The game definitely captures the frantic vibe of the later Potter stories, but there are still enough miscues to hold it back from doing the source material justice.

Apart from a few brief glimpses of hope, Sonic Colors is a bit of a disappointment. Haphazard levels and unresponsive controls have been the bane of 3D Sonic games, and Colors does little to address these issues. It attempts to mask its shortcomings with shiny new trinkets that only briefly distract you from the glaring flaws.

Splatterhouse successfully exploits its grisly horror aesthetic by linking it to aggressive and cathartic gameplay, but fails to build a genuinely good game around this central idea.

Test Drive Unlimited 2's flaws aren't bad enough to keep you from being sucked into the vast amount of single-player content. The problem is that it isn't designed to be a single player game, and the online features meant to be its biggest draw have been broken for far too long.

Provides a unique and satisfying experience despite its flaws.

There's not quite enough meat on this bone to satisfy the appetites of starved 3DS owners, so resist the temptation to bite. Capcom's certainly capable of delivering a better game than this quick and dirty rush job.

A gorgeous game with clever levels, but the abysmal controls make it all for naught. For all it does right, playing it feels like a frustrating chore, and no amount of affection for the Fable series will make its failings easy to overlook.

As a cartoon tie-in aimed at a very specific demographic, Transformers Prime does a pretty good job defining its setting an action. It just doesn't go far enough. A decent kids game that gets old a little bit too fast, Prime just won't quite measure up for Transformers fans that frankly have shinier, better toys to play with.

The odd thing is that while Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel is clearly not a well-executed game, it still manages to be fun with a friend. It's quick, stop-and-pop gameplay with carnage and explosions aplenty. Every awkward moment and terrible line of dialogue is a potential laugh -- or two -- so it's not the worst choice for a weekend rental.

For a game that is rated TEEN, the latest One Piece doesn’t provide the flare that a teen’s attention requires, unless you’re a rabid fan of the television series.

The franchise mode is one of the deepest you’ll find and it has extensive online play options. Unfortunately, the on-ice action and sub-par presentation serve to overshadow the good.

There’s no denying the strong Pokemon influence, but it fails to be as engaging, intuitive, or fun as Nintendo’s blockbuster series. With an awkward battle system, and tedious spectrobe collection this is one fossil that’s best left buried unless you’re a Poke-maniac looking for the next fix.

Despite a few different fighting styles, matches tend to play exactly the same way no matter what environment you’re in or who’s doing the fighting. It’s like an album where every song sounds the same.

Despite a few different fighting styles, matches tend to play exactly the same way no matter what environment you’re in or who’s doing the fighting. It’s like an album where every song sounds the same.

Easily the best NCAA basketball option out there. It does so much right that even the frustrating scoring issues can’t really kill the experience.

Soul Calibur Legends isn’t a particularly bad game, but it does absolutely nothing to separate itself from the piles of generic action games on the market.

Wet has some good ideas, but it falls just short of being a good game. Like its aesthetic, the game feels slightly dated and rough around the edges.

The game isn’t terrible, but it isn’t any more engaging or less repetitive than it’s been for the past five versions.

The game isn’t terrible, but it isn’t any more engaging or less repetitive than it’s been for the past five versions.

It's rare that such a great concept is sabotaged so savagely by poor execution, but Web of Shadows is a stark reminder that it takes more than a solid idea to make a great game.

MySims Racing is a perfectly adequate kart racer that plays it far too safe in a genre that is associated with thrills and spills. While the car customization is a positive step forward, the courses, power-ups, and play modes don't do anything substantially new or exciting.

While it certainly isn’t the most polished product, Monsters vs. Aliens offers a colorful and vibrant palette. A few too many erratic cuts interrupt the flow of action, and the low polygon count looks are of Wii quality, but there’s not enough to truly call foul over.

There's some stuff tucked in here that will please devout fans-particularly, some unlockable old school Transformers cartoon episodes-but most everyone one else will be ready to move on after a few hours.

What originally looked like another throwaway movie to video game tie-in is a surprisingly well conceived horror story. The combat is Saw's biggest weakness, with the replay value a close second.

Fans of the series will gobble this one up, and if you haven't tried out any of the previous PSP installments, this would be the one to consider. Otherwise, there are several superior anime-style fighters on the market that eclipse Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3.

There's just no finesse required to overcome the overwhelming odds the game throws at you. You can definitely add quite a bit of flair to the slaughter, but in the end, there's no disguising the routine, monotonous action at the heart of the game.

As far as Kinect dancing games go, Dance Central is still the better ticket, but if Dance Masters' distinct Japanese feel and set list move you, it may be worth a look.

It's not necessarily a bad game, it's just far too difficult to enjoy.

For a game that is rated TEEN, the latest One Piece doesn't provide the flare that a teen's attention requires, unless you're a rabid fan of the television series.

