If you're a sim fan or have kids between 6 and 60, it’s a "must buy." Aging graphics, sound and slowdown are its only detractors.

FIFA definitely has replay value, both because of the sheer number of teams you can try to get to the World Cup and because it offers online play.

Not enough features or updates stand out to warrant this quickly released update to Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07. Outdated graphics, spotty controls, and lack of online support hinder an otherwise solid golf sim.

Technically, Goldeneye 007: Reloaded does nothing wrong, and in fact my hat's off to Activision for bringing a classic game to the modern era. The gameplay, though, in spite of its tweaks here and there, just doesn't have the impact as when Goldeneye was the one N64 game everyone owned.

A genre-specific racing sim that immerses you in the world of round-track racing, NASCAR '07 does not disappoint.

Multiplayer is a nice addition, but it definitely takes some getting used to, and the updated graphics don't really do much for me other than give me a headache while trying to create clusters.

A great cure for World Cup fever, but the challenge style may not endure once the Finals are done.

The co-op gameplay is both Army of Two's savior and burden, but the end result is still an enjoyable experience that fills a void not just in the Q1 doldrums, but in the shooter scene as a whole.

Looks pretty good, but it tends to get tiresome after a few hours.

With its good graphics, audio and party-based play, Shrek 2 improves in nearly every way upon the original game.

So much effort went into replicating the glaive's flight and awe-inspiring kills that every other aspect of Dark Sector took a noticeable hit in quality and polish, save for the visuals. Remove the glaive, and this game's appeal drops below mediocrity into a rinse-and-repeat nightmare.

All-Star Baseball 2005 may get the job done, but in a season as long as baseball’s, you’ve got to have that special something to keep you motivated, and unfortunately, this game just doesn’t have it.

Too many nitpicky annoyances combined with not-quite-ready for prime time controls make this a good game only for the most forgiving player.

My recommendation: let Wolfenstein stay in the other dimension and away from your Xbox 360 or PS3. There are other shooters this fall that can scratch your FPS itch a heck of a lot better.

We've never been fans of forcing someone to play a set number of mini-games to advance to the next mission, and we don't like that element in this game either. But the mini-games are simple enough and the mission structure repetitive enough that young kids are likely going to have a good time.

The DBZ series' next-gen debut looks and sounds good, but its gameplay has some minor annoyances that are poorly timed, considering Soulcaliber IV isn't all that far off. You're better off waiting for that one instead.

Random asshat aside -- whom you'll find on just about any game -- Sacred 2: Fallen Angel should be added to the backlog of anyone who loves a good loot-collection game, particularly one like this that doesn't impose a short timeline or ridiculously low level cap.

Cheap AI, lame graphics, dull gameplay. It's all there for the suffering.

It has its bad camera angles and glitches, but the good work put into the game makes it more than your average movie tie-in.

Nostalgia will inspire you to check this game out, but not even nostalgia can save this slow, brief and completely disappointing game.

The combat is good, the production values high and the promise incredible, but unless you’re a huge fan of the Forgotten Realms storyline, you’re better off renting Demon Stone.

Cheap AI, lame graphics, dull gameplay. It's all there for the suffering.

Thanks to the weak combo system, and the sometimes confusing action onscreen, most adult gamers will simply be frustrated in playing this, unless it's used as a form of parent-child bonding, where it would work wonders.

Nice twist on classic side scrolling shooter. The time traveling dynamic adds a new depth not usually seen in games of this genre.

Easily the best use of a licensed property, but by parodying old gameplay mechanics, the game reinforces just how tired we've gotten of the same elements that the game itself relies upon.

It shows its age, and some titles are better then others, but all the cinemas are intact and some games never get boring.

The outright fun this game brings should result in a higher score, but the gameplay snafus on Billy's missions really weight it down. I still highly recommend this game to FPS and Old West fans, though.

Granted, Inside Drive’s default rosters are old, the sounds are a bit repetitive, the menus stale and the players awkwardly animated. It still shines when it comes to what really matters: gameplay and replayability.

There's so much good going for it, I can't see not recommending it as a purchase for most gamers, although the subject material and weird moments in the storyline might be a bit too off-putting for casual gamers.

Occasionally touchy controls and an inexplicable feeling of repetition undermine an otherwise creative tactical puzzle game.

It's not that often you encounter a game that mixes genres and still manages to be above-average in quality.

Pretty average gaming action with a fun story. A good rental or discount buy.

Vince McMahaon may not be dead, but the Smackdown vs. Raw series is just barely avoiding life support.

