It's passable in short spurts, but if you’re looking for something deep and challenging, look elsewhere.

All the timed events, amusing physics-based puzzles, likeable characters, and strange contraptions will be a treat for fans of the books and movie.

All the timed events, amusing physics-based puzzles, likeable characters, and strange contraptions will be a treat for fans of the books and movie.

Rumble Roses will probably go over very well at fraternity houses, bachelor parties, and the bedrooms of sexually frustrated teenage boys everywhere. It's too bad that there's a pretty good game underneath all the fluff here.

The one down side is that the shooting still feels pretty basic. The game is a little shorter than you might expect, but goes well over 10 hours and it wraps up the series' story nicely with a pretty crazy twist.

A pleasant change from "The Sims" that is tailored to those who would find the constant reinventing of personal style an appealing diversion.

There’s something almost absurd about paying for a game that inundates you with a constant stream of ads.

Even the bosses are cliché. They’re all pattern-based, take three hits to defeat, and are unlikely to pose a challenge for anyone but the younger set who will find some of the platform action too hard.

Melding crisp, "Blade Runner"-style visuals with an inspired use of the EyeToy camera, AntiGrav will forever change the way you look at extreme sports games.

A handful of tracks will have you scratching your head, wondering why they were included, but you’ll forget all about that once you’re centerstage, and the beat drops for Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.”

Has all of the right ingredients for a successful hockey title, but it falters where it matters most: solid gameplay. The graphics and camera angles don't help draw you into the rink as much as the excellent sound and atmosphere, and the action seems to cater more to hockey newbies rather than hardcore veterans.

The best console multiplayer component ever. This game is going to douse Xbox Live in gasoline and toss it a match...With 16 players busting each other's chops at a time and all the clan support you can handle, this game will still be played five years from now.

A pleasant change from "The Sims" that is tailored to those who would find the constant reinventing of personal style an appealing diversion.

A pleasant change from "The Sims" that is tailored to those who would find the constant reinventing of personal style an appealing diversion.

Even the bosses are cliché. They're all pattern-based, take three hits to defeat, and are unlikely to pose a challenge for anyone but the younger set who will find some of the platform action too hard.

An undeniably polished game. It will offer you months and months of new things to do and experience.

Nothing but the sum of its parts -- a mediocre action game painted up with some licensed characters and a recognizable name on the box. Fans of the property deserve better.

Children of the Nile isn’t an excellent game merely because it’s innovative. It’s an excellent game because those innovations make for a more compelling, and generally less frustrating experience for the player.

Finally, there’s multiplayer. It doesn’t work. There’s a multiplayer button on the main menu, but it just takes you to the Speedco Web site. That’s ok guys. The game sucks and I doubt shooting varmints along side critterlover678 will make it any better.

The lack of a true career mode or create-a-player feature is also a letdown, as is the inability to acquire additional special moves or to put points into improving a character's core abilities.

But those ideas don't hold much water when the AI acts up as often as it does. That, coupled with the numerous other bugs we encountered, really makes Pacific Assault a minor disappointment.

The Vendetta Online community, though small, is fantastically helpful and supportive. The VO forums are not filled with whiners. The game is not filled with jerks.

But it's a very linear tale, which typically seems to require D-Tritus to explore gigantic areas in search of a single person to talk to. Each area is often extremely large.

The multiplayer is just the gravy on the best open-faced turkey sandwich of a game I've played in a long time. This is perfection.

The overwhelming majority of the games are over too quickly, making it a great party game but not something solo players will necessarily be returning to early and often. That said, it’s easily the best EyeToy disc released to date.

In spite of its sorted technical problems and humdrum story, Killzone provides a great ride; perhaps it's a testament to the game's surplus of style and ambiance that it remains enjoyable throughout.

As lousy as the dragon combat is, when someone picks up a dragon game, they want to eat humans, not be one.

A decent party game with a great cast of cheesy giant monsters, but it’s just not scaly or radioactive enough to command much respect.

The characters and the trials they face simply aren’t cut out for the game they inhabit, and the game feels shallow and incomplete as a result.

A more robust career mode with sponsorships, cash prizes, and a tournament-style atmosphere with rivalries would be nice as well, but those in the mood for a challenging, fast-paced racer -- online or off -- won't be disappointed.

What all of this boils down to is a whole lot of base building and management, and unfortunately, much of it is pointless as the economy in the game is fairly unbalanced.

You're better served dusting off your copy of "Parappa" or "DDR" when you want to feel the rhythm move you.

