Really good simulations have the ability to make you sweat, and while Wolves of the Pacific is still a patch or two away from realizing its full potential, the thrill of the hunt and the constant risk of instantly switching from hunter to hunted provides an abundance of nail-biting tension and drama.

The game gets away from these roots far too soon and often, delving into middling mech territory with brain-dead humans broken up by rote boss battles and a forgettable story. Sleek graphics and a fast start can't mask what's an entertaining but ultimately disposable diversion.

Daisy-chaining raw resources to refined goods to end products hasn't been this gratifying in years.

Bigger, longer, more complex levels and more challenging opponents (not just easily-destroyed peons and the occasional complex boss) are what could make this more than eye-candy -- the character system is already where it needs to be, and in fact it sometimes feels too detailed in comparison to the challenges on offer.

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.

EA put a great deal of effort in capturing the emotional aspect of college football, but it mostly goes to waste because the Momentum Meter fails to accurately translate that energy and how it can impact what happens on the field.

The interesting thing about Gun, however, is that it mixes broad free-roaming aspects with some of the most tightly scripted missions we've seen in any game -- quite an achievement for an original game from a company known for skateboarding titles.

Fighting games and fancy graphics have passed Soul Calibur, but if you've got any nostalgia for this one, it's a golden oldie that just might be worth the steepest price of all: having to play a fighting game on the 360 controller's awful D-pad. If you're willing to put up with that, the 10 bucks is trivial.

Taken for what it is, though -- a cheap collection of tons of Genesis games -- the Ultimate Genesis Collection satisfies. No compilation is ever perfect, and Sega and Backbone definitely leave room for improvement. But there's a lot of great gameplay to be had here, and plenty of interesting obscurities for the adventurous to explore -- and all for an enticing price.

If an absolutely brilliant story, finely detailed characterization, and faultless attention to canonical detail are what you're after, then, X-Men Legends is not what you're looking for. If you want a good game, though, and an especially good game to play with a couch full of superhero fans, this is the game to get.

An entertaining multiplayer romp.

These aren't really the best RPGs on the system. But they're historic games, and they've been buffed up to the best they'll ever be, so if you're a fan of the genre, it's a nice little package you'd do well to check out.

Tropico 3 beats the hell out of history books, and strangely, most games of its kind. I only wish that the soundtrack had more tunes. And that I could have the DJ shot. God, I can't stand that guy.

While a simplistic RTS is a nice departure from NIS' regular library, GrimGrimoire feels too watered-down and too repetitive to take a place beside some of the other, critically acclaimed titles from this niche publisher.

Under the Knife 2 is an experience all gamers can enjoy, not just stylus savants -- and that's how Trauma Center should've been done from the start.

Whether or not you've ever experienced Monkey Island's ridiculous puzzles and eccentric characters, this is a great opportunity to explore the reemerging world of adventure gaming.

Like golf, it's certainly a great game, albeit one with limited appeal.

EA did their homework and pulled together a solid basketball game this year. There isn't much to complain about in NBA Live 2005. And with the addition of the Slam Dunk Contest, the replay value is huge.

Comprehensive and complete, this is the rare retro collection worth the price of entry, and it's one that should grace the shelf of every fighting library out there. It's also a great reminder of what Capcom was once best at, and what they could conjure once again if only they'd put their minds to it.

The Superstar control sets will ensure that each game has a lengthy highlight reel while keeping the gameplay fast and fun. Fundamental issues with the game and its key features keep it out of the upper echelon of basketball titles.

When looking at this strictly from a playability sense, this game's easy to learn and fun to master.

You might chafe a bit at having to pay for it -- I'd much rather have seen this as part of some sort of pre-order deal -- but you can't argue that Case Zero is not only an effective way to set the stage and build anticipation, it's also a meaty, satisfying slice of the zombie apocalypse.

Taken on its own terms, Lament of Innocence is a resounding success, and one of the best 3D action games on PS2.

Innovative only in its exceptional presentation, L.A. Remix is nevertheless a fast and furious jaunt through not one but two massive bergs, and it does just about everything a city racer could ever be expected to do within the miniaturized PSP environment. Despite its few foibles, this is a keeper.

Currently, online is too inconsistent to be taken seriously. Without the quality online play, the Tekken community will have to take their battles offline, limiting the potential for community growth. And the small details Namco Bandai neglected hurts the overall experience. Tekken 6 is excellent, but with better netcode, it would have been outstanding.

The designers put all of their eggs in the city-design basket and forgot about actual mission design.

It's clogged up with new features and ideas that simply seem gratuitous. The emphasis on driving skill seems to have been diminished, and in its place the Tiburon team appears to have spent the last year asking "what more can we do to add something new to this thing?"

Purely as an action-RPG, it's a competent game with a few significant flaws in the name of simplicity/accessibility, but as an experience, it shines with humor and wit all over, and makes me hopeful for an improved sequel.