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.

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

Far from a perfect game, MadWorld is perhaps the answer to gamers’ pleas for a hardcore title to arrive on the Wii. You’ll be able to clean up the city in a little under seven hours without breaking a sweat – but it’s seven hours of pure bloody mayhem that you won’t find in most twenty-hour games.

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire are the best-looking games in the series, but they don't hold a candle to technical marvels such as "Golden Sun." The graphics are hardly bad, though. They look clean and colorful.

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

Diner Dash is addictive enough that you’ll still want to bash through those crazy tough levels. When you’re willing to stick with a game through its flaws, that’s usually a pretty good sign.

Like a truly interactive horror movie, The Thing unfolds at a suspenseful pace...One of the most unique and compelling story-driven games to hit console systems in some time.

The "extreme" additions work exceedingly well in the baseball setting. What could have been a shoddy title riding on a gimmick turned out to be one of the better arcade baseball games in recent memory.

There's no question that Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree will be divisive among gamers. The hardcore will balk at its lightweight mini-games and family-friendly vibe.

The inclusion of an intuitive, open character building system, commendable AI, and great multiplayer options make this a fine choice for fans of the original game, and those looking for a good action-heavy role-playing experience.

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 single player, as compelling as it is, isn't a very good reason to buy this game. Even four-player split screen isn't a good-enough reason. But for multiplayer on your Xbox, Unreal Championship can't be beat.

The game looks and sounds fantastic, but plays even better. There’s so much to do in Paradise City that you’ll spend hours exploring every nook. Even after the single player game dulls down, the multiplayer should provide even more fun.

It does drag on in a few spots, and its sci-fi bent may betray the original premise, but it brings gamers a deep, compelling story told in a clever way -- both in terms of narrative and gameplay execution.

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.

Checkpoints are far too infrequent, compelling the player break immersion and save their progress every hundred steps. And the game's level relies too frequently on cliches.

The races are challenging and exciting, plus the management features give the game a considerable amount of depth. The game goes beyond its high concept and delivers a rather enjoyable hybrid of arcade and simulation-styled gameplay.

The visuals in Guilty Gear X2 are Disney quality, and the game's speed offline never wavers or chokes on the action. The backdrops for fighting have that old school, colorful quality, and it's clear that this game came out long after the "SFII" craze.

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

Despite lacking some tweaks that could have made the most horror-jaded gamers wet themselves, Dead Space delivers scares, gore and a truly disturbing gem of a game.

It captures the essence of its predecessor's wackiness, scope, and addictive gameplay; yet it drops the ball as far as advancements and even takes a step back in the audio department.

But it would take a very hardcore Star Wars fan to actually plod on and replay the same levels again and again. As such, LSWII might be best rented.

All told, Sam & Max fans have plenty to celebrate with three top notch (albeit brief) episodes.

Its fundamental flaws and dearth of good music makes this also-ran even more pointless.

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 best version of the game so far...It's also the best starting point for anyone who still hasn't gotten into the DDR phenomenon.

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

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.