Every once in a long while, though, a real gem squeaks through this gauntlet of licensed trash and surprises everyone with its quality – Batman: Arkham Asylum is one such game.

Nostalgic thoughts of encountering our first zombie in the original Resident Evil can prompt us to overlook the flaws of later titles. But sometimes you just need to pull the plug. Let’s look at a few gameplay mechanics that are better off dead.

Strong storytelling is an excellent way to keep older gamers interested, and Uncharted 2 is an excellent example of how the industry is slowly moving from the old ways of game story as an afterthought to fully fleshed-out, engaging narratives.

There’s a kind of mystic alchemy to the creation of a gaming masterpiece; you can put together a title with eye-popping graphics, killer sound and voicework, amazing gameplay and an engaging storyline and STILL not quite have a classic on your hands. Heavy Rain is a title that didn't quite get there.

Finally, some licenses I can get behind. If you haven’t heard, Telltale games just picked up the licenses for Back to the Future and Jurassic Park to start work on a couple of new episodic games.

Used game sales are a problem for publishers, and I think most people understand why. What we don't understand is their decision to go after the people who buy used games, rather than try to work something out with retailers.

I thought it would be a fun exercise to think about what my “dream” E3 announcements would be. Here are a few of the things I would love to see announced, but will not likely see the light of day for one reason or another.

Rather than add to the massive pile of plain old God of War III reviews, I decided to do the unthinkable, and review all 3 at once. So get yourself a drink, buckle your seatbelt, and try to relax – we’re going to be here for awhile. Here is my review of the God of War Trilogy.

We all have outlandish dreams of “what we’ll be when we grow up.” Some kids dream of spacewalking as astronauts, some dream of game-winning shots in basketball, and some dream of becoming stars in Hollywood. When I was young, the one job I wanted more than anything was as a Nintendo game counselor.

The point is this: oftentimes ideas look a heck of a lot better on paper than they do in practice. Similarly, when I first caught wind of the coming PSP, I was beside myself with anticipation. A handheld with analog support, a beautiful widescreen, and disc-based media – how could it go wrong?

I associate F2P with half-assed, graphically challenged boutique games littered with bugs and ads. Due to these prejudices, I approached League of Legends with a bit of trepidation – but its combination of strategic depth and devilishly addicting, competitive team-based gameplay kept me logging in on a nearly daily basis.

Haven’t you ever wanted to play a non-kiddie focused Zelda game with fancy God of War combat and a good old decapitation now and then? Darksiders really isn’t imitating God of War; it’s mixing several excellent elements from some of the paragons of game design, and in doing so Vigil Games has actually created a wholly original expe

So how in the blazes can you maintain a good game collection without the deep pockets of a spoiled Hilton heir? How can you avoid navigating the shark-infested waters of Ebay or pimping your games out to the local video game shop for a fraction of what they are really worth?

Dante’s Inferno is nothing more than a very forgettable God of War clone with over-the-top mature elements, inconsistent level design, and an overall sense of emptiness. You’d think that carving up Satan himself would be quite satisfying, but by the time you reach that point you may be tempted to just let the bad guy win.

Would we end up with a stink bomb like The Matrix Revolutions, or a work of art like The Empire Strikes Back? The answer is neither. Bioshock 2 is an excellent game, but it doesn’t quite reach the admittedly lofty heights of its sire.