The game is exceptional all around. Even the instruction manual pays homage to the classics and is well worth a peek for the ardent fan. Contra fans should buy this game immediately, and action fans in general should seriously consider picking it up.

When a developer is able to marry the perfect controls of this game with content and gameplay that are equally polished, we'll really have something. And judging by Team Fusion's admirable first effort on Wii, they might just be the developers to do it.

A pretty likeable game. The presentation and gameplay are both simple and charming, and the budget price makes the shallow premise and minor faults completely forgivable.

A giant leap for the platforming genre. Freed from the shackles of traditional 3-D platforming, the game is much more than just "Mario 64" set in space. I never thought I’d describe a Mario game as “epic," but that’s exactly what it is.

Long-time fans of Mortal Kombat will want to pick up this game for its online multiplayer, but others may be turned off by its dated gameplay and presentation, and poor single-player experience. On the other hand, the DS hasn’t been graced by many fighters, making Ultimate Mortal Kombat potentially the best one available on the platform.

I imagine this is how an English teacher feels when he or she gets a paper that consists of one well-written sentence and nothing else. In conclusion, just watch the TV show.

More frustrating than fun.

While the stories presented in the episodes are actually quite enjoyable, the trial-and-error nature of fact-gathering coupled with the inability to skip conversations makes furthering the narrative a tedious and frustrating process.

Ontamarama is certainly no Elite Beat Agents, but its style of gameplay is definitely unique. Perhaps it should have been called Multitasking Training in Japan in order to gain better sales.

It is slightly fun for a while, but once the novelty of a Spanish-speaking DS wears off it starts to feel more like a class than a game. However, if you are learning Spanish or wish to learn Spanish, I can’t think of a better tool to have in your hip pocket.

Hmm. If you need to distract a rich kid for thirty seconds while you rummage through his backpack for money. If you're a nurse caring for an incontinent who is captivated by the color yellow. Maybe if you're stalking somebody on the development team. In those instances, perhaps a rental is justified. Otherwise, steer clear.

The game’s biggest strength is in how well it establishes the tone and feeling of the console CoD4 games. The fast pace, mission structure, and gameplay are all distinctly Call of Duty, and everything performs beautifully.

Build-A-Bear is a fantastic idea, but that idea best left in the real world. This virtual version of it is a wasted effort.

But my favorite comedian can’t save this rushed DS tie-in. I’ve heard good things about the movie, but I can’t recommend the game.

When you add camera issues to the mediocre graphics and unreliable controls, you end up with a final package that is somewhat disappointing.

It's so good, you won't care that you don't have two-channel sound. I don't, which I think is a testament to how amazing the Guitar Hero experience is.

The game certainly has some flaws (like the loose aiming and overly complex map), and I find it hard to forgive the "die and start over again" philosophy, but Dementium is definitely something different, and it's something I think people will generally enjoy.

A mediocre game with some interesting ideas. Crash Bandicoot fans should enjoy it, but gamers looking for a decent platformer on their DS should look elsewhere.

Everything from the visual presentation to the core fighting system has stayed stagnant since the original GameCube game.

One of the best single player experiences on Wii to this point. The basic gameplay is so strong that it easily overcomes a bland story and sometimes frustrating gestures. This game is just begging for a sequel, full of the same point-and-click animal changing fun.

Even with a few notable annoyances, ZX Advent is a fun and addictive action game with plenty of clever level designs and fun abilities.

While Capcom is known for milking its franchises, Trials and Tribulations is not a mindless sequel. You'll cheer. You'll boo. You might even yell, "Objection!" The first entry is still the best, at least in English, but the final Phoenix Wright game definitely surpasses the second.

Naruto DS overall is a decent RPG game that keeps true to its series. The graphics and overall presentation let it down, and the story is kind of dull, since it more or less borrows the whole script from the show.

For fans of the strategy genre, this is your definitive game on the DS; go and pick this game up without a second thought.

While none of the games are quite as deep and compulsive as Wii Sports, they’re entertaining enough on their own to keep players waggling through the short single-player mode.

The thing that really shakes me about Table Tennis, though, is that Rockstar did virtually nothing to spice up the sport. Like I said before, there are no actual players or Career-type mode. There are no power-ups, and no stat improvements. The closest thing to "technique" you’ll find is in putting spin on the ball and using your focus meter, which actually doesn’t help very much. In all, Table Tennis is a game that just screams "lack of effort."

This is a classic case of a good idea with lackluster execution, making My Word Coach the kind of game that I'd like to see followed up with an expanded and improved sequel.

There will come a point where you'll need to overcome some big challenges to unlock the last few stages, but by that point enough content will be available to where you'll have played more than your money's worth.