IGN

• DS
• 4.8 / 10
• États-Unis

I dreaded booting this one into my DS after the torment the Wii version of AMF Bowling: Pinbusters gave me back in 2007, but luckily this one – produced by a completely different team – isn’t nearly as bad. I’m sad to say it doesn’t get much better on DS, but it’s not unbearably awful in portable form.

• PS3
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

• PC
• 3 / 10
• États-Unis

If this were an Xbox 360 game, you'd at least get points for your gamerscore. But since this is a PC game, and since there are about three billion better shooters out there, there's not much, if anything, to redeem Code of Honor 2. If you want a laugh and you're desperate, stay away and watch Lionheart instead.

• WII
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Midnight Pool isn't a genre-changing experience for the world of video billiards, but it is the best game of pool you can find anywhere on Wii, despite its internet flash game roots. This 800 point download offers IR menus, multiple game modes, two player hand-off play (Wii- mote only) and a pretty decent game of pool based around Wii IR, motion, and strong core gameplay. It isn't always pretty -- the characters are generic, and the VO is horrendous -- but it's still a solid choice if you find yourself with a few extra bucks while sitting in the Wii Shop Channel. In fact, we're pretty sure you won't find a better game of pool on Wii until the inevitable Wii MotionPlus revamps that are sure to follow in 09 and beyond, so as long as the odd visual style in Midnight Pool doesn't turn you off, you're in for a fun game of pool at an entirely fair price. If you're on the fence, search the net for the free flash version of the game first, or find a demo of the Midnight Pool 3D. Yes it's a remake of a web game, but like Defend Your Castle before it, Midnight Pool is still one worth playing.

• X360
• 4.9 / 10
• États-Unis

Smash Court Tennis 3 is yet another disappointment in the record books for tennis gaming. Its slow and boring pace kills what should be some of the best tennis around given the game's lineup of stars. While it does fall back on the problems that besiege nearly every tennis game (meaning it contains the personality of a tennis pro from the 1940s), it makes things even worse by presenting a defunct version of the sport. There's no intricacy to the animations, no style to the shots, and no personality from the fans or players. The only real thing saving this game for those who can stomach the plodding brand of tennis is the solid career mode. Everyone else should let this one pass by.

• WII
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis

The decision to download just comes down to preference and price, then. If you're the type of gamer who appreciates SNK's arcade style and can jibe with the idea of juiced-up, high-speed golf, Neo Turf might be well worth your 900 Wii Points. But if you're looking for a more accurate simulation with a slower pace, you're better off looking elsewhere. The recently common Neo Geo caveat also applies to this release, too – in addition to being available as a Virtual Console download, it's also included as one of the 16 games on the recent compilation disc, SNK Arcade Classics: Volume 1. So don't drop nine bucks just for this one game if you're a greater Neo Geo fan, as you can get much more value for your money by spending $29.99 there.

• WII
• 1 / 10
• États-Unis

We don't get to say this often, but there are literally thousands of better options when deciding what to pick up for younger gamers. Backyard Baseball '09 is just as bland and uninspired as the series has been for years now, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a worse game on Wii. They're out there, but they're few in number. Seriously, if you own a Wii, that means you've got Wii Sports already. That's already five sports games that you own that are better than Backyard Baseball '09 by a long, long shot. Spend $2 bucks, buy a lighter, and burn the other $38 out on your front porch. Just don't support this franchise.

• PS2
• 4 / 10
• États-Unis

• WII
• 2.5 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS2
• WII
• 2 / 10
• États-Unis

Dear Lordy, save yourself a sliver of sanity by never even thinking about playing this game. No amount of money, however miniscule is worth dropping to even see how bad the game is. It's bad, and not in that fun "oh, look how crappy this is!" kind of way, it's just boring and lifeless. Sure it's a racing game in the sense that you push a button to move forward, but that's about the extent of the game's depth. In fact, why am I even dedicating more words to this review? Stay the hell away, I'm begging you.

