While the game isn’t as robust as, say, Vice City or San Andreas, there is still plenty to keep one’s self busy, and the $20US price tag certainly doesn’t hurt either.

If you want to ball street-style, both NBA Street and NBA Ballers offers a much better urban hoops experience, with NBA players from the present and past.

Magnetica probably won’t gain any converts to the puzzle genre. It’s repetitive, can often be frustrating, and it’s based on a game that’s been around since 1998, however, for quick play sessions for puzzle fans, Magnetica is worth the $40US. For everyone else, it’s harmless, it does what it does and it does it well, but if you’re not interested in puzzle games don’t worry about missing anything.

You get your money’s worth.

Once you become intimately familiar with the levels, Hitman becomes a lot of fun, and the game is practically made for infinite replayability. The problem is, getting to that point is so messy that it's more confusing than fun.

A solid game, which features exciting gameplay along with an engaging storyline. While it’s a little on the short side, Rogue Trooper is definitely worth checking out.

Lemmings is a re-hash of an old classic, but it gets nearly everything right. Team17 once again confirms that they are masters of simple, fun, funny games.

Once it drops in price a bit, go ahead and add another point or two to the score, because it’s really a victim of poor pricing than poor gameplay.

It has everything you want from a platforming Mario Bros. game and then some.

While the game clocks in at about 5 - 6 hours from start to finish, I don't know anyone masochistic enough to undertake such a challenge.

It’s clear Over The Hedge is only intended to be played by the same under-12 crowd that saw the movie, because this is a game that doesn’t come close to challenging the skills of any gamer over that particular age demographic.

It's not impossible to play if you aren't a perfect infantry tactician, while still placing a heavy emphasis on proper strategy on the battlefield.

A true simulation of soccer with all the hoopla of competing for the only real "world" championship with excellent online play kicks FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 into the net of quality video gaming soccer.

It’s pretty amazing that one can actually see how much they are improving over time if they play the game regularly.

Less than ten hours of content simply doesn’t justify the game’s price, regardless of how improved Legend is over the last few Tomb Raider games.

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat is definitely staying in rotation on my 360. Not for the single-player but for the multiplayer, which I continue to enjoy, playing just one more match until the wee hours of the morning.

In short, controlled bursts Odama is fun but in stretches no longer than half an hour. And for all the uniqueness and quirkiness of the title, it can't offset the fact there's more luck involved than actual skill.

Emergency 3 will appeal to the small segment of gamers out there that can put up with controlling the minutia, which is pretty small segment.

Commandos Strike Force is the only game I've ever attempted to play on Xbox Live where there wasn't a single player playing.

One of the better action titles available on the PSP, From Russia With Love is definitely not without flaws: it doesn’t last too long, the gameplay is a bit too easy, and there are some control issues.

On the outside chance that some nameless gamer out there is thinking about picking up Rumble Roses XX on the basis that it will provide an excellent wrestling experience, I should plainly state, that the actual wrestling action is just average.

An original and innovative game, but, more importantly, it is great fun. I’m not sure there is any game this year that I’ve had more fun with.

Although I wasn’t one of the many that figured Blazing Angels to be the spiritual successor to "Crimson Skies," I did expect a bit more than just an average experience peppered with frustration and a poorly thought out control scheme.

Yes, it's a blatant rip-off of Grand Theft Auto. So were a lot of other games - but at least The Godfather is a good rip-off of the genre setter.

However, as a whole, it seems to be more a welcome mat for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Still, as long as you can put up with the awkward system, Metal Gear Acid 2 is a worth checking out.

Yes, it's a blatant rip-off of Grand Theft Auto. So were a lot of other games – but at least The Godfather is a good rip-off of the genre setter, unlike some embarrassingly awful games (the putrid "Driver 3" and equally dreadful "25 to Life" come to mind).

I already can‘t wait to see what the series has in store next.

Puzzle fans should be all over this – besides the classic Tetris there are enough variations to keep the challenge consistent.

