This is essentially just a side quest in the series, and it feels like it cannot stand on its own. There needs to be much more polish on a game than developers put in.

If you're a fan of the series this is a must-have, but it's enough of a niche genre that you probably already know if you want it. I can't imagine many people on the fence on this one.

What’s more, the swearing is simply over the top. If you want to make a gritty crime drama, a few F-bombs here and there are expected, but this is just f***ing ridiculous.

The lack of co-op through the Wesker storyline is a huge disappointment.

The game still provides a compelling adventure, albeit a frustrating one. The camera and aiming are deplorable, but after some time it is manageable.

It's unbalanced, oddly paced and blocky...but there's no denying that a certain charm persists beneath it all, and I found myself playing long after I had enough to review it.

Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 is just too little, too late, and released at the worst time imaginable. It is a game that was quite frankly doomed to be forgotten.

Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 is just too little, too late, and released at the worst time imaginable. It is a game that was quite frankly doomed to be forgotten.

It’s the best game in the series so far, but it’s not really that greatly improved over the original, and it still seems like a missed opportunity to make something that really, well, cooks. It’ll be enjoyable for young food enthusiasts, but everyone else will probably want to wait until mama gets a bit more serious about cooking.

Party Animals gets a little out of control with its shortcomings, but that doesn't keep it from being entertaining for the little ones. A great presentation and some quirky moments make it charming for children.

It may not be my first pick for a puzzle game to play on the DS, but Super Collapse! 3 gives players a healthy variety of game modes and options to the point where the wealth of variety makes up for an otherwise mediocre core game.

Cars: Mater-National is a decent racing game that will probably satisfy fans of the film, but it’s also flawed in numerous ways that make it difficult to recommend over the countless better racers out there.

A fun, if limited, game. Escape from Paradise City offers up something interesting for the role-playing gamer looking for a title that is a little bit different.

It's a first step towards a great game, but it's not that game just yet.

Barely more than a clone of God of War, Conan manages to differentiate itself with an over-the-top style and mature themes. The action has its ticks, but a hardcore action aficionado will find a lot to like here.

Barely more than a clone of God of War, Conan manages to differentiate itself with an over-the-top style and mature themes. The action has its ticks, but a hardcore action aficionado will find a lot to like here.

This is a solid anime title, although this franchise is getting to be so repetitive that these games don't offer anything but fan service. The GC, and now Wii, line of the series was the strongest of the titles, but they need to bring more story into a title that relies so heavily on its characters.

This isn’t an exceptionally bad game, but it is an extremely mediocre one. The movie is a must-see, but unless you’re a huge fan of the film, you should stay away from this one.

Front Mission makes for a somewhat mediocre SRPG when put up against other titles on the market. The battles don’t require too much thought, and as a result the game gets repetitious very quickly.

With some better minigames, and a structure that did more to encourage players to progress, this could have been a spectacular sim. But the minigames don’t tie in well with the rest of the game, and they’re so few in number that you’ll get bored far too quickly to appreciate the game’s many beautiful character models for the various animals.

While it doesn’t have the same kind of fast-paced fun as Meteos or Planet Puzzle League, Prism: Light the Way still has some unique gameplay that will appeal to puzzle fans looking for a more slow-paced game of logic and spatial reasoning. At least, so long as they don’t mind the cutesy character designs and hideously saccharine music.

Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground adds all kinds of new features, but it also adds all kinds of new problems. And yet for everything new they’ve absent-mindedly tossed in here, I’d really rather just go back and play Tony Hawk 4.

Another Tony Hawk game. Don’t expect much more than that.

If you have a PS3 and want this kind of experience, get "Motorstorm."

The Wii lends itself to the sword fighting very well, but it may be little more than novelty for most people. There is a lot of fan service here, but the title doesn't stand well on its own.

Folklore is a tale best left to the mists of time.

This game is a new twist on baseball. Neat in theory, but I'm not sure that cosmetic or game play changes will do much for a genre that is so well established.

If you’re a PSP owner without a GBA or DS, you need to face the facts – you’re just depriving yourself a lot of fun by not owning one of Nintendo’s handhelds. Take the money you were going to spend on this game and put it towards one of those systems and a copy of Wario Ware.

Rent it for some easy gamerpoints.

This is a good game for Spider-man fans, and although it would infuriate some players for being far too simple of a game. For others it's campy and simple nature can be charming.

Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror was made for the PSP, and it is there that it succeeds. In trying to take the game and slap it onto the PS2, they've thrown away or lost everything that made it special to begin with, and are actually trying to charge $20 more for it. Where I come from, that's what we call a "rip-off."

Tarr Chronicles is a solid mid-price space combat title. It may not be the best ever, but is't a solid and fun offering.

