The endless waving of the Wii remote that accompanies every part of Smooth Moves makes you feel excited, surprised, and more than a little stupid. It also happens to make you and your friends laugh pretty much non-stop for an hour or two, and that may very well be worth the price of admission.

Boss fights are rarely this exhilarating, but at the same time, disposing of pawns is hardly ever this boring. I walked away from Lost Planet with sweaty palms from combating giant monstrosities, but also with the feeling that I wanted so much more as I progressed through the quest.

Worst of all, the game is glitchy; I phased through a few walls and got gunned down after getting stuck behind some invisible cover.

I was pleasantly surprised with Arthur and the Invisibles. It steals acrobatic fighting and platforming elements from "Price of Persia" and contextual button pressing finishers from "God of War."

The problem is that no matter which [control sheme] you select, you'll sacrifice functionality - either in maneuverability or how you lob grenades. [Jan 2007, p.107]

Soured by some nagging flaws, Legacy isn't a title that will appeal to everyone. However, its willingness to try something new deserves some healthy praise. [Jan 2007, p.92]

The tactile sensation of pointing at a popcorn cart and flinging it into the stratosphere is interesting and fun, but simple movement and navigation will occasinally be a needlessly frustrating obstacle. [Jan 2007, p.106]

I know the Nintendo party line stresses gameplay over graphics, but taking a majestic title like Far Cry and giving it the Wii treatment is like getting your Ferrari tuned up by a guy who normally works on Chevy Impalas. It doesn’t make much sense to port a franchise known for its amazing visuals, open-ended action, and dynamic enemy AI to a system lacking the power to achieve any of the above on the scale accomplished by the original game.

Blazing Angels is a competent air combat title. I just wish Ubisoft would have delivered the kind of epic experience I’m used to after playing games like Medal of Honor and Call of Duty.

I do like that Super Swing lets you earn special shots if you’ve got enough Pang. Throw in some crazy locations around Pangya Island (including some wind tunnels) and you’ve got yourself a good enough time to keep you shooting birdies all the way to the 19th hole.

It's the definition of basic action, but almost every element works the way it's supposed to. [Jan 2007, p.104]

The racing is now roaring with excitement, but unfortunately, the game has gone flat in another way. The newly implemented arena battles resemble Twisted Metal in design, but play so poorly that it feels like someone is dragging your face across the pavement at 100mph. The dunce enemy AI, frustrating targeting system, and annoying level designs will make you dread these stages when they pop up in your career.

There’s certainly a lot to love, yet equally as much to shake your fist and scream obscenities at in Lethal Alliance.

Putting two characters in the player’s hands proves to be an ingenious way of expanding on Castlevania’s bread-and-butter action. It’s been done before, but Portrait of Ruin’s system is particularly smooth in execution.

One of the best games ever made for the PSP. The single-player ties flawlessly into the multiplayer, where you can test your loyal soldiers against up to five other people via ad hoc, infrastructure, and even game sharing.

Whether you are defending the colony from a hornet invasion by manning goo cannons, racing an obstacle course with a team of ants, or foraging for food, the game keeps things fresh. Too bad none of it is exciting.

Skin textures on the in-game character models are among the most realistic in all of video gaming. The 360 fighters may have looked really good, but these guys look damn good.

Thankfully, the difficulty and complexity of the level design improves as the game wears on. Kirby’s ability to endlessly eat and absorb the powers of what he digests is not only enviable, but pretty darn fun in practice.

War of the Ring mode offers more persistence for units and greater movement allowance, and with the addition of the Thrall Masters and other useful evil units, this is a good expansion pack that does more than just hold the fort.

This collection offers up a wide range of brawlers and shooters from days long gone, but sadly, not many of these are all that memorable.

This collection offers up a wide range of brawlers and shooters from days long gone, but sadly, not many of these are all that memorable.

FTB’s saving grace is its multiplayer, the only real reason to play this game. A lot of the single player problems evaporate when you go online and sample any of the eight multiplayer modes FTB 2 has to offer.

Probably doesn't have the depth to give it the long legs of other titles in the genre. [Dec 2006, p.130]

The best strategy games are able to transform you into a tactical powerhouse as you maneuver your units to victory. Yggdra Union manages to tap into this feeling occasionally with some innovative strategy mechanics, but more often it made me feel like a spectator rather than a commander.

Probably doesn't have the depth to give it the long legs of other titles in the genre. [Dec 2006, p.130]

Look up into the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s another crappy Superman game!

As a co-op experience and as a tactical shooter, Rainbow Six Vegas sets a new benchmark for the gaming industry.

But for fans of college basketball, these faults are drastically outweighed by the deep Legacy mode, solid gameplay, and immersive campus atmosphere College Hoops 2K7 has to offer.