Metroid has been taken into first-person shooter territory and has done so with a rock-solid multiplayer experience.

The sound is phenomenal, just like the graphics.

It’s got everything; humor, excellent cutscenes, great graphics and strong gameplay. What more can you ask for?

It’s also over rather quickly, with very little in the way of replay value. Still, it’s a great looking package with a solid game attached, which is more than can be said of most licensed titles.

Although it could’ve used an easier difficulty setting for the single player mode, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter is otherwise one of the best action-strategy games to come out in a long time.

Even if you don't compare it to the 360 version, the game either comes off of an unbalanced first person shooter or a neutered action-strategy sim.

The game sounds just as good as the visuals, except for some voice acting. Voices are a real mixed bag between great or ridiculous. Sound effects are good and the music keeps things tense.

The graphics are great, the soundtracks fit the action, the sense of speed is incredible, the online modes add some depth, and the destruction is awesome.

As a puzzle game for short and long play sessions Pokémon Trozei! should have offered more modes of play.

Joins a crowded arena of decent real time strategy games. It doesn't stick out much from the crowd, except for its license.

When you're playing Black you won't be thinking about anything but the incredible gameplay, unfortunately it will also be over before you know it.

Graphically, this game is very impressive. The players are very detailed and have lots of nice animations. The players can even get their clothes all dirty. Everything looks and feels realistic and players will actually feel like they are in a baseball stadium.

Open for Business will require you to put aside the leisurely pursuits of your Sims, roll up your sleeves and put in a hard day’s work to succeed. But in gameplay and fun, this is the most rewarding payday you’ll find in any Sims game.

The A.I. predictability coupled with linear game levels somewhat dampen the invigorating, bullets-flying-everywhere gameplay that will have your ears ringing from gunfire hours after playing.

A very good real-time strategy game and the best that has featured the Star Wars franchise (regardless of what I said about Galactic Battlegrounds).

Gamewise? Think candy - I liked the game in small doses.

This makes practically every other strategy game on the market feels like child's play.

As it stands, it feels like Namco just didn’t know where to draw the line on content for this game.

C&C: The First Decade will have all C&C aficionados waxing nostalgic for the good old days of GDI versus Nod, Kane and Yuri, and of course, Tanya, the sexiest female gaming character next to Lady Croft.

Despite its few technical faults, Chibi-Robo is a deviously charming little game, with an addicting quality that makes it hard to put down.

An element that remains inconsistent is the computer-controlled AI which can fluctuate between incompetent to god-life over the course of a single round.

When you realize that a mini-game is better than the actual game, it kinda sends off signals that something is a little bit wrong.

While the package is certainly one of the best-looking fighting games ever, the overall gameplay is hit and miss (though it hits more often than it misses) but with human opponents it can be good fun.

There may be a select few that will try the game and love it.

For those that want a more relaxed game experience devoid of that “Go! Go! Go!” mentality, you’ll feel quite at home in Animal Crossing: Wild World.

A no-brainer as a family purchase... Great stuff.

The designers have created exceptionally rewarding three dimensional puzzles.

It’s still pleasant, lighthearted fun and legions better than the embarrassing "Lunar: Dragon Song," making it the uncontested champion of DS RPGs.

While the game features its own amount of idiosyncrasies when it comes to the menus and interface, and a steep learning curve, there is some fun to be had, even if it takes a while to get to that point.

To give the visual style greater impact Stubbs the Zombie features the best soundtrack this year.

Kong's controls are naturally quite sluggish, and the combat plays off like a jungle version of WWE, except instead of pinning your opponents, you grab their jaws and pound buttons until you twist their necks with a satisfying snap.

In comparison to Call of Duty 2, Quake 4 doesn't quite meet the same "exceptional" level but it is a solid game with a strong adherence to the conventions of the genre. It's a must try to Quake and first-person shooter fans but as an outright purchase... rent it first.

Ridge Racer 6 is recommended for nuance-loving race fans. With the amount of fore-thought and planning required to win, casual fans are likely to frustrated.

