Chu Chu Rocket looks and sounds as charming as the Dreamcast original. The graphics are simple, consisting of playfields with running mice and cats, but they're designed with the same Sonic Team charm.

For $4.99, you won't find a better racer on the iPad right now.

Quotation forthcoming.

A classic game that didn't age as well as we had hoped, Bomberman is a must-have game for those who know they must have it.

Despite Obsidian's fan-service, Fallout: New Vegas is a heaping pile of bugs.

For those who prefer strategy and planning over the random elements of a game like Puzzle Quest, Clash of Heroes may be the deviously clever, deliberately paced game you've been looking for. It can be a bit rough around the edges, but it's also the smartest and most rewarding puzzle-RPG you're likely to play.

An exceptional high speed platformer that accomplishes what Sonic has been trying to recapture for years now. The sense of speed and some fancy parkour moves are held back by some slight control issues, but it's a platforming adventure well worth diving into.

Ultimately, Portal 2 is pure genius. With gameplay that never stops becoming addictive and new characters that always threaten to steal the spotlight, Portal 2 is one of the best games of 2011.

While it has its flaws, Sanctum is a unique and commendable twist on the tower defense genre. The first-person shooter elements and incredibly fun multiplayer aspects offer a fun experience, and with the promise of new downloadable content on the horizon, the game is worth forgoing a few McDonald's Happy Meals to pick it up.

Overall, Mayhem 3D lacks depth in many departments, but it delivers an average experience for fans of destruction racing games.

The new approach to the stale genre ensures a fun single-player experience, even if it is a bit short-lived.

The vehicles aren't the only thing with a mind of their own. The camera is worse.

Had it been taken as seriously as other racers on the market, NASCAR 2011 could have been a very solid title.

Lego Star Wars III should easily be the best the series has to offer. With superior graphics and a decent variety of game styles, it easily overcomes any shortcomings in narrative. Unfortunately, the same problems that have plagued previous Lego games are still on display: difficult to control vehicles, overly simplified combat, unresponsive controls, glitches, drawn out levels, and poor guidance.

Only the monotonous music besmirches an otherwise delightful atmosphere.

If you already own some version of Legend, Anniversary, and Underworld, you won't have much reason to shell out the cash for this collection.

The game may have been better suited for PlayStation 3.

Uprising is for gamers who seriously enjoy punishing games.

Like Strider before it, Moon Diver is a repetitive button masher that will enthrall you regardless of its shortcomings.

Less successful as a game, but useful as an educational supplement.

Bronze would be a lot easier to recommend if it were a $1-5 download on a phone service. Despite its very narrow boundaries, the game plays fine and is mildly entertaining in short bursts. At its current price, however, Bronze ends up looking (on platforms with such vastly superior offerings) like a historical footnote, at best.

Fun to play but painful to behold, an ugly prom date with a "great personality." It's simple, fun, and terribly bland-looking, but if you've got that strategy itch and are reluctant to invest in a more complicated or lengthy game, then World Supremacy is worth a look.

As an intellectual experiment, Dinner Date is interesting and even profound. As a meta-narrative about the social constructs that confront the modern man, it fascinates. As a game, it barely qualifies.

While Majesty 2: Monster Kingdom doesn't reinvent any part of the gameplay, the change of scenery and units is appreciated, but in the end you're still playing the same exact game with a new coat of paint. The unrelenting difficulty, arguably even higher than the last expansion's, makes this entry for Majesty die-hards only.

If you want a full Ridge Racer experience that makes one of the best uses of 3D so far and just so happens to fit in your pocket, then Ridge Racer 3D is a launch game that deserves your attention and immediate purchase.

Quality issues aside, it's a fun 3D shoot-'em-up, and the PSP could use a few more of those.

A party game in the purest sense of the term. It's the type of game you'll want to play in short bursts with a sibling or return to countless times with a group of friends.

Ys I & II deserve their honored place in history, but from now on, they should probably stay there.

The idea that looked good on paper translated into unfair challenge and highly monotonous gameplay on the screen. Sanctum of Slime will have you reminiscing about the days when the Ghostbusters franchise meant good films, not lousy video games.