Dungeon Siege III should best be considered a distant cousin to its predecessors that's ultimately half as well-wrought as those older games, and a third as ambitious.

The developers took a gamble in revamping their wrestling series, but it didn't quite pay off. Fans will love the expansive roster, variety of match options, extensive customization features, and the assortment of painful looking strikes, signature moves, and submissions. Yet the imprecise reversal system, online issues, and cheap A.I. will irritate everyone else.

Feels like it's held back by the need to incorporate the different features of the Vita, ultimately over complicating a package that would have benefited from some simplification.

With its high-production values, there's nothing else like it. Provided you don't approach Asura's Wrath as you would a typical game, you won't be disappointed.

There are some great ideas in Sniper Elite V2--they're just buried under a few too many bad ones. Asking you to stomach the poor game that exists between the solid sniping sequences is frankly a tall order.

The Toyota Camry of PSP RPG’s.

While the jump to a more unique style of game is a nice step forward for the Naruto license, bad design choices and by-the-numbers action keep the game from being that much better than previous titles in the franchise. It’s still fan service, if above average fan service, and doesn’t offer anything that will bring new players into the fold.

Despite bugs that seem to pop up around every corner, Haze isn't an awful first-person shooter. It's just not a very good one.

Call of Duty: Roads to Victory has a lot going for it in the game options department, as well as presentation and weapon variety, but it fails to back any of that up with decent gameplay.

Heatseeker is a decent choice for fans of aerial combat who don’t want to have to monitor 20 different gauges at once. There are plenty of fighter jets to unlock, and it’s nice that it’s accessible, but it also has its share of issues, and fails to doesn’t bring anything new to the genre.

Heatseeker is a decent choice for fans of aerial combat who don’t want to have to monitor 20 different gauges at once. There are plenty of fighter jets to unlock, and it’s nice that it’s accessible, but it also has its share of issues, and fails to doesn’t bring anything new to the genre.

FIFA Street 3 is action-packed, well-balanced, and fun for multiplayer sessions, but its lack of content and simple play mechanics stifle the long-term prospects.

FIFA Street 3 is action-packed, well-balanced, and fun for multiplayer sessions, but its lack of content and simple play mechanics stifle the long-term prospects.

Though Naruto: Ninja Destiny doesn't quite earn high marks with its fighting system, this solid freshman effort is a footstep in the right direction for Naruto games on the DS.

Facebreaker tries to revive the arcade boxing glory achieved by classics like Punch-Out!, but with its punishing difficulty, minimal gameplay modes, and humor that falls on its face, it doesn’t come close. Creating your own boxers can become addictive, and it’s not a bad option for a casual party atmosphere, but for serious players it lacks the depth to pick itself up off the mat.

Those with a sharp pair of eyes who like a decent visual challenge will find Mystery Case Files to be a worthy commute companion. It's not as challenging as most puzzle games and constantly uncovering hidden objects grows tiresome, so we only recommend it for the terminally bored.

Aside from the focus on its namesake license, there's not much to stand out in MotoGP 09/10. It is fairly challenging, but the lack of variety and poor presentation ultimately make for a dull, monotonous experience.

Aside from the focus on its namesake license, there's not much to stand out in MotoGP 09/10. It is fairly challenging, but the lack of variety and poor presentation ultimately make for a dull, monotonous experience.

There isn't much to explore in Steel Diver's shallow waters. There are better ways to showcases the new hardware, even among the 3DS's sparse launch lineup. Only the most dogged would-be Nemo need apply.

While all of the events offer glimpses of the Kinect's potential to enhance sports games, they're too basic and imprecise to satisfy fans looking for a new way to control their favorite athletic events.

In spite of some strong individual elements, it ends up feeling like a sloppy and ultimately pointless conflict. Focusing on superficial distinctions that add nothing to the game, Warfighter lacks a convincing reason to fight, and there's no reason anyone should pick up the banner apart from brand loyalty or sheer boredom.

The Viva Pinata Universe is a creative one, and has loads of potential. Party Animals doesn’t really harness all of that, but it does provide a somewhat shaky foundation for a much better sequel.

The HD visuals in Re-Shelled are a nice touch, but the aging formula, coupled with too few options and modes, makes for a repetitive and lackluster trip down memory lane. There simply isn't enough here to make you want to come back more than once or twice.

The end result is a game that feels unrefined as a whole. You can certainly power through it if you're determined enough, but it drags the experience down nonetheless.

With a story that feels half-told and an execution that's barebones in every way that matters, it's difficult to recommend Blood Stone.

The bright colors and karate chops may be enticing, but this is one impulse buy you can safely pass on.

Slender: The Arrival is an atmospheric package relying too much on one admittedly terrifying trick that overstays its welcome far too early in an already short series of events.

Instead of rebuilding Spy Hunter’s Interceptor from the ground up to make an action-racer that could potentially smoke "Burnout," or adding third-person shooting and grappling control to make you feel like Sam Fisher and Triple H at the same time, Nowhere to Run ends up being a mediocre mix of both.

