MS Saga lies just below the threshold of a good game, and the shine of its customization and gripping boss combat is dulled by lackluster, rote storytelling and lifeless presentation.

The only thing that makes RF Online stand out is its unique art and setting, and that doesn't count for a lot when the game world and background story has the depth of a kiddie pool.

It's far more than just a really, really good-looking boxing game; it's a little glimpse into the future, and a remarkably good yardstick for ongoing reference.

It's far more than just a really, really good-looking boxing game; it's a little glimpse into the future, and a remarkably good yardstick for ongoing reference.

Lockdown got rid of everything that made its predecessors stand out and kept the bad A.I. and even worse backstories. Even without the burden of living up to its predecessors, Lockdown is -- at best -- a generic shooter with pretensions at realism.

In short, to make the game more accessible to Star Wars fans, the RTS elements -- while innovative and fun -- lack the depth that can define genre greats. Nevertheless, the Force is strong with this one.

The game's multiplayer and arcade modes are both valiant attempts at providing replayability, but neither are varied or deep enough to keep anyone but the most frantically bored or underexposed gamer entertained for longer than five minutes.

The janky camera makes combat tough during crucial moments and makes things increasingly difficult when you're racing against the clock to lay down an aerosol tag. It makes you wonder if the game would have been better off in first-person view, but on the other hand, you would lose the immersion of being Trane.

Like the other awesome turn-based strategy game for the DS, Advance Wars Dual Strike, Age of Empires provides the deep, addictive balance of strategy and action that should keep you toting that wee silver clam around with you for weeks.

Full Auto may be viscerally stimulating and strangely soothing, but the real reason to buy this game is the overwhelming amount of content presented in the game's different modes.

By enlisting graffiti legends such as Futura and Shepard Fairey and hip-hop artists like P. Diddy and Talib Kweli, Getting Up presents itself as an immersive experience for those new to graffiti culture. This is where Getting Up shines: It is a game that can provide what no other game has before (no, we won't compare it to "Jet Set Radio").

Grandia is a game best served in smaller doses, although the paucity of save globes in some of the more dangerous areas of the game means the intrepid gamer will have to trek on for long stretches at a time.

Besides some nice CG work in the occasional cinematic, this is just a tepid return to mediocre series filled with potential never realized.

A perfect fit for the PSP -- creative, stylish, and easily broken into the bite-sized chunks that work so well when gaming on the go. It's also a stellar game by its own merits.

The janky camera makes combat tough during crucial moments and makes things increasingly difficult when you're racing against the clock to lay down an aerosol tag. It makes you wonder if the game would have been better off in first-person view, but on the other hand, you would lose the immersion of being Trane.

The much-touted "Baby Making" game, in which both players enter personal information and then coordinate efforts to cut a cake, is worth trying once if -- and only if -- your house is spotless, you've paid all your bills, and the cable is out.

Legendia seems a sure hit among the series' dedicated fans -- provided they don't feel that familiarity breeds contempt. But for everyone else, this flawed adventure's good looks and occasional moments of cleverness probably won't go far enough to distinguish Namco's latest Tales from the last few.

The all-new telemetry system and be-the-receiver feature are interesting additions that enhance the fun derived from Arena Football, but they are not enough to push the game over the top.

Nothing is more impressive than seeing good 3D graphics on a system considered "underpowered" in that area (see also: "Panzer Dragoon" on the Sega Saturn), and you get the whole package with Deadly Silence.

The all-new telemetry system and be-the-receiver feature are interesting additions that enhance the fun derived from Arena Football, but they are not enough to push the game over the top.

Drill Dozer is every bit as good as any current-gen portable title you care to name and succinctly encapsulates why the 2D platformer was so popular to begin with.

A surprising combination of both weirdness and wonder, this should help pass the time between now and "Twilight Princess."

While MHX isn't a definitive reinvention of a classic along the lines of "Metroid: Zero Mission," it's a solid re-creation that's been given an exceptional audiovisual upgrade.

It's being sold now for $20. In a week, when they are selling it for $4.99, it will still be overpriced.

Director's cuts rarely come as fleshed-out, exciting or generous as this one.

It's being sold now for $20. In a week, when they are selling it for $4.99, it will still be overpriced.

It may not be the flashiest or most technically astute, but it's entertaining, well-suited for portable gaming -- something the competition still hasn't been able to figure out.

The analog hitting is MVP 06's most significant addition, and it'll certainly be tough to go back to button-press swinging in the other upcoming baseball sims.