Despite being a somewhat easy game that’s visuals are slightly long in the tooth, Ape Escape 2 still proves to be a fun game.

By and large, SotD just doesn’t bring enough to the table. The new missions are fun, but the fact that this expansion has been divided from it’s evil counterpart and the overall sense of the game actually being Disciples II Gold Edition 0.5 makes the game feel like a jip when you can get so much more out of the original Disciples II for a fraction of the cost.

Offers fun, fast, and wide-open game play in the vein of Tony Hawk, even with the disappointing multiplayer aspect.

The replayability is very poor as it is already boring the first time you go through it. Levels are very predictable and the action is weak... It's simply just not worth your time.

Strangely, despite Arc the Lad: TotS being anything but innovative, it has an interesting charm and still manages to be quite fun.

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

The AI is unlike anything else I've seen in a driving game...At times in R1C it was hard to believe I was facing off against computer controlled opponents.

The grungy rock music that plays in the background pales in comparison to Grand Theft Auto’s playlist. The cars sound like garden tractors.

If The Italian Job was a disease, it would surely be more dangerous than SARS. In other words, stay as far away from this game as possible.

A fun, splashy, albeit short and easy game with some great small touches and a hint of sidescrolling nostalgia.

For now Lara will continue to be a hot chick in a bad game. The only thing done right in this game was graphics.

Comes up shooting blanks with a very mediocre adaptation that has few redeemable features outside its strong multiplayer Xbox Live presence.

Sonic Adventure DX should have, could have been so much more than a straight port with a few improvements.

With well designed levels, and a multi-purpose eye-piece for the game’s main character, there could have been a lot of fun to be had in this game, but unfortunately RTX is riddled with countless tedious fetch quests and a sketchy enemy lock-on system that seriously drags down the enjoyment of the game.

If you liked the original, it’s hard to imagine why you wouldn’t like this expansion. It is the same mix of RPG action and puzzle-solving and even has a story that is more compelling than the original game.

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.

There’s no diplomatic way to say this, it never feels like you have anything interesting to do across MM3's many missions.

By and large, GotL just doesn’t bring enough to the table. The new missions are fun, but the fact that this expansion has been divided from it’s evil counterpart and the overall sense of the game actually being Disciples II Gold Edition 0.5 makes the game feel like a jip when you can get so much more out of the original Disciples II for a fraction of the cost.

A surprisingly deep game; its many features pushes the game’s replay value up into the stratosphere.

The fun and quality of the single player experience would be enough, but the co-op mode just screams "Activision loves you." With the long, deep career mode, the multiplayer contests, and the cool co-op mode, Wakeboarding Unleashed is a very good value.

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!

A great game. While the AI can be extremely tough and playing the Story mode through so many times gets a bit old, these shortcomings are more than made up for with the intensity, presentation, and clean fun that it has to offer.

With a strong AI, a tried and true game concept, and beautiful graphics and sound, Port Royale is a great game.

Maybe Bloodmoon could have been down as a free, or low cost, download, but the added value of the werewolf alone make the twenty dollar cost seem like a bargain.

Nothing is better then running over a vulnerable pedestrian, drive under an 18-wheeler while going over 100, speed across red lights inching past others, and use your NAS booster, without being pulled over by a cop.

A stripped down husk of what the other Wolfenstein titles available are. While the level design is nice, and there’s some good audio features, overall the title just fails to engage the gamer nearly as much as many of it’s competitors, or it’s bigger brothers do.

It offers some decent old-shool action and the web stats but the old-school passwords kick it in the teeth.

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.

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.

Like everything and nothing you've ever played.

What ultimately makes IndyCar Series good instead of great is it’s inability to really target an audience.

A good RPG for adult gamers and possibly even a great RPG for young gamers - especially those obsessed with deck-building card games like Yu-Gi-OH! and Dragonball Z.

The second, more significant disappoint that RON inflicts upon the gamer is the mind numbing singularity of the conquest battles. As much as I love toasting the opposition into roasted marshmallow oblivion, doing so 22 times in a row gets a little old.

As impressive as the stadiums and surrounding aura visuals are, the player and on-field graphical presentation is a huge disappointment.

The fighting sequences had little snap in the punches, the storyline had few surprises, and the world of the Matrix didn’t leave enough to the imagination.

A prime example of a good idea gone bad. If it weren’t for the annoying controls and the ho-hum nature of the game it would actually have been pretty good, but as it stands unless you are a huge fan of the movies this game isn’t worth buying.

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).

This is the first time in the Sims that there’s an actual challenge gauntlet thrown down.

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.

Despite the fact that Vice City is ported from the PS2, the new features make the PC version a must buy, even for those who own the PS2 version.

An enjoyable game. It emphasizes teamwork and really gives a lot of character tweaking to sink one’s teeth into, but you really need to be patient individual to deal with the mining aspect of the game.

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

It’s not high on story or heavy stealth elements, but Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War delivers in liberal and visceral amounts of action. And you get what you pay for.

Hell-bent on destruction psycho drivers finally get a game to meet their rubbernecking tendencies full throttle.

The graphics are much improved from the original NBA Street. The graphics look sharper and the player detail is incredible.

Multiplayer modes, particularly played online, really save The Clone Wars from mediocrity. Playing on Xbox Live in a full spectrum of multiplayer modes elevates The Clone Wars to an enjoyment level it doesn’t reach in the single-player campaign.

You’ll have to be extremely familiar with the controls to have a hope in hell of finishing the game.

Possibly the biggest letdown of TS is the small number of tracks available.

Each environment is fully (and gloriously) destructible and more "alive" than ever. The graphics are fantastic! Equally so for the animations.

If you’re a racing fan, Pro Race Driver is a no-brainer. It was everything you want, and even though the story seems a bit hokey, it’s tolerable and doesn’t break the game. Worthy of a test drive at the very least.

