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.