Despite its flaws, Saints Row: The Third succeeds because of its mandate to focus on fun. The story may not be epic and the graphics may not be mind blowing, but when all is said and done, Saints Row: The Third probably has more "holy sh*t!" moments than any other game currently on the market. Combine this with a twisted sense of humor, and you have a recipe for success.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has never been a bad game, and neither is Ultimate. It's important that you know exactly what you're getting into, though. It's been built to appeal to a fan community of die-hard experts, who spent 10 years playing Marvel vs. Capcom 2 at increasingly high levels of performance, who own their own customized fighting joysticks and who've been researching their team for the new game for the last six months.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has never been a bad game, and neither is Ultimate. It's important that you know exactly what you're getting into, though. It's been built to appeal to a fan community of die-hard experts, who spent 10 years playing Marvel vs. Capcom 2 at increasingly high levels of performance, who own their own customized fighting joysticks and who've been researching their team for the new game for the last six months.

Super Mario 3D Land is easy to recommend as a must-have game for any 3DS owner's library.

It's not likely to set any records, but at the budget price of 800 MSP ($10 USD), anyone picking up this game is going to get their money's worth.

While the short missions benefit the title, the lack of multiplayer also limits its longevity unless you plan to make this part of your next LAN party. This is exactly the best choice for fans of arcade style flight combat games, but if you've played them all, it wouldn't hurt to give this one a shot.

For those who haven't played a match-three puzzle game before, there are plenty of other games that do this formula better, some of which are cheaper and downloadable. Seek out those first and then come back to this if you still crave a match-three puzzle fix.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is full of deep, engaging multiplayer and campaign military shooter gaming, so it's easy to recommend.

In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the snow-capped peaks of the Nords relentlessly beckon me back to pry loose one more artifact, dungeon or secret. Skyrim's lavish world is tailor-made for adventurers who are eager to satisfy their curiosity of what is beyond the next bend in the road, not those who want to know which attribute scores play into which skill. There's little question that this is a gorgeous epic, but it's also a stark reminder of what it leaves behind.

When all is said and done, Batman: Arkham City is an enjoyable game with plenty of content to explore. Just know that despite a fresh coat of paint, there's nothing really new here. If you enjoyed Arkham Asylum and simply want more of the same, you're going to love Arkham City. Those who were hoping for an evolution in play, however, are going to be left wanting.

Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure is so specifically targeted to children and the unique way they approach games, often vacillating back and forth between tightly focused and wildly erratic in under half an hour, it's difficult for an adult to fully and fairly evaluate this game's entertainment potential.

Pokémon Rumble Blast is a simple but fun game. The story may be forgettable, but the combat is easy to get into and despite the repetitive nature, it only feels like a chore if you play it for long stretches of time.

The House of the Dead: Overkill - Extended Cut mocks women, the disabled and racial minorities. It's astoundingly gory, gruesome and profane.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a fun but flawed experience.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is a fun but flawed experience.

Every once in a while, a glimpse of the intended gameplay shines through in Stronghold 3, and you can see the strategic elements for what they should be. However, there are so many bugs and flaws with the game that it can be really tough to get a true look at its potential.

I can't help but feel slightly disappointed in Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One. Everything sounds like a great experience on paper, but the execution of the online side seems poor.

Battlefield 3 is a fine objective-based multiplayer shooter, but that's it. In all other respects, it comes up short.

Battlefield 3 is a fine objective-based multiplayer shooter, but that's it. In all other respects, it comes up short.

I could ask for better in the manner in which Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception gets rolling, but once the ride hits full speed, it never disappointments.

Without question, Tetris: Axis is a lot of fun.

Spider-Man: Edge of Time is hardly flawless and really could have used more development time to turn a decent game (with an excellent design base) into a great one. It goes back to what 3-D Spider-Man games were like before Spider-Man 2 mandated atmosphere over interactivity, and it comes out a better game than it has any right to be given its abysmal production values. Instead of once again showing you what it feels like to have Spider-Man's responsibilities, Edge of Time goes back to inviting you to feel what it's like to be as powerful as him.

Spider-Man: Edge of Time is hardly flawless and really could have used more development time to turn a decent game (with an excellent design base) into a great one. It goes back to what 3-D Spider-Man games were like before Spider-Man 2 mandated atmosphere over interactivity, and it comes out a better game than it has any right to be given its abysmal production values. Instead of once again showing you what it feels like to have Spider-Man's responsibilities, Edge of Time goes back to inviting you to feel what it's like to be as powerful as him.

In the end, Kinect Sports: Season Two doesn't feel as exciting as the original game.

If you like high-fantasy realms, but are willing to overlook alterations to what are ultimately some pretty arbitrary conventions concerning weapon types, and you have like-minded friends who'll play with you offline, Dungeon Siege III is definitely worth your time. If you're going to go it alone strictly for story and gameplay, then know that you've already played this game before in similar form, probably a dozen times.

Ultimately, City of Heroes: Freedom is an old MMO trying to modernize itself through a format switch and a series of upgrades. It isn't all the way there yet, but it still does a lot of things right. MMO fans looking for an alternative to swords, sorcery and spaceships could do a lot worse than trying City of Heroes: Freedom.

While the Professor Layton series comes highly recommended if you're in the market for a puzzle adventure game, don't pass up this one.

Looking sharp and controlling well, the XBLA version of Bejeweled 3 is easily on par with its PC brethren.