A strange beast, this: funny and addictive and crass in equal measure. Seen as a sequel it can feel a little like a lazy cash-in, but seen as the latest episode in the life of DeathSpank it's well worth picking up.

It's hard not to play what-if with some of Capcom's later titles on home consoles, and especially with later arcade games, but what's here is a fantastic snapshot of some of the better arcade hits to come from this era.

Anniversary is not quite the game that Legend was. Though initially I was floored by how well the series had been updated, as time went on and the frustrations piled up, it started to lose the raw appeal. It's good, but not great.

100% guaranteed to creep you out, Fatal Frame III combines the best parts of the last two games into a story that helps wrap up most loose ends nicely. It's not terribly new, but it is very, very scary.

There's not much here to fuel the kind of nostalgia the promise of reliving the days of yore, huddled around an arcade cabinet, fighting over what quarter resting on the glass was yours, and generally just reminiscing about a simpler time can provide.

Though it may not feel like the American Idol license was ham-fisted into the existing gameplay, the two aren't married so perfectly yet that they feel like they've always been there. With a little more work on the judges, from modeling to animation to textures, and just a little more work to make it seem like you're actually playing to a crowd in faithfully replicated venues from the show, this could be a killer app.

Killzone: Mercenary makes us believers in the FPS on a handheld. An excellent experience that is only held back by a lack of variety in the multiplayer and a touch too much playing it safe in single player. Certainly a top Vita game.

The dialogue is intelligent, the side quests actually help thicken up the feel of a fantasy world, and the graphics and sound have a subtle way of reeling you in without knowing.

So the game looks a mess; it runs with the clunkiness of hastily-assembled quick-and-dirty port. It's still Liberty City Stories at heart, which means you get to rip around on a crotch rocket, you get to see some buildings before they were built in GTA III (or, blow some others up as the case may be), explore more of Shoreside Vale, and experience the formation of what would later be the world of Grand Theft Auto III from an entirely new perspective.

If you are looking for portable RPG goodness, both your time and money are well-invested if you choose Crimson Gem Saga.

Cladun really helps to broaden the appeal of the PSP by giving players a 40 hour game with small levels to help solidify the portable experience. Multiplayer isn't really a huge selling point, but the game will have your attention for hours on end.

If you're a JRPG fan, you need this game. If you're a Tales fan, you need this game, and if you're a newcomer to either, this is an awfully good way to get started.

The sheer wealth of Simpsons reference material saves Hit & Run from falling into the same trap the previous games had.

The only fault of the game is that if you've played it on PS3, there isn't much reason to come back. Otherwise this is one of the deepest tactical RPGs available and the Vita version is the definitive release.

This title falls flat because it could have been something better. There's really no reason for a prequel... or a sequel for that matter. Square Enix should have taken this concept and went in a new direciton. Not the Final Fantasy direction.

A solid presentation from start to finish with the campaign that transitions perfectly into the multiplayes. Factions make sense with the story for both sides of the game. Extinction is a wonderful addition that should provide plenty of stories to tell.

If you're serious about getting fit, this game will absolutely help you with that. There's still overcoming the mental blocks and motivational issues, but the fun factor eases these problems in a fantastic way. This is the reason the EyeToy was made.

Everything the first game was and more. It's a deeper experience, it's more quirky and unique without losing sight of the best bits that made it so fun.

If that isn't a pair of dream tracklists, I don't know what is.

If you are just purchasing a PlayStation2, and are considering an investment in a good strategy/fighting game, look no further.

Ghostbusters is the game we’ve waited for, and given a little more time, this ambitious title would be an instant classic.

It really is that well done. I shudder to think what this level of talent is capable should they try this whole milieu again, but I'm even more excited about what it could mean. You must, for the love God, support this game and give it the money it deserves.

ibb and obb is the rare game that puts all its focus on co-op. If you have a friend to sit down with you'll find a beautiful and challenging game that tests your wits, reflexes and your ability to work as a team. Casual gamers stay away!

PES 2014 leaps back into the conversation of where your soccer dollars should go after a few down years. With a bold new control scheme and a solid foundation based around the Fox Engine Konami will be a force going into the next generation.

