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.