It's a shame that Pandemic Studios isn't around to work on a sequel for The Saboteur, because this is clearly one of its best games. The difficulty could've been tougher and the dialogue needed more work, but overall, this is a splendid action/adventure.

Strategic word puzzling personified, with tons of activities to complete. What it lacks in frills, it more than makes up in substance, which is something that can't normally be said for a $20 piece of software. It's good stuff.

Factor in the terrible menu navigation, and 2K9 has more problems than the Charlotte Bobcats. However, its five-on-five online play, updated Association mode and enjoyable hoops action still makes it a slam dunk.

Ubisoft and Red Storm Entertainment concocted a short yet satisfying single player campaign full of action, weapons and cool vehicles. It ends much too quickly, but the game's robust multiplayer component more than makes up for that, thanks to 16 player support, new maps, weapons and deep customization.

If this is your first Guitar Hero experience, then indulge. If you've played these songs before, wait for new songs in the upcoming Guitar Hero 5.

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

Anyone who played Bethesda's Oblivion, 2006's 'Game of the year,' will find the mission structure familiar, save for the game's auto-targeting system, called V.A.T.S., which is sometimes more of a hindrance than help. Even so, gamers with a taste for detailed storylines and Mad Max style visuals, will find that Fallout 3 delivers a solid, entertaining role-playing experience that will keep you glued to the couch for hours.

Changing seasons provide great visuals for the passage of time, as sims grow up and mature. The effect is subtle, but it makes raising a sim family a more enjoyable and memorable experience.

Its story makes us sleepy, but the hack-and-slash fighting has us hooked. Highly recommended.

Although a few items remain unchanged from Flatout 2, what's here still works impeccably well.

It satisfies, even if its basic set-up doesn't make specific use of the Wii. The graphics are fantastic and the soundtrack, from Yuka Tsujiyoko, is a must-listen. This series has never burned brighter.

While EA did a poor job fleshing out the story, some of the sound-alikes aren't nearly as good as the film's cast (Snape doesn't even sound close) and a few facial animations look bizarre, but for the most part, Half-Blood Prince is one of the best Harry Potter games we've played.

A couple of the newer additions don't work as well as they should, such as the unbalanced Madden Test and the cheat-happy EA Rewind. Others, though, are spectacular, such as the Virtual Training Center and the new Online League play.

In the grand scheme of role-playing games, the story turns out rather conventional, but the large variety of content and game play should cement Rogue Galaxy's place in the collections of those seeking a lengthy, fulfilling adventure.

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

The bosses are somewhat cheap in single-player mode, but the game has multiplayer appeal to spare – and for $20, no less. If you love 2-D fighting, pay your respects to the King.

An extremely polished role-playing game, it doesn't necessarily do anything new for the genre, but what it does is handled well.

While not a technical marvel, it's a fun romp through five beautifully drawn continents full of peril.

The game has a fresh new angle to it, letting you throw batarangs and use different suits to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. Villains also have their own missions, which are just as entertaining as the hero ones.

Sure, it lacks some key games, (where's Super Baseball 2020?), but overall, this is one anthology you shouldn't miss.

Ninjatown takes the fast-thinking, reactionary gameplay of tower defense and combines it with simple real-time strategy elements, creating one of the more compelling and unique games in recent memory.

Bright, colorful graphics, varied settings, powerful weapons, huge bosses and all the frantic action that made these games sweet in the old days comes together in Metal Slug Anthology as a must-own for shooter fans.

The presentation may not come alive, but the genius gameplay more than makes up for it.

Too bad the slow-as-molasses combat (and too-savvy computer-controlled opponents) keep this fighter from rivaling classics like "Tekken," "Street Fighter" and "Soul Calibur," but the innovative use of music, as both an aesthetic and a weapon, adds depth.

While the graphics needed more polish and the load times occasionally interrupt the flow of battle, R-Type Command presents an intense challenge with plenty of sci-fi flair that should satisfy most gamers.

The ADD style of play isn't for everyone, and Djon, as crazy as he is, can't replace Wario and his puffy mustache. Nevertheless, this is a respectable and trendy clone.

The bothersome camera often gets stuck, thus obscuring your vision and two-player split screen messes with the game's speed, but the exclusive clips and humorous presentation make this a must play, especially for diehard Simpsons fans.

Bullet Witch looks and feels like a by the numbers shooter.

If you're a first-person shooter fanatic that's not into micromanagement and just wants to kill things, this is definitely not your game. However, if you're looking for something in the genre that digs a little deeper, this one demands exploration.

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 card battle system is still very good, and the game has a better emphasis on character design and storyline. However, some of it feels like it's borrowed from the first game, including various play mechanics and several locations.

While the Xbox 360's Bayonetta runs smoothly at (mostly) 60 frames per second, Sony's version constantly chugs with slowdown and load times. Even if you're in the middle of a fight, the game will pause for a couple of seconds playing catch-up. For those of you who own Sony's machine, this isn't the end of the world, but it's a shame Sega couldn't get the game to perform the same on both platforms. The Xbox 360 is the obvious choice.

