Battle Princess Madelyn is a must play for fans of classic action titles from the ’80s and ’90s, but may be a tough sell for those who started their gaming career later.

There is no easier way to make music and play recognizable songs than by playing the Wii Music. [Dec 2008, p.42]

While it's enjoyable at times and boasts some charm, it's ultimately an unfulfilling puzzle platformer that tries to go outside its box with limited success.

Without the progress gating and fewer technical issues, we’d be left with a shorter, more intense action-platformer featuring a solid movement system. There’s something slightly enjoyable about ReCore‘s color-switching combat mechanic, despite it taking place in such a lock-on heavy shooting system and the friendship between Joule and her robot pals Mack, Seth and Duncan can be charming. While not lackluster enough to be considered a bad game, there are enough stumbles and hiccups here to prevent this effort from Armature and Comcept from living up to its potential.

Table Top Racing is an excellent mobile game that doesn’t translate well to Vita.

Neat set design aside, The Suicide of Rachel Foster‘s middling, unremarkable progression (not to mention some odd characterization in parts) don’t quite gift the experience with the tension and unease it’s so obviously seeking.

At a mere $4, puzzle fans will have some fun with UFO Dad.

For a game so mechanically simple, it’s one of the better experiences out there — four-letter swear words and all.

The races can be fun under the right circumstances, but it will get repetitive fast and the annoying menu music will never get any better. It’s likely that many things will be addressed such as the lack of variety in tracks as it seems possible more will be added down the line. Right now at release, however, Chocobo GP is utterly barebones and pales in comparison to so many other kart racers before it. It’s a disgrace to see this title even released how it has, especially when Mario Kart 8 is getting a DLC expansion that’s half the price in a little under a week. To give credit where credit is due, Ben the Behemoth is a cute character that would probably have an adorable plushie worth buying, but it’s not enough to make Chocobo GP worth picking up for anyone.

Overall, Radiohammer doesn’t stack up to the other strong offerings in the rhythm game genre on the 3DS, such as Project Mirai DX or Theatrhythm: Curtain Call, but those games also aren’t $5.99 like this one.

Devilian’s combat makes it a totally competent action-RPG/MMO.

It’s hard to hold the positives in one’s mind without reminiscing on the kind of game Skully could’ve been. Yet take out the personal ambition of this being some grand, 3D adventure to explore in another scenario and Skully is still too much a case of good intentions marred by bad or downright odd decision-making in parts. While die-hard followers of the genre are sure to scrape together some joy in the spots of twitch-heavy platforming and hunt for collectibles the game affords, the lingering of one too many time-heavy design choices and back-end issues means the best Skully can hope for is the perception of a flawed “charming-enough” effort. Whether you can look past the inconsistent physics work, rough technical performance or the narrative’s hackneyed attempt at something resembling personality, will depend on how invested you are in the gameplay. It’s a rough, uneven, disappointingly-middle of the road trek. But for all its faults, Skully‘s acknowledging and understanding of 3D platforming’s appeal does count for something. A game whose heart is most certainly in the right place.

Fat Princess was subversive, politically incorrect and unexpectedly complex in its strategy and depth. Fat Princess Adventures trades a little of that depth for a more straightforward, action RPG-focused design.

Citizens of Space is a well-crafted follow-up to the original that manages to keep its sense of humor intact while completely revamping its gameplay. The Earthbound approach has been swapped out for a Paper Mario style of combat — which is either a blessing or a curse depending on your preferences. If you want a more active timing-based affair, you will love what’s offered up here. If you like being able to automate combat to some degree, especially with modern games making that more of a standard, then you may not. Either way, the core game is a lot of fun even with a few rough edges.

Missing: An Interactive Thriller – Episode One feels a little incomplete, even for an episodic series.

Yars Rising is in the dreaded "pretty decent" zone, not actually bad, but not good enough to be memorable. Controls are fluid and smooth, but there aren't many areas that give them a proper workout and there was only one boss fight in the entire game that presented any kind of real challenge. The hacking games are more consistently creative, but they're also the kind of thing you'll play once and not feel any need to go back to again, despite being available as a collection from the main menu. Yars Rising is playable, Emi is a fun character that usually doesn't fall on the wrong side of the "I guess this is my life now" line, and the jump between metroidvania and classic single-screen arcade gaming is a nice hook. Altogether, though, none of the elements ever fully take off to make Emi the hero she should be.

