It doesn't re-invent the wheel, but it does provide a solid football experience.

The concept of a game that joins dancing and karaoke sounds intriguing on paper, and if Boogie had managed to capitalize on its strange mix of gameplay ideas it might have been pretty enjoyable in practice.

It may sound strange, but the developers of Brave Story: New Traveler have created an above-average experience by taking a perfectly average formula and making absolutely no errors in its execution.

But for those of us who play games with the controllers that came with the system, NASCAR 08 is just too flawed to be worth playing.

So Transformers: The Game is just a complete mess, a game that succeeds in almost nothing that it sets out to do.

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition is one of the best games available for the Wii. Period.

And the final word must go to that pesky puzzle hook that just won't let your stubborn brain accept defeat.

WarTech: Senko no Ronde is a trite piece of airy piffle with nothing meaty to recommend it.

Plunder-by-panic and slippery experience points are intriguing, but these innovations fall flat without solid, bug-free foundations to support them.

This slowdown often results in accidental death and having to start over, but not before sitting through the game’s load screen, which consists of the now-seared-into-my-brain image of the words “now loading” slowly revolving around an open book.

It's too bad that by over-complicating everything, Touch the Dead gets this simple formula so very wrong.

It's a short and mildly engrossing action romp that, while probably not worth the price of a full game, will make a nice time killer for those long Saturday afternoons when the big game of the month hasn't hit shelves yet

Although enhanced graphics and special effects would have improved the game cosmetically, there's no denying that the mechanics are dialed-in and the developers have some damned good heads on their shoulders. Add in the fact that it retails for a rock-bottom $20 brand-new, and The Red Star and becomes the next surprise hit that's on every B-list hound's radar.

It's well presented and Brave's misshapen but personable face and tape-like hair make him an oddly likeable hero (that one wouldn't necessarily mind seeing again), but for the most part his showcase adventure ranks as an inescapably hollow and forgettable experience.

The finest game yet released for the Wii, as well as my early pick for game of the year.

So Medal of Honor: Vanguard is just a waste of time and money. A tedious plodding waste suitable only for those absolutely desperate for another first-person shooter to play on their Wii.

It's an incredibly rich, unique and innovative take on first-person shooters-yet it's also a flawed game, suffering from a few minor scripting bugs and some rough edges in the gameplay that occasionally interfere with what is, for the most part, an exceptionally engaging experience. But despite its imperfections, it is a truly groundbreaking game, captivating in its complexity, its mystery, and its vividly realized world that stands as a milestone in both imagination and engineering.

All in all, Shining Force EXA is a solid game that doesn't quite compare to its predecessor.

After Burner may be spiritually true to Sega's seminal 1987 hit, but game design has progressed by leaps and bounds since then. Cleaving so closely to its dusty, outdated forefather hurt more than it helped, I'd say.

The worst 360 game I think I've ever played with nothing to redeem it. Earth Defense Force 2017 can't even stack up against the recent Burger King games, and those were little better than minigames on a disc coming in at four dollars each. The only possible future I see for Earth Defense Force 2017 is gaining the notoriety as one of those "so bad it's good" games, but don't be fool yourself - it's just bad.

I wanted so much to experience the same sense of exhilaration that the original had given me, but that feeling never arrived. There were moments that came tantalizingly close, such as the opening battle with the Colossus of Rhodes, but it never got all the way there.

Even if I couldn't set my love for the series aside for this review, I'm sure that Def Jam Icon's problems are so clear and inarguable that even if I'd never played any of the previous titles I would have rated it exactly the same.

But despite its graphical flair and fancy high-tech features, the hollowness and simplicity of the core gameplay ultimately left the experience feeling unbalanced and unrewarding.

At fifty dollars, and with significant locked away on the disc from the people who paid for it, it's the biggest rip-off since Crackdown, and shouldn't be purchased by anyone for any reason.

Based on the evidence, I believe that Deadline Games is capable of putting out something more satisfying—but in its current state, Chili Con Carnage is more like chips and salsa than arroz con pollo.

