There's a lot of replay value, but it's ridiculously frustrating to get through this game the first time.

Viewtiful Joe may have bitten off more than he can chew on his PSP debut. Even if you have the metabolism of a hummingbird, you're going to have a difficult time relating to the incredibly fast and confusing pace of this game.

The game has a lot of charm and humor and the most important thing is it is fun to play.

Mixing fast paced action, and fist fighting has always been something that a fighting game required. The Con, integrates all these into a great game with only a few faults.

The best game of its kind on the GBA.

The Legend of Heroes II will not disappoint fans of the original that are looking for more of the same. The rest of us can expect to be a little less than impressed.

Blood Bath and Beyond is average fun while it lasts. The script and parodies are a reason to keep playing. The low-gravity sections at the end of the game are enjoyable, too.

Imperium Romanum offers tons of replay value, with different modes and virtually unlimited ways to play each scenario.

The combat system is also a good start, but the combinations need more variety instead of repeatedly mashing the same button. They also need to design a control scheme for the Wii instead of mapping buttons to motion swings because the controls feel tacky.

It's not bad for a $15 game, but it does next to nothing to advance the FPS genre. You're better off getting a used copy of Call of Duty 4.

The focus of their next Spider-Man game should be making the combat feel as authentic to Spider-Man as they've done with the web-slinging. With a focus on improving the combat, the A.I., and more epic cineractives, Spider-Man 3 would have been a great game.

You won't confuse a Red Steel with "Gears of War" or "Resistance: Fall of Man," but it’s clear that the Wii has some power in its corner.

SOCOM has always catered to the hardcore and Confrontation is no different in this regard. Slant Six has done an admirable job updating the formula of past games, but the decision to wipe the single-player slate clean and the copious amounts of bugs are standout problems.

Numerous loot drops, item creation through a fusion system, character customization, and online play injects a lot of life into an otherwise dull experience.

Jericho doesn't really bring anything new to the gaming world.

The genre's classics were more fun, and you have to play irritating "demolition derbies" to progress through the single-player mode. Also, it's overpriced. But, it's more fun than nothing, which is the alternative unless you still have a 16-bit console lying around.

Lack of replay value relegates this game to a rental.

A ghost of its former self.

Overall the game has more polish and a few new features, none that I would consider to be more than what you would find in an expansion pack.

In spite of its shortcomings, however, Cradle of Rome is still an oddly addictive puzzler. There’s no real city planning, the screen sensitivity wreaks all sorts of havoc during puzzles, and the presentation in strictly bare-bones.

Does an admiral job of actually reproducing the feel of "virtual" go kart racing - perhaps more so than any other kart game before it.

The basic realities of Blood Stone's shooting and driving are generally overshadowed by the bombastic setpieces.

I was very pleased with Monsters vs. Aliens. Although it does not feature the most challenging gameplay for a seasoned gamer, the puzzle-platforming style of gameplay recalled older titles like Crash Bandicoot, and it is fun to play for both kids and adults.

It's loaded with modes and is a relatively deep game for a racer. You can still do a lot of tricks with it but overall the racing experience is hampered by its mechanical shortcomings.

There are some long, drawn out sections where you trudge along performing all kinds of make-work scenarios. Faced with these mundane tasks, you're unlikely to replay the game more than once.

The tutorial sets the stage for a pleasurable experience, but shoddy game modes, AI, and visuals kill the moment.

When you first put it in, you are immediately assaulted by offensively-bad graphics and a career mode that lacks substance. Top it off with a control scheme that’s too complicated to be anywhere near fun and you have the worst golf title of the year.

Even with another player, Shaun White Snowboarding is still not much fun. Remember, two Shauns don't make a white. Sorry.

This GBA version is not a port. This game has depth and new features that make it more exciting while injecting some badly needed depth.

Jericho doesn't really bring anything new to the gaming world.

It's harmless fun that loses its luster all too soon. Do I even have to mention "rental?"

It's not perfect, but it's chockfilled with entertaining gameplay modes. If FIFA 06 is fine cuisine, FIFA Street 2 is a corndog and a coke and sometimes, there ain't nothing better than that.

Lords of Shadow 1 suffered from feeling like a God of War clone with poor platforming. Lords of Shadow 2, on the other hand, no longer feels like a clone. It just feels like a generic action game. It has a story you don’t care about, a mashy combat system, and generic enemies and locales. The only good thing about this game is its voice acting, but even Robert Carlyle can’t save this one.

Sonic Team, I’m just going to spell this out for you. This is not what we want from a Sonic game. Don’t go back to the drawing board. Don’t try to re-invent Sonic’s image again. Just give us the stuff that works from your last few successful titles and call it a day.

