You'll wind up playing through levels a couple of times past the point when you've unlocked everything - without even knowing there's nothing left to figure out - and it won't be a minute wasted.

Retro Game Challenge is absolutely worth picking up, and I highly suggest it to everyone.

Games normally don't make that kind of mark on us anymore, but nearly every game included in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection does.

Headstrong has blown a breath of fresh air into a series that was toying with stagnation. Not only is Overkill fun to play, but it's also obvious that the developers had fun making it.

It doesn't have very many good qualities, the gameplay isn't very impressive, it isn't up to snuff on a technical level, and whatever charm it manages to muster runs out of steam in a hurry.

As a tech demo, Deadly Creatures is an impressive piece of work, but as a game, it is merely average. For every good idea, there's something that holds back the game and prevents it from really shining.

If it weren't for the M-rated content, X-Blades could have been easily recommended to kids for its accessible action and anime presentation, which is a shame because the adult crowd is going to be left disappointed with this game, despite its sex appeal.

Here's hoping a few things can be cleaned up for a second iteration on the Wii, and I'd definitely suggest that curious fans give Shadow Assassins a try.

Despite the relatively high difficulty level, this is a prime example of old-school gaming at its best.

A surprisingly solid RPG, and one that I think a lot of people will probably miss solely because of the cover art.

Afro Samurai has a ton of style with some nice combat, but once you require the camera to do anything other than sit calmly behind you, the game starts to fall apart.

It is worth checking out, particularly if you're a fan of action games, but don't expect this title to replace your current top spot any time soon.

The loving attention to historical detail comes at a cost of a truly arcane complexity level and rather plodding pace. However, in the right mindset, both quirks can be wonderful things, especially when the complexity also reveals just how deep and varied the mechanics can be.

The way the missions unfold within the VR exercise really gives you a sense that you're playing a game that isn't Fallout, yet it's using the exact same engine.

The way the missions unfold within the VR exercise really gives you a sense that you're playing a game that isn't Fallout, yet it's using the exact same engine.

MLB Front Office Manager was a good opportunity for console gamers to experience the joys and hardships of a standard MLB general manager. Unfortunately, with a very cumbersome menu system and nothing else to make it exciting, the title becomes a boring mess.

If Front Office Manager is going to become a serious series, it needs to sort out a lot of major problems in a hurry if it wants to be a gamer's radar as a potential purchase. As it stands, there's little to no reason to even rent this sub-par management title.

Altogether, Wonderworld: Amusement Park could have been a pretty solid collection of mini-games if a little more thought had been put into the stylus control scheme.

This is a title that's definitely worth checking out for DS owners, and while it's a relatively smaller game that hasn't received much media attention, I hope players will still give this a shot.

In spite of Skate 2's flaws, it may just be time to crown the Skate franchise as the new king of the skate park. The game manages to be thrilling while eschewing some of the more ridiculous aspects of the Tony Hawk titles (grinding a telephone wire, really?) , and the motion-based trick system is much more immersive than pressing buttons once you get the hang of it.

In a gaming age where titles like Fallout 3, Far Cry 2 and GTA IV are doing their level best to push the average length of games to well above the 30-hour mark, it's refreshing to have an original, charming and memorable game that can be polished off in a relaxing few hours, without the fear of redoing huge sections or having to perform gamepad miracles.

Combat is overly long and easy, and once you get the correct IPDs, the only reason you'll take damage is because of the annoying lag. The plotline is fairly boring and predictable, and most of the characters are humdrum clichés or have no personalities at all.

Altogether, Deal or No Deal is a pretty poor adaptation of the TV show, but that's partially because you can't really do much with a show that's mostly about talking it out.

The combat is tedious and boring, the visuals are bland and ugly, and I can't remember the last game I played where so many words were spoken and yet so little of substantive importance was said.

A very hastily put together offering with gameplay that falls far behind what other titles have been doing on current systems for years.

