Just keep in mind that truly enjoying this adventure often requires you to overcome challenges that don't involve puzzling quests or formidable monsters. Yet even with its faults, there's a lot here to indulge your urge to explore and conquer.

The package just lacks the substance to keep you coming back. Mario Sports Mix is good for a diversion, but it ultimately makes for an underwhelming trip back to the Mushroom Kingdom.

The revamped controls result in the best Killzone experience yet, and the thoughtfully-conceived multiplayer elements will keep you in the game until you've maxed out and mastered its finer points. Killzone hasn't forgotten its roots--it's just improved its fundamentals in every way that matters.

Rearmed 2 may not be as easy to recommend as its predecessor was--1200 Microsoft points isn't peanuts--but if you've been craving another dalliance with Spencer, you won't be disappointed, provided you're not a stickler about the whole jumping thing.

Magicka's clever, inspired twists on the straight action-RPG are sure to result in hours of freeform chaotic fun.

Director George Lucas famously said that a "special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing." A special effect without strong gameplay is also a boring thing, which is Lost in Shadow's greatest fault.

There's little to redeem Mindjack. You'll quickly grow tired of the unresponsive controls and repetitive shootouts, and the multiplayer game's appeal, while novel, is fleeting. What's left is a dreadful shooter that will have you wishing you could mindjack into another host, preferably someone who's playing a better game.

The first couple hours with Dead Space 2 are very familiar, but it's one of those rare games that just keeps getting better. It's still a very dreary game that can make long play sessions a challenge, yet there are scores of moments that stick with you for quite some time. The multiplayer is a disappointment, but it's a much more accessible game that won't leave fans in a lurch.

Despite these moments of frustration, Fluidity surges past the usual fare of stagnant WiiWare games, sparkling with a steady stream of fresh gameplay mechanics.

A charming and enjoyable package. The variety of levels and modes will keep you busy for hours, and the online play provides much in the way of chaotic fun.

Blurring the line between game and application, Media Molecule still manages to keep it fun. It's clumsy at times, but its huge potential to amaze and amuse will have you sampling from the burlap buffet until the next version hits. Whether you look at it as a new game or as some sort of massive patch, LittleBigPlanet 2 rocks the boat without threatening to capsize it.

It's not a terrible deal at around five hours for 10 bucks, but you'll certainly come away hoping that the next New Vegas expansion tries a little harder to temper its idiosyncrasies.

It's not necessarily a bad game, it's just far too difficult to enjoy.

Ghost Trick is about problems and solutions, and while there's some fun in exploring the possibilities along the way, the game is only really concerned in wrapping you up in one memorable, start-to-finish run. Give it a chance to haunt you, and you won't be disappointed.

By now, it's clear that the Kingdom Hearts series really needs to move into new territory instead of rehashing the same tired elements that are well past their expiration date. If you're new to the series, there are worse games than Recoded to start out with. Veterans, on the other hand, will be hard-pressed to find anything worthwhile here.

While it's still puzzling why the developers seem so reluctant on including some sort of simultaneous multiplayer action, Championship Edition DX is unbelievably fun and mercilessly addictive, enhancing the timeless appeal of Toru Iwatani's original coin-op design to frantic and eye-catching levels.

The appeal of creatively eradicating the undead remains undeniable. Drab environment and co-op hiccups aside, there's plenty to enjoy in the three-hour campaign to make it worth the $10 asking price.

One could theoretically get better at playing Sonic Free Riders, but the rewards for mastery pale before the spastic mess of a game you have to deal with.

With limited variety and motion controls that are far too problematic, MotionSports stumbles out of the gate like a washed-up athlete way past his prime.

There are some brief moments of fun in Kinect Joy Ride, but most of the time you'll be too busy fighting the loose controls to really enjoy it. Making matters worse, the game would be an absolute pushover if you played it with a traditional analog stick and buttons. With shallow gameplay and just a handful of tracks, it certainly doesn't justify the $50 price tag.

Purposely frustrating, Spelunker HD offers a lot of game to work through, straddling the fine line between good difficulty and rote memorization for an entertaining enough throwback, but one that few will end up finishing. Idle thumbs need not apply.

When compared to the typical Japanese RPG, Persona 3 feels like a breath of fresh air.

The ability to manipulate the world is executed well, and it really does drive the experience into a realm much more fantastic than you'd expect from a skateboarding game. We just wish the story and campaign were better conceived, and the fact that the free skate mode is locked till the end is rather disappointing.

As far as Kinect dancing games go, Dance Central is still the better ticket, but if Dance Masters' distinct Japanese feel and set list move you, it may be worth a look.

It doesn't quite reach Ico's levels of quality, but it emulates the formula well enough. This is one friend request you should give careful consideration to.

Splatterhouse successfully exploits its grisly horror aesthetic by linking it to aggressive and cathartic gameplay, but fails to build a genuinely good game around this central idea.

The only way Shred won't make you want to tear your hair out is if you play the game on the casual setting, during free ride, and with low expectations.

Though five new levels are fewer than 10, Cataclysm is nonetheless the most radical game-changer the World of Warcraft has seen yet.