Unacceptably frustrating.

Unacceptably frustrating.

A game that will appeal to novice and intermediate gamers. It's loaded with quality but it lacks variety.

The game is entertaining for five or ten minutes at a time and works well as a timewaster. If it was any more than 500 points I would say don't bother, but for the money, the game is a good value.

As I've said in other poker reviews, you can download programs and play online for free, against real players. And the best part is that you don't have to play for real money.

It's not as refined nor as fresh as the previous games in the series, but it's okay for a few larfs. However if you're looking for a quality quirky tennis game, "Mario Power Tennis" should still be your first choice, with "Top Spin" ranking as the current "real" tennis benchmark to beat.

The gameplay took a hit since the last installment, but the storytelling is still superb.

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.

It’s a shame that the surrounding structures don’t hold up, because the in-game experience of NBA 2K20 remains top-class. Another year of refinements has smoothed out some rough edges of the basketball gameplay that was already worth seeking out. The level of control you have over shot types is both useful and entertaining. Defensive assignments feel like they work more consistently. The commentary repeats itself less. They’re great moves forward. But if you engage with the modes 2K seems to want to push most, you’ll have to deal with baggage that weighs down the experience.

There are some enjoyable basics to be found here. The game construction is sound and polished; it just isn't interesting for more than a few minutes. The subtle change-ups from level to level are the only minor star of this package.

It will likely frustrate the hell out of you but only if you let it. Once you get into it, it's hard to stop.

Online you will receive new updates, be able to compete in various tournaments and have your score posted for the world to see - that is if the world finds out about Laser Squad Nemesis.

A fairly disappointing title. It is clearly marketed to a younger audience but because it is so hard to control Dewy, it will most likely turn them away.

The dark atmospheric ambience combined with the four monster hunters and a slew of monsters gets to be a little much after a while. It's not only hard on the eyes with such a busy screen but the non-stop fighting gets to be a drag about half-way through the game.

I just found Monaco hard to enjoy. I was either rushing to reach a checkpoint before guards killed me or I was roaming aimlessly, being booted back to the beginning of the level when I died too many times. Monaco very rarely hits that stealthy sweet spot - that sense of quietly and carefully infiltrating enemy territory, knowing that you're vastly outnumbered and you'll be killed if you screw up. Instead, it usually just tests your patience.

Anyone used to the SSX or Amped styles of snowboarding may grow tired of Shaun White Snowboarding and its simplistic controls and lack of speed.

If you like action-oriented puzzles in the vein of "Monkey Ball" and "Marble Madness" you might consider adding it to your collection.

If I were Simon from American Idol I would say, "This is not the best Americer' has to offer. Sure you can take it online, but so what? I would expect to see this kind of game in an arcade on a cruise ship - it's that average."

The presentation of Ultimate Winter Games has all the embellishments of a Russian prison. It's functional but that's about it...At least the 3D engine works great.

Some aspects of the game could have been tightened up such as the storyline and the combat mechanics but I would equate this game with a trip to the country. It's a little laid back but offers you plenty of breathing room.

An incredible story the first time through, but aside from some tricky achievements and a second ending, there's really nothing to bring you back for subsequent playthroughs.

It's really great when you get a game you feel is created specifically for your fan community, and I'm sure, to some extent, fans will appreciate this title. But I wish more effort was put into making Chaos Wars the quintessential JRPG fan game.

Snood 2 is really just an excuse for a cheap, portable puzzle game. However, it's the kind of game that should be on a phone and not on a sophisticated system such as the DS.

I do hope to see Phoenix eventually make a worthwhile appearance on consoles, one that lives up to the great legacy the series has now built up for itself. This one, though, isn't a crowning achievement for Capcom, and throwing your money at the game will probably only serve to send the wrong message to the publisher.

An incredible story the first time through, but aside from some tricky achievements and a second ending, there's really nothing to bring you back for subsequent playthroughs.

A Witch's Tale isn't a bad game. However, it is a generic game. In fact, if being generic was an Olympic sport, A Witch's Tale would definitely be a gold medalist.

For whatever reason, the gameplay as so little to do with the story that this might as well have been Crash Bandicoot with the occasional Seven Samuari cinema thrown in.

With multiple game modes, there's plenty of content here to keep old-school gamers busy for hours on end.

The cute animations and theme music are perfect for little ones. I think it is far more engaging and educational than Dora or anything else on Noggin. For the adult gamer, don't expect this to be anything more than a simple diversion for an hour or two.

What I am beginning to find most troubling is the developers penchant for including items and characters from previous games to the point of ad nauseum already. Anyone who has played a Link game will be totally familiar with the numerous items in the game and that's ruined some of the surprise and enjoyment for me.

This game is not intended to appeal to RPG players and even though there are three different teams the game has little to entice hardcore RTS gamers. Consider it an online shooter with a few shakes of spice.

Since the market is flooded with games that are mainly focused on a specific age demographic, it is nice to see and play a game that could easily be called a family game.

I hope THQ will some day not only come up with a great story line but an extreme sports game that offers great game-play as well.

