The point is, like the rest of this game, the story is okay. But just okay. And it only lasts maybe ten hours, though online-enabled multiplayer matches can extend that a bit. And to be honest, without more innovation (sorry, touch-screen minigames aren’t really new) it really doesn’t deserve to be any longer.

Rock Revolution is inferior to its competition in every single possible way. If you absolutely have to try it, we urge you to think of it as a track pack of guitar-only songs for Rock Band or Guitar Hero and buy just the game (instead of the drums-included bundle).

Rock Revolution is inferior to its competition in every single possible way. If you absolutely have to try it, we urge you to think of it as a track pack of guitar-only songs for Rock Band or Guitar Hero and buy just the game (instead of the drums-included bundle).

For now, buy this to get the headset for Resistance 2 and come back to SOCOM in a couple months. Maybe it’ll be completed by then.

It's almost heartbreaking how much wasted potential there is here, and lonely RPG fans are better off playing Tales of Vesperia co-op until a better competitive option comes around.

It’s almost heartbreaking how much wasted potential there is here, and lonely RPG fans are better off playing Tales of Vesperia co-op until a better competitive option comes around.

With the bounty of acrobatics at your disposal, Legend of Kage 2 should fill your ninja-fix. That is, if you can handle being bitch-slapped by the difficulty.

If you want to see an action/RTS hybrid that actually gets the strategy part right, then Guilty Gear 2: Overture will deliver the goods. Unfortunately, even though this one element is great, it’s the only gem that stands in this title.

The controls and camera do you no favors, and it could really benefit from more complexity in battle - we’d like to hammer buttons other than A once in awhile, please. But if the series continues to improve, it could find itself running down a certain electric yellow chinchilla in a few more years.

There’s not much of a single-player mode beyond the typical arcade, survival, and a weird story mode that doesn’t follow any Bleach plotline we’ve ever read. But the online multiplayer performs remarkably well, and makes up for it beautifully.

Mind Over Mutant is a lot better than Crash of the Titans and the world is probably a slightly better place for its existence. But it’s not quite slick enough underneath all those pretty visuals to earn essential status.

But it’s not quite slick enough underneath all those pretty visuals to earn essential status.

But it’s not quite slick enough underneath all those pretty visuals to earn essential status.

NBA 2K9 is the closest thing yet we’ve seen to a total hoops package. Other than a few minor quibbles – the visuals get choppy during the cutscenes between play and the Blacktop mode is a throwaway collection of uninteresting minigames – we’re utterly delighted with 2K’s latest ode to the hardwood.

NBA 2K9 is the closest thing yet we’ve seen to a total hoops package. Other than a few minor quibbles – the visuals get choppy during the cutscenes between play and the Blacktop mode is a throwaway collection of uninteresting minigames – we’re utterly delighted with 2K’s latest ode to the hardwood.

If pro hoops was a one-man video game gang this year, we’d be pretty happy with Live. Luckily for us, though, competition is king and Live falls a couple of free throws short of the superior "NBA 2K9."

It’s all good, but it’s still a simple premise that wears out sooner rather than later for most folks – a free game that lasts this long is great, but when we’re shelling out actual money, we have higher expectations.

While The Life remains an eminently pleasant diversion, it’s not enough to vault 09 past its rivals. It’s definitely worth a rental by PS3-owning basketball fans, but NBA 09 The Inside needs more time in training camp before it deserves a spot on the court with Live and 2K9.

It’s addressed our biggest complaints from last season and added plenty of worthy material, staking its claim as a top-tier handheld NBA sim.

Buy it, finish it, love it, because if this takes off we’re going to see a renaissance of new-old games. And if that happens, a whole new batch of gamers will grow up learning why rock-solid gameplay, not tera-flipping flop-bib shaders, make games truly exceptional.

Buy it, finish it, love it, because if this takes off we’re going to see a renaissance of new-old games. And if that happens, a whole new batch of gamers will grow up learning why rock-solid gameplay, not tera-flipping flop-bib shaders, make games truly exceptional.

It’s all good, but it’s still a simple premise that wears out sooner rather than later for most folks – a free game that lasts this long is great, but when we’re shelling out actual money, we have higher expectations.

Don’t make this the third time you passed on Disgaea. NIS is running out of systems to port to.

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.

The problem with the game is that it really isn’t a game at all. We’re not just saying it’s too linear – what little (very little) gameplay you’ll find smattered throughout is completely spoon-fed to you.

Overall it’s just too much work to really keep a person interested. And when the audio, graphics and visual design aren’t adding to the appeal, it’s a little too likely that you’ll suddenly ask yourself, “Wait – is this actually fun, or is it just tedium?” and realize you can’t quite tell any more.

At any rate, your best bet is to choose your game by track list. Pop Vol 2’s 30-track lineup is listed below. It’s strong, though we’d suggest it commits the series’ typical sin of trying to appeal to fans of too many genres.

Ultimately, SimCity Creator doesn’t offend and isn’t bare bones, but it’s definitely made for those new to the series than for those who were into it way before The Sims.