Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles - The Crystal Bearer is basically the opposite of traditional Final Fantasy games. Combat is relegated to a puzzle-like minigame, the plot is lighthearted and silly, RPG elements are minimal, and you're never really placed in a challenging situation.

The unfortunate thing about Guitar Hero: Van Halen is that it really had the potential to shine, but there just seemed to be too much working against it. The ongoing band feuds have eliminated not only a large section of the group's catalog, but a founding member as well, and laziness on the part of all parties involved means that there's nearly nothing added to the game to give it the extra content we saw in the Aerosmith and Metallica editions

The unfortunate thing about Guitar Hero: Van Halen is that it really had the potential to shine, but there just seemed to be too much working against it. The ongoing band feuds have eliminated not only a large section of the group's catalog, but a founding member as well, and laziness on the part of all parties involved means that there's nearly nothing added to the game to give it the extra content we saw in the Aerosmith and Metallica editions

It may be a very straightforward journey and it may feel like a knock-off of Sega's Alien Syndrome, but Alien Breed Evolution: Episode 1 is still a darn fun and tense game with redone graphics and well-used sound.

Ultimately, The Saboteur is a refreshing change from the usual WWII hodgepodge because it finally brings open-ended sandbox gameplay to such a historic era.

Rise of the Pirate God does a nice job of closing out this adventure while also setting the stage for the next, but it still manages to fall short of perfection in several key areas.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is a solid, if uninspired, addition to the franchise. Everything's been tightened up a bit from Phantom Hourglass, but not a lot has been done to make the game really stand out.

Zombie Driver isn't a bad game, but given the number of similar games on the market, there isn't really much to recommend it.

Pinball Hall of Fame: The Gottlieb Collection is not a bad game. The pinball tables are varied and fun, and there's plenty of historical content for pinball aficionados to pore over. However, this is a port of a GameCube game, and no real changes have been made to the formula. Players will be disappointed that the improvements seen in The Williams Collection aren't here, and only hardcore pinball fanatics who are more forgiving about the title's flaws and shortcomings will find this to be a suitable addition to their pinball video game library.

James Cameron may be a cinematic mastermind, but it's clear that the team who created Avatar: The Game doesn't share his creative genius.

As it stands, James Cameron's Avatar: The Game is a serviceable experience in the world that James Cameron created for the movie, but at the same time, there are enough issues with the controls, camera and combat system to keep it from being great.

MX vs. ATV Reflex shows that Rainbow Studios and THQ still have it when it comes to crafting a good off-road racer.

The fighting engine remains solid, the graphics look awesome for the system, and the sound and controls are excellent.

Konami could easily have saved its reboot of Karaoke Revolution. Redo the graphics to a less creepy style that brings back the energy, keeps the mechanics, and chooses a much stronger song list, and the sequel to this game could be immensely satisfying and bring this series back from the brink. For now, when I want to sing, I'm sticking with EA's Rock Band 2.

If you love the photo puzzle subgenre, this will be a very enjoyable experience for you.

The port's biggest hurdle of overcoming the lack of mouse support seems to be handled pretty well. It doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to Diner Dash, but the gameplay is so addictive and fun that it doesn't really need to.

As is the case for most games like this, only fans should bother giving this one a spin.

Gyromancer manages to present itself as a worthy rival to Puzzle Quest but doesn't quite pack in enough to make it the new favored franchise in the genre

Fans of the original Assassin's Creed will find a lot to love here, but anyone who left the first game feeling unsatisfied will want to rent before they buy.

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is a solid sequel to The Umbrella Chronicles, but it's not really much of an improvement

If you're interesting in skating, you have at least a moderate athletic streak, you're willing to put in the training time, and you're looking for a game different than the Wii Sports variety to get you up off the sofa, you'll likely find Tony Hawk: Ride a treat.

In spite of its few faults, Left 4 Dead 2 is a very worthwhile sequel, and any fears you may have about this game merely being an overpriced expansion will melt away as soon as you start playing.

LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues falls short because not only is it a game that no one asked for, but it's also a game that's mostly already been done.

Overall, LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues is a great addition to Traveler's Tales LEGO games and a fun follow-up to first LEGO Indy title.

There's no way around it. If you have a child who's already in love with the movie, that child will want to have The Princess and the Frog on her Nintendo Wii.

As it stands, Disney's The Princess and The Frog is an adventure that's better left on the big screen.

As a whole, Just Dance doesn't work out too well. The graphics may be very spartan and the sound may be fine, but the controls and the gameplay just don't cut it.

It may not break all the rules the way the original did, but this is still a game poised to shake up the handheld market a bit.