If you can ignore the gimmickry and the middle-of-the-road visuals, you'll find an entertaining baseball game that'll keep you just as engaged as the rest of the crop this year. MVP Baseball has little to worry about.

Sims 2 for consoles is definitely not on par with the depth and ingenuity that its PC sibling offers but it's refreshing to play a relaxed version of the game that doesn't require as much surveying and emotional input.

It doesn't do anything you haven't seen before in an Xbox Live Arcade title, but that doesn't mean you won't get your money's worth in content and downright clever, addictive design. In reality it's a second chance for an unreceptive Western audience, but card nerds know it for what it really is: a second coming.

As an adventure game, UNS' pacing feels slow and forced, with the best parts (the bosses) at the end of a chapter. As a fighting game, UNS defies conventions by using an atypical third-person approach, but its execution feels a bit loose and sloppy. The beautiful visuals may attract a new audience outside of the Naruto brand -- but not many devout followers.

It doesn't stand on its own quite as well as some of this year's other music titles, but it's still a fun, quick romp through pop music seen through a Lego filter.

Sims 2 for consoles is definitely not on par with the depth and ingenuity that its PC sibling offers but it's refreshing to play a relaxed version of the game that doesn't require as much surveying and emotional input.

Worth a tour if you really loved the movie, but maybe less so if you've already played the hell out of Vice City. We can't really blame Scarface for the familiarity of the setting, but the fact remains that we've been here before.

It's a bit of an awkward comparison, but I see shades of "Ninja Gaiden" here: It's unassailably gratifying when the mechanics finally click and you start slicing and volleying your way to victory, but at the same time, it's prohibitive to folks who don't want to spend hours in the school of hard knocks, pursuing what should be a relatively uncomplicated act of learning the game's basic rules and logic.

Yes, the dialogue can be trite and vapid, but Sakura Wars goes much deeper than a simple "dating sim" -- Western gamers really haven't seen this mix of real-time, visual-novel storytelling and giant-mech strategy before.

When played on a PC, where you can tweak both the settings and the hardware to get solid performance, Quake 4 works because of it. Without those options on the 360 you're stuck, unable to really get into it because just about the time you do, the framerate breaks. And with that, the moment is gone.

The lack of variety is actually a good thing. In an area of game development where being overly ambitious can destroy you, developer Luxoflux has instead created a smart, focused, and (most importantly) polished effort that should delight young fans of the film.

Shank is the freshest, most unequivocally rewarding beat-em-up game to come along in almost a decade.

By the time I finished with Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, my left thumb felt like it was about to fall off. In fact, while playing through it, I frequently had to take breaks during long encounters to rest my aching D-pad hand. But through it all, I persisted.

The FPS isn't the smartest of genres to be sure, but there are more creative ways of designing enemy encounters that make the player think "now how am I going to beat these guys?" rather than "how many of these guys do I have to beat now?"

Its parts are largely equal, which only leads to confusion. What becomes most important: building card decks, or mastering the minigames? Or, in the big picture, do you buy this game to play minigames or go on a chocobo adventure? There are simply too many things vying for your attention, and more than likely, none of them will get much of it.

This game is great precisely because it's an original take on a familiar world.

Is El Shaddai unconventional just for the sake of being different, or were the developers going for something bigger? Is being such an abstract game (on multiple levels) the overall point? Ultimately, I don't know the answer to these questions, but I'd definitely call El Shaddai an unconventional game and an entertaining adventure despite some of the creative gaps.

As ever, there are some issues with the combat system -- but this doesn't outweigh the overall quality, or the fact that you are getting one hell of a lot of game for a penny shy of 20 bucks.

But it's the seamless transitioning of the single-player to the multiplayer (you can hop in and out from one to the other at any save point) that really seals the deal.

If the thin plot of games with similar mechanics bothers you, this could end up as your favorite in the genre.

A surprising combination of both weirdness and wonder, this should help pass the time between now and "Twilight Princess."

The game simply bit off way more than it could chew with the stealth sections. The end result is certainly a thumbs up -- but only just.