While Evolved may not be a game of the year contender and definitely has some faults, it is also probably the most fun I have had in a mech game since the original MechAssault on Xbox.

Raw Danger is a decent, if somewhat slow-paced, adventure, and its "real-world danger" aspect makes for some truly fearful moments. [May 2007, p.60]

Secret of Mana is a strange title. On one hand it has so many missteps in its redesign that it’s easy to quickly dismiss it, but it remains a rewarding gaming experience upon playing. A lot of changes take away from the original’s charm while several aspects that could have benefited from an update were left alone. Honestly what would have been ideal is if it was left in the original state and given a 2D sprite makeover in the style of Final Fantasy IV for the PSP and maybe added some minor updates like shops containing item descriptions, but even with the complaints that can be made about this remake, it’s still Secret of Mana. Almost every JRPG fan will enjoy this remake, though a better Secret of Mana experience can be found on Super Nintendo.

Felix The Cat is a commendable effort to bridge the gap between the simplicity and complexity of video gaming's past and present. While it shines for speedrunners and retro gaming fans, its steep difficulty curve and some design choices may alienate casual players, although the rewind feature might be able to alleviate some of this. Nevertheless, for those willing to embrace its challenges, Felix The Cat offers a rewarding journey back in time, with enough modern twists to keep it engaging in today's gaming landscape.

Although it’s not a title anyone unfamiliar for the series should try for a first go around, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light is a nice surprise that’s worth picking up for fans interested in the series history.

A big budget project gone horribly wrong. The graphics and voice acting are top notch, but everything else is a complete wreck. Environments are boring and repetitive, combat is uninspired, platforming is a joke and the stealth elements are some of the worst ever conceived from a major publisher. It’s a dismal affair through and through and an absolute slog to finish.

It may be a departure from previous titles, but Sonic Lost World is an enjoyable new take on the Speedster.

For hardcore fans of games like Out of This World, this is a must play title, as well as for those who love adventure games from that era. For everything Exile’s End gets right about why adventure games from 25 years ago were great, however, it includes all the blemishes exactly as they were.

Unfortunately, Episode 2 can’t hold in its excitement and spoils the big twist about halfway in and the rest of the game suffers for it.

Gemini: Heroes Reborn in itself is an enjoyable superhero simulator, but it gets by as a Heroes game in title and references only and is far too long winded and repetitive to be considered much else.

This is a showcase for the graphical power of the PlayStation 4 and nothing more. Rudimentary gameplay, a poorly executed story and an unwelcoming visual palette make it come off as cold, uninspired and most importantly not all that fun.

It has its share of issues, but DW7: Empires turns out to be an incredibly addictive experience.

Atelier Iris 3 is a game that fundamentally works on a design level, which can't always be said for its predecessors. [June 2007, p.64]

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD isn’t a perfect recreation of the original game due to some things being improved and others being taken away. The overall presentation is more enjoyable when it comes to the main game, but the massive drop-off in mini-game selection hurts the replay value.

It works, and it will bring some laughs (especially with friends), but there are better beat ‘em ups out there.

Lella’s journey is compelling, and the game itself is unlike anything we’ve seen before.

As it stands, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days proves to be the perfect weekend rental. In that weekend you can plow through the campaign with a friend in an afternoon, and get as much as you want out of the multiplayer.

Despite a few wonky issues with combat at times, YIIK: A Post-Modern RPG more than succeeds in delivering a fascinating and unique tale that isn’t afraid to get bizarre and humorous while still making you sympathize with its cast and keeping you on the edge of your seat. Between the quirky visuals, stellar soundtrack and fun gameplay, Ackk Studios managed to polish the gameplay of late ’90s polygonal games while not losing sight of what made RPGs from that era fun.

The flying itself is decent, and greatly enhanced by the game’s outstanding soundtrack, but ultimately Ace Combat Assault Horizon Legacy+ feels like nothing more than a poorly-disguised cash-grab.

In what is at times an incoherent and questionable selection of titles — compiled in what feels as drab and corporately sterile an attire one can find — there does remain worthwhile moments to look back on with Taito Milestones.

Trailblazers is a fantastic game that blends racing and a team-based dynamic to craft a memorable experience. It plays like a dream and offers up a surprisingly high amount of strategy to excel. By offering up enough twists on a traditional racing game, it finds ways to create excitement that haven’t been done before in the genre and is a must for anyone looking for an arcade-style futuristic racing experience. If you like F-Zero and/or Splatoon, you will find a lot to like here.

