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.