A very good rally racer. It looks good and plays even better. For those interested in this style of racing, this title is one worth looking into.

Even a fan like me can’t help but term the control a bit problematic.

Phantasy Star Online is definitely not an Xbox Live gaming experience for everybody, although gamers who may be more adjusted to the traditional Final Fantasy-style RPG hit/miss combat system at the heart of PSO will enjoy it immensely.

If you love shoot'em ups, or even just love great games, go out and buy Ikaruga now.

So much more could have been done with this game, but it’s a move in the right direction. I only wish that there had been more involvement the X-Men characters.

Has lots of appeal and it'll surely become very popular as soon as the press gets to it - but it isn't polished enough to hold long-lasting interest.

Manages to be an average action game but a great translation of Wolverine in his first starring game on this generation of consoles. For that alone it’s probably worth a look.

This is one awesome GameCube title. Splinter Cell is a no-brainer next to Metroid Prime and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker to add to your ‘Cube library.

Whether you're miles ahead of your opponents, in the heat of it or straggling behind, it provides you with an adrenaline filled rush.

It’s got some of the best voice acting around, some great suspense, a conglomeration of familiar sci-fi elements, and pretty neat weapon upgrades but the problematic camera and so-so puzzles means that RLH won’t become a classic and will no doubt cause a few headaches.

In terms of flat out fun and speed, not much can touch Burnout 2: Point of Impact.

Tropico 2 is a wonderful game worth its weight in buried golden treasure.

With some very well laid out levels, solid gameplay, and nice functional visuals, PS2 owners are presented with a fantastic title worthy of a place in their library.

Unlike the later games, Final Fantasy II showcases the most involved learning and experience system of the series - all weapons, shields, and spells have some associated skill level in using them.

A very fun wrestling game here loaded with style and bone crushing action. There are some annoying shortcomings to the game, but they certainly aren’t enough to irreparably hurt the game.

If you’re a fan of the wrestling genre, Def Jam Vendetta is just what the doctor ordered.

A puzzle game that will exercise your brain.

First and foremost, this is the easiest game I’ve played for Xbox. Gaining and maintaining the lead is so easy that the only race I completely blew was due to a sneezing fit.

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.

The uniqueness of the setting and the Platoon/Full Metal Jacket inspired cut-scenes and soundtrack add a lot to the experience.

Those that like management sims, dealing with the minutia of number crunching and furniture placement, and still enjoy The Sims will have a good time with it.

It's stylish, fun and let's you go nuts with a whip.

While the story is extremely deep, Primal plays like a button masher.

It looks better, it plays better, and brings a lot more to the table than any previous Dynasty Warrior. It’s a very worthwhile title for hardcore fans and those unfamiliar with the series.

It's too one dimensional – violence being the answer to all the Revolution missions without a stealth objection or changing environments to consider.

And with the kind of game V-Rally 3 is with it’s realistic rendering of the sport, good numbers of options, and good racing, it’s likely we’ll see a V-Rally 4. Recommended to rally fans for sure.

While The Sims isn’t a totally radical departure from its PC origins, the Xbox version scores just a tad higher than on the other console version I’ve played, the GameCube, because of its slightly better graphics, more comfortable controller, and easier game save system on the built-in Xbox hard drive.

Maxis still did a great job of mapping all the PC commands to the GameCube controller.

It’s nice to see that Harmonix decided not to rest on their laurels and instead try some new things with Amplitude, and the diversity in the available music tracks is commendable.

A must-own for MLB fans.

It's an example of a game that doesn't skimp on deep gameplay in favor of style – instead, it has both and it's already a GameCube classic.

Has its charms for those with some patience and a thirst for a different take on real-time strategy.

While retaining its gameplay and adding numerous improvements, R6: Raven Shield is definitely worth checking out for any realistic tactical shooter fan.

Feels like a new game when you compare it to previous Rayman games.

This game is a subpar attempt at adding a new mode of transportation, and absolutely nothing more, to the racing genre. Worth perhaps a drunken rental, certainly no more.

The camera and the linear fashion of the levels didn’t make me a Rayman convert but I did have fun – especially with those drug-inspired transition sections. Far out, man!

It’s like playing an extreme hand of poker, complete with kicks to the face and pile drivers. It’s almost turn-based. Matches typically turn into exchanges of combos. If you don’t grasp this fact, you’ll be trounced by the AI.

Matching the poor gameplay is the audio.

If Sega can fix some of the problems and totally do away with the worthless batting cursor (batting cursors, like crying, don’t belong in baseball), next year could crown yet another new PS2 baseball champion.

The sheer focus on tactics and all of the available options within this makes this an extremely challenging game, but persevering and learning these intricacies will reveal a true gem.

More of a simulation than arcade, which may seem good at first, but it's not.

The competition this year is far too talented and the upper tier of baseball games on the PS2 this year relegates MLB 2004 to a last-place finish.

It’s easy to say that the graphics are great or that EA delivered another game with impeccable presentation style, but the pitching and batting engines really thrive here and the game is fun to play.

Besides the lack of truly original modes, the only other major problem I had with the game was the batting A.I. It seems impossible to get the computer batter to swing at a pitch outside the strike zone.

An amazing game, it can single-handedly rekindle the love of the pure sport of baseball that many fans lost (including myself) that fateful lost 1994 strike season.

The online play is startling for one reason: nobody plays this game online.

Full on style but short on substance. Although it’s firing on all cylinders in terms of presentation, the repetitiveness is disheartening and becomes too boring to make Murakumo even a recommended rental.

The game is fun, action-packed and polished to a fine sheen. Additionally, the cool multi-player element and the sheer number of missions give the game plenty of replay value.