Anomaly: Warzone Earth makes the leap from mobile to console seamlessly. While you want find any daring new gameplay, you will find just enough tweaks to pique your interest if you dig tower defense.

There is real depth in this series, though most won't see it, and while the game isn't a massive step up over the 360 version, it is different enough -- and finally online with a Sony system -- that it bears at least a look.

Sure, you've played most of this stuff before -- and in Call of Duty games, too -- but that doesn't stop it from being some of the most gripping and exciting firefights found on the PS2.

As a historical piece, it is practically unparalleled. As a modern game, it is rife with issues that would never be tolerated. In the end, it is a great addition for fans and collectors, but of very little value to new gamers.

It's wonderfully balanced, nicely challenging, and things like the fog of war or stealth units are handled with plenty of confidence.

The World Cup format alone could have set 2006 FIFA World Cup apart from FIFA 06. Instead EA tweaked the gameplay and came away with yet another winner. Guiding any of 127 countries through qualification gives the game much needed depth.

The game delivers what you might expect from two iconic developers. Unique story, plenty of grindhouse-style visuals and slightly lackluster gameplay. Fans of these auteurs will be pleased. Parents of impressionable youths will not.

Maybe it's just that, for as much as the series has done to reinvent itself as a pure racer rather than a technical "rhythm" racer, it's still a fairly predictable formula.

While it's by no means a perfect game, gamers looking for great shooter experience with an enjoyable story and enthralling world need not look further.

Regardless of some nagging technical and balance issues, Liberation manages to carve out a unique niche on the PSP, and Guerilla deserves a serious nod for at least getting the gameplay right.

The BIGS is great stuff. It's not imposing -- despite the stature of the players in the game -- it's not overly technical, nor is it terribly shallow. No, the game won't give any baseball sims a run for their money, but it is a blast.

For such a simple concept, The Last Guy certainly does make for an entertaining experience.

Taiko's patterns can be incredibly addictive, often sending mixed signals to your brain like every good challenging rhythm game, but once you nail a string of rapid-fire sixteenth notes with rimshots buried in the middle, the game will hook you with that classic "just one more try" addiction.

A few nagging but workable issues prevent Scott Pilgrim from a perfect score, but you will not find a brawler out there that looks as unique, sounds as great, and packs as much fun in it as this one.

It's the best Ape Escape game in the series. Sure, it borrows most of the weapons and tools from the previous games, but the morph gear outfits and level designs are both great, and there's really no reason why everyone shouldn't give it a try.

Bloody, brutal and utterly bad-ass, Shank 2 is an action/platforming spectacle that players won't soon forget. In spite of its disappointing length, no action fan should miss this one.

It's the best Tony Hawk game yet, and as someone who's played them all to death, that's no passing comment. Better level design, better presentation and better overall polish, this is THE game to buy if you're a Tony Hawk fan.

Playing KoF XIII is the closest thing to "work" I have felt here at TPS. I wasn't good and I had to earn every bit of ground I gained. Just know that you won't get your hand held by the game or its players, you'll get it broken.

Fun, but ultimately unrewarding, Soldner-X 2 brings a gorgeous looking side-scrolling shooter to the PSN, but they forgot to bring the innovation along with it.

Dead Nation takes a lot of tired tropes and manages to polish them up into a surprisingly fun experience. It's best suited for play with a friend, but even alone you will get your monies worth from Housemarque.

There's no denying the market for Arcana Heart: it's a pure fanservice, all girl-on-girl fighting game with such delightful anime clichés as a robot girl with huge boobs, a kimono-clad girl (and sisters) with huge boobs and an apparently lesbian end boss with (wait for it... waaaaiiittt...) big boobs.

True Crime does many, many things right, but for as many cool features that it flaunts, there’s another that drags the whole experience down.

If you liked the first game and you like movies, this one's an absolute no-brainer.

Collecting and transforming into new costumes is always great, but the repetition and simplified battles are not justified by the $15 asking price. Once on sale, it's definitely worth getting.

