Guitar Hero 5 still emphasizes challenge over fun, but if that's the beat you march to, this may well be your new favorite game. [Nov 2009, p.73]

The potential is staggering in a variety of ways. [Nov 2009, p.70]

Fan service doesn't get any better than this. [Oct 2012, p.84]

What the game does very well is convey the fun, excitement, and intensity we want from our brawlers(sports-based or otherwise). [Aug 2010, p.84]

There's a reason PopCap has ported this game to almost every platform under the sun, and its embrace of zombiemania only hints at it. As with brains this is delicious. [April 2011, p.78]

If this year's incarnation is a reinvention, a launching pad for 2010 and beyond, the Madden future is bright, even if the old fella is piling on the years! [Sept 2008, p.74]

In a rare instance of low price and high quality colliding, this one's a steal worthy of Sly's thieving skills. [Jan 2011, p.82]

For baseballs fans of any persuasion, MLB 08: The Show is a phenomenally feature rich package that you'll be playing all the way until 09 comes around. [May 2008, p.68]

Despite its incredible competitive online play, we can't ignore the shortcomings of its campaign and Co-Op. [Jan 2012, p.66]

A decent game, but it feels like the developers invested too heavily in the physic-based destruction and neglected to create a well-rounded experience that could contend with the likes of its own "Saints Row." [Aug 2009, p.70]

If "LocoRoco's" too-cute art style turns you off or its odd gameplay still confuses you, trust me. Give LocoRoco 2 30 open-minded minutes. You won't regret it. [Mar 2009, p.74]

It's a motif that permeates Crysis 2: everything functions agreeably but nothing engages exceptionally. [May 2011, p.76]

A well-produced, polished 3D fighter that no PS3 owner should be without, and is definitely one of the system's must-have party games. [Oct 2008, p.78]

ACIII certainly has its high points: the addictive multiplayer, refined mechanics, involving characters, and unique setting all help to create a rich, compelling experience that surpasses both Brotherhood and Revelations. [Holiday 2012, p.67

But still, even flawed, World at War is fun. [Jan 2009, p.70]

Still, amid an overdose of pomp and ceremonial broadcast presentation, this simulation provides great football action and enough dream material to give high school kids goose bumps. [Oct 2010, p.84]

As a shooter, it always succeeds, with tight control, thrilling gunfights, subdued stealth missions, and over-the-top explosions. [Holiday 2008, p.72]

Aside from a couple of infuriatingly obtuse puzzles and perhaps the game's overall difficulty level, there isn't much to complain about here. [Dec 2010, p.72]

Even without the Vita-specific additions, however, this is an easy recommendation as the game retains everything that made the franchise reboot an accessible alternative. [July 2012, p.83]

It might not be a perfect way to extend the experience, but it will surely help tide you over while you eagerly await the sequel hinted at in Persia's pitch-perfect ending. [Jan 2009, p.66]

We told you that world domination comes to those that wait. Luckily for Revolution players, the wait on PS3 isn't quite as long. [Aug 2008, p.74]

Still, Trine 2 is easily PSN's prettiest game and is definitely worth the price of admission. [Mar 2012, p.80]

An entertaining, colorful, occasionally terrific romp that provides a solid basis for what we hope is an ongoing, evolving franchise.[July 2009, p.66]

It's not the best-looking game, it's clunky in its controls, but it delivers where it counts with a fun experience that will keep you entertained through to its conclusion. [Aug 2008, p.70]

If you want a challenge, World Tour will still rock your world. But a joyous homage to the music you love? Not so much. [Jan 2009, p.80]

Yoshinori Ono and the team at Capcom have done the impossible, crushing 3D fighters onto a 2D plane and making it feel coherent and surprisingly gratifying. [May 2012, p.74]

A charming 2D visual style tops off the p[package, making this one can't-miss hodgepodge. [July 2011, p.86]

F1 2010 is gorgeous, frighteningly fast, and offers aggressive racing in a packed field. [Dec 2010, p.85]

It's particularly satisfying on Vita, where the back panel is used to move and adjust pieces, but Sound Shapes otherwise plays identically across platforms. [Nov 2012, p.84]

Fight Night Champion blends stunning presentation and story with boxing action in a way no game has before. [April 2011, p.74]

Perhaps Resident Evil 5's most remarkable achievement is how it deftly straddles the line between the franchise's sometimes endearing, sometimes frustrating, legacy gameplay mechanics while incorporating more contemporary action adventure elements like enhanced interaction and exploration of environments and a decidedly more shooter-like control scheme. [Mar 2009, p.38]

Sure, they are not quite up to the same level as God of War III, but make no mistake: Origins still kicked our ass all over ancient Greece, and we were smiling the entire time. [Oct 2011, p.83]

MvC2 fans may be bitter about some of the changes, but in the end, the joy of watching our favorite characters beat the crap out of each other will always win out. [March 2011, p.70]

Goal-oriented gamers needing a concrete beginning and end will be let down, but if you're easily engrossed with multiplayer and exploration, Most Wanted is certainly a blast. [Holiday 2012, p.78]

The blade shines brightly and with a razor's edge; the time for killing is here. [March 2011, p.44]

Everything old, pardon the worn sentiment, is new again with Kombat. [June 2011, p.76]

It's also packed to the gills with lengthy, real-time cutscenes, which, true to the series' form, are filled with awesomely over-the-top action sequences. [Mar 2008, p.74]

It's a near-perfect sequel in almost every way. [Mar 2009, p.68]

Best of all, by the 11th hour, Split/Second had us doing something few racing games can accomplish: it kept us smiling. [July 2010, p.71]

The first leg of what promises to be an emotionally jarring five-part journey delivers a very different and refreshing take on zombie apocalypse survival. [July 2012, p.83]

The most substantial upgrade the NFS series has ever received, along with some of the best visuals in the genre's field. [Nov 2009, p.83]

Make no mistake about it: GT5 is the best Gran Turismo game ever made - but sooo much of it is enhanced, but reconstituted, content from previous games. [Feb 2010, p.82]

Despite her considerable charms, this Lara is best experienced alone. [Nov 2010, p.84]

In other words, even when this punished, superior sequel is kicking our ass and crushing our soul, it still feels fair, fun, and rewarding as hell. [Oct 202, p.80]

Though many of Half-Minute Hero's whopping 120-plus quests fly by in the blink of an eye, you'll get a ton of mileage and many hours of enjoyment out of this gem. [Dec 2009, p.84]

If you have your PS2 networked, the opportunity to play in 30-team online leagues is a huge draw. [June 2008, p.79]

Even though the learning curve is steeper than your typical wrestling or boxing game thanks to the dizzying depth in its controls, UFC 2009 Undisputed delivers the most functional and entertaining MMA gameplay to come along in years. [July 2009, p.80]

This may be a well-made rat maze, but a rat maze it is and that's all. [Holiday 2012, p.73]

It's all over a bit too quickly, but the open-ended story virtually ensures a sequel--leaving us eager to don the ARS once again. [Dec 2010, p.76]

The fact that I even want more levels in a "Space Invaders" game is testament enough to how much fun this one is. [Aug 2008, p.77]

When a series' 13th installment leaves us amazed with its highlight moments and has us playing all-nighters again, it's an easy pick-up-call. [Nov 2012, p.86]

Epic Games' new first-person shooter franchise packs so much tongue-in-cheek machismo and comically exaggerated action we're going to run out of ways to say "over the top." [April 2011, p.76]

What a bummer--we had high hopes for this one. [Jan 2011, p.83]

SSX on ATVs. Not a perfect analogy but it's darn close, and fans of the seminal snowboarding franchise should probably just stop reading now and go buy this game. [Nov 2008, p.78]

Eight years after the fact, the game remains a curious muddle, but this time it's a curious muddle in high definition. [June 2011, p.83]

While much has been made of the improved graphics and gameplay--with good reason thanks to a whole new motion engine, more intuitive controls, the elimination of the exciting-but-not-very-realistic-turbo button, and the AFL and Super Bowl options--it's online where Madden 11 really shines. [Nov 2010, p.83]

Creating new players with your buddies and forming online crews to play five-on-five matches against other crews is cool. [Dec 2009, p.74]

The graphics only represent the topmost layer of a pervasive meticulousness, and every last detail feels thoroughly polished. [Apr 2010, p.66]

Borderlands may be a little rough around the edges, and the story is less than engaging, but the overall experience is satisfying and compelling. [Holiday 2009, p.66]

It's by-the-book Lumines, and it's amazing. [Apr 2012, p.59]

There's just so much to do here and, when our creativity's at the top of its game, it's just so much fun to destroy. [May 2010, p.67]

This is the football game we've wanted since the PS3 era began. [Nov 2012, p.83]

Does everything we expect, and it does it all very, very well. It's sky-high production values and focused design create a to-the-point experience that's predictable, but also massive, exciting, and predictably, a whole lot of fun. [Nov 2011, p.78]

