IGN

• PS2
• WII
• 4.5 / 10
• États-Unis

It all adds up to a game that just intrinsically feels like a budget title, like something that's literally meant to fill shelf space in the hopes that some clueless grandma, come Christmas time, will see trucks on the cover and pick up a sweet deal for little Jimmy. In that regard, it's not exactly a rip-off, but for those looking for anything more than a shallow racer with solid controls, it's best to just keep looking.

• PC
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS3
• X360
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

NFL Head Coach 09 is sort of like a Tamagotchi that has been built specifically for adult males who are foaming at the mouth for more football than any one Sunday could bring. It delves very deep into the actions of a head coach and, while most of it does feel like plodding through an endless stream of menus, there’s a good chunk of Monday morning quarterbacks who are sure to enjoy it.

• PC
• 7.8 / 10
• États-Unis

FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage tries to be part arcade racer and part simulator, and for the most part it works. The main problem is that it doesn't push boundaries in either direction. So if you're trying to get immersed in a realistic racing game, you're better off with Grid. If you enjoy silly stunts and racing at insane speeds then you should wait to see how Burnout Paradise PC turns out. Still, hybrid racers of this type are pretty rare on the PC in this day and age, and this is by no means a bad game. So if you're looking for a fun and silly racer that may not blow you away, FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage may be the racer for you. So go break a leg, or two.

• DS
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS2
• 8.5 / 10
• États-Unis

While Yakuza 2 isn't vastly improved or even all that different from the first game (that will likely happen when the PS3 continuation finally hits), but what it does offer is a fantastic story that is actually interesting, sports characters that you can grow to love or hate, and plenty of twists to keep all those disparate parts fresh. Go buy this game. Seriously. SEGA needs to be rewarded for cranking out an experience like this, and doing it on the anniversary of the Dreamcast's launch is just icing on the cake.

• X360
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

Shogi is the kind of game that you can get hooked on. If you enjoy chess, playing and learning this variant will be right up your alley. However, the 800 Microsoft point ($10 US) price tag will have you wishing more effort would have been put into the presentation and game options.

• PC
• 7.2 / 10
• États-Unis

The considerable investment of time and focus it takes to begin to enjoy Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI is probably enough to turn off most gamers. Having been spoon-fed our entertainment for so long, it's a bit jarring to come up against a title that not only doesn't apologize for its endlessly meticulous details, but actually celebrates them. By itself, that's not necessarily something to criticize, but it does mean that most gamers aren't willing (or even equipped in some cases) to climb the steep learning curve required to unlock the actual fun that's waiting beneath. Unfortunately, even for those few who manage to reach a level of understanding and proficiency, the game's slow pace means the rewards won't come often enough to encourage them to keep playing for long.

• WII
• 6.8 / 10
• États-Unis

• PC
• 6.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Given the poor strategic game, which lets you make a few troop bolstering choices and little else, and the mish-mash of the tactical game, it seems that Warhammer: Mark of Chaos -- Battle March is designed primarily for fans of the Warhammer miniatures game. There does seem to be a lot of dice rolling that goes on in the background that replicates the miniatures game, though it's very difficult to tell what effect anything is having. Battle March does give Warhammer fans a chance to create and even "paint" custom armies and then play them against the AI or other players. I'm sure that is welcome for players who want to see their miniatures come to life in a computer game. As a real-time strategy game, however, it belies its fantastic and compelling Warhammer setting by being disappointingly average. Gamers interested in a good strategy game should look elsewhere.

• PS3
• X360
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

NHL 2K9 does some good things. The controls have been fixed, it's fun, and there are some nice touches to the presentation. But the AI is very suspect and the emphasis on fun hurts the authenticity, which was once 2K's biggest selling point. Certainly there are merits to purchasing NHL 2K9, but there's no question it is inferior to its rival this year. If you prefer your hockey more streamlined and don't want to be forced to play a slower but truer form of the sport, then this is certainly worth picking up.

