As is the case with every title in the franchise, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 doesn't re-invent the wheel. A few minor changes here and there, more than double the playable characters, and a half-hearted attempt at bringing large scale boss fights to the series are the only real changes over the last version.

As is the case with every title in the franchise, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 doesn't re-invent the wheel. A few minor changes here and there, more than double the playable characters, and a half-hearted attempt at bringing large scale boss fights to the series are the only real changes over the last version.

In so many ways, this feels like a return to the simple, all-ages fun that the older Mario Kart games offered. It’s totally satisfying, challenging (though never frustrating) and completely ridiculous in the best way.

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 fast, easy to learn, and you never, ever come away with the feeling you were cheated – if you lose a game there is a specific reason why you lost.

If you've never played the original game, it's well worth your time to pick it up and while Dark Athena doesn't compare, it's still fun—up to a point.

If you've never played the original game, it's well worth your time to pick it up and while Dark Athena doesn't compare, it's still fun—up to a point.

The strategy elements fall short and are only as important as you choose to make them, but the combination of brutal action and customizable crews is reason enough to warrant a play-through.

The strategy elements fall short and are only as important as you choose to make them, but the combination of brutal action and customizable crews is reason enough to warrant a play-through.

The strategy elements fall short and are only as important as you choose to make them, but the combination of brutal action and customizable crews is reason enough to warrant a play-through.

The problem isn’t that Tales of Valor lacks any quality features or commendable traits, but that it doesn’t really do anything with them.

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.

Fact is, Elven Legacy doesn’t push any envelopes or try to add some fancy new twist to the genre. It’s generic in almost every conceivable way.

It’s hard to tell whether Tokyo Beat Down is a nostalgic parody of a classic genre, or a hack-job beat-‘em-up with a satirical sheen of machismo to hide the blemishes. Either way, it doesn’t matter when the sloppy fighting mechanics and flavorless style would have been hard-pressed to glean a second quarter back in the arcade heydays.

Ultimately, if you like Metallica (a lot), and if you like the standard Guitar Hero gameplay formula, then this game is well worth the price of admission. If you don’t meet both those criteria, however, you really should move on.

Ultimately, if you like Metallica (a lot), and if you like the standard Guitar Hero gameplay formula, then this game is well worth the price of admission. If you don’t meet both those criteria, however, you really should move on.

Ultimately, if you like Metallica (a lot), and if you like the standard Guitar Hero gameplay formula, then this game is well worth the price of admission. If you don’t meet both those criteria, however, you really should move on.

Unfortunately, the simplicity went a notch too far, and instead of a fun, arcade-like romp through memories of wrestling yesteryear, we're left with a wrestling game that has the best roster in 10 years, but some of the least challenging and least fun gameplay.

Unfortunately, the simplicity went a notch too far, and instead of a fun, arcade-like romp through memories of wrestling yesteryear, we're left with a wrestling game that has the best roster in 10 years, but some of the least challenging and least fun gameplay.

It’s just boring and redundant. It’s worth a rental, especially if you enjoyed the big-screen or comic book incarnations of the franchise, but even a guest appearance by Angie herself wouldn’t make this worth full price.

It’s just boring and redundant. It’s worth a rental, especially if you enjoyed the big-screen or comic book incarnations of the franchise, but even a guest appearance by Angie herself wouldn’t make this worth full price.

While single players will need a bit of extra setup time, the enjoyable story and intuitive touch controls make Echoes of Time a blast to play for practically anyone – not just the diehard RPG fans out there.

While single players will need a bit of extra setup time, the enjoyable story and intuitive touch controls make Echoes of Time a blast to play for practically anyone – not just the diehard RPG fans out there.

Whether or not you enjoy BattleForge depends largely on how much of a purist you are. It has the cunning and diverse combos of a CCG, but not the pacing for patient maneuvers. It has the tactics and resource-management of RTS, but not the stability in foes to plan for every possibility.

I think what bugs me the most about this game is that I had my original expectations set pretty darned low before it came out in the hopes of being easily-impressed, and sadly, it ended up meeting many of these low expectations.

The campaign weaves a weak story that’s as incomprehensible as it is uninteresting, but it delivers on satisfying shooting and alien genocide enough to make it an entertaining venture that’s better off being experienced online with some buddies and a headset.

It’s just now you can really see the difference between FIFA and PES – and FIFA is starting to pull away.

Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure is a fantastic game for anyone who loves old school platformers and match 3 puzzle games.