It's a gifted, but often-troubled arcade game that forsakes depth for good old-fashioned death and debauchery.

The weak, shriveled heart of "Armageddon" can barely pump the appealing lifeblood of the comic book series into this hollow shell. It isn't terrible, but it offers few reasons to complete the 20 or so missions.

The game tries to adapt the various keypad functions, and you can use an on-screen virtual Intellivision paddle, but neither works as well as the original hardwired controllers did.

This is hands-down, the worst videogame to ever see the light of day. Really.

A truly great party game -- both on and offline -- and is a terrifically original and energetic diversion from the dirge of shooters and other serious games that comprise the majority of the Xbox lineup. Just don't get caught playing alone.

Feels like a generic platformer with Looney Tunes characters pasted on top of it. All of the irreverent one-liners in the world can't save it, and neither can half-hearted appearances by supporting characters.

An original game with a well-developed theme and a lot to do. If the fighting and voice acting had received a little more attention, this would surely be a five-star game. As it is, some gamers might have trouble taking the game seriously.

Its humorous tone and extremely satisfying random destruction really make it worth playing.

It's just one gruesome kill after another until the violence loses its punch. Too bad that happens after the first couple missions. If you want a stealth game, there are better ones out there. If you want blood, do yourself a favor a buy a tube of red dye #5, instead.

But what it does have is a visceral feeling of destruction few other games possess.

Fails on its own with boring level design and sloppy, unsatisfying gameplay. The vulgarity of the setting just makes it worse.

While the structure and sidequests are a little too hard core and not as good as we would've hoped for in the first true "Final Fantasy" sequel, Final Fantasy X-2 is a great game nonetheless.

Has its moments, but unless you're thrilled by the prospect of undergoing some tedious repetition to the beat of generic techno music in the name of your ninja training, you'll want to think twice about tasting this rusty, unpolished, ninja steel.

The core idea is worth further development, but leave this import in the garage while repairs are being made.

While the game doesn't look as good as it should, the gameplay and online support is terrific, and the focus on team play puts it in a class by itself.

One potential complaint with PGR2 -- the only one, really -- is the competing AI. While other drivers' performance is well scaled based on skill level, you'll find that these aren't the most imaginative bunch on the road.

More like an expansion team than a Stanley Cup contender. With a sharper focus on either realism or arcade play combined with more standout graphics, next year's version could be bumped up to the first line.

A surprisingly addictive, insanely frenetic multiplayer game that will delight "Magic" fans. But even those who've never played it (and maybe shot spitballs at those who did) might take a fancy to it.

Keep this one on the bench and hope that some off-season workouts can elevate it to starting status.

The absurd amount of sneaking around at the end of the game becomes overly tedious and a poor replacement for more exciting gun battles.

Gives a strong performance on a lot of levels, but finds itself stuck in the hangar when it comes to the actual feel of flying. It's a fun, challenging game, but far more attention should have been given to the physics and plane mechanics.

There's a peculiar lack of in-game music that, when paired with the spartan sound effects, makes the game feel lifeless.

On the downside, deep as peripheral options are, the title doesn't feel like much of a step forward from its predecessor, "Hot Pursuit 2."

Hard-core fans of old-school gaming will want to pick it up, but most gamers will find that the gameplay issues keep this set from being more than an occasional trip down memory lane.

The huge leap in quality and playability from last year's version qualifies it for one of the most improved sports games available.

Definitely scores a high Bond quotient, and it's a decent game in its own right. It's short and has a few problems with its driving sections, but it does throw in multiplayer options and a simple blackjack game for good measure.

This is as light and unpretentious as RPGs get. If the typical melodramatic RPGs make you laugh more than cry and you've grown tired of casting dragon destroyer +7, Mario & Luigi is just what the plumber ordered.

Even the most cynical gamers will have a hard time not being won over by its charms. In short, it's the type of game you bought a GameCube for in the first place and, thanks to its excellent multiplayer modes, has a lot of staying power.