Compelling narrative and crippled combat make Jade Empire a case of form over function -- and depending on what you want from a single-player RPG, that might be totally OK. It's short (in the 20-hour neighborhood for first-timers) and sweet; just don't let the premise trick you into expecting gameplay that isn't altogether there.

When it works, Total Overdose is a surreal blur of bullets keeping time to the merengue. But for each of those moments there are an equal number that run together into an indistinguishable mush of gunning down guys in sombreros to Latino rap.

Dominator isn't so much a "sequel" as it is just "another Burnout," and the saddest thing of all is that it takes several steps back in the process.

The graphics engine is the strongest point. This game is gorgeous to look at--but not quite as much fun to play. If and when players learn to get organized, it'll be a lot more rewarding, and hopefully Novalogic will even out the play balance issues before its inevitable sequel.

But like its contemporary cousin Guitar Hero, it creates a beautiful illusion from physical interactivity, well-chosen music, and pop-cultural style. Despite the pronounced lack of innovation, DDR Universe 2 shows us that getting lost in a stream of arrows to rump-shaking club tunes is still captivating.

It would be nice to have a longer main adventure or some mini-games or something to give the game a little bit more meat on its bones, but if you temper expectations, Spider-Man 2 delivers on its promise.

It's a lot of work for flashes of scandalous fun, and not as much reward in the long run. Neither the new Aspiration nor the dating mini-game brings very much to the gameplay, and that's the crux of the problem.

For video game vixens to look as hot as these do is almost disturbing.

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.

As an Xbox Live game, Counter-Strike's only real competition is "Rainbow Six 3" -- and it's really a toss-up as to which is better online. "RS3" has a better selection of modes (not to mention a great co-op feature) and the graphics are a fair bit smoother, but CS is much more quickly paced, and this makes online play far more addictive.

The game's main "problem" is that it badly needs four players. I say "problem" because that's only a problem if you don't have three friends to play with.

If you enjoyed the previous iterations, Battle Network 5 is a worthy successor to the line, but if you were turned off by the kiddie-veneer, the deep strategic gameplay goes a long way towards making it tolerable.

Branding aside, perhaps most frustrating is the omission of environmental interactivity -- napalm does nothing to bush and tanks are rendered useless by the thinnest slice of bamboo.

The only serious black mark on EoN is its length -- you can bulldoze through Bond's story in a few short hours, and the extra difficulty levels will likely not be enough to entice you to try again.

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.

What's most impressive is the way a lot of humor is injected into the actual gameplay.

What's most impressive is the way a lot of humor is injected into the actual gameplay.

The biggest problem is that we've seen everything Juiced has to offer before.

Unless you really, really like the franchise, this collection will do nothing whatsoever for you -- it's six largely identical games of varying quality. For those who can't get enough of that robo-rock/paper/scissors action, the exceptional quality of these ports (and the promise of a "new" spin-off) should be more than enough to offset the repetition.

Reasonably competent, but otherwise fairly unremarkable.

The most glaring omission can be found in the musical department as the original tunes you know and love are nowhere to be found.

With the flood of racing titles hitting the PSP right now, it'd be easy to miss Race Driver 2006. But if you're craving variety and great control in portable form, this is the game for you.

While preserving what it can of the spirit of the show -- the goofy patients, the romances, the cliques, and such -- It manages a mesh of genres that makes it hard to classify, but keeps it entertaining, if not addictive. Plus, for the core target audience, who's likely a casual gamer at most, it's surprisingly accessible.

While MHX isn't a definitive reinvention of a classic along the lines of "Metroid: Zero Mission," it's a solid re-creation that's been given an exceptional audiovisual upgrade.

A good player can wrap this game up in just under three hours, which definitely makes it a tough sell to all but the hardcore fans. But for fans, the experience is short and oh-so sweet, and the unlockable content -- additional characters like Super Saiyan 4 Goku and Super Saiyan Vegeta -- is sure to make it worthwhile.

If you're a competent gamer with a steady hand you'll be able to complete every challenge eventually, but beating the game "clean" is going to require quite a specific skill set that may ultimately not make this entertaining for everyone.

Going head-to-head can make for some surprisingly complex, drawn-out games, and if the single-player campaign is fun, going through it co-op is 10 times better.

Micro Machines V4 is a worthy part of a traditionally sublime racing series, but its appeal mostly lies with the party gamer set. And sometimes that's enough.