From its incongruous RPG-style leveling up to its endless recycling of levels to its utterly ridiculous Arabian Nights-themed story, Sonic and the Secret Rings feels horribly padded from top to bottom.

This feels like an alpha build of a game: the point in a game's development cycle where engine is in place, and the world has been built, and a few bad guys running around for testing purposes. Unfortunately, the actual meat of the game, the story and the missions, haven't been added yet.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that Jewel Summoner is at least half dialogue, if not three-quarters - a fatal mistake when the quality of such is so unappealing.

It's fun and violent and asks nothing at all from its player than to spend a few minutes blowing things to pieces whenever they feel like it, rewarding them with epic levels of blood and gore when they do.

The box art might not be interesting (and personally, I think the title of the game is terrible) but once past those superficial elements it's impossible to ignore the superior design and technical mastery that's present in every minute of gameplay. Gurumin puts most of the PSP's library to shame without even trying.

Overall, I was quite impressed with Rogue Galaxy, and as one of the presumably last RPGs for the PlayStation 2, I think it's a fitting tribute to the machine that is home to the most games of this genre.

I don't expect World War II to fall in popularity as a game subject any time soon, and Battlestations: Midway is a perfect example of why.

I hope that future Phoenix Wright titles are able to keep the character and plot development at the same level achieved in Phoenix Wright: Justice For All.

It's to Lost Planet's credit that the skillful handling of the difficulty and level design puts the player in a state of desperation for almost the entire length of the game.

The game is a showcase of everything Nintendo hopes for its new console: the novel simplicity of the Wiimote, deceptively simple gameplay that's easy for non-gamers to learn yet a challenge for gaming veterans to master.

I for one think console gamers can handle a real tactical sim, but I suppose that in this increasingly competitive industry, taking even the slightest risk has become passe.

Mazes of Fate might have had a slim chance a few years ago, but arriving alongside infinitely more capable competition renders rough, mediocre and annoying content immediately, undesirably obsolete.

Despite being something of a mixed bag from any perspective, there's no doubting the fact that even a middling Metal Gear game easily outclasses most of its competition.

In the end, gamers are all just a bunch of people sitting in front of a television holding a controller, so simulation games must be judged on their ability to make gamers feel like they're performing an action within the limitations of the technology. Cabela's African Safari's poor controls, design choices, and graphics keep this immersion from ever happening.

It's no easy feat to invigorate a genre that has remained fairly set in its ways for the last few generations, let alone do it with the imagination and energy present here.

It is a game that utterly fails to capture any of the elements that make its source material so enduring and beloved.

Although it acts as a wonderful selling point for anyone considering developing an FPS for the Wii, Red Steel is too much of an unsatisfying tease to succeed as much else.

Using the wolf's sense to see the Twilight Realm is a ghastly, beautiful effect to be sure, but contributes little to the player's sense of discovery, save for a few holes to dig or making a few jumps that would otherwise be impossible.

The greatest strength of Wii Sports—its unparalleled accessibility—ends up being its greatest weakness. Although the game initially feels like a breath of fresh air, the failure of its novel control scheme to provide the sensitivity needed for continued growth and mastery ultimately sucks much of that air right back out.

I will say that Sneak King was successful from the perspective that it provides an hour or two of incredibly offbeat play, not to mention the fact that it got me into a Burger King for the first time in years. If it wasn't for the stomachache and heartburn afterwards, I'd say it was a win-win situation.

So once again, Traveler's Tales gets the Lego right, only this time they screw up everything but.

There is simply no way to play this game comfortably while turning and moving forward.

Final Fantasy III was fun while I played it, but now that the world's been re-harmonized and the credits have rolled, I feel no need to dig it out of my closet again.

Rather than a gimmick or a quick add-on like some other Wii titles, Second Opinion's gameplay feels tailor-made for the Wiimote and clearly displays its potential.

Call me a jaded critic, a wet blanket, or anything else, but I'm not going to be dazzled into submission by stunning visuals and overlook a core game design that doesn't impress.

For me, the ultimate success of Guitar Hero II's formula lies in the pick-up-and-play accessibility of its controller, the strong selection of catchy songs, and the game's uncanny ability to make players feel like they're actually rocking out on stage.

