It's too obtuse for a newcomer to the sport, but those who understand the gravity of the phrase, "downloading the right Option File" and all that comes with it, PES 2012 is worth a look, once Konami has finally ironed out its issues.

In the end, the sharp graphics trump the competition (2K Sports' "Top Spin 2"), but the oversights in gameplay and the pros-only career mode hold Virtua Tennis back from being a must-play. For a quick knock-around with friends, this can't be beat, but for a deeper, more authentic tennis experience, go with "Top Spin 2."

It reminds me of that college professor who taught a fun class but didn't explain things very well -- in the end, you didn't learn as much as you could have. Second Opinion's fun, but in the end, you feel like you didn't enjoy it as much as you should have.

The game has all the things that have made "Battlefield" a PC favorite. In particular, the vehicles work well, maybe even better with the controller. Flying a helicopter with two sticks feels natural and the ground vehicles, like tanks and humvees, are a snap.

It's certainly very enjoyable, it's incredibly slick, and packed with features, but it still loses out a little to Konami's game on that difficult-to-quantify quality; feel.

It's a great game in the same way its predecessor -- "SSX 3" -- was a great game. It is not, however, a great game in the same way "SSX Tricky" was before that -- that is to say, it won't go on to be <I>one of the greats.</I>

Comedy's a tricky thing to nail in any format, and episodic gaming remains just as elusive for most developers. Against all odds, Telltale gets both right with Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse.

But looming over everything is the fact that the most fundamental gameplay element of Tiger Woods 08 -- the swing -- is essentially flawed. And so in spite of the solid competence of most of the rest of the game, I'd recommend you rent the game before purchasing. Just to make sure you've got the patience for it.

The gameplay systems have a similar "pretty good, but somewhat flawed" feel as the quest content.

Broken Destiny's visuals are gorgeous on the PSP's screen, and matches effortlessly flow without any noticeable stutters or jarring problems.

Quibbles aside though, Ironclad has done an admirable job of addressing some longstanding complaints, making Entrenchment an easy choice for dedicated fans of the original. Even more casual or lapsed players will probably have fun just tooling around with the starbases, which by itself is a gateway into the kind of multi-hour sessions Sins is known for.

Spider-Man 2 is not perfect, but it's innovative, with some of the quickest and most fluid movement since "Ninja Gaiden."

Lock's Quest succeeds as both a love letter to, and an evolution of, the tower-defense genre.

Like golf, it's certainly a great game, albeit one with limited appeal.

If you haven't played Infinity Gene already, or even if you have, it's a worthwhile purchase at $10. If you can get past the short stages, repeating bosses and, for some of you, buying the game again, the superb design, extra modes and inventive use of retro style seen here is well worth the price of admission.

Occasionally, Reckoning plays it too safe. As good as the combat is, it cannot make fights against giant rats any more interesting. Crime follows the Fable route of, "if you disappear and come back later, all is forgiven." Reckoning teases with consequences, but either doesn't follow through or does so in wacky ways.

As a package, it's an incredibly complete product of flabbergasting quality; more than any other game, GRAW puts the player in the nerve-snapping tension of pauses between engagements. It thrusts you into the terror of modern, quicksilver-fluid combat.

Still, the big question remains: With Rock Band 2 coming to Wii in a matter of months, is this really the best time to ask people to buy a bunch of expensive peripherals that are on the verge of being bested by their next-gen counterparts? (While the first game's instruments will work with Rock Band 2, the sequel will come with new -- and improved -- peripherals.)

As an originator, Valkyrie Profile is an inspired maverick in a field of me-too RPGs, beautiful to look at and exciting to play.

A kiddie-styled import that comes out of left field all the way from the Far East and topples the perennial powers.

This isn't the deepest flying game you'll ever play, but it's certainly among the most fun and accessible.

It also feels like a more polished game, and the base mechanics work extremely well by the time you reach the end of the single-player campaign. It doesn't quite have "Riddick's" pacing, due to the open city that asks you to find your own way through, but it presents a better feeling of accomplishment and familiarity by the end.

It's certainly very enjoyable, it's incredibly slick, and packed with features, but it still loses out a little to Konami's game on that difficult-to-quantify quality; feel.

Still, it's a fresh and generally strong start to a spin-off concept that stumbled out of the gate on PlayStation 2, but makes a case for full-time series status on PSP.

If you're looking for some stealth gameplay in a sandbox environment, this is a great beginner's course into the world of Agent 47. If, however, you're expecting something as revolutionary as the multiplayer in Pandora Tomorrow, or the high polish of Snake Eater, this isn't for you.

