Having never read the book or watched the movie I was able to approach Eragon from a purely gaming standpoint and was totally disappointed. Not only did it not live up to the franchise material upon which it was based, it just wasn’t a good game.

Quality took a backseat to just getting it done in time for the film’s premiere. Our loss.

Fans of the book (or movie) will certainly enjoy this fresh perspective of playing as Saphira with support from Eragon, especially since the other game variations do just the opposite.

The game seemed too much like a button mashing port from the console with no thought to gameplay or storyline.

Much like the home consoles’ classics like Zelda and Fable, Eragon does an excellent job of combining solid RPG elements with user-friendly gameplay.

Gothic 3 takes some role-playing aspects to a new high with its excellent quest system and fully interactive world. Too bad other critical elements, from combat to graphics performance, fall so short.

While the game could certainly have used some refinement in a number of key areas, at the end of the day I still enjoyed my time with it.

I think this game’s real value lies in the simplicity and accessibility that would be really good for an enjoyable party game or as a rental.

This is one game that was a joy to play and review even though my kids where constantly bugging me to play it themselves. I guess that shows how well liked Eragon for the GBA is for many age groups.

For a mediocre movie to game translation, $40 is just too much coin to drop for a game that can be played from end to end in a single weekend of casual gaming.

The gameplay and graphics are really very good and the value is through the roof here.

Enjoyable despite its few warts, and is one of the better surprises of the year so far.

Beyond the controls SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab didn’t offer much aside from frustrating driving.

One thing that I did find on the game that really annoyed me was a save point that would always freeze up my game as it was saving.

Thankfully, Chicken Little: Ace In Action strays far enough from the dreadful film from which it was based, and delivers a decent gameplay experience with very little of the bad aftertaste.

The co-op mode has the potential to give the game a decent replay value if they ever get around to patching it, but for now you'll have to stick with the challenging eight levels that will make for a decent arcade gaming experience.

A milestone, a legendary achievement in gaming that only comes along once in a very long time. With game quality visuals, and sound design increasing with just about every new title that ships, the fact that Gears of War manages to make such a huge leap forward only emphasizes just how innovative this game truly is.

A totally original concept and a fresh approach to the growing population of puzzle games.

The action is unbelievably intense and the historical material is researched and presented in a way that borders on being educational.

The best thing I can say about Call of Duty 3 is that after playing I actually felt like I had been through a war. There were moments when I would catch myself physically ducking or leaning my body as I tried to look around a corner.

If you must play the game on the old PS2 you'll still have a good time; albeit a lonely time. Just don't play it on the 360 or PS3 or you might never be satisfied with your classic system again. Tony has definitely made the jump to next-gen and you might want to do the same.

Project 8 is going to thrash the Xbox 360 competition this holiday season and will easily be on track for sports game of the year. With a completely new physics and game engine, and totally remastered tricks and environments to meet the demands of this engine, a new era in skateboarding is born, and Tony Hawk's Project 8 is "next-gen gaming" in its truest definition to date.

Like most collections (and like most of life), this is a case of a handful of superstars flanked by quite a few ho-hum efforts that should have been sidelined in favor of better games from a wider array of genres.

Lightning does strike twice and Guitar Hero II is 1.21 gigawatts of blazing electric guitar gameplay with a perfect track selection, perfect gameplay, perfect multiplayer, and perfect fun that will start the day you open the game and last until the day you, your PS2, or your guitar dies.

The best Dragon Ball Z game ever. It does almost everything right and is a nearly flawless culmination of everything that was great about every US Dragon Ball Z game since Final Bout, be it characters, gameplay or graphics.

A waste of time. The gameplay is terrible and I saw better graphics on video games two years ago. I can’t understand all the uproar this game caused because the game in itself is not worth bothering with.

You simply can't imagine what Treyarch has done with the franchise until you see Call of Duty 3 in action. You'll wonder how they got all that game into an Xbox. They have really mastered the technical horsepower of the Xbox and advanced the series in every single way.

If you must play the game on the old Xbox you'll still have a good time; albeit a lonely time. Just don't play it on the 360 or you might never be satisfied with your classic system again. Tony has definitely made the jump to next-gen and you might want to do the same.

Rather than try to improve on the gameplay, the designers simply give us more of the same – a lot more – while adding in a few additional game modes and enhancing the original stuff.

The combat and diplomacy features work well and are involved enough to be interesting but does not dominate over other areas of the game. Overall 1701 A.D. is a very good city building simulation game and very fun to play.

Rich narrative, engaging gameplay, and total attention to role-playing detail.

Liberation is a perfect example of just how powerful the PSP is, and a great way to experience console action in the palm of your hand.

Carbon is another great racing game for the 360 and it’s awesome to think that in just one year our beloved console has already seen two of these games.

I will assume the reason features are being stripped from EA games on 360 is due to disc space issues. Do we really need to have space eating video highlight reels?

Tunguska is one of those shining stars that even though it could have been better it is about the best that you can get for a game that you will only play once.

