Just Dance 4 is a hard game not to like. It's completely unpretentious and simply exists to make you have fun, hopefully starting a party in the process. The soundtrack is strong and the choreography is as good as ever. Unfortunately, without full body tracking, the game is simply not as enjoyable as it is on the Kinect. Knowing that it's only tracking the motion of the Wii Remote, and a single arm by association, lowers the motivation to perfectly nail the moves. Those used to playing the game on the Wii or who don't care about accuracy will be content, but anyone who owns a Kinect would be better off picking up the Xbox 360 version - especially considering it costs $10 less.

All things considered, Black Knight Sword is truly a one-of-a-kind experience thanks to its imaginative art direction, soundtrack, narrative and overall concept. For $9.99, those qualities might be enough to warrant a purchase.

It's a back and forth battle, as it's an enjoyable experience, but one that falls short of the adventure game and technological standards many have come to expect. If there was only a little bit more polish, A New Beginning – Final Cut could have been a unforgettable adventure.

Crimson Shroud is an easy game to recommend for those into Dungeons and Dragons or with an affinity towar

For $20, it's about the price of a graphic novel, which is exactly what it is. So if you can stomach the gore and overall obscurity, then this super niche PSP title may be worth a checking out.

Simple as it may be, Alien Breed isn’t unenjoyable. It’s a bit easy and straightforward, sure, but it’s also a very good update of an Amiga classic. You run through corridors, shoot everything that moves, pick up all the goodies, then make a run for the exit to do it all over again. There’s no denying that Alien Breed is pretty mindless, but sometimes a bit of brain-dead xenomorph extermination is a nice way to kill an hour.

If it weren’t for the visuals, this would only be an average shooter with a kick-ass bow.

Paradox Interactive have managed to release a grand strategy game that actually feels not so overwhelmingly complex as to scare off newcomers.

Diehard fans of the series won’t be swayed one way or another by this review, because those folks already know if this game is for them. For fans of the genre looking for an interesting take on the tried and true strategy roleplaying formula with that very distinct Japanese flare, though, Pandora’s Reflection is worth checking out.

Simple as it may be, Alien Breed isn’t unenjoyable. It’s a bit easy and straightforward, sure, but it’s also a very good update of an Amiga classic. You run through corridors, shoot everything that moves, pick up all the goodies, then make a run for the exit to do it all over again. There’s no denying that Alien Breed is pretty mindless, but sometimes a bit of brain-dead xenomorph extermination is a nice way to kill an hour.

It has its share of issues, but DW7: Empires turns out to be an incredibly addictive experience.

Much like its title, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow — Mirror of Fate plays with multiple concepts attempting to garner widespread appeal, but would be better suited focusing on just one.

It falls just short of its goal of being a Bomberman killer, but just short of Bomberman is still a pretty good place to be, and Dollar Dash is definitely worth looking into.

When it’s working, SimCity is an ecstatic god game that can be addicting to play; when it’s not, it’s one of the most frustrating experiences you’ll have.

As far as MMO launches go, though, Defiance has been surprisingly smooth for the most part. In the end, the game is off to a decent start, but it faces some inherent hurdles that could hold it back from being what one can tell it’s meant to be.

People who want a portable experience are going to absolute require the Circle Pad Pro, in addition to a suitable explanation for your friends and family as to where you were for the month you disappeared and couldn’t be found.

Fans of the old school adventure games should definitely enjoy the combination of exploration and puzzles the game offers and Anodyne is a nice throwback to a type of game that you simply can’t find any more.

Dark Moon is a likable if flawed journey through an enjoyably spooky world, and while it may not hold up to a long-term residency, it’s certainly worth a weekend getaway.

If you’re a newcomer to Dragon’s Dogma, then this is the edition to get; otherwise, you’ll have to be an incredibly dedicated fan as there isn’t enough here to justify an upgrade.

Papo & Yo is about growing into a person who can escape an abusive family situation, and that’s a theme powerful enough to overwhelm any number of small problems, if pulled off properly. The best parts of the game are when this theme is integrated directly into the action, whether that’s running from an enraged Monster or engaging in escapist fantasy with the platforming and landscape manipulation.

Deadly Premonition: Director’s Cut won’t win any awards for its visuals or mechanics, but the player will be completely immersed within a world just brimming with life thanks to the intriguing storyline and highly likeable cast of characters.

It breaks my heart to even talk about The Night of the Rabbit in a negative manner because, while it has its issues, it’s still an imaginative experience.

Marvel Heroes is a good game that would probably get more praise if it worked out some of its most fundamental issues out the gate. Lean character selection in a game as huge as this is to be expected this early in its life, but it isn’t something that had to be such a standout issue either.

As a singleplayer experience, Shining Force EXA lacks the druglike addictiveness that makes a good dungeon crawler more than something you kill time with. [Mar 2007, p.54]

This game could use a little more polish, but it's entertaining for the right people. [Sept 2007, p.62]

Some of the minigames are fun but the board game that frames the whole experience relies far too much on chance. [Vol 3, Issue 2, p.58]

XI is fantastic when playing against another player rather than the CPU, which is unfortunate because there's no online play. Ultimately, RTK XI is a game you should rent before you buy it. [Mar 2007, p.62]

For all of Odin Sphere's innovations, few manage to have a meaningful impact upon gameplay, and the experience fails to gel into a cohesive whole as a result. [July 2007, p.56]

Any gluttons for punishment or those with an open mind for SRPGs should enjoy it. [July 2007, p.65]

With its budget price and most of its bizarre humor intact, you could most certainly do worse than pickking up a copy of Beautiful Katamari. [Dec 2007, p.65]

This is the definition of a niche title. Fans of either series are going to dig it...other gamers, maybe not so much. It's fun for a little while, but not really that great. [Vol 3, Issue 2, p.66]

This is the definition of a niche title. Fans of either series are going to dig it...other gamers, maybe not so much. It's fun for a little while, but not really that great. [Vol 3, Issue 2, p.66]

Soul Nomad is a surprisingly radical departure from type for NIS, and it's largely successful. It's just more frustrating than it needs to be. [Oct 2007, p.57]

It innovates from the usual set of strategy titles in so many areas without falling flat on its face, and it’s a meaty title besides.

I did have a good time with SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1; despite some emulation issues and some poorly chosen extras, it's still an excellent value and will bring back memories of the good old days.

Overall, it’s not the most sophisticated title on the block, but it’s worth it for the nostalgia value alone.

In the end, Velvet Assassin is definitely worth a playthrough.

In the end, Velvet Assassin is definitely worth a playthrough.

It detracts from the enjoyment value when a "puzzle" game is almost more of a game of chance.

n the end, you’d think a game with a see-through plot, derivative gameplay, a mess of bad cut scenes and stinky voice-acting would be a total turn-off, but that’s just not the case. There are times when Ninja Blade is just fun.

Despite its gameplay and audio flaws, WireWay manages to deliver a satisfying experience that should please anyone who likes either platformers or puzzle games - more-so the latter, as the platforming element is secondary to puzzle-solving.

It's too hard for its own good in places, making it far too easy to just exasperatedly credit-feed to see the end, but with a ridiculous amount of practice and ninja skills almost everything is (probably) survivable. Even with all that, though, Metal Slug XX is merely decent enough in its way and little more.

White Knight Chronicles is simply an enthusiastic game that falls short of what it could have been.

While Evolved may not be a game of the year contender and definitely has some faults, it is also probably the most fun I have had in a mech game since the original MechAssault on Xbox.

While Evolved may not be a game of the year contender and definitely has some faults, it is also probably the most fun I have had in a mech game since the original MechAssault on Xbox.

While Evolved may not be a game of the year contender and definitely has some faults, it is also probably the most fun I have had in a mech game since the original MechAssault on Xbox.