For what RIFT tries to do, it does very well. I rarely felt bored with all the random events and rifts constantly breaking up the monotony of questing. It's also important to give Trion a tremendous amount of credit for releasing such a "complete" MMO.

THQ has done a fantastic job of cherry-picking the best elements of wrestling with some of the most recognizable characters and stars in a visually fantastic package. Unfortunately, it's a good foundation with some major holes. The lack of select wrestlers, missing match variety, anemic campaigns and pointless create-a-character undermine a very good wrestling game/fighting game fusion.

It's fast, it's colorful, it's funny, and it goes down smoothly-in other words, it has many of the same things going for it as the Naruto comics themselves.

An enjoyable game that's both enthralling and humorous.

Plenty of gamers are certain to find a lot of enjoyment in the game, but fans of more compelling shoot 'em ups will only be able to squeeze a minimal amount of worthwhile gameplay out of it.

Whether choosing your personal advisers, colonizing a new country, requesting marriage to soften international relations, or just stomping the boot of military might across the world, Europa Universalis III Chronicles is the game for it-as long as you're prepared for a steep learning curve.

There are some players who will undoubtedly love Okamiden, either because the flaws (such as backtracking) are not as familiar or because they have the capacity to overlook its myriad mistakes. I wish I could do the same.

An outstanding game. Between the incredibly challenging AI and the stages that reward creative thinking, Crysis 2 distinguishes itself as a thinking man's shooter. Unfortunately, the bland and almost generic story is very weak glue for an otherwise great FPS.

Its great depth of gameplay, packaged in an approachable and fun format, elevates it to the upper echelon of tennis titles. Buy the game, not the 3D spectacle.

When you aren't throwing your controller in frustration over the pitching controls, you might actually enjoy MLB 2K11. The 2K series offers a quality title and is moving in the right direction with their baseball games, but haven't yet perfected the formula like competitors are starting to do.

I also find it intriguing that my journalistic brethren so easily throw a new IP like Homefront under the bus after lavishing perfect scores upon the laughably flawed Black Ops and Halo: Reach. With a few tweaks and a fresher paint of coat, Homefront would have been outstanding, far outshining either of those titles. As is, it's still worth a playthrough.

As far as baseball games rate, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better sim than MLB 11: The Show.

Ultimately, Pokemon Black and White borrow heavily from the series' classic foundations. However, thanks to the improved presentation, stronger emphasis on plot, inclusion of brand new Pokemon, and exclusion of older Pokemon at the start, the latest set in the series actually manages to feel quite new.

The puzzles could use some polish, and in the case of the final chapter, they're downright annoying, but the compelling narrative and strong characters are more than enough to keep most gamers playing right through to the surprisingly satisfying conclusion.

It may be based on a two-year-old game, but Retribution looks, sounds, and plays brilliantly and is virtually impossible not to recommend.

A flawed, repetitive, and wholly derivative Western RPG, but still manages to be a vast improvement over the original and should greatly please fans of Origins. Fans of Mass Effect may also find enough satisfaction here to hold them over until ME3 releases, but make no mistake: if only one Bioware title is nominated for awards this year, it will not be this one.

Torchlight is probably the closest thing to a Diablo experience on the Xbox 360. The perfectly translated controls and addictive gameplay makes this a must-buy for anyone with an affinity for loot hoarding. If anything, it serves as a great appetizer for the much-anticipated sequel.

With drab levels and weak controls, The Saboteur is only a shell of the console version.

While the story was less than original, and players can't customize the central character, Ravensword: the Fallen King is an amazing attempt to bring a console-sized, open-world RPG to the iPhone and iPod Touch. Developer Crescent Moon Games has not only provided an AAA game for Apple's mobile platform, but has raised the bar for portable gaming on any device.

As an XBLA release, concessions like simple graphics or a rough edge here and there aren't exactly gamebreakers. Beyond Good & Evil isn't a short game by today's standards, either. You'll get about ten hours or so out of the quest, much more than you'd squeeze out of comparable download releases today.

R-Type doesn't have much longevity going for it – no online leaderboards, no bonus levels, no R-Type II – but considering its two dollar price tag, you could buy worse for your Apple device.

No matter what frustrations the game may hold for you, there's no denying this is one pretty package of violence. Fight Night Champion is surely one of the best-looking and best-playing games of its kind.