If you are already enjoying the PS2 version of ATV 4 then this is the perfect way to take that same racing fun on the road, or even if this is your only version of the game, there is plenty to like in Offroad Fury Pro.

If you’re a Guild Wars fan, you really should pick up the best expansion of the series so far. New players who are interested in Guild Wars should also start with Nightfall, considering all the improvements ArenaNet has made.

If the only console you own is a Gamecube – steer clear of Splinter Cell: Double Agent. But if you happen to own a PS2 or Xbox – pick up one of those versions and you will have an awesome holiday.

There is little doubt in my mind that Sega could create a great MMO one day, but truth is, they need a make a fresh start and take the concept in a new direction, take it back to the drawing board.

What the original Phantasy Star Online lacked in terms of a solid single player story mode, Phantasy Star Universe makes up for it in spades. With its well written story, good voice acting, frequent cut-scenes, and addicting, yet simple gameplay, there’s no denying that this game is a full fledged action RPG that doesn’t have to be taken online this time to fully appreciate.

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic can either be an incredible fantasy romp, or a grueling, dissatisfying venture depending on what you’re expecting.

The “best of the best” of the PS2 games out for the holidays. Featuring a kick-ass storyline, signature Splinter Cell gameplay and some of the best graphics on the console; it really does not get any better than this.

A very solid offering and is one of the most enjoyable flight combat games to his the platform in the past year.

With all the exciting flight-action-combat of Crimson Skies combined with the endearing charm of Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang, this is one game you don't want to miss. It's great on the PS2 and even better on the PSP.

But as far as sound investments go, buying up Final Fantasy XII, Suikoden V, Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Dragon Quest VIII will get you a lot more bang for considerably less money -- you might even have enough left over to go grab one of the oft-overlooked Shadow Hearts games.

Sure, the levels and even the gameplay get a bit repetitive at times, but there is always great action and the potential to share that action with your friends, and that is what really make this game rise above its predecessors and a total joy to play.

Sure, the levels and even the gameplay get a bit repetitive at times, but there is always great action and the potential to share that action with your friends, and that is what really make this game rise above its predecessors and a total joy to play.

Sure, the levels and even the gameplay get a bit repetitive at times, but there is always great action and the potential to share that action with your friends, and that is what really make this game rise above its predecessors and a total joy to play.

Sure, the levels and even the gameplay get a bit repetitive at times, but there is always great action and the potential to share that action with your friends, and that is what really make this game rise above its predecessors and a total joy to play.

Downhill Jam might not make the most of the dual screens or the touch screen functionality, but I can’t imagine a better system to enjoy this type of game on. The sheer level of customization, stat tracking, and online potential will keep you skating throughout the holidays and well into next year.

There is no denying the cute and cuddly factor of the cast, and the appealing art style of the cutscenes, but the 2D gameplay, tiny characters, uninspired game design, and a coma-inducing soundtrack should send anyone over the age of ten in search of something else to play on your NDS.

The fun, inventive style of play is downright addictive and the variety is excellent – just enough combat to keep things exciting and enough puzzles to flex your IQ without slowing you down.

Maybe it’s the explosive beauty and color of it all, it’s really is a visual delight, it’s true eye-candy. Not only that, but it plays great, it’s fun and it’s extremely challenging, but thankfully, even with all the challenge, it’s nice enough to give us a checkpoint feature so we can pick it up and continue the game later on.

All-in-all Reservoir Dogs does have its moments, I just am not sure I feel comfortable recommending full-price (even at the budget level) purchase to experienced gamers.

Double Agent is fun, exciting, intense, and definitely a great send-off title for the classic Xbox. What it lacks in 360 visuals it more than makes up for in substance and gameplay and that is what ultimately counts.

Sure, the levels and even the gameplay get a bit repetitive at times, but there is always great action and the potential to share that action with your friends, and that is what really make this game rise above its predecessors and a total joy to play.

Cars is quite simply one of the best movie-to-game conversions in the history of the sketchy genre.

Frenzied, frustrating and infuriating – but it is also addicting as hell. And while it might not be worth the full asking price of $10, it is a decent port of a solid fighting game from days gone by.

While the tropical environment is inviting, and the game honestly isn’t all that bad, it’s a bit expensive for such a short diversion, and most gamers will probably go for something with a little more substance for the same price.

If you have a PSP then I’d still recommend getting the first Lumines, the new sequel, or even both. This is a game that is much more suited to portable systems.

Bully is all about choices and making something out of a bad situation. It’s also a really great game full of humor and believable characters. I recommend it highly.

Brigade E5 has the biggest choice of weapons and equipment I have seen in any video game and it is all usable. That in itself says a lot toward the game and its potential even though it does have some larger problems.

Double Agent is fun, exciting, intense, and definitely a showcase title for the visual elegance of the 360, but if you want a fully fleshed out story, extended levels, more dialogue, and an overall richer Splinter Cell experience, I’d have to recommend the original Xbox version over this.

Battlefield 2142 is more of a mod of the very well made Battlefield 2, but still a must for online gamers.

