IGN

• WII
• 8.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Paying no mind to the unlicensed Tengen port of Fantasy Zone to the NES almost 20 years ago, the arrival of the SEGA Master System version of Fantasy Zone on the Wii's Virtual Console really is Opa-Opa's Big N debut. And it's an occasion to be celebrated. This is a mascot and a series that only a select group of fans got to enjoy in their original days, and they've always deserved more attention and a wider audience. We'd recommend you become a member of that new audience – especially if you've never met Opa-Opa before. (And, while you're still considering spending five of your digital dollars on a download here, take the time to read two of our other recent features featuring Fantasy Zone. IGN Retro's Levi Buchanan recently dedicated a full installment of Fond Memories to the game, and it also took a spot in the Top 10 Classic Shoot 'Em Ups list compiled there less than two weeks ago. Give 'em a click.)

• WII
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS2
• 2.3 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS2
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Fatal Fury: Battle Archives Volume 2 is a fine collection of games that feel far more refined than their predecessors. Although I sound like a broken record, I have to say that getting three classic titles for under twenty bucks is a pretty fair deal and you can't really complain about the lack of bonus content. But at the same time, I'm getting weary of seeing the exact same structure in these SNK compilations. Hopefully future releases will be a bit different. If you want to finish off your Fatal Fury collection, this works well. The games are old but fun and run without any dramatic hitches. Fighting game fans shouldn't have any serious concerns when picking this one up.

• X360
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

There may not ever be a better 2D shooter on Xbox Live Arcade. Ikaruga is that good. The only downside to the game is exactly what makes it so compelling for most; the challenge. Casual gamers may find themselves overwhelmed and unable to scratch the surface of this classic. That would be a shame, though, as this is easily one of the best titles on the Live Arcade.

• WII
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

Overall, Yoshi's Cookie is a fair and favorable puzzler that – while not a candidate for immediate recommendation – wouldn't be a waste of your Wii Points should you decide to spend 500 of them on it. It's one of Nintendo's more obscure puzzle designs, and it sets itself apart in that it's not a clone of the "falling block" style of Tetris like so many other puzzlers are. Give it a look if you're a fan of the genre looking for something that's just a bit different.

• DS
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

The Backyard series was far from perfect on GBA, and has stunk pretty bad on DS thus far, with the exception of Backyard Basketball. Usually these games are quick little cash cows that are rushed out the door, but every once in a while we find one that stands above the rest. Backyard Baseball ’09 works, and while it still has the same general shortcomings that arrive with every Backyard title year after year (weak visual design, horrible audio, and extremely simple interface and presentation), the gameplay is there this time around, and it’s due in a large part to the intuitive touch controls. It’s not perfect by any means, but for this year’s baseball head-to-head Backyard isn’t looking too bad. The control works, there are some decent moments of fun to be had, and there’s even multi-card two player should you find someone else with the game. A little effort goes a long way.

• PS2
• 8.3 / 10
• États-Unis

For the most part, Arcana Heart is awesome and offers yet another avenue for fighting game enthusiasts to tread. After recently playing the robust Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the amount of bonus content included on this PS2 disc (an art gallery, a few movies, some forgettable music, etc.) seems really sparse, but at least it's something. Otherwise, a charming cast, great fight mechanics, diverse play styles and tons of depth make this a fighting game you don't want to miss. Despite its few problems, you only have to pay thirty dollars for a fantastic experience.

• WII
• 6.8 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS2
• 3.2 / 10
• États-Unis

World Championship Cards is boring, poorly put together and, at times, annoying. If this had poker, I'd make a joke about folding. But, it doesn't.

• DS
• 5.8 / 10
• États-Unis

Harvest Moon has been a solid adventure in the portable world for over a decade, starting first on the original Game Boy, and progressing to the GBC and GBA. Even still, each generation added something new to the mix, starting with simple color display, and ending with a full immersive town and nearly endless replay value. On DS, however, it seems like the development team simply added basic bottom screen item management and a few animal interactions and called it a day. The main bulk of the game is still single screen, uses a ton of the same assets from the Friends of Mineral Town world, and though the game is supposed to be set up in a different town, a ton of the characters “mysteriously” make cameos. With “Cute,” players can expect the same girl-friendly transition that we saw with More Friends of Mineral Town, as there are a few changes made in the most basic of areas, but the core game is still identical. It’s still a fun game, but like its predecessor (which is now a year and a half old), Harvest Moon DS Cute feels more like a touch-enabled version of Friends of Mineral Town, and less like the true Harvest Moon DS experience we’re waiting for. We’ve played and loved Rune Factory, and we know the true successor is on the way as well, with Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness releasing in Japan within the next few months. Hopefully we see that making a DS debut as quickly as possible, as we’re now three and a half years into the DS life cycle, and we’ve still yet to get a true 3D Harvest Moon. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going back to Rune Factory, and we suggest you do the same.

• X360
• 2.8 / 10
• États-Unis

There are so many good XBLA puzzle games with functional online components that it's impossible for me to recommend downloading Mr. Driller Online at this point. Mr. Driller Online was billed as an online multiplayer version of an oldie but goodie. It doesn’t fit that description, and I've rated it accordingly. If an eventual patch fixes the multiplayer, then we could have a solid all-around experience on our hands. Until then, only spend your points if you're an eccentric Dig Dug collector who doesn’t mind lazy presentation.

• PS2
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Developer Blue Tongue deserves some serious kudos for sticking to a basic concept and executing it perfectly. Yeah, it's really just jumping from one perch to the next while avoiding stuff -- all while collecting coins (sorry, sorry, "Macho Points") to unlock stuff like bonus levels and costumes -- but doing so is actually fun. And that's kind of the idea of videogames to begin with. It sounds like a no-brainer, but the piles of licensed shovelware prove that it's not as simple to duplicate as it sounds. Which is exactly why El Tigre is absolutely worth picking up.

• DS
• 4 / 10
• États-Unis

It might be unique, but the game is too cool for its own good. Something's not right when the limp gameplay gets completely lost in the game's universe, and Double Sequence is a bland puzzler lost in a sea of overindulgent style and menus.

• PSP
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection was made for pinball wizards: it's a fantastic fan service of the game's recent past that puts excellent attention to the detail of the genre. It's always better to play the real machine than virtual representations of them, but this collection is a great alternative at a solid value. And these pinball machines will never wear out on you.

• WII
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

In fact, with IR calibration working it’s really a shame that the rest of the package isn’t as impressive. Visuals are unchanged on House of the Dead 2, we mentioned the brief slowdown issues in House of the Dead 3, but aside from that the games still only run in 4:3 display, again evidence of a quick port. The audio is unchanged as well (and classically crappy as it is, we would have thrown a fit of the corny voice acting was taken out), and in the end you’ve got the most stripped down and basic compilation out there. In fact, it’s a bit of a kick in the pants when you consider that House of the Dead 3 is the more lacking of the two games this time around, and on Xbox House of the Dead III had a special unlockable version of none other than House of the Dead 2. Not only is Return a port of two games nearly a decade old each, but a technically and visually superior version of this package already existed six years ago. SEGA has nailed IR control though, so the door is wide open for a stellar, Wii-exclusive original light gun game at this point. C’mon guys, let’s see it.

• X360
• 6.3 / 10
• États-Unis

From the gossamer winged Interceptors of the Masari to the hulking crimson Walkers of the Hierarchy, Universe at War is chock full of well-designed units, structures and ideas. However, Universe's technical problems, precision control issues and hackneyed storyline dull its shine, resulting in a less-than-great RTS experience.

• WII
• 8.9 / 10
• États-Unis

As the first entry in the series on the Wii, Pro Evolution 2008 is remarkable. It’s a credit to the Konami team that their solution to the Wii-mote manages to stick so readily, and it’s a sign that developers are finally beginning to un-tap the potential of the machine. Providing a free-flowing football experience like no other before it, it’s not only the best title of its sort on the Wii, but also an indicator of what’s possible for the genre as a whole when genuine innovation is applied.