It's a strange situation when one of the weakest elements of a game -- in Spider-Man 2's case, the story -- can massively improve in a follow-up, and yet the overall quality of the games can remain roughly the same, but that's exactly what's happened here.

It's a strange situation when one of the weakest elements of a game -- in Spider-Man 2's case, the story -- can massively improve in a follow-up, and yet the overall quality of the games can remain roughly the same, but that's exactly what's happened here.

Not since Blizzard unleashed "Brood Wars" on the "Starcraft" community has a developer put such a well-conceived effort into an expansion pack. Relic has rewarded the patience of its fans with an absolute must have add-on, and for any RTS fan that hasn't already picked up the original game...no more excuses.

If it was a book you'd call it "a real page-turner"; it can be nigh-impossible at points to put down. When all is said and done, as the credits roll across the screen, you'll remember the poignant moments as part of the story, not the actions you took that caused them to be played out.

If it was a book you'd call it "a real page-turner"; it can be nigh-impossible at points to put down. When all is said and done, as the credits roll across the screen, you'll remember the poignant moments as part of the story, not the actions you took that caused them to be played out.

Changes - not drastic. Gameplay - fantastic.

To be completely honest, you've seen just about everything Genji has to offer before. It doesn't add anything new to the category, but much like "God of War," what it does manage to do is gather together all of the hackneyed, passe & twaddle of the action genre and package it together in a fashion that is remarkably enjoyable.

And all that loading is double-whammy. Not only does it increase the length of each game, it puts a heavy drain on the battery. You probably won't make it all the way over the hills and through the woods to grandmother's house playing Madden PSP on one charge, much less if you turn on the Wi-Fi adapter.

A terrific action-RPG that serves as an example of what a sequel ought to be. It's better than the original, absorbing and well balanced with enough challenge and variety to keep you busy for the 20-plus hours you'll need to get through it.

If it was a book you'd call it "a real page-turner"; it can be nigh-impossible at points to put down. When all is said and done, as the credits roll across the screen, you'll remember the poignant moments as part of the story, not the actions you took that caused them to be played out.

A terrific action-RPG that serves as an example of what a sequel ought to be. It's better than the original, absorbing and well balanced with enough challenge and variety to keep you busy for the 20-plus hours you'll need to get through it.

If it were simply the original Ninja Gaiden with just some mission modes tacked on, it would still be worth full price. But chiming in at around $30 with new missions, new difficulty settings, new cinemas and new costumes to unlock -- on top of the already-awesome, original game -- it's practically a steal. Uncompromising and unabridged, Ninja Gaiden Black shows you how reissues could and should be done.

A terrific action-RPG that serves as an example of what a sequel ought to be. It's better than the original, absorbing and well balanced with enough challenge and variety to keep you busy for the 20-plus hours you'll need to get through it.

It stays true to a vision of great game design making great games, and is a swan song for a beloved tale.

It's almost becoming a cliché to wrap up reviews of Nintendo games with statements like, "It's not quite a complete and satisfying experience, but fans of novel gameplay should give it a try" -- unfortunately, though, there's not much else to say about Swing.

The strategic elements that are firmly in place seem to be working against the action elements, when they should be working together: that is to say, it's difficult to be both General and Private in the same fight.

It offers a stellar single-player adventure mode experience, a ton of unlockables, a comprehensive two-player versus mode, and best of all, the original freakin' "Mortal Kombat II" arcade game. For all of these different modes in a single game, the price tag is practically a steal.

It offers a stellar single-player adventure mode experience, a ton of unlockables, a comprehensive two-player versus mode, and best of all, the original freakin' "Mortal Kombat II" arcade game. For all of these different modes in a single game, the price tag is practically a steal.

But retro compilations are practically a dime a dozen these days, and next to the likes of "Namco Museum Battle Collection" and "Capcom Classics Collection," the games enshrined here show both their age and a general lack of inspiration.

It's a lot of work for flashes of scandalous fun, and not as much reward in the long run. Neither the new Aspiration nor the dating mini-game brings very much to the gameplay, and that's the crux of the problem.

When a game is able to make grown adults throw their shoulders into turns or wave their controller in the air as if it's actually going to help avoid that oncoming tour bus (sorry, it won't), then you know somebody's doing something right.

An irresistible little charmer. It's short enough that it doesn't overstay its welcome, clever enough to be engaging, full of enough action to be consistently fun. Fans of the film series will, of course, want to grab it, but action gamers looking for a dose of sarcasm, zombie guts, and light puzzles will find themselves amused as well.

With its slick visual polish and ample bone-crunching sound-effects, Urban Reign could have come out on tip. But thanks to an endless series of increasingly maddening and increasingly boring stages, you'll find yourself saying "No thanks," and turning off your PS2 and bringing this game back to the store. Xbox owners, be thankful you were spared this agony.

Burnout Legends is certainly the best racing game on PSP, and let's face it, it's up against plenty of competition. Its structure is perfect for a handheld experience, as none of the challenges it presents last more than a few minutes.

When a game is able to make grown adults throw their shoulders into turns or wave their controller in the air as if it's actually going to help avoid that oncoming tour bus (sorry, it won't), then you know somebody's doing something right.

An irresistible little charmer. It's short enough that it doesn't overstay its welcome, clever enough to be engaging, full of enough action to be consistently fun. Fans of the film series will, of course, want to grab it, but action gamers looking for a dose of sarcasm, zombie guts, and light puzzles will find themselves amused as well.

While 2K6 is an excellent game, it's not much different from 2K5, and EA's NHL series is rapidly gaining ground.

It's a rarity for any fighting anime game to have any sort of substance, style and especially, playability. Bandai has done an exceptional job in capturing the show's trademark comedy and battles.