Xevious is certainly a classic game, but it's a classic <I>arcade</I> game, not a classic NES game.

It's bigger and more ambitious than any of its predecessors, but XGRA is hindered by a few unfortunate technical and design issues.

A fun arcade-style boxing game that casual gamers will find entertaining for awhile.

A game that <I>could</I> prove entertaining for fans of Nick Park's peculiar pair, but, as a 3D platformer, it's simply not that impressive.

Still, for all that Bleeding Edge gets right, it really feels like the game's "early days." It’s missing crucial staples of competitive games, like ranked play, which allows you to invest the experience and keeps people playing, long-term. I'd like to believe Microsoft and Ninja Theory will keep tweaking and expanding the game so it can compete with other competitive multiplayer games, but right now it feels like a temporary multiplayer fix for players looking to break up the monotony, rather than the next esports obsession.

A generally unremarkable game that manages to pull itself together thanks to its story and interesting characters.

One Piece Grand Adventure feels like a beefier version of One Piece Grand Battle, but it's still not a very compelling brawler.

This challenging minigolf game boasts well over 100 different holes as well as tools to create and share your own.

The Sims 2: Pets adds some moderately interesting animal companions, but offers a surprisingly strong Sims 2 experience.

Disney Universe isn't much of a Disney product--nor much of a game, either.

The game's story isn't strong enough to stand on its own, and the gameplay simply doesn't save it, making the game worth a look for hard-core fans of The Matrix films, but a buggy disappointment for just about anyone else.

Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner is built on a solid concept that is enjoyable at times, but the rest of the game just feels underdeveloped.

3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures is a bit of fun when played with friends, but the single-player experience is lackluster thanks to slow pacing and erratic physics.

Memento Mori is a plodding adventure that makes the world of art forgeries and ancient mysteries seem dull.

This sequel actually lacks features found in the Xtreme Legends and Empires versions of Dynasty Warriors 4, which ultimately leaves it feeling a bit lackluster overall.

Lining up good shots and laying low dozens of foes is a lot of fun, though it can get tiresome to fight your way through yet another area newly populated with thick-headed rifle fodder. Your tolerance for transparently game-y elements will go a long way toward determining how much you enjoy this glorified shooting gallery, but if you relish a good headshot, Sniper Elite V2 has got you covered.

Mr. Shifty isn't a huge game in terms of length, but the three- to four-hour campaign is ample. It's like a shot of adrenalin, offering an exciting, intense experience, and it's easy to forgive the game's performance flaws when it so consistently makes you feel like a badass.

For every wistful reminder of bygone days and the pleasures of the era, there's a lingering fault or drawback that could have been smoothed over or mended. The issue with Back in the Groove's unwavering faithfulness to its predecessor is inextricable from what makes it occasionally so much fun: It's both captured the good and brought the bad back with it.

Swansong ultimately has little to recommend it. Its writing is stilted, its storytelling muddled, and its puzzle design is mostly unimaginative. Sadly, there isn't even any kind of worthwhile payoff if you do manage to see it through to its conclusion. I reached a point where I was thinking I'd hit the close of the second act, and then the game ended. Just like this.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD just about nails the feel of vintage Tony Hawk, but it's a lean package that fails to capitalize on that foundation.

Banana Splitz's disappointing collection of minigames can't live up to the standards of classic Monkey Ball gameplay.

It attempts to deliver some simulation-styled thrills, but the driving physics and options simply aren't up to snuff when compared to other, better games. On the other side, the addition of brake assist turns the game into an overly simplified affair that reduces the gameplay to holding down the gas pedal and steering.

Despite some flaws with its strategic game, Shattered Union is a fun, turn-based wargame that anyone can pick up and enjoy.

Here again, there's humor and occasional pathos to be found in The Yawhg's brevity, but it's just not very moving to be told that you were a strong leader, or that you never found love, in as many words.

The finely tuned control that made the first game such a hit seems to have been lost in translation, but the game still has considerable charm.

Even if you have to endure a few too many boring werehog fights, it's still worth playing through this adventure just to see Sonic sprint again.

Pupperazzi is a cute game conceptually, but it falters in its execution, making for an experience that I couldn't get behind despite desperately wanting to extend it all the same affection I have for our four-legged friends. Quite simply, the game fails to capture the liveliness and joy that dogs, art, and games can provide us with. While the premise is unique and wholesome, Pupperazzi is ultimately a lot more bark than bite.

Madden NFL Arcade straddles the line between over-the-top arcade sports games and buttoned-down sims but doesn't wind up pleasing anybody.

NaissanceE is not a horror game. Yet the hairs on the back of my neck were at attention for most of the 10 hours I spent in its world.

While the lack of multiplayer is disappointing, it features more than enough loadout options to add variety that it warrants repeat playthroughs.

