This is just a poor title, taking advantage of a well-recognized Jenga license, neither doing justice to the original game nor supplementing it with features that might make the Wii video game version fun, even if it were still a bad simulation.

The game does an excellent job of being pretty, but pretty will only carry you so far in life, especially in an industry where pragmatism (read: gameplay) is king.

This title is for children who would or have enjoyed Pullman's novels, and likewise the movie adapted from the first book of the trilogy. Based upon this reasonable criteria, The Golden Compass is a good game and deserves a score commensurate with that determination - the largest demerit here is that the game has only niche appeal, even for some kids without a taste for "His Dark Materials."

It is a great disappointment that The Golden Compass for the NDS should be so sub-par.

The biggest head-scratcher about Cranium: Kabookii is why would you buy it for the Wii, when all interactions are restricted to what you can do with a Wiimote. Instead, why not get the board game, which is much cheaper and allows you to draw with a pen and paper and mold with clay?

The gameplay is poorly ported from a console to the PC, which seems like the wrong way to do things.

When it comes right to down it, DanceDanceRevolution: Universe 2 is the type of game that only series fans will love. If your idea of a fun evening is laying down a dance pad and stomping around until the downstairs neighbors call the cops, then this title is right up your alley. However, if you are not, nor have you ever been a professional dancer, there's very little here to make this title worth your time.

Left Brain Right Brain offers no interesting features, a minimal amount of variety, and a premise that develops very minimally.

Ultimate Duck Hunting is a disaster of a game.

In summary, Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is fundamentally flawed in its basic execution; in a fighting game, the inability to fight properly is a severe drawback.

When I first started playing Sun Age, I felt a pang of nostalgia for the way games used to be, but it was quickly replaced by the feeling that this would have been a broken title even back then.

Geometry Wars: Galaxies is like nicotine in game form. It is bright, fast and fun; it does everything a handheld game is supposed to do and doesn't pretend to be something it's not.

There are plenty of other games out right now that, while perhaps not being gloriously violent future-sports games, have simply pegged the feeling of constant fun a lot better than you do.

Undertow is a good fit for the Xbox Live Arcade. The action is fast and uncomplicated, it has plenty of options for the single-player and multiplayer experiences, and the tight controls do a good job of making the player want to partake in the action.

It's one of the best hybrid RPGs I've played, as well as a serious game of the year candidate. It's the video game equivalent of "Battlestar Galactica" or "Babylon 5": a space epic that reaches for the stars and manages to hit most of them.

With incredibly boring and repetitive gameplay, it's pretty much impossible to recommend Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash to anybody.

Essentially, the game punishes you for not giving up. You're better off starting from scratch with a new band. It's a relatively minor quibble, but as a potential passion and motivator of budding real-world musicians, Rock Band should be more tolerant of those players who refuse to give in to the tough songs even on the higher difficulty settings.

I've spent hours and hours playing Rock Band and feel as if it's not possible to have as much fun when I go back and play Guitar Hero III. It's not even a question of whether you're a fan of that genre or not — if you own an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 2, you need to pick up Rock Band.

Most first-person shooters are over after 10-15 hours. It'll be at least twice that before you see all that Ghost Squad has to offer. Its brevity on paper is not a curse, but a blessing.

It's got little to offer for SoulCalibur fans, little to offer for hack-and-slash fans, and little to offer in the realm of gameplay substance.

This is well worth a DS owner’s time, and easily one of the best things Square-Enix has published for the system.

Geometry Wars: Galaxies is truly the next step for this humble arcade throwback.

If you are a light-gunslinger, if you're in it for the fun of realistic point-and-shoot, perhaps inviting a few friends over for taking turns at high-score challenges — the game also supports a second Guncon 3 controller, not included in the bundle, for two-player arcade-mode games — you'll almost certainly enjoy Time Crisis 4. And you'll save wads of dollar bills you'd otherwise feed into arcade token exchangers.

Trauma Center: New Blood does not outshine the original, but it really does not need to do so to be a solid, exceptional work.

It was an incredible concept that intrigued me to no end, but the finished product leaves so much to be desired. Between the lackluster story, the poor presentation and the boring gameplay, Swashbucklers leaves you feeling cheated.