• WII
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Mega Man is an undeniable classic, and its long-requested appearance in Virtual Console form today can mean nothing but good things in the future for fans of the retro gaming download service. At a price point of 500 Wii Points and a meager hard drive storage size of just 15 blocks, it's also well worth your consideration for immediate purchase. The only reason you might not want to invest in Mega Man for the Virtual Console is if you feeled turned off by its difficulty, or some of its other "unrefined" elements of design. But like all the other franchise-establishing NES hits mentioned back up in the intro, Mega Man's sequels polished and improved upon the foundation laid down here and offered some of the best gaming experiences on Nintendo's 8-bit system. Mega Man 2 is set to arrive in the Wii Shop soon, too, so if you're not immediately putting down five bucks for this one, you'll definitely want to keep them ready for that superior sequel. And, of course, all of this is building up to the impending WiiWare release of the brand-new, old-school Mega Man 9 – so keep that new installment's imminent arrival in mind, too, as you're distributing those Wii Points.

• WII
• 7.7 / 10
• États-Unis

If only all casual games were of this quality. The developers took the time to create some nice visuals, a unique art style, and motion controls that actually fit the experience. But here's the real evidence: my fellow IGN editors frequently stop by my desk to see what crappy Wii game I'm playing. After watching me play Order Up! for a few minutes, they all said, "Wow, I kind of want to play this!"

• PSP
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

It may have felt as though I was constantly bringing up last year's game, but that's because Madden 09 basically feels like you're playing Madden 08. The Rookie Mode is a good idea as far as helping get newcomers into the game, but the problem is that the majority of the "new" features in this year's game spring directly from that mode. That doesn't really push the title forward; it only places a mildly new spin on the pre-existing formula. It's still a decent game for fans to play, but if you were looking for a big leap forward for the portable version in the 20th edition of the franchise, you're not going to find it here.

• PS2
• 5 / 10
• États-Unis

Unless you're some kind of Jeff Gordon superfan, there's quite literally nothing of worth to discover in NASCAR 09 that couldn't be gleaned from, you guessed it, NASCAR 08. The game looks the same, plays the same, sports almost identical menus and progression, and doesn't even try to appear different. EA gets a lot of flak for incrementally updating their yearly sports games, but this is a blatant case of the game being all but identical to last year's entry.

• PS2
• PSP
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

There are times when a game's detriments completely destroy any value pricing it at budget level would bring. Cake Mania: Baker's Challenge is not one of those games. While initially I thought it a rather thin and pointlessly simple experience, things quickly ramped up and became more compelling. Balancing upgrades vs. adding more of a particular machine and juggling multiple orders at once is actually a lot of fun. The controls are a little funky -- particularly given the number of buttons both the PS2 and PSP offer -- but it's hardly enough to kill the fun. Given the price point and the amount of stuff here, this is a great little impulse buy. You might not be playing it a few months from now, but it'll certainly offer enough fun in the initial couple weeks to justify the purchase price.

• PS2
• 4.5 / 10
• États-Unis

I know this is a kid's game and I'm not the target audience but the gameplay is still joyless. It works well enough, but the stick movement isn't exciting and definitely doesn't make me feel like I'm really on stage or doing anything connected to what's happening on stage. Add to that the poor visuals, and this game is guaranteed to only get played by the little ones who don't know any better.

• PS2
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

Cocoto Fishing Master on the PlayStation 2 is a much more enjoyable experience than Cocoto Fishing Master on WiiWare, as a single element of the control scheme redeems the entire package here on Sony's hardware. The game is still a simple experience without a ton of depth, as its levels and characters become repetitive as you play through Cocoto's quest – but while it's not an amazing game in the end, having a control scheme that actually works makes this budget-level fishing adventure at least worth a look.

• PC
• PS3
• X360
• 9.3 / 10
• États-Unis

Bionic Commando Rearmed sets a new benchmark for bite-sized downloadable games. The best elements of the original are back, but have been upgraded to be better than before. The new bosses add a more interesting challenge and the final level is one for the ages. And, of course, the visuals are brilliant. The remastered soundtrack is fantastic as well. From top to bottom, Bionic Commando Rearmed is an incredible game that's well worth owning.