Come on, it’s Need for Speed and that means a tried-and-true racing formula. While the story is a bit far-fetched, it really is no different than some previous titles in the NFS franchise. It would be nice to see the series break out and take a few chances, but what is here – from the open world to the car customization options – should provide for some entertainment for NFS fans.

It hurts to say it but, “the need for speed” is lacking in this latest rendition.

Quite possibly one of the weakest entries in the Need for Speed franchise, Undercover for the PSP is an unexciting racing game with very little to offer longtime fans of the series.

A nice attempt to reboot the franchise, NCAA Basketball 09 adds some new features and revamps the on-court play, but ultimately feels like a flawed and barebones college basketball experience.

Better than previous outings, NCAA Basketball 09 is a decent game that should challenge and entertain. Add in more game modes, and this game will nail that three-pointer from beyond the arc.

There’s no excuse for this pathetic release by Electronic Arts. Sure, they refined a few things but when push comes to shove, gamers shouldn’t have to endure mediocrity within their favorite sport since there’s no other alternative.

Episode 4: Dangeresque 3 gives players all the Strong Bad point-and-click goodness they could hope for. It’s a hilarious, fun, afternoon-sized helping of adventure gaming, and keeps SBCG4AP’s streak going as the series heads into the finale.

With the TSO expansion, EverQuest II continues to be one of the top MMOs on the market and The Shadow Odyssey only deepens the experience.

So close in many ways but way off in others, Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe doesn't move the series forward so much as it tries to redefine what Mortal Kombat should be about. We could "if this" or "if that" all day long, but ultimately, Midway has created a game that MK fans will enjoy while being greatly disappointed.

Shaun White’s first snowboarding game is a mess that misses the entire idea of what snowboarding is all about.

A mixed bag of elements that are either very cool, frustrating or bland, Shaun White Snowboarding doesn't live up to the expectation of becoming the new snowboarding champion.

This version also contains a rider/cameraman feature that lets you select two different characters (one to film, which adds a special ability, and one to board) to enhance your overall performance. That is yet another dynamic that makes Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip for Wii the best version available.

If you have played the first one and enjoyed it, then you are golden; if you didn't then its time to put down the iPod loaded with country music and get crackin'.

Shaun White Snowboarding may satisfy some players but won't enthrall every fan of the sport.

Chronicles of Mystery The Scorpio Ritual is a good game for a few hours of adventure game fun. Players in-between games at the moment may want to pick this one up and play.

It’s classic Luxor, and is exactly as expected. The game requires fast thinking and planning ahead, and can be addictive. With the different difficulty levels, this game can be enjoyed by all ages.

While the majority of the content is geared towards higher-level players, there is still a lot of fantastic content for any WoW gamer. If you’re a fan, then there’s no reason that you should not have this expansion.

Into the Inferno won't speak to every DS owner simply because of the Avatar license. But Avatar fans aren't the only ones who should benefit from this upper-tier Zelda clone. Anyone who enjoyed Phantom Hourglass should at least rent, if not buy, this above-average Avatar sequel.

If Ascaron patches in fixes for the bugs, to shore up the game, this will be quite entertaining and should provide a lot of fun. The graphical elements are, for the most part, well done, and the game has a very good vibe to it – it does not take itself too seriously, while at the same time telling a decent story.

The game’s free-running mechanic is intuitive and feels natural, offering a nice change of pace from other titles in the genre. However, the game’s story mode feels a bit too linear and combat is underwhelming.

The game does a terrific job in both challenging and entertaining. The story is solid enough to hold the elements together and the world that the game is placed in supports all the elements. This is a well-designed game.

EA’s stylish brawler floats like a butterfly, but plays like a full-on seizure.

While certain issues are there, such as the lack of battling random people online or the slight framerate issues, other promising features have risen from the destructive ashes of rebuilding a franchise.

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World is not a bad game, but is suffers from "Been there done that" syndrome.

National Geographic Panda is intended to educate people about pandas, while entertaining them; unfortunately, the entertainment factor is not very high. Best for people who really love pandas and want to learn more about them in an interactive environment.

