While the technical hitches are disappointing, Midnight Club: Los Angeles is still a frantic, open experience that's even more fun for anyone familiar with the city. There's a lot of room for personalization, and the nearly overwhelming lineup of modes and events ensure that players won't be taking the bus out of town any time soon.

Using the note charts makes playing Wii Music tolerable, but if you try to free form it be prepared for disaster. It’s more of an educational experience for dedicated participants, but the poor sound samples, ancient song selection, and poor controls will have many players quitting the band before its first real gig.

Rock Revolution stands as a harrowing reminder that replicating a successful formula is no guarantee of quality. It’s simply not fun to play, and the fact that you need peripherals from other games just to play it is the writing on the wall. Konami may have started the fire with Guitar Freaks, but this game essentially throws a big bucket of water on it.

Tyris is likeable enough, but generic and uninspired gameplay manage to reduce everything in Golden Axe: Beast Rider to the lowest common denominator. It’s simply not fun--offering very little incentive to keep playing.

SOCOM: Confrontation is a fairly safe bet if all you're looking for is a by-the-numbers, online, tactical shooter. Without a single-player campaign to add some flavor, the game does come off as kind of generic.

Saints Row 2 is undeniably rough around the edges, blatant with its recycling, and exhilarating in its craziness. It's a game that your brain knows has problems, but your heart doesn't care.

The atmosphere is Metroid Prime, and the structure is Resident Evil, but everything else is all its own. The strategic dismemberment, mixture of weapons and supernatural abilities, and relentless intensity make for a game that you’ll be scared to keep playing, but won’t want to stop.

Normally games that borrow a lot of elements from others end up being less than the sum of their parts, but for everything Dead Space borrows it gives something back. The atmosphere is Metroid Prime, and the structure is Resident Evil, but everything else is all its own. The strategic dismemberment, mixture of weapons and supernatural abilities, and relentless intensity make for a game that you’ll be scared to keep playing, but won’t want to stop.

FIFA 09 may or may not have 250 new additions, but it's a strong-playing game with an extensive amount of modes.

With its terrain-deforming mechanics and physics-based weaponry, Fracture features some creative gameplay ideas and can be a lot of fun, but unfortunately that creativity isn’t matched in the art direction, story, or enemy AI.

Casual hoops players aren't going to be wowed with this latest iteration of NBA 2K9, but it's meant to satisfy those who live and breathe basketball, as the improvements in the AI and atmosphere alone are sure to tickle the inner twine of dedicated fans.

NBA Live 09 is still not quite ready to bang the boards with the best, but it's the most user-friendly hoops game on the market. The pick-up-and-play control scheme, vibrant visuals, and improved action will appeal to those who feel the NBA 2K series is too complicated.

The atmosphere needs some work; and the game is far from a simulation in terms of realism and depth. Yet NBA 09 can still become addictive for those who want a fast-paced, accessible hoops game.

The development team has played it safe, delivering a game that maintains the status quo. It will make fans giddy, but those without preconceived notions will find it to be a bit clunky and growing long in the tooth.

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.

Hell's Highway is a polished, coherent experience that, despite a few setbacks, remains compelling with interesting mechanics and compelling gameplay.

The relationship between boosting and tricking carries an interesting dynamic that's sure to spawn different strategies from player to player. No matter the tactic, the trick system definitely rewards those with nerves of steel.

While the formula is definitely on its last legs, LEGO Batman’s simple fun is engaging and even gets better as you go. The omission of online play is a disappointment, but thanks to a lineup of strong characters, more levels, and gameplay tweaked to fit the Dark Knight’s style, LEGO Batman is the best of the LEGO breed.

Just like the DS versions, the concept for Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked hits all the right marks, but it's the execution that fails. A stupid, impractical A.I. companion and the unrealistic stat maintenance make playing it just about as much fun as being stranded on an island in real life.

Baja manages to capture the chaos and intensity of off-roading, but the finicky controls undermine the experience.

Baja manages to capture the chaos and intensity of off-roading, but the finicky controls undermine the experience.

de Blob's Katamari-like premise is simple yet compelling, but repetitive challenge types and a general lack of gameplay variety keep it from being essential.

Mega Man 9 succeeds in delivering an authentic retro experience, but that’s not to say it’s flawless.

It initially delivers on its promise, but it erodes over time due to the monotony and meager difficulty that discourages exploring the combat’s complexity.

Crysis Warhead is undeniably fun, great looking, and includes a strong multiplayer component—all for $30. It’s also short, and has some awkward pacing. You’re really getting your money’s worth from the multiplayer, and if you can run it on the enthusiast settings you’ll have a great time just watching your machine get a workout.

It’s a shame the issues that plagued Shadow of Chernobyl are still largely present in Clear Sky because the premise is great and the design is far more interesting and ambitious than your average shooter. But ultimately, the bugs, technical issues, and brutal difficulty are tough to stomach. If you’re looking for a challenge, then this is your game, but the average player will tire of its shortcomings long before things even get started.

Rock Band 2 will be disappointing if you’re looking for drastic changes. Most of the upgrades are subtle, and you’re basically getting a ton of downloadable content at a great price. For our time and money, it’s worth every penny.

TNA: Impact! is an impressive debut for a wrestling franchise, but when held up against its contemporaries it’s still got a ways to go.