Sing Party gets by well enough as a minimalistic party experience that's heavy on embarrassment potential and light on actual gameplay, but the inability to switch off the vocals tracks is the biggest detriment to the experience. It's a frustrating design decision that goes against the very spirit of what the game is trying to emulate. Serious karaoke enthusiasts will bristle at having to sing over the original tracks, and casual players will likely be uncomfortable mustering the resolve it takes for party play. What's left is a pretty weak package with limited appeal.

It's hard to see Nintendo Land becoming anywhere near the sensation that Wii Sports was. It requires too much equipment for the modes that last, and the rest can be quickly milked of their entertainment value. It proves that Nintendo is capable of creating addicting one-dollar games, but at 60 bucks, it's not priced to sell. As a pack-in for the deluxe version of the console it's a nice extra that shows what the Wii U is capable of.

Nintendo really has this kind of game down to a science, to the point where players can almost take for granted that the newest Mario game will hit a certain standard of quality. It's not the most inspired piece of work, but New Super Mario Bros Wii U satisfies the requirements for a great platformer and does a good job of putting the system's touchscreen to interesting use. The game is actually at its best when another human being is involved, and if you're on board with the Wii U, it's a great chance to get in touch with your new system.

Despite the new additions, Epic Mickey 2 feels phoned in. The charm and novelty of the paint mechanics are starting to fade, and it lacks the ambitious decision making that helped to distinguish the original. What's left is a mediocre platformer, and all its allusions to Disney's rich history can only help it so much.

The elastic story provides plenty of incentive to replay the campaign, the strikeforce levels aren't executed perfectly, but they're a glimpse at the future, and the multiplayer features are tweaked to make every play style relevant and to level the playing field. It does so many new things so very well, making it the most groundbreaking Call of Duty since the first Modern Warfare. Shooters simply don't get much more deep, varied, surprising, or rewarding than this.

Sticker Star exhibits some growing pains, but the new direction pays off in spite of them. The lack of traditional RPG elements will take time to adjust to, but once you've cleared the hurdle, you're rewarded with a solid game that hones in on its clever puzzles and refined battle system to deliver an experience that simultaneously comforting and novel.

Quotation forthcoming.

For all the careful planning that might go in a stickup, it all usually comes down to clutching out impromptu, split second shootouts. Sometimes these quirks manifest as incompetent A.I. behavior or exploitative gameplay, but for the most part, it all congeals in a remarkably tense and satisfying experience with depth to go with its style.

There's no doubt that Halo 4 has been developed in a pressure cooker. With expectations sky high, 343 has delivered a game that manages to walk the line between old and new with just a few stumbles.

There is no shortage of clichéd metaphors to explain what Liberation is: it stopped short of the finish line, or if you prefer, it used all the ingredients but got the recipe wrong. Simply put, Liberation is a squandered game, starring an interesting character that goes nowhere.

There isn't much out there quite like Zone of the Enders. The first game is the weaker of the two, serving as lukewarm appetizer for the main course. The Second Runner, though, with all its refinements and polished battle system, is certainly worth the price of admission.

If you enjoy creating your own shows, forming your own factions, and designing your own stable of pro wrestlers, you'll view WWE 13's creation suite as the best there is, the best there was, and possibly the best there will be, with options more diverse than Mick Foley's wrestling personas. Yet the gameplay, AI, and controls have not significantly advanced from last year's title, making WWE 13 more uneven than the "People's Eyebrow."

While some of the interface experiments are hit or miss, the gameplay in Need for Speed: Most Wanted provides a solid mix of heart-in-your throat speed and playful discovery. Whether you're weaving through traffic or lining up for big air, Most Wanted's densely-packed automotive playground is fun to explore on your own, and really comes alive with friends.

While it's a little slow to get going, Assassin's Creed III is a rewarding, elegant game on many levels. It understands that everyone plays open-world games differently, and provides plenty of incentive for players to tackle its quandaries how they see fit. The sheer variety, overall quality, brisk pacing, massive amount of content, and satisfying story make it easy to forget its few rough spots. Heady and well-informed, Assassin's Creed III is the polar opposite of a guilty pleasure.

In spite of some strong individual elements, it ends up feeling like a sloppy and ultimately pointless conflict. Focusing on superficial distinctions that add nothing to the game, Warfighter lacks a convincing reason to fight, and there's no reason anyone should pick up the banner apart from brand loyalty or sheer boredom.

The Skylanders concept still feels novel and you get the feeling that there's a lot of potential waiting to be squeezed out of the experience. However, it's clearly being held back by the focus on peddling collectible toys. There's a decent game in here, but it's ultimately hard to justify the substantial investment you'll have to throw down for all the figures required to get the full experience.

007 Legends was clearly rushed to market, and the publisher has such a spotty track record with the franchise, that it's high time for the Bond license to be revoked. Uglier than Jaws and shorter than Nick Nack, 007 Legends doesn't expect you to gawk. Oh no Mr. Bond fans, it expects you to cry. Mission succeeded.

Straightforward in approach yet exceedingly effective in delivery, it elevates the notion of melee combat past a last ditch combat maneuver and into a realm of medieval, multiplayer bliss.

There's so little variation in how any given activity is completed that even younger muggles will quickly bore of it. Not even Bellatrix Lestrange would be crazy enough to spend $50 on it.

The battles are often tiresome, not only because of the activity level associated with the controls, but because fights tend to drag on with rock-paper-scissors type counter attacks, blocks, and deflections. While you can unlock over 50 characters, all of the fighters control the same, and the first-person perspective means you can't even see them in action. Considering the lack of new content and spotty controls, Dragon Ball Z for Kinect ultimately puts the "sigh" in Super Saiyan.

The Unfinished Swan is a treat for the senses, with thoughtful music and a poignant, elegant, and ever-so-slightly enigmatic story with tinges of the bittersweet, as well as humor and hope. This is the sort of game that offers up that rare spark of ingenuity that manages to thread both its form and function between narrative, aesthetics, and game design.

While Forza Horizon does have room to grow, it's fantastic for anyone who wants to take to the open road with more authentic driving and car customization.

It isn't completely successful with some of its experimental features and still lacks some of the fun auxiliary modes of its sister games, but it's clear that it isn't just a glorified track pack. For all the aspiring b-boys and b-girls out there, Dance Central 3 is a great game to experienced, and an even better one to share.

For all its snark and irreverence, Retro City Rampage is pretty earnest in terms of what it's all about: take a gander at all the rampage events and the dizzying array of display modes available, and it all becomes clear. If you have a soft spot in your heart for classic games and an appetite for open-world destruction, you'll be able to overlook the knee-slappers and mechanical mishaps that occasionally mar this expansive pastiche.

All of the decisions you've made until now converge at this point, and it's a credit to Telltale that you'll walk away incredibly excited to see how it all ends.

Scrambling for some mysterious, hilarious weapon harbored in a crate, landing an impossible shot, or carving out the land for an assault continues to be what makes Worms' game of destructible chess worthwhile. It's easy to write off the single-player campaign, but the heart and soul of the multiplayer stays the sure and steady path. It may not be advertised revolution, but this long going war is one worthy of enlisting in.

You won't regret your excursion to these ursine lands if you've still got the spirit of exploration, the scars, and the fond feelings of battle etched into your heart. Those less into the prospect of jumping into WoW yet again may just as well stay in hibernation.

A gorgeous game with clever levels, but the abysmal controls make it all for naught. For all it does right, playing it feels like a frustrating chore, and no amount of affection for the Fable series will make its failings easy to overlook.