Joyous and hellish. Delightful and disgraceful. Too frequently annoying yet capable of compelling the player to see it through, Nuts & Bolts is more of a disappointment than it is a reward for an eight-year wait. But it's a disappointment that, for all the good it does, is actually worth playing.

Whether or not you let the game’s little flaws bother you, there’s no denying that Eternal Poison is a unique, visually striking game, and the tactical gameplay is deep and engaging.

PES 2009 is an improvement over last year’s game, albeit a very minor one. If the PES franchise wants to stay competitive against FIFA, they certainly have their work cutout for them.

Nancy Drew Dossier is a great new entry in the world of casual games, and I look forward to more to come.

There is a nice mix of action and intense moments that will leave you grabbing the controller so hard you will think it will break. Even using the various vehicles in multiplayer is a breeze.

Call of Duty: World at War is a solid entry to the franchise, offering some pretty intense gameplay and nice new online features. However, the return to WWII means that it feels like a game you’ve played before.

Overall the game feels a bit short but is not only a very tasty bit of eye candy, and a treat for the ears as well, but a briskly paced action-adventure that should please fans of WWII first-person shooters.

It would be easy to let the gameplay stop you from wanting to play Call of Duty: World at War, but there are just so many other things the game has to offer. If you own a Wii and are confident in your Wii remote abilities than this is an excellent game to pickup.

Call of Duty: World at War is a solid entry to the DS’s shooter library. While there are some problems here and there and it obviously won’t provide the same cinematic feel as it’s high-def console brethren, it still is a pretty solid shooter.

If you’re a hardcore strategy gamer craving a deep and involved strategy game then you won’t find it here. Yet if you want to relive the glory days of gaming then don’t miss out in playing Populous again.

A badly conceived game that offers no enjoyment.

WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2009 is a nice addition to the franchise, with some solid new game modes. While the core game hasn’t changed, there are still enough new features to keep fans interested.

A game with decent entertainment value. The AI seems pretty tight and the game looks pretty good. Unfortunately online could not be tested. The single-player campaign is decent with a challenge that ramps up slightly as you move along. Still this game should have appeal to those who are fans of the sport.

While this is better than last year’s version, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 shows that Yukes still have a long way to go to take full advantage of the Wii’s features. The added online functionality is a step in the right direction, so one can only expect things to get better from here on out for the series.

Smackdown Vs. Raw 09 wouldn't be a hard game to praise...if the 08, 07 and 06 editions had never existed. It's really hard to look at this game, which is almost entirely a rehash, and tell wrestling fans to buy it.

While the 2009 edition feels much a bit like last year’s offering, SmackDown! Vs. Raw 2009 for the PSP does bring some refreshing changes to the ring. There are still a few elements that still need a bit tweaking but, overall, wrestling fans will find a good reason to lay the smack down once again.

On one hand the controls are a testament to what can be done with the DS; on the other, they also prove that not every franchise should be wholly touch-based.

SBK Superbike World Championship offers a realistic take on the world of motorcycle racing. Unfortunately, this over-reliance on authenticity sucks the fun out of the game, leaving a product that will only appeal to the dedicated niche of superbike superfans.

It’s a solid entry and an excellent sequel to a great game and - despite a few issues - it’s looking like this is a good year for Naruto and fighting game fans.

Gears of Wars 2 is what epic masterpieces are made of and on top of that it raises the bar for all action games on the Xbox 360. It’s an over-the-top, action junkie’s dream come true that easily surpasses the much-loved original that still haunts the dreams of all Xbox owners.

Little Red Riding Hood’s Zombie BBQ will draw you in with its awesome premise, but it keeps you interested with its excellent shooting action. It’s a quirky, challenging, fun game that’s the DS’s sleeper hit of the season.

Exit DS is one of those games that really would have benefited from the Nintendo DS’ touch screen but, sadly, the awkward controls make for some rather frustrating gameplay.

It's just one big game of wave-the-remote-defeat-the-enemy. Fun for fans of this kind of experience – boring for anyone else.

If Kung-Fu Panda is your absolute favorite movie and you’ve already memorized the first game, you’ll probably want to play this. Otherwise, Legendary Warriors isn’t worthy of your time or money.