This gritty cover-based shooter is better than its predecessor, but as a package, it's light on content.

The game has a variety of gorgeous real life cars, race-long bumper-to-bumper action, and emotionally charged AI drivers--too many positive attributes to be ignored.

If you're an RPG fan looking for some lighter fare, Torneko is a charming little adventure that manages to push the nostalgia button without feeling overly dated.

The sound effects -- while a little drab -- get the job done, but the buzzer that signifies a new wrestler entering the ring in the royal rumble mode will drive you absolutely insane with its frequency.

EA Playground puts forth a family-friendly assortment of games with a few absolute gems.

A brutal platformer with old-school sensibilities that challenge your patience and capacity for the macabre.

The four-player co-op is pretty much what makes this update of the classic arcade Turtles beat-'em-up worth downloading, though the $5 price doesn't hurt either.

Juka's quest is aesthetically pleasing and incorporates a couple of twists on the usual action role-playing game blueprint, but the easygoing gameplay is clearly geared toward inexperienced players.

Combat performance, visual grandeur, and longer load times aside, however, this is still the same game as it exists on other platforms. The memorable characters who inhabit the world and their interesting stories of living under a bizarre dystopia of corporate oppression are still here. The companions you pick up along the way are still as endearing and fleshed out as they are in other versions. The game's layered, branching, and interweaving questlines are still intact, and are a fascinating thing to slowly pull apart as you continue your journey. The beauty of The Outer Worlds is that you don't need to be the galaxy's most competent gunslinger in order to get the most out of it. If you have the means to play it on another platform, do so. But if you don't, there's still a great, modern RPG underneath the exterior.

On some level, Point Blank DS really is an interesting experiment on Namco's behalf, but frankly, Point Blank was more interesting when it was a light-gun game.

Despite its simplistic nature and barbaric difficulty level, Izuna: The Legend of the Unemployed Ninja can be intensely satisfying.

A few modest improvements have been made in porting Budokai 2 to the GameCube, but the game just feels late, and a little irrelevant.

Might & Magic Heroes VI: Shades of Darkness is a harsh challenge, but not often a fair one.

It's a worthwhile platforming experience for hardcore Potter fans, but some may be put off by all the collection quests and backtracking.

On paper, then, Ride 2 is an exciting proposition that bundles the promises of aspirational game design with the raw power and fun associated with motorbikes. Unfortunately, those promises are broken and the resulting game falls flat. Unless you're so enamoured with two-wheeled machines that you simply can't help but pick yourself up a copy, you should wait for a new contender to try its hand at delivering a biking game of this scope.

The combination rhythm-based action is one that has been executed better in a handful of other games already, and Soundfall's take doesn't manage to progress beyond its initial hook in its opening hours. This exposes the uninteresting loot progression and stage variety even more, making its extended campaign feel far, far too long, even when tackled in short bursts. Soundfall's underlying concept is one that feels deserving of an adventure that capitalizes on its strengths better, but that's sadly not what's here right now.

There are plenty of good trivia questions, but this is a flawed port of the classic board game.

This slightly enhanced version of Tecmo's endearing, puzzle-heavy PSP platformer is still fun, but it feels small on the PS2.

The open-ended design is a breath of fresh air, while the overall presentation lives up to the movie's skewed style and humor.

Rotastic features Vikings soaring through the air, but control and level-design problems quickly ground them.

Improves on the features that were introduced in the previous game and implements some new features that longtime fans should appreciate. On the other hand, it also retains the same graphics, audio, and basic game design that have been with the series since its inception roughly four years ago.

Strike Suit Zero's thrilling combat and awe-inspiring world make space combat feel like a relevant genre after years of stagnation.

Well-integrated social features fuel the competitive kinetic chaos of Burnout Crash.

It's still a fundamentally unimaginative example of the genre it's aping, and completely fades out of memory the second you remember there are other fish in the sea.

Youngblood suffers as a result of the Switch's relatively underpowered hardware, but for all its technical shortcomings, the game still delivers intense, momentous, and challenging combat. Everything features-wise remains intact, and you'll get to enjoy taking a shotgun (or fully charged laser beam) to the heads of Nazi scum. The Blazkowicz sisters, Jess and Soph, bring their own unique swagger to the Wolfenstein franchise, too. So if the Switch version is your only way of playing Youngblood, you can be confident it's still one hell of a ride.

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

Frustrating platforming and a tepid narrative mar this journey into classic Kingdom Hearts realms.

A platformer, characterized most notably by its fusion of classic Pac-Man moments and generic platforming gameplay.

Balanced well for casual players who don't want to make large time commitments to the game, yet it's this same balance that ultimately keeps the game from being truly compelling at this point in time.

The strategy, combat, and even history lessons are excellent.

