King Kong is short... really short. The average player will finish the game in about six hours, and for $60, that’s not exactly a great value.

One thing 2K Sports continually proves, however, is that it can bring the game even when it doesn't look as sharp as the competition.

An enjoyable, mindless, action game and generally plays well on the 360. But the performance issues are going to rob this one of a point. Especially when we know this console should be able to handle a game like this without breaking a sweat.

The result of meddling with Joe's mechanics is pure mediocrity. Though lefties will scream in frustration, the action is never bad, merely bland.

At the end of the day, what you’ll find in the box is a bunch of nice extras that are packaged with a horrible batch of code that barely qualifies as a game.

The jalopy of the group. Gamers who go gaga for drifting will still show up in droves, but the majority of you will be much better off with "Project Gotham 3's" melding of replay and realism or "Need For Speed: Most Wanted's" frantic cop chases and customization.

From a strange glitch that causes dead enemies to bounce around the environments like a Super Ball inside a blender, to the anemic implementation of vehicles into the multiplayer, another six months would have served it well.

It’s by far the best of its kind, and the variable but fair enemy AI keeps the game fresh, especially on higher difficulties.

At the end of the day, what you'll find in the box is a bunch of nice extras that are packaged with a horrible batch of code that barely qualifies as a game.

When it comes down to it, The Darkest Faerie plays like a Zelda knockoff and looks like a Spyro ripoff. Save for the mote system, there really isn't anything interesting going on, which would be fine if the execution were better.

Many will say the game ends too abruptly with its nine-hour length, but there's no other experience like Condemned: Criminal Origins for those who can handle its savage disposition.

A cheap and dirty port, Tony Hawk American Wasteland is only recommendable to newbies or hopelessly devoted fans. On the 360, however, the game is not worth the extra $10. The lousy graphics, and tired gameplay makes this one a serious grind.

Aesthetic quibbles and longish load times aside, Project Gotham Racing 3 strikes an excellent balance between arcade and sim gameplay without alienating fans of either.

Casual hockey fans should give this series the cold shoulder until the developers take better advantage of the new platform, something that will likely happen with "NHL 2K7."

In particular, it's disappointing to see that extra processing power hasn't gone to make the horses feel more responsive and real.

Basketball fans looking for the best rendition of the sport should let NBA Live 06 dribble through their fingers and score a copy of NBA 2K6 instead. Next year’s battle will hopefully be more competitive.

While an online mode does help alleviate some of the issues found in the single-player game, the severe lack of content makes it really hard to justify a purchase.

If you still own an Xbox or PlayStation 2, there's absolutely no reason to purchase this game. Especially since it'll cost you $10 more and offers about 25 percent of the content.

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 “strategy” is not much different than the electronic game Simon, emphasizing timing and pattern recognition instead of true skill or tactics.

Easy playability, a solid presentation, and one of the most satisfyingly off-beat and engaging storylines in any game all make Amped 3 one of the more suprising Xbox 360 launch games.

The game is a beefy excursion that pleases all your senses, and for that, it will be taking plenty of pink slips from other Xbox 360 launch games.

It sure does look done, but once you slice it open you realize it's only half-baked.

It’s not really fresh, revolutionary, or exceptional, but Alter Code F is a way to revisit old times, a history lesson on the early days of the genre, and a way for a game company to make a little extra cash.

If you’re not a fan of online play, you’d do better to keep your germs to yourself.

Thanks to careful balancing, rewarding pacing, and an excellent translation, Dragon Quest VIII is one of those rare games that's more than the sum of its parts.

Even as a generic 3D platformer Pac-Man World 3 fails to satisfy.

There's nothing wrong with Most Wanted, exactly, but neither is there anything to make it stand out from the many good racers already available for the PSP.