But unlike the PS2 and PC versions, the Xbox port comes with that rarest of GTA treasures - a replay feature.

Gives World War II games a bad name by skimping on the essentials - story, A.I. and multiplayer - to focus on floating icons and the art of hiding behind crates. Instead, just hide your wallet.

The A.I. consists of walking-towards-you-to-hit-you and occasionally walking-away-from-you-because-they-are-hurt. Your character seems to be the only one in the game to have studied the ancient art of running.

Like a luxury car with a rusted engine or a fudge sundae made with frozen yogurt, Advent Rising is a study in untapped potential. Although the core gameplay and concepts are really good, the package is marred by execution errors left and right.

Franchise and online options have been left out, the batting system is mindless and the graphics are really choppy. In a way, this game’s poor performance actually benefits you, the consumer, because you should know without any doubt that this is not the baseball game you want for your PSP.

The game’s a breeze, which might appeal to novice gamers and people for whom achievement is more highly-valued than challenge, but doesn't do it for those better-versed in the art of fragging.

The plot is weird enough that some collectors and video game novelty-seekers might find it worth their money, but ultimately, nothing can save Haunting Ground from its own tedious gameplay. Run and hide, indeed.

The overly complex ranking system has some inherent problems, and the limited car options hinder the joy of progression.

Another solid entry in the series. It's nothing more than that, however, and simply porting it to the PSP with no notable additions seems a tad lazy.

While it doesn't re-invent the wheel, Forza Motorsport pretty much perfects it. Its user-friendly options make it great for casual drivers and its generous reward system honors the skill of the experienced racer.

The story isn’t compelling, the PvE gameplay isn’t deep and it definitely won't feed you grapes, but this double-edged sword mostly cuts the right way.

The strategic possibilities are limited only by the skill of the player. It’s likely too complex for some and isn’t without a few hiccups, but those with patience to burn will find this a bright candle indeed.

It’s a great concept and could have been a ton of fun if only it were set in a more open-ended, no-load time world, like "GTA" with zombies.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that Rengoku’s few cool ideas are short-circuited by bad design and boring gameplay.

Much like "Yoshi Touch & Go," the Pac-Pix's cool tech demo roots are supported by a frighteningly flimsy frame, resulting in just another misuse of Pac-Power.

Despite some decent multiplayer and a few neat features, Area 51 is a much less intriguing game than military facility. We wish it were a little more out of this world.

But the bulk of the game takes itself far too seriously, so we are forced to admit that it falls short of other serious shooters.

This stylish adventure is just what we hoped it would be - a deranged, oddball jaunt through a fun, bizarre world - proving that a creative mind is indeed a terrible thing to waste.

Your competition is dead serious, the hazards are all fatal, and your only resource is the X button. While Blazin’ Trails manages to cover a lot of different terrain, its shoddy gameplay prevents it from handling any of it well.

Without a real single-player campaign and some equally progressive, detailed match types, this conflict is destined to be the biggest thing to <I>almost</I> happen to online gaming.

It manages to stumble all over itself from the second you turn it on and never manages to recover. Simple control functions are handled clumsily, changing weapons is a chore and someone actually thought the dumb melee-exclusive levels would be a good idea. Like the rest of this stinker, it is not.

Despite its generally underwhelming fighting system and lack of depth, this is a solid, satisfying action epic.

It manages to stumble all over itself from the second you turn it on and never manages to recover. Simple control functions are handled clumsily, changing weapons is a chore and someone actually thought the dumb melee-exclusive levels would be a good idea. Like the rest of this stinker, it is not.

Perhaps the biggest problem with Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition is the car control, which once again is just too simple.

Perhaps the biggest problem with Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition is the car control, which once again is just too simple.

Despite some cool art and more playable characters, this sequel fails to improve upon its predecessor and actually drops the ball in its A.I. and camera, resulting in a pretty rusty blade.

Achieves what regular Star Wars, in recent history, has been unable to do: deliver a children's experience that is fun and engaging for adults as well.

If you’re a big fan - and I know there are more than a few of you out there - you'll be pleased with the expanded multiplayer and few but notable additions. Just don't expect nearly as big of a trip this time around.

It looks great, plays good, takes a nice 20 hours or so to complete and it's genuinely scary, which is all you really need to have a good time.

Achieves what regular Star Wars, in recent history, has been unable to do: deliver a children’s experience that is fun and engaging for adults as well.

Though the Gamecube version of Chaos Theory suffers from tricky control and is missing online play, it's still an involved, mature game.

This Xbox version tries hard, but technical issues make this only the second-best Revelation available.

Sadly, the PS2 version of Chaos Theory is very dark and not handsome at all. The animations are a little choppy, the framerate isn't completely solid, and since things are so dim, you'll probably spend most of your time looking at the environments through night-vision, which is kind of murky and green.

If you're a PC gamer who likes hard games and brutal competition, Chaos Theory is a must-have. Don't let it out of your sight.