Destroy All Humans! 2 isn’t necessarily a bad game – it just isn’t all that great. I was hoping that laying waste on hippies, yippies and KGB agents would be a bit more fun and a lot less confining.

“X-Men: Legends” did everything Justice League Heroes tried to do and did it so much better. What’s worse is that this game came out well after “Legends” yet showed no effort to improve on their standards or try anything innovative.

While the additional content is a little light, the game still delivers solid strategy both online and off.

While this new version still lacks a lot of the content (courses) you can still get playing on last-gen systems, it certainly is a huge improvement from last year’s “golf sampler”, and with the integrated ESPN, amazing GameFace features for your characters and UCAP technology for the pros, and an enhanced True Swing and True Aiming system, this is by far the best and most advanced professional golf simulation available.

If you are interested in owning a piece of PSP gaming history then get a copy of WTF, but don't open it. Much like Pandora's Box, once opened the evil that lurks inside can never be put back and it will surely consume us all.

If you’re a console gamer intrigued by the Sims games but don’t own a PC, Sims 2 Pets for PS2 may be fun for you to try, especially if you also enjoy virtual pets. Otherwise, the PC version is definitely your better bet.

If you enjoy The Sims 2, and if you’re excited by the prospect of designing and caring for digital pets, you’ll probably enjoy this expansion, too.

There were a handful of drawbacks – most notably the lack of some teams and absence of a team or player creation mode – but overall this is great fun.

Ford Bold Moves Street Racing is fairly basic in presentation and offers a limited selection of real world cars and pretty average racing action mixed with some minor team strategy elements.

The only positive thing I can say about the game is that the designers at least nailed the look and feel of the show, but how hard was that when you have all the artists, and actors?

A great expansion to the base game Zoo Tycoon 2. The additional animals as well as features like training your new animals and having them perform for your guests is great. The added zoo locations and landscaping features make for more variety and a better looking zoo for you to build.

Very rarely do I get to say that a sequel is actually better than the original, but Destroy All Humans! 2 manages to boost just about every level of humor, storytelling, and gameplay up at least a slight notch.

I plan to keep Space Empires V installed on my hard drive alongside upcoming A-list titles like Star Trek: Legacy. After all, every strategy fan needs a game that’s a little slower placed but offers so many complex choices.

A blast to play, especially for fans of puzzles, crime stories, psychology, and/or horror.

For a lot of younger gamers it might be too simple a premise, but if you give the trial version a shot you should find enough challenging gameplay here to warrant a purchase.

GUN Showdown sets a new standard of wild west action gameplay that merges an epic, and oft-times emotional story with challenging gameplay and realistic horseback riding and mounted combat.

I would wholeheartedly suggest that any Spyro fan check out any of the console releases of A New Beginning before delving into this frustrating release.

It is pretty obvious that EA has pretty much shifted their focus onto developing and innovating for the new generation of consoles, and simply decided to throw some “best-of” material out to the older systems.

While this new version still lacks a lot of the content available on the big consoles it still delivers quality and fun and lots of challenging golf for the gamer on the go.

It is a cute concept, and it is functionally fine. It only stinks that the gameplay becomes a blur of tedious monotony after such a short period of time.

A pretty sweet game. I just hope that Krome and Sierra will succeed in their experiment to bring a new age of gamer to the once-cutesy character. If not, this might be the last Spyro we ever see – and that would be a shame.

Deception still seems to be Mortal Kombat's crowning achievement for now. While Armageddon is a solid game, and it did get a lot right, it also got a significant amount wrong.

I am truly amazed at the range of scores Scarface: The World is Yours has been getting. I’m guessing the low scores are coming from people who are either rushing through the game or have no prior knowledge of Tony Montana and the movie that inspired the game.

If you’re into blood, guts and violence then Scarface is not a bad game other than the pretty lame AI.

Scarface for the PSP surprised me a lot once I got past the boring tutorial. It’s an unexpectedly enjoyable, highly replay-able strategy game with terrible sound and marginal at best graphics.

I am truly amazed at the range of scores Scarface: The World is Yours has been getting. I'm guessing the low scores are coming from people who are either rushing through the game or have no prior knowledge of Tony Montana and the movie that inspired the game.

This is a great game to test your brain and your dexterity, and with improved load times and a great design where levels only last a minute, Mercury Meltdown is a great title for the gamer on the go.

Despite a few annoying omissions, the overall gameplay is as good as it gets on Xbox. The wealth of settings and ability to play a quick match or dive into the deep end of team management is a complete thrill and well worth the price.

Whether you like the feel of strategic buildup and planning for the big war or as tactician in battles Pacific Storm has enough variety that it sets itself apart from previous strategy games.

Boring, difficult (due to poor design) and repetitive.

The game might look great, but the gameplay is seriously lacking. Five years ago, Family Guy might have made a wave in the gaming world; today it makes hardly a ripple.

But why try the rest when you already have the best? Just Cause is competently done, but it fails to put anything truly new on the table, making San Esperito a nice place to visit, but not to live.

You’ll have a fun time breaking the law to overthrow a government and not even know who you’re working for.

DOOM is by far one of the better XBLA titles available on the 360.