Overall, this is more of a game to snag out of the bargain bin than buy new. [Apr 2007, p.52]

Runaway: The Dream of the Turtle starts off as a great adventure game, with plenty of potential, but basically throws it all away. [June 2007, p.58]

Raw Danger is a decent, if somewhat slow-paced, adventure, and its "real-world danger" aspect makes for some truly fearful moments. [May 2007, p.60]

Anyone looking for a unique RPG experience that takes full advantage of the DS hardware should give it a shot. [May 2007, p.62]

This would have been a great game for $39.99, but is very hard to recommend at $60. [July 2007, p.59]

The music isn't bad and the gameplay is fun enough, but the track list is fairly short with only ten pieces. [June 2007, p.69]

All the clever levels in the world won't do much good, though, after the dozenth aggravating death by hidden trap makes you toss the game aside. [July 2007, p.60]

Project Sylpheed costs forty bucks, making this a budget title, but it's hard to play unless you're playing in HD. [Oct 2007, p.56]

Kingdom Hearts meets a boring MMO meets Tales, and the result is strictly for hardcore fans of the series. [Vol 3, Issue 2, p.61]

Unfortunately, there's just too much about the game that doesn't work to counter-balance all of the good stuff. It's impossible to recommend when an RPG fan could be playing better things instead. [Oct 2007, p.58]

The developers' chutzpah regarding Shock Force's premise is admirable, and if you fall into the game's narrow audience, there may be a lot to like about it. [Oct 2007, p.59]

I'll be honest here: Data Squad really isn't going to make a lot of converts. [Oct 2007, p.60]

It’s decent survival horror, but Silent Hill fans will be disappointed.

It’s decent survival horror, but Silent Hill fans will be disappointed.

The engine may be aging and looking a bit ragged around the edges, but the game’s heavy emphasis on strategy and the persistent units in the campaign make for hours of scaling castle walls and slaying your foes.

It is hard to recommend Backbreaker since there are so many problems with it, but dig deep enough and you may find a fun gridiron game at its core.

It is hard to recommend Backbreaker since there are so many problems with it, but dig deep enough and you may find a fun gridiron game at its core.

The many creative modes don't make up for the simplistic gameplay, though, leaving PixelJunk Racers feeling bland and forgettable. [Nov 2007, p.67]

Overall, Jack Keane is a rather fun adventure game, even if it does suffer a little in minor details. If you’re a fan of the genre at all, it's well worth the effort.

Overall, The Phantom Fortress is a surprisingly captivating portable game, that does well to live up to its popular name.

While We Cheer is certainly no Guitar Hero, it would be deemed enjoyable to many who appreciate similar games in the music genre.

The game is still fun to play, and it's not difficult to pick up. It's definitely worth checking out, especially if you’re a fan of old school detectives.

Taken on its own, the game is fairly enjoyable — albeit pretty limited — but with games like Smarty Pants on shelves, I really can’t recommend TV Show King.

Dark Void winds up being less than the sum of its parts.

Dark Void winds up being less than the sum of its parts.

It doesn't redefine what it means to be a quality budget title, but UberSoldier 2 makes good use of its premise.

With better controls, it would be an incredibly solid WiiWare title, but as it stands it’s simply a good puzzle game that will keep you entertained for a little while.

As a whole package, Rhapsody delivers a charming and entertaining tale about love and finding one’s happy ending.

While the ability to injure the other team by ripping a guy’s helmet off and beating him with it is attractive, it comes at the expense of the core gameplay.

With its almost complete lack of Bond flair past the voice acting and character models, the game just comes across as a Bond-themed run and gun shooter that lacks the suave sophistication of a secret agent.

It’s essentially Wii Sports Tennis with a fresh coat of Mario-themed paint, which at this point is just not enough to warrant a purchase.

So how does Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason stack up? With mediocre horror themes, poor level design, and a poor story all muddled with poor stability, this is one game you wont miss playing.