The Xbox version of Chaos Theory is one of the system's most complete and valuable titles, a must-have. If you like your games hard and your competition brutal, don't let Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory out of your sight.

Good, classic gameplay makes up for what it lacks in originality and its few flaws are relatively minor, resulting in one of Capcom’s better ideas.

The single-player component is fairly thin, and if you don't have access to a wireless internet connection, you're missing a significant part of the game. Still, it's truly unlike anything you’ve ever played before on a handheld, even if it's just like a game you played a decade ago on a console.

How in the world they managed to squeeze all the info from the console versions into this one without the PSP suffering a heart attack is beyond me, though it proves that the handheld can handle some depth.

Aside from some nice graphics and levels design, it simply fails to offer much more than a subpar swing through the city.

A movie-quality brawler.

Terrible control, lame features and an overall lack of excitement make this law enforcement experience worse than an episode of "Cop Rock."

It will never have the depth of a "Gran Turismo," but then again, it’s not supposed to. 400 horsepower of arcade style fun isn’t a bad way to ring in your new PSP.

It’s also a very original title - you don’t see too many turn-based stealth/strategy games, and we respect the fact that Konami took a big risk with their flagship franchise in an attempt to deliver a true PSP-only game.

It's too much of a one-trick pony to be the next killer app, but if "Tetris," "Columns," or "Puyo Puyo" ever sucked you into their local gravity wells, you're going to love it.

While not necessarily straying from the formula that made its predecessors great, this one seems unmotivated and underachieving, like something a dungeon master with a hangover might scrabble together to pay the overdue rent.

While the puzzles and level design are as solid as any handheld platformer out there, the crazy camera, imprecise control and gorilla-sized load times keep his old silverback from evolving.

Terrible control, lame features and an overall lack of excitement make this law enforcement experience worse than an episode of "Cop Rock."

Vets, however, might find it hard to overlook the lacking A.I., inability to jump and brief Story. The future looks good, but far from perfect.

While EA scored big with the original, each successive Street has felt more and more like the repetitive plays in the identical playbooks - rote exercises to be performed in the endless pursuit of bling.

Vets, however, might find it hard to overlook the lacking A.I., inability to jump and brief Story. The future looks good, but far from perfect.

The lack of any online play hurts the Gamecube version only, once again making it the version to avoid if you have multiple consoles. The future looks good, but far from perfect.

A test of patience. Camera and optimization troubles coupled with the loss of some cool features bring this once-proud warrior to its knees.

The lack of online play and the sheer difficulty for newbies keeps it from attaining GR gold, but we're just happy to see it back on the podium where it belongs.

Shoddy control and rough A.I. mar the gameplay, while the lack of any sort of deeper Franchise system leaves bus-stop managers out in the cold. If it weren’t for the online play, 989 should be permanently benched.

There are a few interesting gimmicks, but the crazy camera and spawning enemies are outright annoying and bring dishonor to an otherwise average game.

Unfortunately, it's only half a great game. Clocking in at around 6 hours, it might be the shortest adventure-horror game out there and has almost zero replay value.

Unfortunately, it's only half a great game. Clocking in at around 6 hours, it might be the shortest adventure-horror game out there and has almost zero replay value.

You have to commend Nintendo for producing a pretty cool tech demo, but they failed to encapsulate it in a worthwhile game.

[It's] hurt by the lack of any substantial underground flavor and is wounded by weak customization and no online play.

It’s pretty clear that Pokemon Dash is a game for very young kids, the 6 and under crowd, although I can also see this game appealing to grandmothers. The problem is, it’s barely any fun for either demographic, and members of both might wind up trying to eat the stylus.

Though the gameplay is decent fun and it’s cool seeing visuals from a time after the 1980's in your sweaty palms, World Tour Soccer’s limited offer is akin to a marginally implemented infomercial product - it’s more impressive in someone else’s hands.

If the graphics are merely mediocre, the sound pretty much stinks. All your hear during play are announcements over the stadium PA, skating noises and some occasional organ music. Yup - no commentary at all.

Yet despite its innovation, the game gets old quickly and simply doesn't have enough depth to warrant much replay, turning the once-proud ape into just another goofy monkey.

The realistic squad based action is handled well and provides a satisfying journey through the nightmare of war.

It hits hard thanks to a robust single-player package, decent online content, and a smart pitching scheme, while a dated batting system, bad fielding model and relatively high price tag ($40 versus $20 for MLB 2K5 and $30 for MVP 2005) prevent it from entering a league of its own.

In the end, I was left with a surprisingly good feeling about Devil May Cry 3, despite my idea during hour 5, still on the second level, of breaking the disc into tiny shards and sticking them in my eyes. The latter part of the game becomes quite enjoyable.

More than just a fragfest – it's an eerily realistic one. Each of the men in your squad have their own unique personalities that develop as the story progresses, with Baker's narration tying everything together into one nice, neat package.

They made it a bit too hard to actually go to school and do all the work, but the additions of influence, new items, and new career paths are welcome.