The AirForce Delta series has always been of middling quality and has never really been able to live up to its contemporaries, such as "Ace Combat" and "Lethal Skies," and Strike does little to buck that trend.

A lighthearted, charming blend of real-time strategy, tycoon-building, and role-playing elements that form a game that knows not to take itself too seriously.

While it probably won't appeal to anyone other than historical wargamers, these players will find Combat Command 2 a satisfying experience.

Heroes of Mana is an ambitious and sloppy game that will both entertain and infuriate you.

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

Another Code R is a pleasing adventure with a good story, but slow pacing, frustrating motion puzzles, and overwrought dialogue spoil it.

If you've got the patience it takes to play through seven initially boring levels and acclimate yourself to the game's confining camera work, the final 24 levels represent some of the finest gaming that money can buy. It's pretty, it's funny, and it's pretty funny - the way a Disney game should be.

The greatest thing about Tomb Raider: The Prophecy is that it captures the same scope and spirit of exploration that made the early Tomb Raider games so enjoyable.

Minigame tasks and plot scenes crop up frequently, and the character animation is so smooth--not to mention hilarious--that most players will come away genuinely entertained when all is said and done.

Chances are a good number won't be able to forgive the incredibly high level of difficulty--or, rather, be forgiven by it, especially considering the inability to save in the middle of the game's long levels.

A game with fundamental flaws that limit its appeal to both the casual player and the ardent baseball guru.

This may be a touch disappointing to hardcore fans of "Crash Team Racing", but anyone looking for a solid kart racer should be quite pleased.

Younger children will be delighted to be at the controls, but seasoned gamers will want to look elsewhere for a more polished and challenging experience.

It's a capable homage to a beloved 16-bit franchise, complete with attractive visuals and great audio, but the overall package is best suited to those who are eager for new challenges to keep them busy after they've worked through the readily available and more affordable library of older fare that already covered the same ground.

Fortified feels like a really good start, not a fully realized game.

With only minimal improvements to a well-worn formula, the Harvest Moon series is starting to show its age.

Robotron is one of the games that have fared pretty well in these collections, but with the scoreboards and online competition that the Xbox 360 version of the game provides, this Xbox Live Arcade download is at least as good as the original arcade hit.

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

Myths of the Eastern Realms does what a lot of expansions do: It condenses a larger, more expansive game into something quicker and more approachable. Being able to explore a new area and solve puzzles at a quicker pace can be fun, but without any strong new hooks, it's too stale to maintain much excitement for long and feels like a wasted opportunity to bring the world of Chinese myth to life.

The stages themselves are filled with over-the-top shooting action and twitch gameplay, so they're good for some kicks, even if Neo Contra ultimately doesn't provide much depth or challenge.

Stronghold Crusader 2 understands the art of the troop blob, but that alone doesn't make it a good game. Its lack of interesting units, underdeveloped castle-building options, and terrible tutorials hold the game back. Blob warfare is still fun, and directing an army never gets old. But man cannot live on blob alone.

A bit short on content, but Forge is nevertheless a frenetic rush of competitive multiplayer action.

It looks nicer, it plays faster, and with its lower barrier to entry, Armored Core 4 should appeal to more than just the series' faithful gearheads.

A perfect example of awesome but unrealized potential.

Bothersome control issues won't keep you from enjoying this charming strategy game.

One of the most terrifying games in recent memory.

Comprehensively adorable and approachable, Kirby Fighters 2 is a solid entry point into the fighting genre. It's phenomenally beautiful and plays tightly, but the story's difficulty spikes and limited game modes see Kirby's latest outing falling short of stardom.

There's nothing like Elegy for a Dead World, a muse in the guise of a narrative creation tool in the guise of a video game, and it’s within those layers that you find the treasures.

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

This disappointing, bare-bones spin-off has its moments, but not enough of them to make it worth playing.

Yesterday's unsteady narrative is disappointingly brief, though solid puzzles and nice visuals make it a pleasant diversion.

Blacklight: Tango Down is a decent, cheap multiplayer shooter for the budget-minded gamer looking for a change of pace.

EA's football series makes a moderately successful debut on the Wii, with family-friendly control and some neat minigames.

Exhibits bouts of outrageously bad AI and displays little quirks that make it seem as though the game is simulating incompetent high school football players as opposed to seasoned professionals.

Bankshot Billiards 2 doesn't play a great game of pool, and as the most expensive Xbox Live Arcade game available, it represents lousy value for the money.

What it lacks in innovation, it makes up for with a solid multiplayer game with respectable graphics, a healthy helping of variety, and plenty of replay value.

The racing itself is fine, but the flawed trick system makes things more simplistic when it should have added more depth.

Those who want a deeper, more satisfying platform adventure should probably save this for a weekend rental.