While the combat is simple, the presentation unpolished, and a clear lack of co-op hurts the replayability, the core game is still tons of fun to play and gamers looking for a mindless beat-em-up will find plenty to love in Activision’s latest iteration in the Shrek franchise.

Diabolical Pitch is a game that is best played over a few sessions. After playing for a while my arm started to get sore. The strategy of deciding what order to tackle enemies keeps things interesting, but not enough to completely overwhelm the "been there, done that" feeling I had at times.

While it’s not Left 4 Dead, it is still a decent co-op shooter that really tries its best to be one. While there are some issues with AI and glitches, I still had a decent time with Earthfall. Co-op really makes up for a lot of the issues, and for a relatively cheap price, you can more than likely get a few friends to pick it up and have some fun co-op action for a few hours.

Jump Force is not a bad fighting game. In fact, anime and manga fans will have a good time here even if they are a casual player of fighting games. The issue is that it is wrapped around a boring a tedious hub world for pretty much everything you do. The story is decent, but the actual cut scenes can be questionable and make the entire package look low budget, but in the end, it’s a fun flashy fighting game. You’re just going to have to wade through some mediocre stuff to get to it.

A solid, if slightly unneeded, follow-up.

Midway brought back Tim Kitzrow and Jimmy Shorts to do commentary this year, and they do an admirable job. Most of the jokes are pretty funny, although they can get old over time, and they definitely do a solid job in the booth.

Overall, NSSR is enjoyable enough for non-Naruto fans and those craving a fighting game on the DS, of which there are few. For Naruto fans, though, the value of this title increases significantly, weaving in and out of the cherished Naruto Shippuden story.

The lack of reason to return to the campaign will no doubt hurt the experience, but what is here is worth venturing through. If you are a fan of the stealth genre then I highly recommend checking out SouthPeak's latest title.

I’m not saying Surgeon Simulator is a bad game. I mean, it is, but it’s supposed to be. The game is interesting in multiple ways, but in the end, I found myself enjoying about three hours of it and then deciding I didn’t have the time or the patience to do some of the later surgeries.

TMNT Arcade Wrath of the Mutants wears its inspirations on its sleeve, and it is nice to get this once arcade-only port on home consoles. I just wish the replayability was there. Online co-op would have gone a long way, but I do appreciate the new content. It is fun and fits right into the mix. This is a solid game that just has too many shortcomings to make it an easy recommendation.

Overall Deadliest Warrior is a game that casual fighting game fans will enjoy simply because of the instant gratification.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is one of the few licensed games that I am not ashamed to recommend, especially to fans of the series.

But I just can't give this game a legitimate score because this program essentially already exists with more font and typing options, wider use and less annoying mechanics. FOR FREE!

Perception isn’t really doing a whole lot gameplay wise that the majority of these types of games haven’t done before. If players are a fan of narrative driven, creepy experiences, Perception offers that, and even if the game can be completed in a few hours, it’s entertaining. Where I really appreciated Perception is in the ability to make me consider how much my life would be different if I myself was blind, and that thought alone is scary. Perception gave me an even greater appreciation and understanding of potentially how a blind person goes through daily life, and while I may never know how that truly feels, even a glimpse of that life, experienced through a videogame, has touched my heart in a way I never expected.

ADR1FT is a beautiful take on the space disaster genre, but ultimately one that not everyone will get pulled into. It’s subtle, slow, and crawling at times, instead of intense, bold, or peppered with action moments.

Toren is a game that has its heart in the right place, but doesn’t execute it very well at all.

Active Life: Extreme Challenge is a nice addition to the series, albeit a predictable one. The control problems accentuate the biggest qualms I had with the game, and some of the mini-games just lack that certain appeal.

While the PSP is certainly not short on RPGs Dragoneer’s Aria does offer a nice diversion from others in the genre.

As I was playing through Mega Coin Squad, I felt as though I was playing a free game I downloaded off the App store on my phone while I was bored on the toilet. Why I felt that way isn’t entirely clear but in that scenario, I would’ve most likely deleted the game from my phone as I was flushing the toilet.

Nothing has been added, no care given, and sadly these games deserve better than that.

Cold Darkness is another fun DLC release, but again it’s one that won’t last players long. If you prefer to play these extra modes over and over again, it’s considerably worth checking out. Yet that’s the problem; these feel as if they should have been in the core game or in an extra menu or bonus mode at launch.

