Chaos Theory has perhaps brought the series to its finest point, with improved graphics, A.I., more open-ended gameplay and a host of multiplayer additions.

Nearly a flawless gameplay experience.

It's about as thrilling as you can make learning history without wearing costumes.

If you are looking for a great military game set during the Vietnam War then I can rattle off a list of about four great games and three good games. Unfortunately, Elite Warriors: Vietnam will not appear on any list other than war games to avoid.

For everyone else who has at least one friend with a PSP and a copy of the game, this is a must-own title that will keep you locked in the throes of classic auto-combat until you, your PSP, or you car runs out of gas.

Bring back my Hit, Run, and Stunt challenges and you would have had a flawless game.

As long as you have a spare battery or a power outlet handy Tiger Woods PGA Tour is still a fantastic game, and easily the most realistic simulation of the sport you can play on a handheld. It manages to capture and bring over just about every element from the console version and pack it into the palm of your hand.

An amazing port of the PS2, perhaps the best port of any major title to a handheld yet. Considering the nature of the control scheme I was impressed that the designers managed to keep this game functional and fun to play.

The controls are intuitive and the combat intense.

I had fun playing the game, which is all that really matters. Some missions were frustrating, but the generous continue system helped repress some of the anger.

Not only is this an amazing game, as far as games and MMOG’s go, but it is also a unique storytelling experiment. One that has never been attempted before and one that I am extremely excited to be taking part in.

Presents a solid, yet no-frills, racing experience that would have wowed audiences a year or two ago. In 2005, however, it will surely give games a few days of fun – but not much more.

The slick visuals and awesome sound and music rival anything you have ever played on a console.

Packing in all the strategy of chess and infused with the goodness that is Metal Gear, this could be the sleeper hit of the PSP.

Easy to pick up and impossible to put down (except to flush the toilet), you'll be totally hooked from the moment you pick this game up until the day you "think" you've mastered it, and even then your quest for perfection will compel you to keep playing until the day you die.

It encourages multiplayer adventures by making it extremely easy and fun to hook-up, but doesn’t reward your efforts by tweaking the gameplay or rewards for the extra members.

The bright colors and cheery graphics design make this platform title as much fun to look at as it is to play.

Ok, so I get a little geeked out over TimeSplitters: Future Perfect. It’s easy to see why though, and besides who really wants to run around as a marine who can’t even tape a flashlight to the bottom of his shotgun?

Next to Sony’s ATV game, NFL Street 2 Unleashed is probably the best port, or at least the port with the least changes, to make the jump to the handheld.

But with charming characters, fun scripted events, and the chance to play with past and future versions of yourself, you can't help but have a great time with TimeSplitters: Future Perfect.

Taking equal parts of their two past franchises, they have come up with one great motocross game.

While this game is not destined for a New Mexico landfill, it is also not destined to be a centerpiece in your DS collection. At least we’ve learned that when Atari falls, they always seem to come back. Hopefully next time they will hit the mark.

This game has it all; stunning visuals, crisp and powerful sound, finely tuned gameplay for single and multiplayer, endless replay value and the promise of future content via download.

Serious fans of the sport will likely want to wait for something better to come along, at least something with more reliable shooting mechanics and much better A.I.

The uninspired music, the trite voice acting, the horrible gameplay, and the lack of challenge makes this one of the worst titles in the Ninja Turtle series.

The only problem is Act of War follows too closely in the footsteps of prior best-selling titles.

With a short single player mode, as well as no frills multiplayer, Project Snowblind won’t turn many heads.

If "Kingdom Hearts'" battle system hadn't sucked, it might have played a lot like this game.

A gem of a simulation game; for that matter it’s easily one of the top war games of ALL TIME.

It'll probably get a bit boring after a few levels, but as far as a game to pop in and play to pass the time goes... well, it works.

The integration of real-time battle is executed in a much more effective way than what we were promised of the Knights of the Old Republic series.

Completely fails to live up to its predecessor in every way possible. I was hugely let down by this game, as I expected much more from the people that brought us the Sam Fisher series.

The unreliable framerate, quirky controls and “rigged” A.I. certainly detract from what this game could have been, but I have to admit I did have a lot of fun.

A decent turn-based strategy game in a market deluged with RTS madness.

Thankfully with beefed-up graphics, added multiplayer support and another solid storyline filled with classic comic goodness, they came through in heroic fashion.

Just how big a fan of Rave Master are you? Are you big enough and crazy enough to shell out thirty bucks for a crappy game, a less informative manual, and some mildly pretty colors?

