This charming rhythm game is especially good for first-timers, but it's a little light on content.

This charming rhythm game is especially good for first-timers, but it's a little light on content.

Simple but rewarding motion controls make for an entertaining cooking experience, though the limited recipe selection will leave a sour taste in your mouth.

This year's Pro Evo improves upon its predecessor in some key areas, but it does little else to keep up with the competition.

This year's Pro Evo improves upon its predecessor in some key areas, but it does little else to keep up with the competition.

For better or worse, Elite Squadron delivers more of the same Battlefront action you already know.

Unless you're desperate for a new Star Wars story, you'll find nothing worthwhile in this shallow action game.

Incredible storytelling, great characters, and exciting battles are just a few of the things that make this fantasy role-playing game so great.

Incredible storytelling, great characters, and exciting battles are just a few of the things that make this fantasy role-playing game so extraordinary.

Band Hero makes fake plastic rock easy to pick up, family friendly, and a whole lot of fun.

Band Hero makes fake plastic rock easy to pick up, family friendly, and a whole lot of fun.

While there may be no star signings in this year's Football Manager, there are enough incremental improvements to keep it at the top of the table.

Kid-friendly action both on and off the pitch is the main attraction in Academy of Champions: Soccer.

A slapdash porting job turns the Force into a farce in this Star Wars action game.

Need for Speed: Nitro gets off to a fast start, but lacks enough variety to make it into the winner's circle.

Sure, there's not much variety, the music leaves something to be desired and the graphics can get a bit rough, but the gameplay itself offers a good sense of speed, plenty of character, and, more importantly, it's fun.

This slow-starting platformer is simple at times but builds up to a goofy good time.

Some technical troubles notwithstanding, this derivative action game is a bunch of silly, stylish fun.

This superb downloadable episode for GTAIV would be easy to recommend even if it were a full retail product selling for three times its actual price.

New gameplay mechanics and multiplayer support are welcome additions to the series, but they come at the cost of accessibility.

Towering Adventure comes close to reinvigorating the Rainbow Islands formula, but this platformer is still tough to recommend.

With its beefy cast, impressive Scenario Campaign mode, and expansive customisation options, Tekken 6 is the new heavyweight in the fighting game arena.

With its beefy cast, impressive Scenario Campaign mode, and expansive customisation options, Tekken 6 is the new heavyweight in the fighting game arena.

Despite its originality and charm, Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter is a mediocre platforming game.

This new frontier in rhythm gaming is electrifyingly fun, but the cover charge is steep.

This new frontier in rhythm gaming is electrifyingly fun, but the cover charge is steep.

Turn 10 Studios' latest racer is bigger and better than its superb predecessor in every way.

Clever time-manipulation puzzles and improved pacing make this the best Ratchet game in years.

Those that have been purely passive participants in the program for nearly a decade, though (by just watching the show), probably won't mind that one bit.

This competitive strategy game is fun, though it offers only a fraction of what you should expect from a retail product.

There's no way to break the curse on this staggeringly bad action game.

There's no way to break the curse on this staggeringly bad action game.

Torchlight is a great dungeon crawler with enjoyable combat and an excellent loot system.

Painkiller: Resurrection is a buggy trip into hell.

An adorable city-building simulation with very light combat and alchemy elements, Atelier Annie isn't very difficult, but its' more engaging than the sum of its parts.

Fun combat and a steady flow of rewards make this journey a massively enjoyable one, especially with some fellow mercenaries along for the ride.

This simplistic, old-fashioned role-playing game sends you adventuring around the world but never manages to feel like an adventure.

The EyePet's creative gameplay and varied content is marred by a lack of proper instruction and a short-lived experience.

This gorgeous action platformer is fun on your own or with a couple of friends.

Another year brings another assortment of subtle improvements to the latest edition of Out of the Park Baseball.

It's not the Panzer General that you might remember, but this card-based XBLA game is impressively deep and addictive.

This puzzle game is fun in short bursts, but it lacks the depth and gameplay options to hold your interest for long.

Fun combat and a steady flow of rewards make this journey a massively enjoyable one, especially with some fellow mercenaries along for the ride.

Fun combat and a steady flow of rewards make this journey a massively enjoyable one, especially with some fellow mercenaries along for the ride.

Playing a banana republic dictator in Tropico 3 might not be easy, but it certainly is rewarding.

This simple superhero game is a super bore.

Revenge of King Piccolo is more successful as a Dragon Ball primer than as an actual fighting game.

An intriguing new creation tool and widespread refinements make it another good year for Smackdown vs. RAW, but it still hasn't received the overhaul that it needs.

An intriguing new creation tool and widespread refinements make it another good year for Smackdown vs. RAW, but it still hasn't received the overhaul that it needs.

Widespread refinements and fun new creation tools make it another good year for Smackdown vs. RAW, but the lack of online play and lingering issues keep the series from flying high.

FIFA 10 offers the best gameplay in the series' history and includes even more features and game modes to boot.