Deadpool gives what his fans want, but exciting gameplay moments are too few and far between. It’s a great shame that the rest of the game isn’t up to snuff with the character performances as the industry needs more comical stories such as this.

In the end, calling this a "rebirth" or even a "reboot" just doesn’t cut it. If one looks hard enough, they can see the ambitions SNK had with this game, sadly outstripped by time and budget.

There is nothing wrong about the game, though, and if you like tower defense games then Defense Technica might provide a suitable distraction for a couple of days. The experience isn’t bad, but it is one you will forget almost as soon as you finish playing it.

Planet Alpha creates an amazing atmosphere thanks to its visual and audio design.

Crush Your Enemies is a fast-paced RTS that combines a need for strong strategy with pick up and play accessibility.

Madden NFL 21 is a mix of missed opportunities. While it’s the best-looking version we’ve seen to date, EA Tiburon seems to have swayed the game in a different direction with new modes that keep you busy rather than engaged. The Yard is a mode that nobody asked for, and even if worth a shot, ended up shortsighted in its execution. Face of the Franchise continues to improve, but the fact an entire game has to be played on both sides of the ball just to extend the life of the mode is aggravating. Load times and transitions seem to be slow and it makes going through the fluff of MUT annoying. While the marketing has changed as the game lacks that true NFL feel, I do think the introductions are cool. The team also removed stats before starting a game. There are still legacy issues and bugs including Cam Newton being introduced as the Panthers quarterback even though it’s stated he’s on the Patriots. The gameplay is faster and the running game is more overpowered and that goes along with Superstar X-Factor 2.0. It’s hard to say where the franchise stands now in what it’s trying to accomplish with Madden NFL 21, but hopefully a new generation will bring a new experience.

Simply put, Call of Cthulhu is a game of wasted potential. Its investigation system is fun, and something that could have easily carried the game on its own, working perfectly with the world of Lovecraft. And even any of the other gameplay elements could have made for a good adaptation. But when they mix together, the end result is a mediocre, cluttered mess that’s over too soon for anything to make an impact. Maybe hardcore fans of Lovecraft or the tabletop game can get some enjoyment out of things, but you’re better off waiting for The Sinking City instead.

It’s just not particularly fun.

Weapon Shop de Omasse is sort of what you’d expect from a game made by a comedian, which is to say, really funny and awfully clunky.

Conflicks is like eggplant: it’s a taste that requires effort to acquire. Once the feathers get smoothed out, though, there is a robust, entertaining game to explore.

Sword Art Online: Lost Song has so much going for it. The battle and flight systems are top-notch entertaining time sinks, the artistic style is nothing short of gorgeous and being able to hang out with characters from the show, with dialogue written by the creator, is an engrossing experience.

At the end of the day, though, it doesn’t know its audience — and games that don’t understand who they’re for typically fail to capture anyone.

Survios has another winner on its hands with Battlewake. Instituting an anti-sea sickness technology should allow people who are more prone to this to actually enjoy the game. While the single player allows for getting the premise and feel of the game down, it truly shines in multiplayer. Multiplayer is seamless and works extremely well and people can hop on with friends. Single player will get redundant, but what is done here will go towards the multiplayer experience. Motion tracking is wonderful along with the controls but will take a little bit to master as there is a lot going on at times. The visuals are vibrant and vary based on environments. Battlewake is the only game of its kind and even better, it retails for only $30 on PS4. Battlewake is a must-have game for VR owners.

Games built entirely around boss battles can be great. Furi is popular for a reason. Gods Will Fall might have been better served if that was the route they went. Instead, it’s bogged down with levels that, while artistically solid, weigh on the entire experience. There’s one group of folks that should check this out: students of game design. This is not along the lines of “ha ha, this game sucks so bad everybody should see it.” This isn’t Ride to Hell: Retribution. Instead, people much smarter than this reviewer will be able to thoughtfully debate and discuss what didn’t work, why certain things didn’t work, and learn from this. God Will Fall is mostly tedious, but it comes from an honest place with real effort. Clever Beans has the talent and potential to create a fantastic title. Their first swing, though, isn’t it.

