The game succeeds, though perhaps not as brilliantly as past iterations. Musical taste is always a subjective criteria, but more objectively it could be argued that SuperNOVA is a case of too many musical cooks spoiling the broth.

Technically a good game, but what prevents it from being a great one is its lack of legs. The sense of accomplishment one gets from conquering season after season loses a bit of its shine when confronted with the same eight tracks and the same stiff AI, creating a lack of real replay value if there isn’t a stable of friends to multi with.

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.

A fun, challenging, and addictive game. The levels are short, and easily digestible, making this the perfect game to pick up and play for a few minutes on the go, while this very nature makes it difficult to put down.

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.

Even with that lack of depth there is a lot of amusement here, as the characters are bright and vibrant and the game is actually rather funny as it unfolds.

Even with that lack of depth there is a lot of amusement here, as the characters are bright and vibrant and the game is actually rather funny as it unfolds.

With better visuals, more side quests, and an enthralling story, Baten Kaitos Origins will keep most role-playing enthusiasts glued to their controllers until the very end.

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.

Okami effortlessly perfectly captures each and every facet that it sets out to accomplish, while giving the player a fantastic fairy tale experience - there simply isn’t any other way to describe it than amazing.

This is the definitive version of The Godfather, and it is a tremendous accolade for EA's reputation that this respects and honors the original material so well.

Anyone, whether they gravitate towards platformers, adventure games, or role-playing games will find something to enjoy here, as Square Enix's latest release includes all of the hallmarks of a classic, and comes highly recommended.

The problem with The King of Fighters 2006 isn’t depth. The issue is that the fighting itself is stiff and uninteresting, and feels like an odd bastardization of 2D and 3D, resulting in a fighting game that is not quite sure where it belongs.

With a decent story, interesting play mechanics, and a novel link/rescue system, it’s hard not to recommend this title for DS owners looking for a good RPG fix, especially since it’s got considerable longevity as well.

Drop-in multiplayer, replay in spades, and optional objectives give players a reason to continue playing and get their money's worth out of this title. If you like fun, this is a great addition your gaming library, regardless of age or skill level.

Drop-in multiplayer, replay in spades, and optional objectives give players a reason to continue playing and get their money's worth out of this title. If you like fun, this is a great addition your gaming library, regardless of age or skill level.

A charming return to the series’ roots and a pretty great handheld experience, but anyone other than the diehard Bomberman fan can safely wait for a preowned copy or a price drop.

Delivers the absolute bare minimum of atmosphere and uninspiring, tedious gameplay. It’s not strictly bad; it’s just that nothing about it is good, either.

If you’ve liked any Mega Man game ever, Mega Man ZX is a must buy.

IGPX never ascends above the label of a quick and dirty fan-service. It has its place, certainly, but that place probably isn’t anywhere near your PS2.

Once seen to completion, Rule of Rose is unquestionably memorable, but as a game it comes well short of current expectations.

While NHL 07 completely nails certain facets of the game, it definitely isn’t the complete package. This franchise certainly has the appearance of going places, but it may be another year or two before it finally proves itself as the best game on the market.

NHL 2K7 never succeeds in rising above being an incremental upgrade over last year’s games.

It’s a barebones swashbuckling experience wrapped around a buggy and repetitive gameplay core that skirts the edges of the mundane.

Drop-in multiplayer, replay in spades, and optional objectives give players a reason to continue playing and get their money's worth out of this title. If you like fun, this is a great addition your gaming library, regardless of age or skill level.

If you’re looking for a portable sports title or just like the Mario sports series, you’ll certainly have a good time with Mario Hoops 3-on-3, but the slightly clunky controls and lack of online play firmly cement this title in the rental category for the majority of gamers.

All the action is staged on truly horribly designed levels that go out of their way to prevent exploration as clumsily as possible.

The game offers enough deep gameplay to keep racing enthusiasts happy, but the problem is it's generally the exact same experience that was offered a year ago.

Like any other sports title, NASCAR 07 isn’t going to make converts of the uninitiated, but it’s a remarkably immersive game experience for the stock car racing faithful, and that lands NASCAR 07 for the PSP on victory lane and not pit row.

The game offers enough deep gameplay to keep racing enthusiasts happy, but the problem is it's generally the exact same experience that was offered a year ago.

Despite the flaws, this game is impressively large and open ended, and offer a wealth of fun and addictive content - two of the most important qualities of any game.

The action comes fast, the plot is exciting, and you couldn’t ask for a better brawler near the end of the PlayStation 2's life cycle.

LocoRoco is a bit shallow, but it’s a real treat to play. Earnest and ebullient, it’s tough not to get sucked in by its atmosphere, and equally difficult to stop playing once you’ve figured it out.

Not content to rest on the laurels of its lengthy name, World Championship Poker: Featuring Howard Lederer – All In distinguishes itself on the strength of its poker/RPG hybrid gameplay, it’s sleek, thematic atmosphere, and an AI that understands how to play the game correctly.