I do feel bad that SimCity Societies is cursed to go misunderstood. It is less an attempt to steer SimCity in a new direction, and more an attempt to fuse a familiar brand and city building theme with another popular, accessible kind of gameplay.

Undead Knights' frustrating control moments and sometimes dull design elements don't completely outweigh its violent charm. The gruesome, dark premise is slick and the underlying gameplay is definitely enjoyable in short bursts.

Miami Vice feels like a budget title. I only hope that these new schools that are offering game developing classes makes use of this game as a "what-not to do" for control development so that someone in this world can get something from this game.

Though it’s only $20, it’s a package that isn’t really justified as a retail product. Tack on a host of technical and design flaws, and it’s an experience that’s somewhat disappointing.

A wonderful little game that is a must buy for any Final Fantasy fanatic. The revamped graphics, sounds, story, and additional content make the game a valuable addition to your PSP.

The premise is solid, the graphics are great, the voice casting is excellent, but in the end you have to ask yourself, are we buying games to watch them or to play them? This is something you need to ask yourself before picking up The Order. It’s a shame, too.

Perhaps more of these flaws will be addressed and fixed in the upcoming patches but I would wait another month or so to see what the developers have come up with before I waste my time with such a sloppy game. [5/5/05]

It gets stale after a while and there's really nothing to drive you to the end, save for facing another challenge of making it safely over a bizarre and dangerous collection of platforms.

If you are a fan of Dynasty Warriors, especially the Empires series, then by all means pick up the game. However, as I mentioned earlier, there are lots of Dynasty Warriors to choose from, and if you are looking for a more traditional experience, you might want to stray away from the Empires series.

It's a boring, repetitive, poorly-done movie cash-in. Not much was expected from it, and when you look at it that way then this game lived up to expectations.

This is a card collecting game, and it appears that it will help keep the genre alive a little longer. It's more akin to a defibrillation than a Genesis.

Fatal Inertia EX is reminiscent of a top-shelf, budget-priced kart racer. It doesn't pretend to be more, and that I can live with.

There are only 35 puzzles, many of them are poorly designed, and the story isn't too impressive.

Most of the platforming is top-shelf stuff, and the few issues with the controls notwithstanding, I had a great time with the game. Fifteen dollars is a bit high, though, for the amount of pleasure most folks will likely mine from the experience.

Fans of the series will still find plenty to like here, but just be aware that this second helping isn't going to taste quite as fresh as the first.

If you liked the movie, you will in all likelihood enjoy the game... You can think of Finding Nemo as "Ecco the Dolphin" Light.

Though Dog Days wasn't exactly what I was expecting, I enjoyed its arcade approach. Unfortunately, the design and breadth of content don't come close to justifying the price.

P.N. 03 won't keep anyone interested for more than a couple of hours. The longer you continue to enjoy the game after that is directly proportional to the time you spent watching reality TV shows.

Though completing the 70+ character roster gives the game some replay value, there's not much else to do once that is finished.

Although it won't be Grand Turismo or PGR, the racing engine is good enough, and the variability of racing events really makes this one very playable, not only for children, but for grown-ups who want to get in on the action too.

It is really hard to recommend this title, especially considering the next-gen price tag. The game is marred by technical problems and, if anything, is an exercise in mediocrity.

I would recommend it to beginners and those weaned on shooters that might be looking for something a little different that doesn't have a steep learning curve.

It's not as spine chilling as "Resident Evil," it's a little less bleak and gritty but it manages to serve up some moments reminiscent of Spielberg.

There are some good ideas scattered throughout the game, but there isn't really anything groundbreaking. That may be the game's worst offense.

I don't care what anyone says; this is an impressive collection. It's the perfect companion for any commute since you can jump into an out of a game without a lot of commitment.

As a game, Code Lyoko really nails the fact that it emanates from a cartoon. It remains true to its heritage with sound effects, the soundtrack, cutscenes, and storylines taken directly from the series. Some of the animation is a little stiff, and the text can be a little heady, but fans of the series will enjoy being able to participate in the same action and adventure as their cartoon heroes.

I think the developers tried to cram too much into this game. I could do without playing as Vader and Maul, and I can even live without the online modes, if only the single-player mode was technically sound - and above all, fun. I expect better and you should as well.

I place the blame almost squarely on the lameness of it all directly on Pixar's shoulders because the super powers featured in The Incredibles are nothing short of boring. Super strength, elastic powers, invisibility and super speed just don't really cut it when it comes to really cool super powers and they don't translate into exciting gameplay either.

This game has a serious lack of gameplay modes. However, the XP system is a lot of fun for anyone who likes to customize their racer down right down to the tiniest detail.

Nearly every potential plus is a minus: the open world is artificial; the supposedly intuitive control scheme is actually counterintuitive; and the event types range from lackluster to merely okay.

