Although it lacks the depth of other portable soccer games, and the AI may be a bit too wussy for veterans, World Tour Soccer 06 is a great choice for less serious games due to its easy pick up and play nature.

The gameplay is fairly solid, if a little elementary and repetitive, but does offer enough of a challenge in its specific career goals as to offer most gamers at least a little diversion from some of the more deserving holiday titles.

For those that harp on replayability, Metal Slug 3 could be rated as low. However, with Live leaderboard stats and a couple of bonus missions (not to mention the level of difficulty) does quite a bit to extend the replay factor.

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.

As good a version of Bomberman as there ever has been, complete with a fairly interesting single-player adventure and plenty of variations for the multiplayer side of things.

If you are a fan of Tetris or Bejeweled and are looking for something a bit meatier, give this one a try.

If the combat and story (even as long as it takes to get going) wasn’t as good as it is, I would be much more hesitant to give Web of Shadows a positive recommendation.

If one had to buy an ATV racer for the PS2, I would suggest "ATV Offroad Fury 2"; it gives you a lot more bang for your buck.

Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage may appear to be a kids game and while it’s certainly kid friendly I think it’s going to appeal to snow boarders of all ages.

EA has set a high standard here; 16-player multiplayer just won't be the same. But if multiplayer is not your thing, the single-player modes provide more than enough value.

While not as complicated as some of Shrapnel’s other games (a good thing) it’s a particularly slow affair.

Smarty Pants is a perfect Wii title for a family fun night that will tease the brain and tickle the funny bones.

It only falls short of the peak of excellence due to the somewhat unoriginal enemy alien design.

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.

The first couple of difficulty levels are complete pushovers, so anyone with previous experience should jump to the Hard difficulty level. Then the game comes down to accurately predicting opponents and taking advantage of their weaknesses. (Luigi is atrocious at returning "fish tile" power shots.) As with most games like these, maatching skills against computer-controlled opponents takes a backseat to human competition. Either way, Mario Tennis Open is pleasant, though it seems to lack any addictive extras or some hook to make it addictive.

All in all, NHL '13 is another solid game as we would come to expect from EA Sports; some areas for improvement that I would like to see personally but otherwise not a horrible way to spend the lockout.

While the game looks good and controls easily enough in most instances, the weak AI robs Spider-Man: The Movie of much of its fun factor, being too easy for many GBA players.

Having a continuous supply of new levels helps LittleBigPlanet remain fresh – there’s always something new to fool around with, even though there are plenty of half-assed levels out there.

Impressions did a good job of refining the gameplay with this installment.

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

It’s interesting, as the main game is very well suited to the more traditional gaming crowd, while the mini-games are a great distraction for casual gamers.

While certainly a good comic book hero gaming adventure, Spider-Man: Edge of Time is just too formulaic and too relatively brief to be anything but middling when compared to the past of Spider-Man gaming titles.

The presence of Scully and Campbell calling the game add a sense of realism to the game—if you could only hear the game, you’d think that the game might actually be on television.

There are some cool visuals, a combat system I like, plenty of save points, and just the right amount of Korean-cum-Japanese craziness and campy ellipses to be enjoyable.

It’s easy to recognize that this is still a good fighting game, albeit a somewhat easy one to get through, that does justice to the DBZ legacy that not every DBZ game is able to do.

Gamers looking for a transcendent gaming experience most likely are not going to find it here. But for fans of anime, samurai movies, Samuel L. Jackson, and animated samurai movies starring Samuel L. Jackson, Afro Samurai is a literally bloody good game.

Team Bondi created a technical masterpiece with L.A. Noire. The problem is that they didn't create an artistic or even entertaining masterpiece.

The visuals are just too dated and will be tough for some to swallow and the unintuitive controls can be a real pain.

Puzzle fans will likely glom onto Mercury Meltdown Revolution and will revel in the challenge, creative levels, and the basic and accessible control scheme, but unless you're a puzzle fanatic there's only frustration to be found.

It’s just a shame that the fun is over a little too quickly but if you were disappointed by Rising Sun, then MOH: EA will give you new faith in a series that seems to be going in the right direction again.

If you enjoyed the first title, this one definitely has improvements and will satisfy your craving for more.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition covers some traditional action game territory for sure but there are some memorable moments that make it worth a look if combo-based combat and exploration is your thing.

