’s done.

Sure it has its problems, but it is a drop-dead gorgeous game and sometimes you're not looking for a rocket scientist; you're just looking for a good time.

Is the experience worth the purchase price of the game for average console gamers? If you've played Ace Combat and the like and want to try something a bit more involved, that would be a definite yes - even without the flight stick.

If you're a PC gamer that is a bit intimidated by IL-2 Sturmovik and are sick of playing H.A.W.X., then Heroes Over Europe might be worth a look. If you're expecting it to completely fulfill your air combat needs though, you'll be disappointed.

At its core, this puppy has taken its serious sim roots, mixed in a few casual-friendly options and thrown in a plethora of content (both online and offline) to keep finicky gamers interested.

At its core, this puppy has taken its serious sim roots, mixed in a few casual-friendly options and thrown in a plethora of content (both online and offline) to keep finicky gamers interested.

If you've already played Disgaea 2 and abused the Magichange system of Disgaea 3 for all it's worth, the handful of bonus content is probably not enough to do it all over again. However, if you haven't sunk 200 hours into your elite team of Prinnies, or won’t dry heave at the thought of another geo panel puzzle, Disgaea 2 is probably the perfect portable SRPG.

The only aspect of Section 8 that truly stands out is how you spawn into the map, leaving the rest of the gameplay to reside in more of the tried-and-true territory established by previous games in the genre.

Overall, Guitar Hero 5 is technically a good game; it’s just a bit soulless.

Overall, Guitar Hero 5 is technically a good game; it’s just a bit soulless.

The Hardy Boys: Treasure on the Tracks is a disappointing title all around, which is shocking considering Her Interactive’s track record with the always-creative Nancy Drew series.

Champions Online doesn't inspire the drive to explore or build a community, but it thrives on the spontaneity of twitch-based combat and the thrill of experimenting with new powers.

For everyone else, if you're thinking of getting into the Warriors games with this one, well, don't. Save your hands and your time for something better.

There's nothing to Dissidia but the grind, and if you're looking for an epic adventure, you won’t find it here after the 20+ hour story mode is finished. But if you’re looking for something engrossing with great characters that’ll keep you playing for weeks, Dissidia: Final Fantasy is one of the top candidates for the PSP.

The only aspect of Section 8 that truly stands out is how you spawn into the map, leaving the rest of the gameplay to reside in more of the tried-and-true territory established by previous games in the genre.

Truly, every Wii gamer should take a look at this package. Each game is good enough to stand alone for the asking price – packaging all three together was a rare and wonderful move on Nintendo’s part.

Gameplay is the perfect mix of adventure staples and brain twisting puzzle devilry. Professor Layton's world is one you are happy to spend time in and hesitant to leave.

Saying that Shadow Complex is a triumph of Live Arcade almost sounds insulting. It’s one of the best games in the 360 library. The gameplay is tuned tighter than a Maserati, and Jason’s flowing movements nearly make the Prince of Persia seem crippled.

In the end this is a by the numbers shooter with slick graphics, and ample opportunity to shoot supercharged Nazis. It's not going to win any awards but it's worth checking out if you’re looking for a weekend to pass the time shooting everyone's favorite bad guys.

In the end this is a by the numbers shooter with slick graphics, and ample opportunity to shoot supercharged Nazis. It's not going to win any awards but it's worth checking out if you’re looking for a weekend to pass the time shooting everyone's favorite bad guys.

In the end this is a by the numbers shooter with slick graphics, and ample opportunity to shoot supercharged Nazis. It's not going to win any awards but it's worth checking out if you’re looking for a weekend to pass the time shooting everyone's favorite bad guys.

In the end Madden 10 is the kind of game that I am willing to look past the shortcomings because what’s good is really, really good. It’s worth putting up with the faults in order to experience what works.

In the end Madden 10 is the kind of game that I am willing to look past the shortcomings because what’s good is really, really good. It’s worth putting up with the faults in order to experience what works.

Really, it’s not a bad game, and is clearly targeted at the casual market and the younger generation, and considering that audience, it’s at the very least worth a rental.

Phantom Brave still feels like a fairly original game. If you passed on it the first time, it's worth a look if you don’t expect anything too new.