Overall, though, I found Disney Pixar's Brave to be fun! Actually, I found the game to be more entertaining than the movie. I think kids and adults can enjoy it, though I don't see too much repeat play after one has beaten it.

Solid entertainment for a weekend or Connery junkies, but people looking for the next great third-person shooter shouldn't stop their search.

An enjoyable action title for those of us who have yet to jump on the 360 bandwagon.

Easily the best use of a licensed property, but by parodying old gameplay mechanics, the game reinforces just how tired we've gotten of the same elements that the game itself relies upon.

Anyone who's played Tiger in the past, or even "Links 2004" for that matter, will find this an unnecessary addition to their library. It's not a bad game, it's just not a fantastic show-stopper of one either.

As an anime experience, it's frankly hard to top what Capcom's done here. But as an entry in the pantheon of interactive entertainment, it doesn't do enough to be anything more than marginally "interactive," resulting in a merely average, albeit unique, game.

As a Star Wars video game, The Force Unleashed just takes too many missteps to be a masterpiece. But as Star Wars canon, The Force Unleashed does very little wrong.

With its good graphics, audio and party-based play, Shrek 2 improves in nearly every way upon the original game.

An enjoyable Xbox title that actually doesn't have a single gun in it.

Custom Events can be fun, and a few of the game's minor features are nice, but in the off-road racing landscape, MX vs. ATV Untamed just doesn't rev our engines.

A lackluster port with average graphics, a poor camera system and stupid AI.

With its good graphics, audio and party-based play, Shrek 2 improves in nearly every way upon the original game.

Hot Shots brings its fantastic gameplay and cutesy characters to the tennis court. We would have liked more character customization, but the fun factor does not disappoint.

With different organization and a free-roam mode, this would've been amazing offline. With luck, the sequel will make some online adjustments, too.

With all that said, it's with heavy heart that we point anyone looking for a fun hockey game to NHL 09. We loathe to do this in light of NHL 2K9's impressive online features (tournaments and six-on-six with 11 other players), but the rest of the package just doesn't live up to expectations.

It's not that often you encounter a game that mixes genres and still manages to be above-average in quality.

Buggy but not broken, generic but not ghastly, Killzone lacks anything beyond an average amount of appeal.

Random asshat aside -- whom you'll find on just about any game -- Sacred 2: Fallen Angel should be added to the backlog of anyone who loves a good loot-collection game, particularly one like this that doesn't impose a short timeline or ridiculously low level cap.

Captures both the good and the bad of platforming, and it does so in a surprisingly fun way.

Nostalgia will inspire you to check this game out, but not even nostalgia can save this slow, brief and completely disappointing game.

The levels are creative and artistic direction is solid, but the actual gameplay suffers from a lack of diversity and being clumped into big chunks.

A decent port job that adds enough to keep first time players entertained, but seasoned Godfather vets will probably stay away.

There's nothing we having seen here that wasn't done better almost eight years ago.

But pretty pictures and good audio don’t always make for a pretty good game, as gamers both old and young can tell you from personal experiences. The gameplay is what counts, and in that sense, Shark Tale doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Harry's fifth go-round is tailor-made for the Wii-Mote's ability to mimic a magic wand, but despite extensive efforts to bring Hogwart's to life, boring play and uninterruptible cut-scenes cast an ominous cloud.

Not a bad game by any means, but the slow initial pace combined with horrible voice work make for a game that most players won't want to make it past hour 5.

The Conduit is decent, but I wouldn't pay $50 for it; maybe $30. Between cheap enemies and not enough polish, The Conduit just falls short.

With all that said, it's with heavy heart that we point anyone looking for a fun hockey game to NHL 09. We loathe to do this in light of NHL 2K9's impressive online features (tournaments and six-on-six with 11 other players), but the rest of the package just doesn't live up to expectations.

But pretty pictures and good audio don’t always make for a pretty good game, as gamers both old and young can tell you from personal experiences. The gameplay is what counts, and in that sense, Shark Tale doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Serviceable but stale, the King of Fighters is quickly losing his reign.

If you do buy or rent the collection, don't bother with the light gun since it's too much work to get working properly and there aren't enough compatible games on the Xbox to support the purchase.

Even with the seeming laundry list of complaints I have about this game, I still kind of enjoyed it. There's a certain sense of accomplishment that comes from solving the tougher puzzles.

It's not the mind-blowing cultural phenomenon of a game experience that Halo 2, Half-Life 2 and DOOM III are (or at least promised to be, as the case may be), but it's a decent game that offers some fresh changes to the FPS genre.

Not a bad game in and of itself, but there's just not enough content here to make it seem worth the money you paid for it.

An interesting experiment for EA and the NFL. Now let's forget it ever happened and kill the idea altogether.

The amount you'll pay for this game is less than you'd pay playing multiple pinball tables in an arcade, so ignore the botched Vision Camera functions and just focus on the fun. There's plenty of it to be found in Pinball FX.

Slippery controls, lackluster multiplayer and just "ok" content make this a game that only the most dedicated will be interested in.

The only problem is that LucasArts didn’t take the ultimate risk and create strictly a strategy game, because the fighting aspects sink this game faster than an ogre mage in quicksand.

Major League Baseball 2K11 has the fortunate (for 2K) distinction of being the only Xbox 360 baseball game, and one of just two on the PS3. However, it has the dubious distinction (for gamers) of being the one sports game this year that fans should absolutely avoid. If that means taking a year off of baseball, I definitely advise taking that vacation.

Billed as a sequel, it's more of a expansion than anything. And not much of an expansion at that.

Unless you are a die-hard fan of the series, there isn't enough game here to justify a purchase.

The ingredients are there for something good, but they need more time in the cauldron before this game can bubble to the top.

But for kid-focused entertainment and the knowledge that a movie-based game is actually well executed, it's hard to top these meatballs.

Still, that may have been an odd happenstance specific to our play space, so I won't downgrade the game because of it. Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure is a fun, albeit brief, trip down Pixar memory lane, and it makes nice use of Kinect motion controls.

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is a breath of fresh air in many respects, but needs a good breeze in others.

Brink can be awesome and annoying, euphoric and inexplicable, all in the same breath. Unfortunately, fist pumps are followed by fits of controller throwing all too regularly to make this one score much higher.

MX vs. ATV Unleashed does a respectable job of bringing action sports to the PSP, but it fails to deliver on excitement, which is a requirement for any extreme sports game.

It has all the makings of a top tier title, but due to a boring story, iffy AI and so-so combat mechanics, it just doesn't manage to pull out of the “average” ranking.

Controls are a bit complex for kids and too unoriginal for adults.

It's surprisingly fun and addicting...and tough to beat for 20 bones.

Still, Buzz! Master Quiz is the perfect title for a quick subway ride, or if you're the type of person who likes to play a video game for a few minutes before falling asleep.

Bitchin' fun, dude! Takes you right back to the roaring road-rage days of the arcade.

A huge yawn, even for the kids it is supposedly aimed at.

I typically find any platformers get old fast, but in Nightshade, the designers were wise enough to not subject you to platform hell, so there's just enough to keep the levels interesting.

It's initially a blast and has outstanding mini-games, but it needs more game modes on the whole, and the replayability dwindles fast.

The game makes great use of the Wiimote controls yet a lack of game modes and online play will leave you wanting more.

Would have made a better GBA game.

As I said, I've been a fan of the Need for Speed franchise for quite some time, but even I've been rubbed a bit raw by some of the franchise's evolution over the years. It's not like EA and Black Box were struggling to find an identity, but they seemed to always be looking to switch things up just for the sake of switching. With Need for Speed: The Run, it seems like EA finally found the right mix of action and challenge, and the sporadic out-of-the-car sequences give just enough of a break to keep you pushing forward.

Barely a sequel, it's more like a Death Jr. add-on pack, but still enjoyable for a short amount of time.

For me, it was easiest to trade-off turns: when the game was easy, I let the kids play, when it was too tough for them, I took over. But I can't see either side enjoying the game on their own, it's truly a family game to say the least, because without both kids and adults playing, it's not going to hold your interest.

This game just drips with anime style. The visuals, while not being top tier, are still awesomely fun to watch in action.

For fans of the genre (or the arcade game) only.

With an extra year to refine Lost Planet from top to bottom, Capcom should have delivered a PS3 masterpiece. Instead, the game's taken some painful steps backwards, which is probably the same thing PS3 owners should do when they see this game in stores.

Considerably less enjoyable than the now two-year-old (and eminently enjoyable) "Massive Assault," which had better AI, a stronger political system and even better production values. Save yourself some money and pick up a copy of "Massive Assault."

But pretty pictures and good audio don’t always make for a pretty good game, as gamers both old and young can tell you from personal experiences. The gameplay is what counts, and in that sense, Shark Tale doesn’t quite hit the mark.