When you take all of the flaws and advancements with the game, The 40th Day really just balances out to be equal to if not slightly behind where the first one started.

When you take all of the flaws and advancements with the game, The 40th Day really just balances out to be equal to if not slightly behind where the first one started.

It would probably be cheaper to buy a used Gamecube and used version of an older Monkey Ball game, as you’d get better controls and save a little money without missing out on very much.

Taito didn’t add anything new to the formula, but Arkanoid Plus! will provide straightforward arcade entertainment in short bursts, as long as you don’t go in expecting a revolutionary experience.

Word search aficionados and casual fans alike would do well to purchase Word Searcher, but anybody who hasn't enjoyed them in the past will likely not experience anything to change their mind.

Fragile Dreams’ premise of a young boy having to fight his way through a dead and lonesome world has some weight behind it, and walking down a desolate hallway with nothing but your flashlight to guide you does have its particular merits. However, with the clunky combat, overly punishing weapon system, and hollow writing the game never really builds up any steam to keep you going.

Disgaea Infinite is the funniest visual novel I've played - even funnier than the Ace Attorney series, and is carried by the strength of its characters, dialogue, and voice acting.

As it stands, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days proves to be the perfect weekend rental. In that weekend you can plow through the campaign with a friend in an afternoon, and get as much as you want out of the multiplayer.

As it stands, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days proves to be the perfect weekend rental. In that weekend you can plow through the campaign with a friend in an afternoon, and get as much as you want out of the multiplayer.

As it stands, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days proves to be the perfect weekend rental. In that weekend you can plow through the campaign with a friend in an afternoon, and get as much as you want out of the multiplayer.

Go in just wanting a good time and Grease can be fun.

An involving, evolving story and effective customizability just aren't quite enough to save a game marred by annoying graphical issues and uninspiring gameplay.

Rock Band Blitz is a conflicting experience for hardcore fans. The game has its moments, but the most entertaining part of Rock Band has been effectively stripped from the game.

Mutant Mudds is a well-executed that falls short in some crucial areas. Given the relatively low price, Mutant Mudds is worth owning if you're seeking a tough platformer with some twists to it. Unfortunately, some may find its high difficulty more frustrating than fun. The old-school graphics work well, with the bold outlines making the far-off gameplay easier to make out, but the music and depth issues often suck enjoyment out of an otherwise breezy experience.

While it's enjoyable at times and boasts some charm, it's ultimately an unfulfilling puzzle platformer that tries to go outside its box with limited success.

F1 Race Stars isn't the worst choice for those desperate for a kart racing fix, but it's truly a title reserved for Formula 1 fans and their offspring. While the racing is enjoyable, its lack of polish and unique features make it play second fiddle to Mario Kart.

At $29.99, the game could be a fun purchase for those primarily into multiplayer, but its current price-point and lack of significant Wii U GamePad functionality add up to a release worth skipping.

Since Aero Porter only resembles a traditional airport sim, it's hard to recommend for Aerobiz fans, but those with an affinity for fast-paced puzzlers will probably like it. It's certainly not a graphical showcase, but there's a lot of enjoyment to be had once you get past the crippling difficulty spikes. It's a lot more fun than a baggage-sorting game sounds, so If you've got the patience, give it a shot.

Labyrinth Legends desperately needs a patch to sort out it's control issues, but otherwise is one of the better arcade-style dungeon romps in a good long while.

With solid shooting mechanics, well-designed environments and a tense atmosphere, it’s a fine first-person shooter, but its repetitiveness, glitches, substandard graphics and insubstantial story make it a far cry from anything close to matching the prestige of James Cameron’s beloved film.

On paper it’s wrong in far too many ways to count, but in practice it’s actually pretty fun overall. The strong battle system manages to salvage Neptunia’s faults, and once you fall into the game’s tempo, the story is light and fluffy rather than the cliched obnoxiousness it could be.