I wish them well, and truly hope that the fans of this long running franchise get the game they ultimately deserve because as it stands this just feels like it could have been so much better with a bit more time in the oven. MX vs ATV Legends is by no means a horrible game, as I said the thrills of the motocross racing and stunts is a high point, as is the racing of the dune buggy but the graphics and all of the issues with multiplayer really sully the experience, especially for someone who has been away from the series since the beginning.

Tokyo Beat Down is the definition of quirky. The narrow appeal of both the outlandish storyline and repetitive gameplay will appeal to such a limited audience it is no wonder that Atlus is the one publishing it.

Gungrave G.O.R.E. is a game that feels stuck in the past. The design is excellent, the characters are fun, but the game just gets so repetitive and boring far too quickly. It isn’t a long game either and it feels like it is. That is not a good sign. I wanted to love it more than I did as I love the universe and have fond memories of those older PS2 games. This just feels like a continuation of those without the modern design and control scheme, and that drags down the fun factor over time.

Simply put Dragon Ball Raging Blast is a game for fans of the long running anime series. Its does its job not perfectly, but well. The game does make you feel like super saiyan at times, and then turns around and makes you feel like a green blooded Namek instead.

Funko Fusion is a fun and nostalgic game that will appeal to fans of Funko Pop figurines and the franchises it represents. While it has its share of technical issues and repetitive gameplay, the colorful worlds, charming character designs, and humor make it an enjoyable experience. With the upcoming online play feature and regular updates, Funko Fusion has the potential to become even more engaging and entertaining in the future. The game’s ability to bring together different franchises into a single, cohesive universe is a testament to its creativity and charm. Whether you’re a fan of Scott Pilgram, Masters of the Universe, or any of the other franchises featured in the game, Funko Fusion offers a delightful and nostalgic journey that is sure to entertain and captivate players.

Kung Fu High Impact is a great Kinect title, provided you aren't expecting a deep brawler experience. It's accessible, since you don't have to mimic specific gestures to succeed, and the tracking implementation is in the top tier of Kinect games. Kids can play it easily by flailing around and mine loved being able to beat up the bad guys with minimal frustration. I had a lot of fun with the game's cheeseball story, and kept finding myself drawn back to it to progress in the story and challenge myself with more difficult custom fights. If you have a Kinect, this is worth checking out.

Sonic Riders is simply a weak attempt to cash in on the popular Sonic brand with a bare bones racer that simply does everything to the "average" degree.

What started as really intriguing for me ended up growing dull in the long run. As far as a game goes for the genre, it’s not horrible or broken, and I’m sure some folks will really enjoy the story being told here, but for me it’s too little all around.

Transformers Prime is not a bad game. It just lacks any sort of pazazz. The levels are straight-forward, the gameplay non-offensive and the multiplayer is just throw-away. Fans of the show might find enough to warrant their purchase, but if you own a 3DS, you can get the same experience for a lot less money. This is definitely one of those instances where the game was a quick port to fill a slot in the launch roster, nothing more, nothing less.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is one of the few licensed games that I am not ashamed to recommend, especially to fans of the series.

Amazingly I still had a fantastic time with the game thanks to the idea that I am a huge movie buff.

Operation Blackout nails the nostalgia. Everything about this package is incredible for fans of G.I. Joe. The problem is the game play itself. The shooting is not fun and for a game that revolves around that, it is hard to ignore. I kept playing wanting to love this game and simply could not. I hope the developers tweak and fix these issues as this game is begging me to love it. As it stands though it is a disappointing trip down memory lane. Now if you will excuse me I am going to go back to playing it in hopes that I can find enjoyment in nostalgia.

Lasting only around two and a half hours, Short Peace is not really much of a game. The game itself being maybe an hour and a half and the collection of movies lasting an hour, this entire thing can be seen in an evening’s time.

Stealth kills never get old, and the variety of mission types help to break the same old same old.

It just makes no sense that Microsoft promotes this game as this grand co-op experience but then puts in place every system known to man to hinder that process or make it harder than necessary; no quick match in a multiplayer game in 2023 is ridiculous. Sadly, Redfall is a prime example of what current day Xbox has become, the potential for greatness is there but they can’t get out of their own way to reach it.

