As cliché shooters go, Payback is no "Black," but it's not bad either. If all you're looking for is a predictable, middle-of-the-road shooter - you know, like if you just beat "Mass Effect" and want to rent a couple hours of mindless mayhem - you could do better, but you could also do a lot worse.

Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite has a solid core and Infinity Stones make fights tactical. If only it didn't have to live up to the expectations set by its excellent predecessors.

The best thing to say about Dynasty Warriors 6 is that it's an easy way to kill quite a few hours, but that doesn't make it particularly good.

The Astro Boy coating is there so kids ask mommy and daddy to spend their holiday bonuses on it, but High Voltage Software felt nice enough to sneak in a fun game too. It’s like the whiskey Grandpa adds to the eggnog.

Because a large part of its charm is seeing all our favorite Pokemon in action, Pokemon Rumble Blast will only really appeal to Pokemon fans. It helps that it's pretty too, with or without the 3D turned on (the soundtrack is great too). The problem is that the gameplay itself is too simplistic for more sophisticated Pokemon players who love the series for its deep strategic gameplay. Younger, less discerning Pokemon fans will undoubtedly love it though.

Ditching the lengthy matches of Mario Party's past in favor of shorter options makes sense, and it makes for more manageable experiences. But it's still saddening that the longest game of Island Tour that you'll ever play should wrap up in under an hour.

There, however, is one thing that sets Raiden III apart from the shooter pack: it's single-player mode enables you to control both warplanes at once, essentially playing co-op with yourself. It's simple, really - the left analog stick and shoulder buttons control one ship, and the right analog stick and shoulder buttons control the other.

It may take a pretty thick suit of armor to fully embrace Legends but if you can stomach many, many defeats you'll be rewarded with the particle-laden powers of witches, wizards, magical nights and fire-breathing dragons.

Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3 is still very much a Dynasty Warriors game, warts and all. Yet the light tweaks and enhancements – plus giant robots and an attractive new cel-shaded look – really make the repetition a lot more enjoyable than expected. Gundam 3 still stumbles in bafflingly silly ways, but for the first time in a while, the thrill of singlehandedly charging into battle against hundreds of enemies has a flickering spark again.

A decent diversion for the casual fan, though hardcore players are likely to find it a bit on the short side.

Besides some seriously bad camera angles where you lose sight of the action briefly and a skimpy wireless multiplayer mode, Brothers in Arms DS is a solid WWII action experience. It lacks the high gloss HD-ness of its console counterparts, but makes up for it in cinematic quality and pacing.

Rage 2 has a fun core gameplay loop, but everything around it falls flat on its face.

The gameplay gets a little too frustrating, the graphics too soulless, and the story too weak to keep us going in for too long.

All this administrative juggling also takes its toll on a story that's hard enough to follow even when it has your full attention. With a cast of characters that can be difficult to tell apart, crucial details buried in reams of documents, and a penchant for surreal interludes, it takes some work to keep up with the haunting undercurrent of Signalis. At times it does seem worth the effort, because there are intriguing themes burrowing away behind the scenes. But then you find a key that prompts yet another trek across the current area, and perhaps it doesn't after all.

Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3 is still very much a Dynasty Warriors game, warts and all. Yet the light tweaks and enhancements – plus giant robots and an attractive new cel-shaded look – really make the repetition a lot more enjoyable than expected. Gundam 3 still stumbles in bafflingly silly ways, but for the first time in a while, the thrill of singlehandedly charging into battle against hundreds of enemies has a flickering spark again.

There are gobs of customization options for each of your squad (and lord knows you'll need 'em), but there's not much variety to the goings on, and the whole Grand Prix affair won't take you much more than 8 hours or so. Multiplayer offers some extended usage, but not enough to keep it a long-term rotation.

So in the end you have a fairly decent racer swimming a lake polluted with a metric ton of collectable refuse.

A highly polished iteration of Smash Bros. that plays great on its own. But when you're afflicted by latency problems in local multiplayer, you'll suddenly become painfully aware of the 3DS version's critical shortcomings.

More than anything, Astro Boy is a great surprise for what many would assume is simply some child’s Christmas present. The Astro Boy coating is there so kids ask mommy and daddy to spend their holiday bonuses on it, but High Voltage Software felt nice enough to sneak in a fun game too. It’s like the whiskey Grandpa adds to the eggnog.

Only the hardest of the hardcore need send in their application for this college edition on the PS2; this year, it's next-gen or no need.

Playing Madden NFL 07 on the Nintendo DS is akin to coaching a high school chess club in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers... it's a playable experience and your team's got heart, but you're going to have to work through a few broken limbs on your way to victory.

But Generation of Chaos is too chaotic and takes an entire generation to play. Most folks will opt for something faster and easier to love.

It has flashes of brilliance, but overall presents a shallow experience with gameplay unworthy of the 360's potential.

Strategy fans will dig this game's effortless online experience, which alleviates the need to travel around town with a small vinyl briefcase full of checkers and dice, looking for fresh backgammon challengers.

'Little Nightmares 3 nails the mood and atmosphere series fans are expecting, but in most other respects it's a let down with clunky pacing and awkward puzzles. Co-op, rather than breathe new life into the series, ends up feeling more like a burden than anything. A little nightmare indeed.

It could have been a contender, but The Science of Evil is merely above average, and leaves a sour reminder that the cynicism we harbor toward licensed games isn’t exclusive to the people playing them. It’s a real shame.

The Last Case of Benedict Fox could be a great game, but it's let down by its own confused execution.

But its arcade heritage is just a little too strong, so be sure to ask yourself if a game that wowed you a quarter at a time 20 years ago is worth $30-40 today, with only a mild evolution.