A very hastily put together offering with gameplay that falls far behind what other titles have been doing on current systems for years.

Moon is easily the most fun I've had on the DS in over a year.

Some of the new items and treasures in Knothole are simply must-own material, and the resurrection shrine is truly a thing of beauty for those still anguishing over the loss of a certain loved one.

You can replay those games for a little bit of replay value, but the best use of this title is probably as a doorstop.

The game is stable and generally fun if lawn games are your thing, and you overlook variety in the game types not yielding much diversity in their style of play.

Basically, Bigfoot: Collision Course for the DS is a pretty lackluster attempt at using the Bigfoot license in a racing environment, and while I don't think it's a horrible idea, it doesn't fit the monster truck theme very well.

While the sound and controls are fine, the somewhat-finicky detection system for clues doesn't help make things easy for beginners. The game length is also very short, and you have very little incentive to keep playing once the main story line is finished. The biggest offender, though, is the graphics; blurry pictures and a small playing area don't make this a very desirable title, especially for the $10 (800 MS points) asking price.

The gameplay is abysmal, and the overall content isn't particularly inspiring or funny, beyond some goofy references.

Die-hard Neopets fans will fight through all of this just so they can get the codes for their Web site accounts. All others should either pick up Puzzle Quest or wait for the inevitable sequel instead of putting up with this somewhat-unpolished product.

The core game experience is very solid, and if you have a few friends around who enjoy word games, the multiplayer party games can be quite fun.

In spite of its technical shortcomings, Rise of the Argonauts is still a truly fun game that has gotten a bit of a bum rap. The story is very intriguing, and the leveling system is handled superbly.

In spite of its technical shortcomings, Rise of the Argonauts is still a truly fun game that has gotten a bit of a bum rap. The story is very intriguing, and the leveling system is handled superbly.

The lesson here is that if you own a DS, you're far better off buying the original than you are settling for this new port that comes in high on style but low on substance.

Everything — from the story to the combat system to the dungeon crawling and Social Links — has been improved. Considering that Persona 3 was already an excellent game, Persona 4 is a true standout.

Sure, it's another cheap knockoff game trying to capitalize on the overstuffed DS self-improvement market, but it's got a lot more heart than other games in the genre, and at times it is rather entertaining.

There is no delicate way to say it: Bigfoot: Collision Course is atrocious. Outside of the controls, there is nothing redeemable about this title. The sound is bland, and the graphics look worse. Above all else, however, the game is simply a boring mess, and the Wii console definitely deserves a better class of racer. Do yourself a favor and forget that this title ever existed.

I was really disappointed with Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World, and I already wasn't expecting much from it. Sure, the roster is impressive, and it definitely covers some unique characters, but playing the game feels more like a chore and less like the fun fighter it should be.

With Soldner-X Himmelsturmer, SideQuest Studios and Play-Asia have delivered a solid shmup that checks off all of the basic requirements, but if you simply need a shmup fix that takes advantage of your PS3, it really isn't a bad deal as long as your patience can hold it together.

If you can get past the nonexistent story, lengthy load times and aggravating audio, there's some good point-and-click puzzle adventuring to be had here.

Almost everything about SPRay lacks inspiration.

Banjo-Kazooie remains a solid resurrection of a classic game whose influential nature can still be appreciated and enjoyed today. Unfortunately, it is hampered by some bad camera glitches and could have used a few more enhancements, given the price tag.

I can't really recommend M&Ms Adventure for the DS to action/adventure or platforming fans because it's a pretty aggravating experience, and I never really had any fun with it.

For the most part, I found M&Ms Adventure to be a pretty disappointing 3-D platformer, and I think that fans of the genre will even agree that it feels pretty bland and uninspired.

Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi for the NDS had some potential to be an interesting title and provided some neat concepts, but unfortunately, it stumbles in the execution. The controls are very clunky, and the unfair deaths due to poor platforming make it very difficult to enjoy this title.

Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars is a cute and well-designed, if not particularly unique, title. The visuals are a bit weak, but the superb art direction does a lot to make up for that.

The beginning will probably put you off a bit, but if you're able to make it past that, there's some genuinely fun gameplay here that's worth checking out.

The entire game has a feeling of misdirected effort, as if Rockstar sat down to rejuvenate the franchise without knowing particularly how and simply stuck every idea, gimmick and cliché they could think of into one big ball, like some sort of Katamari of game elements with the old GTA feeling at the core.

Prince of Persia is fun. It isn't really challenging, and it isn't really lengthy, but when you play it, you're going to have fun.

Prince of Persia comes startlingly close to being a perfect game. The visuals are gorgeous, the story is presented exceptionally well, both the combat and platforming are extremely fun, and the game features one of the most moving endings I've experienced since Shadow of the Colossus.

Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories for the PS2 is definitely worth checking out, especially if you haven't yet played the GBA original.

Given the lack of fighting games on the Wii console and the $30 price tag on King of Fighters: The Orochi Saga, you should definitely pick up the title.

Family Party doesn't bring anything new to the table. It may be a budget-priced title at $20, but I would venture to say that is almost too much to pay for this one.

At the current price point, it's hard to justify a game that is ultimately so simple and small, even if it can be fairly enjoyable. Pieces Interactive has a good premise here, but ultimately, they didn't make enough out of it to justify the cost.

The quality is further reflected in the silky-smooth online play and detailed options that let you choose how much updating you want.

The quality is further reflected in the silky-smooth online play and detailed options that let you choose how much updating you want.

Easily one of the best video games I've played in the recent past, and I've played quite a few of them. Whether or not you're a fan of consoled-based role-playing games, you owe it to yourself to try this one; it might just change your opinion of them.

Even with its shortcomings, I enjoyed Neopets Puzzle Adventure quite a bit, and while I think that a better game could have been developed with these ideas, it's still a title that I'd suggest to DS owners, and something that shouldn't be overlooked simply because of the license attached to it.

NPPL Championship Paintball 2009 is a bad game overall. AI issues contribute to the problematic gameplay; controls are serviceable, but the graphics and sound fail to inspire.

The disjointed nature of the actual cooking, mediocre graphics and bad cut scenes don't exactly make it a clear candidate for top cooking game.

A very underwhelming port of the original PC title. The game would've been fine on its own, but it's plagued by sluggish controls, a broken touch interface, and multiple omissions from the original game that would only disappoint fans.

Chrysler Classic Racing for the Wii is another in a long line of racing titles that doesn't respect itself, let alone the system and audience it seeks to find. Everything from the graphics to the controls to the sound is well below par. Even the cars, which should be the highlight of the game, fail to be good enough to interest even mild fan of cars.

Chrysler Classic Racing is a prime example of how to not do a racing game on the Nintendo DS.

Altogether, All Star Cheer Squad feels like mishmash of decent ideas muddled with bad design.

Personal Trainer: Cooking is perfect for bored housewives (or husbands — let's not discriminate) who have extra spending money and a passion for new flavors and tastes.

If you can manage to get past the unwieldy controls, the core gameplay is pretty identical to other Cake Mania titles, and it definitely holds that addictive quality that makes these games far more entertaining than they originally seem.

A very fun game, thanks to the use of the balance board in conjunction with the Nunchuk and Wiimote.

The Last Remnant is absolutely full of potential. There's a fantastic world accompanied by an incredible soundtrack, a great battle system in place and a ton of content to keep you going. However, the game is technically sub-par, and the story takes far too long to get anywhere remotely interesting.

Sonic Unleashed is the best that Sonic the Hedgehog has been in years, but this is probably damning it with faint praise. The Sonic segments are fun, and die-hard fans will probably be quite satisfied with them, but everything else just isn't.

There's a decent story hidden under the mess of missed conversations and seemingly irrelevant puzzles.

Above all else, the gaming experience in A Kingdom for Keflings is very unique. There have been only a handful of titles that have made a leisurely activity fun, and this is definitely one of them.

