It's painfully clear to me that Shinobido 2 wasn't a labor of love. Recycled environments, halfhearted character designs, and muddy graphics overall simply don't put the Vita through its paces, nor do they showcase what the powerful handheld is capable of doing. Forgettable music, voice acting, and frustrating touch controls that only worsen the experience all work together to make Shinobido 2 a very weak package overall. If you're looking for well-executed stealth action that delivers a more co...

At its heart, Touch My Katamari is the same monster we know and love, with a bright new coat of paint. And it shows quite a bit of potential for what the series could possibly undertake. For now, it's a bridge to bigger and better Katamari games that strips itself down to basics to grow from there. And like the in-game katamari, grow it shall -- hopefully into the brightest star yet.

This multi-specialty adventure is surprisingly deep and challenging for its bargain price, and if you've got the friends and the time, it's well worth the admission. If you're looking for more twists on familiar tropes, Trine 2 is your the best candidate. Pick it up and save the princess. Just don't get too caught up in sightseeing on your way to the finish line.

Serious Sam 3: BFE is Croteam's love letter to those of us who have been waiting for another glimpse at classic shoot-'em-up-ery in the vein of Doom, Quake, and even the original Duke Nukem, whose modern iteration failed to deliver. It's a machine gun-and-heavy-metal symphony that only hardcore shooter fans will want to take a stab at, and while its punishing difficulty at times may certainly be a turnoff for potential buyers, it's a satisfying throwback to a simpler time.

The Random Encounter ends almost as fast as it begins, but your five bucks get you a punchy, colorful, and vivid throwback to the heyday of the RPG, mashed up with all the violent insanity of Serious Sam. Fans who need their next fix would do well to check out the previous indie offering Double D in addition to this quickie, simply to serve as a great palate cleanser before jumping right back into the hotbed of ravenous monsters that is the Serious Sam universe. Th...

If you’re a newcomer and you need an entry point to Phantom Brave, I would suggest beginning with the great Wii port and then gravitating to the PSP for handheld strategizing should you still ache for more. For everyone else who has already exhausted the PlayStation 2 original and Wii re-release, this really isn’t something I would recommend adding to your collection unless the potential to take Marona with you on the go is a serious selling point. This is an interesting try at making the...

Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! is a side-scrolling throwback that classic gamers should definitely enjoy. From its distinctly Disgaea-flavored personality to its endless inside jokes, the game is a fun ride from start to finish...that is, if you can keep up the pace. The added "Baby Mode" will be a boon for players who couldn't hack it in the first game, without ever dumbing the game down enough to make it a pushover. As for the overall game, it features the perfect amo...

Bullets rarely feel as if they’re making proper contact, and aiming serves little purpose other than to give the illusion of accuracy. In an attempt to make the game seem a little more realistic, weapons have been “handicapped,” if you will, to maintain the illusion that these are still two men on the run, testosterone and adrenaline fueling their every move. It doesn’t work, and as a result the game feels artificially lengthened by frustrating firefights and enemies who take more punishment tha...

Sometimes, all that you need to take a mediocre game and transform it into a colorful, lively romp through time and space is a cast of memorable characters. Take Disgaea, for instance. On its own merits, that title wasn't the perfect dungeon crawler, but once zany personalities such as Laharl and Etna were tossed into the mix, it became an entirely different monster. Trinity Universe, NIS's latest offering, is a hodgepodge of that same brand of silliness and rambunctious dialog that has successf...

Though Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter is an exemplary title for those looking to satisfy their craving for golden age shooters, the pace is not suited for everyone (especially newcomers). It's a hardcore offering in an unbelievably simple package. The recreation here is so faithful that it's difficult not to recommend the game to everyone in spite of that hardcore bent, especially given the achievements and multi-player support. If you've never partied with Sam before, now is the best time ...