For a game with so many valid criticisms, a recommendation might not seem forthcoming, but Astria Ascending rises above all of these issues as a total experience, with the art alone making worth the price of admission. The character customization gives a feeling of constant, incremental progress that fulfills the effort put in. There’s always a new skill to learn, a new strategy to try. It would have been nice if the story was better and if the dungeon exploration was less frustrating, but this is a game that’s well worth the time for any fan of JRPGs, especially since it’s being sold at a lower price than most new titles. So long as the player knows what they’re getting into, then there’s too much superlative stuff in this package to ignore.

Be sure to pick up F1 2014 if you’re a lapsed fan of the franchise. It does everything right and eliminates the clutter that has hurt past entries in the series.

The developers' chutzpah regarding Shock Force's premise is admirable, and if you fall into the game's narrow audience, there may be a lot to like about it. [Oct 2007, p.59]

River City: Knights of Justice is an excellent beat ’em up on the whole. It has some graphical and audio shortcomings that drag it down, but long-time fans of he series will still find a lot of enjoyment here.

Fashion Dreamer is not necessarily a title that someone is going to sit down and play for hours on end, but it’s impressive how addictive the simple gameplay loop quickly becomes. The excitement of getting new clothes, creating new styles, trying on outfits others are wearing and so many other little things is fantastic. Even for someone who only has a mild, passing interest in fashion, there’s fun to be had here. The ability to simply have fun in a digital world where it doesn’t cost real money to buy and wear fantastic outfits is well worth picking up this title in and of itself, and it’s simply a wonderfully-welcoming title for anyone who loves the creative side of clothing. Fashion Dreamer is a fantastically-designed title that’s perfect for those who are fashion-forward or anyone who even remotely is interested in the idea of playing in the creative digital dress-up world of Eve.

While it’s a little rough around the edges and the characters and plot aren’t too intriguing, Hero’s Saga is a well-made SRPG.

Still, if you’ve got an itch for post-apocalyptic worlds and a need to try and see how well you’d do in surviving them, it’s a quality game that can be recommended. Just make sure to keep plenty of hinges handy.

For its price and what its trying to do, Ghost Blade HD isn’t the worst time. Navigating mazes of instant death in the form of the projectiles does have an inherent value. It’s just that there are so many better examples of the genre available across all platforms. If the player is looking for something to ease them into this type of game, this will fit the bill. The bullet pattern design does play fair. The real worry is that a newcomer might play this and wonder what all the fuss is about. Already indoctrinated fans will just find themselves bored in short order.

The story itself is a highlight thanks to the insane villains, although it takes a few chapters before things pick up. It’s disappointing that the remaining activities are so repetitive and lack the imagination of what Volition is known for, and with a myriad of technical issues, it feels like Agents of Mayhem was shoved out the door earlier than it should have.

Although shifting to a pseudo-isometric viewpoint, not much has changed here and it remains as addictive as ever. Unfortunately, the very thing that makes it appealing also holds it back. There’s nothing new here versus the many other Bomberman games and although polished and featuring a colorful story, there isn’t a major reason to return. Addictive as it may be, there’s not much content here and camera angle and control issues strain things further. That being said, it’s still a blast (pun fully intended) and can easily make for a great party for those looking to be social with their new console. A perfectly good “B game” for Zelda, Super Bomberman R is a cute ball of fun, but could have been more.

Though there’s an air of nostalgia and goodwill towards Rebellion and their continued efforts to keep this IP as entertaining as it remains, Sniper Elite V2 Remastered seems primarily focused on touching up the most selective of visual and graphical assets, and little else outside of it. Immediate access to the game’s arsenal of weapons, though appreciated — and opening up a welcome extension to the core tactical prowess the series has flourished on — the continued presence of issues from the original and the game’s now-aged design end up working against it. Moment-to-moment marksmanship still as delightful a spectacle to watch, as much partake in, as a proclaimed improvement on the original, V2 Remastered falters just enough, unfortunately, to fall short on that achievement.

There’s still a lot to do — so far as amendments to the overall flow, as much base content to warrant the grind to get there — but Hood: Outlaws & Legends has at least found a way to fit sufficiently, if not entirely successfully, into the PvPvE mold.

Super Hexagon and still need your twitch fix, you might get some real enjoyment out of Velocibox‘s stiff challenge; anyone else can safely give this a pass.

Empire Divided is a fun change of pace from the standard Rome II fare. It has decent replay value and a ton of flavor for history buffs or just people interested in history that encourages the player to do some research to understand this interesting historical period.

It doesn't redefine what it means to be a quality budget title, but UberSoldier 2 makes good use of its premise.

The only ones that should give this a look are those who have exhausted all of the other games of this genre and are still clamoring for another traditional monster-gathering RPG.

As it stands, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days proves to be the perfect weekend rental. In that weekend you can plow through the campaign with a friend in an afternoon, and get as much as you want out of the multiplayer.

Dangerous Driving hits the perfect melody at certain points when focusing on what the team set out for it to do: be a spiritual successor to Burnout. At its peak, it feels like a Burnout game. The controls and visuals are fantastic and are properly tipping the cap to late 1990s arcade games along with the Burnout franchise. Collisions are massive and there’s a good bit of variety of cars and game modes. What the game does bad really hurts the experience. The AI lacks basically anything and the return rewards of unlocking new modes and cars feels all for nothing.

Despite its gameplay and audio flaws, WireWay manages to deliver a satisfying experience that should please anyone who likes either platformers or puzzle games - more-so the latter, as the platforming element is secondary to puzzle-solving.

Neon Struct isn’t a perfect game, and technically its main gameplay focus of stealth is fairly simplistic. Enemies aren’t that smart, darkness is overpowered and once you’ve learned its rhythms it’s very easy to remain undiscovered, or at least not get caught if you’re seen. It makes up for this by being excellent in many other ways, most notably in the level design and world building.

Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice has a forgettable story and some rather tedious, but optional, side missions. While the main 2D levels can be fun, they start to feel repetitive before long.

If you like strategy games at all, let alone grand strategy variants like Generation of Chaos, then the last thing you want to be playing is a game that simply hands you victory. [May 2007, p.64]

Some of the minigames are fun but the board game that frames the whole experience relies far too much on chance. [Vol 3, Issue 2, p.58]

The strange thing about The Lost Child is that, despite its many, many flaws, it still manages to be entertaining by virtue of being a bog standard, but competent, first-person dungeon crawler with a great pace of progress. It’s not worthy of scorn, nor praise, managing to cut right down the middle of the road.

Orgarhythm surprised me in a lot of great ways. I expected to be terrified of an RTS/rhythm hybrid going in, but its user-friendly nature made it easy to learn. The fast pace is great for people who have avoided RTSes due to slow pacing, and it winds up creating a fantastic gateway game for newcomers. It may be rough around the edges visually, but the outstanding soundtrack and incredible controls (for something that is largely touch-based) make it a must-buy for anyone remotely interested in the genre.

Monsters of the Deep is a beautiful tragedy in terms of a VR experience. The visuals are stunning and it could have been a great fishing simulation, but ends up being lazy and broken. A fishing VR game is a good idea and the controls may be better with the motion controls, but trying to fish is a hassle even when a sense of consistency is established.

If its use of nostalgic video game styles had been more deliberate and integral and some of its puzzles more essential to telling the story, Between Me and the Night’s art and atmosphere could have carried the experience.

It’s astonishing to see just how far off the mark Disintegration is in terms of how it looks and plays. An astonishment made painfully evident across both of its equally-unflattering, technically-flawed game modes devoid of any quirk, personality or lasting impression. Impressions that are of anything but the feeling of eliciting a smoke-screen so as to mask the game’s evident lack of ingenuity or creative endeavor. It’s more astonishing that, in a vacuum, the design philosophy underpinning its gameplay mechanics feel oddly “complete.” That the conceptual attempt to mix a decade-old mentality on “cinematic” shooter campaigns with some occasional strategy are on show. Showing us that yes, this concept appeals to neither camp — the shooter fan and detractor alike. But it’s the utter lack of care with its narrative, world, progression and above all set-pieces that stings most. Whittled down to the lowest common denominator in such a way you can’t help but feel this is a game ten years too late. One can only hope V1 Interactive can move on and lay claim to greater things in the near future, because Disintegration is a shockingly empty attempt at standing out.

While the PC port is a little janky, the actual game of Little King’s Story is as instantly likeable as it’s ever been.

Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue isn’t necessarily a hot mess or a dumpster fire, but it is a rather unstable experiment made of promising elements that went up in smoke. The basic platforming and firefighting action is enjoyable enough, but the rest of the possible enjoyment is buried under a mound of RNG, bad procedurally-generated levels and a lack of good progression. Unless you’re up for a big challenge, this is one title likely to leave you cold instead.

