The crux of the gameplay lies in combat that is extremely tedious. There are other features within which to loose yourself, from item customization, to even a Pokemon style creature rearing and combat mini-game that is deep enough to almost be a game on its own. But these facets are made to accentuate the core game, not make up for its shortcomings, which as it turns out are considerable.

The focus is clearly comedy, and though the game is easier and shorter than the average graphic adventure, the quality of the script, voice-acting, and even the end-credit song is worth the price of admission. Let’s hope they keep it up.

A class act. It may not be a cake walk the first time through, but for those who can deal with the occasional head scratching bouts of frustration, this game is another winning addition to the Nintendo DS library.

It’s definitely not a terrible game, but it’s never going to rise to the level of some of EA’s other sports titles unless it’s put under the microscope and seriously reexamined.

Burning Crusade's most grievous crime is that it totally invalidates the years of work you've put into pimping out your toons, but if you can handle looking like you can't dress yourself in the morning, the new equipment you'll be earning will be a salve on the wound.

From stick figures to rough polygonal approximations of popular franchise titles, Wario Ware dares to impress via sharp and insanely creative (or is that just insane?) art direction rather than traditional horsepower or amped up visuals.

In spite of missteps, if you can find yourself enjoying what Lost Planet does well (which is a lot), you’re bound to experience one hell of a ride that at times gets close to perfection, but just happens to miss its mark.

It’s very well-made; it just fits too well into its mold: the middle-of-the-road move conversion.

Fans of the show and the associated card game will surely enjoy Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Spirit Caller, but everybody else is bound to confused by the game’s steep learning curve and lackluster presentation.

While some of the complaints I had with Culture Shock – puzzle difficulty, for instance – have been addressed, the novelty has worn off ever-so-slightly.

The nunchuck-only method, which has players tilting the device left and right to move, seems odd, takes some time to get used to, and really just comes off as clunky and inaccurate. The nunchuck/remote combo works well mostly, but aiming with the analog stick can prove bothersome when the action gets heavy.

Elebits is fun because it tries something new. Tossing things around in the air and demolishing bedrooms and kitchens is more fun than it ought to be, and the controls in the game are usually spot-on.

Vengeance continues Ubisoft’s trend of releasing rushed port after rushed port to the Wii in hopes that gamers are indiscriminating enough to buy a game they’ve already played with added motion control. Given another month or two in development, it might easily have been worth it. In its current state, however, Far Cry Vengeance is harsh, glaring proof that this strategy isn’t working.

Swinging the remote with such precision will give her a better idea of what the Wii is capable of than anything else on the market right now.

The Meltdown is fun, and it makes good use of the Wii’s motion-sensitive controller. If you’re an Ice Age fan or a platformer fan that doesn’t mind a short game versus an engrossing epic, then it’s hard to go wrong.

If the handheld Castlevania games are part of a long-running machine, it's well-oiled and in no danger of breaking down just yet.

Though it falls short on some of the series' more lofty standards, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops combines addictive gameplay, impressive sound and graphics, and an astoundingly fleshed-out multiplayer component into a package that is easily recommendable to both fans and newcomers alike.

Adults won’t like it, children don’t like it and absolutely no one should pay money for it—not even as a rental. Heck, we got our copy for free, and we still feel cheated. Stay far, far away from this trash.

It's a well made game from a presentation standpoint, but the bulk of the game is simply far too simple to keep any but the most hardened Kirby fan glued to his or her dual screens.

There are more than a handful of genuinely entertaining titles found here that will return your investment ten fold in fun.

The real question is whether the game can rise above the hardware constraints, and the answer is yes. As a result, Fireteam Bravo 2 may be the premier shooter in the PSP’s library.

It's not nearly as bad as the notoriously awful "Superman 64," but it's yet another chunk of kryptonite plaguing his video game career.

Oddly enough, the music sounds quite good, with orchestrated ditties that are downright inspiring. Too bad the rest of the game inspires nothing but an urge to power off your console.

There are still some minor control issues, and the game is still incredibly inconsistent in terms of visual acuity, but in spite of this Red Steel is still an unquestionably fun game to play.

From its characters and epic, if somewhat predictable story, to the gameplay itself, Twilight Princess is a terrific extension to one of the most timeless and important franchises in video game history.

Excite Truck is a very fun, fast, and – dare I say it – exciting return to grass roots arcade style racing. There no tuning to worry about, no license tests, and no underground street cred here. All of those things can be found elsewhere. Excite Truck is just about racing, and it excels in this regard.

This is a simple game about simple fun, and everyone owes it to themselves to try it out to get a taste for what the Wii may in fact have in store for us all very soon.

Happy Feet is sure to please kids, at least for a while, and in that sense the game is a success. Still, the game is fairly insubstantial and could have benefited from some platforming in between its minigames, a la "Rayman: Raving Rabbids."