The more players demand by way of stats, management options, and formation flexibility, the more this franchise gets left behind. Having a limited selection of real teams playing in a fabricated league just doesn’t cut it anymore. The gameplay remains as a solid foundation, but that can only take a game so far.

It’s the kind of game that can only work this well on the Nintendo DS, and despite a rather simple puzzle element, ends up being better than the sum of its parts. If you’re looking for your next DS fix, this one will have your head buried in it for days.

Chinatown Wars boils Grand Theft Auto down to its basic elements and wisely goes with what works. The game also makes wise use of the DS hardware without requiring too much back and forth between the control pad and the stylus. Most impressively, the game takes cues from the series' 2D past and incorporates modern amenities from recent installments, letting it live up to its legacy and stand on its own.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2009's visuals may not be in the same league as the versions released on the more powerful PS3 and Xbox 360, but it's hands down the better playing game.

You'll get a lot more out of it than you do from typical games with no competitive multiplayer and while played cooperatively it really sings. It's lost a lot of what has made the franchise a pins-and-needles experience, but that sense of dread has been replaced with pure action that's hard to match.

You'll get a lot more out of it than you do from typical games with no competitive multiplayer and while played cooperatively it really sings. It's lost a lot of what has made the franchise a pins-and-needles experience, but that sense of dread has been replaced with pure action that's hard to match.

One of the most eye-catching games to come along in a while, MadWorld is stylish, bloody, and a great fit for the Wii's controls. Though there's a surprising amount of incentive to replay it, it's barely seven hours long, so if you aren't persuaded by the novelty of extreme violence buy with caution.

Though largely lacking in ingenuity, Watchmen: The End is Nigh proves that if licensed games can’t be good, they can at least look good. The gameplay has a life expectancy of about 45 minutes, and at a pricey $20 for just a few hours of play, it probably should have been released for five bucks and used as a promotional tool for the flick.

It’s accessible, fun, and a mighty shuffle in the right direction, if a tad on the shallow side.

The new features and time period are definitely welcome, but it's disappointing that Empire: Total War has so many minor glitches and oversights that mar an otherwise excellent experience.

It’s competent but bland, lacking the imaginative missions of Blazing Angels, the glorious melodrama of Ace Combat, and the joyful air ballets of either.

It’s competent but bland, lacking the imaginative missions of Blazing Angels, the glorious melodrama of Ace Combat, and the joyful air ballets of either.

Why Sega decided to skewer[] one of our beloved childhood heroes on the tip of a clunky, sword-swinging spree is beyond us, but at this point, it simply hurts. Maybe someday we’ll live to see Sonic take back the speed that is so rightfully his, but for now, the only sprinting he’ll be doing is on the bad end of a running joke.

We Ski & Snowboard is an improvement over We Ski, but a modest one. If you didn't enjoy the first game, the new locales and snowboarding aren't going to alter your opinion of the sequel.

Major League Baseball 2K9 is really rough around the edges. Smoothing out the frame rate has improved the fielding, but this game really needed a visit from the exterminator before it shipped.

MLB 09's choppy online play is an unfortunate blemish on an otherwise stellar game. For those hoping to enjoy the multiplayer leagues, chat system, and live drafts, this is a big problem. Of course, you can always brush up on your skills offline while the development team gets to work on improving the net code. In terms of realism, challenge, and sheer enjoyment, MLB 09's brand of single-player virtual hardball easily takes home the pennant this season.

While Killzone 2 is not re-imagining the genre, it’s solid, beautiful, and challenging, with excellent multiplayer that makes it well worth the 60 bones. It falls short of legendary, but it’s sure to offer anyone who takes the plunge a visceral, tactical treat for the thumbs and eyes. It may be tough to get into, but once it gets its hooks in it won’t let go.

The problem with Eat Lead is that it only replicates the looks of all the games it spoofs, and not the gameplay. What's left is a repetitive, subpar third-person shooter skinned in various game themes and filled with cheap gags.

Surprisingly fun. It's easy to pick up and play and checks all the boxes for an action shooter. It's not very original, but it's miles better than the last game to bear the hip-hop star's name. You'll get several hours of enjoyment out of it, and it's great rental fodder for those who have long since laid the locust to rest.

Tri-ace has made an admirable effort with Last Hope, but the game ultimately just isn't capable of standing out amongst the other giants in the genre. It's enjoyable, but in a way more reminiscent of recent Square-Enix games than its classics. It's not the most epic adventure, but if you seek rich combat experiences in your RPGs, Last Hope certainly delivers.

A more flexible save system is also a step in the right direction. Yet, the repetitive mission objectives and moronic AI ensure that the enjoyment you glean from it will be directly proportional to how much you enjoy using new weapons to kill zombies.

Puzzle Quest Galactrix successfully reproduces the hybrid RPG/puzzle design that made the previous fantasy-themed Challenge of the Warlords so successful. Even if the overall package doesn't quite match the magic of the older game, this is still a great puzzle title that's tough to put down once you've picked it up.

An interesting, but ultimately weak, single-player experience is a bit of a disappointment to be sure. But the excellent and innovative multiplayer makes Dawn of War II worth the price for real-time strategy fans.

For its lower $40 price point, Race Pro offers a strong core, but it lacks style and appeal. The solid physics and deep options will satisfy simulation fans, but dated visuals, generic presentation, and a lack of must-drive cars keep Race Pro from taking pole position.

Fighting games have long been out of the spotlight, and Street Fighter IV basically carries the future of the entire genre. It refuses to make itself accessible, doling out tough love in place of true tutorials or simplified control schemes, but by proving to be deep and fundamentally enjoyable, the series has once again proven itself worthy of attention.

Fighting games have long been out of the spotlight, and Street Fighter IV basically carries the future of the entire genre. It refuses to make itself accessible, doling out tough love in place of true tutorials or simplified control schemes, but by proving to be deep and fundamentally enjoyable, the series has once again proven itself worthy of attention.

One of the most robust pieces of downloadable content we’ve ever seen. We’re used to getting a handful of hours, but we were surprised again and again that the missions just kept on coming. There’s a certain level of déjà vu involved and more mission variety would be appreciated, but the new multiplayer options are practically worth the price of admission alone.

The reincarnation of the original Fire Emblem isn’t the best in the series, but it certainly does enough to make it a worthy addition.