Another example where the game gets caught in the middle is with online. True to rally racing, you don’t race against others, only their times. I can’t imagine most online players want to play this way.

I hope some developer takes the gaffe that is Raw Danger, extracts the great idea at its center, and creates the blockbuster experience it has the potential to be. [June 2007, p.110]

Though SimCity DS isn’t perfect, it liberally taps that latent SimCity addiction found in everyone’s brain.

Dungeon Maker has some cool features, but not enough to cross that threshold of having been “done right,” and the title winds up as a simple variation on the level grind we’ve been playing for years.

As improved as the Resident Evil 4 controls were compared to the tank-like schemes of its predecessors, they still aren’t ideal. The final version of the game would have been the perfect time for Capcom to polish the controls with new features that nearly every game now takes for granted – like strafing and being able to shoot your gun while moving. Unfortunately, Leon still isn’t capable of performing these basic moves.

What this game lacks in charm, it makes up for in numbers. [Apr 2007, p.111]

The only saving grace that this game has is its combat mechanic. By no means is it good, but it’s competent, and successful in making you feel like you clocked someone pretty hard. If you have some friends over, you can delve into four-player co-op. However, like a friend who picks out a crappy movie, there’s a good chance that your buddies will mock you for this spirit-crushing game for the remainder of your days.

The only saving grace that this game has is its combat mechanic. By no means is it good, but it’s competent, and successful in making you feel like you clocked someone pretty hard. If you have some friends over, you can delve into four-player co-op.

It's well worth a look, but go into it knowing that it offers some problems that you thought that developers destroyed years ago. [June 2007, p.114]

Tenchu also needs a serious upgrade to its enemy AI. It’s hard to imagine that a developer would release a game in this day and age where if you climb up to a rooftop or crawl under a building while an enemy is taking a swing at you, he completely loses track of you. Ninjas deserve better.

Time Ace picks up a little bit after the first few levels, but never quite flies high enough for me. [June 2007, p.119]

Even if it doesn’t make you smarter, you won’t feel completely stupid for buying this puzzler.

If Call of Juarez skipped its forgettable multiplayer and adopted a sandbox world more like Oblivion with fleshed out areas to explore and side missions, it could have been the gunslinger I’ve been waiting for all these years. As it stands, it’s a respectable if unambitious title that should tide over Western fans until the holy grail of six shooters rides into town.

The touch-screen functionality (which allows you to slide blocks with the stylus) fits perfectly, and Wi-Fi play means that you can take your skills online.

This is the first licensed game I've played that is actually shorter than its movie. [Aug 2007, p.93]

Halo 2 on Vista is a solid port that brings the Master Chief’s heroism to more gamers, and that’s indisputably a good thing. If it’s additional content or a new experience you’re looking for, though, this direct translation to Windows Vista will feel like $50 wasted.

This is the first licensed game I’ve played that is actually shorter than its movie. I’m not exaggerating; in a little over an hour I had received trophies in all of the main surf events.

This is the first licensed game I’ve played that is actually shorter than its movie. I’m not exaggerating; in a little over an hour I had received trophies in all of the main surf events.

This is the first licensed game I've played that is actually shorter than its movie. [Aug 2007, p.93]

Unlocking cars is great, but it doesn’t take long before you tire of doing the same routine. Racing, of course, is what it’s all about, but where’s the personality? Where’s the great track selection that doesn’t make you feel bored within a few hours? Where’s the career mode that’s less like flipping through a car catalog and more like participating in an actual career?

The nine maps available aren’t nearly enough, the lack of rankings and leaderboards provide no incentive to hone your skills to perfection, and the extremely meager offline options drag everything down.

The nine maps available aren’t nearly enough, the lack of rankings and leaderboards provide no incentive to hone your skills to perfection, and the extremely meager offline options drag everything down.

Mario Party should be about fast-paced fun, which is why I prefer to get my kicks with the spastic, oddly humorous "Rayman Raving Rabbids."

In order to derive any worthwhile enjoyment out of Atelier Iris 3, you pretty much have to be a big fan of both anime and dungeon crawling. [June 2007, p.110]

All of the basic attacks have been moved to the Wii remote's d-pad, which is awkward enough by itself. The bigger change is that the special moves are now associated with controller movements. [June 2007, p.113]

There is little in the way of discernable strategy or skill, the controls are never explained, and they’re unresponsive once you do figure them out. If this game had a head, it should hang it in shame for claiming to be part of the 360 library.

