Perhaps the most interesting feature is that intelligent creatures will not forget Mr. Carver. They may give up on finding Mr. Carver, but they never forget the presence. It's almost like Metal Gear: Twin Snakes on alert mode, except when alerted the guards never do quite get up.

Legend actually has a coherent plot that makes sense, even as fantastical things arise, which is more than I can say for the previous Tomb Raider titles, which seemed to be little more than glorified excuses to eyeball Lara's sweater puppies (nostalgists beware: they ain't what they used to be).

Another fantastic script with more one liners and jokes than should be allowed.

The game tries very hard, above all else, to leave players with a lasting grin on their face. To this end, it succeeds. There are plenty of flaws, but the 'cool factor' is through the roof.

More importantly, they also nailed all the aspects that made the film so great, and the much larger adventure their tinkering yielded is certainly appreciated.

Alien Hominid is a shiny, bloody cartoon you can play by a team of guys who wanted to make a shiny, bloody cartoon you can play. It works.

Worth a look-see, but memory card requirements effectively banish this one to the realm of "Either buy it, or don't bother."

Occasional jankiness is made up for by a ridiculously low price and copious shooter goodness.

My uneasy feelings on Madden as a premiere example of videogame-as-renewable-commodity aside, the series continues its slow and steady march of progress.

It's not the "best" version, but it's the most complete. If that makes any sense.

If you’ve played the console versions of "Burnout," you’ve played Legends.

It would have been nice if more than 16 tracks had been included, but the Dirt Wurx track editor makes up for that somewhat.

If you liked the previous games in the franchise, leap on this one. All others, approach with caution.

It's still a buy, but fans hoping for something new are in for a sore surprise.

The difficulty and audio make the price of entry a bit high, but the story and scale are worth it if you're looking for something a bit different.

Addictive and entertaining, but a bit short on songs.

The accompanying hard drive is a neat toy, and there's no denying that FFXI is addictive. $12.95/month after the first one, though? That's a fair bit o' jack.

If you're a Ratchet fan, Deadlocked is still worth picking up, but rather than being a meaty new adventure in the series, it will probably serve mostly to deepen your nostalgia for its predecessors...not that that's a bad thing. That co-op play sure is nifty, though.

It's a hockey sim - a pretty darned good one, warts and all - and having a hockey sim in which I can lose myself has been a dream of mine ever since I first spent a weekend with Front Office Football.

If you keep in mind that this is aimed at a younger audience, even an older gamer, particularly a parent sharing the experience with a child, can find a lot to enjoy.

It's undeniably better than "Fallout," which is basically just wearing the BG:DA skin, but it's clearly inferior to Snowblind's latest project, "Champions of Norrath."

It fits the party game build perfectly, but unlike "NFL Blitz," has the brains and the depth to stick around. The addictive NFL Challenge Mode alone has kept me busy for almost a month.

This is the last title that can come out using the old engine before significant reworking is needed, but Jedi Academy still places a performance that deserves a purpose.

It's not so much a major 3D advancement or a 3D reinvention of the series as it is a nice 3D sequel, with some little technical qualms that may occasionally prove to be frustrating.

12 hours ain't bad for a single-player campaign, but I hope that's not going to become the standard for solo action on 360, especially wth that 20% markup in game prices for third-party titles.

Holds up well, even after all these years. Plus, it's a hell of a lot cheaper to buy for Xbox than for Neo*Geo.

I still believe that there'll be a faction of pansy gamers, weaned on infinite continues, save points and GameSharks, that bitch and moan about how hard the game is and fail to appreciate it as a result. That's lame, really, because even if Nightshade doesn't do enough to fix everything that was wrong with Shinobi, it's still easily one of the top action titles on PS2.

Just because there's everything but the kitchen sink doesn't mean it's a good game. Luckily, Jak 3 is a good game.

While running the studio does boil down too quickly into lather-rinse-repeat patterns of tycoon-style management, the moviemaking part of the game gives you an almost endless supply of replayability.

Rent this and "Champions of Norrath," since they compete against each other, or just buy both if you're rich. Both are fine games with something great to offer.

While some of the missions are almost tooth-gratingly hard, the consistency and balance throughout makes these missions seem like a decent challenge rather than something that'll make you want to eat your controller.

I would have liked to see a little more variety in the level design, and just a bit more of the “over the top” craziness of the original, but I still enjoyed the single player missions enough to rate the game highly.

