Varied controls, unique challenges, and kooky characters make this old-timer a worthwhile blast from the past. [Holiday 2008, p.73]

It’s immediately tangible, even from the title screen, that Prince of Persia is a labor of love, meant to bridge luxurious aesthetic and spitshine polish with emotional investment. And despite its overly repetitive structure, we found ourselves compelled to fight our way through to see how it all ends — donkey or not.

Here, you’ll find little beyond groaners, pedestrian prattle, and underdeveloped monotony. Find another path to walk.

With HD Remix, it feels like you’re getting the Ferrari of 2D fighters — and it’ll cost you. The game is a moderately pricey $15, and while it’s playable with a standard controller, it pretty much demands a Hori Fighting Stick for the full arcade experience. But on both counts, the payoff is oh-so-worth the sacrifice.

Essentially, the only thing that kept us playing the campaign mode was to escape the horrible rap metal in the menu screens. [Mar 2009, p.83]

There are certainly bits and pieces of decent storytelling hidden throughout the game, but for every ounce of beauty, you get three humdrum pounds of grind. [Holiday 2008, p.78]

Sonic Unleashed is a game that feels schizophrenic in its execution. Unfortunately, you deal with the fun, easy-going personality for less than half the time.

The do-what-you-like pacing, charming presentation, and endlessly addictive nature of tackling increasingly complex structures in an effort to ultimately erect an impressive castle, mirrors an addiction we haven't experienced since the last time we preened in our pretty pinata gardens. [Dec 2008, p.88]

You’ll want it because, despite your having to turn its sometimes musty gameplay pages, or begrudgingly burn rubber in inessential motorcycle sequences (they’re back!), or do the usual hokey-jump-slide-swing-pokey with wellworn mechanics, Tomb Raider continues to feel like an old, comfy pair of jeans. Maybe they’re not as high-fashion as they used to be — and sure, they might not fit like they used to — but damn if slippin’ into them doesn’t feel like coming home.

Repetition can be an issue, despite the brief five-hour campaign, but Bolt remains a pretty entertaining adaptation of the Disney flick of the same name, and one that might surprise some older gamers. [Holiday 2008, p.74]

So sure, Lips doesn't offer the challenge of other music games, but the presentation is incredibly slick. [Feb 2009, p.81]

If you haven't gotten the chance to reach American Idol stardom or to challenge your friends to musical tournaments with the previous installment, Encore is still a decent party game. [Jan 2009, p.75]

Honestly, no one will want to play this for more than 10 minutes. [July 2009, p.81]

Left 4 Dead's simplicity offers purity of gameplay - the same reason that gamers keep returning to classic arcade games. Come to think of it, with a handful of levels and unpredictable events happening within them, Left 4 Dead has more in common with "Ms. Pac-Man" than just the eating. It's the same thing over and over - but when simple ingredients are perfectly prepared, what could be a mere snack becomes a feast. This one just happens to be on human flesh. [Holiday 2008, p.32]

A good time can be had, but only if you're patient...and a really big fan of Most Wanted. [Holiday 2008, p.68]

NCAA Basketball 09 is a serviceable showcase for basic hoops traits, but without a flagship feature to lead it, it fels more like a pro-flavored tilt without a few of the raw ingredients that make the collegiate sport special. [Jan 2009, p.76]

Playing alone is a tepid affair(even with create-a-clip Director Mode), and we would've liked meatier mini-games and more interactivity in general(waiting and watching are your primary actions), but this $70 package offers enough amusing antics and cheesy clips in it's four-player mode to warrant an audition at your next party or family gathering. [Jan 2009, p.75[

Online play over Live will enhance this game's replayability, but a little more content would've made it an epic crossover. [Holiday 2008, p.80]

A lot of us are baffled that snowboarding has been so deathly quiet on 360, and if you’re dying for the next SSX or Amped, Shaun White Snowboarding won’t be the game you’re hoping for. If you’re a serious boarding fan, the mini- MMO multiplayer is totally worth a look, but otherwise, you have better games to play.

Aside from everything else Mirror’s Edge succeeds at, it also has some of the most arresting, original visuals we’ve seen on 360. Its starkly colorful graphics and slick anime cinematics are expressly designed to wire directly into your nerd-joy cortex — and they do. With such raw creativity and built-in speed-run appeal, Mirror’s Edge will transfix you for a long, long time.

Red Alert keeps getting better as you play. [Holiday 2008, p.82]

There's a big difference: instead of hopping and bopping on one foot, you spend most of your time in tricked-out vehicles you make yourself. [Holiday 2008, p.72]

Despite all its new features, PES 2009 is packed with problems. [Jan 2009, p.75]

World at War is like watching a fireworks show that you’ve seen a few times before. You’re simply not wowed by the buildup, the grand finale, or any of it anymore. When - not if - the next sequel arrives, it’s going to have an upstream swim against an apathetic tide of familiarity.

Its flaws are overshadowed by crisp controls and the same unbridled fun that has made this the best wrestling series for years. [Dec 2008, p.86]

The Broken Bond provides a similarly potent blend of action, adventure, fighting, and puzzling--all supported by light RPG addictiveness--while also cranking up the nine-tailed-demon-fox fun with some strong additions. [Jan 2009, p.79]

Our favorite new addition to the Gears multiplayer family, however, is Horde. A fiveplayer co-op romp played on any of the 15 maps, Horde throws wave after wave of increasingly difficult Locust foes at you and your friends for 50 rounds, putting your teamworking skills to the ultimate test.

Problems — like a confusing camera (which, for whatever reason, is significantly better in mega-fun split-screen play), slippery vehicles that clip through the ground, and a mere five arenas on which to destroy opponents — make Vigilante 8 a questionable $10 purchase. But competitive smack-talk-athons and co-op multiplayer are a blast thanks to the diverse array of attacks.