While it's lacking in the qualities necessary to convert the haters, it's nonetheless a game that will please the faithful.

While it doesn't have the depth or complexity of the PC version, The Sims 2 brings a unique and engaging game experience to the Xbox.

Considering this game spun off from a series that rewards diligent accuracy, the studio should be applauded for delivering a title that encourages strategy and a mild form of improvisation while still being a worthy Rock Band game.

An innovative and engaging game, provided you can get over the steep learning curve.

Places its emphasis on subtle refinements over sweeping changes, which is what tends to happen when the gameplay is seasoned enough to already be considered a class act.

On the whole, any Minecraft is better than no Minecraft, and the 360 version is a full, satisfying game, when not judged against the PC version -- even in slightly-gimped form, Minecraft is better than most games on earth.

College Hoops 2K7 is a big improvement over last year, though it's still overshadowed by "NBA 2K7."

The game is both visually interesting and colorful, running at a consistent 60 frames per second, and the quality of animation looks like something you'd see on a Saturday morning cartoon.

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.

Like any new pet, sometimes it will drive you crazy when it pees on the floor, but the moment it does something adorable and curls up on the end of the bed you will love it all over again.

An incredibly fun game born of a fascinating concept that follows through on its potential in almost every way. If you’re a fan of hip-hop, or of solid grapplers with a huge does of the old ultra-violence, you’ll find plenty here to keep you bouncing in your seat.

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.

Unfortunately, aside from slight interludes and fantastic-looking, if generally pointless, prerendered end movies, any actual meaningful bits of plot are almost nonexistent for most of the characters...[yet] one of the greatest fighting games ever made.

Where its online options are concerned, Ghost Recon is simply one of the best reasons to get Xbox Live.

A real treat... However, the occasional way-too-difficult mission leads to some frustrating repetition, and behaving while driving around so as not to blow the last leg of a driving mission can become slightly tedious.

The new challenge mode and sub-divisions further enhance the "Command & Conquer"-style of gameplay, and the increased features, tweaks, and improvements make it an essential purchase for fans of the series.

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.

Amped isn't the most fun-filled snowboarding game you can buy, but it's easily the deepest and most satisfying.

It’s still the genre you know and love, but few games have this level of polish and originality.

Though the core game is obscenely short by modern standards, Capcom packed this title with a lot of extra content. And unlike so many retro-revamps, everything here is well worth your time.

While it does not have the seemingly endless replay value of the original, the tighter gameplay works well for a more straightforward gaming experience.

You're not paying for a full game when you purchase this title, and for $15 you're getting a lot of bang (literally) for your buck. The online matches are still just as addictive, and the new modes are very welcome and hopefully a precursor of more to come.

Taken together, the new touches are nice, but the graphics are one area where SOCOM II can't yet compete with its PC cousins.

The gameplay is so enjoyable, however, that it should almost be required to at least try - especially the multiplayer mode.

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.

The onscreen heads-up display is a miracle of design, everything is easy to read, and a foldout cardboard keyboard layout makes sure everything is easy to do. Still, the game is extremely challenging, perhaps too difficult too fast.

For what it is – a colorful, action-packed dungeon hack – it’s as much of a credit to the Shining Force name as any 15-year-old strategy game.

The Wii version is graphically inferior to the 360 and PS3; Ron and Hermione have a nasty way of blocking your path in tight quarters; and there are the aforementioned, seemingly endless fetch-quests. Even with all that, this is easily the best Harry Potter game to date, and it’s simply one of the most entertaining movie tie-ins on the market.