The first game in almost a decade that feels like a return to the series' roots in any fashion.

"Disgaea" is still the game for which I would re-purchase my PlayStation 2 all over again, but if I get to have two games, Makai Kingdom isn’t bad company.

Definitely buy this if you have buddies with whom to play it. Even if you don't, you just might have enough fun with it to make it worth the $40.

Spawn lovers finally have a videogame they don't have to hide in shame, and those not initially interested in the comic will still find an addictive action title at Armageddon's core.

"Best DS Game" seems a little weak, given the competition, so let me just say this: This much fun (plus multiplayer!) for $29.99 seems like highway robbery perpetrated against Atlus.

Some framerate problems from the PS2 version and the great textures and flair from the Xbox version. Throw the two together and you get an odd half-breed.

The true value of Battlefield 2 is in how nicely it panders to a crowd that may never have cared for the military shooter genre before.

By tying the graphics in so closely with the gameplay, King Kong actually makes strong visuals an integral part of the cinematic experience, and naturally the Xbox 360 port gets the edge over the other platforms.

It will give you a ton of value as a single player game. It's also a great first effort for the genre on the next gen system.

It’s definitely rough around the edges, but such things are forgivable when the core is exciting and challenging.

While some players may be disgruntled by the lack of action and lack of length, fans of the point and click adventure genre will be thrilled with this artistically-inclined entry from Nintendo.

Quake 4 is a fun game to play. The action is beautiful and fast paced, and Raven did a great job creating a foreboding atmosphere. However, it does not belong in the current FPS upper echelon.

Throw in a GBA-Gamecube linkup that allows you to load your portable Urbz into the bigger version, and you have a game large enough to keep your interest so long as you're willing. But once the gameplay starts to feel repetitive-and after a few hours, cracks in the façade will begin to show-then you're in trouble.

Horror buffs will want to check it out now, but FPS fans won’t find much joy in the game’s generic and unappetizing engine.

A game sequel done right, with only the blatant and unabashed commercialism working against it...or for it, depending on how you look at the game.

Fires on all cylinders until the end, but doesn't really put itself above superior competition.

This game is smooth and polished enough to feel like it has years of work behind it. Design issues aside, Tin Soldiers: Alexander the Great is staying on this psuedo-grognard's hard drive for a while to come.

Fans of the Hitman franchise will have a distinct feeling of déja vu. Newcomers should have a good time, though.

The total package isn't as technically impressive as "MVP," but the lack of major flaws makes it a more enjoyable experience.

The environments are expansive and varied, and you can interact (read: destroy) virtually anything you come across. The cel-shading effect is put to good use here.

"NHL 2004" and "ESPN NHL Hockey" are still the cream of the crop, but don't be surprised to see NHL Rivals join them in another year or three.

The license alone saves the effort from mediocrity.

A fun, challenging puzzle game with some great ideas and additions.

The fighter missions get repetitive; everything else is too varied for its own good.

A solid game, but largely derivative. Pick it up if you haven't played the first.

This would be an OK title worthy of rental (if such a thing were possible for PC), but Warcraft III still blows the game away. Get that instead.

Showdown isn't a terrible wrestling game, but it isn't a very good one, either. It's an improvement, though, so if using the stars of your youth is a draw, this one is worth a rental.

Rent or buy, Double Dragon Advance brings a great update but is still too short. You decide.

Though the game may have its frustrating moments, the amount of assistance the computer gives the player is ridiculous. For example, one "ghost shot" is allowed per hole. What this does is show you exactly how far and where the ball would land (and subsequently bounce) if you got a perfect shot. This is a HUGE help (and very cheap) help with chipping.

Give it a rent if you're interested, but I'd recommend just renting an old "Ridge Racer" and having a blast with the past--or get another new, better racing game.

Just a poor shadow of what Myst really is, so most users would be better off skipping it and grabbing the PC/Mac version.

There's only two puzzlers on DS to date, and Zoo Keeper trumps "Mr. Driller" with the inclusion of single-cart multiplayer. Worth a pickup, if puzzlers are your thing.

Ultimate Spider-Man is best enjoyed when viewed as a separate path for the franchise, one whose bright graphics and teenybopper storyline add a refreshing parallel to the realist movie versions.

Essentially, it's new levels for a pretty decent game, without really bringing anything new to the table for your $19.95.