Perfect Dark Zero's first-person shooter competition on the 360 is "Quake 4" and "Call of Duty 2" and it falls directly between the two.

A very solid launch title for the Xbox 360 but there’s still room for improvement, like some kind of enveloping physics engine.

It is neither particularly offensive nor particularly engrossing, but for a licensed property, one could certainly do far worse.

The humor is often funny and always clean, which is a real accomplishment.

Aficionados of the real-time strategy genre might want to buy Earth 2160 even though there are almost too many options to consider when it comes to vehicle design and the lackluster campaigns could have benefited from a lot more attention.

If you've been away from the Tony Hawk franchise for a few games and just dropped a bunch of cash for a 360, it's time to get re-acquainted with the King of Extreme Sports Games.

The perfect kind of portable title -- while it's based off a console game, the unique visual style alone makes it worthwhile to own both.

Online, Project Gotham Racing 3 is practically an addiction.

It’s just unfortunate it’s over all too soon, because there is some good action here – the execution is just a bit off.

Fans will be asking where the hell the Franchise mode went.

While Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 isn't without its flaws -- I would have appreciated more courses and it does take a long time to "master" -- it is probably the best of EA's launch sports titles for the 360.

If you're a soccer nut FIFA 06 is your only fix for the Xbox 360, but it'll probably disappoint you with a complete lack of "standard" features.

The story started to grate on me after beating the first few Blacklist opponents.

The best looking football game on the market. It's definitely not the most full-featured football game available.

Critical flaws in a console game are unacceptable, especially when updating (i.e. patching) console games just isn’t done yet.

The game doesn’t just look impressive, but sounds impressive too. Every sounds fits the game and some voices are so-so, but for the most part; it’s very fitting.

An exceptional racing game, with stunningly awesome graphics and a solid gameplay, albeit somewhat lacking in the A.I. smarts.

Regardless of whether one is playing the game alone, or online with a few other people there is a ton of fun to be had with this game, and it should be in every DS owner’s library.

An above-average movie tie-in. If it left some of the exploration and discovery up to the players instead of laying things out it would have scored higher. That said, it's still a good gaming experience.

It is once the main game is over that the real fun of The Movies begins.

A sharp, visual style and a great co-op mode that overcomes the average action gameplay provide a wonderfully wizardly good time despite a too-short and too-easy escapade.

Basically dreck. I should have been a straight-up action game or a full-fledged role-playing game with a coherent story to accompany more connected levels. Instead it's long, boring and not worth anyone's time, even if the touchscreen spellcasting is kind of fun.

It probably won't remain in rotation simply because playing it requires too much of a time footprint to make it a great portable game. As a portable port of a great console game, however, it is a solid first effort.

A nice departure from the horror game norm. Having a huge arsenal of weapons at one’s disposal tends to give players a sense of empowerment even if all of hell is on their tail.

Wizard-wannabes under the age of 15 will be infatuated.

A game parents will be able to safely play with their pre-teen kids.

It’s flat-out beautiful to watch but considering Kameo’s been in development for about four years by my estimation (and on three different platforms: GameCube, Xbox, and finally Xbox 360) I would have expected this, though it doesn’t excuse the slapdash story cuts.

A little bit long in the tooth.

A significant improvement from the first iteration of the game on the PS2 -- it features an exciting and intense single player campaign, even if it is on the short side, while the multiplayer is mediocre at best.

Brings back fond memories of older puzzle games but doesn’t show the polish that could have made the game better.

Many thrills but you'll have to weigh that against the very directed action which takes a bit of the fun out of it.

An extremely good fighter; just don’t expect it to reinvent the wheel.

There are many great World War II games but in my mind Call of Duty 2 is the best of the bunch.

Civilization IV has a ridiculous amount of strategic elements packed into it.

The best console rendition of the series yet.

The overall mediocrity will quickly relegate the Sims 2 to shelf warmer status.

Offers a great (mature) story, some heart-stopping moments, and some great evolution of the first-person shooter genre, even if it does have some warts.