The game avoids taking any necessary risks, focusing instead on presenting raucous concerts in the same carefully constructed way all of the Rock Band games have. But, honestly, both lapsed and longtime Green Day fans should enjoy this brief tour through the band's hits.

If there's one problem with EA's portable baller, it's that the controls simply aren't responsive enough.

It refines previous ideas but lacks that big "wow" factor we've seen in the past. It's thoroughly, thoroughly competent and shouldn't be overlooked, but it really is "Need for Speed Again."

Ultimately, as good a game as Kane's Wrath is, it's just better on PC -- you just won't get the complete experience with the 360 version.

This is a true rarity: a game for all ages that's still good enough to entertain anyone who likes Mario.

Essentially boring... All throughout my time with the game, my mind kept wandering, like it does in the company of someone who's nice enough but can't hold your interest.

The original Double Dragon may not be quite as good as you remember, but this adaptation makes up the difference with its major additions and subtle improvements. In a market glutted with lazy Super NES ports, DDA stands out as a bare-knuckle champ.

Assault Heroes 2 is a down-and-dirty hoot.

It's not nearly as robust at what you'd expect from a current-gen racing title, but, at 15 dollars, Hydro Thunder Hurricane's blast of late-arcade-era nostalgia is a perfect match for Xbox Live Arcade.

It's the easiest way to indulge your collectable fantasy penchants and delivers a surprisingly approachable, completely unique PS3 experience. So go geek out.

And all that loading is double-whammy. Not only does it increase the length of each game, it puts a heavy drain on the battery. You probably won't make it all the way over the hills and through the woods to grandmother's house playing Madden PSP on one charge, much less if you turn on the Wi-Fi adapter.

With its breadth of content, incredible amount of collectibles (even if their placement isn't as intuitive as I would like), and the new Assault game modes, this is one of the best Lego games created yet.

Origins isn't bad at what it does, but what it does isn't very ambitious.

If you have friends to play with and any measure of nostalgia for the arcade original, there's no doubt that you'll get every penny's worth from NBA Jam. If you have plans to play it alone or against random strangers, there are better options out there -- and it doesn't even take calculus to figure that out.

Most importantly, it nails the fun of hitting springboards, bouncing off enemies, and defying gravity with pure speed. While hardly perfect, it's solid enough that even reviving the old "Se-ga!" before the title screen feels appropriate. After a decade of missteps, Sonic has earned it.

For fans, Ultimate Ninja 3 has a lot to offer.

Every Extend is as addictive as the best puzzlers, so it's painful to see its pumped-up remake bogged down by over-the-top special effects.

It's not heavy on strife, narrative, or story, but there are a considerable number of medals, feathers, and extra levels to collect even after you finish the game. So long as you don't mind guiding a hapless bird to the exit a couple hundred times, Ivy the Kiwi? is a gorgeous tale with a whole lotta heart.

The game kind of falls apart when it gets too difficult; the speedy pace just isn't as compelling when you're attempting the same thing over and over, especially when the mechanics periodically flake out.

Back to the Future is a promising start for the five-part series and a treat for fans. While adventure aficionados might hope for harder puzzles and larger spaces to explore, casual players and first-time adventure gamers should have fun reconnecting with familiar characters.

With its intuitive interface and pile of options, Zoo Keeper is the best game of Bejeweled you'll ever play. And frankly, that should be all the recommendation you need.

And even though CAC is enjoyable in single-player and online multiplayer, it really is one of those games that shine when it's you and your buddies sitting on the same couch and playing on the same TV...And yelling. And throwing elbows.

Elegant, succinct, and full of bravado.

Despite all the fixes, the game, much like that umpteenth alien abduction story on TLC, wears thin. Sure, the improved story buoys the "take me to your leader" trappings, but your tasks still tap into the cloning machine a few times too many -- one can handle only so many escort missions and cross-map fetch quests.

Trozei offers a decent array of multiplayer support to provide harmless, inoffensive fun. It's an acceptable diversion, provided you don't expect any sort of staying power with your puzzle games.

FlatOut is fun and different enough that it manages to stand out.

It's a mostly well-built title with seemingly good intentions, but it lacks the weight -- whether it's in the narrative, campaign length, or feature set -- to seem like much more than a quality diversion.

