Aside from these issues, I really enjoyed NBA Jam: On Fire Edition. It is certainly reminiscent of old-school NBA Jam, which is what I'm looking for.

Hole in the Wall is both fun and short. It's initially amusing to see players try to go through ridiculous shapes, but it is a novelty that wears off quickly if you plan to play it for long periods of time (instead of in the advised short bursts).

If Kirby Mass Attack is really going to be the last Kirby title on the Nintendo DS, then it's ended its run on a very high note. The mechanic of controlling 10 Kirbys at once works like a charm thanks to great level design and good controls.

It can be argued that Tropico 4 is more of a mission pack than a full game. Priced at $40 while the DLC-loaded edition of Tropico 3 goes for $15, the expense may be hard to rationalize for largely similar gameplay. The new options are quite nice, but may not be enough to justify the game for casual fans of the series. Genre aficionados will lap up the new missions and new tweaks, and casual fans who are looking for a fun twist on the SimCity tradition will find Tropico 4 to be a solid, worthy experience that will last a while.

Resident Evil Code: Veronica X is a must-have game, but only if you fall under certain requirements. You have to be fine with more puzzles and obscure item hunts than combat. There must be a comfort level with the various odd camera angles that the game seems to love. The fact that some of the dialogue is off and that some of the voices are laughable shouldn't pose much of a problem to you. You also have to be fine with the graphical improvements being good but not mind-blowing. If you can live with all of this, then you'll certainly enjoy this classic entry in the series because of the story and action. If any of the aforementioned aspects bother you, then stick with the franchise games from Resident Evil 4 onward.

Burnout Crash! is an odd entry in the Burnout franchise. On the one hand, it makes for an enjoyable casual title and is sure to be appeal to the non-core gamer crowd because of its pick-up-and-play nature. On the other hand, core fans of the franchise are likely to be disappointed because it's not the Burnout game they were expecting. With that said, if you can leave your preconceptions at the door, Burnout Crash! just might end up as your go-to title for quick gaming sessions.

X-Men: Destiny feels like a demo for a bigger game that never was. Little of the excitement that could have followed in the booted footsteps of X-Men Legends or Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is buried within its too-short campaign and thin smattering of gameplay. It's Dynasty Warriors for mutants; it can be fun at the outset, even with all the button-mashing, but the boxed-in world is not enough to distract from the hollow feeling of this particular destiny.

X-Men: Destiny feels like a demo for a bigger game that never was. Little of the excitement that could have followed in the booted footsteps of X-Men Legends or Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is buried within its too-short campaign and thin smattering of gameplay. It's Dynasty Warriors for mutants; it can be fun at the outset, even with all the button-mashing, but the boxed-in world is not enough to distract from the hollow feeling of this particular destiny.

In the end, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 feels very similar to the original game, mostly setting itself apart with new monsters and a small handful of new mechanics.

Rock of Ages is the rare game that manages to stand completely on its own and also deliver a memorable experience.

Unless you absolutely despise the genre, Radiant Silvergun is a game that needs to be in your collection. It's just as much a landmark in game design as it is a joy to play.

If you own a PS3, you must purchase The Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection.

An extremely polished twin-stick shooter, Renegade Ops offers up expansive levels, lush visuals and just the right amount of challenge.

Persona fans should certainly check it out, and anyone with the patience for a slow and somewhat grindy JRPG will find a gem in the rough.

TwistedPixel's impassioned effort succeeds because they overlooked few details in production, properly balanced gameplay even though it means you won't see much of The Gunstringer at Major League Gaming events, and, most importantly, kept their ambitions for the game within the scope of Kinect's limitations.

With freeform gameplay and an enchanting visual style, From Dust is well worth the asking price of $15.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine's story line is repetitive and unappealing - to the point that the game somehow manages to be both extremely short and entirely too long at the same time.

BloodRayne: Betrayal is one of the most enjoyable platformers I've played in a long time. Even if you didn't enjoy the previous BloodRayne titles, there is a lot to like here, $15 price tag and all.

BloodRayne: Betrayal is one of the most enjoyable platformers I've played in a long time. Even if you didn't enjoy the previous BloodRayne titles, there is a lot to like here, $15 price tag and all.

Rise of Nightmares is flawed fun.

Jerry Rice and Nitus' Dog Football is a great choice for kids who love both sports and animals.

Overall, Medal of Honor is visually and aurally outstanding, but it needs much more polish on gameplay, scripted events, character/scene transitions and narrative construction before it's ready to really run with the big dogs.

With Gears of War 3, Epic has delivered a worthy send-off for Marcus Fenix and the rest of Delta Squad. Player complaints from previous titles have been addressed, there is more multiplayer content than ever before and the story delivers a satisfying conclusion. In many respects, Gears of War 3 is everything you could want a Gears game to be. Don't hesitate on pulling the trigger.

All games have bugs and issues, as none are truly technical paragons of perfection. Yet the same excuse ignores the truly worst of the worst, issues that are severe enough to impact a player's enjoyment of the game to the extent that Dead Island does

The studio has done something in this title a lot more difficult than it may seem: They've formed a very good game of genre staples and straightforward shooter mechanics, dabbling in enhancements that succeed.

As stated before, Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition is the definitive version of the classic arcade game.

If you've never played this title before, then the 3DS offers the best version of the game, but anyone who's already saved Slippy (or let him die) more times than you can count and explored every nook and cranny of the Lylat system may as well stay retired.

Even as an open-world RPG, Dead Island had a great deal more to offer on the drawing board than it delivered in the final game. The game masquerades as a unique marriage of several genres and gameplay types. Rather, it's a box of dusty old spare parts tacked together into an experience unsatisfying on every level.