For the first time in years, the game has been redesigned which completely alters the gameplay at its core. Tiburon appears not to be satisfied with just creating an entertaining representation of video football but to advance the realism so that the experience brings players that much closer to what it feels like being on the gridiron. They've succeeded.

For the first time in years, the game has been redesigned which completely alters the gameplay at its core. Tiburon appears not to be satisfied with just creating an entertaining representation of video football but to advance the realism so that the experience brings players that much closer to what it feels like being on the gridiron. They've succeeded.

While I can honestly say that I'm not a big racing fan, Suzuki TT Superbikes was able to appeal to the competitor in me by providing a very accessible game for novices with enough depth to keep veterans challenged for many, many races.

Summit Strike, a glorified expansion pack that is bursting at the seams with action packed content within a $29.99 retail package is exactly what the gaming gods have ordered...A fantastic piece of software.

If you leave your pre-conceived notions at the door, Graffiti Kingdom will most definitely entertain you.

Learning to fly can be a bitch but the reward is a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of freedom that you just can't get from Mario.

A decent first-person shooter but it's based on the two-year old PC version. In this day and age of military, quad-based, tactical shooter, Black Hawk Down is a bit of a disappointment.

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.

Highly recommended for all RPG strategists. I could only give it an overall grade of 4.0 because it borrows too heavily from past games even though it manages to push the genre into new territory.

If you've played Friends of Mineral Town there's nothing to see here. Move along. If this is all new to you, then you're in for a real treat. There's no other RPG like it - except for the other one that's exactly like it.

A decent first-person shooter but it's based on the two-year old PC version. In this day and age of military, quad-based, tactical shooter, Black Hawk Down is a bit of a disappointment.

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 "expansion" is definitely more of a twist on a theme rather then an entirely new game, but it contains all of the charm of the previous games. The cartoony graphics are sure to please and the low-level existence is a nice change of pace from all of the gang violence and car racing that permeates most video games these days.

There is a sense of freedom that lets you explore more sophisticated degrees of strategy as you yourself gain more experience with the gameplay. With both the single and multi-player modes you can expect a lot of replay value out of this game.

One unforgiving gaming experience. If you are a card carrying button masher you'll want to pass; Colosseum's deep battle system isn't for the weak of heart. It may seem clunky and unintuitive at first but if you stick it out, you'll find a lot to love - but it's a hard battle to get there.

The flashy graphics and rocking tunes will bring you right back to when shooters were king of the hill. If memories of Gradius or R-Type fill your heart with goodness, Nanostray will slap a smile on your face for a few hours.

It's obvious that developers Introversion don't have a huge budget but they managed to create a minimalist masterpiece that any gamer with an imagination can appreciate.

You can't go wrong for twenty bucks. You'll make that up in the two-player modes alone.

FlatOut has all the makings of a great budget games, except that it's not great and that it's not budget priced.

FlatOut has all the makings of a great budget games, except that it's not great and that it's not budget priced.

Fans of the original material will obviously get the most out of Crimson Elixir, but due to the stylized look and easy to pick up gameplay even newbies to FMA will find a lot to like. Its biggest flaw is the short length but it's definitely fun while it lasts.

Atrocious. And not "atrociously good fun" either. Simply atrocious. It's like biting into an Oh Henry and discovering that it is indeed, a big fat solid chunk of stanky human dung and undigested peanuts.

If this game were available for free in a cereal box I still wouldn't recommend it - but it would make it easier to swallow.

FlatOut has all the makings of a great budget games, except that it's not great and that it's not budget priced.

With great new moves, excellent graphics, plenty of deep, exciting modes including a variety of mini-games, NCAA Football 06 comes highly recommended. If you passed on last year's game this is definitely the year to buy.

Atrocious. And not "atrociously good fun" either. Simply atrocious. It's like biting into an Oh Henry and discovering that it is indeed, a big fat solid chunk of stanky human dung and undigested peanuts.

It's fun, challenging and very addictive simply because it's impossible to figure out what happens next but you just can't go to bed until you find out.

Atrocious. And not "atrociously good fun" either. Simply atrocious. It's like biting into an Oh Henry and discovering that it is indeed, a big fat solid chunk of stanky human dung and undigested peanuts.

With great new moves, excellent graphics, plenty of deep, exciting modes including a variety of mini-games, NCAA Football 06 comes highly recommended. If you passed on last year's game this is definitely the year to buy.

Atrocious. And not "atrociously good fun" either. Simply atrocious. It's like biting into an Oh Henry and discovering that it is indeed, a big fat solid chunk of stanky human dung and undigested peanuts.