Even with the strikes against it, Scene It? is fun with a few other players and it’s accessible enough that even the non-gamers can play.

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

If you pick-up Mario vs. Donkey Kong expecting a classic Mario title, you’ll be sorely disappointed, not to mention frustrated. However, if you like puzzle games like "The Lost Vikings," MvDK should be right up your alley.

The half-hearted addition of the vehicle-less battles should have either been dropped altogether or made more integral to gameplay.

Medal of Honor 2: Heroes doesn’t really bring anything new to the table. However, like any good sequel it keeps what worked in the original and improves on much of what was wrong.

It was enjoyable being given this much freedom to change the rules in an FPS, but the repetitive action quickly pulls the game from a fun activity into a chore.

Simple gameplay that can stay entertaining for a long period of time. You can't really ask for much more from it.

Unlike Midway's Arcade Treasures series there's nothing in the way of background, historical or inside information on the titles.

It’s similar enough to Red Alert 2 to feel really comfortable and though there’s been a lot of extra things added to the toy box (and not all of them work), it’s still fun.

Value for the buck-wise, Baten Kaitos is awesome. The main game takes between 35 and 40 hours to play through and side quests could add maybe five to eight hours to that.

All round AI is lacking. Enemy AI is laughable at times – walking toward you backwards or standing still while you spray them with the flamethrower.

"NBA 2K3" and even "NBA Live 2003" are better overall choices.

You’ll be looking for opportunities to heave enemies off catwalks or crack them against a wall so Indy can smack them silly.

A great improvement over "Rise of the Machines," and actually better than some games in a few ways, but still not in the higher ranking levels of current games.

This was, overall, a well put together game but the AI is one of the things that could have been much better instead of the simple just standing around and shooting things.

Aside from the inexcusable loading times that totally drag down the Totaled gameplay experience and a short single-player mode, the game’s multiplayer action, decent control scheme and level design make Totaled a better than average title for destruction derby fans not seen in a video games since, well, "Demolition Derby."

Even the interface is out of the olden days.

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.

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.

As a whole, Blitzkrieg does deliver a decent RTS that will last for a very long time; however the game isn’t at the stage to compete with current RTS standards, still sporting the 2D landscapes and scratchy infantry movement.

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.

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

It’s the ham sandwich of shooter games. It won’t knock you on your ass with an explosion of flavor, nor will it bore you to tears with plainness, but mmmmmm, when the ham combines with the mustard, boy is it tasty.

It’s got its flaws and it's share of bugs, but being able to have free reign almost cancels them out.

It simply seems like an animal taken out of its native habitat and dropped in the middle of some alien world. If you have a PC, I can think of no reason to recommend the PS2 version.

For fanz of the Matrix and those that must simply figure what the Matrix really is, will pick up Enter the Matrix and have a blast. For everyone else, Enter the Matrix is an above-average action game with some cool moves and awesome production values (but repetitive).

If you don’t fiddle with the default graphic settings you’ll be working a lot to find the right items, navigate the game world, and discover clues. Searching a blood-soaked hotel room is tough enough without having to stumble through the dark.

Is Worms 3D as good as its predecessors such as Worms, and Worms Armageddon? No, but that sure as hell doesn’t mean that Worms 3D should be overlooked.

Prye runs and walks as if he’s just spent the last 15 hours on the back of a galloping horse then, unable to find an outhouse, crapped himself.

It's a fun title that gives the genre some notable tweaks, and it's certainly recommendable to anyone with an itch for a fast and furious dungeon crawl.

This game might not be a hardcore hockey fan's portable dream game, but the less pickey gamers might want to give this game a shot.

The game controls pretty smooth, except when your player gets the ball. In perhaps an effort to emulate the awkwardness of dribbling, all of your movements are delayed slightly.

An aesthetic surprise with great visuals and sound; and a huge disappointment of Gameplay and AI.

Shooter fans will probably find that GoldenEye: Rogue Agent is an average experience, with enough slick action and challenge to warrant at least a rental.

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.

Needless to say, this type of gameplay is hardly challenging, thought provoking, or enjoyable, for most serious gamers. However, what Broken Sword does do is very polished and offers a slick level of gameplay for the occasional gamer used to solitaire and minesweeper.