Leisure Suit Larry is a franchise that most have forgotten, and others never really cared about. I loved the idea of his return, and after playing it was certainly a nice trip down memory lane. That is about all it is though. Those that have never played the series will find little here, and people like me who have fond memories of the franchise will chuckle at the return, but likely run out of steam before it concludes. Still, the ride is certainly worth checking out if you recall the name Larry Laffer.

There is a lot of content in Dynasty Warriors 9 and the ideas are sound, but the execution is just atrocious. I hope they continue to iterate and spruce up the genre. I love seeing new takes on familiar formulas. Sadly though this outing feels like a half-baked idea that no one on the team was really behind.

Contra: Rogue Corps is a game a lot of people would consider Konami to make. After seemingly wanting to exit the business even with a string of classic IP, this game feels like it was made for the sake of releasing a new Contra in 2019. It has good ideas hampered with poor implementation. It is not fun to play and that is its biggest crime. I wanted to love Rogue Corps. I tried to love Rogue Corps. I simply cannot find any fun to be had with the latest in this beloved franchise.

The game feels unique, looks good, and adds a new twist not seen in a lot of multiplayer games.

The combat gets repetitive too fast and there just isn’t enough here to really immerse the player into the game. The biggest problem with this game is that you have seen it before a million times and on most occasions it was done bigger and better.

Full of charm while lacking in spirit.

The iffy controls and problematic camera system do hinder the gameplay and the truly unforgiving checkpoint system could easily ruin it for most players, but those willing to look past these will find an enjoyable romp with some old-school flavor that most of today’s games lack ten fold.

Making a game based on Watchmen was once thought of as an undoable task but the guys over at Deadline Games A/S did a pretty good job.

The Amazing Spider-Man is a solid 3DS game that will provide fun so long as you don't also have the console versions. The scaled-down structure helps keep it bite-sized, but the awkward controls and camera system can cause headaches at times. If this is your only avenue, there is plenty of fun to be had, but if you have the means I highly recommend picking up one of its bigger brothers, perhaps outside of the Wii version. There is just no excuse for that.

It's not that Crazy Machines Elements is a bad game. There is absolutely enjoyment to be had, especially for fans of physics-based puzzlers. Unfortunately, this iteration of the series doesn't make a great showing, largely due to its control problems and finicky nature.

If you enjoyed the original game but found it frustrating, than Grave Danger will be a welcome addition. However, if you loved the challenge of the original this one will likely be a cakewalk by comparison.

Sonic Riders is simply a weak attempt to cash in on the popular Sonic brand with a bare bones racer that simply does everything to the “average” degree.

Being a fan of puzzles games I can handle all the issues at play here, and it makes for an interesting adventure at the least. If the genre never did anything for you personally or you have a passing mild interest, this won’t be the game to convert folks or even give players their money’s worth.

This style of game is too dated to survive this generation in its current form. The game might be worth a shot to others at a heavily discounted price, but everyone else will quickly tire of the repetitive action and clunky gameplay.

This is a fun addition to a young gamers DS library, and the Wi-Fi multiplayer should keep the older gamer content.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory is in the middle as far as how well it stacks up to the previous titles. I still prefer Mk2’s battle system over Victory’s simplistic nature. The story and character interactions are well improved in Victory, and these aspects kept me playing. Victory is not a bad game by any means, but it is a clear example of changes made in all the wrong places.

The storyline is excellent and the adventure portions recall memories of the classic (and now all but dormant) point-and-click genre. The problem lies in the fact that the game focuses most of its energy on trying to be an action platformer and at that it is simply average at best.

What happened here? Well the original game wasn’t great, so Aspyr definitely had their work cut out for them. You can only polish a turd so much. The new visuals are nice, the content is cool, but playing the game is just a painful exercise in frustration. It is never fun. I was constantly thinking about turning it off. I had to force myself to finish the first level when I started playing. This game is just not fun, and it should be. How they managed to take the easiest layup in gaming, making Jedi fun to play, and completely airballed it. I would skip this one entirely.

Fast and Furious: Arcade Edition is fun for a little while but wears out its welcome far too soon. You can unlock everything there is to see in an hour, and the unfair AI makes replaying it not all that much fun. I loved the romp, but at $30 this is a hard one to recommend. It just lacks content, and the brutal AI kills any replayability. Combine that with no online mode and this title falls short of a must-have.

The Ecto-1 segments are painful and the camera doesn't always behave the way you want, but blasting ghosts on the DS has never been this fun. I recommend checking it out if you are a die-hard fan of the series, but everyone else would be wise to rent first before taking the plunge.

