RF Online isn’t a bad MMO by any means; it simply suffers from an over-abundance of menial tasks.

While there could have been more to advance the series in its first trip to the Xbox 360, the violent visuals more than make it worth a few rounds for any fight fans.

The game is more than the sum of its parts, offering a surprising amount of flexibility in how you accomplish your objectives, even if those objectives don’t change much from level to level, in a series of memorable environments.

With its lengthy campaigns, replayability, and solid multiplayer, strategy fans will keep coming back to this one.

The combat is entertaining, but with its poorly balanced racing, Full Auto just ends up feeling rather hollow.

Still, if you can stick with it through the boring movie and dialogue sequences, there’s an excellent adventure waiting for you in this grand world.

More than once we snapped back from a gaming haze, wondering why we were still playing.

It’s not involving enough to be a simulator, nor enough fun to be worth your time.

The game is more than the sum of its parts, offering a surprising amount of flexibility in how you accomplish your objectives, even if those objectives don't change much from level to level, in a series of memorable environments.

But anyone who hasn’t been indoctrinated into fandom will be put off by the thought of dozens of hours of poor scripting, repetitive combat and insistent AI.

It’s a real shame that the only down side to this game is basically the system Capcom chose to release it on.

But at the end of the day, it’s that winning Winning Eleven feel that makes this one as addictive as ever: expectant WE9 owners should anticipate plenty of sore thumbs and “disappointed” spouses in their near future.

Now, if "Rebirth Mode" was more than just the original game with some half-hearted minigames tacked on -- if it sported updated graphics and a more intuitive control scheme, things would be different.

The occasional crashes in the older ones are a little annoying, but they’re still quite playable, and with all their expansions you could easily spend months playing against the AI alone.

Arena Football may be an engaging sport to watch in real life, with the excitement of packed arenas and the promise of frenzied action on the shortened field, but the developers did a poor job in conveying that sense of atmosphere in the game.

It's a really well-crafted game that features a fun and diverse vehicle as well as clever level design. Though it has some minor flaws, they're not enough to keep this gem from shining.

It may seem like a laidback, go-as-you-wish experience, but with the constant time limits imposed on the player it fails as both a relaxing and fully rewarding game.

At $20 less than most PSP games, there isn't a better value on the platform. Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X does the series proud.

Players of Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Store can't help but feel they're getting screwed over on both ends.

This is the most low-rent sports game this side of "NRA Varmint Hunter."

This is the most low-rent sports game this side of "NRA Varmint Hunter."

From the bland characters and bland graphics to the underdeveloped control system to the weak upgrades, there isn’t much to this game.

In fact, this game serves as a great example of how wonderful the original games would be on the Xbox 360 Live Arcade service, at an even better price.

Merely a "good" game that could be far better with more attention to the visuals, presentation, fielding, and in repairing some minor glitches.

The gameplay isn’t remotely interesting or entertaining and neither is the subject matter. It’s crass and juvenile, but not in a good way. There’s no way to rehabilitate this piece of garbage.

The load times sometimes last longer than it takes to complete a few of the actual minigames, and there’s nothing novel going on in this game, but with no competition on the PSP it's a decent choice for quick, clean fun.

If you’re looking for a great platform game then you’ll probably be disappointed by Ape Escape 3’s sometimes simplistic and repetitive gameplay. However, if you’re looking for a game with a unique feel and a carefree tone then you’re likely to enjoy this title and overlook its shortcomings.

A respectable compilation of the blue bomber's other adventures, though it pales a bit in comparison to the Anniversary Collection released a couple of years back.

It’s doubtful anyone could take it seriously as an IQ test, but as a minor brain teaser for those times when you have a few minutes to kill, PQ fits the bill just fine.

This academy takes all the shortcuts it can afford in your educational experience, and treats you like a faceless student with no real incentive to get noticed.

A respectable compilation of the blue bomber's other adventures, though it pales a bit in comparison to the Anniversary Collection released a couple of years back.

Hardcore fighting fans may turn up their noses at Dead or Alive 4's user-friendly engine, but there's no denying that this game is just loads of fun--especially online.

Patient, strategy-minded players who don’t mind reading volumes of on-screen text littered with typos may just fall in love. However, the onerous difficulty and complexity, along with grueling amounts of typo-riddled text, will quickly discourage most from trying to conquer this nuclear wasteland.

Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows’ biggest issue, however, is its short length. Each of the game’s 16 levels can be completed within 10 minutes--10 extremely repetitive minutes--and there is no incentive to revisit past stages due to the lack of hidden features or bonuses.

Some players may not like the pacing or the style, but by any objective standard Final Fantasy IV is as much a success now as it was on the first day of release.

Lousy graphics, terrible gameplay, and no other redeeming values make Dragon Booster one of the worst DS games on the market. Trust us, don’t buy it, and if you see someone else trying to buy it, fling yourself at them.

There are unlockable levels, a hidden character, and other new additions to the DS version, but it’s the use of the system’s unique abilities that make this one of the best versions of the Bust-a-Move ever.

Combat is occasionally brilliant, but the stealth scenes are a real chore. Developing your characters’ skills adds a lot to the game, but listening to them talk will give you a headache.

Totally middle-of-the-road. A nice idea that's a bit overdone, and never really takes off the way it should.

While none of these issues hold the game back from a playability standpoint, Wild World is closer to an enhanced port than an extravagant sequel.

No matter the party size, the controls are fluidly responsive, which makes using tackles irresistible.

Compelling visuals, competent acting, totally appropriate music, and amazing animation married to great controls make The Two Thrones a strong action game. It might not be the king of the genre, but this Prince deserves respect.

One thing 2K Sports continually proves, however, is that it can bring the game even when it doesn't look as sharp as the competition.

Fans of classic sprite design will love some of the graphics, and there's at least 25 hours of gameplay here for those who dig into it.

The threadbare story can barely support the game’s 20 hours of gameplay and the brothers don’t have enough moves to keep the puzzle-solving fresh.

As a single-player game, Legion Arena is entertaining in small doses, but lacks that compelling "just one more turn" quality that the best strategy games have.

Succeeds where other fitness-oriented programs fail because you are literally an active participant in the program instead of mimicking steps or following commands.

Sure, it's a bit disappointing to have another traditional game on such a non-traditional system, but it's still a fun experience. In trying so hard to make Snowboard Kids a true DS game, though, it feels like Atlus went too far in the other direction.

At least we now have a low bar for Grand Theft Auto clones.

It’s short. It’s simple. It might be neat for a while, but unless you’re stuck with this game and this game only and isolated from any other source of entertainment, you’re unlikely to get more than a few hours worth of entertainment out of Shogun Warriors.

King Kong is short... really short. The average player will finish the game in about six hours, and for $60, that’s not exactly a great value.

One thing 2K Sports continually proves, however, is that it can bring the game even when it doesn't look as sharp as the competition.

An enjoyable, mindless, action game and generally plays well on the 360. But the performance issues are going to rob this one of a point. Especially when we know this console should be able to handle a game like this without breaking a sweat.

The result of meddling with Joe's mechanics is pure mediocrity. Though lefties will scream in frustration, the action is never bad, merely bland.

At the end of the day, what you’ll find in the box is a bunch of nice extras that are packaged with a horrible batch of code that barely qualifies as a game.

The jalopy of the group. Gamers who go gaga for drifting will still show up in droves, but the majority of you will be much better off with "Project Gotham 3's" melding of replay and realism or "Need For Speed: Most Wanted's" frantic cop chases and customization.

From a strange glitch that causes dead enemies to bounce around the environments like a Super Ball inside a blender, to the anemic implementation of vehicles into the multiplayer, another six months would have served it well.

It’s by far the best of its kind, and the variable but fair enemy AI keeps the game fresh, especially on higher difficulties.

At the end of the day, what you'll find in the box is a bunch of nice extras that are packaged with a horrible batch of code that barely qualifies as a game.

When it comes down to it, The Darkest Faerie plays like a Zelda knockoff and looks like a Spyro ripoff. Save for the mote system, there really isn't anything interesting going on, which would be fine if the execution were better.

Many will say the game ends too abruptly with its nine-hour length, but there's no other experience like Condemned: Criminal Origins for those who can handle its savage disposition.

A cheap and dirty port, Tony Hawk American Wasteland is only recommendable to newbies or hopelessly devoted fans. On the 360, however, the game is not worth the extra $10. The lousy graphics, and tired gameplay makes this one a serious grind.

Aesthetic quibbles and longish load times aside, Project Gotham Racing 3 strikes an excellent balance between arcade and sim gameplay without alienating fans of either.

Casual hockey fans should give this series the cold shoulder until the developers take better advantage of the new platform, something that will likely happen with "NHL 2K7."

