Don't get us wrong: the latest Castlevania isn't a bad game, if you can swallow the endless combat repetition. It just falls well short of this series' legendary heritage, and can't hold a candle to the handheld Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow for the Nintendo DS.

But it’s short on new ideas, with a fundamental template that hasn’t changed in the last five years. And in this brave, new, post-Arkham Asylum world, we need a little more than that to be really awed.

Solatorobo is a carefree, fun experience, a portal directly to our childhood. There's something endearing about the characters and their growth that still holds a special place in our heart.

CCC Vol. 2 is only 20 bucks, which comes to $1 a game. Considering all of the classic arcade gameplay on this disc, it's an excellent value. We're not sure Capcom has enough material for yet another arcade collection, but if this is the last, then they'll have gone out on a high note.

There's a boatload of game modes to keep you busy for months, whether you're an online guy or prefer keeping to yourself. Have no doubt, though, that it's very similar to its predecessor in most ways.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide delivers an action-packed cooperative multiplayer experience with deeply satisfying combat and a spellbinding depiction of the 40k universe. But the game currently feels more foundational than comprehensive, with the emphasis on repetition and lackluster progression systems undermining its grisly joys.

Got charm for miles, and that’s a lesson many, many games could stand to learn.

While the combat in the game leaves much to be desired, the new perspective on the tower defense genre is a welcome and refreshing change of pace.

An enjoyable hack and slash looter that plays well despite a sparse, repeating structure.

The fighting is fast-and-furious enough to keep Naruto nuts occupied for a good while, especially if two friends make it a point to jam together, but we still think they should've included a character building mode and online play through Nintendo's WFC service.

Delivers the quality, and its mix of accessible, over-the-top anime silliness and deep technical fighting put it in a comfortable niche between games like Super Smash Bros. and King of Fighters.

Despite following a basic format of dungeon exploration, Legasista provides enough additional components to give players a fulfilling experience. Though the feeling tends to wear thin over longer play sessions, it feels good surviving through dungeons with a pocketful of treasure knowing that your preparations paid off.

By, far, the most notable edition to Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 is the plethora of new characters. If that sounds like it won’t float your boat, odds are the other minor features aren’t going to be the life preservers.

Dungeon Defenders is a worthwhile addition to your game library with plenty of content for the price. Although the combat falls short, the tower defense gameplay, RPG elements, and the challenging game modes will have fans of tower defense delighted.

Wii Party U’s lackluster presentation and occasionally boring game modes are but hiccups in an otherwise decent party booster. Its impressive GamePad minigames are sure to keep your guests entertained, and will extend the life of the game even after all your friends have gone home.

Well animated sprites, catchy music, challenging bosses and enough abilities to keep the admittedly monotonous action from grating on your soul.

An encouraging debut for the big new rival to WWE, with loads of welcome throwback nods to No Mercy and Fire Pro, and a career mode you won’t be able to resist playing through multiple times.

Casual gamers who dug Wii Sports and Brain Age will love it - everyone else might wonder what all the commotion is about and go back to waiting for Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

A decent survival game with a rewarding, if uninspired, grind to its resource collecting and base management.

If traipsing through multi-tiered dungeons for hours, leveling up a multitude of job classes and equipment, and keeping track of health, hunger and magic levels sets your heart aflutter, it doesn't get much better than Chocobo's Dungeon.

Thanks to easy multiplayer integration, this surprisingly sturdy download is sure to keep you playing long after that.

Class of Heroes delivers some quality dungeon crawling, which will wake up the back-tracking, corner-hugging, poke-at-everything completionist within you. Unfortunately, the game strays too far into the casual realm when it comes to combat. It’s simply too easy for its own good, which slightly sours what might’ve been an awesome JRPG.

InFamous shows huge potential, but it’s ultimately held back from greatness by too-sticky controls and its surprisingly bland ruin of a city. It’s still fun, but there’s a lot of room for improvement in the strongly hinted-at sequel.

At 12 – 14 hours of gameplay, RPG fans who subscribe to the length = value doctrine may feel shortchanged, but within that short time Rhapsody packs a lot of personality.

Disappointment about the lack of groundbreaking invention aside, Gunpey is a fun and intellectually interesting workout for your brain. If you're sick of falling blocks, or just need some new challenge to wrap the grey matter around, give it a go.

Even without its wealth of extras, though, Tenkaichi 2 packs in a ton of fast, visceral and inexplicably addictive fighting action. Whether you're a fan of the series or you just want to punch a few guys through buildings, new Wii owners looking to scratch a fighting-game itch will want to check this out.