Simply put, this game will put you to sleep faster than reading a book on the history of anthropology.

An absolute pleasure to play. It’s the most strategically fun game I’ve played since "Command & Conquer: Red Alert" and I found it to be as engaging as "Command & Conquer Generals."

The squad-based gameplay is here but its execution has been greatly simplified making the game much more accessible to the casual gamer and probably a bit insulting to Clancy veterans.

It has everything a good action game should have: mind-blowingly awesome action, gameplay that is a blast, beautiful and unique graphics, an interesting storyline that engages the imagination, and a charming and likeable hero that remains interesting, even if he’s a bit clichéd.

A quality adventure game, filled with intriguing dialogue, smart puzzles, and a gripping storyline that will keep you glued to your keyboard. It is only hindered by a few nagging gameplay issues, mainly in the character movement.

Not only did it offer a refreshingly factual wartime story with real characters, real events, and real places, it put it all inside a highly polished game that blends action with squad-based tactics and strategy.

The squad-based gameplay is here but its execution has been greatly simplified making the game much more accessible to the casual gamer and probably a bit insulting to Clancy veterans.

While there are a few things I miss like the comedic, springy rope knockdowns, I have to say that this year's version of the game is easily better.

There is plenty of challenge, good graphics and great story and style.

More exceptional and more stylish than any other game in the series, Deception will provide an endless amount of entertainment.

How much you enjoy that gameplay is going to be based on your love of the genre and your tolerance for numerous glitches. Hopefully a patch is in the works to improve things, or at least fix what’s broke.

A great game for an RTS newcomer, if there are any left out there. Also good for the city-builder game fan who wants to move into RTS type games at a leisurely pace.

Namco has achieved perfection on all fronts’ gameplay, graphics, sound, and longevity.

You’ll need to invest yourself and a great deal of time just to learn the nuances of the gameplay and the interface, and making smart intuitive decisions before the missions can save you a lot of trial and error.

The game is easy to learn, fun to play, and quite challenging. There aren't too many quality platform games currently being issued for the GBA, and this fills the void nicely.

The story has been whittled away to the barest of plots, just enough to tie the missions together, and the movies and voice acting are obviously gone.

A tight, relatively deep gameplay system combines with classic styling and characters to create a time warp of a game that is still well worth a look for older gamers.

Project: Snowblind is one cool game.

This title is detailed enough to be used as a training tool for Navy cadets but is still accessible to the persistent player.

Best of all, Second Sight tells an excellent story and does so with a presentation that borders on interactive cinema.

After a fun setup and character introduction, the game degenerates into one long, flat repetition of horizontal sweeps and annoying bosses.

Though the game is woefully short, the game does set a standard for RPG difficulty, which might breathe some challenge into the genre.

But this latest version of the game suffers from the same problems pretty much since the beginning. What was once tolerable due to technology constraints simply doesn't cut it in the era of "Snake Eater" and "Chaos Theory."

Trials to Glory can be a fun, and addictive strategy game for those willing to read the game's manual, are already familiar with this Gameboy Advance series, or are extremely hardcore Yu-Gi-Oh fans.

With mediocre sound, graphics and variety, Constantine could make the Devil himself happy to know the torment it will bring to us.

The mix of spells, weapons, and melee is great and presents an ongoing challenge throughout the levels with the various demons and boss fights.

Features some of the best graphics ever seen on the GameCube and an over-the-top orchestrated score that gives new meaning to the word "epic." The only thing restraining Assault from being a blockbuster title is the lack of online play and extremely short story mode.

If you really need a Nina fix then go get "Tekken 5," a flawless game by all counts. Then again, if for some unfathomable reason you enjoyed the fighting style of "Rise to Honor" and can tolerate load times that exceed gameplay times then by all means, check out Death by Degrees. Just consider yourself warned.

Obsidian hasn’t strayed from a proven formula but they have added a few interesting and subtle touches that will delight RPG fans and Star Wars fan alike.

These games will remain as the last examples of one of the longest-running 2D fighting game series ever created, and fine examples at that.

Unless you have some little relative who is just begging and begging and begging and begging you to get this for them then I'd say stay way from it.

Unless you have some little relative who is just begging and begging and begging and begging you to get this for them then I'd say stay way from it.

A better game than the original, but only slightly. With new abilities for old classes, attempts at new classes, and a few new features such as improved online play and ‘side-quests’, this emerges as the spiritual descendent of "Diablo II."

