Smashing other robots and transforming into different vehicles is generally fun, but the game is short and the missions are often uninspiring.

Monster Lab has a ton of monster-making potential, but poor controls ruin this experiment.

Space Ark is undeniably catchy, but too much repetition and too much cuteness can spoil the party.

Defiance is the B movie of massively multiplayer games: rickety and unrefined, yet a good time all the same.

Though it lacks the rich community features of other versions, Def Jam Rapstar still has enough great songs to get your living room bumpin'.

A deliberate '90s-arcade-game charm and some ridiculous non sequiturs give this incredibly brief light gun shooter an odd appeal.

The concept of a platform-heavy puzzler that features crazy cars sounds like a neat idea. GripShift just doesn't deliver on its lofty concept.

World War II has been done before and done better, but it's never been done like this.

In terms of value alone, it's difficult to recommend Quake Wars. You'll love the giant sandbox filled with such distinct classes, high-tech weaponry, and attack vehicles. But when limited to only 16 players on just 12 maps, the gameplay is one-dimensional.

Monopoly Streets admirably brings the famed board game to life, but annoying characters and poor pacing keep this outing from rolling doubles.

This top-down racer offers both thrills and frills, but it gets some of the basics wrong.

Bugs, connection issues, and other basic flaws dampen Conviction's great storytelling and violent executions.

Dead Rising veterans might see a downsized port, but for newcomers this is an enjoyable horror-themed action game.

Need for Speed returns to its roots with hokey cutscenes, wild cop chases, and solid racing action.

There's a ton of space butt to kick with your pimped-out fleet of starships, but be prepared to take a beating.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness/Time recycles the aging Mystery Dungeon formula, but it's still worthwhile for fans of dungeon hacks.

Puzzle Agent is cute and charismatic, although its puzzles leave something to be desired.

Chantelise is a flawed but fun action role-playing game that's charming and challenging in equal doses.

Monopoly Streets admirably brings the famed board game to life, but annoying characters and poor pacing keep this outing from rolling doubles.

Joint Task Force's theme of modern military intervention to solve the world's ills seems fitting, as it shows how good ideas can get bogged down in reality.

The Naruto: Ultimate Ninja games haven't been terribly ambitious up to now, and with little in the way of actual, original content, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes feels even less so.

An interesting time-shifting mechanic and fun-to-shoot weapons can't make up for the rest of TimeShift's run-of-the-mill first-person shooter gameplay.

This naval-centric strategy game merely treads water.

Even with some game-balance issues, ThreadSpace: Hyperbol is an interesting combination of action and tactics.

This budget-priced Xbox Live-enabled fighter still packs some good stuff for hardcore fans, but the touched-up paint job doesn't make this feel like a whole new game. In fact, in some ways it feels like a step backward from "The King of Fighters 2002."

Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 offers fast, fun games of Magic: the Gathering, but is hampered by a less-than-ideal control scheme and limited deck building.

It's a haunted mansion romp that looks and sounds really impressive, but it's ultimately marred by repetitive, overly simple punch-and-kick gameplay that's compounded by the game's lack of length.

Scene It? Movie Night provides fun multiplayer movie trivia and has an appealing price, but it's not as exciting if you've Scene It? all before.

Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 offers fast, fun games of Magic: the Gathering, but is hampered by a less-than-ideal control scheme and limited deck building.

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

Scene It? Movie Night provides fun multiplayer movie trivia and has an appealing price, but it's not as exciting if you've Scene It? all before.

This faithful but inconsistent throwback to the earliest Sonic games mingles high-speed thrills with a few too many frustrations.

Lucius has an intriguing premise, but some not-so-original adventure-game flaws.

This faithful but inconsistent throwback to the earliest Sonic games mingles high-speed thrills with a few too many frustrations.

Monopoly Streets admirably brings the famed board game to life, but annoying characters and poor pacing keep this outing from rolling doubles.

While Black Sigil comes with all the basic trappings of a traditional RPG, it’s too frustrating and unoriginal to stand out.

A New Beginning's fantastic visuals and enjoyable story offset its glaring translation and voice-over flaws.

Namco Museum DS is a decent collection of arcade classics, but you'll have to turn your DS on its side to see them properly.

Zombie Driver HD never grows more complex than slaughtering zombies with a car, but it makes up for that simplicity with sheer fun.

Despite being plenty of fun and sporting a few new tweaks, Pokemon White 2 fails to outshine its predecessors.

Some of the games featured just don't play the way they should, marring an otherwise stellar compilation. If you have any interest in classic gaming, this collection is worth a look, provided you can get used to its quirks.

The excitement and tension of SOCOM's signature combat are blunted by technical issues in the series' multiplayer-only PlayStation 3 debut.

Jam Sessions is neat if you want to turn your DS into an acoustic guitar, but that's about all it does.

Despite distinctive visuals and intuitive controls, PowerUp Forever still grows old before its time.

The AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack is a short but sweet experience that leaves you feeling like you didn't get a Whole Lotta Rosie.

Burdened by clumsy controls and predictable artificial intelligence, Tenkaichi 2 is a game that can be loved only by forgiving DBZ fans.

Though Assassin's Creed III: Liberation toys around with intriguing concepts and centers its story around a character you desperately want to know more about, none of it comes together especially well. Liberation often excels, but it stumbles just as much.

White Knight Chronicles II's solo play will try your patience, but online adventuring and town building offer more than your usual role-playing game.

The Sims 2 loses something in translation from PC to consoles. Namely, its addictive, entertaining gameplay.

