Though Gatling Gears adheres unerringly to the dual-stick formula, it really nails the execution. This is a lengthy endeavor that you'll want to come back to again and again.

The inclusion of superstar fighting styles and the struggle submission system is a step in the right direction, but it’s still difficult to recommend Smackdown vs Raw 2008 for a purchase to anyone but the most ardent fan.

While those expecting a more traditional gaming experience will be turned off after the novelty wears thin, Kinectimals is perfectly suited for the younger ones in the household, particularly those who can't keep a real pet.

Thanks to its solid fighting system, large roster, and plentiful play modes, Clash of Ninja Revolution III ranks as one of the better brawlers on Wii.

If you’ve played Revelations before, you’ll find few differences here with only a few new characters in raid mode and an infernal difficulty that remixes enemies and item locations for those seeking an extreme challenge. If you’ve yet to play it, this is a viable hybrid of old-evil sensibilities and new-evil action. All things considered, not a bad mutation.

Fans of zombie survival, open worlds, and first-person shooters will find things to enjoy in Dying Light, but it’s a rough ride. The contextual movement and realistic time progression suggest that Techland wants to immerse you in Harran’s apocalyptic plight, but the game’s realism takes a hit at almost every turn whether it’s the graphics, the enemy AI, or the mannequin-like demeanor of the souls you’ll attempt to save.

Spend an hour or two with Power Stone Collection and you’ll wonder what the big deal is.

A top-shelf effort that spiffs up the series with touched up visuals and plenty of extras. Having all three games together in a collection like this is a golden opportunity for veterans to get reacquainted with Dante. And if you've somehow missed out on Devil May Cry, then this is your chance to finally experience a trilogy that played a large part in paving a new road for action games.

A ridiculous rampage through the sexual revolution and beyond that will make you turn on, tune in, and eventually, drop out. There's lots of fun to be had with the cutting-edge, human-hampering technology, but the rest of the design is so twentieth century.

It definitely taxes the brain in addicting ways.

The vainglorious plot and meticulous landscapes of cliché will draw you in place of base compulsions to hit a level cap or maximize a "gearscore." If you can stomach the horrors of the night, as well as rote combat and occasionally glitched gameplay, you might just be the perfect pledge for this secret society.

Sonic Chronicles is an admirable attempt to revitalize an aging franchise, but it ultimately suffers from an identity crisis and never really hits its stride.

Fireteam Bravo 3 reminds us that the PSP is still capable of a fun and engaging third-person shooter. If you can deal with the controls and don't mind the no-frills level design, you'll find a game worth spending time with, especially with friends.

Gran Turismo is a rewarding driving game with plenty of courses to master and vehicles to acquire. However, it's held back by a lack of key features and frustrating limitations that will aggravate car collectors most of all. After such a long wait, GT fans deserve better.

Zeno Clash gives off an aura of being bigger than it actually is, and its less-refined spots really stick out. Constantly bizarre, if you can overlook its blemishes, you'll find an experience like nothing else out there.

Ultimate Nina Storm 2 is definitely an improvement for the series, faithfully utilizing its source material to create a fun, striking game. The online multiplayer is still a work in progress for the series, and while not all revisions are for the better, there's plenty of content stashed into the package to make it a worthwhile pick up.

Considering that Custom Robo is really a kids’ game, the shallow fighting engine can be forgiven in lieu of the massive amount of bits and pieces to collect, and customization that can be performed.

There's a surprisingly big game here.

Taken for its strengths, Mafia II delivers a rich slice of 50's mob culture with phenomenal atmosphere and solid gameplay that's easily worth experiencing. But if you're expecting the generous breadth of the best open-world games, the absence of extracurricular activities will be a bit of a disappointment.

Syndicate has a lot of ideas, but seems unwilling to let some of them out of the bag, instead parading them around at key moments, while some mechanics, like running through weak walls, never amounting to much.

It replicates the feeling of sliding down a mountain side with eerie precision and manages to make other control schemes feel dated. There’s certainly plenty of opportunity for improvement with the sequel, but with a ton of content and even more fun, it’s hard to go wrong with SSX Blur.

Dead or Alive 5 capably reaffirms the intrinsic charm of the series: fast, technical fighting that's easy to pick up, easy to appreciate, and easy on the eyes. But rather than advance the series into a new level of play, it merely repackages the its strong points rather than evolve them.

The odd premise of Tokyo Jungle is only augmented by the adrenaline rush of survival and the peculiarity of its systems and rules. It can certainly get repetitive and unlocking everything is a bear, but its random nature can often have you shouting at the screen in moments of panic and surprise.

With a more deliberately-designed fighting system, Battle Royale strives for the sort of cred you'd sooner find in an arcade than a living room get-together. The end result is a serviceable party game that shoots for the stars but ultimately comes up short of its competitive aspirations. In its attempts to take its format in a different direction, it has inadvertently skewed itself away from the fundamentals that would make it work. In the end, you can safely say that Battle Royale is indeed not like Smash Brothers, but it might have been better if it were.

The game is fun, at least it starts out fun, but repetition eventually morphs into boredom and killing demons changes from a guilty pleasure to a chore. By the game's mid-point the joy of combat has faded, the humor has worn thin and the characters and storyline aren't strong enough to carry the game. Shadow Warrior does stay true to its 1990s roots, but never truly moves past them.

Puzzle Quest 2 is a worthy sequel in every measure. It improves the look and feel of the original, successfully builds on its mechanics, and still feels different enough to provide a sense of novelty and newness.

Dance Dance Revolution is quickly becoming a tired franchise, and Universe doesn’t do much to change that. With that said, there’s no denying it’s a solid game with enough content to keep people playing until the inevitable sequel.

Tumble has the broad appeal of any good puzzler, though it will tax your manual dexterity in ways Tetris never dreamed. Like any good puzzle game, there will be some frustration, especially with the novel contortion element.