Although it doesn't entirely change the game around, this expansion makes enough improvements, allowing gamers to get lost in Middle-earth all over again.

It's got exciting stealth gameplay and the controls offer some fun once players get used to them, but the lack of multiplayer, a strong visual appearance and a user-friendly save system make this a weak but enhanced port of the Xbox or PlayStation 2 version.

Not every game in this collection will strike up wondrous memories of gaming's past, but Capcom choose some fine selections here that warrant constant play, alone or with a friend.

But the real shocker is how stacked the single player experience is. Players can acquire assistance from not only their own sources, but from the locals as well, depending on their in-game performance.

Repetitive, unlikable gameplay squashes everything. Flying around with the Man of Steel becomes about as entertaining as putting a helmet on your head and ramming into a brick wall at top speed.

It takes a while to get started, and the story has some faults, but the game packs wall-to-wall action, realistic tactical maneuvers and a superb presentation that even outshines "Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter."

Twilight Princess stands out as one of Nintendo's more attractive games, thanks to its fabulous draw distances, breath-taking imagery, life-like animations, imaginative character designs and dramatic action sequences.

Casual gamers will have a ball with it, though people "in the know" should look elsewhere to get their racing fix. While Excite Truck provides genuine thrills, its lack of modes and most importantly, online play, keeps it from being a must buy.

Wii Sports certainly won't be hailed as the most realistic sports sim on the market, but it's the best thing - next to a bottle of tequila - to take to a friend's holiday house party.

People with a strong drive (no pun intended) and imagination will find an infinite playground here.

The voice acting and comic book sequences sound and look decent, although the dialogue gets cheesy and annoying. HOAE offers just enough to keep people interested, but doesn't leave a lasting impression.

Atari's Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 causes fatigue, thanks to its tiring and broken controls.

While the song list is acceptable, with awesome tunes (including Marvin Gaye and Coldplay) there are definitely some clunkers mixed in (KT Tunstall and Elton John).

Atrocious camera angles lead to cheap deaths, the slippery controls make it difficult to get a handle on the characters and the game has a large problem with pacing. It tries to mix in side missions with general stages, and the disastrous results ruin the game.

An extremely solid game of football. The motion-sensing SIXAXIS controller does nothing to improve the gridiron experience, but by and large, EA includes everything that makes the franchise great, from the easy to learn controls to the bone jarring tackles.

These simple mechanics greatly enhance an already phenomenal product.. Furthermore, the inclusion of three very addictive mini games -- 2 on 2, Kicking Combine, and Y.A.C. Attack -- provides gamers with experiences they won't find anyplace else.

The PS3 version suffers, however. The outstanding visuals shine, but the frame rate has a tendency to jump around.

Full of creative weapons, the uneasy chaos of battle and some scary moments, this part-military, part-sci-fi shooter's single player campaign will keep discerning gamers busy with multiple difficulty levels and unlockable weaponry.

Stunning visuals, a lush soundtrack and interesting, semi-historical storyline get lost in a lackluster game experience riddled with annoying camera angles, repetitive hack-and-slash action, confusing missions and load times that should never be seen on a next-generation gaming system.

The game is similar to the original, but has a couple of extra features and an engaging multiplayer mode in addition to the unforgettable music, visuals and gameplay. Newcomers and fans alike, prepare to rock on.

Developer Yukes deserves nine Stone Cold Stunners for the game's lack of polish. Yet despite its flaws, SmackDown successfully retains its wrestling championship, thanks to its 67-superstar roster, 20 plus match types, deep General Manager and Season modes, gorgeous visuals, and finally, four person online play that's easy to set up and difficult to put down.

Stands out as one of the PS3's best sports games, and [though] EA failed to capitalize on the PS3's processing power, this first attempt serves as a solid foundation to build from.

Fans of the franchise will be drawn to the game's authentic anime stylings, but might soon be turned off by repetitive missions, brainless AI and problems with saving and restarting missions.

