But as long as you keep your expectations in line with it's $30 budget price, it's a pretty decent way to spend an afternoon, especially with kids. [Jan 2010, p.77]

Wonderfully deep gameplay underneath layers of complexity. [Dec 2009, p.86]

This casual block-dropper has a satisfying complex exterior and enough well-paced rewards that it kept us coming back to stack. [Holiday 2009, p.76]

Borderlands is great but not for everyone. It's narrowly aimed at a certain type of player, and if you love fierce combat and the kind of group level grind that Blizzard's PC games specialize in, you'll feel right at home. [Dec 2009, p.66]

Feels a bit like an expansion pack. But it's a big expansion pack that you can completely vanish into and emerge a couple of weekends later feeling like you got your money's worth. [Dec 2009, p.74]

As features go, FIFA 10 is pretty short on significant upgrades, leaving most of the talking points on the field. [Dec 2009, p.81]

Despite the awful visuals and crummy combat camera, watching the world react to your different play styles makes this short story a satisfying feudal tale that's worth seeing through. [Dec 2009, p.80]

Lips: Number One Hits certainly isn't a full-fledged sequel to Microsoft's singing debut, nor does it come across as a quick cash-in with new songs. [Holiday 2009, p.83]

Once non-fans master the rules of laying down the cards and rolling the Bakugan. they'll be dismayed to learn that the actual gameplay boils down to repetitive mini-games and a shallow marble-steering gimmick. [Holiday 2009, p.79]

Granted, the controls are easier to manage than those in this game's Wii counterpart, but the playbook is as thick as they come. [Holiday 2009, p.85]

A campaign of surprisingly smart A.I. opponents. [Sept 2009, p.87]

An overarching story broken up into five hilarious adventures, Beyond Time and Space is an incredible value. Sharp, witty dialogue and creative puzzles make this laugh-out-loud package a true delight.

There's one thing that we can't dispute: Axel & Pixel is a gorgeous point-and-click adventure. However, the story leaves a bit to be desired. [Holiday 2009, p.76]

The developers' ambition and enthusiasm are undeniable. [Holiday 2009, p.84]

Okay, so Magna Carta 2’s not a meticulously crafted masterpiece. But as long as you go in knowing what annoyances await, you should have a pretty good time kicking monster butt.

There's just enough payoff to keep fans trekking through, but it's a shame that this marvelous license wasn't treated better. [Holiday 2009, p.79]

Hope for a fresh star when Cars 2 hit theaters in 2011. [Holiday 2009, p.82]

The simple rules and appealing storybook presentation are wonderfully captivating for the two hours it takes to play through all 27 main levels. [Holiday 2009, p.81]

It's easy to put down the wrong tower as you hurriedly try to set up your defenses, but otherwise, the controls are solid. [Holiday 2009, p.75]

Still, for anyone with a youngling who loves the Lego Star Wars games, the bang-on look and feel of Clone Wars will be a solid co-op romp. [Holiday 2009, p.80]

Whether you’re swinging a pipe or a scalpel, the controls never feel responsive, and rotten collision detection will drive you mad before Jigsaw’s twisted games even have the chance.

Though players no longer look like stunningly detailed mannequins, they do sometimes warp toward the basket or other players because an animation key tells them to. More important, Live still plays just too fast for our liking. But Live 10 shows the series is at least heading in the right direction.

This series has always been known for its presentation — particularly its animation — and 2K10 is no exception. Big and small, the movements are all so perfect now that the occasional gaffe jumps out only because it’s a reminder that you’re not watching a real NBA game.

The Strike is simply too shallow to hold even the most ardent fisher's attention for long. [Dec 2009, p.69]

Its enduring strength...is its simplicity. [Nov 2009, p.84]

Newcomers will find its plodding pace and lifeless visuals tedious, but old-school tacticians will happily breathe vintage moon dust for days. [Holiday 2009, p.81]

But unless you're an absolute aficionado of international soccer, you'll be lost. [Holiday 2009, p.85]

It pains us to have to say that it's just not too fun to play. [Aug 2009, p.75]