It would be nice if it were a little deeper or offered a few more ways to play, but we’d recommend anyone looking for some light and wacky sports action to look no further than Ribbit King.

There's always potential in the realistic shooter, and on paper, Shadow Ops seems pretty strong. But that crucial spark that separates the good from the great is mission in action.

Even with a scant few missteps, Psi-Ops is quite a ride. From the slick controls, to the surprisingly intelligent enemies, you’ll be compelled to play through to the end.

While there’s a lot of action here, traditional real-time strategy gamers might be thrown off by its complexity.

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.

Those who enjoyed "Tennis 2K2" or "Top Spin" probably won’t appreciate Smash Court Tennis as much, since the game isn’t nearly as accessible. Yet if you felt these titles were lacking in realism and challenge, Smash Court will easily satisfy your inner Roddick or Williams.

It would be nice if it were a little deeper or offered a few more ways to play, but we’d recommend anyone looking for some light and wacky sports action to look no further than Ribbit King.

When the speed stops, the fun stops. Otherwise, Sonic Advance 3 moves fast, looks and sounds good (Sonic fans will certainly groove to a remixed tune or two), and has a few multiplayer options to boot.

Yet despite its faithfulness to the series, its rousing music, the throwback visual style, and inclusion of familiar characters such as Epona and the owl, the game's narrow scope nonetheless elicits a twinge of disappointment.

Those without pixies and muggles dancing in their heads beforehand are going to find the game a lot less enchanting, but fans of the Potter series will want to consider a brief stay in a reasonable facsimile of the hallowed halls of Hogwart’s.

The visuals hold up fairly well, and the controls are solid, if simplistic. What's here is the underlying base of a game. They just forgot to include meaningful gameplay or a storyline.

Pure strategy in a shiny candy shell. It takes the brains of a strategy game and stuffs them into the buffed-out body of an action game. The result is a tense, nail-biting experience that rarely fails to amaze.

Great dialogue, visceral, vicarious violence, and a well-realized first-person experience might make you wish you could serve a little more of your sentence.

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.

The slow-burning story is fun, and the dedication to stealth results in game mechanics that easily surpass the competition. It's an essential purchase for anyone who values an atmosphere of great gameplay over body counts.

Oh-so-close to being the perfect handheld game. Its rich, entertaining gameplay can be enjoyed in nuggets, and simply put, it’s beautifully designed.

There’s certainly room for improvement, but Transformers has a lot to offer any fan of interactive destruction.

It’s got some excellent gameplay ideas that are marred by sloppy execution and balance issues. A lot of these problems could have been fixed in the PC port, but they haven't been.

Future Tactics makes a few blunders, but simple and intuitive rules, dynamic and destructible battlefields, and a few great ideas make for a fight worth fighting in the end.

The game equivalent of bowling shoes: cheap, tacky, a little stinky, and something best left behind the rental counter.

A game with this much customization and apparent depth is sure to have its fans, and the extent to which you'll enjoy Custom Robo largely depends on your willingness to overlook the simplicity of the story mode and sink your teeth into the somewhat repetitive battles.

Van Helsing really isn’t a good game. Which means, in the context of flick-based titles, it's about average. If you’re tired of the "Devil May Cry" clones, then Van Helsing is definitely not for you.

Even without the attraction of variable online play, The Omega Strain would be a winner thanks to its tough, smart missions, and huge rewards system.

If you’re a stat-maxing, power-leveling, anime-watching RPG fan, this game was made for you. Expect a couple of hundred hours of entertainment.

Where UEFA Euro 2004 falters is in its scope.

We almost never find games that play as good as they look. But set a few friends in front of Rallisport Challenge 2 on the widescreen with the digital sound crashing, and they'll immediately be hooked not only by the A/V, but by the racing. For sheer playability, fun, and visual appeal most other models don't come anywhere close.

A marginally entertaining third-person shooter whose only real asset is a decent level of personality.

Solo players could find it a chore, Older gamers may find reason to snore, But if you share with a friend You’ll enjoy it for a weekend And yearn for a few hours more.

The versatile character-creation system will, at the very least, allow you to end up with something reasonably close to what you had in mind. The problem is that your looks pretty much have no bearing on how your character will play.

It’s the added complexity and context garnered from these new campaigns that keeps us coming back for more. Thrones and Patriots is a must-have expansion pack for every single person who owns Rise of Nations.

A gorgeous boilerplate game with little innovation and many sections of tedious play.