Players will have to figure out the game's controls for themselves, with only a simple button map as guidance, but they'll soon find the learning curve bends in their favor, and and gamers will quickly accelerate from petty rankings to the top charts-at least until a higher difficulty knocks their confidence out of whack.

This is a humorous and addicting casual game, far from the tense and gory experience found in most zombie games.

For a buck, this is a quality purchase. The five minute mode is intense, fast and hard, and players will come back to it time and time again. That said, their stay in the game won't last very long. It really is a five-minute run, maybe once or twice a day.

De Blob 2 is like a blank canvas ready to have your creativity unleashed upon it. It's an excellent sequel that improves on aspects from the original and includes some new, nifty additions.

Sure, the game is hilarious and "laugh out loud" funny, but not everyone is going to find the dick and fart jokes worth their $60. If the developers can ensure the future of the franchise is free of bugs, and work in a competitive multiplayer mode, we might be onto something outstanding. As it is now, Bulletstorm is a very good start to a series on the cusp of greatness, yet hindered by some seriously problematic technical issues.

The old-school feel of Super Quickhook is undeniable. It takes the best aspects of games we loved in the 80's and early 90's in a simple, 8-bit format, and puts it on a new device like the iPhone expertly.

The game looks absolutely gorgeous, with dioramas made up of lifesized everyday items, as well as cardboard cutouts. The silent film style cutscenes have a certain charm to them as the play out, and they fit the Victorian time period that the game takes place in.

All of these elements come together for a simple game that is deeply addictive. StarBurst is hectic, fast-paced, and highly enjoyable. If you're into puzzle games, add this one to your list of must-download apps.

The only negative you'll run into with Episode 1 is how quickly it's over. You'll finish up with the four worlds and the bonus stages in about 2-3 hours time, if that. However, there's replay value galore.

Whether plowing through breakable walls, spinning along a corkscrew tunnel, or frantically running toward the finish line after grabbing Sonic's trademark power-up (his running shoes), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is all but a non-stop thrill-ride.

The game's setting and story elements make it stand out against other puzzle titles, but the game is just far too easy to hold a serious puzzle fanatic's attention for too long.

Helsing's Fire may be one of the most well-built games on the iPhone, and may be one of the most enjoyable, but every purchase you and your friends make for it, is another purchase against the undead.

While it's a few dozen DLC characters away from fulfilling its true potential, the appeal of seeing Viewtiful Joe stand side-by-side with the likes of Dante, Thor, Deadpool and Ameratsu, and the overall value due to its superb execution, make it a must for anyone who knows what a Hadouken is or has ever made "snikt" noises with their imaginary claws.

It's a valiant effort to focus on a more story driven game rather than the mindless button mashing of the Warriors series, but the game could have used considerably more polish, especially when it comes to presentation.

It won't blow your mind, but it will keep you busy during your next, "I'm bored and I need to kill time!" moment.

As a port to Apple's i-devices, Geometry Wars: Touch is a great addition to anyone's portable game library. The only hardship is the controls take a long time to get used to, but as we've found in our testing and just by looking at the leaderboards, it can be done.

Perhaps the best part is that this game isn't even complete. A whole new game mode is expected to be released sometime in the near future, so you're in fact investing in the game, which already costs practically nothing.

It's a steal for a plane-ride or many a car-ride, but it definitely is not the kind of casual game you play for 10 minutes at a time.

Lord of Arcana commits the cardinal sin of game design: Beyond being painfully lacking in variety or original ideas, it outright wastes your time, and then punishes you for your determination to not give up.

Although Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 plays it safe with vanilla additions and the ability to jump for casual gamers, the one thing it has going for it is an excellent presentation.

It's a graphical achievement, and it's a launch title no less. Sure, the plot is paper thin and the campaign is short at 5-6 hours, but for the price and the console, you'll be hard pressed to find anything better.

The problem with games like Mr. Bill is that it's not necessarily a bad title, it's just that there are so many better ways iPhone users could be spending their time.

Call of Duty: World at War: ZOMBIES definitely has some promise and is a fun game to play with friends. However, at the moment there's just not really enough content here to justify the 10 dollar asking price.

Zombies II isn't everything that it could have been, and at $10, it isn't everything it should have been. However, it is an interesting experiment. As far as expensive novelties are concerned, this is one of the better ones.

Although it's still a fun and imaginative game no matter where you play it, there are cheaper and far superior Plants vs. Zombies offerings on almost every other platform. I'm not sure why PopCap delivered watered down audio/visuals, but the fact that they did essentially rules out the DS version for anyone with a PC, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or Xbox 360.

The graphics are absolutely phenomenal, making Killzone 2 look obsolete in the process.

Though it has some hurdles to overcome, some bugs to exterminate, and a fairly inconvenient control scheme, Magicka is a thoroughly charming and entertaining tongue in cheek adventure.

This isn't a game that'll rock your world, nor is it one that will change the way you look at the survival/horror genre. But if you don't mind spending a buck for an hour's worth of fun (plus replay value), Dawn of the Dead is worth your time.

The controls are one of the best I have ever seen on an iPhone game; it is so simple and comfortable to use with having a control stick appear anywhere on the screen wherever you place your finger.

Easily one of the most addictive and exciting games on the iPad. But don't expect to ever beat it. Those 21 levels will, without a doubt, give you a run for your money.

For the price, it's an easy bargain. Each game lasts anywhere from 5-15 minutes, depending on how good you are, so it's not quite a five-minute hero, but pretty close.

Trilobyte has once again granted the world a memorable game, and it's great that these devices have given the developer the ability to revive this long-dead game.

The game would benefit immensely from a playable tutorial and adjustable difficulty settings. Dairojo! Samurai Defenders is daunting, to put it mildly, but if you're up for a lesson in tough-as-nails tower defense, then get your katana ready.

The best part of Angry Birds, however, isn't just that it's inexpensive and offers hours upon hours of fun and puzzle-solving - it's that the game is still being built, and that your $1 investment will continue to pay off as more and more levels become available.

Whether you're playing on a Touch, iPhone, or iPad, Infinity Blade marks the unequivocal next generation of iOS games.

The iPad and iPhone may not be quite the gaming machines Apple wants them to be, but this is one format perfectly suited for touch screens and The Smoking Mirror is a great adventure just waiting to be explored.

The pinnacle of Bioware's many years honing their craft, Mass Effect 2 is one of the most important and enjoyable games ever made. The PlayStation 3 port may be a greater value by incorporating a great deal of DLC into a single package, but it is still vastly inferior to the experience available on the Xbox 360.

Different control schemes, GameCenter achievements, and a Score Attack mode round out the additional content, making this a very solid package, albeit one more expensive than the usual one dollar app.

DoDonpachi looks and sounds great.

Although Breach sounds like an incredibly exciting game on paper, its execution comes up short. The online-only content is very limited, and the action pales in comparison to pretty anything Infinity Ward has ever created. With so many superior alternatives, this kind of lackluster experience has no place in the modern market.

I'm disappointed that the story never pays off, and seems more like a bridge to a third installment (getting close to Earth). It may not be deep, but it is an exciting journey, and possibly the most frightening game since the original Dead Space.

By turns engrossing and frustrating, the game will appeal much more to those willing to look beyond the obvious flaws and those who enjoy B-movies because of their charm.

The gameplay lends itself to be enjoyed with a controller, but falls flat due to its button layout. It still suffers from some setbacks and odd design choices, but unlike the first game, it is actually playable and, most importantly, enjoyable.

The actual game included on the disc is an amateurish platformer at best, and a tremendous waste of potential under scrutiny. Instead, LittleBigPlanet lives and dies on what the community builds, and only therein lies the infinite value made possible by this robust toolset masquerading as a AAA "game."

The slight interface changes and the ability to play as the internal factions does mix things up a bit, but once the novelty of reigning over the Orient wears off, you'll wish Paradox would start working on the next entry in the series, rather than another underwhelming expansion pack.

Ultimately your enjoyment of Re:Coded will stem from how much you like or loathe the Kingdom Hearts side-stories.

Fans of Edgar Allan Poe or those who like a "twist" to historical fact might find Midnight Mysteries to their liking, but it's hard to recommend the game to anyone else.