If Tecmo KOEI had poured as much new content into the game as they removed, it would have been a worthy, albeit campy, sequel. Dumb fun is fine, but Ken’s Rage 2 is a ripoff.

If you love generic Japanese action games with half-naked emo chicks, then this will satisfy your hunger for the mediocre-ness they provide. However, if you are hardcore shooter fan looking for the next “great thing”, then steer clear of this one. Bullet Witch is a niche title that will find it’s audience but never extend any further than that.

Metal Wolf Chaos XD is a ridiculous game and I love that we live in a time where something like this can come back. Players need to know what they are getting into before jumping in though. This is an awkward game from a different time and this remaster adds little outside of some sharper visual flare. It is still a truly interesting piece of gaming history and I am thrilled it can exist for players today to experience.

While I can most definitively say that Akiba’s Beat is a marked improvement over its predecessor, I can’t help but feel that in its aspiration to become like the much beloved Persona and Tales series, it has lost an identity of its own. Despite its improvements, with the stellar lineup of games all bidding for your time this year, it’s hard to recommend Akiba’s Beat over its superior alternatives.

Zack Zero is a decent game with some technical and design issues. I love what the team is attempting to do here, and perhaps with time they will perfect it. If anyone enjoys the style of game, there is a solid experience beneath the rough exterior, albeit a little short. For $10 it is hard not to recommend, as long as you know what you are getting into.

Overall I had a lot of fun with LLWS 2010. The game has its share of problems, but if you can get past those the challenge and ease of play really create an enjoyable experience.

Touhou Genso Rondo: Bullet Ballet has something going for it and it is honestly something I had never seen before, but the way it plays mixed with a confusing tutorial that doesn’t explain things in the best way it could really make this game feel like I’m slogging through an interesting game while in the dark.

Totally Reliable Delivery Service is a game that might provide passing entertainment to a group of friends for an hour or two; and the more challenging deliveries do generate some hilarious moments whilst making one ever more determined to try and complete them. But the novelty soon wears off, and there’s not really anything here that is likely to convince many to stay. Still, that’s a little more than what’s on offer for the single player – which, disappointingly, is really nothing at all.

A game with great local and online multiplayer, two versions of the main game and a fun and unique upgrade system, Fable Heroes does a great job of keeping you entertained, whether you are young or old. Just a word to the wise, make sure you play the end credits, the boss battle is awesome.

There are so many cool ideas scattered around the game that the sore aspects really stand out even more. Growing up such a huge fan of the Mega Man series has certainly left me starved in recent years, and Mighty No. 9 fills that void well. There is a great game buried in here, one that kept me coming back like the Mega Man titles I grew up with, but the rough edges really shine bright just when I start looking past them.

Criminal Girls: Invite Only is most likely a title that will be condemned for its slightly misogynistic undertones, but in truth it should be denounced for its shoddy game play, bland characters and unambitious level designs.

If it wasn’t so difficult to get high scores in levels, Alien Spidy would be a fun and challenging game, but the combination of a difficult point system, inaccurate controls and constant loading screens between restarts bring this game down to a frustrating chore.

The multi-player is still addictive and beefing up your baller is simple enough for anyone to enjoy, but the problems float a bit too close to the surface for fans of the genre to ignore.

There’s no nice way to say this- the combat in Woolfe is awful.

With the amazing dark look, the awesome soundtrack and the superb narration by Patrick Stewart, War of the Worlds is one of the best XBLA games I have played in a while. And, for only 800 MS points, you would be silly to pass up this gem.

The Japanese RPG enthusiasts and the American otakus will get some enjoyment out of the humor, but casual RPG players and Western RPG players should be warned. This game is VERY Japanese. Mugen Souls had a lot going for it, but in the end, turned out to be too convoluted for its own good.

The game holds up decently in that regard, but falls short in a lot of others. If you're only going to play alone and can live with some design issues it's a fun game, but if you want something to play with other people then look somewhere else.

With a substantial campaign mode, excellent online and a great customization aspect Namco Bandai's latest is one of the better attempts at the genre on a console.

Clunky controls and redundant gameplay all point to the guilty party: mediocre game design.

