IGN

• 32X
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis

If you are starting a 32X collection, Virtua Racing Deluxe should be one of your first three "gets." It's not hard to be one of the best 32X games since so many were poor, but Virtua Racing Deluxe is a good racer in any company. (SEGA really knew how to create racing games back in the proverbial day.) Plus, it's a great artifact from the transition between not just 2D and 3D, but the 16-bit generation and the 32-bit machines.

• WII
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

FaceBreaker K.O. Party is a pretty entertaining Wii game, if not for the fact that it's just too basic for hardcore gamers to really get into. Oftentimes we hear readers wondering about the score comparisons between Wii and 360 or PS3 games, and while it's often a real "apples to oranges" philosophy, the fact that K.O. Party is so similar to the other next-gen offerings on 360 and PS3 really helps FaceBreaker's case. This design was meant for Wii - it's fast, simple, has just a bit of depth so hardcore gamers can have some fun with it, but is ultimately a title anyone can pick up and swing away with - so while the hardest of the hardcore fans on the other systems may not want to touch it in favor of the more realistic, strategic Fight Night: Round 3, FaceBreaker is a pretty solid Wii title despite it's flaws. Wii is all about grabbing a group of family or friends and having a blast, and while FaceBreaker has enough cheap AI tactics and random "strategy vs. waggle-fest" face-offs that don't always favor the smarter player, it is good fun when trying to live up to its "K.O. Party" name spin-off. It's a slick looking game, can be great for any type of gamer against each other, but won't ever push into that upper-tier of must-have, must-play titles on Wii. If it's about being a party game, FaceBreaker succeeds, but is shallow in a "mindless fun" kind of way. If it's about making a competitive, in-depth boxing/fighting game that truly catches the "gamer" crowd, it'll take more balance next time around.

• DS
• 7.1 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS2
• 7.8 / 10
• États-Unis

There's only so much you can do to dress up five old games, but SNK Playmore has done a fair job in adding extras, making sure the whole package runs well and presenting the content nicely. I'd recommend this compilation to almost any fighting game enthusiast looking for some nostalgia-inducing fun, but the King of Fighters games aren't for everyone. That said, Orochi Saga felt right and I enjoyed revisiting some classic fighters.

• DS
• 7.9 / 10
• États-Unis

Monster Lab is undoubtedly destined for retail obscurity, but if you somehow stumble upon a copy and happen to be in the market for a well-made kids' game, this stylish, polished and fun title definitely fits the bill. It's got a few problems in the area of unnecessary repetition, some flow-breaking load screens, some pointless mini-games and some over-baked dialog, but overall the presentation is a cut above most Wii games, the monster-building mechanic incredibly deep and the turn-based battle system enjoyable. So if you like games like Pokemon, or if your kids do, give this one a try. The fact that it's $10 cheaper than your average Wii offering makes it a more worthwhile purchase.

• DS
• 7.7 / 10
• États-Unis

Tecmo Bowl Kickoff is essentially targeted at the same gamer group that Capcom aimed for with its download-only Mega Man 9: gamers who can appreciate the old-school look, feel, and play in a fresh gaming experience. If that’s you, great: you’ve got yourself one solid, well-designed retro football experience. It's a great "remember when" piece; the football experience definitely has a hard time holding up to today’s sports experiences, but Tecmo does everything it can to make sure Tecmo Bowl fans have something to cherish in a current generation product on the Nintendo DS.

• WII
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Call of Duty: World at War isn't a perfect FPS on Wii, and when it all boils down, you can find a better controlling game - one with a slicker framerate, too - in EA's Medal of Honor Heroes 2. What you won't find in Heroes though, or in any other Wii FPS to date, is a package that's this cinematic, this intense, this character-driven, unapologetically brutal, or as varied and intense as World at War. Treyarch has had its hands full in trying to deliver a game that could push out from behind COD4's shadow, and while that main battle is unmistakably happening on 360 and PS3 as a main battlefield, the team still took the time to deliver a seriously impressive first-person shooter on Wii. Multiplayer is a bit thin on modes, but what's there works very well, and is a blast to play. Control isn't dead, as smooth, or as twitch-responsive as we'd like it, but it holds its own, against the bulk of Wii FPS offerings to say the least. The single player campaign is extremely impressive, housing some great missions with lots of variety, the most elaborate challenges and locales we've seen on the system thus far, and some seriously impressive tech, be it in the smoke that dissipates from flamethrower blasts, the slow-falling ash in the forests of Europe, or the filtering like that creeps through the jungle canopy in Japan. The game still houses some pretty basic World War II colors and locales, but among the greens and browns lay some impressive chunks of scenery to check out, and battling across, under, and through them is a blast. It could be quite a while until we see wartime shooter with as much attention to detail, cinematic flair, or open battlegrounds as World at War. Or then again, it might be just around the corner with Infinity Ward's official Call of Duty 5.