Not quite a perfect game -- it's a bit short, difficult in the later stages, and Jake walks too slowly for my tastes -- but it's still an addictive, impressive achievement. If there was some sort of "Most Improved Franchise" award, the GBA Medal of Honor series would win the 2003 prize hands down.

Ys has had a bumpy history in the U.S., but if this is an indication of how good the series can be, I hope it's here to stay.

Most soccer nuts awaiting this summer's Euro-only tourney in Switzerland and Austria will buy this one anyway, but for those on the fence, I recommend giving this one a shot. Particularly at the slightly reduced $49.99 price tag.

If you haven't played Infinity Gene already, or even if you have, it's a worthwhile purchase at $10. If you can get past the short stages, repeating bosses and, for some of you, buying the game again, the superb design, extra modes and inventive use of retro style seen here is well worth the price of admission.

Beaterator is not the perfect music-crafting software, but for the price, it's damn good.

Lunar is something you can sit back and relax with, a game that almost takes place in the background -- in a good way. In some ways, it feels a little too old and set in its ways, but this version is a slice of gaming history that's been wonderfully reworked for the PSP.

What we're left with is an unfocused baseball game that neither excels as an arcade experience nor as a baseball game -- it's only an average player in the bigs.

If there's a problem with EOTN it's that you can't play against your friends. No hotseat play, no remote play, no nuthin'. Apart from that, though, the controls are easy to master, the game is huge, the setting is fun, and it costs five freakin' bucks. Don't hate.

And that map editor -- when United maintains its stability -- is undoubtedly the game's marquee feature.

Although some crucial elements come up short (cut-scenes, buggy A.I.), Complete Saga still emerges as a great value in the big picture. The lengthy single-player game, extras, and minigames provide plenty to do, and generally atone for the bothersome flaws.

I enjoyed myself while playing Live 10. It's slick and mostly captures the feel of NBA basketball. I hope that next season, Live takes the new, inexperienced player into account and helps them learn to enjoy the game as much as the hardcore player.

The game has all the things that have made "Battlefield" a PC favorite. In particular, the vehicles work well, maybe even better with the controller. Flying a helicopter with two sticks feels natural and the ground vehicles, like tanks and humvees, are a snap.

It's still an experience best enjoyed in short sittings because of its intensity, but (with the Classic Controller) it's also a remarkable one. Perhaps not a CocoaBella confection, but maybe a king-size Snickers bar...ultimately very satisfying.

I guess I'd hoped an exercise videogame would make fitness a lot more fun -- and easier to do. And, though it doesn't quite exceed those expectations, Wii Fit will get you moving -- especially if you're looking for a gentle, fun introduction to an exercise program.

My Life as a King's depth is surprising for a downloadable title, and it suggests that this could have been slapped on a DVD and sold at retail price. But such as it is, downloadable is the way to go, and based on the evidence here, the Crystal Chronicles series has a bright future ahead of it.

Taken for what it is, though -- a cheap collection of tons of Genesis games -- the Ultimate Genesis Collection satisfies. No compilation is ever perfect, and Sega and Backbone definitely leave room for improvement. But there's a lot of great gameplay to be had here, and plenty of interesting obscurities for the adventurous to explore -- and all for an enticing price.

Not only does its game system encourage players to think out their moves and concentrate on realistic tricks, but it also does this while still keeping the game addictive as you put more time into it. Quite a feat.

If anything, Sing and Dance is a good idea on paper, but absolutely flawed in its execution. Arrows are laid side-by-side, making the more difficult patterns a pain to read correctly, and having to focus on scrolling arrows while watching your singing pattern (to make sure the game is recognizing it correctly) is incredibly counter-intuitive.

It's nice to see such an ambitious world presented with beautifully-animated 2D graphics and in such an uncomplicated manner: no tutorials or cinemas or dialogue, just pure platforming and exploration.

While the flying levels are frustrating and the change-characters-to-hit-this-switch mechanic gets old, the great humor and extras make Lego Star Wars worth playing if you haven't tried it yet.

Aficionados need not hesitate -- The Broken Bond presents the Naruto franchise in a largely engaging manner, with plenty to see and do in the campaign and via Xbox Live. It's a less definite prospect for newcomers, though, as the fan service and familiar scenarios go a long way toward masking the frustrations and limitations found within.

OW2 looks and sounds great, and offers more content than any Worms before it. It's an excellent value and a wonderful addition to the PSP's action-strategy lineup.

Between the consistent improvement of the game's core concepts, and the Black Box's encouraged experimentation, Skate remains in a genre all on its own, but only time will tell if continued re-iteration will cause this still fresh series to stagnate.

If you love a good science fiction tale wrapped around a gorgeous, post-apocalyptic world with some decent gameplay thrown into the mix, you should give Enslaved a try.

Anyone who's ever laughed with glee at taking down a rival racer in a game of Burnout should be all over it.

It's not impossible to ignore the the aggravation on offer, but it's also hard to ignore how much better this Star Ocean could have been.

It stays true to a vision of great game design making great games, and is a swan song for a beloved tale.

Factor in all of the unlockable goodies and the innovative 3D effects, and you've got yet another genre-defining experience out of Kojima Productions that sits alongside games like Boktai as true boundary-pushing efforts.

No, it's not the significant leap 2004's Century of Flight was, and performance -- usually unworthy of mention -- is the big sinker here. Otherwise, Flight Sim X is a solid, if not quite spectacular, tenth iteration.

To all the SmackDown haters out there: If you're going to jump back in the ring, this is the year to do it. Both of these exciting new additions, along with the aforementioned improvements -- and the upcoming downloadable content -- make SVR09 this year's grapple-game champ.

With good AI for single-player games and a few decent multiplayer options, Empire Earth II is a worth a look for most RTS fans, if not worthy of dropping everything and rushing out to buy.

Rough in spots and a bit too casual for some, Test Drive Unlimited nevertheless delivers a truly innovative format and a gorgeous, massive world populated by real people. Now get in and drive!

Let me reiterate: this is a fantastic game, with so much fun to throw your way you'd think you were playing wide receiver with Santa Claus as QB.

Rare is still very much Rare: inspiration is taken from multiple sources, a solid-but-unspectacular game is built on that inspiration, every imaginable color and graphical effect is dumped on top of it, and everyone is given an awful pun for a name.

It heralds a bold new era in arcade-style sports games.

The King of Fighters XIII offers a phenomenal fighting game experience you won't find in many newer fighting games, and while the learning curve might be steep, the time and effort you put into it won't be obliterated by mindless mashing of uppercuts or ridiculous comeback mechanics. If you want to be the King of Fighters, you have to earn it.

Unplugged's gameplay and high-fidelity music fits the PSP almost perfectly, but for all the big features that are mysteriously missing, the developers didn't pay enough attention to the small details, either.

But that's Other M: occasionally nonsensical (and always extraneous) story elements wrapped around generally excellent action and fun abilities. When you introduce more plot, you introduce more room for plot holes.

Once Upon A Monster won't fulfill the role of the traditional killer app for the Kinect; it instead fulfills the oft-neglected role of "great title to introduce children to games without making them ragequit." I'd rather remember playing this as a kid than my current memories of Smurf for the 2600.

While the adventure entertains about as well as its predecessors, Baddest of the Bands makes one notable misstep -- auxiliary elements like Teen Girl Squad and the classic-gaming minigames are less prominent in this iteration.

The combination of a surprisingly lengthy single-player game and a robust multiplayer mode make this one game that just about anyone can enjoy. While the challenges get a little repetitive, the ability to create and operate custom vehicles -- both online and off -- make Nuts & Bolts a unique, entertaining spin on the everyday platformer.

In short, to make the game more accessible to Star Wars fans, the RTS elements -- while innovative and fun -- lack the depth that can define genre greats. Nevertheless, the Force is strong with this one.

The cocky presentation is fantastic, it looks great (especially the crowds), it plays great, and it just might make you smarter than a session of Brain Age. The Bigs isn't just an absolute hoot -- it's also the best current-gen baseball game money can buy.

You get a wholesome puzzle game in Scribblenauts, with challenges that may well last you longer than you think, but it's not perfect.

It'll feel like you're learning videogames all over again, and the reward is scoring off a wicked slapshot after a series of quick, sharp passes. Ahh, the joy. Ultimately, the biggest praise that can be heaped on this game is this: It feels like hockey.

Really good simulations have the ability to make you sweat, and while Wolves of the Pacific is still a patch or two away from realizing its full potential, the thrill of the hunt and the constant risk of instantly switching from hunter to hunted provides an abundance of nail-biting tension and drama.

The game gets away from these roots far too soon and often, delving into middling mech territory with brain-dead humans broken up by rote boss battles and a forgettable story. Sleek graphics and a fast start can't mask what's an entertaining but ultimately disposable diversion.

Daisy-chaining raw resources to refined goods to end products hasn't been this gratifying in years.

Bigger, longer, more complex levels and more challenging opponents (not just easily-destroyed peons and the occasional complex boss) are what could make this more than eye-candy -- the character system is already where it needs to be, and in fact it sometimes feels too detailed in comparison to the challenges on offer.

If anything, the engaging battle system shows Eternal Sonata's massive untapped potential -- if the rest of the experience had been as fleshed out, we might be talking about the first great 360 RPG. This isn't a bad game per se; the biggest problem is that there's just not enough of a game here.

EA put a great deal of effort in capturing the emotional aspect of college football, but it mostly goes to waste because the Momentum Meter fails to accurately translate that energy and how it can impact what happens on the field.

The interesting thing about Gun, however, is that it mixes broad free-roaming aspects with some of the most tightly scripted missions we've seen in any game -- quite an achievement for an original game from a company known for skateboarding titles.

Fighting games and fancy graphics have passed Soul Calibur, but if you've got any nostalgia for this one, it's a golden oldie that just might be worth the steepest price of all: having to play a fighting game on the 360 controller's awful D-pad. If you're willing to put up with that, the 10 bucks is trivial.

Taken for what it is, though -- a cheap collection of tons of Genesis games -- the Ultimate Genesis Collection satisfies. No compilation is ever perfect, and Sega and Backbone definitely leave room for improvement. But there's a lot of great gameplay to be had here, and plenty of interesting obscurities for the adventurous to explore -- and all for an enticing price.

If an absolutely brilliant story, finely detailed characterization, and faultless attention to canonical detail are what you're after, then, X-Men Legends is not what you're looking for. If you want a good game, though, and an especially good game to play with a couch full of superhero fans, this is the game to get.

An entertaining multiplayer romp.

These aren't really the best RPGs on the system. But they're historic games, and they've been buffed up to the best they'll ever be, so if you're a fan of the genre, it's a nice little package you'd do well to check out.

Tropico 3 beats the hell out of history books, and strangely, most games of its kind. I only wish that the soundtrack had more tunes. And that I could have the DJ shot. God, I can't stand that guy.

While a simplistic RTS is a nice departure from NIS' regular library, GrimGrimoire feels too watered-down and too repetitive to take a place beside some of the other, critically acclaimed titles from this niche publisher.

Under the Knife 2 is an experience all gamers can enjoy, not just stylus savants -- and that's how Trauma Center should've been done from the start.

Whether or not you've ever experienced Monkey Island's ridiculous puzzles and eccentric characters, this is a great opportunity to explore the reemerging world of adventure gaming.

Like golf, it's certainly a great game, albeit one with limited appeal.

EA did their homework and pulled together a solid basketball game this year. There isn't much to complain about in NBA Live 2005. And with the addition of the Slam Dunk Contest, the replay value is huge.

Comprehensive and complete, this is the rare retro collection worth the price of entry, and it's one that should grace the shelf of every fighting library out there. It's also a great reminder of what Capcom was once best at, and what they could conjure once again if only they'd put their minds to it.

The Superstar control sets will ensure that each game has a lengthy highlight reel while keeping the gameplay fast and fun. Fundamental issues with the game and its key features keep it out of the upper echelon of basketball titles.

When looking at this strictly from a playability sense, this game's easy to learn and fun to master.

You might chafe a bit at having to pay for it -- I'd much rather have seen this as part of some sort of pre-order deal -- but you can't argue that Case Zero is not only an effective way to set the stage and build anticipation, it's also a meaty, satisfying slice of the zombie apocalypse.

Taken on its own terms, Lament of Innocence is a resounding success, and one of the best 3D action games on PS2.

Innovative only in its exceptional presentation, L.A. Remix is nevertheless a fast and furious jaunt through not one but two massive bergs, and it does just about everything a city racer could ever be expected to do within the miniaturized PSP environment. Despite its few foibles, this is a keeper.

Currently, online is too inconsistent to be taken seriously. Without the quality online play, the Tekken community will have to take their battles offline, limiting the potential for community growth. And the small details Namco Bandai neglected hurts the overall experience. Tekken 6 is excellent, but with better netcode, it would have been outstanding.

The designers put all of their eggs in the city-design basket and forgot about actual mission design.

It's clogged up with new features and ideas that simply seem gratuitous. The emphasis on driving skill seems to have been diminished, and in its place the Tiburon team appears to have spent the last year asking "what more can we do to add something new to this thing?"

Purely as an action-RPG, it's a competent game with a few significant flaws in the name of simplicity/accessibility, but as an experience, it shines with humor and wit all over, and makes me hopeful for an improved sequel.