Despite such changes and an energetic attempt to put more intensity into the game, it reeks of familiarity. The graphics haven't improved over the last two NFL Streets, and the attitude through celebrations and taunts fails to impress.

Everything that can possibly go wrong with Vivendi Games' movie-licensed game does. The visuals are weak, staggered by a flawed and annoyingly fixed camera system. The combat becomes tedious, with very little change (if any at all) over the course of the game.

NBA 07's offensively charged gameplay makes it one of the PlayStation 3's best launch games. Instead of relying on playbooks, Sony San Diego focused on sick dunks and dazzling off balance jump shots.

The developers failed to take good advantage of the Wii's controllers, as swinging punches becomes boring after half an hour.

There are still some strange artificial intelligence quirks in both the turn-based and real-time aspects of the game, and it appears that the Total War franchise is starting to steer away from more casual players who would prefer a little less realism in their game. Still, Medieval II presents a great challenge.

Twists, such as the ability to play with different attributes thanks to Baby Mario, Baby Princess Peach, Baby DK, and more add variety to an extremely fun adventure. Through 40-plus levels, vibrant graphics and lively environments make things feel fresh and unique.

The game's 40 cars look disappointingly familiar. However, this game successfully brings arcade racing home, fully loaded with fast rides, excellent drifting, the ability to customize vehicles, and 14 person online play.

Some visuals could have been cleaned up, and the SIXAXIS controls won't appeal to everyone, but for those who love a satisfying hockey experience will be happy with the thrills NHL 2K7 provides.

While online play is acceptable, the game does have a number of unlockable achievements, but players can experience all of that over a weekend.

Contra deserves more than one play-through, but the bugs make it one of Xbox Live Arcade's black sheep. Hopefully, Konami will pull out all the stops for a version of "Super Contra."

The campaign is over much too quickly and multiplayer isn't nearly as deep as some other games, but this isn't about playing Gears of War ten, fifteen years down the road. It's all about partaking in this mass, shared experience, one that'll no doubt keep Xbox 360s running for a long time.

Combined with the single player campaign, Call of Duty's online play rounds out a very impressive package, one that throttles the senses and shakes the soul.

The visuals may be jumpy from time to time, and building a skater isn't so compelling an experience this time around, but past these negatives, skateboarders should buy this game immediately.

About as ugly as Leatherface and just as rough around the edges. However, it's still a pretty decent shooter.

Despite the involvement of many of the show's stars, The Sopranos: Road To Respect fails to live up to the high level of the show. The boring combat mixed with pointless situations make it less than enjoyable.

A pretty sweet package. It may not have Activision Anthology's flashy wrapper, but Sega Genesis Collection is fun personified.

The sequel improves greatly on an already superb product with an in-depth training mode, a song list that holds up just as well as the original, and multiplayer that includes cooperative play. Everyone should rock out to Guitar Hero II -- it's one of the best games of 2006.

Outside of some minor quibbles with the user interface and some obscenely difficult matches, the only real snag is the fact that everything's so heavily based in the Dragon Ball Z mythos, there isn't much here for the non-fan to enjoy.

An intriguing effort from a first time development company and it warrants a look.

Lumines II comes out of the gate strong and never lets up in creating a perfect puzzle game, and it comes with our highest recommendation.

The Americanized version has lost something in translation, but for those who don't know any better; Elite Beat Agents delivers a fresh portable gaming experience with far-reaching appeal.

Although 1701 A.D. doesn't feature any new gameplay concepts, it remains a solid economic strategy game that's easy enough for most players to pick up and get sucked into.

Unfortunately, it also requires a lot of battling to keep characters learning new abilities, and the frequent encounters are often tedious in their simplicity.

A boring action RPG that desperately wishes it was released in 1995.

Thanks to the strong attention to detail, the world of Ivalice feels less like a video game and more like an actual place. Not only are the actions and motivations of the various characters believable, but the characters themselves are often quite memorable to boot.