This is simply too flawed a title to recommend for purchase, especially in light of the competition, but it's a fantastic guilty pleasure.

Because it’s not a terrible game, especially on a currently under-served platform, there are no really strong arguments I can give to avoid the game.

Breakdown was meant for a rental from start to finish, assuming you have a strong stomach to handle the first-person camera. Stick with the game and it can offer plenty of satisfying fun to accompany the initial frustration.

Solid, but not spectacular. Even so, I'm tempted to give WTS 2005 brownie points simply because I can play as West Brom without them being in the Premiership. Boing boing!

All told, ASB 05 hasn't really taken any major steps towards self-improvement, opting instead for a status quo offering.

The learning curve is practically a cliff, but enthusiasts will have plenty to get out of this one.

Taken as just another game, rather than as a part of the larger Bond iconography, it's really a fairly enjoyable time. Rogue Agent doesn't go on the "best ever" list the way "Everything or Nothing" did, but there are worse ways to pass a Saturday afternoon.

Hardly the social phenomenon on Xbox that it was on PC, but not a bad way to waste a few lazy hours on a Saturday, either.

Above average- it's just far from amazing.

When I finished playing Resurrection of Evil, the one question I had was why a bunch of stupid demons are able to consistently own humans on Mars when they are outwitted by a sidestep.

On its own merits, it is hard to justify paying $60 to buy Gun. It is a solid game, but when you can have essentially the same experience on Xbox for less money, I do not see the point in buying it for the Xbox 360.

A nice update to the series. But especially with the way other historical RTS games have advanced the genre, I was expecting more innovation from the game (and developer) that started it all.

This is an enjoyable game of football that’s great to watch and play. On the other hand the countless omissions EA left out of this game are maddening.

There aren't enough courses - six feels more like an appetizer than a gourmet feast - and no obvious expectation of future additions via Xbox Live.

If you can get past the atrocious camera and shut out the screeching voice acting, there's a pretty neat game waiting for you. Just don't trade in "Ninja Gaiden" to get it, eh?

The thing is, though, there’s no multiplayer mode in PQ, so you can’t see who can complete a given puzzle faster (other than by playing single-player and uploading your score afterward), but that also means no opportunity for increasing challenge factors.

Despite the technical limitations, SimCity 2000 remains an enjoyable, challenging way to pass the time. It isn't the direct conversion I'd hoped for, but for twenty bucks, it's plenty sufficient to the task.

The sense of freedom ultimately serves to highlight the inevitable limitations.

Despite the small cracks in just about every gameplay function of the game, Gangland still manages to be addictive fun.

Translation problems occur in the flight from PC to Xbox, and the smooth style that made Jedi Academy irresistible fun on the PC is now clumsy and awkward.

Definitely worth a look for fans of the series and newcomers alike, but there are better choices out there.

An enjoyable, if heavily formulaic, RPG to get the PSP life cycle kicked off.

A good game... but just barely.

Sometimes the graphics were actually surprisingly good, such as the detail on the planes as I gunned them down, or the rust on the vehicles. But other times, like when all the glass windows burst the same, or every office in the game has the same desk, chair and bookshelf, Call of Duty 2 begins to show its age.

With lackluster sound, generic, objective-based (and painfully straightforward) gameplay, and graphics being the only saving grace (and only half the time at that), it’s difficult to recommend Shellshock as anything more than a rental for fans of the genre.

Innovates itself into a corner. Tactical RPG fans are going to dig on the creative character development but they'll be the only ones interested in putting up with the awkward controls and even more awkward gridless combat.

I had an enjoyable time when all was said and done, but the length and general quality of the experience left me wanting more--perhaps the polish only a sequel can deliver.

The sequel raises the bar in the amount of things included, but the awkward use of Dragon Worlds and the Story Mode, not to mention the choppy and average fighting engine, makes this game a fan-only affair.

Ballers is, sadly, less than the sum of its parts.

Sort of an allegorical comparison to "Inside Drive" itself. It wants to be one of the big boys, and it certainly has the potential to get there, but if you’ll pardon the pun, they both need to spend another year at the college level before they make the jump.

But if you have played it, or if you still own it, then there’s no gripping reason to reinvest the time—and most importantly, the money—into the Xbox 360 edition.

Apes the best parts of "Dark Alliance" without much innovation.