The minimal presentation, weak interface and comparatively paltry selection of titles hardly seems worthy of a golden anniversary. These games may be classics, but Namco's really pushing its luck here.

The minimal presentation, weak interface and comparatively paltry selection of titles hardly seems worthy of a golden anniversary.

Perfect for those who want nothing but a straightforward, hack-and-slash game. It won't offer you substance, style, or even repeat gaming, but at least you won't need any illicit drugs to make your mind numb.

Superstar Baseball was obviously meant to be played in short bursts instead of long sessions. (The lack of any sort of regular season mode ensures this.) And as this simple type of game that's neither too deep nor too shallow, Superstar's "swing at anything, steal all the time, watch out for the Thwomps in right field" brand of baseball is tough to beat.

An excellent game for the wrestling purists, and while it would actually have been nice to get a little more good ol' WWE brand tackiness, it's hard to decline what the game offers: beautiful bodies on beautiful display, doing beautiful violence.

187 basically defines "average." While the graphics err on the nicer side and the story dips a bit below the equator, most of the game is competent but unspectacular. Every good feature seems to have a bad one that balances it out.

187 basically defines "average." While the graphics err on the nicer side and the story dips a bit below the equator, most of the game is competent but unspectacular. Every good feature seems to have a bad one that balances it out.

Although far from perfect in terms of pacing or narrative, it provides a huge free-roaming playground in which you can let loose and just have fun breaking stuff with scant regard for the overall point of the game.

A game that is certainly violent, absolutely profane, but also acceptably playable and filled with enough replay value and customization to warrant a purchase as opposed to a rental. But in terms of sheer polish and finesse, "Def Jam Fight for New York" is still the standard bearer against which these sorts of games should be judged.

Everyone who enjoys portable gaming, old greats or any combination of the two owes it to themself to pick up a copy of Battle Collection. It would be a great purchase even if PSP software weren't so hard to come by these days; as it stands, it's one of the best titles available for the system.

One warning to potential consumers, though: The bizarrely long cut-scenes (and the baby-game story they painfully tell) will bore any gamer old enough to read them. Avert your gaze.

Although far from perfect in terms of pacing or narrative, it provides a huge free-roaming playground in which you can let loose and just have fun breaking stuff with scant regard for the overall point of the game.

A game that is certainly violent, absolutely profane, but also acceptably playable and filled with enough replay value and customization to warrant a purchase as opposed to a rental. But in terms of sheer polish and finesse, "Def Jam Fight for New York" is still the standard bearer against which these sorts of games should be judged.

Ultimate Destruction is certainly the best Hulk game yet, and despite a few flaws stands tall as one of the best of this particular niche of the action genre. Hulk fans will adore it, but action fans definitely shouldn't overlook it.

This is the type of game you can play to pass the time on the morning commute, while watching TV, or waiting in line for your husband to buy power tools. Touching is good, play well with others, etc. -- Nintendogs is a unique game that brings something new to the DS.

This is the type of game you can play to pass the time on the morning commute, while watching TV, or waiting in line for your husband to buy power tools. Touching is good, play well with others, etc. -- Nintendogs is a unique game that brings something new to the DS.

This is the type of game you can play to pass the time on the morning commute, while watching TV, or waiting in line for your husband to buy power tools. Touching is good, play well with others, etc. -- Nintendogs is a unique game that brings something new to the DS.

A goldmine of tactical riches. The gameplay is fast (once you've dribbled past the Teen Beat dialogue) and the game looks sharp.

Even with the new story Dungeon Siege II never quite manages to shake the underlying sense throughout that if you squint hard enough at the screen you could be playing the original game. It's as if answering the critics became such a preoccupation that instead of a sequel, Dungeon Siege II became the perfected version of the original.

The point of Play 2 was simply to take what made the original resonate with gamers and non-gamers alike so well and bring it up a few notches. That's certainly happened here.

Oftentimes the game will thrust you into difficult, unexpected situations with little warning; try-and-die when you only have a few attempts before starting the fairly lengthy levels all over again, is frustrating.

