The biggest problem, if it can be called one, with Phantom Hourglass is that it's too beholden to what's come before it. Innovation arrives in tiny steps, touch screen controls be damned.

While Live 08 is definitely looking better in every respect (gameplay, graphics, and online), the series still needs more time in the gym.

While Live 08 is definitely looking better in every respect (gameplay, graphics, and online), the series still needs more time in the gym.

The Crown feature definitely motivates you to get involved in the entire game, and even the gameplay glitches are tolerable if you're playing on a level where you can drop enough shots to keep up (Starter is probably best). It's not perfect, but it's fun enough that it doesn't have to be.

This may not be entirely fair, but I've already played better Jackass games. I've harpooned a buddy to my truck and dragged him around behind me in Crackdown. I've terrorized pedestrians in my underpants in San Andreas and heelflipped over your mother's head in Tony Hawk. My ideal Jackass game would be a rebranded Dead Rising. There are plenty of shopping carts, bowling balls, and golf clubs to do stupid crap with, and the main character already looks exactly like Johnny Knoxville.

It's hard to imagine a feature of this game that someone won't love... Sure, no one aspect of the game is life-changing on its own, but perhaps the package as a whole is. After all, Halo 3 has enough content to keep you stuck to your controller for weeks, if not months or even years.

Even by simply adding a little waggle to the dancepad, DDR: Hottest Party could have been a great game. Unfortunately, thanks to the god-awful setlist and generally poor presentation, it makes us want to take our dancing shoes elsewhere.

Blue Byte needs to ask itself some hard questions about just where it strayed from the path of success. Until it's willing to confront those questions, its flagship series will continue foundering on the shoals of obscurity.

A punishingly difficult action game.

DDR: SuperNOVA 2 doesn't bring much new to the table, but it does execute some of the tried-and-true series staples better than its predecessors. As a first DDR or a workout tool, it's a great place to step in, but series veterans should consider it yet another slight tweak on a game that's nearly played out.

Dewy's Adventure has some admirable qualities to it, but the control issues keep it from truly shining.

It's proof that developers don't have to shamelessly rip off Final Fantasy Tactics to craft a compelling, addictive strategy-RPG.

If you can handle the game's particular style (provided you live close enough to a Wal-Mart to buy one -- that's the only place you can get it), you'll find this a surprisingly well-designed game that offers significant playtime, will nurture latent gardening addictions, and will give you the goofiest "god game" experience you've had in a long, long time.

Built around utterly convincing physics and animation systems and a unique control scheme that's equal parts challenge and reward, it manages to be realistic without being discouraging and feels completely different from not only the competition, but from anything else out there.

COH's year-old Essence Engine is still the most beautiful, realistic RTS powerhouse on the market.

Like the show itself, Jackass: The Game is something best experienced when extremely drunk, extremely bored, or, ideally, both. But don't go getting the idea that you'll enjoy it with friends.

But whether you're playing online or off, you just can't shake the feeling that the PC version of Blazing Angels 2 is a messy afterthought, made all the more disappointing for wasted potential.

It's the closest thing to karaoke perfection I've seen yet.

And for the eight hours or so you'll spend playing through the story, it's reasonably entertaining. But with such unreliable environmental exploits, the game devolves into little more than a stylish, mindless, unusually destructive shooter.

Multiplayer has been improved upon as well, with full four-player co-op throughout the entire campaign and a huge number of online dogfighting options. And again, it all works beautifully because the fundamentals of the game are so simple and solid.

MySims sits uncomfortably between its heritage and its aspirations. It's not as much fun as The Sims, and it's not as much fun as "Animal Crossing." As the only game of its kind on Wii, it's the best by default -- but that still doesn't mean it's particularly great.

The one saving grace is the presence of Pac-Man Vs., a sincerely cool multiplayer take on the legendary maze-chase game that got a bit of a bum rap when Nintendo tried to transform it into the cornerstone of the company's business model.

The most obvious addition was the addition of dual screens and polygonal graphical elements. But the "tension meter," which built as players performed one-button aerial tricks and allowed bursts of even greater speed, is what really made the game so exhilarating.

