The 3rd Birthday has a lot going for it, but it falls short of being a top-notch production due to significant control issues, a high level of frustration, and a main character that looks and sounds great, but doesn't contribute much.

A solid, but unspectacular game. It’s not that it’s a bad game, but it doesn’t really break any new ground, and it doesn’t do any one thing particularly well.

Loads of fun. There's a great deal of ingenuity here, and the power we feel wandering about is almost unparalleled in third-person shooters. The package really is quite solid and well worth a look…provided you're done playing the elite AAA titles out there.

This is one of those productions where there isn’t anything glaringly bad and there’s a healthy gameplay mechanic at its core.

The game is chock full of content, the new animations are awfully sweet (despite the repetition of use), a few of the new gameplay mechanics are intriguing, and multiplayer with the right peeps is great. But why are all QBs Joe Montana? Why does even the best defensive line struggle to get any penetration? Why do all the crowd-pleasing moves and additions do little to fix this lack of realism? Why is the interface so slow? Why am I still seeing brain-dead AI?

Everything you've heard about Untold Legends is true. It's a solid hack-and-slash, but it doesn't really break any new ground. It's also very repetitive.

It just didn't captivate me like the other SSX games have. Most of the changes to the way the game is played feel like they’re there just to make the game longer, and I really didn’t enjoy the courses that much.

An excellent side/future plot to Infinite, Burial At Sea is a must for all true Bioshock fans. I don't think it is as accomplished as Minerva's Den and both the story and gameplay feels highly compacted.

Zombi is a game that might seem too ponderous and frustrating for many. But for those who appreciate a challenging atmosphere that tasks you with marshalling your fears and taking a studious approach to survival, it’s a definite must-try.

It’s just too bad that we’ve got a bizarre lack of features in terms of single-player options, and not having the in-game store or this much-ballyhooed "expanded" Story Mode until later is another big problem. The performance snafus are being ironed out quickly but that doesn’t change the fact that they existed at launch. I refuse to gloss over that.

Ar Tonelico II: Melody of MetaFalica provides JRPG fans with a very cool combat mechanic that is entertaining enough to sustain you throughout the lengthy quest. There isn’t enough in the way of exploration and the emphasis on Song Magic makes everything feel a little one-sided, but the concept is solid.

There's a lot of genuinely amusing character interaction, but the adolescent teasing and mock anger routines get old quickly, and they simply didn't put enough effort into most dungeons.

If you’re looking for a good “pick up and play” soccer game for the PSP, WTS 06 is a good option. However, if you’re looking for a little more depth, the lack of club teams, customization, and mini-games is hard to look past when FIFA 06 is sitting on the shelves right next to it.

It's just an insane rollercoaster ride chock full of ecstatic highs and depressing lows. The highs win, but only because it's fun to watch that desperate boxer go nuts in the ring.

This is one game that, once it drops in price, would definitely be worth the price of admission if you're looking for a decent basketball simulator. As it stands, it's a solid choice for the die-hard fans.

Despite the fact that you can beat it in as little as 12 hours (closer to 20-25 if you do everything), the game also feels artificially lengthened due to the tremendous amount of cross-town driving you’re forced to do.

HyperParasite is a frenetic, fast-paced roguelike that is not for the faint of a casual’s heart. Its uncompromising action keeps you on a razer’s edge, and the sixty characters ensure every playthrough is not the same. But most importantly, it is a pitch-perfect love letter to the 1980s. Now, terror has no shape.

LEGO Batman: The Videogame isn’t anything new, which means two things: 1. fans of previous LEGO games will certainly enjoy it, and 2. those who have never found an excuse to pick up an entry in this franchise still don’t have one. Basically, we’ve played this before.

This game is repetitive. You start out consistently having a blast, but towards the middle of it you realize that some stages drag on for way too damn long.

Synapse is a fun FPS roguelite with great gunplay and satisfying progression with each run. While it may lean too heavily on its replay value and squanders its fascinating premise with little storytelling. It’s one of the most worthwhile PSVR2 shooters yet.

There's a lot of fun to be had; the diversity of the gameplay is a bonus, the world is nicely designed, the bounties are almost always entertaining, and the control is competent. Nothing about this game is particularly amazing but nothing is especially bad, either.

I liked the twists to battles we usually find in the Naruto games; with the items and spells and other exploration/RPG elements – not to mention the focus on character development and plot – I was able to enjoy myself for quite some time.

It’s not long and it’s not the best shooter you’ll play in 2009, but it uses several unique concepts, presents us with a very enjoyable atmosphere, and remains mostly entertaining throughout. It just needed a bit more polish and refinement with the controls for us to wholeheartedly recommend it.

The lack of any real direction, the somewhat loose control, and the hitches and glitches can damage the experience, but if you love blasting through destructible terrain, laying waste to everything in sight (including your opponents), and you can really get a hold on the driving, you're almost guaranteed to have a blast.

This compilation is even better because not only does it offer three solid fighting games, it does it at a fantastic price point of only $20.

Has a number of fantastic games on it that will have you coming back for more every so often, but these games have been released in previous collections already, and the omission of Sonic CD (considered the best Sonic to date) and Knuckles & Chaotix, while expected, is a letdown.

It’s an overall solid effort, but there are some aspects of the game that should have gotten a bit more work. Maybe next time.

There's a lot going on in DiRT Showdown and despite the small lack of satisfaction I personally noticed, and the relatively low number of environments, I had a lot of fun.