It has almost as many flaws as there are nights in the title but if you love mindless button hammering gameplay and salivate over the onscreen enemy count then this might be a title that interests you.

Lair is one of the PS3’s biggest disappointments so far. The potential was great, and the core gameplay isn’t bad. But instead of the fantasy epic fans dreamed of, the final product comes across as a short and unsightly mess.

It looks like Wario should stick to minigame compilations, after all.

There is some fun to be had throughout Call of Juarez, but it’s despite the various bizarre and just plain bad design choices that litter the experience.

You don't have to be a line judge to point out Smash Court Tennis 3’s faults. Pinpointing targets is frustrating, since you have a small margin of error while aiming, and the timing isn't always consistent for "nice" shots.

Giant robots or not, Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 doesn’t quite have the thrust to wedge this stagnating series out of its fixed orbit.

Nier is definitely an ambitious game that tries to break away from Square Enix's traditional style, but it ultimately isn't up to the task. It's an acquired taste that doesn't go down easy.

The intricate combat mechanics and exciting battle system can't make up for the poor production values, not to mention the sheer amount of repetitive grinding the game demands.

A serviceable showpiece, but there aren't a lot of modes to explore, and the short-lived mini-games get repetitive pretty quickly. It's fun in short bursts, but it doesn't approach the staying power of the most memorable party games.

Instead of rebuilding Spy Hunter's Interceptor from the ground up to make an action-racer that could potentially smoke "Burnout," or adding third-person shooting and grappling control to make you feel like Sam Fisher and Triple H at the same time, Nowhere to Run ends up being a mediocre mix of both.

Batman: Arkham City Lockdown tries to capture the spirit of its triple-A counterpart, but it only succeeds on a superficial level. At six dollars, the game's short length and repetitive gameplay will be palatable only to the most obsessed members of the cape and cowl cult.

A visual presentation that looks more PSP than Vita, doesn't help matters. It makes a killer first impression-and certainly earns points for offering something different on launch day-but such limited appeal may not be enough to send gamers to Hell.

A disappointment. Not for the specific titles included, mind you, but rather for the sloppy handling and questionable changes associated with the conversions. The inconsistent presentation, compromises to the original developer's vision, and lack of any interesting bonus features make this compilation's $40 price even more unnerving than its games.

Datura just doesn't seem to go far enough, offering just a quick dip into occasional oddity instead of a full-on baptism in the truly peculiar. Even its most attention-grabbing moments can come across as a little dull. With gimmicky motion elements, threadbare puzzles, and a ghost's whisper of a narrative, Datura ends up as an underwhelming experiment.

For those wanting to explore the wilds of Westeros, climb to the top of The Wall or engage in a thrilling battle with a direwolf, this Game of Thrones falls completely flat. However, if you don't mind suffering through the combat, the visuals, and the lackluster environments, there's actually a decent interactive story to experience. Of course, that's a very big "if."

As generic as a hack-and-slash can be. If you’re looking for responsive action, you’ll be disappointed. If you’re looking for story and dialogue, you’ll be disappointed. If you’re the masochistic type that likes spending dozens of hours slaughtering repetitive foes in order to create the ultimate character then step on up and start grinding.

The lack of camera control is a travesty, especially since the right analog stick’s defensive dodges are redundant with the Sixaxis controller’s tilting functions.

Unless you can’t seem to get enough games about demented children and ghoulish babies with poor combat and stupid-proof puzzles, then I suggest you steer clear of this one and save your money for "Silent Hill 5."

Jericho is way too ambitious and it hurts on every side. While not broken, it’s poorly designed and dull, from spawning enemies making the tactical play irrelevant, to a horror story that, despite its charm and intricacies, just isn’t scary. Jericho may be art, but not all art is good.

Jericho is way too ambitious and it hurts on every side. While not broken, it’s poorly designed and dull, from spawning enemies making the tactical play irrelevant, to a horror story that, despite its charm and intricacies, just isn’t scary. Jericho may be art, but not all art is good.

It’s hard to completely dismiss the game as trash, but it’s harder not to feel like the game should be giving you a lot more.

Conquest relies too much on retreading old ground in almost every way. Numerous bugs, unpolished mechanics, and average presentation are the telltale signs of a rushed game, and this one has all three. It's not quite bad enough to cast into Mount Doom, but only those who can't get enough of Tolkien's tales need apply.

Ninja Blade's action can be fun for a while, but it doesn't really satisfy. The story and presentation can get ridiculous, and the repetition, easy combat, and lengthy quick time sequences all wear down its edge. Worst of all, it's a complete rip-off of the Ninja Gaiden series, and we wonder how there could be laws to protect such a blatant theft of creativity.