Over 20 truly bizarre and inspired characters, great backdrops, fantastic special moves, and plenty of game modes all add up to a solid, if faulty package.

The first wrestling game to offer online matches, but sadly this feature just isn’t up to snuff. You can select either a standard match or a bra-and-panties match, and then after venting your frustrations on a silent, nameless opponent, you’re done.

Succeeds in the crucial areas where a strategic card game should. It’s got a solid set of rules and is fun to play. We would like to see more cards, though – 139 is just enough to keep things interesting. As a video game, it leaves a bit to be desired in terms of looks and innovation.

The greatest crime depicted in the game isn't Syndrome's machinations, but the speed with which the lame design renders dull action out of such cool characters.

The greatest crime depicted in the game isn't Syndrome's machinations, but the speed with which the lame design renders dull action out of such cool characters.

The greatest crime depicted in the game isn't Syndrome's machinations, but the speed with which the lame design renders dull action out of such cool characters.

The greatest crime depicted in the game isn't Syndrome's machinations, but the speed with which the lame design renders dull action out of such cool characters.

Even the most determined Man U follower stuck in the bowels of America would be better off editing together a team in Konami's masterpiece than taking the easy way out offered here.

Despite minor flaws, this is by far the most enjoyable game in the GTA series, and will eat well over 100 hours of your time.

Has much potential, but fails to deliver in the variety department. A straight-up sequel to "X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter," complete with online multiplayer, may have been a more successful venture.

If you have the choice, it holds many advantages over "Donkey Konga." The graphics and song list are superior. However, drumming requires a bit more coordination than playing the bongos.

Other problems include a strange sense of physics where you can push or slide other vehicles away from you, intensely aggressive pedestrians and gang members who swarm like bees, and frustrating timed races that will have you contemplating whether or not you should use your GBA as a Frisbee.

Did we really need a third version of Dead or Alive 2? Probably not, and we definitely didn't need more DOA 1. But, for diehard fight fans and online junkies, Ultimate is worth a look.

Could've been a great game, but focuses more on being funny and irreverent than being a solid action/RPG and ends up being pretty average.

With all these fantastic flight features, there's one glaring omission that casts a pall on Ace Combat 5. Put simply, no multiplayer.

Its best assets -- the branching courses and the grumpy girlfriend -- are almost 20 years old. Even drifting is now ancient. Perhaps a quirky story mode or a more detailed skill-progression system would have elevated OutRun 2 to higher status.

Considering the game's budget price tag of $20 is less than the green fees for most public golf courses, the repetitive nature of the sound and animations is hardly an issue if you don't mind some spanking, slapping, grinding, stroking, and gyrating in your golf.

While those who distained the first for being too weird and having annoying floaty physics won't like this one, fans will love it. It's a solid action title, with wall-to-wall destruction all wrapped up in an artistic and impressive, very Japanese package.

Maybe if the characters were more iconic. Maybe if this would’ve been a true sequel instead of a party game. Maybe if the game were fun. Maybe if monkeys could tango.

Clunky controls and one-hit kills, along with a strangely absent option to either quit to the main menu during a game, or have a second player join any time are all annoying. More annoying, however, is that the game just doesn’t feel like a retro revamp of a true classic.

Any time life drives you to the point of taking out a submachine gun and opening up in a public place, a few minutes with this game is the perfect solution.

If anything, Battle Nexus is a really uneven game. Some sections last two minutes, others last about 10 and culminate in a huge battle.

You'll often have so many paths before you in a dungeon it can be tough to wrap your brain around how exactly you can move forward, and the individual puzzles can be absolutely brutal.

A reliable, if unremarkable shooter. If only the story had been better reflected in actual gameplay we'd be getting somewhere.

For most gamers the only enjoyment you'll get out of the game will be mocking it with your friends.

For most gamers the only enjoyment you'll get out of the game will be mocking it with your friends.

A nice diversion, but its clunky progression scheme makes tedious what has been natural for far too long.

If the online game had been at least as good as its’ predecessors, this title would have received top marks. Now all Tribes: Vengeance can boast is one of the best single-player story modes currently available on the PC.

The attempt to add depth to the game hasn’t really succeeded, but the combat still feels fun.

Maximum Impact isn't a failure, per se, but it was an ill-advised move that SNK will hopefully learn a lesson from. It's better to be king of a flat empire than become a polygonal pauper.

Behind the cool art and bizarre story is a fun, addictive and challenging RPG with great gameplay systems and a lot more variety and choice than most of today’s, cinema-heavy RPGs. Games rarely stray this far off the beaten path and actually work out so well, making Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne a must for the adventurous RPG fan.