Even for $5, we expected more creatures to blast, rooms to explore and weapons to fire. Those glaring omissions make Lost in Nightmares a good, but not great journey into the world of survival horror. Good luck.

Packed with high-speed chases, car combat (you can bump rivals into walls) and ridiculous explosions, the game's still far from perfect. Sloppy looking characters, excessive loading and average on-foot shooting keep it several steps behind the competition. As a rental, however, Wheelman offers some decent thrills.

It just about looks, sounds and plays as it did before, solidly but without anything "wow"-worthy to justify your $60 purchase.

Although the real-time strategy isn't for everyone, due to a lack of hands-on controls and tedious pacing, EndWar is well executed and fun.

Sure, it has annoying glitches, the cheap artificial intelligence will piss you off and Sony's God of War plays ten times better, but you don't play Conan for enlightenment or for a lesson in quality game design. You play because you enjoy the thrill of the hunt, and because sometimes, it feels good to rip a fake person's arms off.

It almost feels a little too familiar for its own good.

No, it won't topple EA's Madden franchise, but this Blitz is worth playing if you want a smash mouth football game with mature issues.

Despite these complaints, Mario Party 8's motion controls, fresh new options and accessible bonus content make it a party that shouldn't be missed -- not even by those who thought that the series' best days were already long gone.

You'll be able to solve all five cases and locate all the "secret movies" within a matter of hours. Fans should check it out; others might want to rent it.

At World's End is better than most movie-based games, but that only makes its shortcomings more disappointing.

If you haven't played the latest Guitar Hero or are looking for something that all ages of players can get into, it's a respectable choice. However, its mostly flat song list and almost complete lack of anything significantly new may have you feeling a sense of deja vu that can't be shaken.

With a simple multiplayer duel mode thrown in for good measure, there is enough to keep fans of the genre happy, but a few control quirks and a lot of time in the garage could turn off the average player.

Its lack of multiplayer (dog fighting could have been sweet) and small hiccups in gameplay and presentation keep it from greatness. On the flip side, does it deserve the relentless beating it's taken from the press? No. It's still a fun science-fiction thrill ride, one worth taking for the sights, sounds and entertaining combat.

We also dig the presentation, which includes an impressive soundtrack and convincing letters from the main characters as they struggle with the spoils and successes of warfare.

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.

As for the gameplay, it does just enough to outdo previous Gundam games, though its repetitive nature won't please everyone, and the lack of online play hurts. Still, it does offer a few hours of robot smashing fun.

You'll be hard pressed to find a better looking Naruto game, however, with amazing cel-shaded characters (25 in all), vistas and gigantic bosses that make trudging through the adventure worthwhile. A lot could be improved in a future iteration, but the game should please most fans.

Motion controls shine, with precise movement and combos accomplished with ease. However, Polygon Magic cut some corners in development, mainly with its stiff cut-scenes, slightly unfinished visuals and repetitive audio effects. Otherwise, this Blade is sharp.

The too short campaigns, coupled with the average multiplayer makes it the type of game that you'll play for about a week, sell and then forget about. Had Rebellion tweaked the A.I., added much-needed extras and fleshed out each character's story (with different scenery), this could have been the greatest AVP of all time. For now, we'll have to settle for it being superior to the lackluster films.

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

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands feels like a slight step backwards from the ambitious tale told a year and a half ago. While it does return to what made the series so strong to begin with, problems with the game's combat and replay value keep it from being the stuff of legend.

Nevertheless, like any good ride, Precipice of Darkness is fun while it lasts.

The ball physics are sometimes off (especially during rebounding), the animations are repetitive and there's not enough new content. Leave this one on the bench.

It's good but not great, occasionally running into camera problems that result in a lost life from a mistimed jump or getting "stuck" behind a wall. The multiplayer is good too, consisting of salvaging and shooting levels where you can compete with up to three other friends in offline split-screen action.

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.

Guitar Hero Van Halen is fun, just not the best in the series. The song selection will keep you and your friends happy (just skip Third Eye Blind) and the options are acceptable. Still, with a little more effort, this could've been on the same level as GH Metallica. The band deserved better.

Some of the games are marred by slowdown and problematic load times, and the lack of certain fan favorites (like Super Baseball 2020 and Viewpoint) is questionable. Still, for $20, these Arcade Classics aren't too shabby.

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.

Sure, the gameplay grew stale sooner than we expected, but it's hard resisting Lego Indiana Jones 2, especially once that familiar theme music kicks in. Just don't expect it to hold your attention for long.

The game has long loading times, collision detection and some displaced momentum. But the end result hits with all the authority of a steel chair to the face.

Sure, it's not the deepest of shooters, but for $10, you could do a lot worse than 1942.

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.

Despite spectacular graphics and strong attention to simulating real-life combat weaponry, ArmA: Combat Operations falls victim to some major bugs, one of which causes those graphics to fall apart. Additionally, the weight of its complicated menu system slows down the game's pace.

Universe at War: Earth Assault has what it takes to be a great RTS game, but sadly, it doesn't come together in a fulfilling way.

