The definitive football game to buy this season.

While Xbox 360 and PS3 owners get a slick upgrade over Madden '07, Wii owners get a mediocre and lackluster version. Diehard fans and series n00bs alike should avoid the Wii version, as it's inferior in just about every single way.

Pros: Easy, accessible fun. Song list is varied and interesting. Cons: You can't sing and dance at the same time, there's no online play and the replay value is low.

With a lighthearted story, stellar graphics and an all-around solid presentation, New Traveler has a lot going for it.

It's a good little title that's enjoyable but ultimately of limited appeal. [Sep 2007, p.80]

A phenomenal addition to the Wii's library and will rival GoldenEye 64 in terms of the exhilarating multiplayer experiences that it offers up. Don't turn your nose up at it just because you don't like soccer or you'll be missing out on one of the best gaming experiences around. Now, bring on Super Smash Bros. Brawl!

It's a passable single-player experience but if you can find some friends to play with, it just might help you kill an hour or two here and there.

These complaints aside, Final Fantasy II is yet another great addition to the PSP's slowly improving library and really shows off the care and attention that Square Enix puts into its remakes. [Aug 2007, p.88]

If you're just looking for new songs to play, you should probably just wait for more downloadable tracks to hit the 360 version.

Bomberman is the rare game that feels as natural after a round of Uno as it does after a Gears of War deathmatch. The action could come a bit quicker, but when it does, it's still a thrill after all these years.

Honestly, Radiant Mythology does absolutely nothing new, especially if you've played Tales games before, but I found myself have a lot of fun hacking and slashing away through beautiful dungeons.

It's easy enough to pick up and play immediately. It's fast paced enough to keep you engaged for several matches. And, if you happen to dig simple games you will probably have a good time with Hot Shots Tennis. But, don't expect this game to be a pillar in your collection of games and don't expect to remember you own it after a few weeks.

Pick it up if you're buying it for the original experience of PaRappa the Rapper, for the classic gameplay that is still...classic. Think of it as retro--not the next hot thing--and enjoy it as an episode of games gone by.

The game does a surprisingly good job of going up against Madden '08. It isn't going to unseat the king of all video football games this season but that's the beauty of sports: there's always next year.

Sure it has a ton of great options and modes, but it simply doesn't have the action packed excitement of the Virtua Tennis series.

Project Sylpheed is one of those games you desperately want to like, but falls short in almost every category.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma is the best version released so far and that's saying a lot considering how awesome the other versions were.

In truth, the biggest mystery here isn't how vampires evolved and rose to power, but how any publisher could justify a $60 price tag for a tiresome exercise in imitation and slipshod execution.

Though this is one of the better Transformer games around, chances are you'll have more fun dressing up in a cardboard box and beat-boxing as you pretend to be Sound Wave.

Paying $60 to play through the movies story is just too high a price to pay for a mediocre adventure game.

Gamers who are used to contemporary titles may find this one a little too simplistic and old for their tastes but if you can look beyond that, you'll be treated to an amazing rendition of a classic console RPG. [July 2007, p.86]

It could have innovated, or at the very least, reinvigorated the console RTS genre, but instead, it only achieves a certain level of mediocrity.

As strangely uneven, poorly paced, and ultimately unsatisfying as The Darkness is, it remains worth checking out for its unusual ideas, twisted gameplay elements, and uniquely dark atmosphere.

Revolution is polished graphically, and great at what it is. Unfortunately, it is nothing more than a turn-based battle game. If you're not a true Pokemon fan this really is one piece of cake easily left uneaten.

The new content is a mixed bag and doesn't really do enough to make this version worth your time. There are some cool features the Wi-Fi item trading, for example but ultimately, Hoshigami Remix plays like a port rather than an update. And with no quicksave option during battles, it doesn't lend itself to "portable" gaming where the ability to turn a game on and off quickly is a must.

For diehard Potter fans and those who walk away from the movie with stars in their eyes, the game will hold some value, especially in the unlockable videos and interviews with the cast and staff members of the movie and games. However, the rest of you Muggles should definitely stick to the novels and the power of your imagination to get you in a magical state of mind.

With games like Forza Motorsport 2 pushing the boundaries of Internet racing, the inability to put even two human opponents on the same track is breathtakingly lame. It's testament then to DiRT's groundbreaking graphics, chaotic flare, and infectious love of all things dirty and damaging that it delivers a good gaming value in spite of such a startling deficit.