The problem lies in how far apart these missions are in relation to each other, making it seem like the developers are forcing you to explore the world instead of giving you the option.

Unlike the sublime, budget-friendly "Katamari Damacy," this game sells for full price. It may be worth a rental, but Under the Skin proves that being simple, weird, and quirky just isn’t good enough on its own.

With "Winning Eleven" on the market you just expect more, and you get it. FIFA may have high-priced Premiereship licenses and a killer career mode, but at the end of the day, it’s just not as much fun as the competition.

With "Winning Eleven" on the market you just expect more, and you get it. FIFA may have high-priced Premiereship licenses and a killer career mode, but at the end of the day, it’s just not as much fun as the competition.

The learning curve is steep, and the first half-dozen battles serve to show you the ropes. After this initiation, things pick up and Kingdom becomes quite compelling.

Another problem that's at odds with the kid-friendly design is a surprising number of vague objectives.

With "Winning Eleven" on the market you just expect more, and you get it. FIFA may have high-priced Premiereship licenses and a killer career mode, but at the end of the day, it’s just not as much fun as the competition.

The kart-racing mode is another nice diversion for youngsters (though it's just a single race on a choice of seven courses), and the explorable areas are diverse enough to keep the wee ones occupied.

With "Winning Eleven" on the market you just expect more, and you get it. FIFA may have high-priced Premiereship licenses and a killer career mode, but at the end of the day, it’s just not as much fun as the competition.

Your appreciation of Tak 2 largely depends on the number of 3D platform games you’ve seen over the years. The more you’ve experienced, the less impressive Tak 2 is to play, which means younger audiences will love it.

Your enjoyment of Midway Arcade Treasures 2 will certainly hinge upon your weakness for nostalgia.

Firmly establishes Mario as an RPG force. The game is a stylish, accessible game for RPG veterans and newcomers of all ages, and shouldn't be missed by fans of Mario, RPGs, or just great games.

Your appreciation of Tak 2 largely depends on the number of 3D platform games you've seen over the years. The more you've experienced, the less impressive Tak 2 is to play, which means younger audiences will love it.

Eidos looks stupid for accepting the AO rating, yet covering up the genitals with fig leaves. And the IDSA has only succeeded in making its own rating system appear useless.

Larry's longevity will be directly proportionate to the amount of laughs you derive from bodily functions great and small.

The censoring of the songs is often amusingly stupid. Apparently, "dope" is now a bad word. While it might cater to suburbanites with hip-hop dreams, this is an unintuitive mess that's almost impossible to play.

But the lack of definable strengths and weak multiplayer options make it really easy for the average gamer to leave it on the store shelf.

The sorry presentation and a complete lack of multiplayer missions--online or otherwise--ultimately keep Yager from being a top-notch game.

Larry's longevity will be directly proportionate to the amount of laughs you derive from bodily functions great and small.

With tons of secrets to uncover, and a surprising array of different gameplay options, Mortal Kombat: Deception is a surprisingly fun package.

In many ways it's the best the series has to offer, but it's still probably not enough to haul in a new audience.

With tons of secrets to uncover, and a surprising array of different gameplay options, Mortal Kombat: Deception is a surprisingly fun package.

In many ways it's the best the series has to offer, but it's still probably not enough to haul in a new audience.

In many ways it's the best the series has to offer, but it's still probably not enough to haul in a new audience.

Everything in the game remains true to the source material, and Revelation is the best Myst sequel yet released.

There’s something oddly compelling about the game. When you’re not online, you’re constantly worried about what’s going on. Once you meet up with other players, that worry becomes dread.

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.

It feels like every single car in the game is driving around on bald tires. No matter what you do, you’ll be sliding off the road.

A good platformer buoyed by some interesting gameplay concepts and hindered by certain design flaws.

Where the first game was shorter than trainer Mickey Goldmill, Rocky Legends towers higher than Ivan Drago in terms of replay value. It’s unfortunate that the gameplay isn’t quite as polished.

From the typo-riddled tutorial to the mind-numbing elevator music, there’s nothing good about this game.

A good platformer buoyed by some interesting gameplay concepts and hindered by certain design flaws.

Though it could stand to offer a few more play options, one thing is clear: NBA Live 2005’s got game.

It feels like every single car in the game is driving around on bald tires. No matter what you do, you'll be sliding off the road.

It's balanced to near-perfection, and manages to pack very few slow moments into a few dozen hours of gameplay. Sure, it's not a Square-Enix title, but you'll be surprised at just how good this game is.