Billy Hatcher may never catch on as a marquee Sega character, but his debut is a somewhat fun game on the cartoony side of weird.

For the deep-thinking gamer, Diplomacy fits the bill. It's definitely not without its faults, but fans of turn-based action will fully appreciate what Diplomacy has to offer.

Although the characters are an eclectic collection of freaks, strippers and malcontents, looks are deceiving – this is a hardcore golf game.

If the GameCube is your only access to gaming bliss and you’re a hockey fan, then there really isn’t a better hockey game for you than NHL 2004. Just be prepared to groan when you have your friend trash talk you when they score a back handed one timer from the point.

With all the good aspects that Oni has it’s amazing that the action can get a bit "samey."

I know that there are better games out there today, especially within the genre, but I really enjoyed playing this game.

It’s got some very good features (voice communication, integrated community options, good team action), making it a game I can recommend if you’re willing to suffer through the growing pains.

So, like last year’s model, Live 2005 is good, but not great.

As long as you can stand the loading times, I see no reason why I would not suggest picking up Midnight Club 3.

The single-player game basically involves a series of duels and the A.I. can get a bit predictable.

Stupid Invaders requires amoral behavior to complete – you’ll kill more than a few people, including Santa – some of which is fun to watch.

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.

Aside from the multiplayer (which is a hoot), there’s not a whole lot that’s new.

JA is a good-looking game. It may not be the most beautiful game ever, but it moves at a good clip and the lightsaber duels look very cool, especially when you're on a roll.

Like I wrote when reviewing "Mario Party 4," "As a single-player experience MP4 lacks in excitement and any kind of addictive fun factor."

The game walks a very fine line in providing something that is familiar, with something that is new for those who like Nippon Ichi’s other strategy RPG effort.

The addition of an onscreen map also makes exploration helpful, and you have to wonder why they didn't implement this mode in the main game.

Great fighting engine, good graphics, great “hey, I’m Spider-man!” feel, great level design, well-detailed city, and a really bad camera.

The music may be the best feature of this game (And this is a pretty decent game.) The developers did a fantastic job of recreating the series compositions for the small speakers of the GBA.

Although Command & Conquer: Generals has many points that has made the franchise so popular over the years, it has been “vanillafied” – it’s been molded to play and appear like every other real-time strategy (RTS) game out there.

A pleasant surprise and a good enough game, but it isn’t anything we haven’t seen before.

A solid if not original effort through the much trodden RTS genre. The short technology tree doesn’t offer the gamer a whole lot to look forward to, and the missions aren’t very challenging either.

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.

Wave after wave of deftly animated and designed enemies target your ship with a never-ending barrage of laser fire.

A fun diversion. It isn’t nearly as full-featured as its console big brothers, but it is at least on par with the best console footballers from the 16-bit era.

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.

This game may not be on par with its predecessor, but it has done a fabulous job of becoming a far more accessible game to a number of different types of gamers, be they newcomers or seasoned veterans.

Yakuza is a top notch beat ‘em up with enough extras to flesh out the genre, and breath new life into it for a new generation.

One other distraction to the proceedings is the inane squad chatter that constantly streams in.

I have mixed feeling about whether anyone should have to pay for features that should have been included in the original release and have already been included in countless patches.

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.

PC diehards will be less tolerant of its keyboard/mouse control scheme, poor save system and lack of “Restart Mission” option, even if the game does have a lot of positives.

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.

The execution of NID is spot on – you can't fault it for any control issues or presentation – and it's totally inoffensive and suitable for kids.

For those who missed the boat on those games and really like the King of Fighters series, or are just looking for a new 2D fighter, this title won’t disappoint despite looking a tad dated.

EA still can't find that elusive GoldenEye touch in GoldenEye: Rogue Agent. But they finally seem to be on the right path to glory.

Microsoft needs to balance out its AI challenge level, correct some gameplay issues and boost its features in NFL Fever 2004 if it ever wants any chance of beating out the Madden and NFL 2K series.

The best-looking House of the Dead game to date. It’s cartoony, gory, and downright gorgeous. And there’s never a hint of slowdown.

My primary criticism is the game's lack of multiplayer options. In story mode, the game does allow cooperative play, with one player driving while a partner uses either a light gun or another controller to shoot. But, while it's a unique innovation and it does produce a more true to life experience -- making perps and power-ups more of a challenge to hit as your partner swerves all over the road -- it struck me as more frustrating than fun.

Is Red Dead Revolver the penultimate Western-themed game? No, but it is good one, worthy of a rental at the least to see how the slick quick-draw duel system works or if you’re a fan of the Clint Eastwood Westerns.

Just be warned: My feelings of nostalgia could easily be frustration for you.

A horridly underdeveloped story, too short campaign mode, sometimes weak AI, and no Xbox Live multiplayer support at a time when Microsoft has proclaimed that every first-party Xbox game will have Xbox Live support adds up to a much-less-heavenly-than-Halo experience.

Aside from the camera, the conventions have been nailed, unfortunately, most gamers want a bit more than that.

A strong beat’ em up sidescroller with some amazing 3D starfighter missions on the side.

The perfect game for a group of buddies getting together.

The Bard is a poor close-in fighter, but he also sucks with ranged weapons. Luckily, he has friends.

And XND succeeds to large extent, offering a control scheme that makes the fighting easy for beginners to get into the game, while offering enough finesse moves and fast action for fighting veterans.

EA really took advantage of the touch screen.

Possibly the single most important factor for a kid's game is control. The game will likely be inaccessible to kids under five unless you spend a lot of time coaching them.

There are a number of nagging issues I have with the online mode. First and foremost there are no basic features like friend lists or clan support.

A solid, if unremarkable, example of the weirdly successful genre.

