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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

The problem lies in that it is so handedly outshined by its Nintendo DS counterpart. The PSP version nets you better music, unlockable skins, and a degree of puzzling fun, but it still feels a bit vacant.

There’s a lot of fun to be had in Bionicle Heroes, and the price is definitely right, but ultimately this is a game you should be picking up for your kid brother for Christmas, and not for yourself. It’s a game that’s great at what it does, but put against the Gears of Wars of the world, doesn’t pass muster.

The real appeal of the game is in its visuals and production values, and these elements take a real hit on the Wii console. If you have the option to invest in one of the other versions, that’s the best route to take. The "novel" controls on the Wii are more gimmicky than fun in this particular title.

My excitement faded, however, as I repeatedly discovered the marquee games to be inferior versions of their PC progenitors.

As always, Team Ninja has produced a visual feast, a truly attractive game, and for that they should be commended. Sadly, there isn’t much more here than the pretty graphics and pretty girls.

Ace in Action fails to be fun, a tragedy considering how attractive it looks. The game is nothing more than a trite shooter attempting to cash in on the Chicken Little franchise, with a control scheme is just too bothersome for this to be a recommended purchase to anyone.

Scurge: Hive isn’t a bad investment if a player is seeking fast paced pick up and play action, but players who appreciate more depth in their titles should probably shy away.

As a role-playing game, Children of Mana comes up aces, with an intriguing story and characters that you'll recall long after the game is shelved. Sadly however, this game counts itself among the popular action segment of the role-playing genre, and it is in that addendum that it falls short.

It’s too focused on tricks to be a good racer, yet not not enough to be a competent skating game either. As such, fans of either genre are advised to give this one a pass.

It's also fun, with a story is further shows the potential of the Nintendo DS as the new home for adventure gaming. That's the good part. The bad part is that the game only features four cases and a handful of forgettable side stories, with very little replay value.

Magical Starsign is the role-playing equivalent to bubblegum. It's a fun diversion, but far from substantial, instead resigning itself to being an interesting holdover until something more worthwhile comes along.

Stripped of its license, Avatar would be easily dismissed as yet another run of the mill hack-and-slash action RPG, but given the game's at least competent portrayal of the series, this is certainly a game that fans of the television show could enjoy, gripes notwithstanding.

Stripped of its license, Avatar would be easily dismissed as yet another run of the mill hack-and-slash action RPG, but given the game's at least competent portrayal of the series, this is certainly a game that fans of the television show could enjoy, gripes notwithstanding.

The stunts, however, steal the show, and really elevate the game beyond its limitations. From skydiving and parachuting onto the top of moving vehicles to jumping out of helicopters or launching tow cables at passing cars, Rico can do some things that games haven’t allowed players to do before, and there’s a lot to be said for enabling new frontiers.

It may not be the deepest kid in the class, but it sure does know how to have fun at recess.

The stunts, however, steal the show, and really elevate the game beyond its limitations. From skydiving and parachuting onto the top of moving vehicles to jumping out of helicopters or launching tow cables at passing cars, Rico can do some things that games haven’t allowed players to do before, and there’s a lot to be said for enabling new frontiers.

The stunts, however, steal the show, and really elevate the game beyond its limitations. From skydiving and parachuting onto the top of moving vehicles to jumping out of helicopters or launching tow cables at passing cars, Rico can do some things that games haven't allowed players to do before, and there's a lot to be said for enabling new frontiers.

Its core gameplay needs a lot of tweaking to be as fluid and approachable as I think they want it to be, they need to smooth out the animations to make the game look and feel more realistic, and they could probably do well to expand the multiplayer options to boot.

In practice, it’s a forgettable game that offers less than its competition. Instead of taking an evolutionary step up from last year’s version of The Life, the game is content to shovel out more of the same.

In practice, it’s a forgettable game that offers less than its competition. Instead of taking an evolutionary step up from last year’s version of The Life, the game is content to shovel out more of the same.

The Godfather never feels like it has any real consequence to it, and interspersed with missions as it is, it commits the sin of slowing an action game down.