However well it might model the experience of killing with deadly precision, Sniper: Ghost Warrior suffers from a barrage of technical and design mishaps that make it hard to recommend wholeheartedly. If you've been hard up for a shooter with precisely this sort of narrow focus, it's worth a look, especially given the budget price, so long as you temper your expectations.

Legacy is full of good intentions, but the final presentation feels bland and rushed.

Despite the game’s best intentions to immerse you in the Aliens universe, the result is a bloody massacre. Relying on dated storytelling techniques and technology, and stretching way too far to provide a plausible link between the second and third films, Aliens: Colonial Marines isn’t able to connect its action to any real sense of drama or terror, completely missing the aspect of psychological horror that gave the film its edge.

Variety is nice, but when it borders on the absurd, it’s just stupid. And overall, the gameplay in 300 fails to do service to the movie or the genre at large.

While Fatal Inertia fills a niche that hasn’t been addressed yet this generation, it does so with very little style or substance.

So, lame missions, filled, again, with arbitrary restrictions like time limits and invisible walls, meet a clunky camera and mindless wash/rinse/repeat combat that doesn’t require the suspension of disbelief, but the annihilation of it.

So, lame missions, filled, again, with arbitrary restrictions like time limits and invisible walls, meet a clunky camera and mindless wash/rinse/repeat combat that doesn’t require the suspension of disbelief, but the annihilation of it.

The Sims 2: Pets for Wii is nothing more than slapdash and second-rate. There’s enough left for it to be enjoyable, but with a lack of content and an overabundance of bugs, players are better off getting the PC version or waiting to see if MySims can pick up the slack.

Dark Messiah certainly had potential, but poor decisions and a sloppy conversion put a damper on what should have been an improvement over the earlier PC game. Oddly enough, we found ourselves continuing to play just to see if it got any better. Unfortunately, it didn’t.

While it hosts a great set of playable characters, it doesn’t make the best use of them, and the recycled enemies, boring level design, and low production values make for a brawler that’s simply uninspired.

The campaigns are repetitive, the action is fairly mindless, and it's not all that rewarding to play. Masochistic players who really enjoy the series may get a mild kick out of this new spin, but everyone else would be better off chalking this one up to ancient history.

Wii Sports is still the reigning champion when it comes to party sports games. Deca Sports is, if anything, a distraction, and worth renting if friends are coming over.

Lost in Blue 3 is one of those games that starts off well, but eventually you realize that its mundane elements are never rectified and it becomes a grind.

It’s fun to run around as the Hulk in an open world, harassing pedestrians and tearing the city apart with your bare hands, but with its uneven pacing, dull missions, and sloppy presentation, The Incredible Hulk won’t keep most players interested for long.

It’s fun to run around as the Hulk in an open world, harassing pedestrians and tearing the city apart with your bare hands, but with its uneven pacing, dull missions, and sloppy presentation, The Incredible Hulk won’t keep most players interested for long.

Wheelman is lacking where it counts the most; under the hood. Life in this fast lane won't hold your attention for more than a few hours, as the high-octane action fizzles out all too quickly.

Using the note charts makes playing Wii Music tolerable, but if you try to free form it be prepared for disaster. It’s more of an educational experience for dedicated participants, but the poor sound samples, ancient song selection, and poor controls will have many players quitting the band before its first real gig.

The problem with Eat Lead is that it only replicates the looks of all the games it spoofs, and not the gameplay. What's left is a repetitive, subpar third-person shooter skinned in various game themes and filled with cheap gags.

Flawed, unoriginal, and dated, it's tough to look past its failings.

Its biggest problem is that its core conceits fail to contribute to what the series is best at. If you're a newcomer, Mount & Blade: Warband is easily the better bet. Veterans will get a brief kick out of this powder keg, but we suspect they'll be reaching for the familiar steel soon enough.

It is yet another game with potentially interesting mechanics that fail to deliver on their promise, making Inversion's approach to gravity feel more plodding than liberating.

While this bunny can be funny, his game is lame, and even its standout segments aren't particularly strong--they just seem that way in comparison to the overall mess. Weak charm and knowing references aside, we can confidently give Hell Yeah a "hell no."

It’s a game with a hodgepodge of stolen ideas and video game conventions that never quite manage to be pulled off flawlessly.

With repetitious gameplay, chore-like tasks that barely pass for mini-games, and lackluster new modes, Cooking Mama: Cook Off is the kind of game that sounds a lot more fun than it really is, and therefore, it gets its just deserts.

It’s really difficult to recommend Pokemon Battle Revolution. For casual players, there’s no substance to the game—especially if they haven’t played Diamond & Pearl on the DS and are unable to upload their critters. For the hardcore Poke-maniac, the online play provides an opportunity for bragging rights and little else.

A year or two ago, it may have been a viable option, but with great alternatives out in the market right now, you can stand to sit this song out.

