It's done a beautiful job of preserving the game's soulful story. [Mar 2009, p.90]

Once this game goes into my DS, it'll be there until I've experienced every nuance. [Mar 2009, p.86]

Despite - or maybe because of - the ridiculous premise, Onechanbara can be quite fun. [Apr 2009, p.65]

It's not about to bump Mario Kart from the pole position, but NASCAR Kart Racing is a surprisingly solid effort. [Feb 2009, p.90]

Great gameplay and a goofy sense of humor make this a terrific tribute to the 8-bit experience. [Jan 2009, p.91]

One of the Wii's greatest guilty pleasures. With buckets of gore and language that would make a sailor blush, Overkill definitely earns its M rating. But pumping zombies full of hot lead has rarely been so much fun. [Mar 2009, p.87]

An action-adventure that's unlike anything else out there. Fortunately, there's more to it than just a good concept; the game is eerie and atmospheric, and its unique tarantula and scorpion protagonists stand out from the usual heroes. [Mar 2009, p.89]

Shadow Assassins is a solid stealth title that can be both fun and frustrating, a mix of truly impressive features and clumsy missteps. [Feb 2009, p.88]

Wit and creativity are a good antidote for low production values, and they've transformed this otherwise-forgettable RPG into something far more likeable. [Mar 2009, p.87]

Worth at least a rental. [Holiday 2008, p.77]

A ludicrous save system punishes you mercilessly for trying to be daring. [Feb 2009, p.89]

Nevertheless, Big Bang Mini offers plenty of satisfying action at a bargain price. [Jan 2009, p.91]

As good as the DS may be, there are some things it just wasn't built for. [Feb 2009, p.89]

Another stunning technical achievement. [Holiday 2008, p.84]

Nonetheless, Elebits is a cute, enjoyable diversion. [Jan 2009, p.90]

Fishing quests, tournaments, seven worldwide regions, fish boss battles, and a Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection-enabled leaderboard keep this fish fresh for a while, but ultimately the game is more of a deep lake than a vast ocean. [Feb 2009, p.90]

Buying more Rock Band within six months of the last one is an expensive prospect, but Rock Band 2 is the true Rock Band experience. [Jan 2009, p.88]

Only through sheer force of will have I avoided comparing the enjoyment derived from playing SPRay to that of regurgitating a lung. [Dec 2008, p.93]

Despite being packed with good ideas, the platformer stumbles constantly in its execution. [Holiday 2008, p.86]

If you're hungry for some classic 3-D platforming, Mushroom men is definitely worth checking out. [Holiday 2008, p.84]

When it comes to control, though, this is the model of a fun all-stylus action game--easy to pick up, not so easy to put down. [Jan 2009, p.89]

It's a great collection for those who still enjoy a good classic 2-D fighting game. [Dec 2008, p.104]

Despite my criticisms, Chrono Trigger is an amazing adventure and a required purchase for ardent fans and anyone who's never played the game before. [Holiday 2008, p.82]

Surprisingly entertaining. [Holiday 2008, p.87]

Mastering the logistical side of things offers plenty of rewards for thoughtful players, and there's nothing like clearing the map with the blades of your wolf-riding Valkyrie hordes. [Holiday 2008, p.84]

Save your money for a better action-sports game. [Jan 2009, p.89]

You spend more time keeping a grip on the handheld than dealing with the game's challenges. [Jan 2009, p.90]

It's a valiant effort, but you're inevitably left feeling less like a rock star and more like a novelty act. [Dec 2008, p.98]

If you don't mind some fisticuffs mixed into your high-speed thrills, give Sonic Unleashed a shot. [Holiday 2008, p.80]

Rune Factory has a lot of potential, but it will take more than incremental upgrades to reach it. [Jan 2009, p.90]

If you forgo your expectations of what a Castlevania game should be--or are simply looking for a respectable 3-D fighting game--you should have a good time with Judgment. [Holiday 2008, p.77]

The Wii-specific puzzles are insultingly simple, flaccid sound effects really dampen the mood, and sloppy collision detection frequently sends Lara to her death through no fault of your own. [Holiday 2008, p.88]

This series may be clinging tightly to Final Fantasy Tactic's coattails, but at least it's doing a better job of it. [Holiday 2008, p.88]

With its third installment in three years, the Raving Rabbids series is quickly growing stale. [Holiday 2008, p.86]

Althought the concept held up through Tecmo Super Bowl on the Super NES in 1993, 15 years later it just feels archaic. [Dec 2008, p.96]

Metal Slug 7 is a solid, fun shooter, but it lacks the ingenuity of the better games in the series. [Holiday 2008, p.80]

Someday, somebody is going to make something fun out of this concept, but the folks making this game haven't gotten there yet. [Jan 2009, p.91]

Cooking Mama World Kitchen isn't bad, but it could have been better. [Holiday 2008, p.80]

It's a winning formula, so familiarity isn't necessarily a bad thing, but even a little gameplay innovation would have been welcome. [Dec 2008, p.98]

The racing itself is arcadey fun--though it can get annoyingly repetitive, especially when you spend a long time trying to evade the cops. [Holiday 2008, p.87]

Despite these issues, Road Trip makes a great party game (you can play co-op or versus with up to four people), and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to dust off their Balance Board. [Holiday 2008, p.84]

New player or returning fan, young or old, casual or hardcore, Animal Crossing: City Folk could very well become your new obsession. [Holiday 2008, p.76]

Additionally, Decades doesn't build much upon the first On Tour game; the main attraction is the new batch of songs. [Jan 2009, p.91]

You can find much better fighting games for Wii. [Dec 2008, p.93]

Dawn of the New World doesn't have the epic feel of the original--the fact that it's easily beaten (not accounting for side quests) in under 30 hours doesn't help--but it's great to revisit this world that I enjoyed exploring when the first Tales of Symphonia was released four years ago. [Holiday 2008, p.78]

Most of the game's problems have to do with the action elements. [Holiday 2008, p.86]

We'd love to see a Wii MotionPlus-enahnced version of this game, but until then leave this one in a galaxy far, far away. [Holiday 2008, p.89]

Rock Revolutiion is one Rock Band copycat you can afford to skip. [Dec 2008, p.96]

Call of Duty will always sell big based on its name alone, so kudos to Activision and Treyarch for not phoning this one in. [Jan 2009, p.91]

When you cast back the shadows, this Ranger emerges as solid, engaging fun for Pokemon fans of all ages. [Holiday 2008, p.86]

What a difference a year makes. Last year's version of WWE Smackdown vs. Raw was light on everything but untapped potential; the 2009 edition, on the other hand, is packed with features and significantly enahnced gameplay. [Holiday 2008, p.87]

THQ's new WWE game for the DS gets only one thing wrong. Unfortunately, that one thing is pretty important. [Holiday 2008, p.89]

Call it a fractured fairy tale with guns and flamethrowers. [Dec 2008, p.94]

A solid (if unspectacular) title worthy of some frustratingly fun bus rides. [Nov 2008, p.106]

Maybe a must-own for Tim Burton fans, but definitely a rental for everyone else. [Holiday 2008, p.88]

The battles are perhaps a little too easy early on and the AI-controlled enemies are not very savvy, but a slew of fairly challenging minigames(which net you ingredients needed to make more monster parts)will keep your interest piqued while the rest of the game ramps up. [Holiday 2008, p.87]

This first-person shooter plays fine a lot of the time, but the frame rate can get extremely choppy and the graphics go from so-so to downright ugly. [Jan 2009, p.90]

The game's ideas are good, but the execution doesn't cut it. [Jan 2009, p.90]

Dragon Ball: Origins is a pretty good action-adventure game, and it's an even better re-creation of Akira Toriyama's classic comics. [Dec 2008, p.100]

RPG veterans who want a real challenge for their reflexes should check it out. [Dec 2008, p.102]

Though the overall product doesn't quite measure up to this year's Madden or Tiger, FIFA 09 may be EA's best effort at catering to both casual and hardcore fans of a particular sport. [Dec 2008, p.94]

Other than that, this is a must-own for Wii devotees and Sims fans alike. [Dec 2008, p.100]

Fortunately for gamers new to the RTS genre, Ninjatown keeps track of how many times you've failed, and asks of you want to play on an easier setting after several unsuccessful missions. [Dec 2008, p.100]

A strict time limit also detracts from what's otherwise a fun game. [Nov 2008, p.104]

Even if you don't use the touch pad, World Tour can be a tough game; thankfully it's far more accessible than Guitar Hero III. [Holiday 2008, p.80]

However most of them need work--partially because they're not great fun to begin with, and partially because the controls aren't as solid as they should be. [Dec 2008, p.104]

Order of Ecclesia may not have a wealth of newness to contribute, but the Castlevania formula still works like a charm, and the game's traditionally strong boss and level designs hold up well in the smaller, more focused areas. [Dec 2008, p.92]