A solid action game, but not a "must have" title.

I'd recommend keeping your copy of NHL 2K7 and pretending this year's version never actually came out. Like an NHL videogamers lockout or something.

NHL 2K7 is cheaper and more fun to play than NHL 2K8. Rush out to the discount bin and get yours now!

A package that will only appeal to long time fans. SNK would have done them a better service with a total update of the game, allowing it to benefit from the improved technology available today. Then instead of making these ports the main feature, they would be a great bonus.

The parachuting mechanic just isn't well-realized enough to levitate this game (ha) beyond its problems, and there are much better titles on the market this year anyways. Skip it.

This franchise is quickly heading for the bottom. This is one of the few second installment to expand on the original in more than just character selection. Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2 is for serious fans only.

Out of the two Tom Clancy games for the PS3 I'd take a look at Rainbow Six first, but both are impressive shooters for all of your military needs.

This is a game that will only satisfy the most die-hard of adventure fanatics. This game lacks the essential spark of life to make an adventure game come to life.

It’s a quick ‘n easy port of the arcade and Dreamcast games, which may be enough for fans who want Crazy Taxi on the go, but those of us not blinded by nostalgia will be frustrated by the game’s shortcomings caused by the choice of platform and the simple onset of time.

Overall fans of the original will be satiated with another entry in the series, but this game just feels really dated.

If we’re lucky, the game’s designers will take the lessons learned while creating this game and go on to make something truly great with them. Unfortunately, the flaws that impede the main game and two minigames here rob all three of their potential, leaving us with a title that, quite simply, isn’t fun.

They should perhaps forget about the half-hearted measures and just stop putting out these cosmetically-enhanced, half-effort retreads and forge ahead with something new already. Like Parasite Eve 3!

You'll play through the songs once and then go back to playing Guitar Hero II while waiting for Guitar Hero III to come out.

While PaRappa the Rapper isn't worth the initial asking price, its mix of clever songs, cute graphics, and downloadable content make it a great bargain bin purchase.

All-Pro is still playing at a collegiate level; while not bad in multiplayer online, there’s simply no depth for the single player who is looking to carry a franchise through to greatness over several seasons; that feature’s just completely MIA.

If you don't have Virtua Tennis, that's the tennis game to get. If you have Virtua Tenis and you absolutely must play Pac-Man Tenis, I guess this is the game for you.

Carcassonne is a solid board game, but I personally feel it’s just not quite as strong as Catan, its only direct competition on XBLA. In addition, problems with the camera and presentation only add to the frustration.

Transformers The Game is as underwhelming as Transformers The Movie. A lot of missed potential. Too bad.

Transformers seems like it was built by a machine to a factory spec – all the parts are here that should, in theory, form an outstanding game. But it’s like no human actually gave it a test-drive to see if it was actually fun.

This game could have been so much more. The skeleton of a great game is here, but nothing comes together.

They should perhaps forget about the half-hearted measures and just stop putting out these cosmetically-enhanced, half-effort retreads and forge ahead with something new already. Like Parasite Eve 3!

This isn’t an exceptionally bad game, but it is an extremely mediocre one. The movie is a must-see, but unless you’re a huge fan of the film (or desperate for an Xbox 360 platformer), you should stay away from this one.

You've seen this before and you will see it again. Just wait until the next big kids movie comes out.

This isn’t an exceptionally bad game, but it is an extremely mediocre one. The movie is a must-see, but unless you’re a huge fan of the film (or desperate for a PSP platformer), you should stay away from this one.

A generic platformer with a movie license slapped on it, this better than most but a tiger cannot be expected to change its stripes.

These licensed glut the GBA library and this title doesn't do much to rise above the pack.

You've seen this before and you will see it again. Just wait until the next big kids movie comes out.

This series holds some promise, as long as the issues with fielding are fixed by next years release (and we all know that if this sells more than four copies 2k will update the roster for next year) it'll be a great game. For now this is a quick game with friends only.

Fans of card and parlor games will find some good stuff here, even though they’ll have to shuffle through the various games included here to find it. Just keep in mind that you can play games just like these for free on your PC.

It's not exactly the new face of tactics RPGs, but as a modern face lift on a classic it's worth a second look.

Dungeon Maker: Hunting Grounds is the equivalent of light summer reading; fun and frothy, but not overly involving, slow or ponderous.

The game seems to be designed to be rented rather than purchased, as it is not only boring, but short as well. Have a few friends over and knock this one out in an evening. Then return it and never think about it again.

A weak handheld title, that doesn't give any reason to run out and get it. This is a passable title, but barely. If you have every other action title mastered, and a long flight then I'd recommend it.