It's all about picking up the controller, having some wacky baseball fun for a half an hour or less and then going to grandma's house for a nice homecooked roast beef dinner. Roast beef not included.

This is a mediocre effort in every sense of the word.

Much too conservative. In my opinion, the Mercedes license should be dropped in favor of more gameplay freedom. If you don't want to knock your opponent off a mountain road to win a race, that's your problem. I at least want that option.

There are no frills here, and the game is not particularly good; however, there is some entertainment value, and this kind of puzzler has broad appeal.

Unlocking different vehicles and tracks for the multiplayer provides some incentive to push onward, but there's not much past that.

Although each playthrough will only take an hour or so, if you want to experience all of the different paths as well as the game's 13 endings, you will need a good six hours or so. Just be prepared for a lot of repetition.

Ultimately Zathura is a full priced game with the least amount of play value I've seen in recent memory. An average gamer would get through this adventure in a few short hours which means for goodness sakes, rent this one if you're itching to play the movie.

The story is compelling enough to keep the interest of the story driven player, while adequately supplying the action enthusiast plenty to do.

Its dedication to the nuances of sniping is interesting, but that's unfortunately all it has going for it. Unfortunately, a game that only does sniping well really feels like only half of a game. In fact, it feels like the designers spent more time designing the gruesome kill cam than the non-sniping portions of the game.

No deathmatch? What? Super old gameplay tenets and painful repetitiousness reign supreme here, which is what ultimately tanks the fun.

If blasting the undead with weapons is your cup of tea, ENB's gameplay could be lost on you. If you are willing to accept the slower pace of the game and put up with some frustration in favor of a compelling story and interesting adventure, Beyond will go down nicely.

The chaotic levels are challenging, but they become far too repetitive far too quickly.

You aren't going to get a lot of replay value out of it, but if you like things a little on the "quirky" side of gaming, at least give it a test drive.

Going through the same obligatory missions again and again may be more than some can tolerate.

There's nothing to trade; nothing new to learn, and no real challenge since you can't play against another human.

If this game still had the previous (or an even deeper) fighting system, a run button, and weapons, it would probably already be a classic. While the visuals are amazing, the game just doesn't deliver as well in the fighting as it should.

Falls under the "fun" category. It's full of platforming action but it's not very original. It's aimed at a younger demographic and won't provide much of a challenge for experienced gamers.

Lacks depth in all areas. In any given situation there are only a few options available to you. The game is linear and scripted which means that you can learn by trial and error. Events in a game of this nature should be randomized since that's how a war is experienced.

Graphically, this is the worst looking version among the next-gen consoles, thought it's not really bad at all compared to other PS2 games.

Crazy Machines Elements doesn't have enough going for it to be worth your $10. There's some fun to be had designing levels and figuring out the more open-ended puzzles, but when a game's primary mode isn't fun, I can't really recommend it.

A severe disappointment to fans of the genre. While EA has added many of the features that were missing from last year’s offering, there are still too many issues that need to be ironed out, including the animations, the flow, the online gameplay, and the challenge.

A somewhat subpar FPS filled with enemies who when they did decide to shoot first, did so with an accuracy that was in direct contrast of their abilities to walk into a room without trouble.

Production values in the graphics and sound are excellent. The attention to detail, from the rich textures to the symphonic score, is nothing short of brilliance. If only the game played as good as it looks and sounds.

Solid RPG with a classic feel and a combat system that puts the player in control of the action.

There's certainly no shortage of content in Race-O-Rama, and quite a few of the tracks are truly enjoyable. However, the overworld has had little love put into it, and there are many minor issues and bugs that come together to create a fairly uninspired package.

I enjoyed the vibe of the game, and the shooting can be fun in short spurts. The fun factor and the price, however, don't quite level out.

If only the main story and gameplay could begin to keep up with the wondrous vision that the game's world-builders came up with, Epic Mickey 2 could have been a fantastic game. Sadly, instead it's a journey of discovery that is bogged down by mediocre gameplay, bad A.I., and occasional bugs.

Just a reheated serving of the Cube's "Ultimate Muscle" which was released last year. Taken on its own merit, it's not a bad wrestling game but it doesn't take the series any further, in fact it appears to take it down a notch or two.

Gamers who are looking for an experience thick with atmosphere and who don't mind this linear approach will probably enjoy I Am Alive, but the rest of us might want to wait and see if there's a more interesting survival experience provided by the upcoming Tomb Raider reboot.

Operation Arrowhead is a realistic combat simulation game that still suffers from a variety of technical bugs, just like the original. There is a great amount of fun hiding under the surface, which requires patience and time to find and appreciate.

It will sharpen your skills if you're a novice but aficionados will likely shake their heads at some of the obvious flaws.

There's certainly no shortage of content in Race-O-Rama, and quite a few of the tracks are truly enjoyable. However, the overworld has had little love put into it, and there are many minor issues and bugs that come together to create a fairly uninspired package.

At this point though, the antics of the Outlaw crew are pretty tired and I'm hoping that Hypnotix will drop the shtick and take the plunge into making more credible gameplay experiences.

This could have been an amazing game but some poor gameplay mechanics and repetitious level design contribute to making this game merely decent.

Damage Inc. isn't all that much fun to play, and the AV8R doesn't work all that well with it.

There's not much that makes JoJo's Bizarre Adventure HD worth the money other than the core gameplay. If getting a chance to play JoJo's Bizarre Adventure again is worth $20 for you, then go for it. Otherwise, this isn't the game for you.

The combat is kind of strange. It doesn't seem congruent given the subject matter. It's like adding a new book to the Bible called, Popeye.

A reasonably solid action game with a few good ideas, but definitely a step below the top-tier franchises.

The game has a good sense of humor and makes reference to Pitfall and Pitfall 2. It's not a very long game but offers enough challenge to keep you busy for a few days.

Both combat styles balance and carry each other making this game playable and even fun for the most part. Due to the relative ease of the gameplay and control system Rise to Honor will appeal mostly to beginners and casual gamers.

It's relatively easy and may not offer enough of a challenge for serious gamers.

SpaceBall's simple mechanics might be fun at first, but they quickly grow tedious as little changes from level to level. Two-player multiplayer helps, and there are online leaderboards if you're interested.

Attempts to span the chasm between wrestling and fighting but it should have taken it further to the fighting side since that's the direction it heads in.

By the end of the day Guilty Gear is a fun game that brings back some great memories of 2D fighting and considering that your options are slim to none on 2D fighters, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core may be your best, if not only, pick.

It's bright colorful landscapes and cute character, Zapper the Cricket, will appeal to those who still rifle through their underwear drawer looking for their Superman or Wonder Woman underoos.

Bee Movie is a good weekend rental for the younglings, but not something veteran gamers are going to be too thrilled about.

You'll notice that the Xbox version is the better of the bunch. All console versions are colorful and share the same characters and expansive environments but the Xbox just presents it better.

The 3D graphics on the Cube are great but the limited vision is a bit annoying. Graphically and sound-wise, Pac-Man Vs is no Halo but it captures the original game perfectly.

Beatmania is dated. It could have been released on the PSX and we could all be over with it by now.

The Fractured but Whole feels like it’s for the superfan, the person who has been with the series since 1997 and has a shelf full of merchandise. It is for the kind of person who finds glee in self-referential content and doesn’t mind clicking through a bunch of banal video game tropes to find the next “I recognize this thing and clapped!” moment. South Park: The Fractured but Whole feels dated, shallow, and lacking in the purpose or self-awareness needed for a work of satire to hit its mark. It feels like it’s trying too hard to recapture that edge.

Even if all the bugs were fixed it would still not be a very deep and engrossing game. It's nothing more than an interactive version of the TV show, and possibly even less exciting.

It comes across like fireworks, in that it's a lot of intense fun for a short period of time but when it's over, it's over. Don't expect much replay value unless you're one of those compulsive types that has to "collect-‘em-all.

For the true baseball fan, Baseball Mogul makes a great supplement to any action-based baseball game. For any other gamer it's a great learning experience whether you like baseball or not.

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.

A fun game that brings back some great memories of 2D fighting and considering that your options are slim to none on 2D fighters, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core may be your best, if not only, pick.

The combat is kind of strange. It doesn't seem congruent given the subject matter. It's like adding a new book to the Bible called, Popeye.

Just another Bust-a-Move game but with Wii controls and repetitive soundtrack and visuals. It doesn't offer improved gameplay or cool unlockables to keep you motivated.

Only those trying to elicit an emotional attachment to these games are likely to get anything out of all them.

From the junior golfers of the world, to even some of the self-proclaimed pros, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 for the Wii will help with a couple of things, the power of your swing and mastering the frustration of a true golfer all without breaking your clubs, well at least the expensive ones.

Certainly the GBA version pales in comparison to the freedom of the console versions and the graphic chutzpah of USM on the DS, but it's still an enjoyable title that will pass the time.

The feel of the bike is there but it's essentially an arcade game. If you can see your way clear around the interfering camera angles, you just might be able to have a good time with this game.

If I'm being brutally honest, aside from the dismemberment and decapitation mechanics, NeverDead is a goulash of sterile platitudes and worn-out stereotypes. It's great for a few chuckles right out of the box, but once you've been playing for a while, the game's shortcomings start to pile up pretty quickly. Perhaps my disappointment was magnified because the game had so much potential, but ended up being the same game we all played numerous times ten years ago.

A severe disappointment to fans of the genre. While EA has added many of the features that were missing from last year’s offering, there are still too many issues that need to be ironed out, including the animations, the flow, the online gameplay, and the challenge.

I'm honestly astounded as to how any game can be so good and so bad at the same time.

Sudeki is your typical, average RPG - but it doesn't wear out its welcome. At around 20 hours, the entire game is about half that of standard RPGs but it also doesn't drag events out to mind-numbing, repetitive proportions.