Destructoid

Given Arkham's satisfying-but-shallow combat, incredibly boring and repetitive bosses, and downright horrendous conclusion, I feel comfortable in saying that the stealth gameplay is the single coolest thing about the game. Or, alternately, Batman: Arkham Aslyum is the single coolest thing about stealth gameplay.

The frequent disconnects, poor visuals, and latency-ridden play soil an underwhelming mode, completely inferior to all the other Wolfenstein titles. It feels dated, just like the SP component, and while fun can be had, there isn’t much in terms of nuance. It's just a shooter.

In its slick production, Shadow Complex sets a new and extremely high bar for Xbox LIVE Arcade games. Visually, the game rocks it with Unreal Engine 3.0 visuals that only show small signs of faltering during cut scenes. The game also features a superb soundtrack, from a heart-pounding action score to some haunting classical pieces that offset the mood in beautifully stunning ways.

While there seems to be some positive buzz now, I feel as if Trials HD will likely be overlooked in the long run, especially considering its $15 price point. But the package -- a full single-player game, twelve mini-games, and a level editor -- left me feeling like there was plenty of content for the price. You can tell a lot of love went into Trials HD; the level of polish is surprising to see in a download-only title.

Madden NFL 10 is the first entry in the franchise on current-generation consoles that I can unequivocally recommend. Yes, we say each year that “this is the best Madden yet,” but the improvements that Madden 10 offers over Madden NFL 09 are vast. In fact, aside from a new console generation, Madden 10 might provide the most significant year-over-year upgrade in the 21-year history of the series.

Fat Princess' charm and sense of humor prevails throughout, and it's backed up by a completely honest, simple, and thoroughly fun war game that contains not one pretentious bone in its body. It's a recommended buy, but that recommendation comes with a condition -- wait for the patch, and news that the patch has worked. Once you have that, this is worth your fifteen dollars, without question.

All of the above considered, I'm pretty happy with King of Fighters XII overall. Provided the online doesn't suck, I think most of the game's faults and shortcomings will be easily forgettable, especially after a few hundred rounds with friends. It's certainly solid enough to be played for years to come.

BlazBlue's limited edition is already sold out across the country, and the same thing may happen to the standard edition to be put on sale later this month. The game is already a hit, and it deserves it. Still, BlazBlue isn't quite up there with my favorite 2D fighters. The sometimes cliche' character designs, cumbersome story mode, small roster, and limited single player modes keep the game from being truly "top tier."

For such a small, independent team, Twisted Pixel has proven that it has the chops to hang with some of the bigger studios (think Insomniac Games, even Pixar) when it comes to developing unique-looking and original titles. ’Splosion Man is without doubt one of the most polished, original, and enjoyable games on Xbox LIVE, a great way for Microsoft to kick off its “Summer of Arcade.” If you enjoy stern, sometimes unforgiving platforming challenges, you simply shouldn't miss it.

Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition’s upgrades and enhancements don’t change or otherwise spoil the core game (unless you like using hints). For me, this was the most important thing LucasArts could have done. Memories of Secret of Money Island are cemented in my brain, and my original experience with the title is intertwined with my gamer soul. This is an incredibly special game already -- a benchmark for future adventure titles -- made even more special for the current-generation player with new art, UI, sound, and voice acting. Don’t miss this.