Determining the lay of the green is near impossible without the slope grid (with is brought up with the white button), and even then, the grid is a square, it doesn't cover the entire green, and is difficult to read.

Aesthetically, the first Otogi game was a real knockout, and Otogi 2 ups the ante considerably. In truth, there are few games on any platform that come close to this level of polish, and it's surprising the series isn't selling like hotcakes on the merit of its visuals alone.

It doesn't have much replay value aside from multiplayer battles, and the 28 arenas offered are uninspired and bland.

A lackluster game with too many frustrations for such little fun. The short length and lack of real replay value make it not worth picking up.

It's not entirely engaging or original, but it is fun. It's attractive, sounds nice, and the story-for all its faults-can be ignored safely with no detrimental effects.

Offers a decent gameplay experience as an action title, but doesn't live up to the Contra name. It's short, easy, and far too sparse on epic boss fights.

While fun, Crisis Zone is definitely the weakest game in the series. Its fast, over-the-top presentation comes at the loss of the series’ precision gameplay.

This is a terrible, terrible game. It's hard to believe that Konami could push something out like this.

The game play of this title is superb, if a bit difficult at times. It has a distinctive "Metal Gear" style of stealth action (indeed, you can even tap on walls ala Solid Snake and distract enemies) blended with fast paced hand-to-hand combat and some mildly amusing block puzzles.

This is a terrible, terrible game. It's hard to believe that Konami could push something out like this.

This is a terrible, terrible game. It's hard to believe that Konami could push something out like this.

The gameplay is solid, and even players who might otherwise be turned off by the game's cute style and cartoonish presentation could find themselves falling in love with the pink marauder and his band multicolored friends.

Behind all the problems, the tale of Atlantis and quest to liberate its inhabitants is interesting, and has potential to join the next generation of classic adventures. Instead, it seems more like a throwback to the mid-nineties lineup of marginal games shoveled onto CD-ROM.

Vengeance both upholds the tradition set by Tribes and Tribes 2 in the multiplayer side, and presents a decent single player campaign as well. First person shooters may be a dime a dozen these days, but it's not too often one is released that breaks the mold and offers a truly unique gameplay experience.

It’s too fast with not enough panache behind it to make it worthy of your time, compared to the now cheap "Soul Calibur 2." It has nothing that you cannot find elsewhere, and done better.

What I love about Nocturne is that the game forces you to play intelligently all throughout. At no point do you feel as if you are taking a backseat to the story or the occurrences on-screen. Absent-mindedly progressing through every battle will bring you straight to the Game Over screen. You have to strategize to be able to get through the game.

It’s the type of game that begs to played in short intervals, as a lack of gameplay variety causes the game to wear out its welcome rather quickly.

The new first-touch control, the games biggest innovation for 2005 and the catalyst for this change in attacking emphasis, is brilliant. It’s logical, easy to use, works as it should, looks realistic and can blow a game wide open.

The new first-touch control, the games biggest innovation for 2005 and the catalyst for this change in attacking emphasis, is brilliant. It’s logical, easy to use, works as it should, looks realistic and can blow a game wide open.

It's got hours upon hours of fun in the single player campaigns, and if that weren't enough, there's the only versus mode and the game's promise of future downloadable content.

The new first-touch control, the games biggest innovation for 2005 and the catalyst for this change in attacking emphasis, is brilliant. It’s logical, easy to use, works as it should, looks realistic and can blow a game wide open.

The new first-touch control, the games biggest innovation for 2005 and the catalyst for this change in attacking emphasis, is brilliant. It’s logical, easy to use, works as it should, looks realistic and can blow a game wide open.

The game is a penny shy of twenty dollars, and for that price, if you remember any of these games there is no reason not to pick it up and relive those days spent hunched ‘round a cabinet, stubbing out cigarettes on the top and hoping the manager didn’t see.

The visuals are crisp, and cute, but other than that there are few words that can be saddled upon this game that are not dripping with disdain.

The game is a penny shy of twenty dollars, and for that price, if you remember any of these games there is no reason not to pick it up and relive those days spent hunched 'round a cabinet, stubbing out cigarettes on the top and hoping the manager didn't see.

There is so much here that evokes what we know and love about Mario, as well as an equal share of what is genuinely new, and all of this is bundled together in such a wonderful package that this game is destined to be a fan favorite for a long time.

The game is a penny shy of twenty dollars, and for that price, if you remember any of these games there is no reason not to pick it up and relive those days spent hunched ‘round a cabinet, stubbing out cigarettes on the top and hoping the manager didn’t see.

The most impressive outlet of Source’s physics engine is the most subtle, that of the corpses left after any particular round of slaughter. Bodies realistically slump into corners, drape over crates, and fall to the ground. I’m sure everyone will have a “coolest corpse” story within a week of playing.