Not even Don King's legendary hair and hype combo can cover-up Prizefighter's mediocrity. It's a case of all glitter and no glam thanks to awkward gameplay and controls.

Basketball should be fast-paced and fluid, yet Chosen One constantly slams on the brakes with impractical design decisions. Irritating computer AI, frustrating challenges, sloppy controls, and an over-reliance on performing specific combos to win are not what you want in a street ball game.

Why Sega decided to skewer[] one of our beloved childhood heroes on the tip of a clunky, sword-swinging spree is beyond us, but at this point, it simply hurts. Maybe someday we’ll live to see Sonic take back the speed that is so rightfully his, but for now, the only sprinting he’ll be doing is on the bad end of a running joke.

Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines not only fails to live up to the high standards set by its console brethren, it also fails to deliver an experience worthy of your time and money. If you own a 360 or a PS3, and are looking for a worthy successor to Assassin's Creed, pass on this and pick up the proper sequel.

At $10, it can only be recommended for those who have sold off their collection yet can't let go of the past.

It's hard to overlook White Knight Chronicles' flaws the second time around. The subtle improvements don't have a huge impact on the bottom line, and the game lacks the refinements expected of a sequel. If you're looking for an RPG that delivers both a lengthy single-player mode and comprehensive online component, there are far better choices available.

However important its place in the lore may be, this DLC simply doesn't play very well to the main game's strengths.

The overall weirdness and distinctive art style keep Black Knight Sword from being another run-of-the-mill action game. Yet the five main levels can be completed within two hours, and while there is an option to continue playing on a more challenging difficulty setting as well as additional challenge-oriented modes, the level design doesn't encourage exploration and there's little interactivity aside from slashing at enemies.

The flaws are numerous, even in comparison to other launch games, but if you want to spend a mindless weekend full of fantastical hacking-and-slashing it’s not a terrible choice.

This mania is manic. It’s a bipolar challenge swinging wildly towards the mundane, with only the occasional blip of opposition and aggravation that would be welcomed as liberators.

Soldier of Fortune: Payback is a one-trick pony of blood and guts. And if that’s your thing, you might be able to overlook the generic shooting mechanic, enemy AI that’s cheap and stupid, and dull level design. But we just can’t.

Soldier of Fortune: Payback is a one-trick pony of blood and guts. And if that’s your thing, you might be able to overlook the generic shooting mechanic, enemy AI that’s cheap and stupid, and dull level design. But we just can’t.

Soldier of Fortune: Payback is a one-trick pony of blood and guts. And if that’s your thing, you might be able to overlook the generic shooting mechanic, enemy AI that’s cheap and stupid, and dull level design. But we just can’t.

Iron Man has its occasional bright spots, but the gameplay fluctuates between monotony and frustration. With technical meltdowns, unsightly visuals, and a jumbled plot line, there are more than enough reasons to leave this junker on the scrap heap.

Let's TAP is an interesting experiment that doesn't quite hold up in the long run. It's worth trying out for novelty's sake, but the short list of games and unreliable controls leave it feeling like an overly expensive tech demo.

Too simplistic for a strategy title and too clumsy for a pure action game, Undead Knights is a mishmash of poorly executed ideas that will disappoint even the most ardent zombie fan.

LocoRoco: Midnight Carnival will alienate all but the most devout LocoRoco fanatics. Precision platforming and gimped controls just don't go well together. If you've got the patience for relentless trial and error, then have at it. Otherwise, stick to LocoRoco 2--you'll retain your sanity and your PSP will remain in working order.

The experience becomes a monotonous grind before you get anywhere near the level 10 cap for free players, so put some time in before you slap down 20 bucks.

Battlegrounds is a competent enough shooter, though it could use more depth and originality. The single-player portion can be completed within an hour, and the multiplayer games lack the depth to sustain long-term play.

You probably won't want to play through this lengthy, unpolished, one-note adventure more than once, let alone make your own maps with the included level-builder.

Despite decent production values and three distinct play modes, The Adventures of Tintin is a disappointment for those expecting a grand, absorbing adventure in the spirit of Indiana Jones. The final product feels rushed.

Dungeon Hunter does offer a few moments of fun, but they're eclipsed by painful repetition and clumsy design.

Dawn of Mana is a tale full of marvelous art and storytelling that captures the look and essence of the older Mana games, but beneath the veneer is a different beast that has excised most of the gameplay elements that make the old games so memorable.

Tyris is likeable enough, but generic and uninspired gameplay manage to reduce everything in Golden Axe: Beast Rider to the lowest common denominator. It’s simply not fun--offering very little incentive to keep playing.

WarTech: Senko Ronde is most certainly a niche game, and fans of the genre will definitely take to its manic style. But it's hard to rationalize spending $60 for an arcade experience that's short on content and repetitive.

A good idea that’s hampered either by poor programming, or perhaps expecting too much of the Wii’s controller. It’s hard to tell which. And really, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter which is to blame. The sad fact is that it just isn’t much fun to play, and if you try to use the motion control setup, it becomes a real struggle.

