All in all, it's amazing the amount of content that's packed into this game -- this is more than a sequel, even while including a redux of the first game's three movies.

Drill Spirits is classic Namco through and through: like "Katamari Damacy" and "Taiko Drum Master," it's a straightforward idea that succeeds on the strength of its addictive gameplay and hyperactive personality.

Despite its lack of an online versus mode, Shin Budokai is a solid fighting game, even giving other PSP fighters -- namely Capcom's "Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX" and "Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower" -- a run for their money.

Ultimately, skipping Konquest mode altogether doesn't seem like such a bad idea, considering that all the characters are unlocked from the start, which was the main reason to play through Konquest mode on the home consoles.

It's apparent that the story and atmosphere of the game is much more important than actual gameplay.

Ultimately, Tribes of the East manages to gobble time as effectively as any good Heroes installment; it's an impressive final outing for Heroes V -- and another strong showing from Nival.

Pariah's virtues, ultimately, are adult virtues: it's a solid, serious, deeply competent game. This competence may not prove an adequate substitute for the moment-to-moment buzz of the mindless FPS in its terminally adolescent pomp.

If the best we can hope for to mark the silver anniversary of one of the most monumental video game masterpieces is a quick and dirty rerelease with a bit of pretty but insubstantial packaging, it's little surprise that so few people take gaming seriously as a medium.

If you did frequent arcades in the early '90s and remember just how fun X-men Arcade was, though, this is a must-purchase.

Aside from bugs like that, annoying as they are, Punisher does a good job of translating the source material, right down to the dingy, everyday visuals and the character design for the lowlifes within.

All told, unless you've got a special place in your heart for this white-eyed, blue-skinned, four-in-one sci-fi warrior, you'll come away with an experience you'll likely forget within a few days -- and a newfound appreciation for the better shooters.

WA4 is uneven, wavering uncertainly between "totally offbeat" and "utterly trite."

If you don't own any other console and you just really want to stomp those arrows, by all means, go right ahead. For everyone else, there's simply nothing to see.

It's great fun, a fantastic example of substance and style, and provides depth at nearly every turn. What better way to combat the armies of darkness?

It's telling that my main criticism of Band is its meager song count, as it's a feat for any game that actually made me love jamming to Fall Out Boy.

If anything, ReBirth is a harmless non-canonical sequel, and the flaws are pretty excusable -- no matter how you look at it, this is a good Gradius. But, like all the other recent, deliberately retro-styled games, it's definitely meant for people who had some sort of connection to the series in their youth.

But the grand experiment of translating stylus swipes into intuitive no-look passes and alley-oops fails more often than it works, and that's the big "if" upon which the whole thing hangs.

The game's greatest fault, really, is that it's over too soon. Missed opportunities and some perspective oddities aside, Kororinpa: Marble Mania is a solid, charming puzzler.

It worries me a bit that I'm starting to enjoy all this tedium.

Perhaps the weakest addition is a new targeting mode that allows the actual aiming of shots.

The core gameplay is sound, so it's a shame that it's burdened by a derivative plot, generic characters, and archaic visuals (reminiscent of the 32-bit era in a bad way).

It's notable for not being just another dungeon- or trap-making game like other villain-centric games that would probably be better anyway. It's a collection of arcade sensibilities mixed with imaginative design you don't see too often anymore, outside of indie developer circles.

Sure, it's derivative as hell, but there's nothing getting in the way of actually enjoying the game now.

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.

Rondo of Swords can be a frustrating game. But those frustrations feel like an intentional part of the design; it's not meant as a cakewalk.

It's far more demanding than its fellow DS-based roguelikes, lacking, say, the cuddly mascots of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon or the cumulative experience-building of Izuna. But it's remarkably well crafted, with streamlined gameplay that belies its impressive substance.

Does the motion control work? Absolutely. Granted, casting spells with the Wii Remote isn't a perfect affair, but the interactive nature easily pushes the Wii version above the others, despite its higher-resolution console brothers.

Magical Starsign should be looked upon less as an RPG and more as a warning to potential DS and Wii developers: Yes, these new systems offer exciting, different possibilities. But please don't sacrifice old-school playability for unnecessary control schemes.