IGN

• WII
• 4.5 / 10
• États-Unis

So, like Valhalla Knights and Valhalla Knights 2 before it, this third installment in XSEED's on-going action/RPG series is a conflicted design. It has some elements that inspire interest, and could be especially appealing to players who value character customization -- the options for creating a custom hero here feel nearly endless. On the other hand, though, there are some extreme presentation faults that make such basic actions as being able to actually see what's happening on the screen an exercise in frustration -- so you could very well have your very own custom hero just the way you want him, and watch him die again and again because you couldn't tell that that slab of grey in front of him was a dead-end wall, since it looked exactly like the slab of grey that you'd just been running on as the ground. Some good, some bad. It all washes out to be somewhere around mediocre. (Just under mediocre, actually. The negatives outweigh the positives in the end, since no game should be so dark and drab that it forces you to have to crank your TV up to brightness level 99.)

• X360
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

It's too bad the mini-games don't live up to the slick presentation in Encleverment Experiment. These exercises are either too easy to be engaging or they're just not fun (developers please note: math is not fun). While the single-player is a total bore, things do pick up in a multiplayer game. But these are pretty uninspired brain exercises.

• WII
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

If you're making a purchasing decision about a Mario Kart game and you have a Wii, you now have four different options -- Mario Kart Wii, the most recent release. Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, infamously 7.9'd and playable through the system's backwards-compatibility with GameCube discs. Mario Kart 64, also available through Virtual Console download, and, now the original Super Mario Kart. Each one of the four has its own appeal, and you'll find diehard supporters that claim each one of them is the best in the series. (Well, maybe not so many for Double Dash.) Where each of the N64, Cube and Wii installments of the series have focused on multiplayer, more characters and more crazy items, though, this SNES original keeps things simpler -- emphasizing, instead, the actual racing instead of the combat within each race. It's a different take on the same idea, which is interesting since it's the original take on that idea. So stick with the other Kart games if you want the multiplayer chaos, but come on back to this very first racing adventure with Mario and his crew. It's absolutely worth 800 of your Wii Points to re-experience, or to play for the very first time. And though it took a while for Super Mario Kart to finally arrive on VC, now that it's here we should be truly thankful. Year 4's getting started right for the Virtual Console.

• WII
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis

• X360
• PS3
• 5 / 10
• États-Unis

The Tony Hawk franchise was in dire need of a reboot, and hopping on the peripheral craze generated by Guitar Hero and Wii Fit wasn't a bad idea. The board itself is solid, which leaves only the execution to blame. Tony Hawk Ride never came together. It straddles an uncomfortable line between casual and hardcore without being satisfying in either respect and it lacks the polish and presentation necessary to cover up the gameplay shortcomings. Kids might have fun hopping around on the board and watching the game play itself on casual mode and the soundtrack is indeed a great one. If you're looking for a realistic skating experience, you'd be better off buying a skateboard and heading outside. This one just doesn't cut it. File this one under "gimmick."

• PSP
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis

While the title feels a bit disconnected from the franchise, the in-game store packs tons of meaningless items and multiplayer isn’t particularly engaging, LocoRoco is still a good game to play, assuming that you’re willing to put up with its frustrating difficulty curve. If you’re looking to put your blob bouncing skills to the test, Midnight Carnival will provide you with more than enough challenge to keep you busy for a while.

• DS
• PSP
• 5.2 / 10
• États-Unis

LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues has some interesting design ideas, like the separated challenges, but no part of the experience is particularly thrilling. The main story is boring to play, and the controls feel really unpolished. There are much better games out there to spend your money on, though if you really want to smash stuff and collect studs, that part is still rewarding in some small way.

• PSP
• 6.9 / 10
• États-Unis

• DS
• 4.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5 isn’t something you need to play. It isn’t that fun to play, doesn’t look good with its empty environments and disappearing characters, and features a repetitive soundtrack. There’s no reason to pick this one up.

• DS
• IOS
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

• PSP
• 7.7 / 10
• États-Unis

While F1 2009 isn’t the glorious return of the sport to videogames that some were hoping for, it’s nevertheless a respectable driving game. It’s short on features and lacking looks, but it nails the fundamentals well enough, with the F1 licence served with an engaging handling model and an impressive sense of speed. As racing games go on the PSP this doesn’t trouble the best, but for a slice of F1 action on the go it’s well worth a punt.

• X360
• 4.6 / 10
• États-Unis

• DS
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Bleach: The 3rd Phantom changes the direction of gameplay considerably from the two past Bleach games on DS -- both of the previous titles were fighting games, and this one's a strategy RPG instead. It's a dramatic shift, and a bold one -- most developers, particularly those holding down lucrative anime licenses like this, seem content enough to keep churning out the same design over and over, with roster updates to reflect who's died, who's gotten more powerful and who's started wearing a new outfit in later episodes of the shows. So it's immediately engaging that SEGA would greenlight a shift this sharp -- especially since those past two Bleach games have been, arguably, the best fighting games in the entire DS library. Don't jump into this one, though, unless you're a well-established Bleach aficionado, because Bleach: The 3rd Phantom is made for the fans. If that's you, go for it. If it's not, the DS library has several other great strategy RPGs to choose from -- go check out Final Fantasy Tactics A2 or Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon instead.

• PS3
• X360
• 7.8 / 10
• États-Unis

NCAA Basketball 10 is a very solid basketball game, but that’s largely due to the steps forward that were taken by NBA Live. NCAA rests comfortably on the laurels of Live, but that also means that several of the gameplay issues also make their way into the collegiate package. Thankfully EA Canada did add a few college-specific touches and they all work very well to push the game forward. NCAA Basketball 10 might not be the most original basketball on the block, but at least it’s a good one.

• X360
• PC
• 8.3 / 10
• États-Unis

Gyromancer is a Puzzle Quest clone, but that doesn't keep it from being fun and addictive. There is plenty of gameplay here to keep you busy for a while, leveling up your monsters and increasing your stable. It brings its own ideas to the table and wraps the package in very attractive fantasy art. Gamers looking for fast-paced excitement and thrills might find themselves nodding off, but there is quite a bit of depth to be explored if puzzlers and dungeon crawling is your thing. Those of you who still have love for Puzzle Quest: take Gyromancer for a spin.

• WII
• 7.4 / 10
• États-Unis

• PC
• 8.6 / 10
• États-Unis

All in all, Torchlight is a refreshing - though not revolutionary - dungeon crawler that will occupy gamers for 10-15 hours on the first run-through, and perhaps dozens more across varying difficulty levels and experiments with different character classes. The story is somewhat lacking, but not overly important when garnering quests and slaying beasts. You'll quickly lose track of time whilst exploring the bowels of the town of Torchlight, which is lovely for your sense of satisfaction, but bad for the real life priorities you'll likely neglect, such as eating and paying bills. The graphics are great, the music engrossing, and the gameplay addictive. While the lack of multiplayer at first tastes bitter, the single-player campaign more than makes up for it, as you really have little to lose at the meager asking price of $20.

• X360
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis