It brings back fond memories of a genre that is going through a renaissance on the Xbox Live Arcade and indie scene with darlings such as Braid, 'Splosion Man, A Boy and His Blob, Limbo, LittleBigPlanet and many others. With that said, Super Meat Boy is among the best in the genre in recent memory.

Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes doesn't stray far from the traditions of the genre, and is little more than the same old hack-and-slashing with new characters. Even so, I can't deny the short-lived joy of clearing out entire armies with a single character, juggling twenty men as my swords cut explosive streaks through the air, and watching the combo-counter rise with maniacal speed.

Knights in the Nightmare is truly a unique experience, blending two very opposing genres together. The insane learning curve will no doubt be off-putting, but players who stick it out will find an addictive battle system that will be hard to put down.

The combination of seamless combos and slick controls could almost make Bayonetta moan with envy, while the decadent violence begs for the Robert Rodriguez treatment. Like a rusty shiv to the throat, Shank catches a few snags going in, but leaves a mark that won't soon be forgotten.

This is not the prestigious resuscitation of the series I had hoped for. There are valiant moments of glory that shine through the debris, although they are always burdened by mechanical gameplay and shallow characters that expect you to care without reason.

There have been a few bumps getting here, but The Writer caps off the experience to near-perfection.

Lionheart: King's Crusade is all the fun of battling heathens and crushing homelands, but without those pesky plagues.

While the dialogue was humorous, albeit annoying at times, it doesn't catapult the title into the area of a worthy recommendation. So, with that being said, I have to say, Comic Jumper is a letdown.

Lords of Shadow is not without a handful of unfortunate imperfections, but that does not invalidate the fact that there is no more painstakingly-crafted action adventure currently available for this generation of consoles. MercurySteam has raised the bar especially in both art design and overall presentation, and should be extremely proud of their creation.

Lords of Shadow is not without a handful of unfortunate imperfections, but that does not invalidate the fact that there is no more painstakingly-crafted action adventure currently available for this generation of consoles. MercurySteam has raised the bar especially in both art design and overall presentation, and should be extremely proud of their creation.

While the development team's intentions were good, the actual gameplay and presentation just don't do enough, outside of PlayStation Move support.

Def Jam Rapstar may not have the ultimate killer presentation, and 45 songs may not be enough compared to the 80+ songs the Rock Band games carry, but it's a huge step in the right direction for Konami's musical approach, and we certainly hope more follow in their footsteps.

Don't be expecting anything groundbreaking with Hydrophobia. Although, I mildly enjoyed myself while playing through this game, the annoying control scheme and rather standard gameplay leaves me feeling like the game has a little more potential than what was tapped into.

The solid foundation residually left over from the original and the new hybrid weapons system create a basically appealing package from which a decent amount of fun can be derived, but the lackluster presentation, uninspired story, outright broken multiplayer, and atrocious amount of glitches makes Dead Rising 2 less of a flawed gem and more of a somewhat polished pile that incrementally smells worse the longer you let it sit in your disc drive.

Claptrap's New Robot Revolution is still Borderlands and I still enjoyed it immensely. Yes, the environments, missions and bosses were too repetitive from what we have seen already, and the loot was not satisfying, but Borderlands never needs much help to be entertaining.

Sid Meier's Pirates! is another perfect example of a great game gone bad when it's poorly ported to consoles. Skip Sid Meier's Pirates; unless you are a glutton for punishment.

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock hides beneath the guise of an epic story, which makes it all the more disappointing that it's really the same game all over again.

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock hides beneath the guise of an epic story, which makes it all the more disappointing that it's really the same game all over again.

The only catch is that this is directly aimed at the hardcore crowd with a higher difficulty level, so casuals who are looking for a title focusing less on technical aspects and more on quick excitement may walk away disappointed.

The only catch is that this is directly aimed at the hardcore crowd with a higher difficulty level, so casuals who are looking for a title focusing less on technical aspects and more on quick excitement may walk away disappointed.

Quantum Theory looks and feels like an anime-inspired fan mod of Gears of War 1. While I'm a devout supporter of doing things right the first time, I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel that steps up its game, makes better use of Filena, and learns from the critical feedback the original received (which is nearly insurmountable at this point).

Quantum Theory looks and feels like an anime-inspired fan mod of Gears of War 1. While I'm a devout supporter of doing things right the first time, I wouldn't mind seeing a sequel that steps up its game, makes better use of Filena, and learns from the critical feedback the original received (which is nearly insurmountable at this point).

It's a shame there was no bonus content to justify the eight-month long wait, but the excellent core game is kept intact, and is sure to entertain PC gamers, assuming they have a gamepad to play the game comfortably.

If Codemasters can covert a hardcore arcade loyalist like myself, I can only imagine how quickly it will steal the soul of a true F1 fan.

If Codemasters can covert a hardcore arcade loyalist like myself, I can only imagine how quickly it will steal the soul of a true F1 fan.

Overall, there are no redeeming values to Blade Kitten. It wasn't charming, witty, well thought out or exciting.

Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City requires a level of commitment that few RPGs dare to ask of players. You will struggle to survive and you will curse the hours of grinding to restock your supplies, but the victorious satisfaction of beating the odds and reaching the next floor makes it all worthwhile.

In a lot of ways, I enjoyed T.O.V. even more than I liked the first one. This sequel seems better put together and has slightly more personality.