Despite its better delivery, though, Major League Baseball 2K5 is not a better baseball game than "MVP 2005." Its offline content is simply not as deep and its play mechanics are broadly inferior.

The tour of duty deftly combines intuitive squad-based tactics with fast-paced action, though those wanting to go career will be disappointed in the lack of long-term value.

It’s not, however, a lot of new game. Tekken 5 is a hefty package, but doesn’t offer much in terms of original gameplay or modes. It’s a celebration of all things Tekken rather than a brave new step for the series.

Despite its better delivery, though, Major League Baseball 2K5 is not a better baseball game than "MVP 2005." Its offline content is simply not as deep and its play mechanics are broadly inferior.

Crash damage is also something we’ve been clamoring for. As it stands now, running into another car has all the impact of throwing a marshmallow against a pillow. It just doesn’t make sense for a title that invests so heavily in realism to let you hit a brick wall going 120 and then drive away.

While certainly not a revolutionary game or even a difficult one, it does hit the nostalgia chord perfectly and then, with perfect timing, quits.

It seems content simply toying with features found in other first-person shooters and doesn’t really go the distance with any of them. The result is a decent if predictable shooter saved by a beefy online component. It might be inspired, but that doesn’t make it inspirational.

Lots of options and simple control makes Kessen III about as accessible as war strategizing can get. Unfortunately, the action is pretty repetitive and the button mashing grows tedious, leading to only a two-star general.

If "MVP Baseball 2004" was Alec Baldwin, MVP Baseball 2005 is Daniel – mostly the same, but a little bit sleazier.

It seems content simply toying with features found in other first-person shooters and doesn't really go the distance with any of them. The result is a decent if predictable shooter saved by a beefy online component. It might be inspired, but that doesn't make it inspirational.

If "MVP Baseball 2004" was Alec Baldwin, MVP Baseball 2005 is Daniel – mostly the same, but a little bit sleazier.

If "MVP Baseball 2004" was Alec Baldwin, MVP Baseball 2005 is Daniel – mostly the same, but a little bit sleazier.

A prime example of intelligently controlled chaos wherein the gameplay experiences are as diverse as snowflakes.

It can be difficult, but usually this difficulty stems from horrible camera angles, slow animations, and ill-positioned save points.

Despite a big, engrossing story and some improved combat features, this second step in the Xenosaga series doesn’t manage to live up to its prior success. Hopefully, the next game will tone down the excessive storytelling segments and continue refining the combat.

Continues on the path of cool ninja stealth action, but is thwarted by a plethora of traps like poor control and retarded AI.

As a movie port using the oldest recipe in the book, Constantine is about as average a game as you can get, which is actually better than most licensed translations. Neither Heaven nor Hell, Constantine is merely a short stay in Purgatory.

Good for a weird shot of fun, or a fun shot of weird, or maybe both. It’s the kind of game that should have been available on your palm pilot five years ago (hell, it would still be a good palm pilot game).

As a movie port using the oldest recipe in the book, Constantine is about as average a game as you can get, which is actually better than most licensed translations. Neither Heaven nor Hell, Constantine is merely a short stay in Purgatory.

From a value perspective, you're dealing with a feature-film's worth of content for fifty bucks. Independently wealthy, rabid fanboys might want to check it out, otherwise we'd leave this fox to the dogs.

Merely a bad stealth game chained to a limited action game. While mauling people as Agrippa is fun when you get the chance to do it, the combat system isn’t revolutionary or deep enough to warrant the effort of dealing with the crummy Octavianus bits.

The depth of unlockable modes and challenges is a welcome surprise and allows for plenty of action without the mess of searching for keys without a decent map. Did I mention that the map is worthless? It is.

Despite some slightly dated looks, the deep plot will draw you in and the near-invincible power will continuously tempt you to the Dark side. I can't make any promises for "Episode III," but The Sith Lords will not disappoint.

Fun and accessibility are the most important factors for a game of this class, and the solid implementation of the new Trick Stick makes NBA Street V3 one of the most entertaining, broadly playable basketball games ever made.

While we’re generally pretty suspicious of anthologies and collections of this sort, King of Fighters 02/03 is a good combination of two complementary games for a reasonable price. If you’ve been looking for a decent fight, look no further.

Fun and accessibility are the most important factors for a game of this class, and the solid implementation of the new Trick Stick makes NBA Street V3 one of the most entertaining, broadly playable basketball games ever made.

Fun and accessibility are the most important factors for a game of this class, and the solid implementation of the new Trick Stick makes NBA Street V3 one of the most entertaining, broadly playable basketball games ever made.

New spells and powers don’t mean much once you hop into the game’s single-player campaign, as the action is still mash, mash, mash, mash. The level design is just as it has always been, meaning twisting labyrinth after twisting labyrinth filled with hordes of mindless enemies.

While we're sorry that the series still lacks an online component for its console versions, we love the cyclical player skills system, as well as the new player search.

While we’re sorry that the series still lacks an online component for its console versions, we love the cyclical player skills system, as well as the new player search.