Blood Bowl is sure to alienate those expecting something akin to Mutant League Football, Pigskin Footbrawl, or similar fantasy-based football games. The poorly designed tutorials, dated visuals, clunky interface, and deliberate pacing are not going to attract those who aren't already familiar with the tabletop game.

Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff is a missed opportunity, and probably should have stayed retired rather than risk its hall of fame status.

All the wonderful frosting in the world can't hide a bad tasting cake, and Spyborgs' positives can't overcome the stale combat and the bitter tedium that sets in through 37 levels of straightforward smack and whack.

Rooms has some value if you're into puzzle games, but it's mediocre at best. If you're seeking a fix to your intellectual craving, there are plenty of other games better suited to the task.

There's not much to Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes and it pales in comparison to other similar games out there. The large-scale premise is squandered by poor enemy AI and boring combat, and it simply doesn't do anything sufficiently interesting to warrant your attention.

The first movie's cult status will draw people into Tron: Evolution, but the single-player campaign's repetitiveness and the unmemorable multiplayer action point to a game that's best enjoyed as a rental rather than a purchase. Tron: Evolution isn't a total failure, just a disappointment for fans hoping for something as innovative as the original film was back in the day.

Director George Lucas famously said that a "special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing." A special effect without strong gameplay is also a boring thing, which is Lost in Shadow's greatest fault.

Insect Armageddon can be enjoyed in short intervals with friends, but don't expect anything more than a B-list multiplayer rental. It's a generic shooter that brings nothing new to the table, and there are far better options in the backlog to cure your summer boredom.

The good news for beat-'em-up fans is that the combat is fast, furious, and mostly satisfying. The bad news is that repetitive enemy types, lack of cooperative play, and confining levels are decidedly not. Even on the hardest difficulty setting, you'll beat the game within seven hours.

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode Two ultimately feels loose where it should be tight, slow where it should be fast, and tedious where it should be exciting. Sometimes it's best to let sleeping 'hogs lie.

Even if you've been hankering for a reason to dust off your Kinect, there is no shortage of fleeting distractions better suited to the task.

Heroes of Ruin fails to deliver a solid action-RPG experience, and earnest efforts to tailor the experience to the 3DS hardware don't excuse its shortcomings.

A monotonous button-masher, the splashes of other gameplay styles aren’t well executed and we can only recommend this to the true Hellboy fan.

BlackSite: Area 51 features a handful of fun moments blasting giant aliens, but there’s too much time spent in forgettable shootouts, the story fails to engage, and it’s so riddled with bugs that not even the Orkin Man can feel safe purchasing it.

Boogie could be fun, but it’s kind of like playing with a younger sibling. They’re not going to offer you a real challenge, and it’s going to be kind of embarrassing.

BlackSite: Area 51 features a handful of fun moments blasting giant aliens, but there’s too much time spent in forgettable shootouts, the story fails to engage, and it’s so riddled with bugs that not even the Orkin Man can feel safe purchasing it.

BlackSite: Area 51 features a handful of fun moments blasting giant aliens, but there’s too much time spent in forgettable shootouts, the story fails to engage, and it’s so riddled with bugs that not even the Orkin Man can feel safe purchasing it.

For better or worse, The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return is a faithful representation of the arcade classics, and players interested in reliving these titles again and again can grab a copy at a $30 price point.

Though we're happy EA revisited the sandbox structure, everything that made the previous outing a solid game has been sacrificed in exchange for simpler controls and gimped action in Half-Blood Prince.

Just like the DS versions, the concept for Lost in Blue: Shipwrecked hits all the right marks, but it's the execution that fails. A stupid, impractical A.I. companion and the unrealistic stat maintenance make playing it just about as much fun as being stranded on an island in real life.

This latest Monkey Ball is briefly enjoyable, but the charm quickly spirals into maddening chaos.

There are some brief moments of fun in Kinect Joy Ride, but most of the time you'll be too busy fighting the loose controls to really enjoy it. Making matters worse, the game would be an absolute pushover if you played it with a traditional analog stick and buttons. With shallow gameplay and just a handful of tracks, it certainly doesn't justify the $50 price tag.

Parasite Eve this is not. The 3rd Birthday squanders some clever concepts with clumsy execution, and the end result is just another mediocre shooter that has very little in common the PlayStation classics that preceded it. This is one birthday that is not worth celebrating.

It's an embarrassing, abhorrent heir resting on its laurels with plenty of ugly humor, bubblegum pastiche, and very little in the way of ass-kicking prowess.

EA's Harry Potter series unceremoniously bows out in this final game. While the previous games were also disappointments, this one sinks even lower to full-on cash-in status. What you're left with is a confused mess parading around as a barely-competent third-person shooter.