Familiarity aside, however, Mizuguchi’s latest experiment in merging simple mechanics with mesmerizing feedback remains an invigorating success, and probably more compulsive and complete than any other he’s conducted, even if it’s not necessarily the final word on the subject.

Although some may claim that the single-player campaign is on the short side, or perhaps that the ability to move the camera would have been a nice addition, there's no getting around the fact that Killzone: Liberation is a better game than the original in every way and a standout title in its own right.

While it doesn't pull off everything perfectly, it injects enough originality into a familiar framework to make it one of the more enjoyable releases since the release of its more auspicious Source engine cousin.

Reservoir Dogs the game takes a groundbreaking film and jams it into a formula it wasn’t meant to fit in the first place. Some heist movies don’t have heists, some stories are told out of order, and some movies aren’t meant to be games.

Bully is the same product I’ve already consumed four-plus times before, and an interesting thematic twist isn’t enough reason to sing its praises.

Even if the game falls apart fairly quickly, and has bugs and interface quirks that make the main story borderline unplayable, it still deserves a measure of attention and admiration.

It really wasn’t made with anyone in mind except for longtime players of the series—who will doubtlessly buy it, enjoy themselves, and continue playing it until DICE decides what era the next game will take place in. Which is what makes this game completely review-proof.

I enjoyed tossing tanks into the ocean with telekinesis and leveling city blocks with my destructo-ray, but there's nothing here to win over people who didn't appreciate this formula the first time.

Though it's been streamlined, simplified, made easier, or even completely changed in parts, it retains all the elements making these games what they are—and the fact is, there is such a thing as being too hardcore. In my eyes, anything that can help Shin Megami Tensei gather a larger audience stateside is a positive thing.

Despite the huge amount of money obviously spent licensing and producing Scarface, in the end, it's nothing more than an acceptable title. Better written and designed than most, but too short and shallow to stand apart from the crowd.

I can understand the logic in trying to craft a sequel that does more than its source material, but the end result is that Mercury Meltdown lacks the simplicity and clean design needed to establish itself as a solid puzzler.

As an admirer of all things unusual and unusually entertaining, Rico's bizarre parachute tricks justify the four to six hours it takes to complete the campaign, but once the novelty wears off, there's not much here to merit a second glance that hasn't been done better by other games - mission accomplished, but just barely.

The frenetic battles in Valkyrie Profile 2 belie the flowerlike way its characters unfold, one petal at a time. The story it tells may not look like the stories a film critic like Roger Ebert is used to, but it's still a story—a good one—nonetheless.

There really aren’t any rough edges or complaints to be lodged against it, save perhaps for the fact that it’s an extremely friendly game and doesn’t present much of a challenge for people who don’t feel satisfied without sweating and stressing out over difficulty spikes.

It's almost as though the developers focused everything they had on the art style and equippable items, but forgot to make sure the rest of the game worked as well. A tedious slog, this sort of project is a risky one to undertake since the potential for boredom to kill the experience is so high.

Rengoku is a tight, focused experience not aimed at the average gamer, but it carves out its own niche and fills it nicely. It's an acquired taste perhaps, but one that I definitely crave.

The sort of inspiration-deficient throwback that wore out its welcome long ago.

The potential is clearly here for another out-of-left-field cult hit, but the charm of sautéing, stewing, and sometimes scorching wears off too soon, and there's nothing to fall back on to bolster the experience.

It deserves all of the accolades it will receive-the game has managed to capture the spirit of Star Wars while maintaining its own style and sense of humor.

Yakuza is the best example I’ve seen in a long time of just how much a great story can elevate a good game.

Mechanically, it's not quite as subversive or original as the presentation and some of its over zealous supporters might have you believe, but the chutzpah with which LocoRoco interprets the platform game's basic tenets is entirely its own and, again like the original Sonic The Hedgehog, it is a hugely invigorating and memorably stylish entry into a genre still awaiting fresh ideas.

If they had trimmed all the meaningless RPG fat and reworked Enchanted Arms into something more concentrated, the experience would have played to the game's strengths and been more successful for it.