Inferno is well worth checking out, and even picking up, and it's something that I hope people are willing to go back to if they were left frustrated by the 360 version of the game.

Ultimate Band is a game that has its heart in the right place but comes up short in execution.

Realistic instruments and an easy-to-use set of creation tools are innovations that should become common across all rhythm games. While only players who are able to overcome the painfully shortened and poorly vocalized set list will truly enjoy the title, all fans of the genre will find something to like.

It is long, boring and tedious, and seems to exist entirely to extend the game's length and force players through uninteresting toned-back gameplay to get to the actual fun. Thankfully, once you get past the first generation, Rune Factory 2 is a completely worthy, if not particularly different, sequel, and one that any Harvest Moon fan should enjoy.

Thankfully, the story and the platforming are the main focus, as they rightfully should be.

As a final verdict, I'd recommend Bolt for anyone old or young who liked the movie and enjoys platform-style adventure games with a healthy mix of fighting.

As a final verdict, I'd recommend Bolt for anyone old or young who liked the movie and enjoys platform-style adventure games with a healthy mix of fighting.

Altogether, I really enjoyed Lips, and I definitely think Microsoft is headed in the right direction with its first karaoke attempt. I'd like to see a few more modes tossed in for multiplayer, and maybe a bit more incentive for single-player modes outside of ranking up and gaining stars, but the track list, mic construction, and overall feel of the game is definitely capturing that casual yet fun style of play.

Overall, Metal Slug 7 for the NDS is a solid and difficult side-scrolling shooter that adds little to the franchise.

It still needs some improvements in the controls, and it doesn't offer a deeper single-player experience like its counterpart, Order Up. Still, fans of the original and those curious to try the series will find that this version of the game does not disappoint.

So yeah, if you have an option, skip the PS2 version for the 360 copy.

NPPL Championship Paintball 2009 is a bad game overall. AI issues contribute to the problematic gameplay; controls are serviceable, but the graphics and sound fail to inspire.

Regardless of how much it may resemble Cooking Mama, there's fun to be had with Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine. The game structure makes for a fast, intense handheld experience, but there's not a whole lot of gameplay to be found.

It's a chore to make it through each room, finding the small split-up objects isn't all that fun, and ultimately it's a frustrating experience.

All in all, Left 4 Dead is an amazing game, and I highly recommend it, but only if you are able to play online.

Left 4 Dead is a shining example of zombies done right in a video game. It's an action-packed riot with gore galore and is four times as fun with friends.

Robocalypse is shockingly close to being a fantastic game. Everything it needs to be a solid handheld Warcraft clone is there, from the solid and well-balanced gameplay to the reasonable adaptations of gameplay limitations for use on a Nintendo DS.

I had a lot of fun with the Career mode in Need for Speed: Undercover, and the easy-to-grasp controls really make this an accessible and fun title in the Need for Speed franchise. Don't expect a lot of innovation or new ideas, as a lot of the things that were implemented seem to be pulled from previous NFS releases, but I think race fans will be able to have some fun with this title.

The whole game is ugly, glitchy and stale, but it's not an interesting sort of "bad" that makes you want to scream.

In spite of its flaws, though, NCAA Basketball 09 is still a very enjoyable game that will sit very well with fans of the sport. The new tempo-driven gameplay is quite ingenious, and I can't think of a game that does a better job of getting the feel of college basketball just right.

In spite of its flaws, though, NCAA Basketball 09 is still a very enjoyable game that will sit very well with fans of the sport. The new tempo-driven gameplay is quite ingenious, and I can't think of a game that does a better job of getting the feel of college basketball just right.

An enjoyable story mode and pleasing visuals are overshadowed by the mediocrity of everything else.

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe was really enjoyable and one of the better fighters I've played this year. Even if the concept seems ridiculous, it's worth picking it up if you enjoyed the previous Mortal Kombat games from the '90s.