World in Conflict packs a dizzying learning curve. Even with a dozen or so games under my sexy cummerbund, I felt like my choices were far too random. Multiplayer is especially exacting, requiring impeccable teamwork and constant communication to keep matches from capsizing into total pandemonium.

It's an addendum to a broader karaoke game, not a stand-alone.

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.

Ambitious? You bet. Worthy of your money? Maybe, if you can accept that racing is just one part -- and an inconsistent one at that -- of a very big picture.

Built around utterly convincing physics and animation systems and a unique control scheme that's equal parts challenge and reward, it manages to be realistic without being discouraging and feels completely different from not only the competition, but from anything else out there.

Multiplayer is certainly better than single-player (the more people, the better), but it suffers from the same pileups and limited variety. Considering how impractical it is to set up a full multiplayer game offline, it's ridiculous that the game's only online feature is comparing scores and leaderboards.

Can a game that lets you pick up a body, throw it, and tilt it with the PS3 controller as it flies at other enemies be bad?

Part of what makes this game so fantastic is that it has the same joyful resonance as those mid-'90s NHL classics. The good times are back.

Slightly flawed in some spots -- its Career mode, for example, is a pyramid of increasingly challenging events rather than a glimpse into a racer's life -- DiRT is nevertheless a big, beautiful game that goes places previous McRaes have not. It's quite simply one of the finest driving-centric titles to hit the still-new PS3 world.

Part of what makes this game so fantastic is that it has the same joyful resonance as those mid-'90s NHL classics. The good times are back.

The one killer drawback to Jam Sessions is that you can't play individual notes.

Though it gets slightly tiresome by the conclusion, Jungle Climber makes the most of its peg mechanic and provides a fresh change of pace from the familiar Mario side-scrolling school of thought.

It's a great game for a younger DS audience who will be thrilled simply by seeing their creations run around the screen and get wrapped up in the narrative (and maybe even trade creations with their friends), but older gamers will find disappointment around every turn in the creative freedom that it hints at but never truly delivers on.

If you're a longtime fan, Redemption simply gives you more of what you want with no radical changes -- so in that regard, aficionados will likely be satisfied. Generally speaking, .hack has a neat idea, but the games just can't quite balance the concept with an action-RPG play style.

From 2K8's tricky new controls to the number of gameplay hiccups, we simply can't recommend this skater over EA's for this hockey season.

While the story and writing are reasonably solid, they're not nearly riveting enough to outweigh the too-simple, occasionally glitchy nature of the fundamental game.

Whether under the guise of modeling real-world weapon accuracy or not, no excuse rationalizes repeated misses with scoped-in headshots from a sniper rifle.

Similarly, Airborne's standout feature -- land where you will and fight your way through objectives in whatever order you want -- is less about reliving history than saving a sagging series for which decision-making has meant "where to shoot" and "what to shoot with."

This might make a good present for your nephew's upcoming birthday, but for those looking for a good Naruto game worth sinking your teeth into, you're better off plunking down for one of the Ultimate Ninja games.

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.

OW2 still looks and sounds great though, and offers more content than any Worms before it. It might have scored even higher if it had been $10 cheaper (it would have truly been a must-buy for all DS owners at $20), but it's still an excellent value and a wonderful addition to the portable action-strategy lineup.

Lair is a game that you'll want for its eye-popping experience rather than its gameplay. So buy it if you want to justify all the thousands you spent on your PS3 and that 1080p HDTV you can see from the International Space Station. Don't buy it if you want a dragon that does what it's damn well told.

It's not easy to create a multiplayer game that's utterly accessible to first-timers and yet varied enough to have serious legs.

I've got a tremendous amount of respect for the men behind Blue Dragon...but at the same time, I can't overlook its massive warts just because three developers I grew up idolizing created the game.

The depth and quality of the special quests, like the two-player treasure hunts, makes Monster Hunter Freedom 2 exceptionally replayable, but as previously mentioned, your experience boils down to having people to play with, lest the game's depth be squandered.

If you don't mind a bit of frustration, and have the time and energy to put into it, Stuntman: Ignition can be an extremely rewarding experience. It's not for everyone, though.

