The story is bad, the shooter elements are lackluster, enemies are repetitive, level design is confining, and vertical combat is a gimmick.

A weak in the knees one button beat-em-up that has absolutely no teeth. The fighting engine is so watered down that only geeking Marvel fanboys will elicit any enjoyment out of spending any time with it.

For a game with such a compelling and original storyline it's too bad that more care wasn't taken to ensure other elements of the game would reflect that originality.

A catch-22 kind of game. If you're new to the series then you're going to be left out in the dark as there is nothing but the most basic of online assistance, and if you already know how to play the game, you've already played this one since it's not altogether different from Armored Core: Nexus.

The problem with a game like SOCOM is that it can't fully commit to either its tactical roots or the more action-oriented demands of industry trends-the result is less interesting than the sum of its parts.

The reason that people love horses is because they're interactive animals. This sim has all the interaction of accounting software.

River City Ransom Ex is just an all-right game. It offers nothing special to the beat-'em-up genre. Some may even say that the game takes a step or two backward. One of the major complaints I have is that there is no two-player co-op mode.

It simply wasn't fun to actually play. Contrast would have made a delightful short film, but I'm afraid that it isn't a particularly good game.

A good introductory game to the genre but if you've already been introduced it might feel more like an unwelcome guest.

Tank! Tank! Tank! probably shouldn't have elbowed its way onto the Wii U. Like most arcade games, the title is fun in short bursts, but any longer than five minutes, and you're looking for another game to play.

It's full of puzzles, investigations, exploration and the supernatural but there's a lot less action in it than you would expect for an action game.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that I didn't enjoy my time with this game at all. In the end, the game of basketball on offer in NBA 10: The Inside for the PSP simply isn't the complex, free-flowing sport it should be.

A watered down puzzle/platformer that has little in common beyond the appearance of Mario's dino buddy.

The new additions don't add up to more than what we call an expansion pack for a PC game.

Mega Man X7 isn't even properly dubbed in English. I just can't handle that. What's up with such poor translations and acting? The story is so swollen in heady detail that it virtually detaches itself from the actual gameplay.

It's really quite one-dimensional. Did they pull this fighting engine out of a Game Boy Color?

It's a decent offering for the Xbox but it's nothing compared to the great RTS games available for the PC.

Not a good game. It's not as deep as "Cabela's Big Game Hunter" and believe it or not, it's not as challenging as "Sega Bass Fishing."

The controls prove to be the game's worst aspect, and the single-player campaign is additionally marred by a pedestrian storyline.

Just an average racer. It leans more to the arcade side as most of the vehicles are easy to control and upgrades are handled automatically. The five modes add some depth but they are just variations on a theme that's not so captivating to begin with.

This game is short and thoroughly uninspiring.

It definitely has its moments. Unfortunately those rare moments are located between episodes of utter repetition and boredom.

All in all, this one just can’t measure up to the heavy hitters.

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

Eventually the battles begin to drag on. It becomes tedious work. Even the severed heads won't lift your spirits like they used to.

From level to level you won't find much variety in the gameplay. Like the soup at a buffet there's not much spice to it - and there's no way you can add any after the fact.

Just another racing game. It has a few unique elements but its single, most coveted feature appears to have some missing links.

Whether it's the floaty and complicated vehicle handling, the confused radar, the repetitive nature of the missions, or the random and surprising difficulty spikes, Planet 51 gives players (especially younger ones) a multitude of good reasons to stay away.

You may want to make the comparison to "Devil May Cry" but Chaos Legion is not in the same league. Think of it as a poor man's version.

Weirdly contradictory design and somewhat awkward controls make Steel Diver undecided on whether it's an action game or simulation. The result is that it's neither.

While it may sound like there's plenty of replay value here with the ability to play through it as two entirely different characters it's really just the same strategy game with the concept totally reversed.

SOF II is not much more than a glorified, or should I say, gore-ified shooting gallery. It's not unlike "House of the Dead" only less exciting.

Cy Girls is in desperate need of a makeover; even an entire facelift. The gameplay is short on original ideas and even the generic elements that it does use are shallow and repetitious - like a lot of good looking girls I know.

While the frustration level has been taken down to almost zilch in some aspects of the gameplay, the kids will eventually have to contend with puzzles that will stump adults.