The kind of videogame that will give parents' nightmares. This is the videogame that every parent thinks their kids are playing. It's the culmination of everything naughty and taboo. It's only meant for adults.

Killer 7 is the kind of videogame that will give parents' nightmares. This is the videogame that every parent thinks their kids are playing. It's the culmination of everything naughty and taboo. It's only meant for adults. If kids are playing this game then their parents are not doing their job.

If you love "Doom" you'll like Coded Arms, but if you didn't care for Doom you'll hate this one.

It plays it too safe and as a results is just a little too familiar and uninspired.

Turn based strategy fans have to be really desperate to seek out Salvo. It's not a terrible game by any stretch but it's just too slow and ponderous to shake me out of the doldrums. I know a game is in trouble when all I do is think about things that would make it better.

If there was an award for missed potential than Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam would certainly be up for game of the year.

Meteos is a good enough reason to purchase a DS if you're a true puzzle fan. This is without a doubt one of the best puzzle games and will certainly be my pick for best puzzle game of 2005.

Imagine an aging Max Payne with debilitating rheumatoid arthritis, failing eyesight and prone to fits of epilepsy. That's what you can expect when you play as Jack Slate in Dead to Rights: Reckoning...This game gets no points for trying. Dead to Rights: Reckoning, in no uncertain terms, sucks.

The console versions of the Splinter Cell series are virtually perfect. It's really hard to accept anything less regardless of what system it's on.

Easily the best flight and fight sim ever created. And I don't say that lightly. It's not easy but at least if you make the effort you won't be plagued by buggy programming.

A relatively short RPG that could be conceivably finished in a weekend unless you want to play those moldy, oldie, 80s classic games that come with it - the same games you wouldn't play if you got them for free with a printer at Staples.

If you're truly a fan, you'll want this in your collection. Others might find a rental would surely suffice to get their clobberin' time fix.

If you get frustrated easily, like when the ink runs out of your pen, then this game's for you. It will only last a few hours and then you can go back outside and continue trying to hit rocks with a stick.

Playing Fantastic Four I felt more like a fifth wheel on an ATV than one of the gang. It just wasn't fantastic.

Playing Fantastic Four I felt more like a fifth wheel on an ATV than one of the gang. It just wasn't fantastic.

Soaked will give you countless hours of fun as long as you take the time to learn how to properly play all of the modes.

Perhaps if the reward system offered better mini-games this game might have been an instant cult classic.

The animation is smooth and the sound effects are top shelf. Bullets whiz by, explosions echo in the valley and the screams of the enemy play like a sadistic symphony across the bloody fields. War has never been this much fun.

Overall the gameplay seems a little bit more serious this time around. Some parts are really tough and are guaranteed to have you swearing right along with Conker.

Other than the novelty of the prize money it doesn't offer anything new to the genre.

If you're just looking for some mindless entertainment with occasional bursts of brilliance to keep you awake then look no further than Batman Begins.

It's doubtful that it will spawn any new recruits.

A few Batmobile levels would help to break up the monotony. It's not a long game and it's not a very hard game.

I find it vexxing (love that word) when I play a game and I can't stop thinking about all of the things that are missing, rather than what is present... Batman Begins is rife with missed opportunities and it's a much lesser game because of it.

It stays true to the movie but at the expense of repetition and a convoluted storyline that tries to tie in all the filler. It's still a good game for anyone looking for an interactive movie that doesn't require much practice or skill.

So many of the features and options seem like tired old clichés that the developer's obviously believed just have to be included in such a racing game. This whole street culture thing is also on the lame side.

Rogue Agent has an epic look with a budget feel.

The perfect marriage of a handheld game and a touch-sensitive screen.

This is a rushed job and one of Nintedo's worst in several years. Are these games filled with broken tilt mechanisms? You decide.

It's a decent spin-off with some very interesting and unique features but the production values suffer, making it seem like a daytime show as compared to the slick, party atmosphere of primetime DDR.

By far this is the best version of the game available, simply because of the graphics and reduced load times. You will need a workhorse to have it run smoothly, but it's definitely worth it in the end, whether you've an old homie of CJ's or you've just been introduced.

The tired old Deathmatch may squeeze a few extra hours of enjoyment out of this game but it's just too generic for my tastes. An online mode would have been a much better addition and may have influenced my recommendation of a rental into a purchase.

It lasts just about as long as Jackie Chan movie - and you're hungry for more action two hours after that.