The songs are decent but just are not that long and the idea of the artists being ‘legendary’ is fine in most regards, but some of the songs selected to highlight that status hardly live up to the title.

EndWar is a solid RTS game that benefits from an innovative and intuitive control element, but falls short in a few key places.

This is a solid RTS experience that will definitely appeal to newcomers to the fold. Battle-hardened veterans may find this a little too simplistic in design but kudos have to go to the development team for creating a solid title that is entertaining and brings something new to the genre.

The game tells a compelling story, is loaded with exciting combat, and is chock full of memorable moments. It could have used a bit more polish in certain areas, true, but as an interactive summer blockbuster, Legendary delivers.

I was severely disappointed with this title.

Monster Lab is a good game that will stay in your Nintendo Wii for a long time. Hopefully Eidos Interactive will create a sequel to this game that fixes its shortcomings as they have a potential blockbuster in their hands.

Quite possibly one of the best Naruto games to come along on a next-generation console, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm is a solid fighting game for the PS3 that is true to the series. It’s a blast running through the Hidden Leaf Village and it’s quite satisfying to be wrapped up in major battles that fans and non-fans will enjoy.

It’s games like Valkyria Chronicles that make me glad I’m a game reviewer. This is a game that weaves a deeply moving and powerful story while adding an action-packed strategy twist to the genre. In other words, this is a PlayStation 3 game destined to become a console favorite.

Quantum of Solace is a fun and exciting Bond title that has some truly engaging situations and pretty production values. However, there are some ugly issues, like poor AI and a buggy cover system, that keep it from truly being a truly great shooter.

Quantum of Solace: The Game is actually well above average where licensed material is concerned. As a shooter on its on merits, however, it’s a fairly standard experience helped a bit because it features James Bond.

Quantum of Solace contains a number of exciting moments straight from the new 007 film but on the Nintendo Wii the controls are just far too sluggish to make this a fun alternative version.

It’s hard to really push for this one when it’s being released in the exact same weeks as other momentous AAA titles. It hurts to say it, but I don’t think this one is going to stay at the top of the stack; not to mention a six-hour gameplay time.

While it’s not as gorgeous as the next-generation version, Quantum of Solace for the PS2 is certainly able to handle the action just as well with enough moments to keep the game exciting. The game does have its share of problems that show up often but in the end there is more good here than bad.

Quantum of Solace is a solid effort to bring Bond to the DS, but there are a few looming problems with the translation.

A tense thriller that will immerse players into that sense of desperation as the remains of the human race fight for survival against increasingly overwhelming odds. The pacing is frenetic, the sense of urgency comes through loud and clear. Resistance 2 is a solid game, that looks stunning, but the game’s length and the linearity of the levels might prove to be a little much for some players.

It's nice to have these classic games on hand in case I get the urge to host an impromptu Pac Man tournament.

Die-hard Dragon Ball fans can't go wrong with Origins.

Korg DS-10 is definitely not for everyone, because of the simple fact that it is deep, rich, and does not ignore the details. There's a lot of potential here just waiting to be unlocked, that is for sure. If you're interested in music and what to put your creativity to work, give this title a go.

Nostalgia-seeking gamers may be tempted by Soldiers of Misfortune, if only to relive the good-old days of Army Men gaming. But those days can only be relived by playing the original Army Men; this newfangled (and disappointingly mangled) sequel does not deliver.

The mini-games turned out to be better than the platforming aspects of the single-player campaign. Their fresh and original in comparison to other licensed video games based on animated films.

Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa feels like a never ending assault on the gameplay senses. The game has you constantly moving from one game to another as the story keeps progressing. While the variety of the gameplay is great the actual game itself doesn’t offer anything truly innovative or spectacular. Yet for those that crave variety Madagascar 2 might just be the game for you.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is a solid licensed title, and one of the better games aimed at kids to release this holiday season. It’s not going to redefine the licensed-game market, but it will provide a reasonably good time to any little Madagascar fan who finds a copy under the tree.

