Despite its predictable layout, Thor: God of Thunder is a pretty decent brawler. The combat is well done, and the boss fights, while predictable in terms of how they finish, feel epic in scale. When it doesn't suffer from frame rate issues, the game looks good, controls fine and sounds nice - once you tune out some of the repetitive pieces in the musical score. It may not be a long or deep game, but it is fun while it lasts. It's a good rental for action fans and a decent buy for die-hard fans of the Marvel character.

Out of nowhere, Trion has delivered a solid MMO with a balance of smart innovation and polished imitation, and it sets itself apart enough to be worth a look for those who are seeking something different than the same old grind.

The technical issues haunting Gem Quest: 4 Elements are the only things that keep it from being another diamond in the sea of DS games in the market. A sluggish frame rate, muddy graphics and tough controls might be frustrating enough to drive away people. Those who are willing to trudge through it and overlook some flaws, this familiar-yet-different puzzle game can provide a fun experience while it lasts.

There's very little to recommend Rayman 3D, even when keeping in mind the 3DS' rather limited launch lineup. There's the core of a good game here, but that's about all that this version of Rayman 2 has going for it.

Overall, The Sims Medieval does exactly what it was meant to do: Be a more casual, standalone Sims to pull more casual fans into the series. It's a fine first taste of Will Wright's highest-selling work, and the lack of expansion plans mean that it feels full and complete right out the gate. The hardcore, however, need not apply.

In a year that's already had a few really solid racers and is expecting a couple more, Apocalypse stands out as a game that should be played by racing fans.

Beyblade has never been a good subject for a video game, and Beyblade: Metal Fusion only strengthens that opinion. The long, tortuous single-player mode is only made more tiresome by the lack of story, and it neither looks nor sounds exciting. Controls are spotty, and the online lag only makes things more frustrating. The presence of multiplayer saves the game, but when the core mechanic can't be correctly interpreted into video game form, it feels rather pointless. Only die-hard fans may find some enjoyment out of this and even then, it might just be better to go for the real toys instead.

Overall, I felt that Monster Jam: Path of Destruction felt like a low-rent effort on the DS. I know Activision has published Monster Jam titles before, but this feels like a poor attempt at cashing in on a very niche sport. I can't suggest this to non-monster truck fans, as it does little to capture the excitement of an actual event. It's also not something that I'd suggest to hardcore fans because there's little about the sport that's done right here. It's a very simple racer with some lackluster design, awful visuals and an equally poor soundtrack. It'd be great to play an awesome monster truck game that could bring me back to my youth, but Monster Jam: Path of Destruction isn't it.

This game is mainly for Final Fantasy fans who don't mind something different from their titles or for fans who love the character roster and its crossover possibilities. However, people looking for a deep, rewarding fighting game should most definitely look elsewhere.

If you can get over the length of the game, Johnny Test isn't that bad of a platforming game. It looks decent despite Johnny's lack of detail, the music is fairly reminiscent of what you'd hear in the series, and the general platforming and difficulty level are fine for the intended audience.

If you have either a PS3 or Xbox 360, stick with those consoles for a more enjoyable Rango experience. If you only have a Wii, though, rent this game and put the rest of the money toward something more substantial.

In terms of gameplay, though, Shadow Wars is by far the best of the launch titles that I've tried, and it's an easy recommendation to 3DS owners with even the slightest interest in strategy-RPGs. If you own - or are planning to own - a 3DS, Shadow Wars is by far the best bang for your buck.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky is the first of a trilogy, and it makes a strong case to bring the rest of the story arc to North America. Though some of the core design feels left behind compared to modern standards, the story line is very impressive and the title manages to be quite fun even as it sticks closely to traditional JRPG mechanics. If you're looking for a lengthy, meaty RPG you can take with you wherever you go, this title will make a fine option.

Conduit 2 isn't a revolutionary shooter by any means. The plot is cookie-cutter, the graphics and sound design are good but not exactly eye- or ear-popping, and the campaign doesn't present a plethora of new features. The experience is still enjoyable, especially the multiplayer portion and its robust gameplay options. The game still shows a willingness to experiment with a few new guns and modes, and those who love finding bonus material will find a bevy of them here. It's a familiar but solid shooter that Wii owners will appreciate with open arms.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm brings the excitement of a new expansion to much of the game and provides some exciting and engaging high-level content. If your account has lapsed, Cataclysm makes it worth the renewal cost. The expansion content raises the bar and re-establishes Blizzard as the reigning king of traditional MMORPGs.

Rio is a solid minigame compilation for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The minigames prove to be fun for younger audiences, and the look and sound of the title reflect the movie quite nicely. The minigames aren't all that varied, though, so you'll get a sense of déjà vu after a while.

Rio is a solid minigame compilation for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The minigames prove to be fun for younger audiences, and the look and sound of the title reflect the movie quite nicely. The minigames aren't all that varied, though, so you'll get a sense of déjà vu after a while.

Shift 2: Unleashed is a very good racing game, but it's not quite refined enough to be a great racing game. Shift 2 is fun, but you need to know how to play it in order to appreciate it and get the most out of the experience. When played correctly, this is an intense, borderline terrifying behind-the-wheel experience, and it's worth checking out the game for that aspect alone. Shift 2 may not be ready to play with the top dogs in the genre, but it's still a wild ride from start to finish.

Shift 2: Unleashed is a very good racing game, but it's not quite refined enough to be a great racing game. Shift 2 is fun, but you need to know how to play it in order to appreciate it and get the most out of the experience. When played correctly, this is an intense, borderline terrifying behind-the-wheel experience, and it's worth checking out the game for that aspect alone. Shift 2 may not be ready to play with the top dogs in the genre, but it's still a wild ride from start to finish.

When you take it all into consideration, Mortal Kombat is a pretty good entry into the series, namely for the surprisingly high-quality story mode, but it falls short in other areas. You'll spew vulgarities almost every time you have to choke down a 1v2 fight and when the AI suddenly gains near-psychic prediction abilities, but when it's an even 1v1 fight, the game is a lot of fun. The choice to essentially reboot the series was a wise one, and now is probably your best chance to get caught up with the Mortal Kombat story, short of replaying the originals. However, some truly asinine fights will certainly dull the enjoyment from time to time.

When you take it all into consideration, Mortal Kombat is a pretty good entry into the series, namely for the surprisingly high-quality story mode, but it falls short in other areas. You'll spew vulgarities almost every time you have to choke down a 1v2 fight and when the AI suddenly gains near-psychic prediction abilities, but when it's an even 1v1 fight, the game is a lot of fun. The choice to essentially reboot the series was a wise one, and now is probably your best chance to get caught up with the Mortal Kombat story, short of replaying the originals. However, some truly asinine fights will certainly dull the enjoyment from time to time.

Portal 2 is more of the same, but only in the best of ways. Valve didn't mess with a winning formula, and the end result is that Portal 2 is a better game than its excellent predecessor.

Portal 2 is more of the same, but only in the best of ways. Valve didn't mess with a winning formula, and the end result is that Portal 2 is a better game than its excellent predecessor.

Portal 2 is more of the same, but only in the best of ways. Valve didn't mess with a winning formula, and the end result is that Portal 2 is a better game than its excellent predecessor.

It's really too bad that everything didn't come together for Honda ATV Fever. It was rather impressive for a budget title in that it looked fine and had a decent amount of tracks and events. It's too bad that the controls were insufferable and the difficulty level was high enough to cause people to quit. If you have an infinite amount of patience, give it a shot as a rental. Otherwise, hold off on playing it unless you really want a session in frustration.

In the end, Oops! Prank Party feels lackadaisical and uninspired.

Chevrolet Camaro: Wild Ride for the Nintendo DS offers less than its home console counterpart, and it also manages to be worse.

Unless your game library must be free of anything resembling a kids' title, you must have Monster Tale in your DS collection.