Condemned 2: Bloodshot will stand well against the competition in action, horror and even most shooter games, just on the merit of being a sequel improving on the original, rather than slipping beneath its foundation like so much land-filled garbage.

In some alternate reality where the Guitar Hero developers had been hit by a bus before making their game, this title might have a chance as a party game; as it stands, it doesn't even rank second place.

Perhaps the most damning criticism of Worms: A Space Oddity is that, aside from the motion controls, it's the exact same thing that you've already played a hundred times before.

Clap Hanz has taken complete advantage of the capabilities that the PS3 has offered players in creating an approachable golf outing for both veterans and newbies alike.

The game is even fun at first, until you hit the curse of repetitive gameplay and inconsistent AI, which is where it all falls apart.

People seeking a tennis game that's actually fun or intuitive should look elsewhere.

So, bottom line: should you get Sega Superstars Tennis? If all you have is a Wii, then even with its shortcomings compared to other versions, absolutely. Pick up a Classic Controller while you're at it for the mission mode.

There is nothing wrong with Sega Superstars Tennis that six more months of development wouldn't have fixed. The game is not broken in any way; it's just graphically underdeveloped and retains control issues that make actually playing tennis against the computer an unfulfilling experience.

Rainbow Six: Vegas was a good game, and Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 is more of the same. The only problem here is that "more of the same" includes glitches, but not very much original or innovative gameplay.

Brain Challenge is the kind of game that you can play every day or once a month, and you'd still get the same enjoyment from it.

Buzz! Jr. RoboJam isn't a bad choice for kids. The simplistic graphics, uncomplicated games, and overall friendly nature make it easy to pick up and play for all ages. The only real problem with it, at least for the age group it is intended, is that it can't hold their attention for very long.

This game was intended to scare the pants off of you and gross you out, and Bloodshot definitely does that. It gives other games high expectations to live up to, and it's an instant classic for any horror fan.

A surprisingly valiant effort. It has variety and charm, and even though the RPG elements feel a bit wasted on the action-heavy gameplay, it still flows well.

All in all, Buzz! The Hollywood Quiz is a fun trivia game.

While we were collecting clues and investigating the case, she was a lot of fun, but once the investigation stopped and the action started, she turned on me, leaving my heart cut open like a gutted fish.

Wild Arms XF is a title that picks up on one of the major weak points of the genre and improves upon it in a welcome stroke, but seems to favor an increase in difficulty simply for difficulty's sake and has a nasty habit of halfway playing the game for you.

A pretty standard Roman city builder. While that may seem like enough for hardcore fans of the genre, the title fails to really bring anything new and innovative to the table.

The beautifully hilarious Ratchet & Clank series did well when it was ported to the PSP, but devs got lazy porting it back; the best features of the portable version are gone, and nothing has been added. What works perfectly on the PSP works very badly on the PlayStation 2, and Size Matters is proof.

Overall, World Heroes Anthology really isn't much.

The Subspace Emissary mode is a bit weak, the loading times are a bit hefty, and the online gameplay suffers from some lag and the usual Nintendo online awkwardness. However, those issues are far overshadowed by the excellence that permeates the rest of the game.

Combined with an Xbox Live experience that offers some great replay value, all of these features make Army of Two a pretty good entertainment investment for mature players.

Homie Rollerz for the DS isn't a game that I could recommend to anyone, not even fans of the toy line or kart racers in general.

The idea itself is solid, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

There is very little I didn't like about Chains of Olympus; I would've liked to have more camera control, and although I didn't care for the controlled Quick Time Event attacks, I'll readily admit that they offered a more cinematic experience when you're fighting the bosses.

Xbox 360 owners and newcomers who have never experienced any of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto titles might find Bully's introductory course to be a good manner of getting their feet wet, while Rockstar loyalists will enjoy the kind of free-roaming gameplay that they've come to expect from the studio.

While some of the missions are entertaining enough for a quick diversion, the game's overall quality is lacking, with uncharismatic and unengaging characters everywhere you turn, tired clichés, and sloppy gameplay.

It's a solid addition, if not the best expansion in the series overall, and while I'm enjoying it, it really is just more of the same, and I can't help but feel like it could have been a little better.

You know it's a bad sign for a game when you enjoy the name generator and meditation mode more than any of the actual gameplay.

It is quite obvious that Sony took all the criticism leveled at last year's game and used it to craft MLB 08: The Show, an extremely fun and addicting title. Nearly all of the bugs have been fixed, with only the occasional AI problem, poor base running, and cumbersome career progression besmirching an otherwise incredible game.

The worst flaw in any RPG is the lack of a decent save system, and in that respect, Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer is guilty as charged. This frustrating trait, combined with the mediocrity that's prevalent in the rest of the title, makes for a pretty poor showing.

Fans of survival horror and the Silent Hill series will enjoy Silent Hill: Origins, while others will be turned off by its morbid nature. If you don't have a PSP and didn't get the chance to check out the title a year ago, now's your chance.

This isn't a game, as there's no real reward for doing well other than unlocking more tests, and it's not really a brain-training device because it doesn't teach you anything.

It's a shame that MLB 2K8 is the only baseball offering for Xbox 360 owners, as the efforts to do more than a simple roster update have resulted in a game that has solid ideas and a deep set of features, but is so buggy and inconsistent in almost every regard that it isn't worth your time unless you absolutely have to play a baseball game.

In short, Rhem 3: The Secret Library has one audience, and that is truly hardcore Myst-style adventure/puzzle fanatics. This isn't a bad thing, as niche games can be quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, the game's lack of presentational quality weakens it to the point that it has no ability to pull in a larger audience.

Triggerheart Exelica is one of the best XBLA games I've played on the 360, so if you like vertical shooters of old and new; if Radiant Silvergun, Parodius or Do Don Pachi mean anything to you; or if you enjoyed the recent Omega Five, you'll be perfectly at home with Triggerheart Exelica.

If you have the choice, check that you're really a huge fan of the show by reciting Hurley's winning lottery numbers, and then either play Via Domus on a PC or rent it.

Turning Point is one of the worst Xbox 360 titles I've played, and the only reason anyone should ever play it is if you love to see the worst of the worst, as this title certainly gives atrocities like Bomberman Act Zero and Fusion Frenzy 2 a run for their money.

The gameplay, graphics and multiplayer were all substandard, given today's expectations.

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty is a prime example of how not to make a decent FPS, and with so many better titles out there now and a lack of budget pricing, it's hard to imagine what the devs were thinking.

If you have the choice, check that you're really a huge fan of the show by reciting Hurley's winning lottery numbers, and then either play Via Domus on a PC or rent it.

If you have the choice, check that you're really a huge fan of the show by reciting Hurley's winning lottery numbers, and then either play Via Domus on a PC or rent it.

It's strange, quirky, and basically unlike any other game on the market. It's also incredibly fun. The unusual mix of rhythm and strategy gameplay blends together surprisingly well, and it isn't strange to look up from a session of Patapon only to realize that you've lost a few hours when you only intended to play for five minutes.

This story, theme and gameplay of Lost Planet basically boil down to "Starship Troopers" + Armored Core – Fun = Lost Planet.

All this whining and pining for bygone days aside, Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection is an entertaining game you'll pick up and put down, quite possibly for years to come.

It's great for quick bursts, it works as advertised, and it has that "one more game" addictive quality.

If you've played Brain Training and Big Brain Academy to death and need something else of their ilk to get you through the day, Brain Assist will do the job. If you haven't played the aforementioned titles, though, or if you simply just don't care about the genre that much, then you can safely skip this one, and no one will blame you.

Gamers who are tired of being one-man armies and want to play in a more team-based environment will find that Frontlines: Fuel of War is exactly what they've been seeking.

Flawed level design, hasty production values, glitchy gameplay, and an overall lack of effort drag down this game beyond the point where it's worth your time.

Playing this clumsy, ill-conceived attempt at a sequel is not unlike watching a kid with a 180 IQ flipping burgers at the local fast food joint; it's painful to watch what it has become, especially given what you knew its capabilities.

