Like a miniature fashion model: short, quite pretty, and as insubstantial as it is fun.

Like a miniature fashion model: short, quite pretty, and as insubstantial as it is fun.

Falls into the same sequel trap that many other games tumble into, where the emphasis in development is placed more on improving visual aspects rather than addressing flaws in the gameplay.

The basic mechanic of the game, building bigger and bigger stuff, is the same as it is in just about all the other Tycoon games; it just happens that in this case you’re building things that are very disinteresting.

Like a miniature fashion model: short, quite pretty, and as insubstantial as it is fun.

NCAA Football 06’s refined approach seems to cater most to the hardcore college football fan rather than the casual sports enthusiast.

While it's definitely the safest route for publishers looking to make a buck on the hottest movie of the month, it sure doesn't make for engaging gameplay.

Refined, entertaining, and simple, it's a refreshing change of pace from most of the more violent, dark themes that tend to hound games lately.

NCAA Football 06's refined approach seems to cater most to the hardcore college football fan rather than the casual sports enthusiast.

If this one had gameplay to match its story and visuals, we'd be looking at a Game of the Year candidate.

If this one had gameplay to match its story and visuals, we'd be looking at a Game of the Year candidate.

A good portable game is one that excels in short bursts; boring you in a few minutes isn't the same thing.

It’s not a terrifically engaging or lengthy experience, but with its compelling puzzles and interesting atmosphere you could certainly do much worse if you’re looking for some adventure.

Just not a good game, no matter how much you love the Gundam universe. It's repetitive and unchallenging and not at all up to the system's capabilities.

Deep, fun, incredibly addictive, and perfect in short bursts, Meteos is about as good as handheld games get. Multiple difficulty settings, an engrossing multiplayer experience, and plenty of depth ensure this one won't be wearing out its welcome anytime soon.

Even when padded with so many routine elements, RPG players will probably enjoy Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana, and why not? What seems routine to a non-fan is just genre convention to an insider.

It's over-ambitious, poorly implemented control setup puts it squarely in the rank of games that tried too hard to utilize the hardware rather than offer a fun, interesting experience.

Playing through 18 holes takes way too long. Because you have to wait while everyone takes a turn, you’ll spend too much time doing absolutely nothing during these multiplayer rounds.

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.

Co-op also makes the bad camera even worse. It's better included than not, but if you want great multiplayer, play the deeper and more fulfilling X-Men Legends or one of the Baldur's Gate games.

Co-op also makes the bad camera even worse. It's better included than not, but if you want great multiplayer, play the deeper and more fulfilling X-Men Legends or one of the Baldur's Gate games.

Co-op also makes the bad camera even worse. It's better included than not, but if you want great multiplayer, play the deeper and more fulfilling X-Men Legends or one of the Baldur's Gate games.

Co-op also makes the bad camera even worse. It's better included than not, but if you want great multiplayer, play the deeper and more fulfilling X-Men Legends or one of the Baldur's Gate games.

The levels are fun, the gameplay is solid, and the puzzles and bosses require more than a bit of brain matter to figure out, resulting in a nice sense of accomplishment every time you reach a new milestone in Raz's adventure.

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.

Each class changes the game so drastically that when you grow tired of slinging lead in the alleys, you can always go spec ops or engineer for a completely new experience. The depth and quality here is just staggering, and you won't find a better multiplayer shooter on the PC.

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.

Even though fans of the series will have seen most of this before, Battle Network 5 is a very strong game in a technical sense.

Even though fans of the series will have seen most of this before, Battle Network 5 is a very strong game in a technical sense.

The solo adventure offers so much diversity that you will push yourself to keep going just to see the new areas and confront the hilarious bosses. Now, if only the stingy camera received as much care as the new graphics.

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.

The excessive amount of painful level grinding required to get anywhere in this game will bore most gamers to tears.

A reasonably engaging, yet perfectly average experience--much like most summer blockbusters.

Fans will undoubtedly be disappointed by the character choices, lame music and announcer, and balance issues.

A reasonably engaging, yet perfectly average experience--much like most summer blockbusters.