Lack of Infrastructure keeps this from a perfect score, but MLB 11: The Show is the baseball game for those who love the game, and even more so for those who don't. A truly professional package that sets the standard for all other sports games.

Don't expect anything mind-blowing here, but War for Cybertron isn't just good for a licensed game, it's a good shooter first with Transformers icing on top.

It is offensive, violent, archaic, complicated, bland, and repetitive. If you can appreciate its retro qualities, however, $5 is a good price!

Same game with minor improvements. They're nice, sure, but that doesn't mean you should have to pay another $50 just to get the stuff that should have been in the first game.

Codemasters is looking to set their own record for consecutive F1 championships with F1 2013 Classic Edition. They've carried over everything from last year's excellent game and they've also added in a timely set of classic drivers and circuits.

The storyline in place here is good, even if the final boss fight and ending are maddeningly off target. But the game is more than the storyline, it's the experience, and that much of things is quite solid indeed.

It is heads and shoulders above all of the other JRPGs to release this year and may be one of the best on the PS3. There are things that could have been better but otherwise it's solid. Plus it gives you incentive to play through the whole game again.

The re-release is just as strong as the original. They jammed the disc full of everything and even chipped in some extras. Even the thing they omitted (the online pass) is a plus. It's just up to you whether it's worth the door charge.

I know I keep mentioning this, but it's important. I don't play sports games, and yet I wanted to play more of The Show. I can't think of a better complement about the game, but it's certainly not perfect.

A tale of two games, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron plods through its opening acts only to redeem itself with a strong showing at the end. Plenty of fan service will make series vets smile.

As a game designed to appeal to young boys and sell more merchandise, Skylanders achieves its goals. In the annals of games as marketing tools though, it isn't as compelling as classics like Cool Spot or Chex Quest.

The change in direction, tone, and atmosphere paid off and the groundwork that has been laid should revitalize the series. There are some blemishes but if you have the Ace Combat itch this will scratch it.

It's a fun and gorgeous jaunt through a half-remembered childhood. If this doesn't bring a smile to your face then you must be dead inside.

Slugfest’s crowning achievement is the audio. It is absolutely, positively stunning, and I’d be hard pressed to find a better example of not only quality writing but a mix of subtle and flat our humor in a game.

EA keeps up appearances with another excellent installment in the NCAA franchise. It adds a few token new features while putting another layer of polish on an already sparkling product. If you've been away a while it's time to get back on campus.

If you have the 360 version of the game already, then you probably aren't going to be going ga-ga over the SIXAXIS stuff, and the PlayStation Network, for being free and what it is, still isn't enough to hang with Xbox Live.

It's delightful for anyone of any age. There's plenty of extra replay value and its' something that families can enjoy together. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go and start saving up to buy Voldemort.

If you enjoy strategy games, you'll enjoy R.U.S.E.. The best part of the game is unfortunately riddled with balancing issues and saddled with a dead community. A shame really, especially for an overlooked genre.

Atlus is known for very obscure and cult-developing titles. While neither descriptors can be properly applied to this title, Droplitz does give you a fun ride, albeit short.

While they're certainly not bad games by any means, familiarity breeds contempt, and I'm just starting to get irked by the lack of freshness.

Quite possibly the best US release DDR has ever seen. Yes, seriously. The addition of online play and Dance Master mode do more to invigorate the series than you'd think, and flailing around like a dumbass is still damn fun.

Saints Row IV is a video game unlike any you've played before with a rich story, sharp sense of humor and unique mechanics. It's only held back by a lack of variety and the need for a bit more polish.

The combat, mission objectives, controls and camera are often working in tandem against you, which is obviously frustrating to the point where it’s eventually not worth playing to get the heaps of extras you can unlock after beating the game.

Green Day: Rock Band is not the game it could have been. It's also not a bad game in any way, and whatever gripes I might have had about the lack of unlockables or sense of progression or lopsided discography are pushed aside upon playing.

All hail the PSP, king of the retro compilation. Five games, all with options to make them easier and more newbie-friendly, crammed onto a UMD with CG clips and a jukebox? What's not to love here?

