1946 might as well be the holy grail of WWII flight sims, a platinum anthology of everything good about no-frills airborne scrimmaging. The new material's a deal, whether you own the earlier games or not. And if you don't, 30 bucks nets you something that -- six years on -- still outclasses everything else.

It's the Tetris factor -- the minimalist design and the addictive, score-chasing nature keep you mesmerized for what can stretch to hours at a time. It's when you reach hour no. three of a marathon session -- having entered a Zen-like state as you attempt to send your high score into seven-digit territory -- that you realize the simple truth at work here: In a world of interactive stories and photo-realism, Geometry Wars is just a really fun game.

For players willing to fully invest, Spectrobes can prove to be as interesting and fulfilling as a Seaman/Pokémon hybrid. If the thought of excavating and incubating ancient creatures doesn't thrill you, though, you should probably consider collecting monsters that are a bit easier to catch.

This one's fun, no doubt about it, and the way the beats bang the environment is a must-see. But its lack of fighting depth definitely keeps it on the casual tip.

This one's fun, no doubt about it, and the way the beats bang the environment is a must-see. But its lack of fighting depth definitely keeps it on the casual tip.

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.

It doesn't pack quite the "wow" factor that we saw in Legends, but it's still a more-than-competent racer, and one that's a remarkable demonstration of the PSP's capabilities.

GRAW1.5? Yeah, I don't have any problem calling it that. But that shouldn't stop anyone from suiting up for battle again. GRAW2 is still tremendously fun despite its all-too-familiar design.

The constant switching between three types of gameplay just means you'll never really get into any of them, and the hilariously crazy Rabbid characters of the console versions are sparse and disappointingly tame when they do pop up.

Poorly made platformers were a big part of the 8- and 16-bit eras, too, so maybe things are just coming full circle. Fortunately, most of us still remember how not to spend our money on crap like this.

As ever, there are some issues with the combat system -- but this doesn't outweigh the overall quality, or the fact that you are getting one hell of a lot of game for a penny shy of 20 bucks.

Immortal Throne continues Titan Quest's winning blend of killing, shopping, and strategic decision-making. It's a textbook case of a great expansion.

What you're basically getting for your 20 bucks (you read that right) is a skeletal single-player or 1-on-1 versus game. It is cool that we're finally able to get our hands on what was once an arcade/handheld only, but it's pretty much just that. What's offered is nice enough, but it's not much of a stretch to think that Namco could have included a little bit more.

The broken controls, derivative enemies, and maddening attack moves remove any ounce of fun. The saving graces are the cut-scenes, but we don't even <I>play</I> that part. So in short, it's at its best when you're not touching the controls, and when a game plays this badly, you don't want to.

It's about time a packaged, mostly complete, somewhat enhanced version of the original classic puzzler was made available and, despite the slight gripes, there's still countless hours of puzzle fun to be had in this economic, attractive package.

DDR Universe is the gaming equivalent of an alien fetus belching out "The Star-Spangled Banner" -- a disaster of a title that digests any good DDR has given us into one of its many stomachs, producing something so foul that it could power Earth for centuries.

Lovers of Formula One will get a huge kick out of the way it wallows in the culture of the sport...That said though, its biggest flaw is that, rather than providing you with an experience that makes you feel like a Formula One driver, it instead seems to require that you practically need the skills of one to truly succeed.

Like most third-person action games, Bullet Witch has its share of problems, but it was designed with considerable replay value in mind for those who find the game's sweet spot.

The game kind of falls apart when it gets too difficult; the speedy pace just isn't as compelling when you're attempting the same thing over and over, especially when the mechanics periodically flake out.

No matter how badly you want to get into the game, to find the flow...the game doesn't let you. And that's too bad, because it really does look great, the multiplayer mode is basic yet competent, and there are flashes of true SSX brilliance.

In the end, this is by far the cream of the baseball handheld crop this season. The animations are smooth, the players look great, and the innovation -- particularly online -- is to be applauded.

The fun comes from watching how differently each season unfolds and how it affects your Sims: Winter helps with family bonding, spring brings romance, summer builds friendships, and fall quickens learning new skills.

Architecture pops up all over the place, warriors materialize out of thin air on a regular basis, and slowdown is frequent. And the dialogue and voice acting is often laughable. This series needs some serious polish.

Outside of pushing around so many characters onscreen, which was really incredible back when the PS2 was brand-spankin'-new, the presentation in Samurai Warriors 2 leaves a lot to be desired. Architecture pops up all over the place, warriors materialize out of thin air on a regular basis, and slowdown is frequent. And the dialogue and voice acting is often laughable.

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.

Want to talk about a wild card? There's an argument to be made that this is the best baseball game on the market, including the sharp MLB 2K7 on new gen. Really, it feels like baseball, which is a beautiful thing.

This game's stunning details should keep you engaged all summer long. But the lack of overall gameplay innovation keeps this from making the All-Star team.

This game's stunning details should keep you engaged all summer long, and the potential tendon injury from hitting is enticing. But the absence of rumble and the general lack of defensive and pitching innovation keep this from making the All-Star team.