There's a cool time-bending story to this adventure, but the simplistic gameplay saps much of the fun.

Limited multiplayer options and a decidedly shallow single-player side weigh down trivia king Buzz's portable debut.

The pleasures of island life are cast away by constant frustrations in this tedious survival game.

King's Bounty is a great modern rendition of an old-fashioned formula.

This ambitious racing game delivers a rewarding off-road experience provided you make it past the initially steep learning curve.

This off-road racing game does a lot of things well, but the PS3 version looks so bad that it's tough to recommend.

Painting the town red, blue, or any other color is a lot of fun in this charming Wii platformer.

Colonization is a more focused and linear Civilization experience that nevertheless offers the depth and rewards of the classic strategy series.

Poor controls and superfluous features hurt what is otherwise an enjoyable SimCity game.

Taking a page from the Civilization handbook, SimCity Creator offers an enjoyable evolutionary building experience.

Wario Land doesn't shake any conventions, but it's still a fun, beautiful platformer.

The original blue bomber returns in an all new adventure that will bring you back to the good old days of incredibly hard but simple games.

Cute critters fail to keep this medical-themed puzzler from flatlining.

Even for a French adventure, Nikopol is awfully surreal.

Multiwinia adds a multiplayer mode and even easier controls to the addictive gameplay and visually striking world of Darwinia.

Shipwreck Showdown improves upon Feeding Frenzy in almost every way, but it's still too easy and too short.

Engaging player-versus-player combat makes this an online role-playing game to reckon with.

The Force Unleashed's action can be incredible, though it too often strays from what it does best.

When the game caters to its strengths, it soars; when it deviates, it flounders. Regardless, it's still a more than worthy entry in a long line of licensed Star Wars games, and a good action game in its own right.

A number of frustrations diminish the fun, but you'll still have a reasonably good time with this Force-powered adventure.

The wonky camera gets in the way, but extra modes make this a Force-powered adventure worth taking.

The Force feels quite leashed in the DS version of this Star Wars action game.

It's short and it's frustrating, but you'll still have a reasonably good time with this force-powered adventure.

It's more focused, it's more intense, and though it doesn't provide as much of the sandbox feel as Crysis veterans would wish for, it still delivers on every other front.

Yggdra Union is more fun to say than it is to play.

If you have the patience to learn the subtleties of sled-track design, there is a lot of value in this little package.

Mount & Blade has some innovative ideas, but still needs a lot of work.

Chapters of the Chosen is a charming, absorbing, and addictively fun role-playing game that offers the best chance Westerners have ever had to experience Dragon Quest IV.

The latest Armored Core makes up for the series' lack of progress by simply being fun to play.

The latest Armored Core makes up for the series' lack of progress by simply being fun to play.

The Witcher: Enhanced Edition is what this role-playing game should have been when it made its debut a year ago.

Glitches drag it down, but Clear Sky provides plenty of haunting ambience and challenging gameplay.

Improved gameplay structure makes for a markedly better--and funnier--second episode.

Even though Rock Band 2 plays it safe with only minor improvements and additions, it still rocks.

Painfully short on content.

RocketBowl reinvents bowling through the introduction of rockets and minigolf-style courses, but isn't nearly as much fun as it sounds.

Shotest Shogi is a challenging experience that relies on you having at least a passing familiarity with the tabletop game that it's based on.

The character models are excellent while the animation is fluid and lively, but the physics of fighting definitely lack polish and can create some frustrating situations. Yet despite these technical shortcomings, it's still great fun to clothesline, drop kick, and power bomb your friends in and out of the ring.

The character models are excellent while the animation is fluid and lively, but the physics of fighting definitely lack polish and can create some frustrating situations. Yet despite these technical shortcomings, it's still great fun to clothesline, drop kick, and power bomb your friends in and out of the ring.

High-impact action and lively animation save this brawler from mediocrity.

This mech strategy RPG is rusty and dull.

The latest entry in EA's venerable hockey franchise is the best yet.

Move over Blades of Steel, NHL 09 has earned its place among the greatest sports games of all time.

An entertaining story and a strong sense of visual style help make this brawling adventure worthwhile.

Air Traffic Chaos has all of the fun of controlling the friendly skies, without any of the gruesome consequences and desperate thoughts of suicide.

Though you won't find a paradise in your pocket, Viva Pinata makes animal romancing fun while you're on the road.

AI issues and the lack of any significant new features have NHL 2K9 skating backward this year.

AI issues and the lack of any significant new features have NHL 2K9 skating backward this year.

NHL 2K9 on the Wii boasts some innovative controls but suffers from serious AI problems.

This hidden-object game introduces a number of features that work well on the DS and has a good amount of replay value.

Lock's Quest's intuitive build mode and frantic, engaging battles are great for an action strategy game on the go.

Taken on their own, its pieces are nothing special. As parts of a singular ambitious vision, they work far better. Throw in the best customization tools seen in years and an enthusiastic community brimming with creativity, and you have a legitimately great game that will deliver hours of quality entertainment.

Spore Creatures is pleasant and charming, but ultimately forgettable.

FaceBreaker's impressive boxer-customization options are overshadowed by terrible gameplay.