There is enough to like about Aerial Strike to provide $20 worth of entertainment to a good home. It may be a shaggy dog, but it is still a good dog.

Annihilates this year’s competition, sparse as it may be, while managing to improve upon last years game in just about every way possible.

Due to bad camera, bad AI, bad combat, and bad dialogue, this game just isn't much fun to play.

Speaking, dancing, and, um, *intimate relations* are all pretty well animated and humorous in a cartoony way.

One of the most original designs and interesting twists you can put on the FPS genre while maintaining an equal amount of classic platform and action gameplay.

But since all the girls look pretty much the same, the challenge is artificial and there's a limited amount of animations (I mean, don't real Playmates know more than 5 poses or three sex positions?), it gets old quicker than it should.

This game does a good job at one thing though, it makes me want to go watch the real series, so I’d say save your money and go by those on DVD rather than this, but there are worse ways to waste money.

While the game was awesome, the PC port was less then stellar. The censorship is another area while I was less then pleased.

It will delight gamers of all ages and the more you play the better you get. It promotes observation, color and pattern recognition skills, but the random nature of the game boards is more about reflexes than problem solving.

With solid graphics & sound, wicked interrogation/kill systems, and dialogue written by Punisher comic legend Garth Ennis (also of “Preacher” graphic novel fame) this title is hard to pass up for any die-hard Punisher fan.

It's definitely fun for a little mindless fun – and if you're into over the top violent gaming, you won't be disappointed.

Too stinking short. It's not just that it ends in half the time most newer RPG’s do. It's that the ending feels contrived and artificial, and leaves the players wanting so much more that even a second play through can't remedy the feeling of crushing disappointment that "that's all there is."

It really is a shame that The Getaway: Black Monday is so little fun to play. Aesthetically, it’s a beautiful title, and utterly loaded with potential.

The gameplay here is spectacular, you will not find any better.

With extremely solid graphics, sound and non-linear, fleshed out gameplay with some nasty A.I., this game is definitely one of the best titles for the PS2 so far in 2005, and should remain that way for months to come.

While the story might be a bit light, there is so much to do that just finding those missions that advance the story becomes a mere afterthought as you lose yourself in the dozens of challenges and cash-op mini-games.

With the scope of this title, the online support, the unmatched replay value-Hearts of Iron II should keep the most hardcore of strategy gamers satiated in fighting, researching and leading their respective nation to the top of the food chain.

The 20-some missions will certainly give you a day or so of great entertainment, despite the poor story and shallow characters, but more importantly these missions will serve to train you for the endless combat that awaits you online.

Has a compelling story right out of the pages of Asimov's, with interesting and subtle characters whose soul-searching never tilts over into preachiness, and whose motives can remain unclear without becoming annoying.

Then again, if there is some nugget of old-school gamer lurking in your core being and you don't mind outdated graphics and unbalanced gameplay then give this game a shot. With any luck it will be in the bargain bins soon enough.

For novice “simmers” you may be taken aback by the sheer amount of details and realistic gameplay, but veterans should be hungry for more sooner than later.

If the gameplay isn’t enough to grab you then the audio and visual presentation will certainly make this a showcase title for your expensive new video card, one that will wow your friends. It’s a definite must-have.

There isn’t much of a game here, merely a set of choices, where by trial and error you eventually reach the end and win. The same concept has survived for nearly 20 years in a little game called "Dragon’s Lair," and it works just as well with the text-only Sprung. As long as you know what to expect you shouldn’t be disappointed.

The Catacombs expansion only adds to what is still the best guild and realm based MMORPG. With its much-improved graphics and new instance dungeon zones there has never been a better time to own this game.

Missions are pretty linear in design with focused objectives and paths to certain areas rigged with a host of enemies, and no means to really flank or come up with alternate routes.

While Asphalt: Urban GT slightly edges out Ridge Racer DS in visuals and variety of gameplay, Ridge Racer DS comes with an undeniable legacy and built-in audience from both PlayStation and N64 camps and continues to represent arcade racing in its purist form.

For story, gameplay and graphical tasty goodness this is one of the best titles for the GBA this year.

The graphics are bland, the sound is grating, and the gameplay is about as much fun as watching paint dry. There are better things you could do with twenty dollars.

Does this game come through for the hype behind it? Does a Wookie tear your arm off if you don't let him win? So if you have any interest in a compelling well-told story with good characters, dialogue, all rolled up into something that's fun to play then pick this game up. Could it have been better? Yes.