IGN

• DS
• 8.4 / 10
• États-Unis

The console versions of LEGO Rock Band are merely reskinned, rehashed Rock Band experiences, but the Nintendo DS version feels fresh and new. Yes, it's rebuilding the PSP's Rock Band Unplugged for play on the Nintendo handheld, but it's the first time that design's been made available for Nintendo DS players, so I'm stoked to experience it as a new game. The track list is great and the button-based rhythm gameplay's extremely fun to play, moreso in single player than in the wireless multiplayer. As a direct Rock Band conversion this game isn't an accurate recreation of the true experience, but as a unique rhythm game? LEGO Rock Band is very fun and definitely worth a playthrough.

• PS2
• 5 / 10
• États-Unis

Band Hero on the PlayStation 2 is $39.99, and that’s ridiculous. By picking this iteration up over the other versions, you’d save $20 but miss out on boatloads of content that make Band Hero fun. Yes, the track list is solid if you like questionable music like I do, but you’re getting the very basics of a multiplayer band game here. You can do better.

• WII
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Need for Speed Nitro lays some great groundwork as a new series on Wii. This first outing isn’t perfect, lacking some sort of first-person bumper or cockpit camera option, some spotty drift controls, and a generally thin list of locales, but it also swings for the fences during its first outing. The whole “paint the city” vibe is interesting, though downplayed overall, the car editor is hands-down amazing and the highlight of the package, and the sense of speed (complete with 60 frames per second) is insane. Nitro is a blast despite its faults, and brings some simply awesome concepts to the table. If you’re a racing fan, this is the first NFS experience that’s actually worth the cash on Wii. With that being said, there’s so much more that’s possible within the Nitro world, and hopefully EA puts in the wrench time needed to capitalize on its potential.

• X360
• 6.9 / 10
• États-Unis

The Last Resort is a fun game and worth the price of admission for gamers who are Wallace and Gromit fans. The visual style of the show and the overall humor are the high points here, but we were disappointed that the action never really moved beyond a few rooms in Wallace's house and seemed to bounce back and forth among a cast of characters who are nowhere near as compelling as the inventor and his dog. We're just confused as to why Wallace and Gromit have so little to do with each other in their own game. The additional problems in terms of input and visual performance make this version slightly less attractive than the PC version.

• PS3
• WII
• X360
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

I'm still not sure who LEGO Rock Band is for. I'm sure there's somebody out there that owns Rock Band 2, but doesn't want to admit he listens to metal songs, and has a couple kids that refuse to play anything without cartoony characters, and a mother in law who is so bad at rhythm games she needs them to practically play themselves. Plus this guy likes to spend full price for half a game. Lego Rock Band is perfect for you, dude. Trying to tell you whether or not you should buy this game is complicated. Honestly it might require an extensive flowchart. I can tell you right off the bat that you should not get the Wii version. It has the fewest features (in a game that already took out a bunch of features). The lack of DLC support severely limits the replayability. To top if off, it looks like crap, too. It's a shame because the Wii version of Rock Band 2 is by far the most popular. You guys got boned on this. For the rest of you, here are the things to keep in mind: You need to already have instruments to play. You either need to be willing to play the same songs over and over, or be willing to drop more money on DLC. You have to like LEGO enough where it actually makes the game significantly more appealing so you can ignore all the features that were taken out. Or, if all else fails you just need to like the songs enough to be willing to drop $60 ($50 for the game, plus $10 for the export fee) for a track pack. And ultimately that's how this game should be looked at for most people. It's a kind of pricey track pack of a bizarre setlist for a really fun rhythm game.

• WII
• 8.3 / 10
• États-Unis

Over on the PS3 review of Band Hero, I said “For better or worse, this is a re-skinned version of Guitar Hero 5.” That applies to the Wii version as well, but I’m not as disappointed in the move. Yes, the career is shallow, the songs are poppy Top 40 tracks that you’ll either love or hate, and there’s a focus on getting in, playing and getting out; but this also is all of the functionality you’d expect from a GH sequel (drop-in/out gameplay, GHStudio, etc.) coupled with the still new Wii-exclusive features such as Roadie Battle and DS Party Play. These modes add a lot to yet another music game. The mini-games are really fun and the ability to manage your setlist from the portable is cool. Band Hero is an impressive game, but it does take a hit for not feeling that unique because this is really just Guitar Hero 5 with a pink/purple motif. In the end, this is one of the examples people will point to when they talk about Activision milking the Guitar Hero franchise for all it’s worth – even though this time the milk is quenching the thirst of every Taylor Swift fan out there with a plastic guitar.