The actual game parts are pretty uninspired, boring, and nothing that's going to retain the attention of anyone, regardless of age, for very long. If you really need to pick up a licensed title or two for the children in your life, there are quite a few out there that are actually decent. Unfortunately, Bratz: Super Babyz isn't one of them.

An incredibly fun game. Although its difficulty level can sometimes drive you up the wall, the simplistic, addictive gameplay is more than enough to keep you glued to your X360 for hours.

The Club succeeds in part, in that essential element of gameplay over lofty ambition — essentially, function over form, that most laudable of design goals ever — but falls far short of brilliance in presentation.

If you pick up this game looking for a third-person shooter with an engrossing story, just put it back on the shelf. This is for gamers who have that certain twitch in their systems.

If you can get past the shaky controls and low replay value, you'll have a fun experience, especially if you're a Dragon Quest fanatic. However, if the controls aggravate you, the entire experience is going to be more of a chore than a game.

The high concept of reality blood sports shows is fairly cool, but they didn't develop it far enough.

A great entry point for novice attorneys, thanks to a new cast of vibrant characters.

Newcomers who simply want to wade into a war by wildly swinging their swords may find what they are looking for here, while series veterans will find themselves back in familiar territory as they battle through the threads of China's tumultuous past.

While the title has made great strides in improving the overall look of the players and fields, the actual gameplay has already grown incredibly bland and repetitive.

While the title has made great strides in improving the overall look of the players and fields, the actual gameplay has already grown incredibly bland and repetitive.

The amusing thing about Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts is that it feels like a preview title; nothing about it is glaringly, hopelessly flawed, but it felt like something that could have improved with some more development time.

The game is simple, it is good, it includes the Orange Box soundtrack, and it's a 10-dollar title that will outlast many 50-dollar games. No more words are necessary; only action is needed.

With a tedious single-player campaign riddled with monotonous action and online play offering a bare-bones experience, the best that players can hope for with Denied Ops may be to simply deny having played it.

The visuals are terrific, with perfect lighting and great frame rates, and the music sticks to its pulsing electronica roots. Pulse, with its challenging gameplay and deep single-player campaign, is first and foremost a fan service to traditional WipEout fans, but newcomers will likely fall in love with the game, too, assuming they don't become too frustrated in the early going.

With a tedious single-player campaign riddled with monotonous action and online play offering a bare-bones experience, the best that players can hope for with Denied Ops may be to simply deny having played it.

The gameplay is fun enough, but so agonizingly slow that the enjoyment of combat is seriously marred. For the most part, the story line is average and clichéd, and the dramatic moments don't entirely make up for that.

It's a solid, fun little title that'll definitely entertain the young ones for quite a few hours, and manages to be a little educational as well.

The unique gameplay and deep strategy make this the ultimate test of both brains and reflexes, and if you've been looking for poker with a twist, then this might be right up your alley.

If you're after a challenging, graphically attractive, pure-action shooter that's a lot of fun in single-player, also blessed of long legs in the online multiplayer department, Turok is your sort of gig. A cinematic experience this is not; expect this sort of "ambitious" or "high art" game, and you'll be disappointed.

It succeeds at being an enjoyable, trigger-happy adrenaline fest, but it certainly doesn't push any envelopes or blaze any new trails.

Be forewarned that you need to have patience to play this game. Your matches are long, and the gameplay can sometimes seem slow, but any fan of collectable card games should definitely pick up this title because I've never seen the genre represented so well as it was here.

In high definition, DMC4's graphics and animations are nothing short of stunning, following the series' signature fantastical, pseudo-Gothic style fully detached from any comprehensible real-world time period.

The game looks great, boasting beautiful landscapes throughout the city and Fortuna Castle, where a majority of the game takes place. The combat animations also flow unbelievably well, adding a certain realism to taking out your foes.

While this isn't likely to be the most intense or challenging game you've ever played, it still manages to be quite a lot of fun.