Perhaps worst of all, the sense of place is gone.

I love the concept of being rewarded for playing a ridiculous amount of hours. Rather than saying "I played Lockdown for 120 hours!", you can say "My character is level 60 and I purchased five outfits, eight new guns, and heavy body armor!"

The interplay between the A.I. character and the player character for both puzzle solving and combat adds layers to the gameplay, and the story has its moments. But this definitely isn't "Ico 2."

But when the balance shifts from "I'm going to keep trying because I know I can get better" to "I'm going to keep trying to justify the $50 I just spent," then there's a problem.

A couple of minigames and slight modifications to the stage design is hardly a new experience. Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution may claim it's bringing the fighting revolution to the Wii, but we've already been there. Twice, in fact.

A Vampyre Story's got some bright spots: The original score is quite good and recalls the old iMUSE scores from LucasArts' heyday, with jaunty character themes and dynamic tonal changes. And the story is an interesting vehicle, but it really deserves better jokes and puzzles.

It's clear 2K Sports learned from their mistakes and have delivered a product they can stand behind. Now let's see if they can best this effort next year.

The change in combat options is a welcome addition, I just wish that the story had delivered on the comic legacy of one of Marvel's more enduring heroes.

Personally speaking, though, Axis is unbearable: A hodgepodge of ideas with no aesthetic consistency. It includes practically every Tetris derivative mini-game to have been pushed out the door by various licensees over the past decade, both good and bad, making it a sort of omnibus. At the same time, the whole thing feels cheap and generic, and there's very little visual consistency from mode to mode.

Radiata Stories is a game that coasts on charm and stirs up some clever ideas. Like its hero, however, it's too slow, simple, and obvious to overcome its routine existence.

If the design were just a little tighter, and the presentation just a little crisper, I am convinced that this game would be one of my all-time favorites. As it is, I still find Valkyrie Profile's gameplay and branching storyline fascinating, and I will absolutely be adding it to my personal collection.

Flashy, fun, and playable -- albeit in slightly handicapped form -- this fantastic compilation is superior in many ways to Capcom's own superlative "Street Fighter Anniversary Collection," and sets an early standard for handheld 2D fighters.

While Army of Two does have its high points (an attack on an aircraft carrier being one), levels often lack excitement and instead deliver much of the same over and over. As mentioned before, it's not bad gameplay, but it never builds to much of anything. In fact, the entire game is rather anticlimactic.

A disappointing compilation of ambition without practical delivery. It's a game broken into several fundamental components that never work on their own and never contribute to a whole that can be appreciated.

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.

Sure, not everything here is a winner, but there's enough good stuff that the flops are a sort of bonus rather than a nuisance.

A more general problem is that the gameplay doesn't do much new, or even contemporary for that matter. You do the general flip-switching and item collecting types of missions, and your firepower is very typical.

It's huge, nicely-reproduced and sells for a great price. But the genuine classics part? Well, not so much. To be frank, there are two types of games in Treasures 2: decrepit hits, and obscure leftovers.

The PSP's analog nub also works well here with just the right balance of sensitivity and full range of motion, from tiny course-correcting nudges to hand over fist power-sliding.

Star Ocean contains an interesting plot buried in its depths, but it's incredibly demanding of your time and your patience.

Shikamaru's godly strengths aren't enough to throw off the game's equilibrium. Coupled with the lush visuals, the deep fighting engine, and the inspiring character designs, Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 is definitely worthy of landing in your game collection.

While the game has its fair share of annoying problems and suffers from being a bit too straightforward, it offers a solid off-road experience; motocross fans will be hard pressed to find a title better than this one.

Come for the intricate and frequently difficult single-player mode; stay for the entertainingly goofy minigames guaranteed to hook your most obstinate nongaming loved ones.

While multiplayer does have its flaws, it's got a lot more strengths than weaknesses, and, like the single-player, offers a highly entertaining way to kill some time while waiting for your girlfriend to get back from Jenny Craig.

Resonance of Fate features some pretty substantial (and fussy) systems made for endless fiddling and tinkering -- which is why it's a shame that the learning curve is so ludicrously steep.