A reasonably engaging, yet perfectly average experience--much like most summer blockbusters.

Juiced can be highly irritating at some times and completely unfair at others. Why, for instance, do you have to help pay to repair other racers' cars yet no one helps you get your car back into racing shape?

It’s disappointing that to get the most enjoyment out of Rogue Agent, you have to “bond” with others.

While short, this is the best experience available on the DS right now, and anyone with a tolerance for candy-colored adventure should give it a try.

If the colors were more vibrant, the tilting felt more responsive, and some of the stages weren't such an outright pain in the saddle, this game would easily get the X-Play stamp of approval. Not this time.

Juiced can be highly irritating at some times and completely unfair at others. Why, for instance, do you have to help pay to repair other racers' cars yet no one helps you get your car back into racing shape?

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.

The huge array of options, jacked-up challenge level, and variations on otherwise familiar, tried-and-true gameplay help make this a worthy addition to the music game genre. Novice dancers, however, are still better served sticking with Konami’s offerings.

Though it’s refreshing to play a quirky game amidst a sea of copycats, Samurai Western is far too repetitive to merit a purchase unless you are the type who feels an action game isn’t fun unless your thumb is throbbing and your wrists are one flex closer to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Like Vice City before it, San Andreas features a superb, period-specific selection of licensed music on its many radio stations. And just like Vice City, said selection does a fantastic job of setting the mood.

Where the colorful Pokemon games are finely polished and well-oiled machines, Digimon World 4 feels like a junker thrown together out of rusty spare parts.

When the most challenging part of a game is remembering to wash your hands, and when the most compelling part is collecting chocolate bars, there’s very little incentive to play.

With smartly designed levels and a variety of tasks, there are much worse ways to spend a weekend. Don't expect the trimmings of a big-budget title, but it's a bloody, twisted good time to those who are neither squeamish nor easily offended.

Incredibly disappointing. Derivative, buggy, and underwhelming on almost every level, this is a game that is marred by distracting problems that should have been fixed well before release.

For most gamers, this is a prime rental, able to provide a few hours distraction. But for 40 bucks, only the most dedicated players will get their money's worth.

In fact, aside from the visual style, nothing from the movie is licensed for the game--not even the voice actors.

It's full of story clichés, but plot in these games is as vital as nipples on guys. It's the combat that really matters, and Sacred Stones is just about as good as it gets.

There's definitely something special about WarioWare Twisted!

One look at the out-of-date rosters (frozen in time at the original release date) will show you how little attention was paid to the development of this game.

Fate certainly isn’t the most innovative title out there. In fact, it’s quite easily labeled as a "Diablo" clone, and inherits its predecessor’s endlessly repetitive combat and gameplay. However, this game also somehow manages to stay fun hour after hour.

The empire-building gameplay is surprisingly compelling and fast-paced, while the battles themselves give you a taste of, well, glory. Hugo be damned; this empire building is fun stuff.

It's not a bad game, and should hold your interest for several hours, but the things it does well are diminished by its myriad flaws.

It may not be a revolutionary new type of horror or even the beginning of a great new series, but for what it is Haunting Ground is generally worth trying.

By no means a bad game, but the sad truth is that it's about the best the DS will have in the way of semi-realistic racers. The hardware just isn't conducive to them.

By far the worst part of Smart Bomb is the loading screen.

Another slap to the song selection is simply that most of these pop tunes have been off the charts for quite a while, making the game feel instantly out of date.

While the "car" portion of TrackMania: Sunrise is indeed shallow, the focus on wild, custom race tracks and unique modes of play really puts this game in a class by itself.

Dungeon Lords had a lot of potential. The world is sparse and hard to navigate through, but at the same time feels oddly warm and interesting.

The lame dialog and acting shatters any real delusions of drama, as do the irritating glitches and the surprise ending, reminding you that this is just a game after all.

Revenge of the Sith certainly isn’t the disaster the Phantom Menace game is, but it lacks memorable moments, and has a few too many damning flaws to recommend a purchase.

The Game Boy can be a surprisingly capable platform, but Revenge of the Sith just isn't ambitious enough to become a master in its class.

Revenge of the Sith certainly isn't the disaster the Phantom Menace game is, but it lacks memorable moments, and has a few too many damning flaws to recommend a purchase.

A good-looking, challenging game with a nice collection of cars to win and race. You'll also get the steep learning curve that some gamers thrive on.

You don't need to be a golf fanatic to get hooked on this game, which is really the only thing that matters. Not only is it a showpiece for the system, but it's one of the best games available for Sony's portable.

This is undoubtedly the best Puyo title yet, giving you both old-school gameplay and new, along with well-rounded multiplayer and challenging difficulty.

Forza caters beautifully to both casual racers and hardcore car nuts, which is all that matters.

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.

An otherwise solid playing game that comes up short in the control and play modes, especially when compared to "NBA Street V3," which is clearly the better option for those new to the arcade b-ball franchise.

Casual gamers can feel free to jump in and play for a few hours a week without worrying about getting their money’s worth, while more dedicated players can spend hours and hours earning abilities for their characters through quests and recognition for their guild through tournaments.

With the exception of a couple of new features that do indeed enhance the game, Empire Earth II still feels like it was made with a cookie cutter, culling most of the basic design ideas from other games.

Not an ambitious sequel, but it’s a frightfully intense experience for horror enthusiasts who like to share their scares.

A good game with a number of good qualities, but its emphasis on some of the less exciting aspects of strategy games and the horrible voice acting hold it back from greatness.

One of those games that wastes the best material on cutscenes.

Fun while it lasts, but like the title character’s insatiable appetite, you will be hungry for more. It needs more levels, more objects to draw, and a few alternate play modes to make this game worth penciling in for most puzzle game fans.

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.

The career mode found in the console versions is sorely missed, the visuals during the close-up views could be better, and the graphics could run much smoother.

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.

A budget title, and it plays like one. Every feature this game has to offer has been better implemented elsewhere.

Lacks several qualities found in the best of the genre, but its value in relation to its price makes this title a heavenly purchase for any shooter fan looking for the latest fix.

The levels are fun, the gameplay is solid, and the puzzles and bosses require more than a bit of brain matter to figure out, resulting in a nice sense of accomplishment every time you reach a new milestone in Raz's adventure.

Even the game's menus and overall presentation offend.

The levels are fun, the gameplay is solid, and the puzzles and bosses require more than a bit of brain matter to figure out, resulting in a nice sense of accomplishment every time you reach a new milestone in Raz's adventure.

Blazin' Trails needs more user-friendly control and a graphical overhaul--we're talking almost original PlayStation visuals here--but at the end of the day it's still a really enjoyable game.

An agreeable kind of game so long as you lower your expectations a bit.

But all of this good stuff is marred by the technical issues. This is especially true concerning the AI, which doesn’t offer up a convincing challenge.

Simple, yet fun, Polarium is an engaging puzzle game. It proves that the touch screen can be used for more than gimmicks.

With a decent solo campaign, The Liandri Conflict would be near unstoppable. As it is, Epic's latest is one of the best things to happen to online console blasting in years.

It's the respectable hitting that makes all the difference. With solid action at the plate, MLB becomes the best handheld baseball game on the market. That it’s also the best-looking doesn’t bother us one bit.

Despite the lack of strife, Jade Empire does an excellent job of finding a nice middle ground between action games and RPGs.

On the other hand, if all you want out of your video game is a bloody binge, Dead to Rights II is the gaming equivalent of sitting alone in a dark room and downing shot after shot of cheap, hard liquor. If you're in the mood, it gets the job done just fine.

Although the graphics engine chugs along at times, this is an excellent arcade racer that manages to raise the bar in the overcrowded, clichéd street racing genre.

Although the graphics engine chugs along at times, this is an excellent arcade racer that manages to raise the bar in the overcrowded, clichéd street racing genre.

It's sad to see the interesting features such as light versus dark and co-op play get shunted to the sidelines in favor of the same stuff we've been experiencing for years.