Though it strives to be something more significant, Sigma Star is basically a perfectly decent RPG cross-bred with the most uninspired shoot-em-up to be seen in ages.

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?"

Where's Knuckles Chaotix, one of the few decent games to see the light of day on Sega's abortive 32X system? Or how about Sonic Pocket Adventure for the forgotten Neo Geo Pocket Color? And what about the surprisingly competent Master System ports of Sonic and Sonic 2?

The overall effect is that you're playing an unholy union between an old -- and not very good -- point-and-click adventure and a five-year old first-person shooter.

A good player can wrap this game up in just under three hours, which definitely makes it a tough sell to all but the hardcore fans. But for fans, the experience is short and oh-so sweet, and the unlockable content -- additional characters like Super Saiyan 4 Goku and Super Saiyan Vegeta -- is sure to make it worthwhile.

It is far and away the most cerebral sports title ever released, forcing both the offensive and defensive coordination to methodically attack each other in order to achieve their respective goals. Careful and well thought out strategy is the name of the game, much more so than relying on frantic, on the field playmaking.

It is far and away the most cerebral sports title ever released, forcing both the offensive and defensive coordination to methodically attack each other in order to achieve their respective goals. Careful and well thought out strategy is the name of the game, much more so than relying on frantic, on the field playmaking.

It is far and away the most cerebral sports title ever released, forcing both the offensive and defensive coordination to methodically attack each other in order to achieve their respective goals. Careful and well thought out strategy is the name of the game, much more so than relying on frantic, on the field playmaking.

It's not exactly a bad game, but it feels oddly archaic -- the kind of thing that would have been pretty hot 15 years ago on the NES. Now, though, it's mainly interesting as a poor man's "Castlevania."

Although it is a game for tactical, patient players, there are still enough big booms and explosions to keep things exciting.

It's a highly specialized title, with a unique feature that will either delight you or drive you crazy. But those who get into the nitty-gritty of designing custom monsters to play will find in this game rare pleasures and rewards.

Makai Kingdom has as many fresh new ideas as any other game they've developed. But just as Tony Hawk eventually turned a little stale after its fourth installment, so might it also be time for Nippon Ichi to try something really new next time.

What's more annoying than anything else, though, are the bizarre messages that pop up during multiplayer battles. You don't really need the server to remind you the maximum number of allowed players have joined a battle every time someone drops out and then refills the quota.

Farming's hard, tedious, repetitive work. And don't let anyone tell you different.

If there ever was a game destined to attract a cult following for its strange design decisions, Colosseum is definitely it.

The mere existence of this game means that there are people out there with their hearts in the right place...which makes the end results all the more heartbreaking.

Darwinia isn't just a good game. More importantly, it's a place you've never been.

By and large it reeks of wasted potential and a general sense of trying too hard. If you're really hard up for a pinball fix, it's certainly a lot more budget-friendly than tracking down an actual machine.

FlatOut basically feels like a slightly more frustrating successor to the original "Destruction Derby" series on the PlayStation 1 (well, the first two games). It does have a lot to offer, but it all feels a bit soulless somehow.

FlatOut basically feels like a slightly more frustrating successor to the original "Destruction Derby" series on the PlayStation 1 (well, the first two games).

It's not a classic game, but Fullmetal Alchemist 2 ably performs both of its intended functions: it's fun for existing series fans, and a decent enough game that those who haven't had contact with the original property will get far enough that the concept could intrigue them.

FlatOut basically feels like a slightly more frustrating successor to the original "Destruction Derby" series on the PlayStation 1 (well, the first two games).

As I painfully maneuvered my Charlie from room to room, I grew more and more desperate in my attempt to find redeeming qualities in the game.

For a few weeks, Pirates! reached full-fledged addiction status for me, complete with numerous lost hours and mutterings of "just one more mission." A fine summer fling indeed.

As I painfully maneuvered my Charlie from room to room, I grew more and more desperate in my attempt to find redeeming qualities in the game.

A few in-game glitches and some questionable exploits slow down the game's momentum and keep it from becoming the true football fanatic's obsession.