The two-player mode feels tacked on and the presentation has its hitches, but Touch the Dead still provides enough bloody joy to warrant a recommendation.

Star Soldier R could've been so much more, with at least five or six more levels, a difficulty curve and two-player interactivity. As it stands, though, it's surprisingly fun.

Adults will probably grow bored within an hour, and paying $59.99 for the bundle (with no option to purchase the game by itself) feels expensive, but N-Strike will appeal to kiddies as well as parents who don't want their children firing real darts in their homes.

Looks a lot more exciting than it actually is. Nintendo fans will revel in the 2-D-meets-3-D world of Mario and company, and the recent drought of good Wii games makes this a welcome addition to any library. Yet, Nintendo drowns players in boring dialogue, and the ability to switch the 2-D world to 3-D makes the game too easy.

Little of the BioWare magic for telling an engaging story through impressively written dialogue and deep characters was used, and repetitive battles and too many generic enemies don't help matters. And for a game about a speedy hedgehog, it too often plods along slowly.

Offers a few hours of decent shooting at $10 less than the average Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 video game.

The game still holds up well, with a solid (if not entirely amazing) presentation and fun gameplay. The new defensive play touches are nice, particularly when it comes to directing a lead blocker into the thick of traffic.

NASCAR 09 doesn't change the pace of the popular motor sport racing series. However, EA Sports deserves praise for the inclusion of two handling styles, Pro and Normal, which make the game more playable than previous releases.

Game Night is definitely the way to go if you don't own the original games, or if you're too lazy to drag them out of the closet.

Since official wedding items have been in hot demand, most players won't mind the premium price. Besides, everyone loves a good party.

The game's technical shortcomings are too noticeable. The slowdown is horrendous, especially in multiplayer, there's zero Wi-Fi multiplayer action, some of the non-functional camera angles suck and in-game artificial intelligence becomes sporadically idiotic. It's a fun little portable RPG, but these Rings could've used resizing.

Multiplayer isn't bad, but it lacks depth, so while Quantum provides some exciting moments, its developers failed to catapult it to greatness.

Instead of reinventing the franchise, THQ merely tacked on some additions to the formula. That's not enough to wrestle away our $59.99.

While The Conduit didn't thrill us, we still think it's a solid first effort and one of the Wii's best shooters so far. Just don't expect it to revolutionize anything and you'll enjoy the bug hunt.

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.

It's good fun, especially for Guitar Hero junkies, but while we enjoy hitting the fret buttons and rocking out, playing for just a few minutes cramps the hands, and the limited soundtrack cannot compare to Guitar Hero World Tour's.

The way the story and relationships change depending on your choices will keep you hooked, and warrants at least two play-throughs to see what might have been. However, just be aware that you'll have to put up with some problems.

The ability to score board items and extra puzzle games is a nifty bonus, adding to longevity. However, the Mario Party formula is too comparable to previous games, with dull artificial intelligence (except on Expert). Lastly, the absence of Wi-Fi support hurts the game's appeal.

If it wanted to make an impact, the company should've re-mastered the game, similar to what it did with Final Fantasy III on the DS, removing the 2-D visuals in exchange for 3-D graphics. With that being said, this Final Fantasy offers an overpriced but enjoyable experience. The lower the gamer's expectations, the better.

Unfortunately, the enemies lack anything resembling intelligence, something that is poorly remedied up by the common solution to such an issue -- adding more enemies.

First and foremost, it has just as much charm as id's classic Doom, with hilariously bad pre-rendered enemies, a fresh feeling of exploration and multiplayer options galore, both off-line and through Xbox Live. The second is a rapid frame rate that induces motion sickness.

While not a deep or especially polished adventure, it'll keep you entertained for a weekend.

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

The World Records are a joke (you'll beat most of them on the first two tries) and the Trivia Mode is pointless, but the multiplayer action and online scoreboards make up for them.

Too bad the slow-as-molasses combat (and too-savvy computer-controlled opponents) keep this fighter from rivaling classics like "Tekken," "Street Fighter" and "Soul Calibur," but the innovative use of music, as both an aesthetic and a weapon, adds depth.

For its budget $20 price, this is a great introduction for those who missed the glory days of gaming or a pleasant welcome back to those who loved the original.

Exteel provides a worthwhile experience for competitors looking for a quality free online game.

It's just like last year's game, but with very few changes.

The lack of downloadable content is a shame, especially with certain Aerosmith tracks like "Amazing" and "Chip Away At the Stone" missing. The guitar-strumming gameplay is what you would expect from a Guitar Hero game, catchy and entertaining, although there's nothing new.

Sure, it's not the deepest of shooters, but for $10, you could do a lot worse than 1942.

As for the gameplay, it does just enough to outdo previous Gundam games, though its repetitive nature won't please everyone, and the lack of online play hurts. Still, it does offer a few hours of robot smashing fun.

Darksiders has an engaging story, beautiful visuals and plenty of badass characters, but THQ/Vigil Games' reliance on tired concepts prevent it from being a must buy.