Judging the game on its own merits, this is just what a handheld crossword game should be.

It may not be the follow-up that fans of the Mana franchise have been hoping for, but cool visuals and an interesting story elevate it above the level of an everyday mindless button-masher. [May 2007, p.87]

It's simplistic, and unlikely to entertain for too long, but the concept is clever enough to deserve a look. [June 2007, p.119]

Brooktown High is a place where you want to spend a good deal of time, but the barebones gameplay, repetition in conversations, and fact that most of your success relies on exploiting these elements sucks all the fun out of this dating game. [June 2007, p.117]

DJ is a funny guy, but his games have yet to hook me. [June 2007, p.119]

Odin Sphere’s story, systems, and combat mechanics are easy enough to describe, but the game’s biggest strength is the way it cultivates a sense of wonder.

The only area where this game really shines is in its visuals. Developer Eurocom has pulled out all of the stops to bring out the highest level of realism in the character models and lush landscapes. This game may put a twinkle in your eye, but it’s quick to follow it up with a razor-sharp cutlass.

The only area where this game really shines is in its visuals. Developer Eurocom has pulled out all of the stops to bring out the highest level of realism in the character models and lush landscapes. This game may put a twinkle in your eye, but it’s quick to follow it up with a razor-sharp cutlass.

This is a game every zombie fanatic could love, but only the hardest of hardcore gamers can excel at. [June 2007, p.117]

While the PS2 version shines as the best baseball game released this year, this iteration really needed to cook a little longer in the minors to nail down the fundamentals of the sport. With that said, PS3 owners should look to the previous generation’s game.

I have nothing against games that hearken back to old-school sensibilities, but Etrian Odyssey just feels like an outdated game that snuck onto a modern console. [June 2007, p.118]

Innocent Life is a good fit for the PSP, working well in short bursts or long doses, but too many elements drag down the pacing and prevent true agricultural greatness.

With levels that redefine “linear,” there is no need to collect objects in a game like this, but that’s mostly what you end up doing.

A grotesque abomination that should be burned at the stake. [Aug 2007, p.93]

This button-mashing brawler offers decent combat functionality, yet cannot deliver one adversary that you would actually feel good about punching…unless you get a kick out of clocking knights that are as passive as Buddhist monks.

The majority of your time with Infernal (may it be short, for your sake) is spent gunning down goons in the employ of Heaven with one small handful of weapons. [June 2007, p.116]

Part of this game’s success rests on its simplistic design. RTS fans can rant all they want about how it doesn’t come close to offering the same level of micro-management found in Starcraft, or the genre-bending innovations that made Company of Heroes such a hit, but in its simplicity, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars delivers one of the greatest single player campaigns in all of RTS.

The best feature of Driver ’76 is definitely the retro soundtrack, featuring ‘70s musicians such as Funkadelic, Marvin Gaye, David Bowie, and Blonde. Also to its credit, Driver ‘76’s driving and shooting mechanics work well, however recycled and sterile the content may be.

If you liked the boring, archaic gameplay in the first volume of the new .hack trilogy, you can look forward to more of that junk here.

At the most, this game is great for punishing ill-behaved children.

Spider-Man 3’s greatest strength isn’t how accurately it captures the essence of this hero; it’s the game’s ability to keep you in a state of wonder. You never really know where Spidey will be headed next, or what challenge you’ll be tasked with upon arrival. Variety really makes this game stand out above the others.

Spider-Man 3’s greatest strength isn’t how accurately it captures the essence of this hero; it’s the game’s ability to keep you in a state of wonder. You never really know where Spidey will be headed next, or what challenge you’ll be tasked with upon arrival. Variety really makes this game stand out above the others.

My arms are sore from web swinging, I have a headache from fighting monotonous rounds of thugs, and I’m frustrated that in an “open world” I don’t have more control over my destiny. I guess it’s not as fun to be a superhero as I’ve always thought.

