Malice is so generic and mediocre that its release only serves to spoil what little status it had as the punchline of a joke.

If the idea of playing an absolutely average (and not particularly lengthy) Resident Evil adventure with incompetent A.I. allies is exciting, then hop to it.

But retro compilations are practically a dime a dozen these days, and next to the likes of "Namco Museum Battle Collection" and "Capcom Classics Collection," the games enshrined here show both their age and a general lack of inspiration.

For all its flaws this one's still fun for a short kickaround, but in the end it's really nothing more than a softcore novelty.

On the presentation side, with colorful, cartoony graphics and contributions from the voice actors, it should satisfy the legions of Simpsons fans. But as a game, it's decidedly mediocre-at-best fare, with levels that vary in quality and pedestrian platforming and beat-em-up action.

It's more flattering to look at Killer App as another handheld arcade collection with a great upgraded multiplayer version of Light Cycles and a simply bad adventure game thrown in as a bonus.

Overall, when stacked next to its PS2 counterpart, the PSP version of Ghost Rider is on very weak legs.

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.

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.

Take those problems and add on yawn-inspiring and occasionally frustrating level design and a grand total running time of about six hours for all but the slowest of gamers, and you've got another licensed movie game that's decidedly mediocre.

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.

The problem with this control innovation is that the game often requires you to perform very particular movements (such as jump in the air, and grab a pole with your whip) with imprecise controls forcing you to playing the puzzles over and over until you are ready to rip your fur out.

Like Mario Bros., the Famicom Mini version of Dr. Mario suffers from a single terrible flaw: it was completely obsolete long before it was ever released.

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.

The game feels too labored and doesn't have enough thrills to lock us in. When it comes to handheld baseball, 2K7 isn't even a wild card compared to the champ, "MLB 07: The Show."

I was so frustrated at the game, the entire experience was comically agonizing, sort of like a newer Martin Short "film" that tries to be funny but winds up being hilarious for all the wrong reasons.

Xiaolin Showdown has the elements of a good game, but the execution is so sloppy and shallow that it ends up falling flat.

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

It's hard to even say what's good about the game, because every attempt to get at the fun parts is like swimming to shore with lead weights on both feet.

Those who have drained every last moment of enjoyment from the DS game might appreciate it as a way to eke a little more challenge from the experience. And really obsessive types might appreciate the fact that the announcer guy from the cartoon performs (highly repetitious) running commentary during in-game battles. Everyone else, though, will simply regard this as a waste of money.

The game could have been so much more bearable if they had simply changed the camera operation. The camera is not in your usual third-person perspective, and it quite often faces her, making gameplay very difficult if not impossible at times.

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.

Despite an entire review's worth of problems, Fantastic Four isn't a complete loss. It has some nice-looking effects ("flaming on," specifically), a decent joke or two, and some nice extras to unlock (old Fantastic Four comic covers, alternate costumes, etc.), but it's just not compelling in any of the basic areas it needs to be.

Xiaolin Showdown has the elements of a good game, but the execution is so sloppy and shallow that it ends up falling flat.

The predominant problem with Drakengard is that it's boring to look at. The level designs don't seem designed much at all.

Point-and-click adventures can be great, but more often than not they end up being tedious and mundane. CSI: Miami falls squarely into the latter category, despite the high production values and being so faithful to the source material.

Despite an entire review's worth of problems, Fantastic Four isn't a complete loss. It has some nice-looking effects ("flaming on," specifically), a decent joke or two, and some nice extras to unlock (old Fantastic Four comic covers, alternate costumes, etc.), but it's just not compelling in any of the basic areas it needs to be.

UGnG gets the superficial bits right, yet the fundamental elements that have always made the series so compelling despite its esteem-crushing difficulty are either missing, compromised or broken in this sequel. And without those crucial underpinnings of quality in place, the entire affair collapses in a morass of mediocrity.