Even for first-timers who aren't craving a nostalgia fix, this one's an easy recommendation. [Nov 2012, p.86]

Those who aren't alread obsessed with Final Fantasy VII may disagree, but I for one am grateful for the depth Crisis Core has added to the FFVII universe and wholeheartedly recommend it to fans and newcomers alike. [May 2008, p.64]

A very complete, eminently playable handheld baseball experience. [June 2008, p.78]

InFamous 2 easily meets and surpasses these requirements, but it's a number of subtler tweaks that make it a better game than its predecessor. [Aug 2011, p.80]

The mechanic is both clever and well implemented, and Outland is a smart choice for those seeking a fun PSN diversion. [July 2011, p.86]

There've been a few games that have made owning a Vita worthwhile, but Gravity Rush is the first to make it absolutely essential. [Aug 2012, p.78]

Arguably the purest, most hardcore hack-and-slash fighting game on PS3. [Nov 2009, p.68]

After its tumultuous history, Sleeping Dogs needed to emerge from cancellation as something special, and it doesn't disappoint. [Oct 202, p.77

Other than that, Stacking is a doll of a game. [March 2011, p.83]

The sheer number of unlockables and challenges adds tons of replayability to a game that already demands multiple playthroughs. [Holiday 2012, p.74]

You don't have to be a Metalhead to love Brutal Legend, but if you are, you'll love it even more. [Holiday 2009, p.68]

Even longtime fans will enjoy a second romp through this simple, yet slick, PSP re-release. [Dec 2009, p.84]

There are problems in Valkyria Chronicles II, but most of them have to do with the parts we don't actually play. [Dec 2010, p.78]

A game of precision and timing that demands a perfect port. Here, it gets one. Fighting fans will be pleased. [Apr 2012, p.61]

Even with all the solo bulk, the most exciting addition to Wipeout Pulse is undoubtedly that of Wi-Fi play via the PSP's Infrastructure mode. [Apr 2008, p.86]

This years model. F1 2011, improves on last years's game in almost every way: qualifying is real, pitting works, and the handling no longer feels ripped from the Dirt series. [Dec 2011, p.68]

Open Tee 2 sticks to the formula introduced in Open Tee. [Aug 2008, p. 83]

Anyway you cut it, there's an 80-percent chance that you're going to be entertained. [Aug 2008, p.72]

Third may be dumb fun, but it's the smartest realization of the sandbox spirit we've seen in a long while. [Holiday 2011, p.72]

As a twin-stick shooter, it's inferior to the tighter, more ingenious Geometry Wars, but boosting clean through a massive iceberg is ace. [May 2012, p.81]

Certainly the impact of this year's improvements is less significant than those showcased in Madden, NBA Live and even NHL. [Nov 2008, p.82]

Even if you've worn out the pitch in your copy of FIFA 10, there's no doubt this is the best virtual way to experience the action of the World Cup--before it even happens. [Jun 2010, p.75]

Dyad remains a worthwhile trek, but it mesmerizes in spurts rather than with a consistent tenor. [Oct 2012, p.83]

However you're playing the game, at whatever difficulty level, in single-player franchise mode, in quick games, or online in the promised five-on-five multiplayer games, NBA 2K9 looks like basketball does on your TV. [Dec 2008, p.94]

The hole in Top Spin 4's serve is its lack of game commentary, which imparts an eerily quite, last-gen feel to matches. [May 2011, p.79]

If you're looking for a big, bloody, bottonmashy adventure, it should hold you over quite well until God of War III arrives. [Feb 2010, p.74]

Consider a Skullgirls purchase as an investment to preserve the 2D fighting game genre. [June 2012, p.79]

Though frustration can mount during the solo adventure, Shooter 2 still offers up a ton of ingenuity and creative punch at a puny price. [May 2011, p.83]

The fighting doesn't feel significantly changed or enhanced. [Nov 2012, p.78]

Fueled by its brains, a likeable cast, and a sprawling storyline, Age II delivers. It's the sort of game with jaws, the kind that consumes lives. [Apr 2011, p.72]

As a $15 stand-alone download, Showdown is an absolute steal. [Aug 2012, p.80]

There are more than enough memorably twisted moments of genuine fright and bewilderment to keep any horror fan's eyes wide open through these ten warped hours of madness. [July 2008, p.80]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

The action's effective and fluid, and the animation is at times as beautiful as the sport demands. [Nov 2012, p.81]

It just doesn't feel as fresh - or as fun - as Dark Resurrection. [Feb 2010, p.76]