And so it is that the series's venerable blend of cut-throat peril and exemplary platform action is not only maintained, but arguably kicked up a notch with newfound levels of visual splendour, hellish level design and structural ingenuity. Though far from universal in its appeal, Ultimate Ghouls 'N Ghosts is quite simply a masterfully executed platform game.

I hope that Nintendo sees the error of its ways soon and pulls Fox & Co. out of this interminable nosedive.

Manages to be engaging thanks to its rich storyline, and the typically luxurious cutscenes provided by Square Enix. I found it challenging enough for my level of twitch skills (or lack thereof) in the genre.

Except for the mentioned flaws it is spot on design-wise and and the enjoyable zombie theme and a tasteful art direction accompanied by a good soundtrack ranging from creepy keyboard-tunes to spot on wishy-washy mall muzak helps to propel a great atmosphere, which is just satirical enough to avoid taking itself too seriously.

One of the PlayStation 2 's best fighters in a portable format, and it made the jump without sacrificing a bit of the quality.

The maze-like level designs may seem a little chaotic at first, but their appearance is misleading. In fact, they're very logically designed and player-friendly. With just a little experimentation, solutions become readily apparent.

A singular RPG experience with much to offer those who are open to something very different from just about every other RPG out there.

People willing to enlist for the full tour of duty are going to find a tactical experience unlike anything else out there—just make sure you know what you're getting into before you sign on the dotted line.

Prey's marriage of scientific and spiritual might not be the best fit, but convincing environments, dynamic gravity, and mastery of genre basics assure its status as a pleasantly solid entry into a very crowded field.

It's really a testament to the game's quality that even though I found its politics and implications deeply troubling I was still won over by the amazing gameplay.

Without replayability, unlockables or any other motivation to continue playing, Point Blank DS shows how advances in game design since the mid-90s could have saved even superficial titles.

There's nothing juicy about a boring hero on a boring quest walking around aimlessly searching for the next area to continue a story that I had a hard time caring about.

Episode 1 is strictly for the fans. Anyone hoping that this expansion would explore some new gameplay elements or even improve on the old ones is up for a disappointment. It's good stuff—hey, it's Half-Life!—but it's the same stuff.

Hitman still has plenty of potential and I look forward to seeing if the new direction comes closer to fulfilling it in the future, but for the moment it's hard to tell if the formula has changed too much or too little and if Blood Money represents a brave re-birth for the series or the beginning of the end.

If playing Jaws Unleashed has taught me one thing about game design, it's that if you're going to put a single fun thing in a game it's best to put it right up front where people can see it, and hopefully trick them into thinking that the entire game is fun.

This is a game whose execution outweighs its ambition with consummate ease, until it becomes a benchmark of sorts for a generation of underwhelming third-person shooters. Wringing the very best out of its simple and solid core mechanics, Rogue Trooper is more accomplished and enjoyable than anyone had a right to expect.

Is HOMMV a good game? Absolutely. Is it essentially the exact same game as HOMMIV was? Oh yes.

Humor and unusual storytelling can't save it from stiff controls and an awkward camera.

The gameplay transcends mere functionality and accessibility to be an actual pleasure to play, barring a few handling hiccups caused by the game's undoubtedly rushed release schedule.

I can talk about why the game is fun, but I can't lie and say the game is brilliant. Mario isn't what he used to be. There are glimmers and flickers of greatness in this game - moments where I felt the magic might almost be back. But it's not. Not yet.

Nostalgia and style are weak currencies to a mass market obsessed with content, and OutRun's primary commercial frailties are its simplicity, its repetition and its lack of long-term structure.

While a good effort is made, nothing in the game can match the inspired lunacy of Metal Saga's opening minutes.

Parts of LostMagic are brilliant. But that brilliance gets bogged down in physical awkwardness and bad artificial intelligence.

The inclusion of the power-ups severely cheapens the game, changing it from a competitive fighting game into a wannabe party title.

It's just not fun yet. Sure, playing against people is a mild diversion, and it has a small amount of nostalgic appeal, but if they want to come up with something that's sold entirely on the basis of the fun of destruction, destruction has to be more fun than this.