Full Reviews Index
Tekken 6 Review (X360)
Tekken 6 offers 40 characters, plenty of modes, and the great Tekken gameplay that the series has always been known for. It doesn’t look as nice as other Xbox 360 fighters, and the Scenario Campaign is pretty darn awful, but the core gameplay is still really, really good which makes Tekken 6 worth playing even if there are some rough spots in other aspects of the game. Find out all of the details here in our full review.
Band Hero Review (X360)
Band Hero is Guitar Hero 5 with pop songs. That is all you really need to know. All of the improvements to the modes and gameplay and presentation that were introduced in GH5 are present in Band Hero, which means it is a pretty darn good game as long as you like the song list. This Top 40 rock and pop, mainstream-friendly song list is going to give longtime GH fans fits, but for everyone else (parents, family, girlfriends) there are a lot of great tracks that are a lot of fun to play.
DJ Hero Review (X360)
Just when you thought you couldn’t stomach another “Hero” game, Activision trots out DJ Hero. But wait, what is this? It is completely fresh and fun and unlike anything else on the market. DJ Hero will remind you of the first time you played Guitar Hero, back when it was new and interesting and you just had to play it constantly, and that is a good thing. Find out all the details on what makes DJ Hero so good right here in our full review.
WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2010 Review (X360)
For a few years there it seemed like the SmackDown series was getting stagnant and not really moving forward. That definitely isn’t the case with WWE SmackDown! Vs. Raw 2010. There are improvements and additions all over the place, from being able to create your own story to sharing custom characters online to an overall improved gameplay feel, SvR2010 is a big jump from 09. This is, without a doubt, the best wrestling game on the Xbox 360.
Lips: Number One Hits Review (X360)
Lips: Number One Hits is Microsoft and developer iNiS’ follow up to their 2008 karaoke title, Lips. Known as much for having the best microphones on the Xbox 360 as it was for having great party gameplay, Lips was a decently strong contender in the increasingly crowded music/rhythm genre. Number One Hits polishes up the formula a bit to produce a better game, but stumbles when it comes to overall value. Find out all of the details right here.
'Forza Motorsport 3' Review (X360)
Forza 3 is the best racing game on the Xbox 360. Between the sheer numbers of cars and tracks, the great customization options, the amazing gameplay complete with tons of difficulty adjustments to ensure players of all skill levels can play, and the awesome sense of community online, Forza 3 is an exceptionally good racing game all around. This is as close to a perfect racing game as you’ll find on the Xbox 360.
FIFA Soccer 10 Review (X360)
The best soccer game on the Xbox 360 just got better. That is all you really need to know about FIFA 10. The great presentation, the great gameplay, the mountain of licensed teams and leagues and players, and the insane number of modes all got another year’s worth of polish and are even better than before. If you’re a soccer fan, there is a whole lot to love here.
Saw Review (X360)
Whether you grew tired of the Saw franchise four sequels ago or still look forward to each new entry every year, there is no denying that the puzzles and deathtraps that are the trademarks of the series are pretty darn cool. Saw the videogame makes great use of those puzzles and pairs it with the awesomely horrifying atmosphere of the movies and puts you in complete control. Or, at least as much control as Jigsaw wants you to have.
Brutal Legend Review (X360)
I fall pretty much squarely into Brutal Legend’s target demographic. I love heavy metal music. I’m a fan of Jack Black. And I still consider developer Double Fine’s previous release, Psychonauts, as one of my favorite Xbox games ever. Brutal Legend was basically made for me, so you can imagine my disappointment when the gameplay in between the jokes and general heavy metal awesomeness turned out to only be mediocre. Brutal Legend is a game you’ll love on paper, but only like in practice.
Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection Review (X360)
Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection takes us back to the glory days when the local arcade was THE hangout and pinball was the sport of kings. Now, though, arcades are dead and pinball is long gone. Thankfully, Crave Ent. and FarSight Studios have recreated 13 classic pinball tables in one great game for the Xbox 360. Whether you are an oldschool fan or a younger gamer looking to see what all of the fuss was about, Pinball HoF: The Williams Collection is worth checking out.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Review (X360)
The X-Men Legends games and the first Marvel Ultimate Alliance perfectly matched comic book nerdiness with addictive dungeon crawling RPG gameplay to create some pretty awesome games. Those games were all made a year apart, so you would think that with a three-year gap between MUA and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, this trend would continue. Instead of being bigger and better, however, MUA2 is shallower and weaker and not nearly as good as its predecessors.
Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2010 Review (X360)
Despite not being too popular with normal gamers, hunting games sell like gangbusters. Just goes to show hardcore gamers don’t have nearly the power or influence they think they do. Activision’s latest hunting game is Cabela’s Big Game Hunter 2010. This entry aims for a more arcade feel with a puzzle/high score element added to the gameplay instead of being a realistic simulation. How does it play? Find out all the details in our full review.