It retails for only $20, which is hard to beat. On the downside, you can probably find used copies of old UFC games for even cheaper than that, and many of them are better than Sudden Impact.

The trial-and-error nature of gameplay and the repeating loops of the plot require certain degrees of patience and repetition that not everyone will want to pony up. In our opinion, however, the game's well worth the effort.

Serious gamers shouldn't give it a second glance. It's simply not designed for them. Anyone looking for a good time or an excellent gift-giving opportunity shouldn't pass the game up, though.

It’s using the same technology, and there are no new gameplay elements to differentiate it from its predecessor in any clear way.

Despite selling for a steal, Space Raiders barely justifies the price of admission. Hard-core audiences will scoff at the game's wasted potential.

The biggest attraction to most fans will be the staggering collection of licensed clubs. For fans of unpronounceable teams from Arabic lands, there's no other solution.

The multiple ways to approach TOCA 2 are undeniably fun. And it’s really very impressive that Codemasters was able to pack so many different kinds of racing into one game.

Painkiller is pure adrenaline. If you don't feel the rush while playing this game, you're probably dead.

It’s as fast and frantic a shooter as you’ll find anywhere.

Alias is not a great game, but it's a solid stealth action title for fans of the TV show who have never played "Metal Gear Solid" or "Splinter Cell" and don't know any better.

Ditching the nauseating first-person camera altogether and instead focusing on delivering a playable behind-the-shoulder fielding cam would also be a good start. This one will be warming up in the bullpen until next year.

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.

The career mode needs the same polish found in EA's other sports franchises, boxers would benefit from additional moves (like clinching) or individual ratings for specific punches, and some notable roster omissions might disappoint ardent fans (Holmes, Hagler, De La Hoya, Foreman, and others are MIA).

NBA Ballers gets better as you master it. Given the sheer amount of unlockable content, the replay value appears substantial.

What makes this whole fiasco all the more depressing is that Breed has a ton of potential.

It's just in no way remarkable. The combination of average graphics, short campaign scenarios, and limited tactical options put the game squarely in the middle of the pack.

Offers up some fun, mindless action that fizzles out rather quickly. It's an easy game to pick up and dive right into, but for a single player, it's a weekend rental at best.

It still plays too much like one of the old games to feel like a real online title, but the one thing that could have been done to make it better -- namely, a workable communication system for players -- was skimped on.

The attempt to support an RTS with a compelling storyline is not a new idea and it has certainly been done with more imagination and style.

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.

It’s a game about the fantastical, but it’s grounded in reality. And that’s refreshing. We wish more developers would try it sometime.

It’s a testament to the game that despite all of these problems, Sacred is still fun to play. No really, it is!... But there’s still no excuse for releasing a game in such shoddy condition.

Squarely intent on holding the middle ground in every sense of the phrase, this isn't a terrible game, but it isn't especially good, either.

But character-based fighting games using characters no one cares about is never a good idea, and Blade Warriors is nowhere near as fun or deep as its inspiration.

What you won't get is a lot that went with it before, like the hopelessly addictive online multiplayer options.

A more robust story line, more variety in combat, and greater length would help a lot. But the game is still extremely enjoyable for what it is -- a hack-and-slash weekend time filler.

An incredibly attractive game with a vast world to explore and countless hours of entertainment in store for those willing to make the investment. But we warn you: those who venture to Vana'diel may not be coming back.

The multiplayer modes and incredibly powerfully map editor put Far Cry over the top. As great as the graphics are, they're merely a complement to the dynamic gameplay.

Even given how solid Cy Girls combat elements are, the shoddy level design really makes it more frustrating to play than anything else. If you're going to play it, we recommend using a walkthrough.

For most players, however, sifting through Dark Motives is much like real forensic work -- arduous and repetitive.

The single-player mode is robust and challenging, and the multiplayer mode is nigh groundbreaking. Once the multiplayer servers are populated, a whole lot of social lives are going to be ruined.

While the new camera is a big step forward, in almost every other visual aspect, ASB '05 is behind the times.

This is one of those games that will remind you that, many times, your imagination is the most powerful console.

But the interface provides the real horror show, with cryptic icons, buttons that have mysterious functions, and information displayed in a way that's difficult to understand.

It's too bad more attention wasn't paid to crafting a more compelling gameplay engine, but this is one case where style over substance isn't such a bad thing.

This is the one, folks. A more complete package you will not find.

Compared to the tight, challenging "Rainbow Six 3," which is also available on the PS2, there’s really nothing Jungle Storm can offer that you haven’t played before. At this point, the Ghost Recon series is definitely the weakest link in the Clancy chain.