This is a rather sluggish shooter that demands a real love of the old arcade cabinet to really get excited over. But it is a nice trip down memory lane, still extremely playable, features some nice multiplayer options, and the enhanced mode is actually nice to look at and fun to play.

When the witch takes charge, this demonic fighter is better than ever. After eight long years, PlatinumGames has delivered a sequel which successfully celebrates the series, although it does have problems with pacing and a split-focus.

Midway took the one title with the most variety and replay value in the entire MK stable and shined it up nice. We’ll take it.

A superior collection, Clubhouse Games is one of the best portable solutions for card and board games.

Despite its oddball shortcomings, Risen 3 is a solid open-world RPG packed with entertaining characters and challenging combat scenarios.

Resogun looks incredible and provides plenty of arcade fun. It's only held back by sudden difficulty spikes and some frustrating point-scoring mechanics.

It boldly straddles the line between pick-up-and-play and hardcore simulation in a way that's nothing short of refreshing on a system that's currently caught under an avalanche of mind numbingly simplistic "casual" games.

Whichever version you play, Cars is a likable little racing adventure. The gameplay is nothing outstanding, but it's fun enough while it lasts, and overall it looks pretty slick.

Wrap a sensible license around a sparkly fighter and you've got a winner.

Gorgeous cutscenes give Justice League the epic feel that an all-star block party deserves.

Even with its problematic moments, Commander’s Challenge has hours of tough and intense gameplay to offer console owners with a hankering for more Red Alert 3 action.

Yoshi’s Crafted World doesn’t use its clever conceit as well as it should or weave a poignant story, but it’s still a solid and accessible Nintendo platformer.

If it sounds complex, just understand this: It makes it surprisingly easy for you to make decent sounding tunes, and it’ll store up to 12 of them. You can even join up over Wi-Fi and record yourself and three other players jamming together, or connect to the vastly inferior Wii version of the game and use your DS to run a light show. Guitar Hero, are you paying attention?

For all the undeniable pleasure of skimming at zero feet in a rickety torpedo bomber towards a hulking metal monster, we’re left with something too slight to sustain us. Expect cult-multiplayer status, and pray for a sequel.

It's hardly the pinnacle of stealth games - the enemies are dumb, and there's not much to do aside from sneaking and killing - but if you're in the mood for something creepy and horrific that'll leave you feeling a little dirty, Manhunt 2's still-shocking murders and eerie, is-it-real-or-am-I-just-insane storyline won't disappoint.

It's a flawed journey, mostly due to the hard-to-use inventory system, but it's definitely an adventure worth taking for anyone interested in an absolutely math journey through Ooo.

Need for Speed: Rivals is a wholly enjoyable open-world racer. The driving is solid, its streets are a joy to explore, and its racing assignments--though a bit repetitive at times--are incentive enough to keep you coming back for more.

No one would mistake Thomas Was Alone for a AAA release, but don’t hold its relatively short length and abstract graphics against it. The game plays to its strength with clever puzzles and cleverer writing. Once you get to really know these mild-mannered cubes, you’ll want to follow their adventure all the way to the end.

Outriders is a brash and bold looter shooter that will keep you entertained through the campaign and side missions, but its endgame content gets repetitive fast.

Fire Pro Wrestling Returns is overtly geared for wrestling fanatics. That fact, coupled with its ridiculously cheap price tag, will be enough for the hardcore to give it a go, but casual wrestling fans will probably tap out.

The actual gameplay leaves a lot to be desired, but as recent Silent Hills go, this is one of the better ones.

Back 4 Blood is brilliant, co-op fun, with an interesting card system, but it's marred by terrible bots, awkward solo campaign choices, and a lackluster PvP mode.

Fortunately, it's easy to detach yourself from DarkStar One's story and immerse yourself in the moment-by-moment excitement of traversing a sometimes-hostile galaxy in a hot-rod of a ship.

So while Wii Party manages to remain entertaining by the sheer numbers of minigames and occasional clever Wiimote usage, the bland presentation and lackluster board games bring it down.

A brilliant battle system is let down somewhat by the largely underwhelming side stories and meandering companions of Scarlet Nexus.

Truth be told, we were put off by Legends’ quick-time event-heavy controls. Yet at the same time, we felt driven to replay matches and earn unlockables. Yes, we had fun but we griped a bunch too. Maybe the next Legends game can return to the right-analog stick action we’re so used to. Or maybe it’s we who are blinded by nostalgia.

At its best Man of Medan delivers a confident and well crafted horror experience with a genuinely clever two player mode. But it’s unbalanced pacing has a little to much opening filler and an unsatisfying conclusion.

SteamWorld Heist 2 is a great sequel. While retaining the aiming system and side-on perspective that made the original a joy, it features a generously redesigned class system and new overworld to explore. However, old problems with mission repetition and stingy XP rewards deter you from experimenting with classes, pulling the game down from excellence.

A fun and refreshingly light-on-its-feet tactics game successfully translates a lot of Metal Slug's charms into the turn-based genre. But it's not as natural a fit as Gears Tactics was, and an obtuse UI combined with abundant glitches hold it back.

At its core, Okamiden is a successful, shrunken-down Okami, but it's trapped on a system that can't entirely pull it off. The art style, music and mechanics, while lifted from the earlier game, are still captivating and worthy of exploration, though we couldn't shake the feeling this story would have soared higher on another platform.

Sporting an immense amount of notoriously addictive card wars, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force is a no-brainer for fans and a decent introduction for the curious. You could easily sink weeks into the game and still come nowhere near unlocking all of the goodies that are available.

If you're willing to put a little effort into learning the rules and nuances of Catan, you'll be rewarded with potentially endless amounts of strategic board game bliss. Although the AI opponents are remarkably interesting to play with, your Catan experience will hinge on getting your real friends to play with you.

It still looks great on the aging hardware and accurately represents the popular anime/manga series, but the statute of limitations for similar last-gen sequels expires now - it's time for Atari to take this franchise to next-gen consoles and put some real force behind these extraordinary characters and settings.

Chances are that NFL Head Coach won't cure your football jones unless heavy-duty statistical simulators are up your alley. On the other hand, there's so much to do - and gobs of hours that can be invested - that it's likely to keep fantasy football maniacs going for months (or at least until the next Madden comes out).

Fans will still find the game fun, because the dances are going to either impress with their novelty or their nostalgia factor, and because the Kinect gets this game a lot closer to what it should've been all along.

Sherlock Holmes Chapter One is a flawed but nevertheless fascinating look at the angsty years of the great detective.

But ultimately, this expansion will live or die based upon its song selection.

Though it doesn't stand up to the franchise's grander releases, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia is a fun and thoughtful stealth experience, easily the best to bear the Chronicles name.

We were so ready to fall in love with 2K’s take on major league baseball again this year, but we just can’t get past the depressing drop in visual fidelity.

Lego Bricktales is a relaxing and entertaining way to spend your time that does manage to recreate that tranquil vibe of building something, anything, out of Lego. It has its appeal and that's not weighed down too heavily by the lackluster exploratory parts, but with a little more attention it could've really explored what it means to play with Lego bricks creatively.

Everything's so crisp and workable that it's hard not to just smile and deal with all the little problems that try to bring the game down.

Unfortunately, and bafflingly, there is no multiplayer in AHL. It's a huge shame, as the quick-paced, finger-breaking dogfights would have lent themselves well to co-op. Even still, there are plenty of unlockables and challenges to keep gamers in the cockpit. If you're a fan of any Ace Combat entries, you'll find something to love on these horizons.

Pangya may not be as technologically robust as its competition, but it definitely makes up for it in personality. Golf is rarely this weird, but we loved every minute of it.

It's not without its flaws, but the good definitely outweighs the bad. The action is fast-paced, the combat is smooth, and the new twists on familiar FPS tropes really do make Gotham City Impostors a game worth playing. Even if it is just to pretend to be a backyard Batman for a few nights.

Kudos to Zipper for being trailblazers in terms of how many people you can cram into a game but beyond this USP, MAG is a fairly generic affair. It all works well but it isn't mind-blowing. And with a full-price tag, minus an offline campaign, it's hard to see where the value for money lies here.

The KOF series has never looked better, and the current gameplay system and mechanics are rewarding for dedicated players. Unfortunately, its old fashioned ways and gaunt presentation make it a much harder sell for casual players.

Yeah, it’s pretty short, but those are some good five hours that’ll remind you of why you fell in love with Ratchet and Clank in the first place. Its $30 / £20 price tag makes it a great incentive to pick it up, and it delivers what you’d expect from the series.

While annoying, the lock-ups don't really do much to dampen how outlandishly fun the game is. If you like the Hulk and you enjoying destroying things, you'll enjoy your time with The Incredible Hulk, even if you have to reset the system from time to time.