This extremely enjoyable action RPG contains fabulous visuals, plenty of options, and incredible gameplay. Neverwinter Nights 2 is truly one of the most epic adventures found on a PC, and it should be purchased without hesitation.

The three-quarter view that the game employs is actually put to good use, particularly with weapon aiming and engaging against other players, AI or human.

The shrunken screen display sometimes forces players to readjust in the midst of a fight, and single player options aren't nearly as stacked as multiplayer.

The level of destruction and the special effects are outstanding, and while the single player campaign is a bit short, the console exclusive Instant Action Mode is a great way to continuously relive battles against the intelligent AI.

The whole street racer theme is getting worn into the ground as well. But with a high-class presentation to its credit and numerous online options available via Xbox Live, Need For Speed Carbon is quite an alluring ride.

While some of the missions frustrate thanks to the clunky GTA controls, the game's sense of style, the 100-plus-song soundtrack and knee-slapping sense of humor make Vice City Stories a nice place to (re)visit.

Pokemon Ranger is worth a try, but like the gameplay, it ends up going around in circles.

The game's slipshod controls and lame story mode weigh it down. Even worse, players can't pimp their own rides -- that's handled automatically by West Coast Customs.

Although the game contains an interesting tactical set-up and numerous races to choose from (Klingons included), the game just isn't fun to play. Not only is it unnecessarily complicated, but also slow and sloppy.

There's just a crazy amount of things to do, though the game isn't overly thrilling. It lacks a good sensation of speed, the controls could've been tighter, and the graphics aren't so hot.

The new Dervish and Paragon professions add a lot of flavor to both role playing and PvP. Yet, the game's story takes a long while to pick up, and some design issues from previous games still exist.

On paper, expanding upon each aspect of the well-received Phantasy Star Online appears attractive, yet a shoddy execution lacks the finely-tuned balance the game was known for.

Think of it as a combination of "Deus Ex" and "Half-Life 2," wrapped within a fantasy feast for the eyes.

The gameplay could have used some more originality outside of "let's beat everything up", but Ultimate Alliance basically hits the mark with thunderous force.

This live action comic book" style game has enough button mashing to satisfy every brawling fan, and just enough role-playing elements to satiate those who like to have a little more control over their superheroes.

The thrill of downhill racing works, whether going at it solo or with friends in multiplayer. The trick system is more limited due to the nature of the game, and some graphical bugs do get in the way.

The new faction adds a great new way to play, and every mode of gameplay, including multiplayer, has been reborn with nearly everything a gamer could ask for.

Some of the games aren't so hot, and the loading is too long. Plus, the decision that forces players to earn unlockable goodies via chance isn't cool at all. Nevertheless, Reloaded earns merit for many of its games, which are perfectly emulated.

This expansion plays largely like the main game, with only a handful of minor changes and improvements. The story opens up some very interesting plot points and unanswered questions, but none of them are resolved, making the adventure very unsatisfying.

There are a couple of better features including new multiplayer battle games and quicker loading during the battle segments. The graphics are unchanged and problematic, especially when it comes to camera control. Then there's the gameplay, which still relies too heavily on the same old combo systems.

Most of the game's content has been ported over to the bigger console, with very little improvements to the design and only a few new puzzles and challenges added.

Who are the real con artists here -- the people stealing diamonds in the game, or the development team at Volatile that expects the gaming public to believe that Reservoir Dogs is a tolerable game?

The multiplayer aspect is better drawn out, the storyline is fantastic, and the visuals and sound deliver on every accord. Namco's delivered a real top gun.

The story is mediocre and the game gets off to a slow start, but the imaginative character designs, epic boss fights, a unique battle system and a cool six person multiplayer mode keep it from being a disaster.

The good news is that the gameplay is more delectable than usual movie-licensed fluff, with hours of racing fun for one or two players and a fun presentation that fans of the movie will adore.

The run-in combos take some momentum out of the game, and some characters are unquestionably lame (cough Stryker cough), but this game still knows how to pack a bloody uppercut. Finish him!