A basic port disguised as a major overhaul. Capcom included online leaderboards for the main game as well as paltry trophy and achievement support, but the most earnestly competitive component--the battle mode--is neglected without any leaderboards.

The replay value is tied to your interest in collecting items like newspapers, action figures, golden spiders, and alternate costumes. The story will take roughly seven hours to complete, with the majority of your time spent crawling, climbing, and clobbering your way through an uninteresting environment that offers little interactivity.

Gangs of London gets the portable game design thing absolutely right, with lots of choices and play sessions that are over relatively quickly. But the decent collection of distractions doesn’t make up for the awful controls.

The Wii version of Spider-Man 3 plays sloppy, looks bad, and just doesn't feel complete.

Fantastic Four isn’t bad in the sense that it’s incredibly buggy or overly frustrating. It’s just mind-numbingly mundane. And the thinly veiled attempts at character customization aren’t enough to make the game any less boring.

If you can accept it for its dated gameplay, underwhelming visuals, and pervasive bugs, then you may find something of value in this old-school hack-and-slash RPG. All other prospective dungeon crawlers are best advised to take a pass on this fallen flunk.

The feature in Bloodforge that lets you create and send online challenges to friends stands out as a great idea, but given all the other ways that the game falters, it's not enough.

Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 starts strong and has a few inspired moments, but it can’t keep up its momentum and plods through most of its material, too often asking you to watch rather than play.

Bionicle Heroes looks good, and has a decent license backing it, but completely fails to capture the magic that made the LEGO Star Wars games a hit. What you get instead is an average, boring shooter that’s only worth playing if you have a deep love for the source material.

Bionicle Heroes looks good, and has a decent license backing it, but completely fails to capture the magic that made the LEGO Star Wars games a hit. What you get instead is an average, boring shooter that’s only worth playing if you have a deep love for the source material.

Lost Via Domus will be tempting to fans obsessed with the show, but the story—as good as it is--has no bearing whatsoever on the overall canon. It’s short, much of the gameplay amounts to a hurdle to get to the next cutscene, and at just over five hours long, under no circumstances can we recommend it for a purchase.

It could be a raw and visceral action game, but it’s merely another way to distribute his music and generate interest in his clothing. If you like 50’s tracks but don’t own any of his CDs….then buy the CDs.

The battle system is fairly shallow; the dragon riding is plagued by bad collision and controls; the presentation isn’t up to Xbox 360 standards; and the story is merely decent.

Bionicle Heroes looks good, and has a decent license backing it, but completely fails to capture the magic that made the LEGO Star Wars games a hit. What you get instead is an average, boring shooter that’s only worth playing if you have a deep love for the source material.

Lost Via Domus will be tempting to fans obsessed with the show, but the story—as good as it is--has no bearing whatsoever on the overall canon. It’s short, much of the gameplay amounts to a hurdle to get to the next cutscene, and at just over five hours long, under no circumstances can we recommend it for a purchase.

Lost Via Domus will be tempting to fans obsessed with the show, but the story—as good as it is--has no bearing whatsoever on the overall canon. It’s short, much of the gameplay amounts to a hurdle to get to the next cutscene, and at just over five hours long, under no circumstances can we recommend it for a purchase.

Had Barrel Blast come out just after the Wii’s launch, it would be forgivable, if still not a very good game. But at this point in the system’s life cycle, releasing long-delayed GameCube games with Wii controls grafted onto them is a no-no, especially when said game is published by the system’s manufacturer itself.

The lackluster controls put huge a damper on the experience for anyone trying to take the game seriously. Let's face it: the Wii has no shortage of mini-game compilations that are more worthy of your time and money. You're best served by staying in this winter.

Fuel may set records and feature tons of things to do, but very little of it is actually worth doing. While the scale of its world may be impressive on paper, this is one case where bigger isn't necessarily better.

Most of the characters, courses, and board types are also locked away from the outset, so getting to any of the worthwhile content is a test of your patience and endurance. The presentation, meanwhile, is average at best. Ultimately, you'll find little value in Adrenalin Misfits. Seek your Kinect thrills elsewhere.

Bionicle Heroes looks good, and has a decent license backing it, but completely fails to capture the magic that made the LEGO Star Wars games a hit. What you get instead is an average, boring shooter that's only worth playing if you have a deep love for the source material.

A step in the wrong direction for the series. Tension and atmosphere take a back seat to cheap, impotent scares and tedious combat encounters.

It ultimately relies too much on the honor system, and many players will be less inclined to give their best effort when the game gives you a pass just for moving around. In the end, the game doesn't do much more than simply give you an excuse to dance--it really is just as simple as its title.

North American gamers who aren’t rabid Gundam fans, or Gundam fans that demand at least a solid game experience to go with their giant robots, or even fans of the Dynasty Warriors series should approach this battle with caution – sometimes you have to pick your battles.