It's what's on the field that counts, and even with some AI hiccups, the gameplay predominantly delivers. This is a solid, fun ball game. If the same forward leaps are made for the next outing, it will be batting cleanup.

Fighting multiple opponents is so difficult, gamers lacking dedication will feel like washed-out students under a demanding sensei. The story line may be pop-culture sci-fi, but the gameplay is hard-core.

It's too bad that an underdeveloped social scene and tedious chores that require frustrating precision keep farm life from being more fun.

A Teen-rated, sanitized version of one of America's defining moments. And perhaps this substance is what's lacking, because while Battlefield Vietnam is a capable game, it doesn't have quite have the impact that its predecessor.

As a means of killing 20 minutes here and there, the game has merit. We can't condone fiddling with it for any longer in a single sitting, though.

Tenchu just hasn't changed a whole lot since its inception six years ago, and that was hardly acceptable when "Wrath of Heaven" originally came out, last year. It's even less so now.

A lackluster follow-up to the exceptional Generations, particularly because the enhancements here are non-existent.

The question instead should be, "Is the price tag worth the day or two of campaigning I will get out of the moderately small amount of new action?" That will be left up to the individual soldier to answer.

A well-crafted game that's strictly for those who get off on blood, nastiness, and the darker side of the psyche. You know who you are.

It's hard to imagine that Corvette, though it's priced to compete with a case of Bud, will be able to satisfy. There are much more competitive racers that also feature the fabled 'vette, along with decent physics, AI, and play modes.

Has its moments, but it doesn't offer enough reward for braving the flames.

If you've played "Warship Gunner," you'll probably have seen it all before from a more interesting on-deck perspective.

The game runs at an amazing pace with every moment filled with meaningful tension and tangible atmosphere. "Metal Gear Solid" is hailed as a masterpiece with good reason, and this revised version serves its legacy well.

The visuals immediately draw you in, with some of the best motion-capture animation seen on the diamond to date, but the gameplay is what keeps you coming back.

Some stuff in Gangland, like building up your crime family, works great. Other parts, like the pace of combat, unhelpful camera angles, and useless vehicles will make you wonder if the developers should have radically rethought all the squad-based stuff.

What this title does, it does well. But to introverted Yanks like us, it makes about as much sense as putting mayonnaise on french fries.

Amusing enough for an Old West-themed shooter, but the so-called new features are either gimmicks, or, as in the case of the auto-aiming, outright annoying. The game is decent for the most part, but doesn't do the great subject matter justice.

It's novel for sure, and most won't regret playing it at all. It's just that, when it gets frustrating, it gets incredibly frustrating. If you have a high tolerance for frustration, and want to check out something completely out of left field, give this one a rental.

Optional chapters, multiple endings, and being able to replay stages amount to a game that's certainly lengthy, but they multiply an already great repetition factor. If you're willing to sacrifice depth of gameplay for depth of story, you may find that Drakengard is a worthwhile purchase.

The sense of accomplishment is strong with this one, as if the frenetic gameplay, incredible bosses, and awe-inspiring graphics aren't enough already.

A solid entry in the world of motocross games, but it's not much of a step up from "Excitebike 64," a game the same developer finished four years ago.

In the end, the cards were a good idea, but the dice wreck the curve by robbing the game of strategy. No matter how well you plan ahead, a bad roll of the dice can cripple you, sometimes for the rest of the match.

The game gets points for presentation but falls short when it comes to gameplay.

While it's the best Jet Ski game on the Xbox, it's still left soaking wet when compared to Wave Race: Blue Storm. If you have both consoles, leave Carve in your wake.

Engaging, if not innovative.

With the lack of an online death match mode, playing cooperative missions via EA Online (only in the PlayStation 2 version) turns out to be the jewel in EoN's crown. For gamers and Bond fans, this is infinitely superior to nothing.

Scores several points for the innovative control scheme that's destined to replace button mashing as the fighting tool of choice. But it doesn't have the interactivity or variety to back up the chop-socky skills, making for play that's tasty, but about as filling as a trip to a Chinese joint at your local strip mall.

A model for realistic sports across the board, with physics, player behavior, and animations that raise the bar. Seriously hard-core sport is rarely this accessible and fun.

Hits all the whoops with just the right speed. It has a solid career mode and a potent mix of open freestyle tracks and classic lap-based indoor/outdoor tracks.

Gamers who aren't familiar with the show won't find much to like here, but fans will appreciate the chance to control and interact with the characters they know and love.