Those who "get" Monster Hunter will find hundreds of hours of entertainment both online and off. But whatever the case, Capcom should be commended for taking such an original, offbeat and ultimately rewarding approach to the genre.

Vandal Hearts may be competent at what it does, but its derivative throwback nature doesn't do much for a genre that's in desperate need of innovation.

The Azoth of Destiny doesn't make any horrible mistakes, but the game's only real draw is that it's a very competent, old-school RPG for the PS2.

Justice League Heroes' kryptonite is its laughably lame story. Wait a second, wasn't this game written by an actual comic writer? That's why it's sad that the story is frickin' terrible.

The final problem for me is that Nightshade doesn't provide nearly enough of an incentive to rise to the challenge.

Wii Degree is, at the very least, a decent, briefly satisfying experience for gamers starved for new stuff to play on their Wiis. It just won't keep them happy for long.

After a workout with the game, I always walk away feeling like I just went through the same intensive, full-body workout that I'd only get from hitting the gym five days a week. It's this feeling that sets EA Sports Active 2 apart from the rest of the exercise games on the market, and it's why, if you're serious about getting into shape (and you can deal with the hefty price tag), you should definitely try EA Sports Active 2.

There's plenty of good, plenty of bad and plenty of weird on Taito Legends. The games are reproduced well, too, if not precisely up to arcade perfection.

If you don't own an Xbox 360 and you're bored to death with Wii Sports' Tennis, then Table Tennis is worth a look, but the lack of any personality or features -- most notably the missing online support of its predecessor -- just doesn't give it enough gameplay to last much longer than a one-week rental.

While the colorful visuals are even sharper on Wii, the included minigames are some of the laziest I've seen.

Despite the limited enjoyment found in figuring out how to kill the game's enemies, none of the tired, tentacle-porn clichés conjured here are of that much interest.

The story's dry as a bone, but that's not what you're playing Mega Man for anyway. The only truly glaring flaw: there are some lame 3D shooter sections, and while they aren't as frustrating (or prolific) as those in X7, surmounting them will still test your patience more than your ability with a joypad.

Fortune Street excels as a social experience: The sort of things that fosters knock-down, drag-out competition over the course of long, grueling hours. Just the thing for the holidays, really.

I enjoyed Blood Rayne in spite of my own frustrations. In part because of its novelty, 2D games that look this good are too few and far between, and those in HD are even scarcer. However, the game goes beyond its novelty and offers a fun yet challenging set of levels.

People who like deliberately campy, cheesy premises (like a Tarantino film) might find some subversive pleasure in this unique-yet-half-baked effort, but those looking for a little more depth would do well to pass this one by.

An unexpected visual delight (especially for HDTV owners) -- and it makes an already strong multigenre affair even better.

The game looks like a "Viewtiful Joe" mod with midlevel animated comic-book panels, complimented by decent voice acting to help progress the story. Still, it feels like a hollow adventure.

The problem is that every positive quality is hopelessly undermined by a single flaw: the game just doesn't work.

It's all a bit dull, gameplay-wise, until you can trudge through at least one season of shutouts. The good news is that presentation-wise, Quidditch World Cup sparkles.

It's not exactly a radical reinvention of the genre -- but, then, it's not meant to be. As simple, straightforward arcade-style action with a few unobtrusive additions at a budget price, it's a smashing success.

An uneven effort, MotoGP '08 is a decent game that should please most newbies and occasional riders but proves that Milestone has a ways to go before it fully grasps the handlebars.

Every hero has a weakness, and Justice League Heroes' kryptonite is its laughably lame story. Wait a second, wasn't this game written by an actual comic writer? That's why it's sad that the story is frickin' terrible.

Lost Magic lacks a compelling story or decent balance for the single-player mode, so Wi-Fi battles are pretty much the selling point here. The question is whether or not that's enough, in your opinion, to overcome the game's innate shortcomings.

Smash Court isn't resoundingly bad, by any means -- it just feels a bit irrelevant.

The best puzzlers work for all gamers, and Magnetica lacks the staying power to keep more seasoned puzzle fans interested for long.

The Run takes an awkwardly serious approach to its story, eschewing the over-the-top fun and wackiness of its clear inspirations -- movies like the Cannonball Run series and classic arcade games like Cruis'n USA --to deliver a cross-country campaign that's sometimes exhilarating, but often frustrating and surprisingly banal.

A "solid" game: It works great on a technical level, and presents enough challenge to engage veteran players, but also enough on-screen direction and help to make it accessible to the game's younger audience -- it's just too long.

Despite the badly botched opening segments and frustrating menu and navigational issues, it really won me over with its rewarding combat, kooky charm, and goofy humor.