FaceBreaker's impressive boxer-customization options are overshadowed by terrible gameplay.

NFL Head Coach 09 delivers a deep and immersive coaching experience, provided you can overlook the outdated gameplay engine and lackluster presentation.

NFL Head Coach 09 delivers a deep and immersive coaching experience, provided you can overlook the outdated gameplay engine and lackluster presentation.

Pirates and ninjas clash with other fantasy archetypes in dodgeball matches handicapped by a legion of drawbacks.

Shred Nebula is too stuck in the past to offer much excitement to the postarcade era. It's an okay diversion for a few hours, although at 800 points there are better bangs for the buck available over Xbox Live.

Commando: Steel Disaster takes its inspiration from some great side-scrolling action games, but it's too maddeningly difficult to be one itself.

This real-time strategy game's convoluted controls make it hard to play, much less enjoy.

A new campaign featuring orcs and dark elves is the only noteworthy addition in this expansion for Warhammer: Mark of Chaos.

Infinite Undiscovery feeds your need for narrative, but it's ultimately a shallow, flawed experience.

There's no trouble in this paradise: The second Viva Pinata is just as captivating as the first, with enough tweaks and new additions to make this great for everyone.

A year after its disastrous debut on the Xbox 360, Vampire Rain is still a pain in the neck.

Mercenaries 2 is filled with bugs and glitches that are unacceptable in a retail release. Even if it were possible to overlook the broken elements, you're still left with abysmal AI, repetitive mission structure, unsatisfying weapons, and a huge world without much to do.

Mercenaries 2 is filled with bugs and glitches that are unacceptable in a retail release. Even if it were possible to overlook the broken elements, you're still left with abysmal AI, repetitive mission structure, unsatisfying weapons, and a huge world without much to do.

Broken, buggy, and boring gameplay leaves Mercenaries 2's world in flames.

Colorful graphics can't make up for this game's shocking brevity.

Outcry is one of the more surreal and impenetrable adventure games ever made.

There's some magic to this fantasy puzzle adventure, but a few frustrations break the spell.

Castle Crashers is a classic side-scrolling beat-'em-up infused with cartoon visuals and absurd humor, and the result is a highly amusing romp.

Spore's first full expansion is overflowing with wit and charm, and it offers resourceful players a chance to get creative.

Tales of Vesperia is the best game yet in the series, and a beautiful and entertaining RPG in its own right.

The addictive gameplay and stylish design of N+ fit almost perfectly into the tight confines of today's handhelds.

The addictive gameplay and stylish design of N+ fit almost perfectly into the tight confines of today's handhelds.

Digimon World Championship attempts to shake things up with some interesting ideas, but these changes leave the game repetitive and unexciting.

Friendlier controls and a host of other improvements make Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 great.

Realistic golf-swing controls and a host of exclusive party games make Tiger Woods 09 on the Wii a great golfing experience.

Pure, unadulterated fan service for the Nippon Ichi faithful and strategy RPG enthusiasts, though outsiders may find it incomprehensible.

Exciting for Ferrari fans, but take away the licence and you're left with a competent racer with only average looks, poor AI opponents, and not enough variety.

Island of Happiness offers plenty of satisfying farming gameplay, but the controls will leave you decidedly unhappy.

It's not another Mario sports gem, but Mario Super Sluggers still has a rough, unpolished appeal.

Though it lacks the unique modes that are the series' trademark, MLB Power Pros 2008 is currently the best baseball game on the DS.

Murder in the Abbey may not be entirely original, but it's an adventure with a lot of personality.

Quest for Booty ratchets up the fun, but its strict adherence to the series' formula won't bring in new fans.

Dreary and dated.

If you enjoyed the original Galaga, or are a classic shooter fan, then you'll love this true sequel to one of the greatest arcade shooters of yesteryear.

A perfect example of awesome but unrealized potential.

Iffy controls and blotchy animations mean Smash Court Tennis 3 should restring its racket and try again next year.

Shattered Suns wastes its promise with terrible presentation values and poor implementation of its 3D combat system.

The updated graphics and new modes in Bionic Commando Rearmed are enough to make this classic still fun today, despite some control issues.

The updated graphics and new modes in Bionic Commando Rearmed aren't quite enough to distract from the cumbersome controls.

If you're lukewarm about Fable II or gambling in general, then Pub Games doesn't do anything well enough to warrant your attention.

Saving the human race shouldn't be so tedious.

Bangai-O Spirits is an intense, challenging shooter with terrific tools for creating and sharing your own levels.

For every addition, like the backtrack feature, Collinsworth, or improved visuals, there's a problem that rears its ugly head, like the unchanged Superstar mode, poor pass coverage in the middle of the field, or underwhelming online leagues. Newcomers will still face a steep learning curve, but if you're a football fan or series veteran, you can't go wrong with Madden 09.

For every addition, like the backtrack feature, Collinsworth, or improved visuals, there's a problem that rears its ugly head, like the unchanged Superstar mode, poor pass coverage in the middle of the field, or underwhelming online leagues. Newcomers will still face a steep learning curve, but if you're a football fan or series veteran, you can't go wrong with Madden 09.