FIFA 10 offers the best gameplay in the series' history and includes even more features and game modes to boot.

The PSP version of this fantastic GTA game is even better than the DS original.

The high-flying Astro Boy stays firmly planted on the ground in this unimaginative adaptation of the film.

Not much has changed since the last invasion, but Space Invaders Extreme 2 is still a fun, vibrant reimagining of a classic game.

LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias vastly improves upon its predecessor with clever puzzles and vibrant graphics.

If you're already a Magic expert, this is an acceptable way to get in a few games online with friends, though you'll likely find the inability to create your own deck to be a pretty major drawback. If you're a Magic neophyte, you'll get more out of this experience.

A picture is worth a thousand words in this charming point-and-click adventure.

Weird settings and a lack of actual gameplay make Axel & Pixel's first adventure an unfulfilling experience.

This amazing tribute to metal delivers a hugely entertaining gaming experience despite missing a few chords.

This amazing tribute to metal delivers a hugely entertaining gaming experience despite missing a few chords.

With an exhilarating campaign, intense cooperative mode, and addictive multiplayer competition, Uncharted 2 is a complete game that is completely awesome.

This lovable platform puzzle game will charm you with its visuals and draw you in with its clever puzzles.

There's some multiplayer fun to be had in this winter sports collection, but you'll have to sift through a lot of lousy stuff to find it.

It's got a lot of star power, but this collection of sports-themed minigames isn't Mario and Sonic's finest hour.

Excellent visual style does little to mask Magna Carta 2's middling story and annoying AI.

Cheap shocks and poor controls await unsuspecting victims in this outdated horror game.

This Japanese role-playing game is made of equal parts dull combat and insipid story, A Witch's Tale isn't worth the time it takes to play.

This unique role-playing game's spritely charm and frantic pace will delight you for far longer than its title suggests.

Cut your own path in this unique but repetitive samurai adventure.

There's not an ounce of fun to be found anywhere in this simplistic and tedious adventure game.

Dreamkiller is, through and through, a budget game. The visuals are colorful but look decidedly old, the action is as shallow as it gets in a modern shooter, and the sound effects lack oomph. The premise is neat, and some of the enemy designs are legitimately awesome. But if you've been dreaming of some old-fashioned twitch shooting, you should return to the old standbys and let this sleeping dog lie.

Cities XL tries to expand the city-building genre with new ideas, but the solo game is generic, and the online features aren't ready for a ground-breaking ceremony.

This visually enchanting game tries to whisk you away to a young girl's dreams, but the often frustrating gameplay makes for a rude awakening.

This visually enchanting game tries to whisk you away to a young girl's dreams, but the often frustrating gameplay makes for a rude awakening.

A great sense of humor and challenging gameplay make Let's Go Tower Defense Play! easily the best South Park game to date.

This tactical military shooter delivers tense and engaging action, competently completing its objective in the face of AI blunders and occasional bugs.

Naruto's latest outing is yet another simplistic, mediocre brawler.

This platformer based on the Star Wars cartoon TV series tries to copy the Lego game formula but gets just about everything wrong.

This platformer based on the Star Wars cartoon TV series tries to copy the Lego game formula but gets just about everything wrong.

This platformer based on the Clone Wars TV series tries to copy the Lego game formula but gets just about everything wrong.

This platformer based on the Star Wars cartoon TV series tries to copy the Lego game formula but gets just about everything wrong.

It may be a little better than its console counterparts, but the DS version of Republic Heroes is still a dull platformer.

If you crave true innovation, a fair but relentless challenge, and gripping exploration in which every step has consequences, then you crave Demon's Souls.

This flawed horror adventure gets the atmosphere right, though it isn't as sharp as it could have been.

This flawed horror adventure gets the atmosphere right, though it isn't as sharp as it could have been.

Dynamic DNA seasons are a great addition to the franchise, but NBA Live is not quite a championship contender.

Dynamic DNA seasons are a great addition to the franchise, but NBA Live is not quite a championship contender.

What this fast-paced basketball game lacks in depth, it makes up for in fun.

What this fast-paced basketball game lacks in depth, it makes up for in fun.

This tactical military shooter delivers tense and engaging action, competently completing its objective in the face of AI blunders and occasional bugs.

User-created routines and plenty of new activities make Wii Fit Plus a vast improvement on the original, although some important omissions stop it from being a standout.

You'll enjoy this fascinating and intricate role-playing game in spite of its troublesome combat and scattered bugs.

This GT5 appetizer is a very good driving game in its own right, especially if you have friends to enjoy it with.

As Valhalla Knights moves to the Wii, any potential for fun is buried under tons of repetitive busywork and technical gaffs.

This survival horror game looks good and controls well but never manages to bring either the scares or the laughs it's aiming for.

Despite a frustrating difficulty level, the deep strategy and undeniable charm of PixelJunk Monsters will keep you hooked for hours.

This turn-based strategy game is a dated and shallow blast from the past.