All the wonderful frosting in the world can't hide a bad tasting cake, and Spyborgs' positives can't overcome the stale combat and the bitter tedium that sets in through 37 levels of straightforward smack and whack.

If you can't get enough of Brawl, give it a shot, but don't expect the next coming of Smash Bros.

Wet has some good ideas, but it falls just short of being a good game. Like its aesthetic, the game feels slightly dated and rough around the edges.

Need for Speed Shift is a surprising turn for the series, pushing away from flashy street racing to compete with the likes of Forza and Gran Turismo. Its feature-set still has room to grow, but the tight driving experience stands up with the best.

Need for Speed Shift is a surprising turn for the series, pushing away from flashy street racing to compete with the likes of Forza and Gran Turismo. Its feature-set still has room to grow, but the tight driving experience stands up with the best.

Not all of the additions make the game more fun or fair, but they're steps in the right direction towards making an already excellent sports game peerless.

Not all of the additions make the game more fun or fair, but they're steps in the right direction towards making an already excellent sports game peerless.

The lack of anything truly innovative or unique combined with sub-par features and a less-than-stellar presentation means that the 2K franchise once again plays second fiddle to NHL 10. Unlike cover athlete Alexander Ovechkin, there's not enough character in NHL 2K10 to make it a truly memorable experience.

While there could be some further improvements to the motion controls, presentation, and AI, NHL 2K10 should be considered a must-buy for anyone remotely interested in the sport.

Despite successfully improving on some of its predecessor's mechanics, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is ultimately bogged down by untimely bugs. If you can work through these issues, there's a decent action RPG hiding behind the mask. It might just be too much to ask of the average player.

Scribblenauts is a terrific toy and a decent puzzle game. Its ambitions are bigger than the tiny screens that house it. The clumsy controls and ill-simulated nouns don't break the game as much as they fuel frustration, but as a toy and a portable game, Scribblenauts succeeds even if it doesn't exceed its big aspirations.

The brilliant timing it exhibits in more ways than one will never cease to delight. This is the Mario RPG formula at its best.

There's really no reason to bother with Darkest of Days, especially with a price tag that approaches full retail. There are a few moments that might be memorable, but you can live without experiencing them.

With less than half the songs you'd normally get in a Rock Band release, The Beatles could use a lot more music. But for fans of the band, buying this game is a no-brainer.

Muramasa is easy to pick up and play thanks to its simple control scheme, but offers enough depth and challenge to keep the action from getting stale. Combined with its amazing visuals, this is easily one of the better action titles on the platform.

Il-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey delivers a top notch flight sim experience that manages to remain accessible thanks to its scalable controls. Aside from a few bumps in the air, it has certainly earned its wings.

With stunning environments, a wide array of events, and an ingenious use of track surfaces, DiRT 2 is a superb ride for anyone wanting to rip through the wilderness at high speed.

With stunning environments, a wide array of events, and an ingenious use of track surfaces, DiRT 2 is a superb ride for anyone wanting to rip through the wilderness at high speed.

Though Contra ReBirth may not enjoy the same level of variety as other recent installments in the series, it's ultimately well worth the asking price.

It's a decent time-killer, but serious shooter fans are best advised to set their sights on bigger fish down the horizon.

It's missing a few elements that would make it an ideal starting point for anyone unfamiliar to the series and is unlikely to attract new fans with its straightforward approach, but in terms of value and quality, Broken Destiny is an excellent handheld fighting game.

Though it can sometimes feel that the series is in a perpetual state of catch-up with Rock Band, Guitar Hero 5 strikes back with a considerable set of new features and improvements that truly count. The band experience is cohesive and party play is at its most effortless yet.

Cursed Mountain is an earnest attempt at staking its own niche in the survival horror space, but uninspired gameplay and clumsy controls keep it from reaching its own summit.

Though it'll take you in the neighborhood of 12 hours to play through, Arkham Asylum feels like it's over in a heartbeat. This is a testament to its magnificent pacing, and the care that went into making every moment feel important.

Dissidia boldly marries an interesting new approach to fighting with some of the touchstones that the Final Fantasy series is built on. And though it takes some sizable risks at being different, the end result is great. It's everything that you wouldn't expect a Final Fantasy game to be, but if you're looking for a feature-rich time-sink with fight and flair, then Dissidia is well worth your consideration.

Layton fans can look forward to solving an intriguing mystery with loads of new puzzles included. Diabolical Box doesn’t depart greatly from its predecessor, but subtle refinements ensure that more players will see it through to the end.

At 15 dollars, Shadow Complex is simply a tremendous value, especially in the doldrums of summer. The lackluster story, superfluous 3D forays, and routine combat amount to mere nitpicks. The urge to scour and uncover that fuels the game makes it hard to put it down once you've started.