With outdated graphics, frustrating level design, and arduous controls, C.O.R.E. has only one positive quality: It isn't broken. It fits into your DS and, as a piece of software, functions smoothly. If you want more from a game, look elsewhere. C.O.R.E. isn't the only FPS on the block.

Despite having tons of potential and a few very bright ideas, it’s impossible to fully recommend this game. Go with the infinitely superior EA Sports Active for a real workout – or perhaps Wii Fit if you’d like to play with the kiddies.

If all of your games need to be sprung from the fountain of creativity then you might want to look elsewhere, but if you're into some casual creature combat, you may be pleastantly surprised with what you unearth.

If you’re a Queen fan and don’t mind about the artist vocals then by all means pick up this game, some mics, and call a few friends over. However, if you take your social singing seriously then you’re better off going to your local bar/bowling alley/karaoke parlor and get your fix there. Or better yet, invest in a karaoke machine.

Between the camera and targeting woes, generally clunky gameplay, and a complete inability to capture the essence of what makes the G.I. Joe franchise fun and exciting in the first place—the game is a complete failure.

Between the camera and targeting woes, generally clunky gameplay, and a complete inability to capture the essence of what makes the G.I. Joe franchise fun and exciting in the first place—the game is a complete failure.

For being developed by four people and with a purchase price of around the same amount in dollars, Foreign Legion is a worthwhile investment for some mindless fun.

Real Heroes: Fighterfighter is unquestionably the finest fire-fighting game I've ever played, but that isn't saying much given how this isn't exactly a budding genre.

Ultimately, East India Company is a wonderful idea with a lot of great gameplay, but there’s a lot of missteps; too many, really.

Space Bust-a-Move doesn’t significantly improve upon its classic arcade predecessor, but there’s nothing wrong with that. It offers the same intense, fast-paced gameplay that we all know and love from Bust-a-Move, except that it’s in an outer space setting.

Enough Family-friendly platform action with responsive controls that's true to the spirit of the movie.

Not all of the sports are winners and having a house full of people is still the best way to get the most enjoyment out of the game, but even with these slight caveats, it's hard not to recommend Wii Sports Resort to gamers of all ages and experience levels.

This is a sad day for The King of Fighters. The combat is as taught as ever, but everything else is a comedic misinterpretation of “less is more.”

This is a sad day for The King of Fighters. The combat is as taught as ever, but everything else is a comedic misinterpretation of “less is more.”

Shatter is a fiendishly well-crafted game available from the Playstation Store for a little under ten bucks where you spend hours smashing blocks and absorbing vast amounts of neurologically-stimulating graphical flair and ambience.

‘Splosion Man is a game that does things right from beginning to end and even though it may have you cursing up a storm every now and then, it’s a game that you can get a sense of satisfaction from, either playing it for an hour or for five to ten minutes at a time.

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

In the end what you have is gameplay that is as good as it has ever been – not perfect and still with some frustrations but clearly NCAA 10 is the most respectable version of this series to date.

In the end what you have is gameplay that is as good as it has ever been – not perfect and still with some frustrations but clearly NCAA 10 is the most respectable version of this series to date.

Overall, Ransom of the Seven Ships is a solid adventure, clever and entertaining.

What makes this game interesting is the speed of play and the sheer, as mentioned before, chaos of it all.

What makes this game interesting is the speed of play and the sheer, as mentioned before, chaos of it all.

For those really on the fence, I'd say give this game a bit of time and come back in about a month or two as the developers try to work their post release magic.

That’s how I felt after playing the game: that I didn’t really do anything. I’m a big fan of the books – a bit less so of the films, and the games still fail to remotely live up to either.

That’s how I felt after playing the game: that I didn’t really do anything. I’m a big fan of the books – a bit less so of the films, and the games still fail to remotely live up to either.

From start to finish, the single player campaign of Bound in Blood definitely provides one of the most memorable FPS gaming experiences of the year.

From start to finish, the single player campaign of Bound in Blood definitely provides one of the most memorable FPS gaming experiences of the year.

From start to finish, the single player campaign of Bound in Blood definitely provides one of the most memorable FPS gaming experiences of the year.