As I painfully maneuvered my Charlie from room to room, I grew more and more desperate in my attempt to find redeeming qualities in the game.

At its worst, it's as curiously dysfunctional a "game" as the Harmon's are a "family," and at its best Killer 7 is one of the most artfully designed footnotes in gaming history.

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

The gameplay is classic run-'n-gun style, creature designs are as uninspired as the environments they inhabit, and the unintuitive controls mean shooting often leads to frustration.

The accessibility gives it decent chops as a party game, and the unlockables give it fanboy cachet, but it's simply time for Capcom and Bandai to rethink this enterprise.

Outside of being a great showcase for the DS itself, Meteos is also a fantastic, dizzyingly fast puzzle game that leaves an addictive aftertaste not seen since the likes of "Tetris Attack."

There are even certain instances where you can find yourself focusing on your stealth tactics rather than struggling with the interface, and in those instances the game plays out quite well. It's just too bad those are the exception rather than the rule.

Shot Online's execution is just poor.

An interesting, entertaining adventure in its own right. Atlus' latest probably won't be to everyone's tastes, but anyone looking for a lengthy, engrossing and above all unique handheld quest this summer would be remiss in passing it up.

Despite the load time issue, an occasional problem with being able to see certain cars and roadside objects that blend into the dark backgrounds, and a slightly reduced sense of speed overall, there's very little to criticize here.

Half-way through most boss battles, the game presents the option of executing a 'finishing move' that will remove the rest of the enemy's health in one fell swoop. Deceptively, this maneuver is initiated by pressing a single button -- except it doesn't work most of the time.

Whatever travails Psychonauts endured throughout its development history, the end result is a gem. It's a brilliant debut for Double Fine, and here's hoping it's just the start of what we can expect to see from them.

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.

Battlefield 2 absolutely sets a new standard for multiplayer combat on a grand scale, but the final result is evolutionary, not revolutionary, so the the proposition is a little bit tricky.

A more generous perspective would say it's more of the classic Bomberman multiplayer we've all come to know and love. It's the comfort food of videogames, and if that's enough for you, this is more than sufficient as an 8-player hold-me-over.

If you enjoyed the previous iterations, Battle Network 5 is a worthy successor to the line, but if you were turned off by the kiddie-veneer, the deep strategic gameplay goes a long way towards making it tolerable.

If you enjoyed the previous iterations, Battle Network 5 is a worthy successor to the line, but if you were turned off by the kiddie-veneer, the deep strategic gameplay goes a long way towards making it tolerable.

There's not much in the way of new content in single-player, nor is much of it different or even "uncut," and the multiplayer segment suffers from a lack of play balancing. Still, it looks really, really good and the gameplay mostly holds up, which is probably enough for most people.

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.

If the worldwide aspect of RYL has you intrigued, check it out. Or, if you like hack-n-slash gameplay with no end in sight, this could well be your game.

Crates and barrels aside, Batman Begins is generally a well-produced game. Its visuals are often striking, and are distinct in style from those of the film.

Compared to the majority of kiddie-oriented crap that's clogging up the GBA's arteries in its advanced age, MQ3 is downright fantastic.

Evolution's problem is that each of the characters is distinct, but there aren't nearly enough of them for the game to stand on that concept alone. It's not gimmicky nor is it comprehensive, instead going for some kind of arbitrary blend of the two.

The stealth fails, however, in at least two significant ways. The first is a near-total lack of choice: there's almost always one prescribed way to navigate a given situation, and player improvisations are promptly curtailed by unsustainable gunfire.

The stealth fails, however, in at least two significant ways. The first is a near-total lack of choice: there's almost always one prescribed way to navigate a given situation, and player improvisations are promptly curtailed by unsustainable gunfire.

The biggest problem is that we've seen everything Juiced has to offer before.

Solo players won't find themselves with much depth, while multiplayer fans without a heap of DS-wielding friends will scoff at the poor level design and inability to have much fun without at least three players.

A genuinely excellent game. It impresses on many levels, perhaps most of all for the simple fact that it's the first example of a traditional 2D platformer that genuinely works with no input besides a stylus.

Yoshi's latest adventure simply proves that it really doesn't matter which way you look at a mediocre game -- it's boring from every angle, and no amount of spin can prove otherwise.

The biggest problem is that we've seen everything Juiced has to offer before.

If nostalgia for the original arcade light-gun game, or fascination with the myth of the Mid-West has you by the cockles, then this game may give you a day or two's worth of good times. But anyone with a stricter criteria than that would be hard-pressed to find real satisfaction in what's offered here.

The experience is still amazing... and that the gameplay is still really, really broken in many areas. Each new port brings with it a handful of new features, yet none of them are anything more than mere tweaks.

If you can stomach the somewhat random difficulty during the single-player campaign, you'll be treated to a mostly exhilarating trip through the different battles of Europe, including a virtual take on the Battle of the Bulge.

Most of what Samurai Western has going for it is a goofy atmosphere derived from jamming the samurai and western parts of the storyline awkwardly together, and piling more ludicrously anachronistic elements on top of the result.

If you can stomach the somewhat random difficulty during the single-player campaign, you'll be treated to a mostly exhilarating trip through the different battles of Europe, including a virtual take on the Battle of the Bulge.

The experience is still amazing... and that the gameplay is still really, really broken in many areas. Each new port brings with it a handful of new features, yet none of them are anything more than mere tweaks.

Knights of Honor is never slow and offers plenty of things to occupy your time in each game, but none of it is particularly deep or challenging. Once you've mastered the basic mechanisms of the game, it's just a matter of time before Europe is yours.

While preserving what it can of the spirit of the show -- the goofy patients, the romances, the cliques, and such -- It manages a mesh of genres that makes it hard to classify, but keeps it entertaining, if not addictive. Plus, for the core target audience, who's likely a casual gamer at most, it's surprisingly accessible.

One of Advent Rising's most obvious assets is the game's ability to suck the player headlong into an unapologetic (and occasionally pretentious) space opera, all the while maintaining its inertia throughout the journey.

The whole thing can be finished in just a couple of sittings. However, fans of the film, both young and old, would do well to give it a shot, as it's an entertaining platformer that complements the movie quite well.

Not a long game. The whole thing can be finished in just a couple of sittings. However, fans of the film, both young and old, would do well to give it a shot, as it's an entertaining platformer that complements the movie quite well.

The whole thing can be finished in just a couple of sittings. However, fans of the film, both young and old, would do well to give it a shot, as it's an entertaining platformer that complements the movie quite well.

The successful parsing of battle, dialogue, and set-up sessions in Sacred Stones demonstrates again that the GBA might not be a Revolution, but it's something I sure would revisit time after time.

Although Nintendo has been visiting the WarioWare well fairly often of late, it still manages to feel fresh and addictive.

It might even be considered a pretty decent RTS of usual sort, but taken as a historically accurate simulation; it's utterly disappointing and comes nowhere close to challenging the Total War series.

The ability to find various items and combining them to create new items like lock picks and Molotov cocktails is an interesting aspect, too, though not as cool in practice as it sounds in theory.

It comes on the heels of Capcom's own "Resident Evil 4." After you've played a game as breathtakingly beautiful and exhilarating as that, it's hard to take a step back and play something that just feels dated by comparison.

In the end, it turns out Dungeon Lords wasn't so much released before its time, as it was given up on in an admission that time had already long since passed it by.

A solid, serious, deeply competent game. This competence may not prove an adequate substitute for the moment-to-moment buzz of the mindless FPS in its terminally adolescent pomp.

Notably absent from the multiplayer options is a mode that allows you to play a multiplayer game with a single copy of the game. It's not often that you're going to get eight PSPs and eight copies of the game into the same place at once, so it's kind of odd that there's no provision for a good old-fashioned session of "pass the PSP." Shame.

Pariah's virtues, ultimately, are adult virtues: it's a solid, serious, deeply competent game. This competence may not prove an adequate substitute for the moment-to-moment buzz of the mindless FPS in its terminally adolescent pomp.