With some fine-tuning and a more effective blending of old mechanics and newfangled, newcomer-friendly ones, Gust may have a top-notch JRPG hit on their hands next time — but only next time, because this time they’ve missed the mark ever so slightly, despite their intentions being in the right place.

There are nice customization options and the game has some personality, but even still, these concepts don’t feel fully realized. That’s the main and final problem with The Showdown Effect: it tries hard to be something folks want, but it comes up short, and needed to try a little harder.

If you like challenging platformers with some minor puzzle elements thrown in, you’ll probably love Alien Spidy. The control issues make it hard to recommend at full price, but it’s an easy recommendation to try out when it goes on sale at some point in the future.

Dead Island: Riptide is a game where enjoyment hinges entirely on personal satisfaction of repetitively killing thousands of zombies and having friends with the same passion. For these select people, Riptide can be a whole lot of fun; but for anybody going it solo or demanding more from a game than just mindless violence, however, it will prove increasingly tedious.

The anime and magna iterations of Black Rock Shooter are so enjoyable because they’re crazy, over-the-top Japanese awesomeness. Unfortunately, not much about the video game take on the series is all that awesome, or even very good.

God Mode may be a shallow action romp that’s got the longevity of a fruit fly, but with a decent group of allies and some proper teamwork, there’s a good bit of run & gun gaming in there while it lasts.

Moreover, if you love testing your skills against others online, this game isn’t for you, either. If you like playing fighters by yourself, huddled up in a corner in some depressingly dark room, then sure, Guilty Gear Accent Core Plus R is the thing for you. It’s just a shame that such a terrible, terrible decision can hold back such a wonderful game.

As a whole, Mars: War Logs is a game well worth checking out for RPG fans and, at only twenty dollars, there’s no reason not to. Although frustrating at times, the developers’ ambition puts it above other indie RPGs which seem happy to settle for less considering their price.

As a whole, Wargame: Airland Battle is a bizarre mix of exciting, engaging multiplayer and an abysmal solo campaign that feels like an afterthought.

Unfortunately, the inability to speed up the game when you have about an hour of troop-building ahead of you, or when your hero must rely on auto-regen to heal, means that you'll be watching HoAE more than you'll be playing it. [Mar 2007, p.61]

You're given the story setup, the potential of the control system, and a sharp visual style....but it comes with training wheels. [Spring 2008, p.50]

In a genre where games need to be well-oiled machines to be enjoyable, this one sadly doesn't make the grade. [June 2007, p.56]

Unfortunately, Chili Con Carnage is much better at sparking a racially-charged debate than it is at being and entertaining product. [Apr 2007, p.50]

Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner becomes slightly more interesting after the initial tutorial hump, but it's really hard to overlook those first few hours, especially when so many of the game's major characters are so annoying and cliched. [Mar 2007, p.57]

If you like strategy games at all, let alone grand strategy variants like Generation of Chaos, then the last thing you want to be playing is a game that simply hands you victory. [May 2007, p.64]

The grid-less combat can be annoying to get used to—especially when learning how to properly position characters—but there’s enough small changes to put a good spin on otherwise stale tactical combat.

Time Hollow clings to mediocrity until the last hollow pen hole, and I can guarantee you won’t be compelled to ever pick it up again upon finishing it.

Eat Lead The Return of Matt Hazard does a good job of creating a cohesive universe. However, the game play is so poorly executed that even its best moments are not worth the time.

Eat Lead The Return of Matt Hazard does a good job of creating a cohesive universe. However, the game play is so poorly executed that even its best moments are not worth the time.

In the end, calling this a "rebirth" or even a "reboot" just doesn’t cut it. If one looks hard enough, they can see the ambitions SNK had with this game, sadly outstripped by time and budget.

In the end, calling this a "rebirth" or even a "reboot" just doesn’t cut it. If one looks hard enough, they can see the ambitions SNK had with this game, sadly outstripped by time and budget.

