In a way, the main reason I'm somewhat disappointed is that developer EA Canada has the tough part down: the gameplay and controls. But soccer is about so much more than that -- it's about patriotism, atmosphere, and passion. For the inevitable World Cup follow-up, I'd really like to see those elements shine through -- and it wouldn't hurt to not ship with so many bugs, either.

While Scene It? is only just full enough of movie quizzing to hold up for several parties, it's a near-perfect translation from tabletop to 360 and, in fact, probably plays more closely to what its original creators intended.

If the appeal of its gameplay has worn thin, as it likely has for most fighting fans in 2004, then all the gorgeous graphics and new costumes and online play won't overcome that fact.

While the story and writing are reasonably solid, they're not nearly riveting enough to outweigh the too-simple, occasionally glitchy nature of the fundamental game.

Sony still offers the superior baseball experience, but I actually enjoyed certain aspects of 2K10 a little bit more; unlike last year, this is no Yankees-Royals mismatch.

Every bout of loading takes 20-30 seconds, and there are so many of them that it really starts to kill the atmosphere after a while.

Doesn't offer enough of these diversions, subjecting the bulk of the adventuring to an endless procession of serpentine dungeons, where killing some entrenched boss figures counts as variety.

Despite all the fixes, the game, much like that umpteenth alien abduction story on TLC, wears thin. Sure, the improved story buoys the "take me to your leader" trappings, but your tasks still tap into the cloning machine a few times too many -- one can handle only so many escort missions and cross-map fetch quests.

So, while I recommend this to anyone who plays golf video games, or used to (this brings me back to my Genesis PGA European Tour days), this is, in a way, a very well-looked-after port.

Its sole commonality with the franchise is Tony Hawk's voiceover "acting" -- but it nonetheless retains the palpable adrenaline of the series, all the while establishing a very high precedent for the future of Wii gameplay.

It's a brisk, no-nonsense take on the monster-collecting style of role-playing game. Sure, it's also a bit heartless, but as corporate America has taught us, sometimes that's what it takes to be efficient.

A more general problem is that the gameplay doesn't do much new, or even contemporary for that matter. You do the general flip-switching and item collecting types of missions, and your firepower is very typical.

Pain has plenty to offer within the realm of silly enjoyment and simple, visceral character interaction; it should be mentioned that you can even pose in the air like Superman or twirl your legs like a helicopter for a bonus score as your cruise towards your goals. As a $10 title though, it feels a bit thin on content regardless of the execution.

Ultimately, Resident Evil 5 shouldn't be looked at as a failure in the series, merely too ambitious, inconsistent and uneven. Earlier entries in the series benefited from their simplicity and focus, and while it's laudable for RE5 to try and include so much variety, perhaps a little more of the same ol' same ol' would have resulted in a slightly better game.

If you have friends to play with and any measure of nostalgia for the arcade original, there's no doubt that you'll get every penny's worth from NBA Jam. If you have plans to play it alone or against random strangers, there are better options out there -- and it doesn't even take calculus to figure that out.

Whatever the case, it's absolutely perfect for parties.

Ultimately, however, we think you'll prefer to have a friend close by as you experience the game. Root of Evil may not be to die for, but for $40, it's an easy way to kill a weekend.

While it may be the most lackluster chapter to date, it's still pretty entertaining -- but only in small doses. Just be aware that the price is too high and the replayability is too low.

Vol. 1 still has bouts of incredible monotony, but with the increased speed of the battles and graphics that don't induce nausea, it makes for a fine -- but not really great -- role-playing adventure.

Aladdin is just as solid now as it was then; jumping is still precise, the visual package is bright, colorful and well-animated, and the game's score and sound effects are all dead on.

Legends of Aranna isn't radically different! Who'd a thought an expansion pack would actually just expand the original game and be done with it!?!

The strategic elements that are firmly in place seem to be working against the action elements, when they should be working together: that is to say, it's difficult to be both General and Private in the same fight.

To be completely honest, you've seen just about everything Genji has to offer before. It doesn't add anything new to the category, but much like "God of War," what it does manage to do is gather together all of the hackneyed, passe & twaddle of the action genre and package it together in a fashion that is remarkably enjoyable.

The passing system seems to have regressed a bit and takes us back in time to the days where tapping the pass button in FIFA was like showing your complete faith in the forces of chance.

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.

Soccer fans will find it boring because it's too fast and too vapid, while nonfans will probably find it little more than a mildly distracting ball-themed action thing. It's reasonably well executed for what it is, but it could very well be something that no one wants.

Maxis hasn't changed the game drastically and shouldn't have to for an expansion pack that is adding a new (and cute!) perspective to an already solid game.

A complete and total rip off of "Metal Slug." But we mean that in a good way.