• PS3
• X360
• 7.9 / 10
• États-Unis

For better or worse, this is a re-skinned version of Guitar Hero 5. Now, that’s not bad because that game was great, but it is disappointing if you were expecting something special from Band Hero. All the functionality you’d expect from a GH sequel is here (drop-in/out gameplay, GHStudio, etc.) except that it’s framed in a sugary sweet pink/purple motif. The career is shallow, the songs are poppy Top 40 tracks that you’ll either love or hate, and there’s a focus on getting in, playing and getting out. Band Hero is a good game, but it lacks any kind of spark that makes it feel unique. In the end, this is one of the examples people will point to when they talk about Activision milking the Guitar Hero franchise for all it’s worth – even though this time the milk is quenching the thirst of every Taylor Swift fan out there with a plastic guitar.

• DS
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Again, don’t get me wrong; Band Hero’s fun. The trouble is that it’s just a noisemaker that you pick up and jam out with before moving on to the next thing. You’re not going to get super involved with your band and you’re going to be lugging around a bunch of add-ons if you want to get the full experience. Band Hero is fun and has a bunch of good tunes if you like junk food music like I do, but this is the same experience you’ve been getting out of the Guitar Hero On Tour franchise.

• PS2
• 6.4 / 10
• États-Unis

FIFA 10 on PS2 is yet another sports game on the system that should have never been. The gameplay is fine for what it is, but it hasn’t seen much attention over the last few years. If this is your only option for virtual soccer, you could do worse than FIFA 10 on PlayStation 2, but you could also do much better with pretty much any version of the game currently on the market.

• PS3
• X360
• 6.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Jurassic is a guilty pleasure of a shooter. It certainly has its issues, particularly with repetitive segments of play and easy encounters which clearly hold it back. However, it's more of a diversionary game that you can play for a few hours and be amused by blasting dinosaurs from one side of the island to the other. In that respect, it does its job adequately.

• PSP
• 5.2 / 10
• États-Unis

Zombie Tycoon has a fun aesthetic, numerous items and a sensible control scheme. But the gameplay runs into too many problems. An overly sensitive camera, frustrating AI and a brutal lack of good checkpoints (play for ten minutes, make one small mistake and start over from scratch) make Zombie Tycoon more of a frustrating disappointment rather than an enjoyable RTS. Most importantly: $7.99 for a game you can get through in a few hours? No thanks.

• WII
• 5.5 / 10
• États-Unis

In trying to create an arcade hunting experience with Big Game Hunter 2010, so much was sacrificed that you're left with only scraps of gameplay that fail to satisfy any appetite. All you need to do is make sure you're in a high percentage cover spot and aim for the heart. The thin gameplay certainly won't interest someone looking for a virtual hunting experience with an edge of authenticity, and isn't enough to entertain anyone looking for an arcade-style game with a solid hook. That being said, the game's shooting gallery mode can be fun in a Duck Hunt sort of way, especially with a Top Shot or Zapper peripheral. It is cheaper than most retail games, however, and features some decent visuals and sound. The rest is forgettable.

• PC
• WII
• 7.2 / 10
• États-Unis

The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood is an attractive addition to the series, but the strength of it comes more from the way it advances the story and offers up a couple of groups of interesting puzzles. Not everyone will like the unexpected twists of the story but the bits about Elaine and Morgan are very appealing and add some much-needed weight. It's true that the jokes aren't as funny this time around but the puzzles are challenging without being frustrating, which should help you see this one through to a satisfying conclusion.

• DS
• PS3
• WII
• X360
• 6.8 / 10
• États-Unis

Because the designers don't really do anything new, exciting or original for Madagascar Kartz, the game already starts in a somewhat underwhelming position of being a "me too" kind of game. The racing action works well with decent control and a fun focus on turbo boosts, but the weapon system nearly a game killer because it's just so frustrating when the opponents target your kart. The pros do outweigh the cons in this kart racer, and hopefully the younger players can tolerate the elements I found entirely too frustrating.

• PSP
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

Sports Interactive has crammed a stadium’s worth of stats and figures into FM on the iPhone, and then conjured up a slick and intuitive control system that enables you to easily access this information. This is a distillation of all that’s good about FM, and one that is just as fiendishly addictive as its PC cousin.

• DS
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

FIFA 10 on DS is a fun soccer outing for when you’re on the go. It makes good use of the limited control options available to the system and avoids unneeded stylus annoyances by limiting the core gameplay to the face and shoulder buttons. The action suffers from zero framerate hitches thanks to the 60 frames per second that the game maintains. The artificial intelligence could be ramped up a bit as players have a tendency to react without a sense of urgency to some situations and the Be A Pro mode could be better designed, but all in all FIFA 10 on DS is worth the asking price for soccer fans.

• PSP
• 8.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Although beginners can get by in Tekken 6 by mashing buttons, the real fun comes from learning the game's intricate sub-systems and developing a sense of the mind games that play out about between two skilled opponents. Tekken 6 has a lot to offer, including a massive roster, refined gameplay, plenty of modes and a smooth Ad Hoc multiplayer experience. If you already own Tekken 6 for consoles, the PSP version is just more of the same. Then again, it is an excellent port and will give you plenty of time to practice while on the road, so it just might be worth that extra investment.

• PS3
• X360
• PSP
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis