IGN

• DS
• 6.5 / 10
• États-Unis

For a DS basketball game aimed at a younger audience, Backyard Basketball is pretty good. Having just reviewed the other two Backyard Sports games on DS, I was expecting another stinker. While the game has its share of quirks and isn’t as polished or ultimately enjoyable as a game like Mario Hoops: 3-on-3, its gameplay always feels fair and it should be easy for younger kids to get into. At $30 it’s a bit light on features, but parents of young basketball fanatics could choose worse.

• PC
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis

• DS
• 4 / 10
• États-Unis

What can be said other than this game doesn’t play very well. There are a lot of settings and options in regard to team and player selection, but a DS hockey game that doesn’t count goals reliably isn’t worth the plastic it’s pressed on. This game will probably be too complicated for young gamers, and too frustrating for older hockey fans. Even without a better hockey game on the DS to compare this to, Backyard Hockey just isn’t worth picking up.

• X360
• 8.5 / 10
• États-Unis

• X360
• 6.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Crash of the Titans is a good idea wrapped in a mediocre game. This is a shame too, because that good idea involves smashing small things with large monsters. Nonetheless, kids and die-hard Crash fans will still dig the game, and the co-op is perfect for two squabbling siblings who fight over the controller. It doesn't have the lasting power to make a spot in your collection, but it will make for a good rental. Let's hope that the monster-jacking idea is used better in a sequel someday.

• PC
• 7.9 / 10
• États-Unis

• WII
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis

• WII
• 6.8 / 10
• États-Unis

Dewy's Adventure has all the conceptual makings of a great platformer, but in the end the developer's ambition has fallen short of that goal due in large to the title's control scheme, which never feels tight and responsive and always feels slow and occasionally even unpredictable. Were the game's controls as simple as its premise, we'd have a perfect match, but as it stands this is an endeavor whose presentation is too cute and cuddly for most older players and whose gameplay mechanics will deter younger ones. This is not to say that Dewy is a complete mess, because that simply isn't true at all, either. Indeed, if you're an able gamer who can somehow resist the temptation to cringe at the effort's rudimentary storyline and heavy-handed dialog, or embrace its rainbow-colored tone, you will find clever level designs and puzzles in place, not to mention some truly flashy, stylized graphics. We certainly admire the developer's intentions here – we just wish the whole package meshed better.

• DS
• 5.5 / 10
• États-Unis

I can definitely appreciate the team's attempt in bringing the true Spyro 3D experience to the Nintendo DS - it's honestly about time. But the game still feels like a step backwards: clumsy storytelling, awkward gameplay, wonky camera, and awful boss battles. The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night is still far better than the first Spyro outing that appeared on the Nintendo DS, but it fails to keep the momentum going after last year's decent title…even if it's trying to do far more than A New Beginning ever did.

• PC
• 8.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Mask of the Betrayer is a fine expansion pack from Obsidian. It's a more stable experience, seems to run slightly better, and more importantly delivers a narrative that, for the most part, proceeds along without getting tangled by the catches of cliche. Its characters and their interactions are sure to strike many satisfying chords within the hearts of the Dungeons & Dragons fans, though those uninitiated in the ways of these types of games should steer their attention toward the original before tackling this high-level affair.

• WII
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Though it is a bit odd to start off the series on the VC with Shinobi III, it's probably better for gamers that this installment in SEGA's old-school ninja franchise came first. It's arguably the best in its series, after all, and the smooth feeling of its gameplay only came about as a result of improving upon the stiffer controls of its predecessors. There are now several different ninja action games to choose from in the Wii Shop, as Shinobi III takes its place alongside titles like Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Spirit – and, luckily, you can't really go wrong with any of them. It's 800 Wii Points for this one, and you know you want to see a ninja ride a horse and go surfing.

• WII
• 7.8 / 10
• États-Unis

Not a lot has changed over the last year for Rockstar Presents Table Tennis. Wii owners are getting the same game, the same characters, the same locales, the same unlockables, and the same options as the 360 version before it - they’re even getting the game at the same budget price. What you won’t get, however, are the dazzling graphics or online play, and for some that’ll be enough to stay away from this one altogether. For traditional, hardcore purists, however, they’ll look beyond the somewhat basic gameplay of Table Tennis and focus on the truth of the matter: Rockstar Presents Table Tennis is the real deal, tons of fun to play, and wonderfully simplistic. The game could have used an overhaul, and if Rosktar decides to keep the series alive it could use more options and far more content – a career mode and mini-games are nowhere to be seen – but as it stands it’s still just as strong of a game now as it was a year ago. It’s a port, its simple in design, but we won’t deny its fun factor. By yourself the game may be a bit too shallow, but all it’ll take is a friend and a Wii-mote and you’ll have a solid, fast-paced budget title to fill a few Saturday afternoons.

• WII
• 3 / 10
• États-Unis

Rock 'n Roll Adventures is completely out of tune. The game is a total relic from an era that has been long put to bed and then made even worse by poorly implementing the Wii's controls. Moving Elviz around is a chore, even when the controls are responsive and the camera keeps its end of the bargain. When so many good games for the Wii flank it on the shelves, there is just no need to even give this game a second look. Avoid it and apply your gaming dollars to a far worthier game. You deserve simply better.

• PC
• 6.8 / 10
• États-Unis

If you were one of those weird kids who enjoyed solving geometry or physics puzzles in school then you might dig this game. It's nothing new, but the core gameplay mechanics are solid. However, like the complicated and convoluted contraptions contained in this game, Crazy Machines 2 is at times poorly constructed. Developer Novitas meant well, but there are some odd design choices and flaws that keep me from recommending this game. If you're a player that is patient and likes thinking outside the box, you might be able to look over some of the game's shortcomings, and enjoy it for what it tries to be.

• WII
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis

So the verdict on this sequel really ends up in about the same place as its predecessor. The final comment in the review of Neutopia 1 was that there was no Second Quest in that game, no remixed version of the adventure to play through after seeing the credits roll by. But maybe there was, after all, and it was just contained in a different game – Neutopia II feels like a remixed Second Quest of the original, with a few adjustments and enhancements thrown in to make controlling things feel easier. So it's just as worthy of your 600 Wii Points as before, and it's worth a download for players who experienced Neutopia 1 and wouldn't mind more of the same. I guess it's just a case of a son taking after his father.

• PS2
• 6.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Crash of the Titans is a good idea wrapped in a mediocre game. This is a shame too, because that good idea involves smashing small things with large monsters. Nonetheless, kids and die-hard Crash fans will still dig the game, and the co-op is perfect for two squabbling siblings who fight over the controller. It doesn't have the lasting power to make a spot in your collection, but it will make for a good rental. Let's hope that the monster-jacking idea is used better in a sequel someday.

• WII
• 6.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Crash of the Titans is a good idea wrapped in a mediocre game. This is a shame too, because that good idea involves smashing small things with large monsters. Nonetheless, kids and die-hard Crash fans will still dig the game, and the co-op is perfect for two squabbling siblings who fight over the controller. It doesn't have the lasting power to make a spot in your collection, but it will make for a good rental. Let's hope that the monster-jacking idea is used better in a sequel someday.

• X360
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis