For all the innovation in Riviera: The Promised Land, it still plays out like a standard RPG. Sure the developers mixed things up--and that's a good thing--but they left in all the excruciatingly dull parts, and that's not so good.

Though some will lament the missing crash mode and others will wonder why they can't compete online, the franchise's likely swan song on PS2 nonetheless goes out on a high note, cementing its reputation as the premier arcade racing series on a platform known for its racing titles.

While it isn't as intuitive as the best games in the genre, its underlying complexity is such that you could play for days and only begin to scratch the surface of what it has to offer.

Where UEFA Euro 2004 falters is in its scope.

The game is an intense shooting gallery, despite the repetition, yet the set-up, landscape, and gameplay feel so familiar at this point that it borders on boring.

With an MSRP under thirty dollars, MVP NCAA Baseball 07's strengths outweigh its negative points, but players who already own 2006's game shouldn't expect anything more than some new teams, a new pitching interface and related mini-game, and new behind-the-pitcher and batting cameras.

The game won't win any awards for sound design, but the eye-popping graphics more than make up for that.

While not the most complicated game of the year, does deliver a small serving of fun. At the least it's the sort of title that forces players to work up a bit of the old hand-eye coordination.

The game play and physics feel almost as if they were ripped from the original PSOne game, and the genre has come a long way since then. While the single-player game is weak, the multiplayer is mostly fun and creative. It's disappointing that after such a long wait, the game didn't evolve more, but fans of the original are certain to enjoy this blast from the past.

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness is a great intro into the episodic gaming world.

The main problem is that Ties That Bind doesn't live up to the once-promising pedigree of "The Suffering." While we got more of some things--more swearing, more gore, and more story--we actually ended up with less: less ammo, less creativity, and fewer thrills to keep you going.

Without a doubt, Donkey Konga is a ton of fun. It's offbeat, easy to play, and entertaining for one or four players. Kids will love the game, but don't let that put off older gamers, as the simple gameplay is fun for any age.

Overall Rush for Berlin just feels a lot better than most of the other RTS games out there. It’s a great blend between realism and fast-paced gameplay wrapped in a solid package that RTS fans will love. They’ll love it, that is, if they can get over this being yet another themed WWII game in a sea of olive drab releases.

The Club may not satisfy your daily dose of carnage, but what you will find is a challenging shooter that tries something new with a tired genre.

Weird, wacky, and engaging, the game can go head to head with any of Square’s best—as long as you have a healthy sense of humor.

It's often insanely hard, and just as insanely priced. So spread some salt over this slug until SNK wises up and offers it for a more reasonable fee.

Although these games don't compare to their modern console counterparts, well-developed characters and complex stories compel you to see past the primitive graphics.

Features an excellent control scheme and upgraded graphics but it still feels shallow. The AI mode definitely could have been deeper and the addition of more extra features would have been a plus.

The random battles, simple controls, and linear storyline may put off those hoping for a newfangled experience; but the high production values, engaging characters, and vibrant world will keep this Story from being shelved.

Combines two much-maligned RPG staples, random dungeons and card battles, and somehow pulls it off with aplomb.

If you have time to think, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

While only high leveled players will really get to explore all that this expansion has to offer, newer ones will want access to the achievements, so they too will want to upgrade, even if it takes them awhile before they get to head to the skies.

The sole fact that Star Fox Command is entirely about dogfighting is enough to make fans of the series rejoice. The action is intense; single-player is packed with replay; and the controls will quickly grow on you like a tick on a dog.

The social twist on urban planning is a welcome one. But there’s no escaping the mechanical, almost passionless way you need to play the game in order to be successful.

About as close to a retail-caliber release as the downloadable space has seen yet. It's super polished, the combat is slick and exciting, and the presentation is top notch.

Just misses a top-shelf rating due to some nitpicky decision-making routines.

The gorgeous graphics, broad character roster, large number of matches, and multiplayer action offer a ton of fun for players that can forgive technical flaws.

While the brevity of games would seem to cater to those on Ritalin, the truth of the matter is you can never relax, which is a big part of the appeal. WarioWare's challenge doesn't necessarily lie in the task itself, but in doing it while under duress.

Casual players may find the game entirely too complicated. It’s not an easy game to pick up if you haven’t been playing the series since day one.

The effect of collisions is inconsistent. You can pass through some objects and be stopped dead in your tracks by others. The car physics are far too "floaty," and you'll find yourself catching too much air and doing crazy spins and rotations from minor bumps.

Makes destroying humans fun with an original setting, enjoyable alien arsenal, and cleverly designed missions. Its sense of humor may falter once in a while, and content freaks will definitely find the game on the short side.

It's just one gruesome kill after another until the violence loses its punch. Too bad that happens after the first couple missions. If you want a stealth game, there are better ones out there. If you want blood, do yourself a favor a buy a tube of red dye #5, instead.

A great play. It’s got a great sense of humor and style. In these summer months when there’s often not a lot to play, it’s a real treat to get a game that effortlessly mixes style, challenge, and fun.

Though Burnout fans might be disappointed to learn there's no substantial revision to the play mechanics, Dominator's fast-paced events and score-based challenges are a perfect fit for a handheld system, making it one of the best looking, best playing racing titles on PSP.

Battalion Wars carries over the charm, fun, and visual style of the "Advance Wars" games that came before it. However, with no multiplayer and minimal replayability, this is a considerably shorter war than the portable ones.

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

Not the most technically advanced game, and if you're looking for all the hardball minutiae you're going to be disappointed. What it does have is gameplay that's easy to pick up, and a great deal of depth for those who dig.

Rides the line between story and "freedom" well.

An accurate F1 simulation while remaining accessible to the more laid-back player. However, it's still more a simulation than an arcadelike racing game.

You may love it, or you may be turned away by iffy gameplay, but you’re nearly guaranteed to be creeped out.

The fast-paced weaving through the streets of two different cities holds a wealth of interesting gameplay. While there's nothing new or innovative here, MM3 offers easy playability with plenty to do.

Unlike "University," which takes you completely out of the Sim’s home environment for long stretches of time, Nightlife is expertly integrated into the core game.

The short length and repetitive sequences make it more of a rental for non-believers, but overall, excellent gameplay, a great presentation, and familiar characters make this the best superhero-based game since, well, "Spider-Man 2."

Without a doubt Pokémon Emerald is the best Pokémon RPG to date, but if you've played Ruby and Sapphire and didn't care enough to catch them all and memorize all of their cute little names, then there probably isn't much here for you.

Now if there were only an online multiplayer component to RoboBlitz, it would be almost perfect. Instead we’ll just play it over and over to get all the achievements.

To move away from the pack, Underworld takes a very interesting stance by focusing on tackling cliffs rather than tackling tigers. It’s the right idea with wrong camera and gunplay to pull it off.

It’s almost a racing game for everyone, but traces of the tad-too-touchy driving the Jak series is known for will throw newcomers for a loop and frustrate even veteran drivers on occasion.

Hard-core fans of old-school gaming will want to pick it up, but most gamers will find that the gameplay issues keep this set from being more than an occasional trip down memory lane.

The biggest fault of Star Ocean: The Second Evolution is that there's almost no conflict. Everybody in the game is polite.

Honestly, the gameplay in Stubbs isn't bad. It's just not close to as cool as it ought to be.

If you're a sucker for Japanese gangster cinema, you'll likely be able to forgive Yakuza's many flaws long enough to get caught up in the riveting story line and cast of complex characters. But long before the end, you'll be sick of the repetitive combat that takes up far too much of Yakuza's gameplay time.

While there are problems--too cutscene-heavy, some lame objectives, and the fact that there are infinitely more zombies than little green men--Area 51 is more than enough to make a believer out of you.

Really a nice game that continues to surprise and delight the more you play.

Aside from the new gameplay direction and interface tweaks, Tropico 2 is functionally the same game as the original. It's visually pleasing, but lacks ambient animations that would really help bring your island to life.

The most striking difference of the Xbox version is just how much the game has improved visually. It always looked good, but the polygon count is significantly higher, character models are far less blocky, the weapons look downright incredible, and the texture detail is noticeably more complex in some sections.

The bar has been set higher by "ESPN NHL 2K5," whose presentation, sense of realism, and play modes simply outclass, outshine, and outperform those found in NHL 2005.

Top Spin 2 shares a lot of traits with its predecessor, but they’re overshadowed a bit by the maddening difficulty and A.I. fluctuations and graphics that don’t really scream “next gen.”

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."

As a first-person shooter, it doesn't quite reach the level of a "Quake" or "Half-Life," but neither is the correct measuring stick, since the gameplay here falls somewhere in between the two.

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.

Simply put, if you disliked Empire at War, Forces of Corruption isn’t going to change your mind. However, if you want to get a little more life out of this quirky little strategy game set in the Star Wars universe, Forces of Corruption is a perfectly adequate expansion pack.

A great flight sim that won't bog you down with complex controls.

Both the pawn system and the tactile nature of the boss fights are the exemplary features that ensures this game defies the categorization of being derivative. This is one of those promising rough-around-the-edges experiences where you can't help but want a sequel even before your first playthrough is complete.

Disappointingly dull opposition and having to strictly adhere to the game's go-here-do-this structure keep this title from being a great or remarkable game.

The type of game that makes you want to dust off that green felt cloak and curl up with a sack of dice.

Whether or not you're a fan of Nintendo's latest handheld console, if you love Kingdom Hearts, this is a must-have title that's filled with fantastic gameplay, an intriguing story, and beautiful visuals.

The bar has been set higher by "ESPN NHL 2K5," whose presentation, sense of realism, and play modes simply outclass, outshine, and outperform those found in NHL 2005.

Sabreman realizes he’s basically jumping through hoops so he can collect glittering treasure and do it again. So do you, but Sabre Wulf gives you both of enough reasons to keep going. It’s rather fun, really.

A testament to just how thoroughly a game can be improved in its second coming.

Balancing loyalties and uncovering a large-scale mystery (even though it’s poorly handled) go a long way towards creating a great sense of scope and immersion. Unfortunately, numerous technical issues, narrative missteps and unbalanced gameplay elements keep the game from being something truly special.

The new features aren't exactly earth shattering for this year's installment, but the game is fun to play and a noticeable improvement over "NBA Live 08."

It's telling that Nintendo stepped up and published this game itself – Namco, which released the original, was unable or uninterested.

The main problem is that Ties That Bind doesn't live up to the once-promising pedigree of "The Suffering." While we got more of some things--more swearing, more gore, and more story--we actually ended up with less: less ammo, less creativity, and fewer thrills to keep you going.

Fans of a license like this deserve better, though. Whether or not you like the Naruto cartoons, you have to admit that they're pretty great fighting-game fodder -- bright, violent, over-the-top action. We'll have to wait and see if Bandai gets it right the next time.

It’s not a game for everyone by any means, and just about everyone will hate the combat sections, but it’s definitely a game that adventure fans will appreciate.

Aside from the snub for online, Ace Combat X definitely makes the most of the PSP. It's mercifully not a port but does justice to its roots, and has enough G-forces to make you crap your pants.

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.

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

Strategy players will come up to speed quickly and enjoy the vast array of units and unit abilities, while WWII fans who aren’t too interested in stat tracking will dig the game’s accessibility and--living up to its name--focus on constant action.

Awesome action, intense atmosphere, fantastic audio work, gorgeous graphics, and plenty of blood and gore make this a worthy gun fix for gamers who still have the original game installed.

It has tons of potential and just begs to be liked. And we do like it. After all, this may be the first game that can play itself while you’re playing something else.

A complete package that is both a solid adventure and a promising beginning for this Bandai series.

Fantastic gameplay.

Be forewarned. Etrian Odyssey is tough.

As a multiplayer game, Bomberman is more than worth its price tag. However, as a single-player game, this one comes dangerously close to being a bomb.

Doesn't fail to impress us with its high-quality, inventive visuals, but the gameplay is no match for its presentation.

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

Once you have access to multiple Forges (they're connected by magic portals), it's easy to get lost in the endless curving hallways.

We really like Savage. There's a lot of daring gameplay ideas here that work, but it's still pretty rough around the edges. If you're willing to look past these issues, there's a tremendous game here.

Players are going to love the slew of new interpersonal interactions available to their Sims as much as they love the new objects.

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.

The graphics are decent, good enough on the PS2 but lacking somewhat on the Xbox.

There's a ton of content in "Rebel Strike," and the multiplayer gives it replayability far beyond that of the previous "Rogue Squadron" games.

There is a bit of difficulty with the camera, however--that being the lack of a universally useful view of the pitch. The default side camera is restrictive when it comes to all that punting, and more than once a bit of critical action took place out of view. That's fine for art films, but frustrating here.

Everything in the game is too clear and too consistent. There’s no room for ambiguity or context. You’re either a goody two-shoes or a complete jerk.

Though the poor handling doesn’t drag down every mission, the lousy feel did make us put down more than a couple missions in frustration.

The "Star Wars" universe was clearly warped to fit over the AOE II lattice. Air combat loses some of its appeal as you watch tie fighters and X-wings hovering stationary over an enemy building, dropping bombs and shooting grunt soldiers on the ground.

Crimson Sea 2 has sharp, exhilarating gameplay and a distinctive style that pervades the story line, characters, and space-opera soundtrack. The variety found in the missions is truly commendable, and you're generally free to play the game at your own pace.