On a technical level, the control scheme is a pain in the ass!

That's not to say it's not enjoyable or that it's a bad game – it is very easy to pick up and play for enjoyment in short spurts – it's just average. If you want the definitive Crazy Taxi game, this is it.

The third installment of the series, doesn’t do much in terms of “innovation."

This title is complete fan service to those who like the anime, and will largely be enjoyed by these people, just be careful of the occasional cheap comeback by the computer.

An extremely challenging game, with a lot going for it, but unfortunately the game is hindered by some aspects, like the save function.

Much like a NHL expansion team that does unexpectedly well in its initial campaign but doesn’t have any realistic chance of competing for even a number-eight seed playoff spot, NHL Rivals 2004 is a good start for Microsoft’s hockey franchise, but needs many more superstar elements to challenge its competition in the hockey game arena.

Good, clean clobberin’ fun. It’s got its problems, mostly with the Banner sections, but it’s fun. And sometimes that's all I want.

A complete joy to play and worthy of the attention of even the most hardcore gamer.

If you can deal with the occasional frustrating roadblocks you'll face, then Lethal Skies II will probably be a somewhat enjoyable, if not particularly engaging, way to waste a few afternoons, even if you can't tell a MIG29 from an A-10.

If one can look over the odd, “brave Sir Arron ran away” combat method, and a ineffective story sewn together from fantasy cliche’s, there is some fun to be had with Nightcaster.

Mini-games are a blast! I think I ended up playing them more than the actual racing.

Overall, Puzzlegeddon is a competent puzzle game with some innovative twists.

How to Survive's story can be played quickly, so the two-player co-op and the Challenges are a buyer's best option to extend the play time. That's the only way the average player will be able to explore all the seemingly inconsequential upgrade options and power-ups and not feel bored.

At its worst, Future Soldier is an uneven experience with some unchecked boxes as they pertain to PC ports (e.g. no option to invert the controls on a gamepad) and an unrecognizable story, but at its best it's a good shooter with a little more thought required than many other 3rd person shooters available right now.

It's only too bad that some of the elements that were only loosely introduced could not have been made more of a focus or an option in the game.

Condition Zero still carries the Counter Strike magic. However, given its age, how much it costs and the quality of the current competition, CZ cannot honestly and should not be at the top of any FPS gamer’s list.

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.

While certainly a good game, the fact that it is overshadowed by its other iterations leaves a feeling of expectance. Rainbow Six 3 does deliver but those with more than one system at home will like want to pick up a different version of the game.

A little bit long in the tooth.

XBV could have been alternately titled DOA Casino, Playboy's Girls of DOA, or DOA Dress-up. If you're expecting a deep volleyball simulation, forget it.

This game is best for those who want to play a blowout game and not think about defense… ever. This is a good-looking game, and is fun to play, but purists should look elsewhere.

For those gamers that were fans of the original from a single player aspect, Rise of the Witch King doesn't really add that much more such it should grab your attention. For die-hard Lord of the Rings fans, the minimal content additions will likely be enough.

At times the multiplayer features can be quite entertaining but there may not be enough wrinkles added to the gameplay to keep groups playing. [Score = 94 if no experience with GBA game]

No franchise was built in a day, and I’m afraid it might take another installment before CivCity Rome lives up to its potential.

I found issues with the unit balance and the visual style of the units and buildings wasn't for me. The story line is campy and doesn't succeed at being engaging or funny in this style.

Without the adoption of 3rd Edition rules, IWD2 is essentially the same D&D game released years ago.

There's very little question that Brink is highly geared towards the multiplayer crowd. The SMART system and the well done visuals are very attractive, but the level design imbalances and small map variety don't offer much in the way of longevity. There's a lot of promise in the game but only the most patient of players might be willing to see that promise realized.

It doesn’t make TimeShift a bad game, it edges slightly above average thanks to the time powers.

Gretzky NHL 06 showed some serious improvement graphically over last year’s version but otherwise all the same flaws remain untouched.

So while the grading is still off, and the song selection is still scant, PaRappa has so much charm in its songs that it's still worthwhile all of these years later, whether you're revisiting it or playing it for the first time.