The other major RPG released this week, the disappointing "Blue Dragon," promised to transport players back to those beloved days. Wild Arms 5 is the game that actually delivers.

It comes off as a hasty advertisement for Guild Wars 2.

Major events -- such as the arrival of a Crusading noble to join in your jolly pagan fox hunt, or the forming of a new faction -- keep you on your toes and inject personality, encouraging you to almost "role-play" the tyrannical zealots or freedom-fighting underdogs you're controlling.

Combine that frustration with the almost insultingly shallow combat and it's hard to get too excited about jumping back into the game more than once or twice.

Combine that frustration with the almost insultingly shallow combat and it's hard to get too excited about jumping back into the game more than once or twice.

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.

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.

Both games -- the Wii version especially -- ought to be so much better.

While you can manually toggle the maximum strength of the shot, the analog swing is still enormously more sensitive than in previous versions -- only there's no meter to give you any indication of how strong a putt you're making. Frustrating? You bet.

Tiger 08 may not be a must-have if you own previous versions, but it's an exceptionally solid game on its own.

On the whole, Corruption takes advantage of the Wii's biggest strength (with its unique controls), and minimizes its greatest weakness (through astounding art direction), while otherwise maintaining or improving upon the high standards and overall polish the series is known for.

The matchmatching is simply atrocious.

Well, now, this is disappointing. I wasn't expecting a full-fledged GRAW experience on PSP, to be sure, but Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 comes off feeling like a slightly more high-tech knockoff of SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo...only without teammates, online play, a reliable lock-on system, solid level design, or online play.

Had the developers made it about 30 percent smaller, cut the fat, and tightened its assorted good qualities, they may have realized its true potential and produced something special. As is, nothing's intrinsically bad about Two Worlds -- but neither is anything memorably good.

When the (catchy) electronic music is pounding and you're in tune with the game, it's an exciting, transcendent few seconds; it just never lasts, as you're brought back to earth by the sheer inanity of what you're involved in.

The truth is, I've never been so emotionally involved in an escort mission before. Games don't normally warrant the kind of discussions I've had about BioShock. This is something special.

Taken as a whole, as an experience that's richly and utterly complete, and one that engages the player in a constant dialogue, BioShock is virtually unassailable. And that makes you feel good.

A gaggle of inferior strategy-RPG options sporting higher asking prices already litters the PSP's substandard role-playing pool, so this fully competent, polished game should be an instant no-brainer for fans of the genre.

Even though the game eventually collapses under the weight of its own complexity, I'll give the developers credit for at least trying to break the mold with presentation, style, and gameplay.

Brain Age 2 fixes some old problems (you'll no longer shout words over and over to be understood), but introduces new hiccups as well -- good luck learning to write Dr. Kawashima's way without a couple dumb screwups. And a couple words on Dr. Kawashima: The guy is as condescending as ever; clearly, success has gone to his big, fat, disembodied head.

Hexic 2 is an excellent puzzle game on its own merits, but the original was perfection. For fans of the first game, multiplayer, new pieces, and new leaderboards to conquer should be well worth the 800 Marketplace points (around $10), but those who haven't given the series the time of day should explore the original first.

Despite all the stats management, there's no combat log; you don't even get to see what you or your opponent are rolling for attacks. But even for the true D&D aficionado -- or maybe more so for them -- fighting with party management in a game about party management saps so much life from a title that's right on the brink of being much better.

Delivers a refreshingly new take on the MegaTen concept while staying true to its roots. It's daring and innovative, yet not too unapproachable for roleplaying fans weaned on more traditional fare.

When you think "Final Fantasy Tactics clone," your mind probably sees something like Disgaea: Hour of Darkness: a competent facsimile of the formula that stands on its own. But with Luminous Arc, you get the most similar, least-polished alternative yet.

Hardcore RTS fans probably won't enjoy Heroes of Mana's simplified design. And fans of more traditional RPGs probably won't appreciate its chaotic, large-scale engagements, either. Taken for what it is, though, Heroes is an enjoyable little excursion.

You'll find a much smarter brand of football in 08: Quarterbacks now scramble when no one is open, wideouts continue to make blocks 30 yards downfield, and defensive backs rarely fall for the deep ball. Some might even say that pass defense is a tad too stingy this season.