• PS2
• 5.3 / 10
• États-Unis

TNA iMPACT! had a lot of potential, but it didn't follow through on it. Sure, the control scheme is solid as well as a throwback to the wrestling games of old (so it's sure to appeal to a lot of people) and the Ultimate X Match is fun and provides for some good looking spots, but those facets aren't enough to overcome the pile of wrong this title has assembled. There's no CAW; the moves are limited and repetitive; there's no online; clipping issues abound; the game is not pretty; the framerate dips; and above all, iMPACT! doesn't feel like real wrestling. The opponents never stay down long enough; they don't sell limb damage; there's an announce table and announcer voices (that are barely used) but no announcer bodies; there are no championship belts to wear or defend even though they're mentioned in the story; chairs are just sitting around the outside of the ring; there is no rope break, and every match is no count out/no DQ. It's clear that the PlayStation 2 version of TNA iMPACT! was an afterthought.

• PS2
• PC
• 1.9 / 10
• États-Unis

There are a few other trivial elements in Falling Stars like dressing Luna or training Komi (you just distribute points to his attack, speed or defense), but they're not worth talking about -- just like this game isn't worth your time or money. I'm tempted to recommend that you throw this game into a fire, but I'm strongly against the burning of creative works. But calling Falling Stars a "creative work" is a bit of a stretch.

• WII
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Very few games have ever been created that are as overtly explicit as those in the Cho Aniki series, and while this first installment in the franchise is the tamest of them all it’s easy to see the direction that developer Masaya intended evolving already. Cho Aniki is the weirdest and most nonsensical Import to come to the American Virtual Console so far -- and it likely won’t ever lose that distinction, unless its own sequels show up someday. The even more ridiculous Ai Cho Aniki and Cho Aniki: Bakuretsu Ranto Hen could be potential future candidates for the service, so if you want to see more nearly naked men come to the VC, put down 900 Wii Points for this one.

• WII
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Final Soldier is an Import category release for the Virtual Console, as it's never previously been made available in the United States. But, that novelty aside, it's just not quite as appealing as most of the other games in its series that have been on sale in the Wii Shop for a while. It certainly tops the NES Star Soldier, but beyond that I'd more firmly recommend Super Star Soldier, Soldier Blade or Blazing Lazers before suggesting that you spend 700 Wii Points on this one. If you've already played and enjoyed all the rest, though, then by all means use seven bucks to grab this not-so-final middle installment in the franchise.

• DS
• 6.2 / 10
• États-Unis

Ferrari Challenge's greatest offense is being boring. We get a glimpse of a really interesting racer in the tutorial, but then all that fun stuff is taken away and we're left with a totally mediocre game. Without any bells or whistles, all you can do is race invincible Ferraris around dull environments. Interface problems keep it from being exciting for even diehard Ferrari fans. Drivers should check out last month's Grid for an example of portable racing done well.

• DS
• 7.7 / 10
• États-Unis

Mystery Case Files might be lacking in personality (sorry, bad puns don't equal personality), but it is an engaging diversion. If all it offered was a seek-and-find game it would have gotten old fast, but the many variations and additional mini-games keep the player engaged as it moves along briskly. There are several entries in the series available online, so hopefully we'll get a few more here on the DS.

• PS3
• X360
• 6.4 / 10
• États-Unis

TNA iMPACT! had a lot of potential, but it didn't follow through on most of it. Beyond the limited/repetitive moves, lackluster CAW, and scaled back online, my main problem is that iMPACT! doesn't feel like real wrestling. The opponents never stay down long enough, they don't sell limb damage, there's an announce table and announcer voices (which are super-repetitive), but no announcer bodies, there are no championship belts to wear or defend even though they're mentioned in the story, chairs are just sitting around the outside of the ring, there is no rope break, and every match is no count out/no DQ. Don't get me wrong, the control scheme is solid as well as a throwback to the wrestling games of old (so it's sure to appeal to a lot of people) and the Ultimate X Match is fun and provides for some good looking spots, but overall TNA iMPACT! ends up being a shallow game. It's not going to take you long to see everything this title has to offer and start dreaming about the sequel.