NPC reaction isn’t all that diverse, as it would be in a real MMORPG. The visuals, aside from the character designs, aren’t all that impressive.

You get both games in one case for just $40US. Fans of fighting games cannot pass on such a great deal.

If you've already played the single player Conker, it's a little hard to recommend paying full price for this one.

At ten bucks, it is worth buying for any PSX or PS2 owner that can overlook the weak graphics and appreciate the game’s sense of humor and tight, straight-forward game play.

Rough edges aside, True Crime: Streets of L.A. is a fairly strong entry into the action game genre, worthy of at least a rental for action fans.

If you are a tactical shooter, this isn't your game. It's the combination of many small parts from different genres so it will probably only appeal to the casual fan.

It’s an interesting outing into the world of strategy RPGs, with quite a bit of depth to the gameplay and very nice visuals, but if you are a long time player of these sorts of games you may find the title a tad on the easy side.

The hardest of the hardcore strategy buffs won’t be able to forgive some of the game’s shortcomings.

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.

When played with a few buddies I whole heartedly recommend taking NFL Street 2 for a spin no matter your genre preference, but taken as a single-player experience – football fan or not – it's the old chant, "Try before you buy."

You need to work a little more to figure out the game, but once that little epiphany happens, you’re golden.

There are a few flaws that fracture Pariah as a game, but a better-than-you'd-expect single-player mode coupled with a very good online setup give Pariah enough of an advantage over other Halo wannabes as a perfect alternative to the mass contingent of Xbox FPS online gamers that play "Halo 2."

The level design makes up for much of the graphical shortcomings.

The cheroots are really the only things missing.

Wrath Unleashed does have nice visuals as far as character models go but landscapes during battles could’ve been a bit better.

It’s a game that fatigues quickly. There’s nothing wrong with the gameplay, per se; it just feels a little bit empty. Try playing through the game without using the bullet time feature, and you’ll see how bland it really is.

Does all the basics well and with the extra features and historical aspects, it’s worth playtime for the hardcore baseball fan.

Does an adequate job of giving PC gamers the opportunity of hijinx on the high seas.

The presentation in LSW is excellent. The game’s visuals are detailed and the Lego look is superb.

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.

While it's a quick ride, action fans will get a decent time out of Van Helsing.

A fairly satisfying gaming experience... that goes for deeper strategy – actual gameplay! – rather than a flashy package.

If you enjoyed the newest Batman movie and want to "play" it in game form, Batman Begins will satisfy your inner batty desires.

With nice graphics and a storyline you don't mind following with a likeable hero, Prehistorik Man is a GBA title that has a lot going for it even though it follows the tried-and-true path of the 16-bit platform game to a "T".

The standards are accounted for: jumping, things to collect, different environment, secrets to find and bosses to defeat. But jumpin’ monkeys is this game hard!

It’s amazing how much difference a year can make and MLB 2005 is a perfect example. MLB 2005 might re-kindle your devotion to the franchise.

Resident Evil's idea of terror is to give you limited ammunition. Siren's idea is to give you practically none at all.

It’s got some good-looking graphics, is easily accessible since it relies on convention, and enough challenge for young and old.

You can pick up the controller and start a game, without ever being completely lost.

The mediocre performance of the PS2 port of Max Payne 2 never makes the game completely unplayable, but it does noticeably hinder it.

There are quite a few cleverly incorporated puzzles and intriguing level layouts for those that like to play with their thinking caps on, but TE still manages to pack in the action for those that like to run and gun.

It has a few areas where the whole package could be tightened up, but the strategy is deep, delicious and crispy like bacon, which is what you want in a strategy sandwi-- I mean, game.

It has its own learning curve, no undo button and a buried interface, but the creative aspects and polish makes VT a recommended title for fans of Tycoon games.

The camera doesn’t always provide the most beneficial view of your surroundings.

With this, players get a nice crossover fighter between a good number of Capcom franchises, very responsive control, and a deliciously nostalgic, old school game experience. That’s certainly quite nice for the price.

Even with it's incomplete manual and it's many frustrations, I still liked Pirates of the Caribbean. There's much to do, places to see, buccaneers to slaughter, and mutineers to squash – all wrapped up in a colorful package.

While it may not be the sharpest blade from the forge, Muramasa: The Demon Blade is still a finely crafted work of art.

While the selling point of Multiwinia -- that would be, multiplayer -- is somewhat lacking in regard to number of players all the other pieces are in place for a very satisfying experience.

Gladiators is fun. It’s not deep, nor complex. It’s not particularly long. But, the game can be challenging and it moves at a blistering pace from the very beginning.

Decent visuals, responsive controls, and it’s whole pick up and play quality are the high points of this game making it a worthy candidate for witling away a few hours on a lengthy road trip.

My major complaints come down to 3 of the 5 members of your bridge crew (all of the male members… hmm…) who seem to be unable to perform any duties -- you have to push them out of the way and do it yourself.

With some spruced up graphics, Moto Racer 3 manages to match the previous installment’s fun factor while surpassing it in a few ways...a good game but not a must have title.

NCAA March Madness 08 definitely gives it the old college try and is still a solid college basketball game overall, but just the act of trying to be great isn’t good enough, particularly when there’s not much of an upgrade from its predecessor in the franchise.

An excellent, nuanced and deep game that will certainly please fans of the genre. But with the warning that it is not for all tastes and sensibilities, and not for casual players looking to shoot up a few aliens.

The Gamecube controller butchers the game.

Though Baseball Mogul 2003 features the same formula that made the series a hit in the first place, it suffers from a case of same-old, same-old and from the fact that there are better simulations on the market with much greater depth.

While The Munchables may not be the most memorable meal on the block, it’s still a sufficient dish that can be enjoyed by kids as well as older gamers with stricter tastes.