Steambot Chronicles is an extremely fun, non-traditional RPG, while Battle Tournament is a watered down mech fighter with repetitive and time-consuming missions thrown in between fights.

BlazBlue is a new franchise that calls back to the cabinet. It’s what you’d expect out of, and it’s what you want in, a new 2D fighting game.

BlazBlue is a new franchise that calls back to the cabinet. It's what you'd expect out of, and it's what you want in, a new 2D fighting game.

As the game was released a couple of years ago on the PC and met with lackluster reviews, I'm not sure what the motivation was behind re-releasing it on the 360 without addressing any of its many, many faults. Whatever the reasoning, there are so many quality shooters on the 360 and there's so much wrong with this game that even with Infernal's budget price, there's no reason to check this one out.

It’s an accessible, fun, card clasher and young gamers will want to take full advantage of the Wi-fi features.

Blood Bowl is an A+ boardgame trapped inside a C level computer game design.

For players with the dedication to succeed and the incomprehensible desire for perfection, Droplitz is one of the most refined puzzle games available.

For players with the dedication to succeed and the incomprehensible desire for perfection, Droplitz is one of the most refined puzzle games available.

Fight Night Round 4 provides exactly what I wanted - with only a few caveats. The training could be better. The load times could be shorter. The “lucky punch” could be adjusted. However, those are relatively minor points in an overall good, solid boxing game.

The Conduit may not redefine the shooter experience, but it's got a good beat and I can dance to it and sometimes that's all you need.

With such basic visuals and a story that is heavy on dialogue and light on exploration, Devil Survivor doesn’t strain to appeal to a new audience.

As a whole Revenge of the Fallen is a solid package. Though the melee combat is practically counterproductive and the odd accidental transforms will nag at you here and there ultimately the game delivers an entertaining go of things.

As a whole Revenge of the Fallen is a solid package. Though the melee combat is practically counterproductive and the odd accidental transforms will nag at you here and there ultimately the game delivers an entertaining go of things.

It’s an “A” game saddled with “C” game issues, but it’s still an addicting experience. I routinely found myself playing into the wee hours of the night, butchering gnomes with glee; camera issues (and all sense of morality) be damned.

It’s an “A” game saddled with “C” game issues, but it’s still an addicting experience. I routinely found myself playing into the wee hours of the night, butchering gnomes with glee; camera issues (and all sense of morality) be damned.

It’s an “A” game saddled with “C” game issues, but it’s still an addicting experience. I routinely found myself playing into the wee hours of the night, butchering gnomes with glee; camera issues (and all sense of morality) be damned.

It may be fun, but no amount of political (and entertaining) backstabbing can hide the fact that, at the end of the day, this is still Dynasty Warriors 6 with a slight incentive to keep hacking and slashing.

It may be fun, but no amount of political (and entertaining) backstabbing can hide the fact that, at the end of the day, this is still Dynasty Warriors 6 with a slight incentive to keep hacking and slashing.

Overall, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is an entertaining game, and definitely well worth the price tag – around $30 for 500+ hours of gameplay.

Once you get a continuous game going to the point you are bored with it, there isn’t much incentive to being a new continuous game, even on a higher difficulty level. It will take you tens of hours to see all the content available to you, and once you do there’s not a lot of reason to go back and see it again.

Argos Naval Yard represents the definitive culmination of all of the hard work that Kerberos has put into the series up to this point.

Ghostbusters is a much better game than anticipated because I suppose I am hung up on the fact that licensed games, by and large, fail to meet the standards of the license it’s based on – but this adaption of the lore is a success.

Ok, so there are some issues that keep this from being the pinnacle of Ghostbusters nirvana. It’s still the most fun you can have without strapping on a proton pack, hijacking an old ambulance, and harassing the undead ladies at your local library.

In the end, is Ghostbusters the worst game I've ever played? No. It just pales so much in comparison to the other versions that it's not even worth picking up for anyone other than diehard fans of the series.

Unless you’ve never played the first game or just have to have the vocal and drum parts included, there’s almost nothing here you can’t get by looking for a cheap deal buying Guitar Hero II or III separately.

Unless you’ve never played the first game or just have to have the vocal and drum parts included, there’s almost nothing here you can’t get by looking for a cheap deal buying Guitar Hero II or III separately.