Order of the Pheonix is all about homework and chores, and feels harder to take in than a whole book - those are poor marks for a video game.

Order of the Pheonix is all about homework and chores, and feels harder to take in than a whole book - those are poor marks for a video game.

A fantastic rally racing game that aims to be a fantastic all-around off-road experience, but like internet porn, next time it needs to get a little dirtier.

A fantastic rally racing game that aims to be a fantastic all-around off-road experience, but like internet porn, next time it needs to get a little dirtier.

RE4 for the Wii is the definitive edition of the game to own.

In fact, it’s repetitive and (quickly) becomes boring. Regardless of the enemy, expect a lot of walking around, smashing, taking of elevators to the next floor, more walking around, and more smashing and more … well, you get the picture.

In fact, it’s repetitive and (quickly) becomes boring. Regardless of the enemy, expect a lot of walking around, smashing, taking of elevators to the next floor, more walking around, and more smashing and more … well, you get the picture.

Really, with the Wii controller and nunchuck the game becomes even more tedious.

Naruto probably isn’t going to satisfy hardcore gamers, but we gamers are getting older, accumulating not just wives but children. And for those little nerds-in-training, Naruto is a pretty and pleasant introduction to the physical violence they will spend the rest of their lives avoiding.

Repetitive, sloppy and inane, Tenchu Z trots out an old ninja that is more of a nut-kicker than a stealth killer.

When compared to a game released in 1977 that was really only one step more complex than Pong, Tank Beat got… beat.

Shadowrun’s impressive array of skills and magic gives standard first-person shooters a run for their money, but its lack of game modes or rewards or even a rewarding feeling slows this game to a walk.

Shadowrun’s impressive array of skills and magic gives standard first-person shooters a run for their money, but its lack of game modes or rewards or even a rewarding feeling slows this game to a walk.

Also, about the ultra-long credits that you can’t skip: please. It’s like watching the dirt get shoveled onto my open grave as I wait for the ordeal to end.

Save some rare problems with Danny’s jumps and the viewing of very complex levels do crop up, but they’re few and far between, and they hardly mar the impressive, challenging and marvelously-presented experience.

It just isn’t revolutionary in any way. Nothing about it grabbed me by the eyeballs and shook me around until my head caved in.

Like Ocean’s Thirteen, there are a lot of amazing individual elements in Dawn of Mana that are worth the price of admission. But they just don’t come together to make a cohesive whole.

I don’t think this was the developers’ intention, but Death Junior and the Science Fair of Doom turns out to be a good approximation of the Middle School experience: you’re frustrated, you’re bored, and you’re not really in control of your own body. And while both have some great moments, in the end I’m happy to graduate and move on.

Playing The Art of Fighting Anthology is a little bit like rediscovering your 6th grade journal. It’s entertaining to relive those days and marvel at how far you’ve come, and certainly it has too much sentimental value to get rid of, but ultimately it’s too painful to look at for long, and really belongs in a box somewhere where you can forget about it for another fifteen years.

The bugs and the lame graphics show that MLB 07: The Show was a rush job. And that’s a shame, because there’s a lot of good stuff here.

Despite its flaws, Innocent Life is an interesting and fun take on a familiar game. With a few tweaks to the pacing and goal structure, ArtePiazza could have made a strong entry into this strange farming sim.

Maybe it’ll hold a smaller child’s attention but that doesn't mean it's a good game. Barney the dinosaur can also enteratain a child, and that's awful. Shrek the Third quickly becomes a chore for even the mildly experienced gamer.

If The World were released as a game by itself, it would be fine, but ultimately not that special. But by creating a game outside the game, the makers of .hack//G.U. Vol. 2: Reminisce (a studio called CyberConnect2) have created a world that’s a lot of fun to explore on many levels.

Spider-Man 3 features the series’ worst combat yet.

Spider-Man 3 features the series’ worst combat yet.

Were Alpha Prime really fantastic in some specific aspect, at just $20, I would be happy to recommend it to one and all. It isn’t bad – you can have fun playing it and it’s not going to crash inexplicably – but it is an offering exactly matched by its budget price.

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar isn’t the best MMORPG I’ve ever played, but I’ve played <I>that</I> one to death. With strong classes, tons of content, and some imaginative little features, this game is worth a trip to Mount Doom. Or at least the toy store.

SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS takes everything I remember about playing tradable card games, highlights the bad parts, and then breaks.