Forced stealth quibbles and slightly iffy physics aside, Second Sight's offering of a decently complex story (or as complex as you're going to get for an 8-10 hour action game) with a couple of twists and a silky smooth, high-budget presentation is one of the best Free Radical has pulled off to date.

Thanks to a fantastic combo system, good music, and solid graphics, TWS manages to pull you in very, very slowly.

Though Quest for Booty, again, isn't a bad game, it's not a good Ratchet game, and in the end that makes for a slightly disappointing and possibly even overpriced offering. With zero replay value and only a few new tricks, this Quest isn't worth taking.

Finest Hour tries, but thanks to some jarring hiccups and repetivie animations, it can't live up to the series' pedigree.

No, it isn't as iconic as Twisted Metal 2, but it still serves up a healthy dose of visceral fun that is only slightly diminished by dubious design decisions. It's certainly the benchmark for vehicular combat this generation.

Filled with well designed puzzles and charming humor, Tales From Space: About A Blob is irreverent fun that overcomes a lack of originality with superior polish and tight gameplay.

Without a doubt, one of the best RPGs to hit the PS2. It's quirky, hilarious, loaded with enjoyable side quests and manages to tug the heartstrings just enough to round out the whole experience.

At times incredibly challenging, yet never frustrating, that's the addictive nature of Sidescroller in a nutshell. It's one of the most memorable bite-sized games I've played in one of the best years videogames have seen in a while.

It's not perfect, but for what MAG was setting out to do, Zipper has scored and unequivocal hit.

There's honestly no reason to pick up this release short of getting the songs in HD.

It is the sheer amount of stuff that really sells ATV Offroad Fury Pro. Sure, the racing is far tighter and there's far more stuff to do, but from mini-games to a track editor to online play to tons of crosstalk info to shared leaderboards and online forums.

Though it can hold claim to the title of most advanced PSP tech showpiece, the actual gameplay part of Brave Story is left lacking -- if only a little. Go into it expecting naught but a cliched RPG experience and you won't be disappointed.

Further proving that it's unnecessary to fix something that never broke, Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational keeps true to its series roots while offering a ton of content and good times. A treat for anyone who enjoys golf or fun.

Minis are always hard to judge since they aren't designed to be deep, but what Pix'n Love Rush lacks in original gameplay it makes up for in style and variety.

Doublesix has done a hell of a job in creating a simple, attractive, immensely rewarding (and ridiculously challenging game if the high score goals are any indication) little shooter that deserves more than a passing look.

With TXR Zero, gamers not only get a PlayStation 2 version of the game, but they get the best one, hands down.

The game feels like it was a labor of love, and in the end it delivers a short-but-sweet little adventure that does both the movie and the target audience justice.

SkyDrift fell out of nowhere to surprise us with solid gameplay and a nice sense of speed. Sure, it could have used a bit more combat, but it is a racing game at heart, and a decent WipEout knock-off. Definitely worth a look.

Difficulty, repetition and an overall lack of tact keep the game from being anything more than an average flight game. It's good enough, but there are far better offerings out there.

The game is deep and focuses on beating the man in front of you. It's like having a pickup game of soccer somewhere except this time you can actually pull off the tricks that the pros use. Grab a pal and have a blast.

"The Tomb of Sammun-Mak" is fun, funny and smart. The Devil's Playhouse continues to impress.

A tough game to judge as a newcomer. I can see all the potential in the game, but trying to work out the control system was more complex than my college physics class. It's worth checking out just for the fantastic presentation though.

Online-enabled, visually updated, and PSP-tweaked gameplay for a game that has almost universal appeal. What's not to love? It may not be a PSP seller, but it is one of the best non-gamer-friendly offerings you can get after you've bought your PSP.

I know I keep coming back to this, but the online part of the past five Tony Hawk games has been the thing that keeps me coming back after I've played through the single-player game. Now granted, the goals this time around mean that I'll probably never completely finish the game, but I miss me some Trick Attack. Yes, I can do some local multi-player, but if I can't be beaten by some six year-old calling me a fag, I'm not really living the online experience, y'know?

If (or more likely when) the price on this game drops to Greatest Hits level, it should be a perfect impulse buy.