In particular, it's disappointing to see that extra processing power hasn't gone to make the horses feel more responsive and real.

Basketball fans looking for the best rendition of the sport should let NBA Live 06 dribble through their fingers and score a copy of NBA 2K6 instead. Next year’s battle will hopefully be more competitive.

While an online mode does help alleviate some of the issues found in the single-player game, the severe lack of content makes it really hard to justify a purchase.

If you still own an Xbox or PlayStation 2, there's absolutely no reason to purchase this game. Especially since it'll cost you $10 more and offers about 25 percent of the content.

Based on features alone, NBA 2K6 is the slam-dunk choice for Xbox 360 basketball. The player graphics are beautiful, with or without an HDTV, and the controls have slightly improved since the game’s appearance on the original Xbox (players can now enter into a defensive crouch by tapping on the left trigger button).

The “strategy” is not much different than the electronic game Simon, emphasizing timing and pattern recognition instead of true skill or tactics.

Easy playability, a solid presentation, and one of the most satisfyingly off-beat and engaging storylines in any game all make Amped 3 one of the more suprising Xbox 360 launch games.

The game is a beefy excursion that pleases all your senses, and for that, it will be taking plenty of pink slips from other Xbox 360 launch games.

It sure does look done, but once you slice it open you realize it's only half-baked.

It’s not really fresh, revolutionary, or exceptional, but Alter Code F is a way to revisit old times, a history lesson on the early days of the genre, and a way for a game company to make a little extra cash.

If you’re not a fan of online play, you’d do better to keep your germs to yourself.

Thanks to careful balancing, rewarding pacing, and an excellent translation, Dragon Quest VIII is one of those rare games that's more than the sum of its parts.

Even as a generic 3D platformer Pac-Man World 3 fails to satisfy.

There's nothing wrong with Most Wanted, exactly, but neither is there anything to make it stand out from the many good racers already available for the PSP.

On paper, it's got the potential to be more than a match for "San Andreas"; in practice, it's nowhere near it.

The lack of any camera controls is somewhat annoying, but seldom intrusive, and the ability to save at any time is especially welcome.

A great concept for an EyeToy standalone title, but the quality and variety of minigames simply fail to do the theme justice.

Although gamers who never got into other dance games won’t find much incentive to get jiggy with Flow, there’s enough variation here to make it worth a look for fans looking for new dancing frontiers.

Sonic Rush is the best hedgehog game since the beloved Sonic CD, and platforming fans will have to be taking some serious downers to not get a rush from what Sonic has to offer on the DS.

On paper, it's got the potential to be more than a match for "San Andreas"; in practice, it's nowhere near it.

What possessed Sega to go in this direction is beyond us. Maybe maintain the edgy appeal that Sonic never had in the first place. In doing so, they betrayed the very thing that makes Sonic well...Sonic.

This is certainly a solid addition to the series, but overall it's hardly worth upgrading from the previous outing.

On paper, it's got the potential to be more than a match for "San Andreas"; in practice, it's nowhere near it.

While the outdoor and indoor locales making up the game’s 15 stages are beautiful to behold, they are limiting in what you can and cannot do, which is disappointing.

Mario Kart DS shatters those expectations by being the best kart racing game ever released--handheld or otherwise.

Exactly what a kid’s game should be. It combines an array of genres and re-works them so that gaming newcomers will be able to get the hang of the action in a non-threatening environment.

Looking at the list of options and features, WWE Smackdown Versus Raw 2006 seems to have everything. With a better wrestling engine, it would.

X3: Reunion is a game that gamers will absolutely lose themselves in for months and even years without running out of things to do.

Kimmunicator might be good for a few kicks for fans of the show, but it’s so short and unremarkable you shouldn't feel bad for missing it.

The Movies takes Tycoon-style gameplay and brings it to a new level of polish and immersion, not only delivering addicting and challenging gameplay, but the means to create some funny movies to share with friends, too.

A mostly average button masher that has the good luck of being associated with the hottest kids' property to come along in years.

A mostly average button masher that has the good luck of being associated with the hottest kids' property to come along in years.

Online mode is fine if you can find the players. It’s compatible with EyeToy and the USB headset, and matches are easy enough to set up and play. But for all that hassle, why not just get a deck of card and have some friends over?

Everything that made SOCOM one of the PS2’s few standout online multiplayer games has been wrapped in a streamlined package for PSP.