Ironically enough, this might be one to keep your eye on as the modding community gets a hold of it. Despite the flaws, this game has enough potential to end up standing out.

All said and done, Family Tennis doesn’t quite live up to the smooth experience that Wii Sports offered, and the control tweaks are so slight that they are barely noticeable outside of the anti-wagglefest element.

Quantum Theory has a lot of problems, which is a shame, because there is certainly the workings of a great game here, even if it is derivative.

Quantum Theory has a lot of problems, which is a shame, because there is certainly the workings of a great game here, even if it is derivative.

Overall, Flip's Twisted World isn't a bad game and is definitely better than a lot of the platformer shovel ware the Wii gets, but the main selling point of the game – the ability to manipulate gravity – quickly becomes unexciting.

Unfortunately, in its present state, it doesn't work all that often, but hey, lesson learned. [July 2007, p.61]

Haze can be enjoyable, but it's far from the PS3's killer app.

This game is strictly for DBZ fans who, in addition, are crazy about the early Budokai games. [June 2007, p.63]

This is a sixth sequel in spin-off's clothing, with added cumbersome gameplay elements. [Sept 2007, p.67]

PIQ2 is themed around measuring intelligence, but all it ends up doing is testing rote memorization and dexterity. [July 2007, p.63]

For some people and maybe even for you, WipeOut Pulse is worth the effort involved and then some.

Even without the police chases and the breathtaking scenery, ProStreet could have been a great game. Instead, it’s a competent but not particularly interesting racing title that will constantly leave you wishing that you were playing a console version instead.

Unfortunately, the age of the collection is its greatest undoing. While World Heroes certainly isn’t the worst 2D fighter ever made, it isn’t the best, either.

The controls are smooth and accurrate and there are a good number of levels, but the overly-careful strategies needed make it more work than play. [Dec 2008, p.57]

While Rise of the Argonauts offers lots of hacking and slashing, which is fun for a time, its story, style and sound aren’t enough to atone for its shallowness and elevate this odyssey to the epic heights to which it aspires.

While Rise of the Argonauts offers lots of hacking and slashing, which is fun for a time, its story, style and sound aren’t enough to atone for its shallowness and elevate this odyssey to the epic heights to which it aspires.

While Rise of the Argonauts offers lots of hacking and slashing, which is fun for a time, its story, style and sound aren’t enough to atone for its shallowness and elevate this odyssey to the epic heights to which it aspires.

Thus, for 700 points, ColorZ is simply not worth the aggravation if you plan to play alone, but if you have friends or family to play with, ColorZ may be worth a try if the premise intrigues you.

Only the hardcore fans of the prior Mystery Dungeon games should give this a go, and that is only if you want to get everything out of the story and put many hours into unlocking the extra Episodes.

Sure, it's only $20 for retail, but downloadable services offer beat'm'up experiences much more exciting and varied for a fraction of Pirates Plundarrr's price.

Lord of Arcana has got more problems than being a clone of a better game can account for. It's boring, repetitive, tedious, and only rarely fun.

Simply put, Fuel Overdose can't figure out what it wants to be, and that's a shame.

It stands out the least of the Johnny ____ series, and is hard to recommend given how few things it does well compared to other games in its genre.

Those devoted to the genre with a lot of patience may enjoy its meaty campaign, but anyone else would be better off buying one of the many superior entires in the Rapala series.

Ken’s Rage 2 feels like it was developed by Koei’s B-team thanks to performance issues, subpar graphics, a shallow character development system and fighting mechanics that are only as fun as the game’s limited combat engine allows. For the price, there are so many better alternatives out there that it would feel irresponsible of us to recommend this to anyone who’s not a diehard fan.

DmC fans will get passable enjoyment from the ability to play as Vergil, but besides that, it’s a trivial addition to a compelling game.

The tough reality is, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 is an outdated game from top to bottom.

Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel is not a bad game — just an extremely generic one.

