While not a huge departure from the original Dead Rising template, Dead Rising 2's concession to friendlier game-saves and excellent addition of a creative and funny weapon-crafting system make it a rewarding and gleefully entertaining experience. But alas, the corpse-killing hijinks are noticeably marred by some inexcusable hark-backs to archaic game design. A lot of fun then, but with some definite frustrations.

An incomparably innovative combination of hilarity and diabolical puzzles, Cloning Clyde is also a total bargain at 800 Microsoft points ($5).

PC retains the addictive qualities of battling and team-building we love in tactics titles while fully embracing everything strange about niche Japanese titles like this one. By coming at it from a different angle, Conquest finds its own special spot in the world of SRPGs.

Difficulty is erratic overall, and some of the operations are infuriatingly tough on any skill level, even without your nurse constantly interrupting to point out how badly you're doing. Still, even though we occasionally had to pause to curse at the TV, we couldn't stop playing - we were addicted.

Happy Action Theater is a great game for children with plenty of variety in almost every activity – each being different and exciting both visually and interactively. Although the entirety of the game can literally be seen in an hour or two, young gamers are sure to want to revisit their favorite version of their transformed room again and again, and at 800 Microsoft Points ($10), it's well worth it.

A stunning return to form for the annual football franchise – and one of the finest all-round Madden packages in years.

A truly wonderful wrestling experience, hampered by the determination to drive fans into parting with even more cash. Maybe that's just the way sports sims are now – but it's still a huge shame.

Building on the already solid (if a little claustrophobic) linear design of previous installments, Call of Duty 3 introduces enough new tidbits to keep even the weariest veterans in the fight.

Between the addictive character building and the online community features, there's tons of links action. All you'll need is just a little patience.

This is a charming, beautiful, and accessible title that dares to be different while paying homage to the original. It will make a fine addition to the collections of both its fans and action-RPG enthusiasts alike.

For some people, the bottom line will be this -- is Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 for the Vita a faithful port of the console version? To that question, we would say, "Yes." It looks and plays more or less identically to the original game, and it has all of the relevant DLC as well. For those of you who need a Marvel vs. Capcom 3 fix wherever you happen to be, this game is pretty much everything you could hope for.

Pokemon Let's Go is a superb surprise, a fully-fledged Pokemon RPG with interactivity that brings the series to life in a way that's never been done before.

But Lock’s Quest is just too damn fast-paced for the fussy controls to get annoying enough to really kill the fun.

While some puzzle games can feel a little too on-rails, Dungeons of Hinterberg gives you enough freedom to follow whichever sub narratives take your fancy, adopt a preferred fighting style, and choose which order to tackle puzzles. And with the ability to slow down for a moment of tranquility at any point, it really does feel like a holiday… except you also kill stuff.

The Last Story is by no means a perfect game. However, the good here far outweighs the game's shortcomings, and, unlike RPGs that are bloated with fetch quests and tiring level-grinding, everything here is absolutely in service of the game's story.

A whole lot of fun, though, especially with some friends. The current generation of hardware isn’t dead yet; this is a great game to play as you wait for next year’s game on PS3.

Clever and unique dodgeball battles make this an easy pick, especially during the free trial.

Ultimately, we tapped in for par what should have been a birdie – the best description we can come up with for Tiger Woods 12.

The consistent delivery of these references complement the story's comedic dialogue and sight gags. You can tell the game's writers are fans of the Police Squad! TV show and movie series. None of the jokes feel forced or drawn out, which helps keep the cutscenes concise and well-paced.

Luftrausers may suffer from a few bugs and interface issues from time to time, but at its core is a magnificently modern aeronautic arcade experience.

GRAW may be too realistic for gamers that prefer arcadey, twitchy shooters. Its gritty realism and requirement for a methodical approach borders on obsessive-compulsive. For players who appreciate a "thinking man's shooter," it simply cannot be missed.

This is the perfectly polished, logical extension of what Guitar Hero started and where the music genre needed to go. It's a real shame to see the Wii version stripped of some of the game's best features, but it still just flat-out rocks.

It's clear that nobody has plans to create a full-fledged RPG on the scale of any of the PSone or PS2 classics for the PSP, so a port is going to have to do. This game stands nobly above anything else you can buy on the system.

While hardcore baseball fans may be turned off by its cutesy style, MLB Power Pros is fun, and that's what matters. Give it a swing.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe is a great package with two entertaining side games to complement the super-slick platforming quest. With a stronger final quarter, this would be essential.

Veteran Magic players will enjoy the new decks and challenging puzzles here, and the game is a great way for potential planeswalkers to learn the ropes of this classic geek gaming staple.

If you're looking for a next-gen showpiece to demonstrate the power of PlayStation 4, inFamous: Second Son will definitely do the trick--it looks great, plays well, and gives you a dozen or so hours of city to explore. The gameplay itself isn't all that revolutionary, but the stellar presentation and enjoyable characters assure you'll enjoy your trip to Seattle--even if you'll wish there was more to do there.

Tracks are banging, the peripheral's bold and performing feels brilliant, but TV mode is a bust, making you rent songs rather than own them outright.