The score is now at the side to accommodate the smaller screen and the characters are scaled larger than the maze which causes them to clip through the walls. You won't get tagged if you pass by a ghost on the other side of the wall even though it may look as though you made contact with it, but it just looks and feels disconcerting.

It's as though the developers thought they were the first to poke fun at southern-fried truckers while many of us have been doing it for years already.

The single-player campaign is a long, text-filled, boring grind, and the multiplayer is even worse.

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.

What at first hints to lots of gameplay depth turns out to be a waste of time as the game reveals itself to be a basic action adventure game with platform and shooter elements. For what it is it's not bad but it's really nothing special.

Sadly, this one's showing every wrinkle.

Whether it's the floaty and complicated vehicle handling, the confused radar, the repetitive nature of the missions, or the random and surprising difficulty spikes, Planet 51 gives players (especially younger ones) a multitude of good reasons to stay away.

NeoGeo Battle Coliseum doesn't have the deeper, satisfying gameplay of games like Marvel vs. Capcom 2, but if you were in the SNK 2-D fighter camp, you'll find much to enjoy here, even if it is just for the sake of nostalgia.

Unlike last years popular and more importantly, playable, "Sonic Heroes," Shadow The Hedgehog is a misstep in almost every direction.

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 an action shooter that would be appropriate for a console. It's not big on story or subtleties.

Both the RPG and the fighting elements, when examined individually are simply average. There are budget games that outperform Virtua Quest as a fighter and as a RPG.

It simply seems rushed in certain areas and the whole game is a little on the short side.

More than anything it's just that the characters don't have any pizzazz. They are dull and uninspired.

The controls prove to be the game's worst aspect, and the single-player campaign is additionally marred by a pedestrian storyline.

An average platformer that is really difficult to recommend to anyone other than fans of Tak. It's not bad but it's not very memorable.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Zombie Ninja Pro-Am will put you through four hours of gameplay, and the end result is a few amusing moments, but a whole lot more frustrating ones. Honestly, the material here would have made a better episode rather than game.

It's not enough to pretend anymore. If you've played the last three games then you've basically played this one.

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.

Extremely short, and despite the existence of choices that shape the forest, Datura isn't gripping enough for a replay.

Other than the three or four hours of play you'll get out of Coraline, there isn't much left to be done.

For a sim, the tracks and vehicles don't look all that great. There is a definite lack of detail on the tracks which makes you feel as though you're at a practice track instead of an actual drag race competition.

The new additions don't add up to more than what we call an expansion pack for a PC game.

Bottom-line: This is a game for completionists, leaderboard junkies, and glory hounds, though it should be noted that there are much simpler ways to proclaim one's video game superiority.

I don't care what your friend tells you, trust me, that awkward, cumbersome, electronic behemoth may look impressive but it will be collecting dust in a few short weeks. It's like having to pilot the space shuttle to make a cup of coffee.

Other than the three or four hours of play you'll get out of Coraline, there isn't much left to be done.

Phantom Brave is a game of methodical persistence. There's very little here to reward smart players.

Another mediocre game in a mediocre series, but is worth the time if you are an ardent, and I mean ardent, fan of RPGs and quite possibly that guy who plays DM during your friend’s Dungeons and Dragons campaign.

I suggest we change the name of the game to "Crazy Taxi 2: Featuring Sprites That Resemble Characters From The Simpsons."

It's like gaming through proxy, and I don't like it.

Mojo would be an absolutely fantastic puzzle game if a few technicalities were tweaked... With more than 100 stages and a four-player mode you could certainly do a lot worse than Mojo.

I can tell you right now that only those willing to devote a big chunk of their life to this game will reap any significant rewards from it. And by the looks of the few people online I would say that there's not too many gamers willing to devote massive amounts of time to such an experience.

It seems obvious to me that the videogame version lost some of its excitement in the translation. Whatever the developers added to compensate just doesn't work.

In an effort to be different from the last couple of games, it trips all over itself trying too hard not to replicate any of the old gameplay elements. The results are unnatural and ultimately un-fun.

A weak in the knees one button beat-em-up that has absolutely no teeth. The fighting engine is so watered down that only geeking Marvel fanboys will elicit any enjoyment out of spending any time with it.

Despite all the glitz and glamour, the game feels hollow and void of substance.

Online play is good as far as lag is concerned but you'll have to have plenty of patience finding games. At the end of each game you're knocked back into the lounge where you have to search for another game.