Bass Pro Shops: The Strike Review (X360)
Fishing videogames have long struggled to really capture the feel of real fishing. Feel is a key word there, as pushing a button to reel in a fish is never going to replicate the fight and thrill of the real thing. Publisher Psyclone and dev Piranha Games are out to change that with Bass Pro Shops: The Strike, which comes with a unique fishing rod controller equipped with motion sensors and force feedback. Does this fancy new tech make the fishing any better? Oh yeah.
NHL 2K10 Review (X360)
Once the top of the hockey sim heap, the 2K series has morphed into a casual-friendly, arcade-style game. Hockey purists might not like the change, but lets face it, hardcore fans of anything only make up the minority and the rest are more casual. NHL 2K10 delivers that casual experience perfectly. High scoring. Fast pace. Easy to pick up and play. And most of all, fun. Find out all of the details in our full NHL 2K10 review.
Mini Ninjas Review (X360)
Don’t let the cute and colorful aesthetic fool you, Mini Ninjas might be “kid friendly”, but that doesn’t mean it is “kids only”. It is fun and funny and accessible and a blast to play through for gamers of all ages. This is going to go down as one of the great underrated games of this generation. Find out all about Mini Ninjas in our full review.
Cabela's Outdoor Adventures Review (X360)
Cabela’s Outdoor Adventures is the only videogame that lets you both fish and hunt in the same title. If you’re the outdoorsy-type, it is pretty much a dream come true. The execution is a little uneven, unfortunately, as the hunting is pretty fun and the fishing is really bad, but together they make up a decently fun overall package. Find out all of the details right here.
NHL 10 Review (X360)
Over the last couple of years, EA’s NHL series has made huge strides to become not just the best hockey game, but also one of the best sports games on the market period. NHL 10 continues this pattern of excellence. It isn’t quite the huge leap forward that 08 and 09 were, but it is polished to a high shine and is undoubtedly a better game overall than its predecessors. Hockey fans are going to love it.
Wet Review (X360)
After the first level or so, it is pretty much impossible not to come to the conclusion that Wet is basically “Kill Bill” the videogame. It is a stylish, grindhouse influenced, revenge tale that mimics the cinematography, music, and feel of Tarantino’s amazing movies surprisingly closely. Honestly, it is hard not to fall madly in love with it. That is, at least, until you dig a little into the gameplay and find it isn’t nearly as interesting as the presentation going on around it.
Halo 3: ODST Review (X360)
Not different enough to be an entirely new game, but too different to simply be an expansion pack, Halo 3: ODST's value is kind of tough to figure. It does look, sound, and play an awful lot like the Halo 3 we all already have on the shelf, but it also offers a great original campaign (perhaps the best the series has seen yet) and nifty new multiplayer mode called Firefight that can truly stand on their own. Halo fans will love ODST. Find out all of the details right here.
Need for Speed: Shfit Review (X360)
Need for Speed: Shift takes the NFS series in a decidedly different direction than we have become used to, and the result is a more focused, more polished, and overall better game. It looks and sound great and features perhaps the best cockpit view the genre has ever seen. The controls aren’t quite as tight as we’d like, but overall NFS Shift is a surprisingly good game. Find out all of the details right here.
Dirt 2 Review (X360)
Dirt 2 is the best offroad racing game of this gen so far. It takes everything that made the first Dirt good and polishes it even more to produce a bigger, better looking, better playing game that is a must buy for racing fans. The gameplay is a satisfying mix of arcade and sim that is surprisingly forgiving, so players of all skill levels will be able to pick it up and have fun. It also doesn’t hurt that it is one of the prettiest looking racing games yet.
The Beatles: Rock Band Review (X360)
Unless you have been living under a rock, you know the deal. The Beatles are the greatest rock band ever. EA, MTV, and Harmonix struck a deal with Apple Corps to create a videogame worthy of the band, and the result is The Beatles: Rock Band. A game that matches 45 of the band’s songs with amazing presentation that relives some of the greatest moments of the Fab Four. For Beatles fans, this is pretty much the best thing ever. Find out all of the details right here.
Darkest of Days Review (X360)
Darkest of Days is a great concept marred by unquestionably mediocre execution. The idea of traveling back through time with modern weaponry is awesome, but the presentation and gameplay are so bottom of the barrel that it isn’t worth the effort to scrape through just to see the things the game actually does right. On the bright side, it does give you an Achievement for punching a horse, so it isn’t all bad. Find out all of the details right here.
Section 8 Review (X360)
Might as well get it out of the way. Section 8 isn’t going to dethrone Halo or CoD or Gears as the multiplayer shooter du jour any time soon. But it is good enough to carve out a nice little niche of hardcore players that appreciate playing something different and getting away from the crowds of 12 year olds that flock to the “big three”. It is as mechanically sound as any FPS out there and offers some nifty features and ideas that make it worth a look. Find out all the details right here.
Guitar Hero 5 Review (X360)
As far as features go, Guitar Hero 5 seems like the best music/rhythm game yet. For casual players and GH veterans alike, there is a lot of nifty stuff in Guitar Hero 5 that makes you want to play it. The song list isn’t quite as strong as the features, but for every bland, boring, stinker in the 85 song list there is a catchy, addictive, fun one or two you’ll keep coming back to, which is all you can really ask for. Find out all of the details here in our full review.