Players who are attached to the franchise won't be burned if they happen to pick the game up, and most shooter fans will be able to squeeze some enjoyment out of it. It's hard to imagine the multiplayer mode keeping much traction as the game ages, though, so look at the game as a short term investment.

It's hard to argue with the general direction the series has taken, and most players will be happy with the end result, but if you're hoping for a game where true skill always determines the winner there is some disappointment to work through.

It's straightforward and often unforgiving, but at 1200 points, you'd be hard pressed to find as infectious a downloadable game as Trials HD. If you're looking for a DLC title with an easy hook and replayability to spare, this one has a lot of rubber to burn.

The HD visuals in Re-Shelled are a nice touch, but the aging formula, coupled with too few options and modes, makes for a repetitive and lackluster trip down memory lane. There simply isn't enough here to make you want to come back more than once or twice.

This game is an abomination that has absolutely no business being sold at a price point approaching full retail. Like so many other movie adaptations before it, The Rise of Cobra feels like it was meant to capitalize on gullible fans. Lucky for you, we’re here to warn you to steer clear.

Even for a budget title, Real Heroes: Firefighter is unpolished and sloppy. The experience picks up toward the end, but it's too little too late when you consider the monotonous trudge that leads you there.

Mothership Zeta is a wild and humorous mission for Fallout 3 fans, but it lacks the breadth of Point Lookout or Broken Steel. It's a little disappointing as a final chapter, but players looking to explore the farthest fringes of the Fallout universe will have a blast.

There isn’t much like Fat Princess on any platform, and though it’s clear that it can grow in any number of ways, the game is already hectic and fun.

It's wild, intense, and sometimes broken, but within the madness there's an undeniable charm. If you're finding yourself weary of all the Street Fighter in your world, this is a great game to tag out to.

The most demanding sim aficionados might not find enough to hold their interest for the long haul, but East India Company is definitely worth checking out if you're new to the genre or merely have an itch to make lots of virtual cash.

As far as mini-game collections go on the Wii, this is undoubtedly the cream of the crop. You'll be surprised how much fun you have with some events, and how little you garner from others, but there are still some rock solid experiences that you'll come back to again and again when friends and family gather.

Though the game is lacking from a strictly consumer perspective, there's lots of value is in the fighting itself.

There's a lot here, the price is right, and games this well-realized don't come along very often. If you ask us, this manic little ball of fire has a long career ahead of him.

Little King's Story is an impressive package, with only a few lingering flaws keeping it from true greatness. It's a slow burn that rewards those with the patience to appreciate its elaborate setup.

G-Force isn't likely to attract many fans over age 13, but parents shouldn't regret picking this one up for their kids. It can get a little repetitive, but it's fun to blow apart household appliances, or watch a guinea pig rocket across the floor.

Badman is one of those smaller titles that can be rewarding for dedicated players, but the ingredients for success are not so easy to divine.

Season showdown strikes at the heart of the college football fan and running the ball feels much more natural. There are also tons of new features and no one can fault the developers for not trying. But many of them prove to be irrelevant for experienced players and there are still more quirks and cheap tricks than there should be for a franchise so long in the tooth.

Players looking for variety won't find it here, but for $15, it does a great job of keeping you hooked for hours on end.

More options, tighter defense, gameplay sliders, and added variety across play modes would spell the difference between a big leaguer and a candidate for Cooperstown.

Even for those willing to invest the time to learn all there is to know about ArmA 2, the glitches and the bugs are currently too much to take. Maybe once they've patched it up, there will be something more playable. We look forward to that day, because there's really something special in ArmA 2, cheesy voice acting and all.

Yes, it's fairly light on content, skimps a bit on frills, and doesn't break much new ground. But for a solid few hours of enjoyment, this ingenious reconstruction of a forgotten genre is definitely worth a try.

Though we're happy EA revisited the sandbox structure, everything that made the previous outing a solid game has been sacrificed in exchange for simpler controls and gimped action in Half-Blood Prince.

A big step up from the previous title. It delivers on the classic Western setting, provides lots of gameplay options, and even lets you pull off bank heists with friends online. And without a single assault rifle to be found, it's a welcome change of pace from the standard shooter fare.

A true champion for the masses. Its over the top, vibrant style is a true spectacle in HD, and its strokes of fighting innovation trickle down into every one of its bells and whistles. If you're looking for an extremely smooth fighter with pomp and panache, BlazBlue is a sure bet.

You may not be able to argue with its price, but you'll certainly be surprised with how addictive Battlefield Heroes can be.

The latest Fight Night pushes hard to deliver a game that feels realistic and authentic to the sport while also being extremely playable, and offering plenty of staying power. Even if boxing as a sport barely piques your interest, this game delivers tension, drama, and punishment to rival the best fighting games out there.

The latest Fight Night pushes hard to deliver a game that feels realistic and authentic to the sport while also being extremely playable, and offering plenty of staying power. Even if boxing as a sport barely piques your interest, this game delivers tension, drama, and punishment to rival the best fighting games out there.

The Conduit deserves credit for getting the most important stuff right. In spite of the disappointing single-player campaign, it delivers as a shooter on the strength of its multiplayer component. The Wii finally has a competitive FPS worthy of spending time with.

There's some stuff tucked in here that will please devout fans-particularly, some unlockable old school Transformers cartoon episodes-but most everyone one else will be ready to move on after a few hours.

Though it doesn't quite have the wile to ascend to triple-A status, Overlord II whips its subjects into shape with general gameplay improvements and its trademark sense of humor.

Of the three games in the Overlord family, Dark Legend is something of a black sheep. It's smaller in scope and lacks some fundamental parts of the formula, but in its pursuit to be different, it's managed to one-up its cousins in certain key ways. The series' minion-control mechanics are a shoe-in on the Wii, and as an Overlord game, it succeeds at what it aims to deliver: mindless fun with irresistible charm.

Point Lookout adds miles of new territory to Fallout 3, with a sense of freedom that matches the core game better than any of the previous chapters. The quality of Fallout 3's DLC has been on an upward climb, and Point Lookout edges past Broken Steel as the best addition yet.

Its experience is as rich as you've come to expect from a Monster Hunter game, and it adds enough new features to keep veterans engaged. It's still not as newcomer-friendly as we'd like, but once you overcome the initial hurdle, you'll find a lot in here to keep you busy.

The game exudes authenticity. From the fully-modeled firehouse headquarters to the way that tombstones shatter and bushes ignite when you spray them with proton, Ghostbusters transcends its modest tech with a careful attention to detail. One warning, though: you'll never want to hear the Ghostbusters theme ever again after sitting through a few loading screens.

MySims Racing is a perfectly adequate kart racer that plays it far too safe in a genre that is associated with thrills and spills. While the car customization is a positive step forward, the courses, power-ups, and play modes don't do anything substantially new or exciting.

Let's TAP is an interesting experiment that doesn't quite hold up in the long run. It's worth trying out for novelty's sake, but the short list of games and unreliable controls leave it feeling like an overly expensive tech demo.

The controls are tight, though a little complex, but that’s only because there’s so much to dig into. It’s a little ragged around the edges, but if you’re looking for a great way to unwind after a long day, boot up Prototype for some serious therapy.

If you haven't already picked up Virtua Tennis 3, Virtua Tennis 2009 is worth a look since it offers more content, including the online world tour option. For everyone else, though, it's too much of a rehash to warrant a purchase, even at its discounted 50 dollar price tag.

Within Unplugged's clever title lies an unmistakable truth: it really is Rock Band without the instruments. But though it succeeds at capturing the series' core gameplay, the experience is largely a lonely one, something that runs counter to the jam session vibe established by its predecessors.

If you're a tennis player, or just someone who's mastered and grown tired of Wii Sports Tennis, pick up Grand Slam Tennis with a MotionPlus add-on and prepare to be amazed. Just saddle that amazement with a little bit of patience. The learning curve makes pick-up games with the uninitiated a bore, but with the incredible online functionality, a viable opponent is just a series of ones and zeroes away.

We appreciate the strong emphasis on tournament play, but none of the new additions to PGA Tour 10 blow us away. If you absolutely love the series, or are brand new to the franchise, here's another one. But if you're looking for something truly new, you might want to check out PGA Tour 10 on the Wii.

We appreciate the strong emphasis on tournament play, but none of the new additions to PGA Tour 10 blow us away. If you absolutely love the series, or are brand new to the franchise, here's another one. But if you're looking for something truly new, you might want to check out PGA Tour 10 on the Wii.

Given all the ways you can play it, as well as the superb MotionPlus controls, the Wii version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is easily the best one. MotionPlus is a definite must-have in order to get the most out of the game, though.

Though Red Faction: Guerrilla delivers on this concept admirably, it wasn't without a cost: namely, the detail and character that makes the best open-world games memorable to begin with. Be that as it may, there's still plenty here to enjoy. Just be prepared to endure some slow spells, and power through some truly unforgiving moments.

After suffering from an oversaturation of Sims for the last 10 or so years, it’s hard to believe The Sims 3 is as good as it is. It’s unapologetically a Sims game, but it also manages to feel truly fresh.

Fuel may set records and feature tons of things to do, but very little of it is actually worth doing. While the scale of its world may be impressive on paper, this is one case where bigger isn't necessarily better.

Thanks to its fluid, genre-crossing gameplay and action-packed scenarios, inFAMOUS has established itself as an electrifying new addition to the PS3 library.

Beneath its standard run of modes and a fighting system almost too big to contain is an extremely fun and well-thought-out brawler that, even without the UFC license, would stand very strong. It's incredibly complicated, but that's also what makes it as deep and strategic as the real thing.

Boom Blox: Bash Party is well-done, accessible, and fun, but it just doesn’t feel like a completely new game. If you never tried the original, Bash Party would be a great place to start. It’s hard to imagine someone picking up the game for the first time and not having fun with it.

With its lean plot, unimposing terminators, and stilted replay value, Terminator Salvation doesn't have a whole lot going for it. It's also so unbelievably short that the price of entry simply can't be justified.

After playing it, you come away wishing that it focused more on what's best about it, namely, the bionic arm's potential as a weapon and means of mobility. You have to give the game credit, though-it admirably delivers on a concept that seems very difficult to realize, and the results are usually a lot of fun.

It’s disappointing that the motion controls are more a novelty than an effective way to play, but the personality, nostalgic nods, hidden goodies, and battle-tested, edge-of-your-seat gameplay demonstrate that some things never go out of style.

Battlestations: Pacific improves upon almost every facet of the original, offering more of just about everything.

If you can overcome navigating pre-rendered backgrounds and enduring countless random battles, Devil Summoner 2 turns out to be an enjoyable experience.

If you can accept it for its dated gameplay, underwhelming visuals, and pervasive bugs, then you may find something of value in this old-school hack-and-slash RPG. All other prospective dungeon crawlers are best advised to take a pass on this fallen flunk.

The Wii remake of Klonoa smartly left the original's essentials alone, expanding the formula with a vibrant, refreshed look, and a world that not only looks a lot better, but moves more fluidly. With plenty of variety, memorable boss battles, and a charming story, this is one ride you can't afford to miss...even if it is a rather short one.

While X-Men Origins: Wolverine is clearly undercooked, it's still genuinely fun, and most importantly, it delivers the kind of visceral, untamed experience that fans expect from the character. It's been a long time coming. Just like Logan, it's a beast on the outside, but it has a good heart within.

A straightforward stealth game that's capable of scratching a particular type of sneaky itch for many players, but also feels slightly dated and accomplishes little that hasn't been done before and done better.

Giant robots or not, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 doesn’t quite have the thrust to wedge this stagnating series out of its fixed orbit.

It's a little light on features, but it delivers where it really counts. The racing is fast and with enough peripheral elements to keep it interesting, and its crazier side makes it unique.

Despite some of the multiplayer technical issues that are still ongoing, Demigod is an absolute blast to play.

The Escape may handily trump the Assault, but neophyte Riddicks have a unique experience to work through. Though vets who return may begrudge Athena, it's doubtful they won't finish. It's an abridged effort, and more of a dreaded point-five than a true sequel, but with both missions it still reigns as the best first-person, melee, stealth, parkour game featuring Vin Diesel.

If you’d rather call the shots than jump through hoops, this unique game is your kind of racket.

Ninja Blade's action can be fun for a while, but it doesn't really satisfy. The story and presentation can get ridiculous, and the repetition, easy combat, and lengthy quick time sequences all wear down its edge. Worst of all, it's a complete rip-off of the Ninja Gaiden series, and we wonder how there could be laws to protect such a blatant theft of creativity.

Both the music and mini-game markets have become quite crowded since the original Japanese GBA release, but Rhythm Heaven still stands out among the crowd with its charming presentation, catchy original tunes, and addictive gameplay. This is one beat you don’t want to miss.

A horrible joke in and of itself, if you buy Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust the joke will be on you. We can think of a good number of other uses for your two hands; and we're using our to give this stinker two thumbs way down.

Even if the master of puppets doesn't pull your strings, the sheer breadth of challenge offered by the game's sadistic setlist is yet another ace up its sleeve.

Wheelman is lacking where it counts the most; under the hood. Life in this fast lane won't hold your attention for more than a few hours, as the high-octane action fizzles out all too quickly.

Wanted: Weapons of Fate strikes one more blow against the curse of the bad licensed game, but despite unique elements and enjoyable gameplay, it doesn't quite have the polish and longevity to compete with other big-name shooters on the market.

It’s a tale of give and take. Echoes of Time is meant to be played with friends, and if you don’t, it can be incredibly frustrating.

While it certainly isn’t the most polished product, Monsters vs. Aliens offers a colorful and vibrant palette. A few too many erratic cuts interrupt the flow of action, and the low polygon count looks are of Wii quality, but there’s not enough to truly call foul over.