Gripes aside, this game can be balls-out fun when it wants to. Tearing through the sky at Mach 3 to sink a battleship and a couple of subs, then doing a 180 to shoot down a sky full of bogeys gets the heart going every time.

Beating levels felt more in the realm of schoolwork than satisfying puzzle action. Presentation is very bland and simple, but that somehow doesn’t prevent loading screens between every stage.

Huge chunks of LOTRO’s design are culled entirely from the "WoW" playbook, but that’s generally for the best.

In its defense, the 360 version does include support for the 360 camera – but I had a hard time getting my motions to track with enough precision to make the process fun.

Although the basis of this PS3 port (the original PC title) is now a couple years old, I'm pleased to report that F.E.A.R.'s taut gameplay can still hold its own with the best of the genre. [May 2007, p.84]

Absurdly unpolished.

I love this title’s core idea of using custom-leveled heroes and their squads of minions to conquer the world (or defend it; same difference) in a turn-based framework. Until I can do that without attending to details that I don’t care about through bland menus, though, I’ll be sticking with "Fire Emblem."

The addition of online trades and battles finally delivers on the promise that the first Pokémon games made. The crucial social interactivity aspect of Pokémon now takes place on a global scale. It only took 10 years!

The addition of online trades and battles finally delivers on the promise that the first Pokémon games made. The crucial social interactivity aspect of Pokémon now takes place on a global scale. It only took 10 years!

The general structure is annoying, but it's really the obtuse design that ensures that every second you play Valhalla Knights is irritating. [Mar 2007, p.107]

Super Paper Mario's seemingly simple concept - giving the player the ability to flip between 2D and 3D worlds - pays off in level designs that are nothing short of brilliant.

Just a little too barebones for its own good. [May 2007, p.97]

If you haven't already, go out and buy it. It's just that simple. [Apr 2007, p.104]

The Wii version looks zero percent better to my eye than the original release of this game, but enthusiasts of the franchise may want to take this for a spin to try out the unique controls. [May 2007, p.88]

I definitely prefer Chocobos when they are being ridden into war, not when they are forced to climb beanstalks and play rhythm games. [May 2007, p.96]

I liked puzzle mode the best, but wanted a little more. There is nothing else to this game. I guess you get what you pay for, but even at $20 it would have been nice to see a two-player mode.

The library with history, trivia, and details for each game, as well as galleries of old artwork are a nice addition to this collection. However, I can’t recommend this to anyone other than fans of the old games.

A great time for younger folks obsessed with the movie, and a reasonably competent but entirely by-the-numbers platformer to more seasoned gamers. [May 2007, p.86]

Though you can get used to the sub-par controls, there’s still no real reason to play Vanguard, from the uninspired level design to the tired subject matter. Sure, it works on a basic level in that you shoot Nazis and they fall down. Beyond that, there isn’t much here to enjoy.

A few minor irritations, most notably queuing up production in multiple buildings, don’t do much to mar the overall experience. C&C 3 is a shining example of how fun a five-year-old design can still be if it receives enough polish and tuning.

Though you can get used to the sub-par controls, there’s still no real reason to play Vanguard, from the uninspired level design to the tired subject matter. Sure, it works on a basic level in that you shoot Nazis and they fall down. Beyond that, there isn’t much here to enjoy.

The offerings are generally pretty decent (Word Whomp, Tri-Peaks Solitaire, and Poppit! are among the best), but there should be a lot more, considering that the website has hundreds to choose from.

Shivering Isles is a bona fide masterpiece and the best that the Elder Scrolls series has to offer.

With that said, it should come as no surprise to hear Shivering Isles is a bonafide masterpiece and the best the Elder Scrolls series has to offer. [Apr 2007, p.94]

You’ll likely split your time fairly evenly between cursing the problematic UI and localization, and marveling at the outstanding ambience or frantically trying to shoot or sneak your way out of a jam. If you’re willing to slog through some frustrations, you can find some diamonds in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.’s rough that you won’t find anywhere else in video gaming.

Virtua Tennis 3 is a perfectly serviceable tennis game (pun intended) that fails to provide a big enough splash to make it anything else than just another tennis title. Next time I hope it won’t take Sega seven years to come out with the same game.

