Sure, it tends to wear its influences so prominently on its sleeve that it bleeds over into the derivative (Unreal 2, Tron 2.0, Deus Ex, Star Wars, etc.), but there did seem to be a certain passion that went into the code somewhere along the line.

With gameplay stuck in a mid-90's fad that was in itself considered arcane by any gamer's standards at the height of its popularity, Legacy of the Spirits troubles me with its thrown-together, "let's take advantage of a passing craze before it completely dies" feel.

In the end, Lights, Camera, Party! has a few good ideas wrapped up in bad execution.

Dragoneer's Aria played up too greatly on its strengths and didn't try to fix its flaws.

In the end, Sleep Tight means well but is very limited in scope. The core mechanics are fine, and the different upgrade trees are good, but the slow difficulty ramping can make it feel like a grind in a short amount of time. The lack of any modes hurts significantly, as does the lack of variety in locations and your arsenal. Unless you want something simple in your tower defense or twin-stick shooting game, it's easy to pass on Sleep Tight in favor of other titles.

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.

Dark Quest II isn't half-bad. The upgrade system is easy to understand, the game does a pretty good job of explaining all of the odds to you, and it wastes no time in presenting you with interesting scenarios. The difficulty is slightly challenging, but its short overall length and threadbare story means that experienced genre players will scoff at it. If you're just starting out, Dark Quest II works as a quick throwaway game; it's something to consider if you can find it at a good sale before you settle on another title with some more depth.

The pace and style are a little slower than I’d like, the dialogue is on the corny side, and there were, for me at least, a number of performance issues.

In the end, In My Shadow just isn't very compelling. The lack of control when jumping is a bad combination for both the finicky object placement mechanics and the precision needed to make those important leaps. Meanwhile, the story lacks focus, which makes the ending even more unsatisfying. The game may be fine for those looking for a platforming challenge, but everyone else won't miss much by skipping this one.

Front Mission Evolved has some interesting ideas, but none of them are polished.

Overall, I found Up for the Wii to be an average movie tie-in game that doesn't do much to impress.

Games like The Dark Spire prove just how subjective game reviews are; while it is near perfection in its chosen genre, the average gamer would trade in this game or simply throw it away after spending less than an hour with it.

BDSM: Big Drunk Satanic Massacre is a decent experience. The shooting is acceptable if you're fine with uninspired weaponry and a lack of combat strategy. The game length is good enough that the campaign doesn't become a chore, and the presence of multiple endings gives you a reason to replay the game. However, there are simply better, more engaging twin-stick shooters on the platform. This is a decent game to play for a day or two if you can get it on sale — and if you've already played through those other shooters.

In the end, Asphalt 3D falls below gamers' expected standards. As far as technical aspects go, the controls are fine, while the sound and graphics have some issues. The gameplay is solid enough, but there are very questionable mechanics in play that either do nothing to the experience or ruin a few good moments. Multiplayer is limited by closing off every other mode but one for play, but at least the game makes good use of the StreetPass feature. For racing fans who have become early adopters of the 3DS handheld, stick with Ridge Racer 3D for your racing fix. If you've already grown tired of that game, then try renting this one to see if you can overcome the flaws and squeeze some enjoyment from the title.

It's an unpleasant surprise that Tork turned out so utterly "blah."

It is definitely recommended as a rental for younger fans, but if you or someone you know has problems with the tiny characters, it would be best to go for the Wii or PS2 versions instead, if those options are available to you.

As a game that manages to encapsulate the feeling of being Superman, Superman Returns does an excellent job.

The Godfather II is an offer that you probably should refuse.

Ultimately, Poker for Dummies is less of a game and more of a poker tutor. It has extremely limited graphics, annoying sounds, and very limited game modes. The AI is specious, and the game lacks any sort of multiplayer component.

At most, some people could consider Potata: Fairy Flower to be fine. The platforming is good enough, and the game's multiple endings provide a reason for a few replays of the short journey. Even the combat is serviceable once you recognize the game's faint tells about landing hits or being hit. However, from the boring puzzles to the bad translation and the performance and graphical issues, there's enough here to drain one's enthusiasm for the title. There are worse platformers out there, but there are also loads of other better platformers to enjoy before spending time with this one.

There's a good skeleton to Nickelodeon All-Stars Brawl. The fighting is fast and extremely deep, despite having only one more attack button over the Super Smash Bros. series. For pro-type players who always play without items and can quickly master the game's nuances, this is excellent. However, the presentation is as basic as the game's modes, and the lack of anything that provides more of a Nickelodeon "feel" (e.g., voices and music) makes the whole thing feel rather cheap. While the online performance can be good, it doesn't matter much if there's no community behind it. The game is a contender, but some serious effort in more than a few areas needs to be done if Nickelodeon All-Stars Brawl or a potential sequel wants to be taken more seriously.

While the story is decent and the graphics impressive, the overall level of frustration is too much in this game, ruining what would be an otherwise excellent game.

A City Sleeps is a better experiment than it is a game for dedicated fans of rhythm games and shoot-'em-ups.

If you can ignore the nonsensical story and execution, Shooting Stars is a decent arcade shooter.

Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island is not that bad. The game mechanics are good, and the platforming is fun, especially on a short game where things don't feel like they drag on for the sake of matching game length with monetary cost. At the same time, it is far from being good. The story feels like an afterthought, and the bad characters, dialogue, and technical and design issues sap away at the game's fun. If you're a young platforming fan, you may dig it, but veterans of the genre may come away feeling disappointed that the game doesn't realize its full potential.

I Heart Geeks is far from an extraordinary puzzle game. The gameplay is fine, as not too many games try to emulate The Incredible Machine, but the spotty physics dampen the experience.

Pretty darn easy to get into, but it doesn't have a ton of depth or historical significance beyond that.

Ultimately, James 007: Blood Stone feels like a licensed movie game without the corresponding movie.