While there could be improvements in the platforming elements, and more originality in some of the mini-games, overall this is a lot of fun for kids, which is the point. And, there is definitely a lot of replay value, which is always a consideration for families.

Aside from the plentiful missions, deep Map Editor and challenging opponent AI, the gameplay makes for some fun moments with your Stylus.

A thoroughly enjoyable strategy game with a number of challenging battle scenarios, Tom Clancy’s EndWar for the PSP is a brilliant portable game that serious strategy game fans should definitely not miss.

Alas, Secret Missions fails to be that glorious Civil War first-person shooter that not only gives gamers a good glimpse of what the tragic war was about but also experience the secretive side to famous confrontations during that period. With too many problems holding it back, those gamers with an eye towards history should simply consider renting this one instead.

The game is a shadow of its more popular cousins. If you have an itch to rock out on your DS, then I think you know which way to go.

Real Soccer 2009 is a fun and solid soccer game that works well within its handheld format. However, the game’s lack of an official license for real teams and it’s relatively slim presentation of game modes are marks against it.

Petz: Sports is a solid entry to the Petz franchise, and one that is pretty fun in sessions with friends. While the racing portions could be fleshed out more, there is a lot here for younger audiences to have fun with.

AC/DC is a good filler disc as long as you are a fan.

Away: Shuffle Dungeon has a lot of charm and a great central gameplay system, but the gameplay is too shallow and simple to ever really draw the player in. It’s a cute, simple dungeon crawler with a great gimmick, but unfortunately it never really becomes anything more.

This game is not any fun at all to play. The visual theme of the parks is about the only positive feature, which is a good reflection of the essence of the books. But, graphics do not a game make. Parents should avoid this game.

Although, the game is lacking in its concept and multiplayer, it does deliver the same experience as the books, which is a very good thing.

There is plenty to do with the 27 single-player missions and the plethora of multiplayer options, especially the new co-op feature. This is one game that will not leave your PC for quite some time.

Well, I was hoping for something a bit more in line with the show, and while you are playing as Ben, Gwen and Kevin, the game makes sure to take most of the fun out of it.

If the third-person perspective was better, Fallout 3 would’ve been an almost perfect RPG. Even with that said, everyone needs to spend time showing off how amazing VATS is since it is pure ecstasy.

Fallout 3 is a game that hits all the right notes and excels in being a role-playing game that wishes to challenge the genre to bring something bigger and better.

Fallout 3 is the best PC game I have played all year, the developers did a bang up job of making the series come alive once more and I for one couldn't be happier.

Only go buy this game if you are a die-hard Spiderman fan, or have an unhealthy obsession with bad voice acting.

The game is entertaining and a visual treat. The development team did a good job building on the original title, tweaking what needed to be tweaked and leaving the core mechanics intact. If you are looking for a solid, off-road racer, this is a good bet.

EA has definitely shown improvement in their second soccer effort on the Wii since there’s plenty of variety in the gameplay and game modes. Also, the graphics are about as good as can be for a Wii game.

The gameplay in Twin Strike is actually one of its better features. Although sometimes Twin Strike seems to be somewhat repetitive and boring and the controls aren’t that great, you will have at least a little fun with it.

MySims Kingdom doesn’t do anything objectionably wrong, but neither does it provide any new hook compelling enough to justify a $30 purchase.

A great game! We’re having a blast with it. It looks good, and plays great. There are a few things I would like added or changed, mainly to have a more zoomed out camera view, and to have more things to do that involve creativity like painting, drawing or designing. However, these are mostly minor quibbles.

With this title, so much depends on the song selection and this release will do fine in that regard.

A must-have for strategy game fans everywhere.

The first five games in the series are faithfully duplicated for the PS2 in all of their glorious, if not aging, splendor. But gameplay is really the key for any fighting game and this collection will not disappoint.

While it doesn’t quite reach the level of fighting game goodness that you would find on the console version, The King of Fighters Collection for the PSP is not a bad alternative for portable gamers.

The game’s mechanics have been streamlined to help bring in new players, but the overall feel of the game and low-key presentation is still one that caters to the hardcore fans of the series and no one else. Still, the deep career mode will keep fans busy for a while and should be worth a look for them.