With no clue as to when Lumines Live! will actually contain all of the features listed in its menu, nor how much it will cost to get them there, it's tough to recommend until these details are made available.

The gameplay is simple and is short enough to finish in one evening. But that's not the point. The focus is on the characters, humor, and story, which the game delivers in spades. This is a joy to play.

Dated technology aside, Bully's a fresh breath of air in a stagnating game market -- complete with cool art direction, a great soundtrack, a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and a gameplay mechanic that's new, yet familiar to anyone who's played any of the 'Grand Theft Auto' games.

The game looks and plays cheaply and lacks direction. Players waste time trying to conduct solo missions early on when the heart of this game focus on squad tactics. Terrible translations, boring environments and unintelligent enemies further ruin the experience.

I'm also a bit disappointed with the AI, which isn't nearly as sophisticated as Ubisoft has claimed. However, the game offers up plenty of intense thrills. This is by far the most diverse collection of missions ever seen in a Splinter Cell title.

Battlefield 2142 delivers a sci-fi themed experience using the familiar Battlefield style. While the setting may have changed a bit, the overall gameplay hasn't.

Know this: if you're not a fan of simulation games, you won't care any more for this n00b-friendly train empire manager than you would any other sim-type game.

Delivers next-gen golf as it was intended, delivering realistic golf gameplay that challenges even the best players, the ability to create a golfer out of the blue, and a surprisingly robust online community loaded with events, tournaments, and ESPN Integration.

The Sims 2 Pets add-on is the best yet, and breathes a fresh breath of air into the best-selling game as it enters its third year.

The game's presentation is on par with the comic book series, but the characters aren't well balanced. Furthermore, only certain skills can be upgraded, and the rest of the game contains the same old beat-em-up formula that's been around for ages.

The game suffers from a lack of new gameplay quirks, but those who couldn't get enough of Crypto's antics the first time will find plenty to enjoy here.

Those who want a quality game consisting of innocent fun should look no further than Noddy: A Day in Toyland.

Nothing has really been added to signify the arcade experience, aside from a few easily unlockable achievements and a live leaderboard. The upside? The game is still a delightful romp, filled with puzzling scenarios and a simplistic, colorful design.

Developer Rebellion's done splendid work bringing the game to the PSP, though the controls suffer from the default PSP set-up.

The characters are great, but the numerous cliches throughout the story may leave some feeling tired, and it's curious the way the game almost seems to punish those who want to watch the optional skits.

This completely over-the-top and utterly bizarre fighter is just what the witch doctor ordered. It's not exactly the most polished of games, but its lack of technical prowess is no match for its in-your-face style, brutal combat that makes me wince, then giggle.

The extensive create-a-player mode, online play, and deep Career Mode that offers countless challenges and tournaments will likely keep players occupied until Tiger 08. However, putting is as frustrating as ever, a problem compounded by the PSP's analog nub, which takes some time getting used to.

A mediocre action/adventure game that provides simple combat and a rudimentary skill advancement system.

Avatar: The Last Airbender fails to live up to the creativity of the show it's based upon.

The biggest features in this game are the Kreate-A-Fighter, Kreate-A-Fatality, and Online modes. It's about time Midway included stuff like this! So yeah, go buy MK Armageddon ASAP! It's one of the major reasons why the PS2 still has plenty of life residing within its dusty innards.

Clubhouse leans heavily on the Wario Ware theory that an abundance of great, short games will always prevail over a longer, more serious game with nothing to offer.

A fast-paced game that will keep you glued to your screen as you purge the planet of alien invaders.

There are flaws with the Heat meter and Balls system (yes, Balls system), and the graphic engine could've used some more polishing, but the game has hours of entertaining chaos to spare, and it nails down the movie's atmosphere and Tony's attitude perfectly.

This game has got it all: a contrived plot, bad voice acting, terrible dialogue, and loads of technical bugs. And let's not forget about the slew of obvious advertisements, which gives the impression that this should have been a "free-to-play" sponsored game, especially since it downloads real product coupons to your computer as you play.