Virtua Tennis 3 is a perfectly serviceable tennis game (pun intended) that fails to provide a big enough splash to make it anything else than just another tennis title. Next time I hope it won’t take Sega seven years to come out with the same game.

Nothing stands out here to make this a must-play title in any sense of the word. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying some average-quality anime-infused hack n’ slash, though.

Multiplayer is what’s really going to get the fans riled. After fine-tuning your ideal mech in single player, you can bring it online and face off against anywhere from one to seven opponents. Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot of match variety outside of deathmatch and team deathmatch, and there’s no respawning so matches don’t last much longer than five minutes tops.

Multiplayer is what’s really going to get the fans riled. After fine-tuning your ideal mech in single player, you can bring it online and face off against anywhere from one to seven opponents. Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot of match variety outside of deathmatch and team deathmatch, and there’s no respawning so matches don’t last much longer than five minutes tops.

Oblivion on PS3 is one of the biggest and most impressive role-playing games in history, and you owe it to yourself to play it if you haven’t already experienced it elsewhere.

unless landing on an aircraft carrier and being saluted with the “Mission Accomplished” banner is all you’re looking for, you’re going to have to search elsewhere for a deeper experience.

As it stands now, the cartoony graphics don’t really make you hungry or even make you feel like you actually made food, nor is the game ridiculous enough to give you that silly kind of fun like WarioWare. Any future entry in this series will probably have to go one of those two ways.

Targeting has also been automated, a change that I think is actually a good thing for the game. Unfortunately, the physics and control of the cars is pretty terrible, and it really hurts my opinion of the game as a whole.

The AI seems insanely good one minute then misses an obvious attack the next, and the story is completely throwaway, but there is enough gameplay here to keep puzzle fans busy for a long time. [May 2007, p.99]

The AI seems insanely good one minute then misses an obvious attack the next, and the story is completely throwaway, but there is enough gameplay here to keep puzzle fans busy for a long time. [May 2007, p.99]

It's sad when the best thing you can say for a game is that it's not broken, but that's about as positive as I can be about Silverfall. [May 2007, p.93]

Earth Defense Force may not have the serious tones of today’s triple-A juggernauts, but its quality gameplay and refreshing premise shows that a B-game can be every bit as entertaining.

Although it’s fun to see alternate perspectives on some of the movies’ key events, this title really fails to deliver the complex, emotionally resonant familial saga of the films.

The new weapon wheel makes firefights less stressful, and adding more missions is never a bad thing, but the basic design of the game remains painfully dull. The uneventful stretches of driving, repetition in interrogations, and simplicity of missions has not improved.

The new Ultimate Team mode is addictive as it combines regular gameplay and managerial acumen with a trading card component that entices with a constant sense of accomplishment and attraction...What this UEFA achieves in this new mode it loses in the actual gameplay.

Kororinpa serves as a quick dose of fun. It just needs some more beef to keep players coming back.

The best Turtles game in years, which admittedly is kind of like saying you just got the best punch in the gut you’ve had in years. Nonetheless, TMNT entertains pretty consistently, delivering fast-paced thrills but almost no genuine challenge.

The best Turtles game in years, which admittedly is kind of like saying you just got the best punch in the gut you’ve had in years. Nonetheless, TMNT entertains pretty consistently, delivering fast-paced thrills but almost no genuine challenge.

The best Turtles game in years, which admittedly is kind of like saying you just got the best punch in the gut you’ve had in years. Nonetheless, TMNT entertains pretty consistently, delivering fast-paced thrills but almost no genuine challenge.

To be clear, I have no problem with non-violent flight games. In fact, I loved both Pilotwings games in their day. But Wing Island went down a dark path somewhere in development and somehow killed any potential for fun along the way.

A bigger focus on action (like fighting wild animals) and a wider variety of activities make this more enjoyable than the original, but it still failed to make me care about the characters enough to suffer alongside them.

The best Turtles game in years, which admittedly is kind of like saying you just got the best punch in the gut you've had in years. Nonetheless, TMNT entertains pretty consistently, delivering fast-paced thrills but almost no genuine challenge. [May 2007, p.82]

You can also play the Rapid play mode where you work under the clock with the Brain Age twist, but honestly, there isn't much else to this game. [Apr 2007, p.110]