IGN

• PS2
• 4.9 / 10
• États-Unis

Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 seems like it barely takes a step forward past its predecessor. In some cases, it even takes a step back. If you're a hardcore fan of both the Dynasty Warriors brand and the Gundam universe, you'll undoubtedly purchase a copy even without my blessing, but I beg you to reconsider. The PS2 version really is a minor disaster. It's so blurry and it stutters so frequently, I can easily say it's the worst version of the three -- even if it has the same content as its current-gen counterparts.

• WII
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

• WII
• 5.8 / 10
• États-Unis

The core Crystal Defenders series is a blast, but with that being said it’s hard to recommend the Wii version to anyone but complete newcomers of the series, and those that don’t have an Xbox 360 or iPhone to use instead. The game only includes 13 levels, is simpler than the iPhone (and original Japanese cell phone) inspiration, and has about as many units and special attacks as world one of the three-world package that’s available on Microsoft’s system or iPhone/iPod Touch. 800 for what’s basically tutorial and a couple levels is a bit much, and if R2 is another 800 point purchase – which it seems to be – that could potentially be $16 for two slightly smaller cross-sections of a $7.99 game on a cell phone. It doesn’t make use of Wii’s controls, it’s a shorter experience overall, and while still very fun inherently, this is a far worse deal than anyone else is getting across any other system thus far. It may not be a cell phone port like on 360, but it’s actually far less content than one. The music, graphics, and core design are all taken from the source material, but are still very strong for a download offering. What isn’t there, however, is the core bulk of the experience. Here’s hoping R2 is offered as a free download, as R1 is really just a simpler reimagining of the first third of the original Crystal Defenders, and costs just as much as the full game’s $7.99 price point on iPhone/iPod Touch.

• WII
• 4 / 10
• États-Unis

Nintendo announces the arrival of the Commodore 64 on the Virtual Console -- and then drops support for the system after four games. Nintendo then announces the debut of the Virtual Console Arcade -- and, again, drops support for that after four games. I'm sure we'll eventually see more releases for both of those VC categories eventually, but the timing of Nintendo's Console releases has been broken for far too long. You can't hype up new systems and make surprise launches and then not follow-up. It's ridiculous. It wouldn't be so bad if the games we were getting in the meanwhile were worthwhile, but, really, more repetitive Wonder Boy? A game that's already been released before, in a better version, and that's the only new game this week? And its price has even been inflated? Nintendo, seriously. You've really lost the faith of nearly everyone who originally supported the Virtual Console at this point. You've got to get it together and start giving the people what they want -- and what they want is not more Wonder Boy.

• PSP
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

• WII
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

So, to me, Bomberman '94's arrival on the Virtual Console might just be a case of a missed window of opportunity. It's still a great game, it's just unfortunate that it took this long to arrive -- it could have had a much bigger impact if it released a year or two earlier. As it is, the people who want to play Bomberman on their Wii have probably already settled for the '93 edition, or invested in Blast on WiiWare. In fact, I'd still recommend Blast even though this one's now available -- '94 here has a superior single player mode, but if you're playing Bomberman for its single player then you've got no business playing Bomberman to begin with. It took too long for you to get this one out the door, Hudson -- 28 months was way too long a wait. Grab a Speed Up for your VC publishing schedule next time around, and you may have better sales to show for it.

• DS
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

• WII
• 5 / 10
• États-Unis

Up and down, left and right, waggle and stop. You just beat Major Minor's Majestic March. The story and presentation are well drawn, but poorly executed. On the other hand the controls are wonderfully precise -- they're just not that fun. Everything works in Major Minor which is commendable, but the overall sum of its parts is less than stellar. Fans awaiting some form of successor to PaRappa and Lammy will have to keep waiting.

• PS3
• X360
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

OutRun is just as much fun as it was when released more than two decades ago, though the gameplay fundamentals haven't changed much and the series is still in need of a bonafide relaunch. That said, I still love OutRun. I'll never get sick of Heart Attack mode. Partially because it offers a great challenge, but also because it's the only time in my life that I've ever satisfied a woman. If you're looking to waste a few hours drifting, OutRun's a great option.

• PC
• 7.7 / 10
• États-Unis

• PC
• PS3
• X360
• 6.9 / 10
• États-Unis

I want to stress that, while I didn't connect with Flock, I think it will find an audience. If you happen to be immune to the aggravation of trying to guide these animals to your goal, there is a lot to like about the game. The single-player and co-op campaigns each have their own levels, the game has personality, and user-generated content will keep you playing as long as you want. But I don't want to wrestle with a game -- I want to control it. Flock is designed to not be smooth or elegant, and the herky jerky mechanics of guiding animals/stopping to pick up stragglers/guiding animals/stopping to pick up stragglers doesn't make me want to follow the herd.

• PS2
• WII
• 7.1 / 10
• États-Unis

For $30, Samurai Shodown is packing quite a lot of classic 2D fighting into one package, which I always appreciate. But the super fuzzy sprites just don't look as nice anymore, especially in Samurai Shodown VI when they sit on the title's surprisingly slick backgrounds. Then again, hardcore fighting game fans rarely commit to the experience because of the graphics -- it's all about gameplay. This anthology has the classic gameplay some of you will recognize and that in itself is the game's main selling point. Everyone else will feel very overwhelmed upon booting up the game. But at least we can all take solace in Iroha's ridiculous charm. The Wii version supports all the control options you'd want, including the Classic Controller, which is the only way to go. It also has an exclusive motion-controlled mini-game where you catch falling items as one of the franchise pets, like Poppy and Pak Pak. So even though there are a few Samurai Shodowns on the Virtual Console, this is still the most robust, cost-effective option.

• PS3
• X360
• 6.4 / 10
• États-Unis

Ski-Doo Snowmobile Challenge is a reasonable racing game, but it doesn't pack a whole lot of excitement in with the disc and manual. If you're really into snowmobile arcadey racers, you may find a fair bit to like here. Otherwise, there are a number of other and better "extreme" racers to choose from.

• PS2
• 8.5 / 10
• États-Unis

• PC
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

• PC
• 4.8 / 10
• États-Unis

I don't know how I'm going to score a game until I sit down and write the review. After reading the paragraphs preceding this one, it's clear I did not like Wheelman. When Vin Diesel is attached to a project -- whether it be a movie or game -- you expect to have to suspend your disbelief and settle in for some unbelievable shenanigans. Sadly, Wheelman pushes those ideas too far past the point of no return. Sure, the occasional hip check from a sedan is cool, but there's no story to keep you going (Why would the gangs put up with his crap?), the combat is a chore (Oh, another swarm of bad guys to block my path? Fun.), and the game doesn't look that good (Cars are just generic boxes.). I wanted Wheelman to be a guilty pleasure, like 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, but it's just guilty of being a poor game.

• PC
• 7.9 / 10
• États-Unis

• DS
• WII
• PC
• 5.9 / 10
• États-Unis

Gravity has the right stuff to be a sleeper puzzle game, but it stumbles a bit with a design that's a little rough around the edges. It feels too light on content for its pricetag, at least on Wii. The design seems better suited for the DS platform's pick-up-and-play experience, but the technology isn't quite up to the game's potential.