Beyond a roster update and a couple of small additions, there's little to Madden NFL 08 on the PC to make it worthwhile to anyone who bought last year's game.

Control issues taint the overall experience of the otherwise enjoyable World Gone Sour.

Through thick and thin, Xevious has always stood out when compared to other arcade games from its era, and it's nice to have another accurate emulation of this classic out there.

MLB 2K8 is full of new ideas; unfortunately, it's also filled with technical problems.

Octomania is a cute puzzle game, but that won't keep you coming back for more.

Control issues taint the overall experience of the otherwise enjoyable World Gone Sour.

Though it offers few thrills, About a Blob serves up plenty of palatable platforming action.

It's a shame there are so few noteworthy changes, because the core gameplay is still well done. But recycling the same content isn't enough to make this worth buying. NCAA Football 13 is another entry in a long-running franchise that desperately needs new ideas.

Rebel coups and corruption aren't the only things you need to worry about in this somewhat problematic, yet still addictive, port of Tropico 3.

Fossil Fighters: Champions might be worth digging up, but it's too similar to its predecessor to be a significant find.

It might be short, but there's some solid fun to be had in this family-friendly Move shooter.

Revelations is a decent adventure, but it doesn't come close to reaching the heights the series has in the past.

Conflict: Denied Ops is a little dumb and a lot dated, yet it's surprisingly enjoyable if you're into retro shooters with lots of kabooms.

Underneath Nanostray's excellent presentation is a game that's not nearly as good as its sources of inspiration. A weak multiplayer mode, repetitive level design (even for a shoot-'em-up), and limited replay value put Nanostray squarely in the "almost, but not quite" category.

Resident Evil: Revelations plays a lot like the best games in the series, but lacks the scariness and intensity that made those games special.

The core mechanics and the main race modes are enjoyable enough that someone looking specifically for an ATV racing game will have some fun.

Though newcomers may well find it enjoyable, anyone who's wheeled into the Ratbag paddock before will undoubtedly feel a less-than-ecstatic sense of déjà vu all over again.

This collection of Move-powered minigames is fun with friends but has little to offer solo players.

It's not dramatically different from Mario Party 6 or, frankly, any of the other Mario Party games, but as a cheery collection of simple pick-up-and-play minigames that's well suited for younger and more-casual players, it still works.

Revelations is competent enough to remind you of what Resident Evil can be, even if it doesn't get under your skin the way the best games in the series do.

While Namco Museum is fine for people who are looking for arcade classics, players who own most of these games in another format needn't bother adding this to their collection.

Some players will surely find it all rather dull or frustrating. Still, this relaxed pace can be refreshing.

Goblet of Fire is a decent game, but exploring the large levels becomes repetitive after a while, and it also fails to effectively leverage the strengths of the DS.

Pilotwings Resort is fun while it lasts, but it fails to reach the same heights as its predecessors.

Trial-and-error frustrations diminish the impact of this add-on's great characters and dialogue.

Dungeon Siege III is a fun but unambitious dungeon crawler that fails to live up to the games that came before it.

Dungeon Siege III is a fun but unambitious dungeon crawler that fails to live up to the games that came before it.

Roogoo Attack is harmless enough, but unlike the best puzzlers, it won't get under your skin.

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

The AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack is a short but sweet experience that leaves you feeling like you didn't get a Whole Lotta Rosie.

The well-realized license in this third-person shooter can hide the myriad problems for only so long.

The Sims 2 loses something in translation from PC to consoles. Namely, its addictive, entertaining gameplay.

Elements of Destruction won't hold your interest for long, but it will satisfy your craving for blowing stuff up.

In terms of value alone, it's difficult to recommend Quake Wars. You'll love the giant sandbox filled with such distinct classes, high-tech weaponry, and attack vehicles. But when limited to only 16 players on just 12 maps, the gameplay is one-dimensional.

When push comes to shove, the majority of people who are interested in what MySims has to offer should probably get Animal Crossing: Wild World instead.

A fairly decent "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater" clone, putting a different face on a familiar game.

The only major flaw in Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX is that the game is a touch on the easy side.

Besting this generic role-playing game's pushover difficulty and humdrum gameplay is no heroic task.

Commando 3 is an all-too-brief shooter that delivers high-caliber fun in solo and cooperative bursts.

BattleZone is fun for the couple of hours it takes to finish, but it's over too quickly.

There are better, more fluid games out there for the serious fighter, and there are more accessible ones for those interested in a bit of silliness. In attempting to mix the two, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale merely ends up being competent at both and the master of neither.

With little notable improvement to the formula and steps backward in several key areas, SmackDown! vs. RAW 2008 is a big disappointment.

A game that could prove entertaining for fans of Nick Park's peculiar pair, but, as a 3D platformer, it's simply not that impressive. When you add the game's relatively short length (of around six hours) to the overall lack of polish, Project Zoo isn't a terribly attractive purchase, but it can make a decent rental.

It plays fine, but other than some updated rosters, there's almost nothing new in NBA Live 08.

There's more to do than ever in NBA 08, but outside of a few good minigames and the fun conquest mode, little of it is worthwhile.

Q.U.B.E. may have some wonderfully clever puzzles, but without any sort of personality, it ends up feeling as boring as its whitewashed walls.

Burdened by clumsy controls and predictable artificial intelligence, Tenkaichi 2 is a game that can be loved only by forgiving DBZ fans.

The best of the Dynasty Warriors franchise struggles to compete with modern hack-and-slash games.

Despite feeling a little irrelevant in 2007, Jackass: The Game does a decent job of capturing the feel of the show.