Surgeon Simulator 2013 isn’t all bad and I’m surprised I liked it as much as I did. There is a bizarre sense of exploration you get from just goofing around and seeing what exactly you can do, and at times it feels like an odd sort of point and click adventure game, where every puzzle is to use a sharp object on a man’s face

Unless there’s a major update in the near future, you’d be better off waiting until it inevitably becomes part of an indie bundle so that you can briefly jump in and enjoy its first few hours. Until then, your money and time should be spent elsewhere.

All in all, it’s hard to recommend Tiny Token Empires for the PS3. Even though the puzzle portions are a lot of fun, they’re not so much better than other games on the market that the frustrations caused by the strategy portion are worth putting up with them for.

Strike Suit Infinity is not a game that is terrible by any means. It’s just a game that had some really high hopes for itself but failed to deliver those things in a way that was organic and a little bit more fun.

With all of its issues, and in its current state, DUST 514 is a title that has lofty ambitions, but also far too many problems and contingencies to deal with right now. Only the hardcore EVE enthusiasts need apply.

While the final explanation shows that, predictably enough, there’s more going on than meets the eye, it’s more short story than novel. In terms of both story and gameplay it’s hard to find much to recommend about The Starship Damrey, but there’s nothing really wrong with it either. It’s a curiosity, interesting enough while being played, and then it’s over.

What could have been a good game inspired by the great "Warioware" series instead is nothing more than a poor imitation. [Nov 2007, p.62]

As far as licensed games go, it isn't too offensive, but it could have been so much more.

As far as licensed games go, it isn't too offensive, but it could have been so much more.

Had Bullet Witch been a launch title, this bitter pill could've been swallowed, but with so many other great choices out there like "Gears of War" or "Lost Planet," there's simply no reason to play this. [Apr 2007, p.54]

Party games are supposed to contain playable sequences that are instantly accessible, engaging, and fun. In Fuzion Frenzy 2, there are precious few that fit that bill. [Apr 2007, p.56]

It doesn't matter how good the rest of a game is, though, if the controls betray you just when you need them most. [May 2007, p.55]

It doesn't matter how good the rest of a game is, though, if the controls betray you just when you need them most. [May 2007, p.55]

Earth Defense Force 2017 is the action game equivalent of potato chips: no nutritional value, but tasty nonetheless. [May 2007, p.61]

I can see the novel ideas going on here, but this game needs some serious extra time in the oven. Also, an analog stick. [Vol 3, Issue 2, p.63]

The Wii Fit Balance Board is of little help, and only serves to complicate things further.

RACE Pro has compelling racing mechanics when it is just you versus the track, but it has more than a few rough patches elsewhere.

Thor would have been a lot better with some more time and resources at hand. The problems of the game are plentiful and while some are forgivable considering what the game is, it still doesn't add up to a product worthy of Thor's prestige.

Thor would have been a lot better with some more time and resources at hand. The problems of the game are plentiful and while some are forgivable considering what the game is, it still doesn't add up to a product worthy of Thor's prestige.

Dawn of Mana is a hodgepodge of ideas that range from nonsensical to decent, all smooshed together in a failure of a game. [June 2007, p.54]

It's a nice try, but it still needs a bit of polish. [June 2007, p.61]

As-is, it's a very, very pretty demo of what the SIXAXIS can do. [May 2007, p.69]

t is not just bad, it is bad in an incredibly Wii-specific, low-effort sort of way you just don’t see on other consoles.

Unfortunately, Ju-on can be finished in mere hours, but if the characters could actually run, I’d reckon it could be completed in around twenty minutes. In other words, it’s way too short to warrant the price tag.

Eight dollars seems too high, especially since the experience is pretty short, and while smashing things has some entertainment value, the overall feeling coming out is “that was really annoying.”

Attack of the Movies 3D is just plain bad from start to finish, and while that can be fun in the right movie, it’s just painful in a game.

Attack of the Movies 3D is just plain bad from start to finish, and while that can be fun in the right movie, it’s just painful in a game.

