I've just given this game a lot of grief, but it's possible to get used to the random hardships and persevere, so it's not a complete failure.

Bioshock is that rare game where the plot, environment, and combat are all steps above the normal video game experience. Games at their very best, like this one, can create amazing alternative worlds for us to inhabit, doing those things we can't do in real life. This is one product the free market should be very happy to have.

Bioshock is that rare game where the plot, environment, and combat are all steps above the normal video game experience. Games at their very best, like this one, can create amazing alternative worlds for us to inhabit, doing those things we can't do in real life. This is one product the free market should be very happy to have.

Overall there's nothing incredibly ground breaking about Jeanne d'Arc. However it has an extremely compelling story with some great “Holy Crap!” moments.

The game makes good use of many DS features. It has fun sound effects. It has competent, though not infallible, handwriting recognition. You have to speak to it, and most of the time it understands you - and it asks you before you begin your Brain Age Check if you are in a place where you can speak freely.

The presentation shines, from the clean visuals to the seamless in-game hints and banter. Even the missions themselves are named after songs appropriate to the era, such as “Bad Moon Rising” and “Break on Through”. You don’t often see a budget DS action title that is “understated” or “cool” in any way, but I have to give it props on both counts.

D&D Tactics flings lines of text at you, and none of it is well written. There's no effort made to provide well-developed characterization, yet there's a lot of time wasted on excess words. Worse, the default speed passes them by so quickly that I was usually three or four words from the end of a line when it faded.

The good news is that this old friend seems to be trying to change for the better, at least on the 360 (and almost assuredly on the PS3...eventually) and that’s great.

The PS3 version is identical to the 360 in terms of options and A.I., unfortunately the similarity ends as soon as you look at the screen. It only runs at half the framerate (which is less noticeable than you'd think) and is distinctly blurry and choppy, with longer load times (which will drive you crazy). Just like Madden 07 on the 360, it's probably suffering from first-timer's disease.

The main issue with the Wii is that in order to play Madden 08, you basically have to learn an entirely different control scheme, and the payoff for that depends on whether you think using the motion control system is worth it, because rather than the step up in graphics the 360 and PS3 versions provide, you get – at best – a sideways graphical experience.

The special teams AI, however, remains consistent with the PS2 version (read: it’s horrible) so there is still room for improvement.

Strangely enough, Boogie works well on that extremely low level, EA has nailed the humor and charm with this musical cartoon. The actual game sucks if you’re expecting anything beyond a colorful puppet show.

Though most of its bells and whistles do not hold up to scrutiny very well, the simplicity and depth of the main modes will keep you occupied with more than two hundred unlockable puzzles.

Mario Strikers Charged is enjoyable on a lark, but it’s a tiny baby step just to advance a single feature of the Wii.

$50 for 30 songs actually feels more like $50 for ten to twelve decent tracks—not a good deal in any decade. Like, totally bogus, dude.

For those of us looking for a better more improved NASCAR driving experience on a console, it's best to pull out 07 on previous systems or wait for EA to take this design back to the garage for '09.

Beyond the Sword presents a lot of additions to what was already a great game. It's a good expansion, and capitalizes a great deal on fixing some of the weaknesses of the original.

Buggier than Missouri in July, and I don’t want to see you go bat crazy again like you did when I tried to change the save settings or save highlight film at the end of the game. By and large, these bugs are probably just growing pains, but you better work those issues out with the team therapist before I catch you organizing dog fights.

Completionists and series fans might dig nailing every single quest in a town and uncovering all the most powerful Artes, but the average gamer will find Radiant Mythology a pretty typical anime cliché.

A spunky game with enough depth to make things interesting, yet it still retains a goofy arcade charm.

It was nice revisiting the Dojo (Kick, Punch, It's all in the mind!), getting driving lessons, and selling junk at the flea market. It was like having old friends come to visit for a spell. But these old friends are all quirky and weird now, and they smell funny. The technical shortcomings give the game very low replay value, much different than the original.

Thoroughly mediocre.

Vampire Rain feels like the raw prototype of a fleeting idea. Extra modes and collectibles are all accounted for, and the game isn’t broken, but such a bare, simple title it isn’t worth all the frustration.

What the game does, and the sheer amount of what it does, is done with solid mechanics and considerable style. Also, the ability to review previous game/story progress (to keep track of what’s gone on before) is handled well.

The handicapped shooting elements, the inconsequential mini-games, and the lack of connection between them will probably turn off diehard shooter fans. It’s not the biggest game, nor the most technical, but it is original—absurd and effective despite its faults.

The handicapped shooting elements, the inconsequential mini-games, and the lack of connection between them will probably turn off diehard shooter fans. It’s not the biggest game, nor the most technical, but it is original—absurd and effective despite its faults.

For the die-hard Pokemon player, this game is a must have: the thrill of seeing your team of Pokemon on the big screen duking it out against your buddies will outweigh any flaws, fumbles or complete lack of content the game might have. For the rest of us, however, we may as well sit down and wait for the dawn of the era after this one.

Seven hours of virtual failure. The end result is empty, hollow, and more like a free demo download than a solid retail seller.