If you're looking for good-to-great football, you'll likely find what you're looking for in Madden NFL 20. The game plays faster, the new superstar power system adds a dimension of fun that doesn't compromise the spirit of the game, and its third year in the Frostbite system has given it time to refine its overall aesthetic. I also feel like every year, we're still waiting for Madden to make some kind of next-level jump, and it hasn't quite gotten there yet. There were plenty of yards left on the field in terms of the Story and Franchise modes, but I have hopes the next Madden experience will be the one that puts everything together. Until then, I'll be trying to no-look throw the ball over the field as much as possible.

Weird West is a game that players can grow to love, provided you can forgive some of its issues and design decisions. The idea of going through five different protagonists with somewhat connected stories is fascinating, but the resetting of items and skills when changing characters doesn't contribute to the desire to explore. The lands don't vary much given the setting, but the changes based on your actions are fun to see. The combat is fine, but the enemy behavior can sometimes be laughable, while the presentation teeters between amazing and average. It's worth checking out if you're prepared to invest some time waiting for its magic to hit.

Feels both overpriced and unnecessary in the modern marketplace.

A fantastic-looking, smooth-playing, slickly-developed, adult-themed Wild, Wild West action game, which succeeds in most every area it enters.

There isn't all that much to Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest, unfortunately. The gameplay is short, and necessarily so, because any single match can drag on very quickly, and once a clear lead is established, it is quite difficult to break.

There is simply no reason why buttons cannot be remapped or menus cannot be fully traversable with a mouse click. Controls should be just as tight and responsive as they are on a console pad.

MVP 07 NCAA Baseball lacks flashy visuals and the all-important big league license, but the quality of the gameplay is undeniable.

In short, fans of casual sports games will find plenty to love about this title, which manages to be just as good as the home console version.

Polished enough to be released as a stand-alone package, The Missing Link hits all the right notes and delivers more of everything that made Human Revolution such a standout title.

Kinect Sesame Street TV: Season 1 is perfect for those with toddlers who can comprehend the show's lessons and antics. The level of interaction is great, and the flow doesn't feel stilted or burdened with load screens. This is really more of a collection of augmented TV shows than a full-fledged video game, so don't expect the little ones to bounce around all day interacting with every sequence. The whole thing is very well done, and fans of the appropriate age will be more than happy with this first iteration of a more interactive Sesame Street experience.

Samurai Warriors 4 is probably the most fleshed-out realization of a portable Musou game yet.

Masters of Anima mostly succeeds in implementing an inherently troubled concept: a strategy title on a console. It provides some frustrating and subpar moments, but it always comes up ahead with a fun, demanding, and good blend of gameplay styles to pull you through its 10-hour campaign. You'll want to see it through to the last fiercely fought battle.

Horizon Chase Turbo is a throwback racer for those who want to race with near-impossible odds at all times. Constantly starting at the back of the pack, the aggressive AI opposition, and the exaggerated physics system require nothing less than pure skill and tremendous luck if players want to get close to first place in any races. At the same time, the generous progression system and easy-to-handle controls mean that you can get quite far before you need to start being perfect. With local multiplayer and an excellent presentation in tow, Horizon Chase Turbo is a must-have for those who dearly miss old racing games.

Aggelos works great as both a homage to the source material and as a game on its own merit. The faithful reproduction of the Wonder Boy style still holds up today, and while the new powers don't significantly change things for the better, they don't detract from the game, either. The gameplay is solid, and the gameplay length comes in at a good running time, so you'll get your money's worth from the experience even before you set out to play it again on Hard mode. With a great presentation backing up the entire experience, Aggelos is a great title for classic adventure platformer fans.

Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia is a firmly average game. The strong plot and interesting artwork are tied to a gameplay system that loses its welcome by the end of one playthrough, never mind six. It's still enjoyable for that one playthrough, but it's difficult to imagine going through the same gameplay over and over again. If it hits for you, then there will be a lot of content to enjoy, but otherwise, Brigandine is not varied enough to keep you going for more than a single playthrough.

SaGa: Emerald Beyond is easily one of the most accessible and easy-to-play SaGa games ever released, making it a solid evolution over SaGa: Scarlet Graces with an improved combat system and more focused area design. At heart, it's still a SaGa game, and that means it is frequently obscure, often confusing, and is unashamed of making you miss content without explaining why. Combine that with the low-budget visuals, and it seems like it's destined to be a love-it-or-hate-it game. Despite that, if you're curious about SaGa, Emerald Beyond is probably the best place to start to see if the eccentric series is right for you.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II is a case of one step forward and one step back. Mechanically, it's the best put-together Trails game to date, as it fixes the problems in the last game and introduces enough new mechanics so it's fun to play. It also retains and refines the likable cast. Unfortunately, the lackluster time travel mechanic and plot structure weaken the experience. It's still a fun game but ends up feeling weaker than its predecessor.

Chip 'n Clawz vs. The Brainioids is a fine game overall. Despite some control issues with the strategy portions, the mixture of third-person action with RTS elements works thanks to the approach of simplicity over complexity. The campaign lasts for a decent amount of time, with collectibles and the quest for a five-star rating giving you a reason to replay the stages. Versus mode works fine, while the addition of split-screen play gives the game some legs if you're having a tough time finding anyone to play with online. Chip 'n Clawz has a few quirks, but it is a fun experience for those looking for a title that's a little more involved than running and bashing in small arenas.

Sluggish controls, sketchy A.I., watered-down stories, and a frustrating lack of checkpoints block this game from stepping into the FPS V.I.P. room. On the good side, it does have atmosphere, varied gameplay, and interesting, authentic weaponry.

Fans of the franchise and newcomers alike should find much to like here.

NBA 2K22 is generally a beautiful representation of next-generation console hoops, but it's a little disturbing that many of the newest things I noticed didn't have a whole lot to do with basketball. The on-court product is good, but it's not perfect. Basketball is still my favorite sport to watch, and I love the game, so I'll keep playing, but I can probably put the music and fashion career on hold — and I don't need to spend any more money.

Windjammers is a good example of how solid gameplay can remain enticing, even if only a few additions are made to the overall package. It lacks some meaningful modes for the solo player, but it makes up for it with a good enough multiplayer component for both online and offline play. The best part is that the core gameplay elements and the presentation are left virtually untouched, which is perfect since any changes would ruin the game's spirit. It remains a quirky game that local multiplayer fans need to have if they want a fighting game experience without necessarily having to learn a bunch of complicated maneuvers.

While there could have been more variety in the enemies, and the sound definitely should have been better, I was left thoroughly pleased with the game. It may seem a bit expensive at 1,600 Microsoft points ($20), but if you are looking for a few good laughs and an interesting story line packed into a five- to eight-hour package, you really won't find anything better than this.

Bottom line: If you are or have ever been a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog during the series' two-decade history, then this is your game.

Midway has actually succeeded in creating an acceptable sequel to The Suffering, one which fans of the original should definitely look into.

Overall, MLB 12: The Show on the PS Vita shows lots of promise as well as room for improvement

For many developers, a port is just a port, but instead of churning out a straight port, PopCap took Zuma's Revenge and redesigned it with the Xbox 360 in mind. The resulting product is both the best version of Zuma's Revenge as well as the cheapest at only 800 MSP ($10 USD). If you're looking for a Zuma fix, this is it.

Those who have never laced up and assisted on a one-timer in real life might be able to look past all the faults of NHL 07, but you'd have to be blind to ignore them all. With any luck, this franchise will move on to the PS3 and improve, and never look back.