A game with a message doesn't have to be boring, but this one doesn't work very hard to break free from the stereotype. Okabu is just a little too generic to be worth your time, which is a shame, considering I would have liked to play a fun game about saving the planet.

It speaks volumes that when I was taking a break from reviewing RTF, I went back to my Zelda game and found myself visiting the fishing hole and enjoying it far more, even though it's not as complex as Rapala.

Another problem that I have with the game is that enemies will respawn in empty rooms. As soon as you think you've cleared a room of enemies there will be another round of them mysteriously appearing from the ether.

It's challenging and there are strategic elements that rival that of Fire Emblem but it fails miserably to capture the essence of the Rings movies. Basically it's a generic turn-based strategy game using the Rings in the same way that kart racers attach to various franchises.

If I had to pick something I really enjoyed about the game, I'd have to go with the loading screens. I miss the time when games tried to keep the player busy, even in little ways, while they wait for the game to load. So yeah, there's that.

If you locate the right audience for this one, no doubt they'll enjoy it. Just make sure you never, ever mention the console version or the jig is definitely up. The game is short as most competent gamers will make it through the 6 levels within about 5-6 hours total.

If you're a fan of YGO then nothing I say will dissuade you from getting this game, and in a way I do feel somewhat jealous that I can't get excited about this game as some kids obviously will.

It isn't a bad game in and of itself but as a sequel it absolutely sucks.

Prizefighter lacks the necessary skill set to become the next great champ or even contender for that matter. If I had to compare it to a fighter it would be the 'Hurricane' Peter McNeely of video game boxing. It does everything right to sell the fight, it just can't execute anything resembling skillful boxing once it steps into the ring.

There are just way too many better shooters available to make this game worth your time and money.

The crafts in this game are cumbersome to operate. The collision detection system is faulty, as you can't seem to make it into tight situations without hitting something - which is usually nothing.

I find it very strange that one game is so good and the other one so bad. Perhaps the title of this duo should have been re-titled Jekyll and Hyde. It's like the developers just gave up on Marble Madness halfway through the development process.

Don't let all the razzle and dazzle fool you, underneath this shiny new-looking game is an old creaky, termite-chewed, wooden platform just waiting to collapse under the weight of all the additions on top of it.

While the animation isn't bad, what is being animated is old-school graphics which are very out of place on the PS2. It looks a bit like that old game Quix, where you had to draw lines to trap the goblin within 25-per-cent of the screen.

With elements of RPG, puzzles, combat and platforming there is not one consistently solid genre on which to base this game. Worse than that, the pace of the game is in low gear from start to finish.

This 3D, electronic version, despite all the new updates including animation, sound, various themes and options, it can't but help to turn into a "bored" game.

In its battle system, Zoids Assault has the germ of a great game. The idea is executed so half-heartedly, however, that it's hard to imagine what the developers were thinking. So, many minor tweaks could have made this so much better. Factor in a price that's at least quadruple what it should be, and it's not just a bad game, it's an insult.

The dull plot and repetitive game play can get boring after you play it for a couple of hours. The only true replay value this game has is with multiplayer because it has no online support.

NBA Live 10 is not much of an improvement over Live 9. The numerous modes and multiplayer component don't make up for the flawed control scheme. Best rent this game first if you think you can't pass it up.

If you're the type that wants instant action and do not like games that take a long time to play, then this game will not appeal to you. They did a good job of capturing the true way of hunting and to be honest they might have made it less realistic.

Pinball games are largely disposable and not recommended for anything more than a rental. The same applies here.

Smaller roster, fewer options, and a disjointed single-player make this less impressive than previous WWE titles.

There may not be many games that can deliver the college experience like NCAA March Madness but there are plenty of better basketball games out there that deliver a better game.

I got bored about halfway through due to the repetitive nature of the gameplay despite some new improvements and a two-player mode... It would be nice if there were more depth to the strategy and story development.

The tacked-on motion-sensing controls that are supposed to give you precise control of your plane only result in making playing through the game an exercise in frustration.

Electronic Arts not only should have kept this cat in the bag, but said bag should have been weighted down and tossed in the river...This stinker will be budget priced before you can say "kitty litter".

I will never fault a game for not being violent but that doesn't mean it should be void of fun. Even Curios George himself wouldn't find much interest in this game should ever come across it - and as we all know, he's exceptionally curious.