As you can see, the improvements are basically cosmetic and do not affect the gameplay other than to make it look and sound better. If there was ever a reason to replay the game one more time this is it.

It's good for novices and those hardcores that might want to run through such a game in a couple of days.

A poor imitation of a solid RPG. It plays like a knock off. On one hand I'm glad to see that Digimon is changing its direction but on the other hand I have a finger that can't wait to press the Off button.

If you've never tackled a RPG strategy game before this is a good place to start. Not to mention that ER is budget priced. It's a good deal for the right gamer.

This is a sci-fi adventure game with a compelling storyline, interesting gameplay and nice visuals. For all intents and purposes it's an interactive movie with lots of control variables that allow you to really get into your character.

What you get here is a near-perfect recreation of the arcade versions of Metal Slug Four and Five.

Young gamers enamoured with the characters may not even notice and as such will have what they consider a great game on their hands. As long as you like it, it doesn't matter what I think.

For a change, the single-player mode is actually better than the multi-player mode. Expect weeks upon weeks of pure gaming fun.

It will definitely pass the time while taking the subway to and from work but at the end of the day, you'll come home, turn off the PSP and fire up the console version which is a homerun compared to this ballwalker.

If you've got a really, really, young tyke it might provide a few hours of fun but the novelty will be short lived for all involved.

Cold Winter might look like just another guntoting vigilante/superspy action game and for the most part, it is. But the AI routines, deep story, voice acting and music transcend the usual FPS fare and give you the impetus to move forward.

Good but not great, Haunting Ground is technically impressive albeit fundamentally flawed. Dog lovers may want to prepare themselves for the horrors ahead.

There is no real bonus to play this game on the DS. Other than the obvious portability factor.

Everything about it is low quality, from the music to the terrible cutscenes.

It may not go above and beyond the original, but at least it's another game that uses those wacky bongos. If you can stomach the abrupt change in playlists from the first to the second game you might want to give DK2 a slap, pop and clap.

It's doubtful you'll find six other online players but you can set a trap and invite six of your friends to play via LAN. It will be the last you ever see of them. Make sure you take their keys.

Imagine an old-school RPG with loads of action and dungeon crawling without any asinine anime kids with their sissy tales of woe. With Dungeon Lords it's treasures, monsters and slicing and dicing all the way - just like it was in the good old days.

The new planet is very much alive and dynamic. It's got more features than any other planet in the series.

Finally, a game that actually has above board voice talent.

It's not a bad game at all, but it can be quite frustrating on anything but the easy difficulty as often times you'll be surrounded by mountains of enemies and your force powers always seem a little shy of getting the job done until you're much further in the game.

The level designs are bland, as is the theme music which is recreated digitally with the passion and depth of a cell phone ring tone.

With the VGS system, the demerits and the odds, you are forced into a style of racing that is neither sim nor arcade. It's a hybrid that is more challenging than fun, though some might want the word "challenging" changed to "frustrating."

It's just not worth the payoff for me anymore than beating my buddies at a real game of golf is.

Puyo Pop Fever has lots of surprises and packs a lot of features - all of them useful. It's a really good version that makes good use of the dual screen, touch screen and wireless network.

Pariah has multi-personality disorder. It's loaded with features and options but they all don't add up to one cohesive game.

Only you know how badly you want this game and if you could really care less about it one way or the other, I would suggest "the other."

A re-creation that is somewhere between 60-70% of the original. It's great for a portable handheld but it's never going to come close to a top-shelf PS2 version.

It does have a good variety of modes but the controls are awful and the gameplay is repetitive, repetitive, repetitive, repetitive.

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.

Guild Wars is my kind of MMO RPG game. It's as though my complaints have been addressed and someone has crafted an almost perfect example of an online, multi-player, role-playing game.

One of the most epic, detailed, varied and deep RTS games ever created. It's going to challenge all gamers of all skill levels, from hardcore strategist and newbies.

I think the developers have cloaked a budget title into the guise of a full priced affair, which is way worse than some thug stealing a dude's wallet. Watch out Universal Vivendi....you could be the subject of the Predator's next rampage.

This game will only be done correctly on the next gen machines. No load times. Communication via headset. Expanded gameplay not limited by 5 year old technology. That's the way it should be.

It's been a while since I've played a good, mech battling game. After playing Rengoku: Tower of Purgatory, it's still been a while since I've played a good, mech battling game.

It shows the potential of the DS by exploiting its uniqueness, something that these next-gen console and future next-gen consoles will not be able to touch. Literally.