Traveller’s Tales continues to churn out LEGO platformers based on licensed franchises with varying results, and with Feral Interactive bringing many to the Mac. Frankly, despite a cute tone and easy-going gameplay model, the games have grown a bit stagnant in the originality department. But LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes manages to break the mold, creating an engaging world you’ll want to return to in search of those elusive plastic blocks.

Back in 2000, Jet Set Radio was nothing short of groundbreaking, with slick cel-shaded graphics, a fantastic soundtrack, and a skate-punk aesthetic that seemed daring in the pre-Grand Theft Auto III era. Twelve years after its release on Sega’s Dreamcast console, it’s been popping up again on nearly every available gaming device — including, most recently, the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Sometimes, it feels like it’s hard to say anything new about the Call of Duty franchise. Foreign extremist group threatens the world, the hero shoots scads of terrorists in the face — you know the drill. But Black Ops manages something unique. New additions to online multiplayer offer an incentive to keep returning to the well, the zombie-blasting mode returns in a big way, and the entire affair is wrapped in one of the craziest, most exciting narratives in the series.