With so many additions, Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 is the best Naruto fighting game so far, but here's hoping the next iteration includes online multiplayer. [Dec 2008, p.102]

Spidey fans will revel in a brand-new story. Adventure fans will wish for more refined and even play. [Holiday 2008, p.82]

For the most part. though, this is a surprisingly thoughtful challenge, and a much more effective game for it. [Dec 2008, p.102]

There are moments of genuine hilarity, but the humor too often feels overwrought or simply falls flat. [Oct 2008, p.89]

On the one hand, it's new; on the other, it feels like a fairly standard filler episode in the anime series. [Nov 2008, p.104]

The DS version of Rock Revolution packs a lot in a tiny package. [Dec 2008, p.102]

Don't be fooled by Dokapon Kingdom's childish design: this unique board game-RPG crossover makes it hard not to enjoy yourself. [Dec 2008, p.100]

Prey the Stars is like a baloon--it gets bigger and better until it pops and becomes useless. [Nov 2008, p.106]

The DS has given us plenty of solid side-scrollers, but Legend of Kage 2 is something special. [Nov 2008, p.104]

Disney Interactive's answer to Pokemon has a new perspective. [Dec 2008, p.104]

The action-game geniuses at Treasure have managed to make the game both accessible and challenging and add enough story, Spirit Cards, and characters to justify this sequel. [Nov 2008, p.100]

NBA Live's Wii struggles continue with another lackluster effort plagued by glitchy animation, unresponsive motion controls, and atrocious AI. [Nov 2008, p.104]

Line Rider's transition from Flash-based phenomenon to full-fledged Wii game is a bumpy one. [Nov 2008, p.98]

The downside of Pop Cutie! is that all of these duties are hard to accomplish due to an unbearably clunky interface that makes simple tasks difficult. [Oct 2008, p.90]

I would have enjoyed the game even more, however, were it not so brutally difficult. [Dec 2008, p.96]

The problem is that the game feels phoned in, from the tacked-on motion controls to the scan tutorial system that assumed you've already played every other Harvest Moon game. [Oct 2008, p.90]

Sonic Chronicles may annoy you at times, but it certainly won't ever bore you. [Nov 2008, p.96]

It's also unfortunate that there's no multiplayer of any sort, which definitely hurts the game's longevity. [Dec 2008, p.98]

Of course, the big question on the minds of Samba devotees is how the controls stack up to the Dreamcast version and its beloved maracas peripheral. The answer: extremely well. [Nov 2008, p.95]

But the tie-ins and unlockable minigames are not enough to make the game any more entertaining than counting sheep. [Dec 2008, p.94]

If you haven't played it and strategy RPGs are your thing, though, it's hard to get much better than this. [Oct 2008, p.88]

After the releases of LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Indiana Jones, you should know what to expect from LEGO Batman: The Videogame--it's like those games, only with Batman. [Dec 2008, p.98]

LEGO Batman is lots of fun, especially if you haven't played a LEGO title before. [Dec 2008, p.96]

With the ability to alter the past literally at your fingertips, you should be able to solve problems in a myriad of ways, yet the game's mostly linear storytelling rarely lets you use your powers creatively. [Nov 2008, p.102]

It's a shame, because if it weren't for that one infuriating aspect of the game, Shipwrecked would be a real winner. [Dec 2008, p.102]

Admittedly, there's not a ton of variety (there are only four basic mission types), but it remains fun throughout thanks to extremely polished controls, visuals, and music, as well as a surprisingly cool (and funny) story. [Nov 2008, p.98]

If you have a PC(or Mac), you're better off tracking down the aforementioned "SimCity 4" for a few bucks. [Nov 2008, p.101]

Shake It! isn't a genre-changing masterpiece like "Super Mario Galaxy", but it stands up very well next to mere mortal platformers. [Nov 2008, p.94]

It's rare for a title to achieve truly universal appeal, but it's hard to think of any gamer who wouldn't enjoy Kirby Super Star Ultra, and with 15 games in one, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better deal. [Nov 2008, p.100]

The DS version is certainly not the best way to experience The Force Unleashed, but the story is compelling enough to keep you playing to the end. [Oct 2008, p.87]

The multiplayer mode provides some good (if short-lived) entertainment - especially since the roster includes some fan-favorite "expanded universe" characters - but the story, the always-excellent Star Wars tunes, and the Force-powered combat are the real draws for fans. [Oct 2008, p.88]