Halo 2 for Vista is a solid game that probably won't appeal to anyone who's played any recent high-profile PC shooters.

Like the cold response Marty McFly got from his failed attempt to introduce 80s-style guitar licks to the people of the 1950s, a game like Retro City Rampage might have been too much for players of the 1980s to handle. But now, its time has come, and it's well worth experiencing, warts and all.

Kentucky Route Zero is a pleasure to look at and interact with, brimming with anxious memories and begging you to peer into the distance. And yet it also comes across as a bit underdeveloped.

Luckily, before work comes joy, and in the few hours that Titan Souls maintains your interest, you prove that you--and the diminutive hero that you play--can change the world with incredible patience, and a single arrow.

Tropico 5 on consoles is a great port. It's a faithful recreation of the PC classic and a welcome addition to the scant city builders console players can enjoy.

It represents the first major set of changes the series had ever seen. That said, this game has been surpassed on nearly every front since its original release.

When Ghostrunner rips, it really rips. Wall-running, jumping, sliding, and cutting through enemies as you go is empowering and impressive. For a good portion of the game, you'll only experience how impressive it feels to dart around a room in short bursts, but even that's enough motivation to keep you pushing forward to master the art of robot ninja parkour. There's bound to be a lot of frustration along the way, so it isn't all smiles, exactly, but the rush you feel in the moment as you perfectly run a room is worth the grit.

It's a bit of a bummer to see Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales trip up at certain points, but thankfully, that doesn't happen often. The game wastes little time jumping you into Miles' story and rarely lets up on the brakes, packing the young wall crawler's first solo outing with more super powers and radio chatter than the game needs. And yet, despite its frantic pace, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a compelling open-world action game that helps highlight why Miles is so special: his culture. It's Miles' unique differences and earnest attempts at figuring out how to protect his community that make him into such a wonderful hero, not the mask he wears and superpowers he wields.

It's a fairly sturdy, combat-heavy platformer with a good hook, but it lacks a real distinct attitude.

There is, of course, the off-chance that the trilogy might be someone's first exposure to the life and times of Phoenix Wright, or at least their first exposure in a great many years, and it's as refined a jumping-off point for that as can be expected. For anyone for whom this is their third, four, or fifth time around, there's nothing new to discover, aside from the convenience of having all three games in one handy digital package.

A flair for the dramatic elevates Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 above its shallow combat.

A few technical issues get in the way, but the hilarity of this adventure series still shines through.

Fans of the original arcade version will get a kick out of playing this PlayStation Network racer, but a steep price and limited replay value limit its longevity.

When Ghostrunner rips, it really rips. Wall-running, jumping, sliding, and cutting through enemies as you go is empowering and impressive. For a good portion of the game, you'll only experience how impressive it feels to dart around a room in short bursts, but even that's enough motivation to keep you pushing forward to master the art of robot ninja parkour. There's bound to be a lot of frustration along the way, so it isn't all smiles, exactly, but the rush you feel in the moment as you perfectly run a room is worth the grit.

This is a lovely game, let down not by its mechanical simplicity, but by its resistance to doing more with those mechanics. Yet when it taps into basic animal instinct, Shelter reminds us just how precious life is, and how apathetic the laws of nature are to our pleas for mercy.

This is a dark, thoroughly ridiculous world you're visiting, but it's an inviting one, and its odd sense of humor, semi-absurd puzzles, and delightful action grab your attention and hold it.

It's not the revelation that Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light was--it's a bit too glitchy and dated to herald it a new classic, in spite of the welcome addition of four-person online play.

It may not live up to its massive potential, but Lost Planet 2 on the PC is a step in the right direction.

A flair for the dramatic elevates Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 above its shallow combat.

Super Stardust Delta is a solid dual-stick shooter with vibrant visuals that make it a great showcase for the PlayStation Vita's display.

When Ghostrunner rips, it really rips. Wall-running, jumping, sliding, and cutting through enemies as you go is empowering and impressive. For a good portion of the game, you'll only experience how impressive it feels to dart around a room in short bursts, but even that's enough motivation to keep you pushing forward to master the art of robot ninja parkour. There's bound to be a lot of frustration along the way, so it isn't all smiles, exactly, but the rush you feel in the moment as you perfectly run a room is worth the grit.

Accessible controls and spectacular supermoves help make this a fun fighter.

Oxenfree II is a strong sequel to the original game. A particular secondary character and antagonist drag the experience down a bit but the overall storyline is a satisfying foray into an adult woman's tenuous grasp on reality and her ultimate decision to cut through the static and strive for something better with the help of the friendships forged whilst speaking over a simple walkie-talkie.

That story, like most of Pikmin 4, is gentle and unobtrusive. It's all just very agreeable and sweet, and there's a certain gratification that comes from directing your little army of plant-people to gather treasures like fruits and Game Boy Advance cartridges. The more Pikmin 4 leans into fashioning itself after a more traditional game, with competition and fail-states, the more prone it is to getting in its own way. Sometimes, it's enough to simply have a relaxing activity.

It's not the revelation that Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light was--it's a bit too glitchy and dated to herald it a new classic, in spite of the welcome addition of four-person online play.

Konami's seventh Pro Evolution Soccer is a small improvement in terms of playability, but there's little else to make it worth the upgrade.

Touch My Katamari is a fun return to form that ends long before it has a chance to wear out its welcome.

Da New Guys: Day of the Jackass carries many of the same high and lows as its retro adventure game forebears.