There is no aspect of this title that is completely perfect, but every aspect is almost completely perfect, making for a pleasant diversion whose flaws are comparatively minor and won't detract from the enjoyment of the game.

If you're looking for a simple adventure game based on an enjoyable license, you'll probably enjoy this one.

I'm still not entirely sold on the story in Spiderwick Chronicles for the NDS, but I can't knock the game for staying true to the film.

However, Downstream Panic! is a solid effort, and for all my gripes about it being shallow, it does its job in keeping you occupied.

The poor controls make the game far too frustrating to enjoy, and even if the controls weren't there, the lackluster gameplay and low-quality visuals make it seem as if the developers were just as bored with making the title as I was with playing it.

As intriguing as the concept is, the climax is not as nearly as exciting, and the weak ending makes the problem-plagued trip hardly worth the effort.

In a game genre that is normally filled with complex and difficult-to-learn games, Sins of a Solar Empire manages to find some good, solid middle ground. The title successfully delivers a real-time space strategy that offers 4X and RTS fans an experience that is both detailed and easy to learn.

Zoo Tycoon was never an amazing game on the PC, and the transition to the small screen has lost a little depth, a little character, a little challenge and a lot of graphical magic.

In conclusion, the controls in Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure aren't precise, everything feels sluggish, the visuals are foggy and the detail is nonexistent.

The premise and presentation may be a bit too "out there" for some, but those who aren't afraid to try something new will likely be pleasantly surprised.

It feels as if, somewhere during development, the overall idea suddenly got truncated and was left as a concept stretched out into a full game, so it eventually wears out nearly every idea it's got.

Paradise would have received an even higher score had they included legacy Burnout crash-mode events for those devoted to them.

Foremost, the voice acting is pitch-perfect, with each line evoking the correct emotion from its audience.

The narrow appeal of its surreal setting won't make fans out of everyone, but if MIDI music brings a misty tear in your eye and you find yourself fencing against your shadow while watching Ninja Scroll, then No More Heroes could be what your inner swordsman is craving.

Without a doubt, the improvements that have been made to Ship Simulator 2008 are a giant leap forward for the franchise. There are still a few wrinkles to be ironed out, namely an awkward information display panel, some less-than-realistic physics, and some random game crashes.

The more mature storyline, revamped unit list and redesigned CO system are all quite positive, and online play is something that Advance Wars has needed for a long time. Unfortunately, these good points are countered by the poorly designed COs themselves, the wacky unit balance, and the lackluster number of single-player offerings, which mean that unless you really enjoy playing Advance Wars online, Days of Ruin isn't going to have much appeal for you beyond a single playthrough.

Between painful gameplay that runs the full gamut from "marginally responsive" to non-functional, incredibly shallow options for play, and a fundamentally flawed concept that should have been left in shreds on a meeting room floor somewhere, Furu Furu Park manages to disappoint on every level.

As creative as the controls are, they can't hide the repetitive grind of the straight-up slaughterfest for which Koei's Warrior titles are known.

People who are interested in technical accuracy will be turned away by the glaring inaccuracies in how nitro is used and the fact that it is nearly impossible to control your vehicle in any appreciable degree, and speed junkies will throw down their Wiimotes in disgust at how the game punishes you over and over again for actually using the edge you've been given.

If you're a truly hard-core "CSI" fan, I suppose you could take this for a spin or two, but with technical issues, a completely boring design, poor pacing, and really no replay value, you're better off picking up a DVD boxed set and playing along at home.

I have to give praise to Omega Five, which is a great attempt at bringing an original shooter to XBLA that definitely feels old-school but with enough of a visual emphasis to make it something appealing to play for today's fans of the genre.

Although it does a few things well, Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom seems to punish you at every turn for trying to progress.

As I sit here, I wonder what on earth made EA decide to abandon the Street franchise, which was just reaching its prime, for what's found in NFL Tour.

This is a train wreck of a production, a demonstration of how not to handle a license, and a good example to developers on how not to rip off your own most popular works with any kind of success. I can't recommend this to anyone, at any price.

It's less "Phoenix Wright," and more "Phoenix Wrong."