What truly holds Concord back is its lack of identity. A story or campaign would have been a great way to showcase the world, its characters and lore, yet all of that is stuffed into the Galactic Guide that few players will probably ever read. The Freegunners and game modes are fun and mostly balanced, though feel derivative when stacked up against the already established competition. Meanwhile, map design feels safe with layouts that don’t encourage much experimentation. Concord is a good, fun game from a brand-new studio that’s currently missing its identity. It may be a bit lost in space, but Concord checks off enough boxes to hopefully chart a path forward.

The Old City: Leviathan wants you to think, but it doesn’t give you anything to think about.

Legend of Kay Anniversary reworks a solid PS2 game onto more modern hardware, but doesn’t do much with the hardware to make the game better.

While the PC port of One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 is weak in technical terms, the game itself is very playable.

If you’re smitten by the style and want a casual dual joystick shooter to plow through in an afternoon, AIPD isn’t a bad purchase. But if you’re hoping for a shooter with some real meat to chew on, AIPD will leave you wanting.

The poor dialogue gives way to poor pacing, which leads to confusion in story and puzzles, taking I fell from Grace from bad to awful.

While there's a lot not to like about Never 7: The End of Infinity, it’s not a complete waste. Being able to go through an old genre example is nice for a history lesson for those interested in how the style evolved. There are a few story beats that do get the ol’ brain hamster running the wheel, which is also cool. The fact that it takes about half of the game to go anywhere is a problem, as is the fact that it is shorter than most modern visual novel fans have come to expect. As a curiosity, this is worth checking out. For someone who is only checking out the visual novel genre for the first time, there are better options.

Much like Contrast before it, We Happy Few shows off plenty of potential with its original and engaging world from a team whose passion and heart clearly shines through. Unfortunately, the random nature of the world ultimately hampers this ambition, and is held back further by lackluster stealth and inconsistent dialogue.

If you jump into Continue expecting The Legend of Zelda or Minecraft, it might completely annoy you. But if you don’t mind playing a very different sort of game, then this is one worth looking into. Continue?9876543210 is strangely compelling, and I want to experience more games like it.

Legend of Dungeon is a perfect gateway game for those interested in Roguelikes, but who are intimidated by them as well. The beat-em-up style to the core gameplay means that if you grew up with more TMNT playing in an arcade than RPGs, you’ll be comfortable right away.

The inability to roast anything on two legs from an overpowering distance away aside, Divinity 2 is a solid RPG if you are looking for a nice real-time romp though a fleshed out fantasy world.

At the end of the day, whether or not you will enjoy Senran Kagura: Burst will ultimately come down to answering this question: do you pine to play a game where getting beat up means your character’s clothes become tattered, torn, or completely destroyed, revealing the half-naked body of an adolescent girl who just so happens to have absolutely titanic breasts? If you answered, “yes,” then Burst has a lot to offer: pulse-pounding combat, deep customization and a wealth of unlockables and content. If you answered, “no,” then all the best brawling mechanics in the world probably won’t make Senran‘s provocative, shinobi schoolgirl pill any easier to swallow.

Despite keeping an open mind with the title, its concept is flawed in its execution and it lacks a sense of identity and purpose for its characters and story. What seemed like a title that could reinforce the reason not to judge a book by its cover proves to be the exact opposite in almost every aspect.

Pokémon Friends offers a fun, cozy puzzle experience overall. Though it’s geared towards children and its challenges can look deceptively simple, the time limit and extra obstacles can make things harder than they may seem at first. What keeps the game from truly standing out are its user experience limitations that, even at its most premium DLC-complete version, don’t let players actually have control over their progress.

Squint hard enough and you may latch onto some modicum of intrigue with the mechanics it offers and the objectives it poses. But for anyone inexperienced with Swery’s past work — let alone those who simply don’t take well to ample busywork — The Good Life is unfortunately equal parts unappealing and unsure on just what kind of game it wants to be.

While a property as strong as The Avengers warrants more than a Kinect game, Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth rises above the movie-tie in it would have likely received instead. A great opportunity for fans to step into the shoes of their favorite heroes, it's a fun fighting title that makes great use of the Kinect with multiple characters, modes and an impressive amount of polish. Unfortunately, it's not a deep game and the limited combat options will disappoint hardcore fighting fans and hurt replay value with casual ones.

The many creative modes don't make up for the simplistic gameplay, though, leaving PixelJunk Racers feeling bland and forgettable. [Nov 2007, p.67]