Atari has been digging into its classic catalog as of late for a new generation of games.  A few months back, it brought out the entertaining Asteroids Gunner, a twist on its rock-shooting classic from the 80’s.  And just recently, it broke out the old ball-and-paddle for Breakout Boost, complete with new modes and features.  Now another classic gets a remake, and this time it’s Circus Atari.  A game that originally started out on the Atari 2600 as a humorous collaborative effort, where you had to balance two people on a bouncing see-saw as they collected balloons, it has since been turned into a variation of Doodle Jump for the iPad.  While that’s bound to entertain a few folks, I can’t help but think what might’ve been had Atari taken the development in a different direction.

“Twitch” puzzle games have really been getting better over the years, and one series in particular that has managed to flourish is MumboJumbo’s Luxor franchise.  What started as just another marble shooting game has since grown into a staple for the publisher, thanks to addictive gameplay, ever-changing stages and new gimmicks to keep players drawn in.  And now the team may have stumbled upon its most brilliant entry to date with the retro-powered Luxor Evolved HD.

Tower strategy games aren’t usually my thing.  There, I’ll say it.  I’m more of a hands-on sort of guy, taking command of a unit and delivering damage rather than issuing a command for someone to do it in a turn-based approach.  However, some people really get into this genre, so, for the sake of argument, I thought I’d give Anomaly: Warzone Earth from 11 Bit Studios a fair shot, especially considering the game fared rather well on the iOS market before transitioning to Xbox Live Arcade.  And you know what?  While my general feeling about the genre remains about the same, this game made me want to play longer than I anticipated.

When Flight Control originally came out for the iPad, it introduced gamers to a new kind of puzzle game, one involving rerouting a certain number of planes on a crowded jet way, or risk crashing them into one another and ending your game as a result.  The game has since become an App Store phenomenon, and has seen release for other platforms as well.  Now the development team, collaborating with the bigwigs at Electronic Arts, have returned with a sequel, Flight Control Rocket.  And while the fundamentals are the same, some things are just a bit different – and not entirely in the game’s favor.

Paradox Interactive and Radioactive Software is exploring American history with Gettysburg: Armored Warfare. The hybrid multiplayer third-person shooter and real-time strategy (RTS) game is available beginning March 27th for $9.99 on Steam and other digital distribution services.

Sega and The Creative Assembly offer Total War: Shogun 2 fans the first expansion to the hit real-time strategy (RTS) sequel. The Fall of the Samurai offers a number of the modern weapons available on land and at sea. The expansion also introduces a new third-person mode, which offers direct fire-control over Gatling guns, cannon, and naval weaponry, and explores some of the new multiplayer options 

When you develop something that’s considered one of the better games out there, it’s often hard to move on to the next project, as most folks will usually demand more of the same or, as tradition usually calls for, a sequel.  Kim Swift, the developer of Valve’s uber-hit Portal, has managed to do this, though, as her team at Airtight Studios showed us the other night at the Square Enix event with its upcoming Quantum Conundrum.  We gave this delightful little digital treat a run-through in a hands-on demo.

Though it’s not exactly overflowing with content, the PlayStation Store for the Vita is loaded with some good games to choose from.  Hustle Kings offers some pool on the go; Super Stardust Delta has shooting thrills galore; and literally all of the system’s retail releases are available alternatively as downloads, for a slightly cheaper price.  But then there’s Escape Plan, a deviant little puzzle game where you guide two would-be heroes through a labyrinth of puzzles in an attempt to escape the clutches of a mad scientist.  There’s no question that this game is truly different from anything out there; the main question that leaves, though, is if it’s fun.

Remember when Telltale was a small video game company that released a video game every one to two years. Last year alone Telltale released “Back to the Future” six episodic content and to close out the year, released “Jurassic Park”. Things have sure changed since then, but was it for the better? Has the Telltale dependence on licensed properties finally back fired on them in "Law & Order: Legacies".

Know what's great?  When an independent game darling gets its time to shine in the spotlight thanks to a generous publisher.  We're seeing a lot more of these hit the gaming scene, and personally, I love it, though a little more advertising for said product wouldn't be a bad thing.  This time around, Konami has published Puddle, a 2010 Independent Gaming Award darling made by Neko Entertainment.  Just in playing it for a few minutes, you see where its appeal lies.  Unfortunately, it doesn't really let on how tough the journey gets until you really get into it.

Every Tuesday, Sony brings its PlayStation faithful new content, add-ons for your favorite games, Themes and avatars for your PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. Again another standard week of PSN goods you can get, but for the most part the main draw are going to be demos. Twisted Metal is finally going to hit store shelves and the fans of  the series will be eager to get their hands on the multiplayer demo now available.  

When UTV Ignition introduced Quarrel to the App Store a few months back, it brought a successful -- and somewhat addictive -- mix of Risk and Scrabble, with folks putting together words in a limited amount of time and dominating pieces of a map to eventually overcome their opponent.  Pleased with how the game turned out, they then opted to introduce it to a different market, this time on Xbox Live Marketplace.  And the war of words continues to play out as expected, despite some hitches.