The real draw to Via Domus is the sheer amount of fan service poured into this disc. From the subtle nuances to the show to the proverbial flashback in each episode the game does a lot to appease its fanbase. Unfortunately that won't be enough to warrant a sixty dollar price tag for a game that can be completed in roughly 5-6 hours.

Way of the Samurai 3 is a great idea that is just lost in the past. The developers really had an opportunity to fully realize the potential of the game with the new hardware and failed.

All in all, it’s not a bad TMNT game. Sure, the bosses may take too many hits to take down, and the combat will become a mash-fest after a while, but with a few buddies online, I had a pretty fun time seeing the lean green fighting machines back in action.

Saint Seiya: Brave Soldiers is game made for the fans. With around fifty characters to play as, three full story modes to experience and a netcode worthy of the modern age, it’s a title I feel hardcore fans of the series can enjoy.

The game is muddy, even when the camera is pulled back. You'll also want to turn the audio down, as the music is repetitive. The sound effects are useless in terms of player feedback as you'll never know if you crush an enemy below you unless you actually see it. It would be nice if the game rewarded defeating an enemy with some kind of flourish.

MUD: FIM Motocross World Championship is an unfortunately titled mess that really serves no audience.

Knack is a charming romp, but not one I could recommend shelling out full price for. The old-school difficulty combined with tedious combat make for an experience that simply isn’t enjoyable.

Soul Axiom has some really interesting parts, but its whole is still something left to be desired.

With no end game and very slow mechanics due to the game’s reliance on microtransactions it feels like nothing more than a cash grab.

The multi-player is still addictive and beefing up your baller is simple enough for anyone to enjoy, but the problems float a bit too close to the surface for fans of the genre to ignore.

Sudoku Ball Detective is an interesting concept that will satisfy players in need of a spin on the genre. If you are not a fan of the quirky number puzzles then the additives are not going to sway your opinion.

While I suggest picking it up for the comedy factor and some of the stylish game play, I would still recommend you wait for a slight price drop for now, but when it does happen, pick this one up.

The only thing I really loved about Saga of Sins was the graphics and art style. The combat was passable but overall just felt very simple for my taste and maybe it was the fact the game focused on the seven deadly sins but I kept getting a Dante’s Inferno vibe. Delving into a world presented in stained glass only to save the town that is stained in sin is some clever wordplay but even with the great graphics and art style, Saga of Sins just didn’t do it for me. I did enjoy the innocent levels more than the action-oriented ones but even that isn’t enough to save this one’s soul in my opinion.

Unless you have a desire to inflict pain upon yourself, steer clear of Forced. If you fancy some fun multiplayer action, there is a much better 4 player co-op shooter out there (once again, check out my Crimsonland review!).

Ultimately this “remaster” feels pointless, but due to the glaring issues this release has I’m not interested in playing further. I was going to hook up my 360 to compare to the original console release as well but I’m not very much interested in making my short time spent with this remaster feel worse. If this is the only way one can play Sacred 2 it may be worth it, but for people like myself who have any other option this is still a pass nearly 4 months later. Oof.

Even with the seemingly high price of $20 for a downloadable game any Watchmen fan or fan of old arcade beat-em ups should consider this well worth their money.

The combat is competent if not a bit repetitive and the story is entertaining from start to finish.

I just found the experience couldn’t really ever pull me in or hold my attention. In a lot of ways it feels like it’s taking from the genres that it obviously grew inspiration from. There is a unique vision here for the world at play, but the design decisions, along with frustration, just didn’t leave me with a great experience. It won’t last players more than a few hours, but maybe that’s for the best.

Sonic and the Black Knight has so much unused potential. Fun for a short period of time, but the lag and shoddy gameplay would make even Robotnik turn in his grave. Although not completely terrible, most of the points come from the incredible production value and the sheer fact that it’s clear the Sonic Team are trying, they’re just not listening.

Valkyria Revolution is a title that undoubtedly suffers due to the comparisons to its superior predecessor. However, when viewed as a standalone title, it features an interesting story with a cast of characters well worth exploring. Even though the combat engine is dull and flawed in many ways, it’s serviceable for the scenarios that the game presents and at a bargain price, you could do worse than pick up Valkyria Revolution.

Amazingly I still had a fantastic time with the game thanks to the idea that I am a huge movie buff.

Jurassic Park just doesn't live up to Telltale's legacy.

While there are a lot of issues with Dream Pinball 3D it is hard not to recommend it to fans of the classic arcade game.