Much like any Uwe Boll movie, an impressive cast can't change the fact that the settings are unremarkable, the monsters control and fight lamely; without a decent fighting engine or satisfying destruction element, it fails on all fronts. This has all been done better elsewhere years ago.

For the most part, John Deere: Harvest in the Heartland is not a bad game. It is, unfortunately, a boring game with little incentive to play for longer than it takes to afford the tractor and ride it around for a while (maybe five hours, which is very little for a simulation).

It may not be as revolutionary as some may have hoped, but UT3 continues to deliver that little extra something with which FPS aficionados can test their reflexes.

Despite Call of Duty 3's quite a bit more robust online multiplayer features, trudging through that title's single-player campaign felt more like doing the weekly marketing by one's scrawled, near-illegible shopping list than playing a game.

Six months from now, during the midst of the annual games drought in new titles, shooter games no better than TimeShift will be favored by some, if not many, critics and will also sell well to a thirsty FPS audience. To significantly mark off this title right now would be, if you'll pardon the pun, merely a matter of timing.

A technically competent basketball simulation outfitted with years' worth of features and created by a development team with an obvious passion for NCAA ball. If you're looking for an NBA simulation, that's absolutely what you should play.

A technically competent basketball simulation outfitted with years' worth of features and created by a development team with an obvious passion for NCAA ball. If you're looking for an NBA simulation, that's absolutely what you should play.

For a licensed game, Avatar: The Last Airbender — The Burning Earth turned out to be a pleasant surprise. While it is ultimately bound by some of its limitations, THQ's development team deserves some praise for at least doing a solid job on the product — other than the ludicrous decision that led to the game's achievements listing.

It's easily one of the best single-player games on PlayStation 3, or any platform, this year.

Fans of the show will likely relish the opportunity to relive one of their favorite series through the eyes of the protagonists, while everyone else will simply wonder what's going on and why one of the main characters is dressed like a cat.

It's certainly a great half of a game; the somewhat limited gameplay aspects, pretty lights and revving engine sounds are good enough to make the title entertaining and fun, but they're not enough to comprise a convincing whole game.

The only thing that's even remotely fun about the title is the multiplayer, and that can be had on nearly any other 360 shooter worth its weight.

A great compilation of casual games the whole family can enjoy. However, it is held back from "must have" status by its lack of any significant advantage over its currently free-to-play-online brethren.

PopCap Hits! Volume 1 is a great compilation of games for casual gamers who love puzzle titles. The conversion of both titles is good, and the saving system, especially for AstroPop, is more forgiving for gamers who found these titles a little more daunting that usual.

Like the scrappy movie crew that feels so much passion for a project that the team manages to create true art regardless of finances, FrozenByte similarly has risen up from near obscurity to release two of the most engaging action games I've ever had the pleasure of playing. Survivor, the extended remix of Shadowgrounds, is a must-have for any fans of action-horror.

Crysis has long been touted as the new standard-bearer among visually compelling shooters, and in that regard, Crysis does not disappoint. When you throw in a nanosuit, nonlinear freedom of movement and an exciting story, Crysis is as good a reason as any to upgrade your computer.

Despite Assassin's Creed's smooth, almost deft controls and not infrequently gorgeous, gritty ancient urban settings, it is ultimately a game by rote, not salvaged by a compelling story and also burdened with a shell plot that is both trite and superfluous.

With frustrating, glitchy gameplay, lackluster and boring graphics, and perhaps the least likable cast in video game history, it's difficult to recommend Kane & Lynch over the many similar, but better titles currently on the market. Even a unique multiplayer mode does little to salvage the title, and the lack of online co-op shoots its biggest feature in the foot.

Assassin's Creed is fun, but it isn't the system seller that everyone was expecting it to be. Climbing around and exploring the city is initially a lot of fun, but there isn't much to do beyond that. The investigations and the side-quests are repetitive and quickly become tedious instead of entertaining.

While there are a ton of match types, a fairly sizable roster of ECW, Raw and Smackdown stars, and the inclusion of the new Superstar Fighting Styles, these positives cannot offset the terrible sound and voice acting, middling graphics and the train wreck that is the 24/7 mode.

The odd control changes, some pretty bad graphics and presentation, and problems in half of the 24/7 mode, make the PSP iteration the bottom feeder of every available version. Avoid this, and wait to see how SvR '09 turns out.

Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 is not a horrible game. It can actually be really fun most of the time, but the title is haunted by slow matches, boring fighting styles and overall frustration.

Overall, it is a defining step backwards in regards to the SvR franchise.

A fun control concept only works when the rest of the game works, too. Unfortunately, WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2008 featuring ECW for the NDS demonstrates this all too effectively, resulting in the weakest iteration of the series in quite a while.

Umbrella Chronicles delivers, but it doesn't go beyond simple competence.

With frustrating, glitchy gameplay, lackluster and boring graphics, and perhaps the least likable cast in video game history, it's difficult to recommend Kane & Lynch over the many similar, but better titles currently on the market. Even a unique multiplayer mode does little to salvage the title, and the lack of online co-op shoots its biggest feature in the foot.

Tomb Raider: Anniversary is the video game equivalent of giving your old car a new paint job and a spoiler and claiming it's as good as new. The combination of the dated Tomb Raider areas, mixed with the uninspiring and boring Tomb Raider: Anniversary alone, feels like a patch job, and the addition of the Wii elements to the original versions of Tomb Raider: Anniversary only serves to increase the feeling that most of this game is just new elements stapled haphazardly onto a prettier version of a 10-year-old game.

For 50 bucks, Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is a surprisingly good game. The colorful landscapes, differently played characters, and multiple settings and choices make the title enjoyable.

Yet another disappointing offering from the folks on Sonic Team. They're starting to get back onto the right track, focusing on 2D speed rather than 3D worldcombing, but the inclusions of the fighting mode and the all-powerful AI are a definite detraction from the title's quality, and really, can't we get the characters some new voices?

Contra 4 is relatively short, but the difficulty and the immense number of extras give it a healthy replay value.

Balanced, a little hasty, and enjoyable, King of Fighters XI is what people were expecting: an enjoyable game with new features and a stylish look that keeps in line with the rest of the series.

There is absolutely no reason to purchase Jenga World Tour over a copy of the physical game. The latter is cheaper, less painful on your eyes, and significantly more fun.

Smarty Pants has all the groundwork for a fun title that's good for gathering up your friends and enjoying a nice, simple Wii experience. Unfortunately, the developers refused to settle for a basic trivia game and instead opted to throw in every little idea they had for ways to make it more "interactive."

It is my sincere wish that the backstory gets fleshed out a bit more; we know very little about the wand and the reasons that the evil has attacked the dwarves, much less the unanswered questions revolving around Gaya. For a port of a mobile phone game, Orcs and Elves is a good title indeed.

Falls short in gameplay fundamentals. If Electronic Arts would just step back the next time around and retool the basics of their level design, and enemy and allied AI, they may have a real winner on their hands. As is, though, the game is merely another "me, too" WWII shooter.

Playing an FPS on the PSP for the first time was a mix of fun action and occasional frustration, not only because of the controls, but because Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 offers a remarkably basic experience that hearkens back to the early days of shooters.

Thanks to its ability to maul the movie that it supposedly follows, Beowulf is a poor substitute for the film and an even more frustrating experience on the console, given its clumsy fight mechanics, uninspired enemies and the repetitive button-mashing.

Thanks to its ability to maul the movie that it supposedly follows, Beowulf is a poor substitute for the film and an even more frustrating experience on the console, given its clumsy fight mechanics, uninspired enemies and the repetitive button-mashing.

The last AvP game was released years ago and put forward a much stronger effort than this. The presentation is good, and at times, it had the makings of an honestly frightening game, but the difficulty level is scaled back so much that it ceases to be fun.

Mama herself is a charming guide through the apparently one-room world of cooking, and each challenge she throws your way will have you poking and prodding until you're beside yourself with glee.

It's impossible to recommend Soldier of Fortune: Payback to new players or fans of the series, like me, who have been waiting for a sequel since Double Helix on the PC, especially when titles such as Call of Duty 4 are available for the same or similar price and deliver a far better experience in every way.

A glorified map pack for the original Portable Ops. While the changes are going to appeal to the gamers who played Portable Ops online, they are the only possible audience for this title.