Mad Tracks makes for a nice distraction, but it’s doubtful that you’ll want to play this for more than ten minutes at a time.

Shadowrun doesn’t just trample on the memories of the classic RPGs many people fondly remember. It’s a sham and a rip-off, especially on the Xbox 360. If you absolutely must buy this game, buy it on the PC. Better yet, don’t buy it at all, at least not until it hits the bargain bin.

Despite a nice-looking game with well-done subplots for minor characters, the game is fundamentally flawed.

We don’t get many dating games here in the states, which makes Brooktown High somewhat unique. Unfortunately, the slow pace and lack of opportunity to actually socialize with the other students makes this a game that does little to capitalize on that fact.

Where before there was too little, here there is not enough worth getting involved with. The home console installments are usually worth your time, but Namco-Bandai has yet to make a handheld Naruto worth it.

Another case of too much for too little. The extremely simple gameplay and unimpressive graphics just don’t justify a $30 price tag, and arguably wouldn’t even justify even a $20 or $15 price tag.

It’s a shame that it’s so boring to play that putting up with the game just for its presentation seems like walkin’ the plank because you wants to get to heaven.

Poor execution dystroyed this game, with a little polish and better design work this could have been a really fun game.

It's a solid game for baseball junkies, but it's paced like...well, a baseball game. You've got to be into it to get anything out of it.

This is a take it or leave it kind of game, and it would be good for fans, but doesn't offer anything unique beyond the license.

It's so firmly steeped in the style and mythology of the series that fans already know if they'll like it or not. New players ought to start with the original, or at least volume one of the current series.

Remember how good Spider-Man 2 was? Hang onto that feeling by not playing this game.

The whole “two hands” thing may have been a good idea, but it’s poorly executed, as with the rest of the Wii controls. As for the rest of the game, it fails to make a significant improvement over Spider-Man 2.

The DS version of Spider-Man 3 is a lot like the DS version of Spider-Man 2, but with a new, slick touchscreen interface that, while nice, does nothing to address the problems the last game had.

Fans of the old Cardfighters game or the Capcom vs SNK series in general will love this, but the cardfighting hardcore have probably already moved to Yu-Gi-Oh.

A better storyline and characters actually make Aedis Eclipse more tragic than it is more appealing; the game underlying this improvement is still as problematic, sluggish and poorly designed as the original title.

A better-than-expected billiards and snooker sim can be found under the somewhat sleezy, “Skinemax” softcore wrapping.

Despite hinting at an interesting experience, Valhalla Knights squanders its potential with a lack of style and unfortunately compelling substance.

As combat flight sims go, this one is different enough for a test flight for those interested.

Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales is a great “starter” title for younger gamers, to introduce them to the Final Fantasy universe. One of the sharper-looking titles on the DS to date!

Pick up a different arcade collection. Unless you're really interested in some of the lesser known (for a reason) titles, such as Circus Charlie and Pooyan, you can get the other marquee games elsewhere.

Test Drive: Unlimited wasn’t specifically intended for handheld play and it shows. The wealth of content is staggering and the presentation pristine; however, a sense that this game has been unnecessarily squeezed down to size causes it to miss its potential.

It's a great game for cruising, and if you're looking for something to mellow out with after a hard day it's a great game. Hardcore race fans will want to look to other titles.

Only for long time Sega addicts. If Shining Force was you first RPG (mine was "Shining in the Darkness") there may be something for you here. With a huge RPG library on the PS2, there is no reason to play this very bland game.

There's some great action in here, but everything surrounding it just fails to live up to the giants of this genre.

Unless you’re a rabid series fan (do they still exist?) who will appreciate a graphical upgrade and a few gameplay tweaks, you’ll find this to be “just another Armored Core game”.

A true sequel to the old After Burner games worthy of the series mantle, but at the same time showing just how dated the series’ gameplay looks today. Unless you still play the old arcade games, this game will feel outdated now.

Cooking Mama: Cook-Off is a good idea that just hasn’t been done well here. The game’s controls just don’t work as they should.

Even with omitting online multiplayer, the game still packs in a lot of gameplay across a lengthy single player career mode and Ad-hoc racing.

This is a hard sell, but if you like puzzles check it out. The game is rewarding, but bring your own music to the party.

If you’re really dying for a great tennis game on your PC, import the European release of "Virtua Tennis 3." The PC version of Top Spin 2 is a long-overdue and shoddy port of an already imperfect game.

A decent handheld reduction of the main series with little new to offer in its short campaign and limited multiplayer.

PS2 owners without a PSP or 360 should get this in a heartbeat, but know that you’re getting some really worn-out hand-me-downs. PS2 owners with a PSP or 360 should stick to the games on those platforms.