The matchmatching is simply atrocious.

Well, now, this is disappointing. I wasn't expecting a full-fledged GRAW experience on PSP, to be sure, but Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 comes off feeling like a slightly more high-tech knockoff of SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo...only without teammates, online play, a reliable lock-on system, solid level design, or online play.

Had the developers made it about 30 percent smaller, cut the fat, and tightened its assorted good qualities, they may have realized its true potential and produced something special. As is, nothing's intrinsically bad about Two Worlds -- but neither is anything memorably good.

When the (catchy) electronic music is pounding and you're in tune with the game, it's an exciting, transcendent few seconds; it just never lasts, as you're brought back to earth by the sheer inanity of what you're involved in.

The truth is, I've never been so emotionally involved in an escort mission before. Games don't normally warrant the kind of discussions I've had about BioShock. This is something special.

Taken as a whole, as an experience that's richly and utterly complete, and one that engages the player in a constant dialogue, BioShock is virtually unassailable. And that makes you feel good.

A gaggle of inferior strategy-RPG options sporting higher asking prices already litters the PSP's substandard role-playing pool, so this fully competent, polished game should be an instant no-brainer for fans of the genre.

Even though the game eventually collapses under the weight of its own complexity, I'll give the developers credit for at least trying to break the mold with presentation, style, and gameplay.

Brain Age 2 fixes some old problems (you'll no longer shout words over and over to be understood), but introduces new hiccups as well -- good luck learning to write Dr. Kawashima's way without a couple dumb screwups. And a couple words on Dr. Kawashima: The guy is as condescending as ever; clearly, success has gone to his big, fat, disembodied head.

Hexic 2 is an excellent puzzle game on its own merits, but the original was perfection. For fans of the first game, multiplayer, new pieces, and new leaderboards to conquer should be well worth the 800 Marketplace points (around $10), but those who haven't given the series the time of day should explore the original first.

Despite all the stats management, there's no combat log; you don't even get to see what you or your opponent are rolling for attacks. But even for the true D&D aficionado -- or maybe more so for them -- fighting with party management in a game about party management saps so much life from a title that's right on the brink of being much better.

Delivers a refreshingly new take on the MegaTen concept while staying true to its roots. It's daring and innovative, yet not too unapproachable for roleplaying fans weaned on more traditional fare.

When you think "Final Fantasy Tactics clone," your mind probably sees something like Disgaea: Hour of Darkness: a competent facsimile of the formula that stands on its own. But with Luminous Arc, you get the most similar, least-polished alternative yet.

Hardcore RTS fans probably won't enjoy Heroes of Mana's simplified design. And fans of more traditional RPGs probably won't appreciate its chaotic, large-scale engagements, either. Taken for what it is, though, Heroes is an enjoyable little excursion.

You'll find a much smarter brand of football in 08: Quarterbacks now scramble when no one is open, wideouts continue to make blocks 30 yards downfield, and defensive backs rarely fall for the deep ball. Some might even say that pass defense is a tad too stingy this season.

Sadly, just like with "NCAA Football 08" and "All-Pro Football 2K8," PS3 owners are stuck with an inferior version of Madden. While the game runs at 60 frames per second on Microsoft's box, Madden only clocks in at 30fps on Sony's console. The result? The gameplay isn't nearly as smooth as the 360 version and even stutters at times.

In the end, there's absolutely no reason to choose this one over these other versions: Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Xbox, or even PSP. If you're a Madden beginner, just play an easy level on a different console.

In the end, if you're a football fan on the go, this one won't disappoint. There's plenty to tackle, and the returning minigames alone could get you from coast-to-coast without a moment of boredom.

But unless portability is a necessity for you, the console versions will prove more satisfying.

Fare Wars would be a respectable conversion of the arcade and Dreamcast classics had the developers managed to keep the speed -- and thus, the excitement -- in the game. Now Crazy Taxi just feels slow and clunky, and all the minigames and extra cities to explore in the world can't fix that.

The fact that this game is fun for exactly 20 minutes, and only in a group of two or more, should keep you from buying this game. In the end, Boogie is light on dancing, light on karaoke -- a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none moment of fluff.

Though it doesn't need a particularly impressive presentation for the formula to work, Glory Days 2 surprises with silky-smooth, colorful visuals reminiscent of a shrunken, high-speed Metal Slug.

Brave Story is a comfortingly familiar type of RPG that still feels fresh, thanks to the strength of its characterization, the attention to detail, the swift pace of battles and quests, and the technological proficiency of its load times.

Inevitable immaturity aside, Picross is an exceptional puzzle game with a no-nonsense presentation. It's especially great to see it in America at long last, a decade's worth of entries having been Japanese exclusives.

Charged seems like an amped-up, carnivalized reincarnation of Nintendo's own classic Ice Hockey.

Bug Island fails and frustrates so thoroughly throughout its 10-plus-hour playtime that its greatest feat may be fooling someone into finishing it who isn't paid to do so. It's easily the Wii's worst showing yet.

Given Fighter's Battle's very short single-player game (two hours at the most) and repetitive combat, it's a shame no minigames or alternate modes exist.

Never does it become particularly fun, though it's quietly engaging in its own methodical, repetitive way. It's not a full-price purchase by any means, and it's nowhere close to the high action-RPG bar set by Champions of Norrath on the PS2 three and a half years ago.