While the battle system is addictive and a time attack mode can extend gameplay, many gamers will be frustrated by retro relics such as the lack of a map for the sprawling dungeons and frequent backtracking.

Insomniac has definitely proven that they can make a rock-solid, third-person shooter, but all of the testosterone that was injected into the weaponry may have neutered the overall experience.

It just doesn't lend itself to the DS. There's no doubt it would have fared much better on the PSP, but just try to convince Nintendo of that.

It's 2D Sonic, with brand new zones, seven half-pipe bonus stages, and a Metal Sonic story for those who purchased Episode I. Not bad for fifteen bucks.

The game has its own style and would have been a contender if the gameplay was more refined. Online play is available but it's not fully supported.

The game looks excellent and the online potential has been realized; all that’s left is to handle the AI and SIXAXIS hiccups and this one is ready to head to the pros.

A solid racing game that looks good and sounds fantastic while offering a real challenge!

If you like online play, King of Fighters does it extremely well. However, with only one single-player offline mode, this title feels a little empty overall.

Puzzle fans can get a few hours' worth of fun from Gravity, and they would be well-advised to give it a rental. As for a full purchase, it would be better to wait till the game hits the bargain bins.

Rationalizing the cost versus the content is a tough one, but I can say this will not hold you over till the release of Mass Effect 3.

Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law will teach you as much about law as a cartoon will teach you about the laws of physics. Don't take it too seriously, and you'll have a blast.

Despite the extreme variation of difficulty, this is just an average racer.

If you are looking to play a game to get the experience of multiplayer while not actually being online, this may be the game you’ve been looking for.

To say this game is easy would be an understatement. It's presented as an arcade game rather than a hunting sim, and truth be told, I prefer it this way.

I've played worse games than Fracture, but it's certainly not one I'd ever recommend. As it turns out, the core concept of terrain deformation is more of a gimmick than a fully fleshed out feature, and the rest of the shooter mechanics are painfully subpar.

Madden NFL 21 is a game that is generally fine. It’s not extraordinarily exciting, sure. There are some minor additions that work well, like the Skill Stick, and major ones that could have promise after the growing pain patches are out, like The Yard. A lot of elements feel the same as they did last year, like Franchise and MUT, and Face of the Franchise shows there’s still a struggle to have a really good story mode. It’s okay, but people who have and are still enjoying Madden 20 might not feel a need to upgrade.

Most of the games here work fine, but the justification for playing digital representations of them is still highly questionable. You might be better off playing a real board game.

Shortcomings aside, Arms for Victory is bound to suck you into its fold in short order. The immense battles with thousands of various units at your command are simply epic.

Linear, simplistic gameplay with no multiplayer component limits replay value.

This is the best pinball simulation that I've ever played. It's not a fantasy game with unearthly physics, it's a digital recreation of some of the most beloved Gottlieb pinball games from the 50s to the 90s.

The game is a mindless, simplistic punching bag that will either be music to your eyes, ears and thumbs or a crushing disappointment for those looking for more depth.

The downer is that DMC doesn't support one cart play, so each player will have to own their own copy of the game.

An interesting concept that doesn't translate well to a video game.

Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD made me realize something: All I ever really wanted was a DBZ fighting game. Sure, all the newer Dragon Ball Z releases are cool, but the simple mechanics and customization of DBZ Budokai 3 (and to a lesser extent, 1) was far more enjoyable that the cinematic systems of newer games.

About as classy as a "KerPOW!" sound effect and sadly never elevates itself beyond basic Bat-Shtick.

Don't expect it to be packed with excitement from start to finish since much of the gameplay is repetitive, but there are some decent moments which make wading through the lean times worthwhile - almost.

It is a perfectly good game, but I feel that the handheld version is just a little better in the visuals department, and the new game's special features hardly make up for its poor look.

There's no personality or story development here - all resemblance to any fictional character is virtually coincidental.

Responsive as a sim, the vehicles handle exceptionally well. They're well balanced and react as you would expect such a vehicle to in every situation.

The single-player career mode and customization options make this a fun diversion, but it's not as addictive or polished as Mario Kart, it lacks key features, and it fails to take full advantage of the Vita's hardware. This is a bargain-bin purchase for people who love kart racing, not a must-own title for gamers of all stripes.

The game is very short, and with nothing much beyond the game's story mode, most players will be done with this title in only a few short hours.

Multiplayer modes are limited, though the dogfights and team battles for up to 16 players are still quite fun. It's satisfying taking down an enemy plane when you know there's a human cursing you out from his burning cockpit on the other end.

The single player game will hold your attention and you'll get more mileage out of it if you play on the harder difficulty settings, but the real secret to milking everything out of this one is the online co-op mode.

Definitely an improvement for the series. It’s pointed in the right direction, now all we have to do is make sure it gets there in time for the next version.