IGN

Bejeweled is as accessible as gaming gets. With the third numbered version PopCap delivers eight distinct modes, so if you get hooked by the classic gameplay formula there's a lot more to dig into. There's something here for every kind of Bejeweled fan, from high intensity timed challenges to more laid back matching options. It's just a shame the leaderboards aren't online, which misses out on a lot of potential for competitive longevity.

Let&'s be honest: Splatterhouse was always the video game equivalent of an exploitation flick. In an era where games were dominated by perky platformers and colorful beat-em-ups, Splatterhouse was a breath of rotten air, full of gore, secondhand references to horror movie icons, and cheap thrills - sort of like the movies it took inspiration from.

Super Meat Boy is one of the best modern platformers. It's infuriating, exasperating, and arduous, but it's also delightful, thrilling, and hilarious. The NES games of yore were simultaneously simpler and more challenging than today's games, a quality perfectly emulated here. Invite some friends over and pass the controller around -- you're gonna need all the help you can get.

Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit is pure over-the-top driving entertainment. The cars and environments are gorgeous, the crashes are spectacular, and the new Autolog feature breathes new life into the time-honored tradition of video game competition among friends. The single-player races can become somewhat repetitive and there are some presentation issues, but overall, Hot Pursuit is a blast. If you're looking for a high-octane racer that grabs on tight but doesn't take itself too seriously, give this one a shot.

The upgrades and loot are nice touches that make Dead Nation a deeper experience than most of its twin-stick zombie shooters brethren, but it still feels like just another zombie shooter in the end. My memories are a mix of having a ball trying to survive and being ready to quit the game once and for all in frustration.

Its brilliance on the track, however is matched by its sloppiness off of it, and there's a lack of polish that would at one time have seemed sacrilegious to the series. Ultimately its driving wins out to ensure that it's still a great game, but it leaves that nagging doubt; this could have been a masterpiece were it not for the fact that Polyphony was so absorbed with the detail that it took its eye off the ball.

Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom tells a sad but clich'd tale with an endearing giant and his friend at the helm of it. This puzzle platformer won't give you too much of a problem as the solutions are simple, but finding every collectible in the world will take quite a bit of effort.

Brotherhood is a great game, but it's hard to wholeheartedly recommend. This is really a title designed for fans of Assassin's Creed II, as it's a continuation of that story, but the reality is that people who finished that game want something new or that at least represents a clear step forward. Brotherhood doesn't deliver that. The game doesn't advance the wider narrative very far, the new mechanics don't really add a great deal and the mission designs rarely explore new gameplay possibilities.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is a great overall package that has a ton of content to enjoy. The multiplayer modes are largely based on what was established by Modern Warfare, but the twists that Treyarch throws in work well. My biggest issue with the multiplayer is that the new Wager Matches, while fun in their own right, don't compare favorably to the high-quality and addictive leveling system and game modes from Modern Warfare 1 and 2. Single-player is as exhaustingly fast-paced as ever with large set pieces that try to take the attention off of the lackluster AI of both friends and enemies.

I'm sure diehard fans of the manga are going to call for my head, but this game is just a simple brawler. You use basic attacks to build up somewhat neat signature attacks and eventually defeat a boss. There are different stories to play through and plenty to unlock, but it's nothing special.