Lovers of Formula One will get a huge kick out of the way it wallows in the culture of the sport...That said though, its biggest flaw is that, rather than providing you with an experience that makes you feel like a Formula One driver, it instead seems to require that you practically need the skills of one to truly succeed.

It's huge, nicely-reproduced and sells for a great price. But the genuine classics part? Well, not so much. To be frank, there are two types of games in Treasures 2: decrepit hits, and obscure leftovers.

For every artistic triumph the game unveils, it also bundles an equal number of peculiar design choices that make for a largely confusing whole.

Sky Crawlers was better than I was expecting, but still left me unfulfilled in a couple of places. The main culprits are the largely unexciting missions, which don't pick up in scale or drama until the final few, when the fighting and the set pieces around it start to actually feel stressful.

For twenty bucks (and the cost of a link cable, if you don't have yours anymore), it's hard to find a more addictive puzzler [than "Puzzle League."] It's light on the superficial extras, but the basic can't-stop gameplay is completely intact, which is what really counts.

The main game isn't terribly long, and the missions, though sometimes creative, are often frustrating because there's usually only one way to complete them, making them feel needlessly restrictive--something that stings a little more in a sandbox game such as this.

Rarely do you ever find a dungeon-crawling action game as well thought-out as this one; a game that is feature-rich, playable, beautiful, is downright addictive, and does the Dungeon Siege lineage justice.

With no cost for the game itself and a subscription cost about the price of a single gallon of gas, Dungeon Runners has a pretty nice cost-reward ratio going for it. There's no reason not to at least give it a crack.

To be completely honest, you've seen just about everything Genji has to offer before. It doesn't add anything new to the category, but much like "God of War," what it does manage to do is gather together all of the hackneyed, passe & twaddle of the action genre and package it together in a fashion that is remarkably enjoyable.

But ultimately, even though a lot of things about MUA2 aggravate me, the moment-to-moment gameplay of superheroes beating the crap out of robots/mutants/soldiers with fists, mystical hammers, repulsor rays, giant tongues, and what-have-you feels solid and enjoyable.

Rugby 08's greatest asset is the simplicity of the controls. Rugby's a fast-moving sport, with lots of things to do, but almost every action feels intuitive.

The most glaring omission can be found in the musical department as the original tunes you know and love are nowhere to be found.

Quirky, satisfying, and highly original.

The online play -- particularly co-op -- gives HAWX significant replayability. Everything from the picture-perfect planes to the stunning real world environments looks great, even after multiple passes.

For those who want a title like this on the PSP, there's a game to love hidden down deep in here. You just have to dig through a bunch of technical obstacles to get to it.

The lighthearted, quirky nature of the Worms franchise remains wholly intact, only delivered in a new setting that may take some adjusting to, but will still not fail to appeal.

It refines previous ideas but lacks that big "wow" factor we've seen in the past. It's thoroughly, thoroughly competent and shouldn't be overlooked, but it really is "Need for Speed Again."

This game's stunning details should keep you engaged all summer long, and the potential tendon injury from hitting is enticing. But the absence of rumble and the general lack of defensive and pitching innovation keep this from making the All-Star team.

It is, in the end, what you make of it -- and if you can look beyond its humble visuals and the occasionally janky controls, that's a fine thing indeed.

Tourist Trophy is highly customizable, and provides a chillingly realistic riding experience. While it may lack a few obvious features, this is still a strong start for the first real extension of the Gran Turismo franchise, and one that can only get better with time.

Though it's improving each year, SmackDown vs. Raw could really use some friendly (or TNA's case, not-so-friendly) competition.

It's the best Ridge Racer yet... If all you're looking for is a fast, fun, and highly replayable racer, you're getting a solid, full-featured package in Ridge Racer 6. But if you're looking for slightly more meat on the bone, "Project Gotham Racing 3" is a bit more filling.

It's a short quest, but while it lasts it's a genuine challenge that promises to kick you in the pants and make you like it.

I was tired of Manhunt long before it was over. I was tired of its violence, certainly, but I was also tired of its AI quirks, tired of its repetitive level design, and tired of the growing impression that I was just the main character in a geek show.