It’s well-paced, fun to play, and has some chuckle-worthy dialogue at times.

Xenosaga’s third episode is an outstanding game; it's one of the best games to surface of late amid a sub par crop of PlayStation 2 role-playing games, though it’s bittersweet to see the series come to an end prematurely after the second episode feel so far below expectations.

There is simply monotony, pain, and a deep feeling of loss.

While the "Power Stone"-esque gameplay would probably appeal to most people, an overwhelming portion of the experience seems to require at least a passing interest in the anime. Still, it’s a great package for what it is and I genuinely enjoyed my time with it.

Its difficulty and sometimes confusing nature continues to keep the game from being appropriate for newcomers to the genre itself, but memorable characters and dialog, deceptively deep mechanics, and a promise of future sequels make this series, the flagship of Nippon Ichi and NIS America, one of the crowning achievements of this console generation.

At every turn the game beats you over the head and inundates you with 50 Cent, both as a rapper and a brand, to the point where the whole experience comes off as one ridiculous narcissistic commercial.

Saints Row is still incredibly polished, unmistakably fun, and is absolutely one of the best games for the Xbox 360.

While the "Power Stone"-esque gameplay would probably appeal to most people, an overwhelming portion of the experience seems to require at least a passing interest in the anime. Still, it's a great package for what it is and I genuinely enjoyed my time with it.

Though some of its design is questionable, the game is still one of the best Star Fox branded titles in years. The varied and branching single player campaign will keep you glued to your Nintendo DS for multiple playthroughs.

A terrific chapter in the franchise’s sometimes-rocky history.

I think that even those that hate on Madden for being too mainstream would find a lot to like about the Superstar mode because of how similar it is to more traditional role-playing fare.

Madden NFL 07 for the PSP has many of the best play updates from this year’s console versions, and despite some clunky controls, manages to be the best handheld footballer to date.

Fans of the series will find absolutely nothing to like here, and it’s likely that any gamer making Dark Secret their first Tenchu game will never buy another one.

While a bit of a lopsided contender in the 4X market, those with a propensity for responding violently to problems - like me - will have little trouble stepping right into the shoes Sword of the Stars offer.

Sure, it tells an interesting tale of woe and bullets, but instead of building upon this story with equally engaging gameplay, Dirge of Cerebrus seems content to simply ride on the coattails of a nearly decade old role-playing game.

An object lesson in placing production value over entertainment value. Graphics enthusiasts and rabid "Dynasty Warriors" or "Kingdom Under Fire" fans may not be able to stay away, but gamers on the fence can be content in going one more night without it.

The promise of a decent drift game is there, but a shoddy interface, loose controls, glitchy gameplay, and impossibly steep learning curve prevent D1 from racing to the finish line.

Though hardcore 4X fans might stay away due to the game's melting-pot depth, DarkStar One is a fun career-oriented romp that deceptively allows for a lot of personal freedom in play style in a style similar to Privateer that not many games have been able to recapture.

If you plan on seeing everything the game has to offer, which includes six separate endings, as well as Overtime and Infinite modes, you've got a lot of zombie killing ahead of you. It’s been a long time coming but Dead Rising has been worth the wait.

Those looking for a puzzler will be aggravated by the sub-par platforming, and those looking for platforming will be disappointed by the inclusion of mandatory Monkey Ball puzzles.

Those looking for a puzzler will be aggravated by the sub-par platforming, and those looking for platforming will be disappointed by the inclusion of mandatory Monkey Ball puzzles.

A fun take on action role-playing games but ultimately ends up a little shallow, mostly due to the combat system.

Sporting the best graphics the system has to offer, a kinetic play experience unhindered by slowdown or load times, and massive replayability, this Tekken is a must buy for any PSP owner.

Warlords isn't as huge an expansion pack as some of the previous Civilization titles have had, but it's the best balanced, most refined expansion pack a Civilization title has ever had, and it carries more than enough new content to justify the purchase price.

The biggest problems with CivCity: Rome, however, lie in its numerous bugs and terrible camera.

The single player campaign is tedious, ugly, and loads like its on the PSP. The swan song of the Xbox this is not.

For all the good in the game, there’s a fairly steep learning curve that may make some gamers recant their stubborn ‘no FAQ’ tendencies, especially in order to see the game’s multiple endings.

[EA] cleaned up the graphics and gameplay to some truly astonishing levels and produced a game that is a top-notch simulation of college football. The good far outweighs the bad or missing in this game.

The voice acting is wooden, save points can be infrequent, and while load times themselves aren’t overly long, the game accesses the disc pretty frequently.

Super Dragon Ball Z takes the best elements of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball universe and meshes them with solid fighting mechanics to deliver a one-two punch that all fighting game fans should enjoy.

Monster House looks good and sounds good, and combined with THQ’s attention to the film, the game has atmosphere in spades. That’s the real selling point of the title.