It's the best Mario's been in years and perhaps his very best game ever. The combination of great level design, fantastic graphics, easy-to-learn controls, glorious soundtrack and just the overall wonderful presentation make Super Mario Galaxy a real winner.

With a disappointingly forgettable story, solid but unremarkable action, and with little else to look forward to in the multiplayer mode, there's not much of a reason to dig for the truth behind this particular conspiracy.

With a disappointingly forgettable story, solid but unremarkable action, and with little else to look forward to in the multiplayer mode, there's not much of a reason to dig for the truth behind this particular conspiracy.

A fun, albeit easy, rhythm game.

Cars: Mater-National isn't a bad attempt at crafting a sequel to the popular film, but unlike Pixar's storytelling abilities, this doesn't walk a fine enough line to satisfy both adults and children.

SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis is a mediocre minigame collection that doesn't want to admit that it's a minigame collection.

Overall, Fantasy Wars was rather disappointing, since it had the potential to be so much more.

A bargain basement title with more press than gameplay ... and where the only piracy practiced might be the time that it steals from your day.

For everything that it does right in a given area, it does something wrong.

Maybe there is a very small demographic of people who love Egyptian-themed music and are obsessive-compulsive enough to only want to play one type of puzzle endlessly. If so, then Word Puzzle was made for them. Otherwise, save your points, save your time, and save yourself the headache.

Only true strategy nuts should get Panzer Tactics DS, since they tend to prefer gameplay over graphics and other niceties. For a PC-era game, it doesn't translate over to the handheld all that well.

The way Silent Hill Origins is presented is revolutionary for a handheld, but unfortunately, fans of the series may find that it doesn't bring much innovation to the table.

This is a game that people are going to really enjoy if they can get into it, but Joker does a player no favors when it comes to helping you get into the game.

For a franchise that started out by redefining the RTS genre, Empire Earth III has sadly taken a serious turn for the worse, and in this incarnation, you'll find very little of what made the original Empire Earth great.

The controls are hit-and-miss, and although you can play with a friend, you won't be able to progress through the circuits together, which makes it a moot point.

Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance can best be described as an improved continuation of the Supreme Commander story with six new campaign missions that offer much larger and more challenging engagements.

Neves has a simplistic elegance that is incredibly elusive in the gaming industry.

If you have a child who's a fan of horses, I don't think that Horse Life will really satiate any curiosity for them, so I'd suggest avoiding this one.

The title adapts to mouse and keyboard controls flawlessly, handles multiplayer better than the original, and it retains the same level of quality that made the game such a smash hit with its initial release on the Xbox 360.

A casual game for casual gamers, meant to be fun, fast and simple. Its flaws are significant and could limit it for some, but the design, quality and variety of questions, and carefully toned pace make it fun for most players and worth getting if you often have parties with non-gamers, casual gamers or film fiends.

I enjoy both FEAR games in brief spurts.

A step back for the franchise.

It might not be as grandiose a job other things that sim fans may have had experience with, but it's a unique change of pace that they may want to try out.

It's genuinely entertaining in small chunks, but there is still a lot to be said for spending time with a good book instead, or by keeping a thesaurus or a copy of the Reader's Digest handy when you have the need to feel egregiously verbose.

I thought it started out really well and showed some major promise, but it feels like an unfinished game that's not worth the time or effort. It scares the heck out of you the entire time, but due to the extremely tedious gameplay during the latter half of the title and its complete lack of guidance or direction during the puzzle-solving segments, I'd say that it's not really worth the trouble.

If you're looking for a fun, easy, and inexpensive way to learn Spanish basics, or if you have a DS and need a translation tool for future travels, you should definitely look into picking up a copy.

This pile-on of additional content, combined with a $30 price, makes Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Zombie Ninja Pro-Am a surprisingly good value if, and only if, you enjoy the show.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare provided me with more pure intensity than either Halo 3 or Bioshock. While it lacks the storytelling or some of the features of those games, it's the only FPS where I felt physically spent after I was done with it.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is first and foremost an experience, an experience of real combat presented with the cinematic qualities of top Hollywood films.

With the possible exception of Crysis, CoD4 is the best-looking online shooter ever made, and fans of online shooters will absolutely adore this release.

Bee Movie Game will provide a satisfying experience to younger fans of the film, but it'll fail to hold the interest of older players for a prolonged amount of time.