• PS2
• 7.8 / 10
• États-Unis

Overall, Quantum of Solace on PlayStation 2 is not a title that should be passed on before giving it a try. While other versions are no doubt more visually pleasing, they can’t compare in terms of overall fun factor. The gameplay of QoS is more faithful to the heart of Bond and the stealth that it presents but also offers up plenty of gunplay and explosions to satiate those with a flair for action. There are plenty of issues like the slightly faulty cover system, disappointing AI and lack of multiplayer, but that doesn’t stop this Bond from being the most fun of the current crop.

• X360
• 7.4 / 10
• États-Unis

The control layout, though not perfect, is EA's best effort at adapting the classic RTS to the console yet. The command wheel, mini-map zoom, and ability to manage build queues from anywhere on the battlefield make for relatively smooth setup. Unfortunately, that's not enough to make a fantastic game. Red Alert 3 features nice presentation and a goofy, over-the-top story and unit design, but the campaign has some dull gameplay. The fast pace and required micro-management of individual units also makes Red Alert 3 a tough translation to the console. Though I didn't have much fun with the campaign and found the friends-only co-op play limiting, there is something worth looking at in the versus mode. Only a classic skirmish is available, but thanks to the interesting units and factions, Red Alert 3 can offer up a decent gaming experience.

• IOS
• 7.4 / 10
• États-Unis

• WII
• 6.7 / 10
• États-Unis

Wii gamers desperate for a role-playing game, particularly those that enjoyed the first Symphonia, might be able to overlook Dawn of the New World's tired gameplay and convoluted story. This was made for those fans and they probably decided long ago to get this sequel. But games have moved beyond these linear adventures. I can't think of much here to recommend to anyone new to this series. The real-time battle system is fun, but slogging through hours and hours of awkward dialogue in an on-rails undertaking isn't. Dawn's visuals are sufficient, but don't look like anything that couldn't have been done on the GameCube. Being the only RPG on the Wii's horizon, this doesn't feel like a relief -- it feels rather depressing.

• PS2
• 7.9 / 10
• États-Unis

Guitar Hero World Tour is a fun title, to be sure, but it's also a disappointment in a lot of respects. A number of things it tries to accomplish were already done better in Rock Band, which you might figure would have provided a simple blueprint to be followed and expanded upon, but that's not the case. The music creation tools are a great idea in theory, but the end result isn't as robust as I would have hoped it would be, both in terms of abilities as well as the songs that come out the other end. The game does have a good bit going for it and can serve to act as a stepping-off point for next year's game, whatever form that might take. Unfortunately, I thought the same of Guitar Hero III, and here we are.

• WII
• 9.5 / 10
• États-Unis

As with Mega Man 2, it would be easy to go on and on singing the praises of Mega Man's third NES adventure. But just as with that game, I'll cut to the point -- Mega Man 3 is an excellent, fully featured and incredibly enjoyable action experience from the NES that is absolutely worth your investment of 500 Wii Points. To this day, fans of the franchise debate whether or not 2 or 3 is the best in the series -- to me, the point is moot. Both are incredible, and both can be owned for a combined total of just ten bucks. You should download both. But it is important to assert that Mega Man 3 fully deserves the praise that fans continue to offer it to this day. Series creator Keiji Inafune seems to have recently taken a stance against the game, regretting some of its innovations -- the new Mega Man 9 was intentionally created in the style of 1 and 2 for example, leaving out mechanics like the slide technique first seen here. But though it is true that several of the later Mega Man sequels were just quick, cookie-cutter cash-ins, the franchise had not yet sunk to those depths by 1990. Mega Man 3 is excellent, the endless debate over whether it or 2 is the best sequel is a valid one, and you should spend the digital cash to jump into the experience and discover its quality for yourself. Mr. Inafune, I respectfully disagree with any reservations you have about this title. It rocks, and its arrival on the Virtual Console makes it still a good time to be a fan of Mega Man.

