A respectable roster, goofy but generally fun fighting, and the bridging of two universes with an actual coherent story line makes MK vs DC appealing for casual players. But if you're looking for a true Mortal Kombat sequel or the next super-balanced tournament fighter, this watered-down, crossed-over spin-off isn't your game.

Shaun White Snowboarding could definitely benefit from some more polish and it's fairly derivative, but its open-ended design and subdued trick system capture the feel of the real sport. Snowboarders will appreciate the ability to play the game how they want, but it's low on flash, so weekend warriors should buy a three-day lift pass for a test run.

Shaun White Snowboarding could definitely benefit from some more polish and it's fairly derivative, but its open-ended design and subdued trick system capture the feel of the real sport. Snowboarders will appreciate the ability to play the game how they want, but it's low on flash, so weekend warriors should buy a three-day lift pass for a test run.

If you plan on picking the game up, and do not have a Balance Board, then drop the score a whole point. Yes, it makes that much of a difference. If this is a first glimpse at the future of games utilizing it, then it’s a very bright future indeed.

It’s been three years since the previous Animal Crossing on the DS, but City Folk is virtually identical and costs $20 more.

If you’ve got that 70 collecting dust, now is a good time to unfreeze that account. The king is back.

First-person platforming is certainly nothing new, but an entire game built around it is. It works and comes across as a new beast, just don't expect a lot of play time from it unless you're obsessive compulsive. There's still room for refinement, but anyone who's curious, jump in.

Though the battle system is improved, an erratic difficulty, budget production values, and a poorly-paced story keep Dawn of the New World from royalty status. In some ways, it’s a worthy successor to the original, but it’s ultimately just another passable action RPG.

It's hard to recommend Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. It's too complicated for kids, and too convoluted for adults, If you're the creative type, you'll enjoy fiddling around with all the parts, but if you're looking for an accessible game that you can play in short bursts and make headway, then steer clear.

Lightsaber Duels is an average fighter with solid visuals, but it doesn’t deliver on its most important element. There’s plenty of fan service, and swinging the Wii remote around can be fun at times, but the payoff just simply isn’t enough. This one’s still a padawan in training.

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.

Call of Duty: World at War is a great game that feels all too familiar, yet it's undoubtedly the best shooter based on the conflict. Comparisons between it and Call of Duty 4 are inevitable, but even on its own merits, it's a paint-by-numbers affair. The single-player campaign is intense and the cooperative play is engaging, but the competitive multiplayer, despite some added perks and tweaks, is subdued by the era it so accurately replicates.

This year may go down as the year of change, and WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 isn’t going to hurt its chances. It’s a solid entry for the series, with more notable innovations and improvements than the last couple games in the series. No molds are broken, but maybe next year it’ll come through with a solid TKO.

The Broken Bond isn’t a huge advancement for the Naruto franchise, but it does a fair job of matching battles and missions with the proper plot points.

The game consistently manages to put impressive, holy crap-worthy stuff on-screen. Your ears get their fair share of candy, too. Voice work is almost always right on and the music is epic, foreboding, and dangerous.

EndWar is a polished, innovative game that does a great job pairing its impressive voice command feature with a focused, fast-paced design.

No game has come closer to destroying the line between pencil and pixel than Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm. But after the honeymoon’s over, the romance doesn’t last. The series is struggling for some new ideas, and this game isn’t going to be the one to provide them.

If you're looking for an RPG that strays off the beaten path, go buy Valkyria Chronicles. From the gameplay to the visuals, it's one of a kind. It has appeal for both strategy heads and role-players who find high fantasy to be low on their interest scale.

Quantum of Solace is a passable Bond game and an above-average action game, but it's seriously held back by a lack of style and originality.

Resistance 2 offers more than the first game on all fronts. A better-designed single-player experience, more online mayhem with almost unthinkable amounts of player support, and a unique co-op mode make it easy to recommend. It's a little derivative, but it's an incredible value and a top quality production.

It's big, loud, and crazy, and it's clearly not meant to be taken too seriously. But looking past the pageantry, the whole thing is a little too familiar. If you're looking for some innovation, or at the very least, a modest twist in your RTS, you're not going to find it here.

Tthere’s a constant flow of surprises and excellence packed into this RPG. Everything is set at such a high caliber that the negligible flaws and inconsistencies come across as much larger blemishes than in most games, but they can’t tarnish the overall experience.

Few driving games will make you clinch your controller this tight or make your eyes water this hard. If you’re looking to sling some mud in the living room without ruining the couch, there are few choices better than Pacific Rift.

LBP lives up to its promise of playing, creating, and sharing. It’s a strong 2D platformer that darts into the shadow of trouble once in awhile, but it’s ultimately redeemed by its daring design.

Fable II is a game with heart, and there are so few of them released these days. It will make you think, and take you beyond bloodlust, yet you can satisfy that too if you wish.

The action is high-quality, free-roaming stuff, and the game earns major points for its smart way of dealing with getting shot up, patched up, and bailed out. The story does keep you on a leash and your objectives tend to repeat without too much variation, but if you enjoy this line of work, Far Cry 2's dangerous African landscape is a great place to be a merc.

Order of Ecclesia isn't a drastic departure from past installments, but it's a clear step up with tweaks to gameplay and level design and a cast of creative new enemies. Despite being broken up into smaller levels, there's still a heavy emphasis on exploration, and the merciless boss fights provide a satisfying challenge for any seasoned vampire hunter.

It's rare that such a great concept is sabotaged so savagely by poor execution, but Web of Shadows is a stark reminder that it takes more than a solid idea to make a great game.