The graphical improvements are not terribly impressive, and the extra content is more of the same.

If The Guild 2 gets the patches it deserves, there’s a worthwhile simulation in here somewhere for niche-hybrid lovers. Else it’s just a glorious mess of ideas stumbling around in a soup of unrealized possibilities.

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.

Typically, the gameplay here is cheap and full of unsatisfying ways to die.

Jet Set Radio's modern upgrade isn't a robust one, but it's certainly suitable for the asking price. Unfortunately, the game found beneath all of that aesthetic bliss has aged poorly in parts, and the result is that this important and influential experience is much better seen and heard today, rather than actually played.

A very solid tactical action game that's hampered by some very demanding controls.

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.

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.

Online mode is fine if you can find the players. It’s compatible with EyeToy and the USB headset, and matches are easy enough to set up and play. But for all that hassle, why not just get a deck of card and have some friends over?

Exactly what a kid’s game should be. It combines an array of genres and re-works them so that gaming newcomers will be able to get the hang of the action in a non-threatening environment.

There are glimpses of genius here for sure -- the landshark gun, the topsy-turvy mine, and some of the level design and humor come to mind -- but it doesn't add up to a complete game.

The game gets by purely on the appeal of its characters, and ends up being a reasonably entertaining game for kids.

The only real downside here is the presentation – the updated art and menus are garish and much of the writing feels dashed off. Good thing Adol isn’t exactly the chatty type.

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.

On paper, it's got the potential to be more than a match for "San Andreas"; in practice, it's nowhere near it.

Fans of classic sprite design will love some of the graphics, and there's at least 25 hours of gameplay here for those who dig into it.

Balancing loyalties and uncovering a large-scale mystery (even though it’s poorly handled) go a long way towards creating a great sense of scope and immersion. Unfortunately, numerous technical issues, narrative missteps and unbalanced gameplay elements keep the game from being something truly special.

If the game offered anything beyond a gimmick that grew stale three games ago, we'd have something to recommend. But with nothing more than generic button mashing and a sorry excuse for a career mode, Bloody Roar 4 is for die-hard fans of the series and furries only.

The alien infestation system is a great concept that suffers in its implementation. Conversely, the space marine controls are quite functional, but the story makes little use of the "Aliens" license. And the predator story is more of a "that would be cool" afterthought than a smart addition.

A near-complete package. There's a good variety of moves, challenges, and features to keep the average extreme sports fan coming back.

Features an excellent control scheme and upgraded graphics but it still feels shallow. The AI mode definitely could have been deeper and the addition of more extra features would have been a plus.

The same old Samurai Warriors game with a bit of strategy pasted between battles. The new features are not enough to draw strategy fans into the fold, but they might just be what longtime fans of the series need to keep going with the genre.

This is not going to be everybody’s perfect Worms, but the odd controls and odder mini-games definitely set it apart from the rest of the series. As the subtitle suggests, Space Oddity is unique.

Once you know all the jokes in Outlaw Golf, it starts to lose its appeal. If you take away all of the game's "Smackdown" humor and attitude, all you're left with is a decent golf title.

Fulfills bare minimum expectations of the typical fighting game sequel. It delivers more of the same with slight tweaks in the character roster.

While the computer AI, stat tracking, control, and sound are not in the same league as "Madden NFL 2003" or "NFL 2K3," audiences normally intimidated by professional football games no longer have to wish upon a star for a game designed to their tastes.

The gameplay experience is a little too ho-hum, even with the many different mini-games. It’s a nice effort, but a fairly average experience.

A mostly average button masher that has the good luck of being associated with the hottest kids' property to come along in years.