It's painfully obvious Monster House was a cheap, easy cash-in attempt on the movie, and while other platforms might not fare so poorly, buying Monster House for the Nintendo DS can't be seen as anything other than a mistake.

For fans of action role-playing games, especially those who enjoyed the source material, Monster House offers a reasonable amount of value. If Monster House has one flaw, it's that it may be a bit too difficult for its target audience, specifically younger fans of the film.

Prey offers impressive visuals, a decent story, and high-octane action to bring players the equivalent of an outstanding summer action flick.

Hearing your squad yelling in victory at a hard-earned tactical win or laughing at an unlucky shot in battle is a great feeling, and the best battles can create a story that people will be talking about days later.

Prey offers impressive visuals, a decent story, and high-octane action to bring players the equivalent of an outstanding summer action flick.

Simple enough to pick up and play after only a cursory glance at the control scheme, but it also provides the sort of depth that genre fans crave. Far from being a kiddie version of a PC game, Battle simply streamlines the controls down to their quick, intuitive essence.

Packs a lot of value, and is certainly something every fan of the city building genre should look closely at. It looks good, and is mostly a real treat to sit down and play with. However, it's overall difficulty is low, and occasionally gameplay touches on the tedious.

A surprisingly well made game, especially when compared to its boring counterpart on the PS2.

With "Brain Age" on the market already, which offers not only a large selection of puzzles, but also more variety of compelling content, there simply is nothing that makes Sudoku Gridmaster stand out as a worthwhile purchase.

Naruto is an unapologetic button masher, but its single-minded combat is a perfect compliment to the game’s always comical, sometimes hilarious wit.

NFL head Coach is obviously targeted toward a very niche group of extreme football enthusiasts, but the game, such as it is, has been made into such a laborious, oftentimes arduous affair that even the target audience is likely to be turned away.

While the combat is not as novel as it first seems, what really hurts the game is the occasional forced backtracking. If you liked the first Legend of Heroes, this is a no-brainer to pick up, but JRPG critics or gamers looking for a breath of fresh air should pass it by.

NFL head Coach is obviously targeted toward a very niche group of extreme football enthusiasts, but the game, such as it is, has been made into such a laborious, oftentimes arduous affair that even the target audience is likely to be turned away.

NFL head Coach is obviously targeted toward a very niche group of extreme football enthusiasts, but the game, such as it is, has been made into such a laborious, oftentimes arduous affair that even the target audience is likely to be turned away.

In order to create a challenge in spite of the idiotic artificial “intelligence,” units are extraordinarily weak and feature dubiously sub-par pathfinding. Units will get jammed together in cramped areas before buckling and dying after only two to three hits.

It’s not the best FPS ever made, but it is one of the more action-packed and genuinely interesting titles to come out in recent memory.

It would have been nice if more frills had been added, and the lack of online play is somewhat disheartening, but overall this collection of some of the best 2D fighting games ever released is a welcome addition to the PlayStation 2 library.

Those who have played the games up to now and are somehow not burnt out on the gameplay could have some fun with what Capcom has put together here.

Those who have played the games up to now and are somehow not burnt out on the gameplay could have some fun with what Capcom has put together here. Newcomers, on the other hand, might be better advised to pick up one of the earlier titles rather than jump into this newer release at full price.

It's not the best FPS ever made, but it is one of the more action-packed and genuinely interesting titles to come out in recent memory.

An interesting idea, yes, but perhaps more interesting in its failures rather than its much-too-rare highlights.

It’s fun to play through, and easy to pick up and put down again pretty quickly, both a must for a handheld port and a rarity in the SRPG subgenre.

Missing entries and control issues aside, Gradius Collection is still a great compilation of several notable titles from one of the longest running shooter franchises in videogame history.

New scenes, sets, vehicles and costumes expand the boundaries of what creative minds can accomplish, and the breadth of this new content is very generous.

The racing in Cars is fun and accessible for children, and the story is appropriate for all ages, but frustrating mini-games and lack of direction at key points in a children’s game are both unforgivable oversights.

With three race varieties available, grand prix, time trial, and one on one boss races, and unlockable racers and paint jobs, Cars offers a fair bit of replay value.

Cars for the DS is short, frustrating, and uninspired, and with so many versions available, there is absolutely no reason to pick this one up.

The game's extremely short length, zoomed in camera, and unhelpful guiding arrows make Cars a disappointing game that isn't even worth a rental.

The racing in Cars is fun and accessible for children, and the story is appropriate for all ages, but frustrating mini-games and lack of direction at key points in a children's game are both unforgivable oversights.

The racing in Cars is fun and accessible for children, and the story is appropriate for all ages, but frustrating mini-games and lack of direction at key points in a children's game are both unforgivable oversights.

As entertaining as the single-player portion of Big Brain Academy is, this budget title really shines in the multiplayer experience. Up to eight players can take part in a single-card multiplayer session, and the game selection mechanic is pure, unadulterated genius.