So, is it worth having an essentially infinite supply of crossword puzzles the size of a postage stamp to carry around with you for $30? If you have any sort of interest in crosswords, yes. Undoubtedly. It's one of the best uses yet of the DS, and it makes for a perfect portable game.

This superport does an admirable job of taking a complex PC game from an intimidatingly complex PC genre and making it an accessible console title. If any part of your heart enjoys playing on Live, you'll be too busy crushing the hobbits to even notice that you can't quite select the unit you were aiming for.

On a theoretical level it achieves a significant design accomplishment in pulling everything together into a cohesive package. As the person holding the controller, though, it stumbles too often on its inability to turn its potential into a consistently fun game.

Ultimately, sure, Dead Rising 2 has annoying technical flaws and uninteresting boss battles. But the ability to jump into a friend's game while wearing a Borat-inspired mankini and a Servbot helmet with a lawnmower blade strapped on top help you quickly forget those problems.

Griptonite has struck a delicate balance between utter linearity and the brain-numbing redundancy of "Harvest Moon," and the end result works pretty well.

Fine graphics notwithstanding -- this year's model has better arenas, improved sell animations, and much more dynamic camera presentation -- Day of Reckoning isn't much fun to play alone.

Call me a purist, but I like my traditional racers on consoles -- not my DS -- where I can sit on my couch, marvel at the crisp graphics, and feel the feedback coming into my racing wheel as I drive along the road. But if you really want to race on the DS -- and it's your only viable option -- GRID works as intended...mostly.

I would have liked to see an expanded tutorial mode, something beyond just showing players combos and such, but at the end of the day I am glad Capcom's main focus was improving the core gameplay even if it means skimping out on some of the more trivial features aimed at a more casual audience. For competitive players though, this is truly the ultimate version of the game, both in name and execution.

While virtually identical to its predecessor, the total revamp of the battle system makes Devil Summoner 2 more than "more of the same."

In an era increasingly defined by developers' ever-growing fear of creating anything that isn't a safe, conservative million-seller, Atlus' willingness to create and publish something as unique as this is truly commendable. Best of all, it's not just a weird game -- it's a great one, too.

Visual quibbles aside, Driver SF is a remarkable game that rescues the 12-year-old franchise from the scrap heap. The new shift ability adds impressive mechanics that are unique to a game about high speed chases and driving. Overall, it's a fun challenge too that doesn't go overboard as far as difficulty is concerned.

While the adventure entertains about as well as its predecessors, Baddest of the Bands makes one notable misstep -- auxiliary elements like Teen Girl Squad and the classic-gaming minigames are less prominent in this iteration.

Fat Princess' greatest strength is its comical presence, from the title screen to the ending credits.

The game's tightly focused plotting and puzzles work great in three-hour chunks and keep it free of the rampant illogic that most graphic adventures eventually succumb to&at least, when you consider the weird world that Sam and Max inhabit.

As a whole, the package doesn't come together nearly as well as FFXIII did. It's a mishmash of interesting systems and bold ideas that never quite gel.

A "good" game whose bugs keep it from being "excellent."

If you're cool with paying full price for another minor upgrade to last year's already good game, Tiger Woods 07 is for you. That sounds clichéd, but there's nothing so good, so bad, or wildly different this year that will make anyone change their opinion of the series. Only fans need apply.

When all's said and done, Episode 6 (like its predecessors) doesn't stretch much past the two-hour mark, but it's all just as well, since the assorted puzzles never get tough enough to become frustrating, nor easy enough to insult you.

To "normal" gamers that just want a bit of old-school flavor now and again, this cart's fine and dandy -- in fact, I hope it gives Nintendo some inspiration for a NES compilation of their own.

Unless you seriously have a thing for turn-based combat and having to really work for your progress, the game isn't for you. But if you do, Gladius is one of the better examples of the genre on the system.

Assuming you know what you're getting into -- namely, a meaty and occasionally tough action platformer in the 16-bit vein -- there's a lot to love about Monster Tale. It's brimming with detail; the monster evolution mechanics offer plenty of customization and variety; and all in all it's a wonderful homage to the classic games that clearly inspired it.

As a game steeped in immediacy, Mirror's Edge is an absolute must-play despite its idiosyncrasies. And as a pied piper for progressive design in first-person gaming, it's all the more important.

This game feels first and foremost like a pinball game, and a pretty damn good one at that. The Metroid motif's all well and good, but it's really only the icing on the cake.

You'll, fire thousands of rounds in hundreds of white-knuckled shootouts facing everything from soldiers to grotesques to specters, and tromp around in a totally bad-ass mech suit. Most importantly, you'll love every minute of it.

Like its namesake color, Black is bold in its simplicity, an elemental force that makes a strong, singular statement: It intends to be the most adrenaline-pumping, testosterone-infused shooter ever. And in that regard, it succeeds.

As a Ghostbusters fan, this game came through by delivering an entertaining experience with plenty of laughs and just the right amount of action.

As a whole, the package doesn't come together nearly as well as FFXIII did. It's a mishmash of interesting systems and bold ideas that never quite gel.

Damn, is this one fine game. If you've ever dreamed of shredding blistering licks in front of an adoring audience, you need to pick up Guitar Hero III.