Sadly, just like with "NCAA Football 08" and "All-Pro Football 2K8," PS3 owners are stuck with an inferior version of Madden. While the game runs at 60 frames per second on Microsoft's box, Madden only clocks in at 30fps on Sony's console. The result? The gameplay isn't nearly as smooth as the 360 version and even stutters at times.

In the end, there's absolutely no reason to choose this one over these other versions: Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Xbox, or even PSP. If you're a Madden beginner, just play an easy level on a different console.

In the end, if you're a football fan on the go, this one won't disappoint. There's plenty to tackle, and the returning minigames alone could get you from coast-to-coast without a moment of boredom.

But unless portability is a necessity for you, the console versions will prove more satisfying.

Fare Wars would be a respectable conversion of the arcade and Dreamcast classics had the developers managed to keep the speed -- and thus, the excitement -- in the game. Now Crazy Taxi just feels slow and clunky, and all the minigames and extra cities to explore in the world can't fix that.

The fact that this game is fun for exactly 20 minutes, and only in a group of two or more, should keep you from buying this game. In the end, Boogie is light on dancing, light on karaoke -- a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none moment of fluff.

Though it doesn't need a particularly impressive presentation for the formula to work, Glory Days 2 surprises with silky-smooth, colorful visuals reminiscent of a shrunken, high-speed Metal Slug.

Brave Story is a comfortingly familiar type of RPG that still feels fresh, thanks to the strength of its characterization, the attention to detail, the swift pace of battles and quests, and the technological proficiency of its load times.

Inevitable immaturity aside, Picross is an exceptional puzzle game with a no-nonsense presentation. It's especially great to see it in America at long last, a decade's worth of entries having been Japanese exclusives.

Charged seems like an amped-up, carnivalized reincarnation of Nintendo's own classic Ice Hockey.

Bug Island fails and frustrates so thoroughly throughout its 10-plus-hour playtime that its greatest feat may be fooling someone into finishing it who isn't paid to do so. It's easily the Wii's worst showing yet.

Given Fighter's Battle's very short single-player game (two hours at the most) and repetitive combat, it's a shame no minigames or alternate modes exist.

Never does it become particularly fun, though it's quietly engaging in its own methodical, repetitive way. It's not a full-price purchase by any means, and it's nowhere close to the high action-RPG bar set by Champions of Norrath on the PS2 three and a half years ago.

Never does Alien Syndrome become fun -- and unlike the Wii version, the PSP iteration doesn't even control well enough to become quietly engaging in its own methodical, repetitive way.

It's hard to argue that the minor tweaks to FFII -- though improvements they may be -- really justify its being sold individually when it's previously been packed together with the original Final Fantasy so many times.

This is basically Guitar Hero II with a new set of songs. That means you get all of its improvements, from practice mode to cooperative two-player jams with one person on lead and the other on bass or rhythm guitar. But that also begs the question: Why does this need to be a full-price title?

A good -- if not great -- game. Learn to deal with the artificial intelligence on particular tracks, and the experience in an enjoyable one. Just as long as you're not looking for a very deep -- or even all that logical -- career mode.

A good -- if not great -- game. Learn to deal with the artificial intelligence on particular tracks, and the experience in an enjoyable one. Just as long as you're not looking for a very deep -- or even all that logical -- career mode.

Apart from a few quibbles (large maps still load at a glacial pace and the A.I. still builds cities right on top of yours), BTS takes a strong game with some serious flaws and turns it into a fantastic game with a couple of minor flaws. No small feat, that.

The formula is as hectic and hilarious as it's ever been, and having it reside on a hard drive, ready for eight-player online action at any moment, makes it the perfect Live Arcade title.

Reasonably competent, but otherwise fairly unremarkable.

While the 360 version of NCAA Football 08 is finally a BCS bowl contender (after two limp seasons), the PS2 incarnation continues its steady march as the USC of last gen -- it's consistently dominant.

From the very first snap, you'll notice this game runs a whole lot faster and smoother than last year's edition, thanks to the necessary bump to 60 frames per second.