It's definitely a game for RPG fanatics who go in more for the challenge than the plotline, and no doubt casual players who pick it up for the oh-so-cute cover art will be rather surprised by how brutally it savages their dignity (although a generous learning curve should help ease them into their suffering). Still, it's a definite success, taken on its own terms.

So, sure--Beijing may not be gold-quality throughout, but it's the best Olympics game we've had since, well...probably ever.

So, sure--Beijing may not be gold-quality throughout, but it's the best Olympics game we've had since, well...probably ever.

Despite all of Wonder World's menu problems, generally terrible visuals, and inane writing (which at times seems pulled directly from some obscure Bulgarian translation), the actual minigames themselves are surprisingly intuitive. If you can take the punishment to unlock them, a few of the minigames are actually fun.

UT3's Xbox 360 version is huffing and puffing and bringing up the rear, long after anyone cares to watch the race.

With no cost for the game itself and a subscription cost about the price of a single gallon of gas, Dungeon Runners has a pretty nice cost-reward ratio going for it. There's no reason not to at least give it a crack.

Under the Knife 2 is an experience all gamers can enjoy, not just stylus savants -- and that's how Trauma Center should've been done from the start.

The developers executed that concept quite well. If the setup makes you chuckle, chances are the game will, too.

Fighting games and fancy graphics have passed Soul Calibur, but if you've got any nostalgia for this one, it's a golden oldie that just might be worth the steepest price of all: having to play a fighting game on the 360 controller's awful D-pad. If you're willing to put up with that, the 10 bucks is trivial.

With nothing in the encyclopedic manual or pithy tutorial that actually explains how to game this highfalutin data cube, Supreme Ruler 2020 tends to play like smashing into a wall: break something, fall back wincing, and repeat.

With bonus songs from Perry's solo efforts and a fully animated Steven Tyler swallowing the microphone, the game's target audience is very clear -- and for them, the game's existence is justified.

With bonus songs from Perry's solo efforts and a fully animated Steven Tyler swallowing the microphone, the game's target audience is very clear -- and for them, the game's existence is justified.

Despite the minor flaws, I loved most every minute of Wolf of the Battlefield. This is a great game to pop in when you're sitting around with only a few minutes to spare, or when a couple of friends are looking for a quick way to kill some time.

Science of Evil is ultimately a God of War rip-off, but that's not the problem. Rather, very basic game-design flaws keep it from moving ahead of the licensed-game pack. Interesting characters, excellent animation and art direction, and all of the Ron Perlman in the world can't save this one from mediocrity.

Science of Evil merely borders on decent.

So while Operation Darkness could've lit up strategy nuts, the completely awful camera and primitive PlayStation 2-quality graphics drain the life out of it. Even online co-op, the one unique feature that actually justifies Darkness' place on the 360, is about as fun as waiting to get your blood drawn.

If throwing cubes of trash at buttons is up your alley, then we've got just the thing: Heavy Iron's game-itization of Pixar's WALL-E is an offal-chucking aficionado's dream come true. What it isn't, though, is much fun at all.

If throwing cubes of trash at buttons is up your alley, then we've got just the thing: Heavy Iron's game-itization of Pixar's WALL-E is an offal-chucking aficionado's dream come true. What it isn't, though, is much fun at all.

WALL-E is a particular sad movie tie-in failure, because Pixar, the company behind the film, is known for projects that appeal to multiple age groups. By contrast, the WALL-E game holds virtually no appeal to anyone.

WALL-E's just a bunch of schlock that shares a marketing department with a much, much better movie.

Play Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2 -- The Phantom Fortress for its entertaining battles, not for the tiring story. But if you do play for the story, remember this awesome tip: Change the voice option from English to Japanese so you won't have to hear Naruto scream his ineffable catchphrase. Believe it!

Based on the series' past legacy of excellence, it's just a shame that Grimoire of the Rift feels more like an expansion pack than a bona fide sequel.

You ought to at least give Raising Hell a rental, as the expanded content adds plenty of value to an already good game. Besides, I can't think of a better way to indulge that evil streak in all of us.

If Capcom spices up the battle system a bit and hires some new writers, they may be able to create another Mega Man game worth playing...but until then, I'm keeping Star Force off the air.

If Capcom spices up the battle system a bit and hires some new writers, they may be able to create another Mega Man game worth playing...but until then, I'm keeping Star Force off the air.

With more focus on the real-world conflicts and unpredictable events that plague campaigns, running for office might be a bit less tiresome.

Atari's Alone in the Dark is so busy being experimental -- giving players the tools and rules to solve problems on their own -- that it neglects the alluring experientialism of earlier titles in the series, which set a tone and pace that sparked the survival-horror genre off years before "Resident Evil" hit the scene.

With a thumping sound and sudden cloud of dust, grenades erase whole sections of houses. Bullets, however, stop dead in the thinnest wood slat. But what Bad Company needs isn't a trip to a real-life firing range -- it's its inflexible A.I. that requires the lessons.