• WII
• 7.8 / 10
• États-Unis

In the end, Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 is a better game than 2008, but it still has lots of room to grow. The modes are there, the added features this year such as online, interactive entrances, motion finishers, and Road to Wrestlemania all make the overall package much, much stronger, but in wrestling games it's all about making a core design that can be played for hundreds of matches over, and that's all about gameplay. The new motion changes are stronger for the most part, but it's still somewhat limited due to its simplicity. Hopefully THQ's design will evolve, as there's only one type of real wrestling fan out there, and they don't need casual controls or "anyone can play" designs as much as they want a deep, fun experience. Interaction with items and objects in the world could be better, AI is often pretty moronic in the Road to Wrestlemania modes, the camera is a real pain (oftentimes not even showing downed opponents outside the ring) and the lack of free running in-ring and out is really a shame. There are piles of changes and bug fixes that can be changed for next year, and hopefully Yuke's can find a more Wii-specific identity for the game along the way. It visually isn't very impressive, most of the VO was used in Road to Wrestlemania mode, leaving a lot of repeats when fighting in standard matches, general combat is still pretty rough and limited, and matches end way too quickly due to the game's generic health bar for characters, cutting out the region-specific damage. If an "Arcade" mode needs to be left in for causal gamers, that's perfect, but Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 will be a much better game if THQ spends 10% of its time on the casual gamer, and the other 90% on making SVR a better game for the hardcore. After all, if games like Wii Sports have proved anything, it's that casual gamers don't need huge, expansive products to have a good time. Develop something fun and simple for them to enjoy, and then flesh out the bulk of the game for those that really care about seeing and playing it all for years on end. If you've got the choice, this review would encourage you to pick up the PS3/360 version of SVR this year. If Wii is your only system, or if you are looking for a game that appeals to everyone at the sacrifice of more depth and strategy, Nintendo's system still has a very different take on the WWE, even if it isn't as refined or polished just yet.

• PS3
• X360
• 7.8 / 10
• États-Unis

In the end, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is a good game but one that falls short of its potential. The Roster Editor is a welcome addition, Create-A-Finisher could be deeper but is a great first effort, the Inferno Match is over-the-top but fun, and Road to WrestleMania is one of the best story modes I've seen in a wrestling game in years. However, I can't shake the feeling that I'm playing last year's game when we get down to the nitty gritty match mechanics. Entrances, match list presentation, animations, and even a couple crowd members are recycled from SVR 08; pixilated audience members in the upper deck and six-man matches causing framerate drops haven't even been addressed; and the ECW Extreme Rules match has been gimped. These issues shouldn't be deal breakers for fans of squared-circle action nor do they detract from the fact that this is better than last year's game, but the problems do leave me without ever feeling "wowed" while playing SVR 09.

• PS2
• PSP
• WII
• 4 / 10
• États-Unis

There's just nothing to Ben 10: Alien Force that's worth taking a look at. Everything about the game is entirely uninspired, from the bland visuals and awkward physics to the sleep-inducing music. It's a shame, really, considering the fact that the game could have been fun had it offered refined platforming and an interesting (and especially exciting) battle mechanic where you constantly change forms to vary your combos. I can't even recommend this to fans of the television series, though I imagine a young gamer might overlook the numerous issues just to have fun playing as the different characters.

• WII
• 5.2 / 10
• États-Unis

Candy Factory is a functioning puzzle game ported directly from its PC counterpart with a few Wii-centric waggles thrown in. The waggles are randomly responsive and can slow down your daily candy production. The graphics could have used an update or overhaul, as playing this retail title feels a little underwhelming compared to several Wii Ware titles. The audio and music could benefit greatly from some variety. In the end, the most commendable thing about Candace Kane's Candy Factory is her refusal to exploit vertically impaired indigenous peoples for cheap labor (looking at you Wonka).

• PS2
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

In the end, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is a fun game that falls short of its potential. The Roster Editor is a welcome addition, Create-A-Finisher could be deeper but is a great first effort, the Inferno Match is over-the-top but fun, and Road to WrestleMania is one of the best story modes I've seen in a wrestling game in years. However, I can't shake the feeling that I'm playing last year's game when we get down to the nitty gritty match mechanics. Entrances, match list presentation, and animations are recycled from SVR 08. Sadly, the graphics don't do the franchise or the PS2 justice thanks to a crowd filled with undefined blobs, so-so wrestler faces, and belts that hover about people's shoulders. SVR 09 on the PS2 is clearly a toned down version of the game found on the PlayStation 3. If this is your only option, it's a decent wrestling game, but the visuals hold it back from the heights previous PS2 SVR titles have reached.