North American gamers who aren’t rabid Gundam fans, or Gundam fans that demand at least a solid game experience to go with their giant robots, or even fans of the Dynasty Warriors series should approach this battle with caution – sometimes you have to pick your battles.

Gruesome teddy bear murders can be good for a laugh if you can appreciate horrific violence as retribution for intolerable cuteness--and deep down you know you can--but like the giddy announcer making up silly names for your kills, the extremely repetitive gameplay quickly loses its charm.

While the 3DS-enabled features are a nice touch and the core concept is intact, The Sims 3 ultimately feels like a lightweight launch title. Newcomers may get a small kick out of living a fake life, but if this isn't your first virtual rodeo, you're better off sticking to the real world.

It's a bare minimum situation that will disappoint even the most desperate player. We have to go back a long way to remember a Madden game that offered so little.

All that saves Pirates on PS2 from completely walking the plank is Johnny Depp’s boisterous performance, the rare drop in co-op gameplay, and the fact that it’s always fun to be a pirate for a while. But as far as everything else goes...you’ve been warned.

A horribly repetitive platformer.

A horribly repetitive platformer.

Though the premise isn’t all that bad, poor execution and terrible controls keep Wing Island from taking flight.

With sluggish combat, muddy visuals simply, and almost no impact, city-destroying giant monsters have never been so easy to ignore.

If a you're going to release an unlicensed football game, it had better knock our socks off. Backbreaker doesn't even come close. Pass on this one and hope for a better game next year.

Rock Revolution stands as a harrowing reminder that replicating a successful formula is no guarantee of quality. It’s simply not fun to play, and the fact that you need peripherals from other games just to play it is the writing on the wall. Konami may have started the fire with Guitar Freaks, but this game essentially throws a big bucket of water on it.

Rygar: The Battle of Argus is sub-standard in every area, and while it has its moments, most are filled with boredom or outright frustration. The PS2 version is readily available for a few dollars, and the meager additions to this Wii iteration provide little incentive to pick it up.

With or without the Samurai Shodown name on its sleeve, Sen is a joyless effort that neither honors its colorful lineage nor brings anything of substantial worth to the 3D fighter. Despite its penchant for gory dismemberments and decapitations, this one simply just doesn't cut it.

A horribly repetitive platformer.

Frankly, though, it's unlikely that the gameplay will hold your attention long enough that you'll want to sample these extras.

It just never offers more than a middling gameplay experience for its price. That on its own might satisfy the casual freebooters, but when you couple that mediocrity with abysmal NPC pathing, inexplicable bouts of lag, and the game's tendency to crash at key moments, even they may find themselves tossing this one down in Davy Jones' locker for good.

With its shallow multiplayer modes and brief campaign, Bodycount's long-term play value is limited, making it more suitable for renting than purchasing. Had the developers spent more time in fleshing out the game's modes, play mechanics, and options, Bodycount might have been more memorable than your average B-action movie. Sadly, it's not.

Rumble Blast looks and feels like something you'd expect on Nintendo's eShop, but instead it's a retail release at full price. Don't be deceived--Rumble Blast is a far cry from the quality you've come to expect from the Pokémon series.

It’s so frustrating that we’re this far into the PSP’s life cycle and still we get watered down ports of good console games that are all but unplayable. Gun has a lot going for it, but when the interface is broken, the game is broken.

Another Sonic game, another disappointment. It seems like whenever the hedgehog jumps off the tiny screens of the current handhelds, everything just falls apart for him.

Though largely lacking in ingenuity, Watchmen: The End is Nigh proves that if licensed games can’t be good, they can at least look good. The gameplay has a life expectancy of about 45 minutes, and at a pricey $20 for just a few hours of play, it probably should have been released for five bucks and used as a promotional tool for the flick.

If you're tempted, we advise you take a cold shower and reconsider.

Tournament of Legends is definitely a different type of fighter with a unique mythological spin, but different isn't better in this case. This paltry package is best left to fade into the mists of time.

Knights Contract is far too rough around the edges to be worth its asking price. The needlessly frequent cutscenes interrupt the game's flow, combat against the majority of enemies requires little thought, and you'll be constantly fighting either the camera or the level design. The finishing blow is Gretchen's AI, which makes the boss fights annoying instead of exciting.

Genesis thus toys with a promising twist on the real-time strategy formula, but its shortcomings nevertheless manage to repel both audiences it seeks to attract.

As it stands, these blades still need a lot more sharpening.

Sing Party gets by well enough as a minimalistic party experience that's heavy on embarrassment potential and light on actual gameplay, but the inability to switch off the vocals tracks is the biggest detriment to the experience. It's a frustrating design decision that goes against the very spirit of what the game is trying to emulate. Serious karaoke enthusiasts will bristle at having to sing over the original tracks, and casual players will likely be uncomfortable mustering the resolve it takes for party play. What's left is a pretty weak package with limited appeal.