Pirates has its moments, but we're ready to set sail in a new direction.

With its simple learning curve, snappy controls and quick match times, there's no doubt that World Tour is built for on-the-go gaming goodness.

While a few of credits shy of an A, it's a good value at $20 even without the bonus content. Unless you've already got NBA 2K7 and an empty wallet, College Hoops NCAA 2K7 deserves a spot in your rotation.

QuickSpot delivers exactly what it promises, nothing more, nothing less. Some may be disappointed with the lack of in-depth gameplay, but that's not what this game is about. For what it's intended to be, QuickSpot nails it.

If you factor into your plans the possibilities of your commands not being followed perfectly, you can have a slow-burn, satisfying experience.

While the graphics and interface make the world hard to interact with, the story and complexity of Anarchy make it worthwhile to put in the time - with pillow-punching breaks to release the frustration.

Despite its awkward aiming and lackluster platforming, Stick it to The Man is a delightful puzzle game with a peculiar world worth exploring.

While NBA Live may not be our absolute favorite portable hoops game this fall, it definitely holds its own as a worthwhile investment of $40. Yes, that’s 10 more bucks than you’ll pay for The Inside or 2K10 (something to consider, for sure), but there’s plenty to keep you busy all season long.

Boogie Bunnies doesn’t stand out next to the best puzzlers on Live Arcade - Bejeweled, Puzzle Fighter, Zuma, etc. - but it is a solid title with something to offer.

Despite being light on levels, the replayability and charm of Touch My Katamari is likely enough to keep gamers interested for months to come. The changes shrinking and expanding add to the formula shouldn't be downplayed, as they really are the most significant additions since we first laid eyes on the wide-faced Prince, and we're happy to see the developers experiment with great success to create one of the most charming entries in the series yet.

Thief maintains the strengths of its stealth-centric predecessors and offers plenty in the way of actual thievery, but don't expect any fun, new gameplay mechanics or an enchanting story in this reboot.

An expertly crafted game that boasts stylish, nigh-endless permutations of a simple, engrossing form of stealth.

For the perfectionists out there, there are tons of missions to accomplish and most gamers will never have to touch a fortune cookie.

Summon Night: Twin Age isn't going to set the world on fire. However, if the world happens to already be on fire, you might find yourself just distracted enough by this game that you won't notice the flames until your dog comes in bald and smouldering.

The Evil Within 2 doesn't quite manage to step out of the first game's shadow - but while it may not have the same bold, unified style, you won't have to worry about frustrating mechanics or enraging difficulty spikes. If you've got a soft spot for the original game in your survival horror-loving heart, you'll surely enjoy this sequel (and get a kick out of the many callbacks to the previous plotline).

For the perfectionists out there, there are tons of missions to accomplish and most gamers will never have to touch a fortune cookie.

The ability to drop seamlessly from a sun-gilded skyscraper-sentinelled skyline to a pedestrian-eye's view of the bustling taxi-clogged street hundreds of feet below is wonderful (SimCity 4 suddenly seems very dry).

Quite a pleasant surprise. It's short, sweet, and compulsively addictive while it lasts. Better still, if you're all about chasing high scores and roundhouse-kicking your friends off the winner's pedestal, you can ring quite a bit of value from this one.

No matter what - and as shocking as it is to say this - 2K8 is not a slam-dunk, no-brainer-this-is-your-next-gen-basketball-title this season. It's merely second best.

If you’re in the mood for a perfectly respectable, undemanding weekend game, A Plague Tale: Innocence is for you, though fair warning: The sight of so many dead bodies might shock anyone watching over your shoulder.

Its combat is fun, its world is worth exploring, and the game itself does a fine job of showing you just (and only just) what it needs to at any given moment. The problem is, it brings very little that's new to the table. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, of course, but it definitely doesn't match a game that clearly had ambitions to be something greater.

Showtime is completely entertaining from top to bottom, but while it has enough variety to avoid ever becoming boring, it doesn't have the depth for much lasting appeal. But hey, in a world where video games are demanding more and more of my time and energy, there's something to be said for an experience that cuts the filler to deliver polished charm in spades. Princess Peach: Showtime may not be an all-encompassing production, but the entire troupe has given its all to make sure the crowd goes home happy.

And yet, one of the best things about Jewel Quest is its own obsessing with its silly backstory.

It’s a slick little pick-up-and-play experience, though sadly, it is a short one. The varied Wi-Fi Party mode almost would've made up for NC3's brevity... if it only allowed game sharing.