Maybe there's a great game beyond level 8. Maybe it turns into peaches and honey. Maybe a magical unicorn bursts from the screen. Who knows? After playing a single level beyond any possibility of ever getting any enjoyment from it again, I turned the game off and walked away. Gameplay masochism only stays enjoyable so long before a feeling best described as "screw this!" sets in, and Fractured Soul blew past that point and never looked back.

This isn't a remake or a reimagining of the original Painkiller; this is a high-resolution texture pack for an outdated eight-year old game that's missing significant story beats.

Until the bugs are ironed out, it’s just not worth the headache.

If you played through the entirety of the first game and didn’t have a problem with it, this may be your thing. While the collision detection, and some other things have taken some serious hits, there’s still a good story to be found. Otherwise I would skip this and wait for the inevitable sale.

Zack Zero could have shot for the star of “inoffensive mediocrity” and gotten higher marks for the effort. What’s on display here, however, is the product of a game development fiasco that dragged some seemingly good people through a gauntlet of emotional and financial insanity.

Here Anomaly 2 is trying to reinvent its own wheel with little tiny incremental upgrades instead of taking the same drastic approach that gained it such praise in the first place. The result isn’t something groundbreaking; the result is a confused and missed opportunity that has more in common with RTS games in every wrong way possible.

Bad Bots is a great idea for a game brought down by a lack of variety or legitimate innovative challenge.

There's very little consideration for the platform it's been ported to, and even the small handful of DS-specific tools are liable to be useless or buggy.

It’s a complete train-wreck of a game, only suitable for those with an appreciation for the amazingly awful.

All said and done, while Gameloft may have had some good intentions with Texas Hold’em Poker – a family-friendly game of Texas Hold’em with online play to boot – I simply can not recommend this game to anyone outside of those looking strictly for a Wii poker experience.

Ghost Rider is a game that aspires to be mediocre, but comes up several leagues short. [Apr 2007, p.57]

Ghost Rider is a game that aspires to be mediocre, but comes up several leagues short. [Apr 2007, p.57]

Undertow is an obnoxious, aggravating mess that, while trying something clever by combining a 2D twin-stick arena shooter with team-based gameplay, fails to be any fun whatsoever. [Spring 2008, p.61]

Ultimately, the game is so bad that even extremely fond memories of the original cannot redeem the wretched controls and dull character design. Do yourself a favor and don’t go anywhere near this catastrophe.

If you are considering Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga at all, chances are you simply want a Wii-exclusive online RPG, and if that's the case then do yourself a favor and wait for Monster Hunter 3.

With such a bizarre premise, the one thing Mart Racer desperately needed was fun and enticing gameplay – something that it severely lacks.

I power walk regularly every summer. I bring my MP3 player with me that has over a 1000 songs and I can actually lift up my feet while I walk. Not only is it free, but it is infinitely more gratifying than Walk It Out!.

Clan of Champions is far too stripped down, generic, and forgettable to ever recommend.

It falls completely on its ass in every category. Generic shooting, incredibly poor artificial intelligence and glitchy bug-ridden gameplay amounts to nothing more than a meager attempt to cash in on next month’s film.

The host of technical issues mean that Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command ultimately feels like a bad joke played on anyone who expected it to provide a compelling strategy experience.

The stealth BK game "Sneak King" is actually more of an entertaining game than Vampire Rain is. [Sept 2007, p.70]

Nothing about this game is good. It's one of the most horrible games ever made.

Lacking a single inspired trait, 007 Legends is the kind of game released simply to bilk $60 out of uninformed gamers before a swift trip to the bargain bin.

This is a game with only two gameplay features: tap the screen and give Square money. It's true that the music is great and the nostalgia value is off the charts, but neither of these things justify a release that is little more than a blatant cash grab.

This is the video game equivalent of Rebecca Black’s Friday, something so terrible that its existence is nothing short of a miracle.