Raw Danger possesses a few moments of suspense and action while following a refreshingly non-linear path, but the majority of the game is awash in gameplay and presentation problems.

Despite plain graphics, rather generic design, and even a bit of a hit detection annoyance, it's still really fun to build your own loot hole.

Marrying an innovative control scheme to the best survival action game ever and presenting at a bargain price is something even the most brain-dead zombie can get behind.

PIQ2 provides a robust online environment for competitive puzzle solving, but unfortunately it does little to captivate or entertain with its core gameplay. Only those willing to dedicate a decent chunk of their day to what amounts to a standardized test in polygonal form need apply.

At the least, it'll keep you entertained while you wait for Smash Bros. Brawl to hit the Wii. And you never know: you might just find yourself tuning in to see what the television show is all about as well.

Once I got past all of the problems in the collision-detection and accepted the fact that as long as my ninja stabbed the floor within a three foot radius of a bad guy, it was a kill, I had a mild amount of fun.

The Wii advantage is that even with just one remote, you can invite a pile of people over to party and have a really good time together.

At its best, the game is a fun and interesting diversion, but it's rarely at its best. It's a good first effort and I personally hope it's a sign of more to come.

Combining the old-school feel with new-gen intensity, Pac-Man World Championship is the best Xbox Live Arcade game since Geometry Wars.

Unfortunately, the graphics just aren't up to snuff, the character models, aside from being horrendous, repeat often and your character moves with all the zip of a drugged elephant.

The biggest frustration with Halo 2 lies in Microsoft's decision to make it a Windows Vista exclusive. The game plays well, and its multiplayer component still rings true; so why are hundreds of millions of avid Windows XP gamers left out in the cold?

The graphics might not be the mind-blowing spectacle some were expecting, and the damage model sometimes seems to vary between subtle and extreme with no middle ground, but between the pleasurable addiction of the long career mode, and the undeniable pull of bottomless online play, Forza Motorsport 2 isn't just money well-spent, it's the best Xbox 360 racer you can buy.

It's hard to make a glowing recommendation about a $60 game that includes virtually no offline mode, lacks variety in its weapons and match types, and suffers from rookie blunders in terms of presentation and interface. It all points to a rushed, chaotic development cycle.

Those able to play Shadowrun with an open mind and invest the time to learn the game will find one of the deeper online FPS games to date.

Played alone, against the computer, the game is barely worth popping out of its case. But, having even one other human opponent ups the fun exponentially--you just can't get the same satisfaction out of trash talking against a faceless computerized enemy.

Tamagotchi Party On! does not give me a single reason to recommend it to anyone. The game is impossible to play with a single player, but the absence of multiplayer mini-games makes this game a complete waste of time for the party gamer--not to mention that actually convincing someone to play this game with you will be a challenge.

Crush does a great job of turning buzzwords into true and terrific gameplay.

Despite the shortcoming of its snail-like pacing, it's hard not to like Atelier Iris 3, what with its anime-style art and solid battle system.

The Wii-specific controls are fun for while, but quickly degenerate from thrilling to gimmicky.

Hardcore franchise fans will no doubt want to play it because the story line does fill in some interesting gaps in the Mana universe's history, but this one's a rental at best. [June 2007, p.85]

With an involved battle system and so many different characters and stories, you're guaranteed to enjoy every second that you'll inevitably invest in Odin Sphere.

It's deep enough and features enough referential material to draw in the diehard fans of the source material but it isn't innovative or interesting enough to stand alone in the action genre. However, if you come in with lowered expectations, you just might have fun with it.

Touch the Dead is like a decent B-grade horror movie: sure it's laughably bad at points but there's a loveable camp quality to it that makes it worth enduring through.

The real appeal of Etrian Odyssey is the renaissance of the classic RPG. Instead of a world that conforms to your level and rewards you with HP every time you level up, you have to strategize about which characters will enter the Labyrinth, how best to allot skill points among your characters, who charges the front line and who stays in back, and how much money you have to spend on reviving dead characters.

A diminutive price tag doesn't make the strange dearth of meaningful map and weapon selections any more palatable. Worth the cash for its frenetic pace if you've got friends lined up to play, but more disposable than memorable.

Everything in the game looks damn good. Whenever I would boot Infernal up, I had co-workers stopping by my cube to exclaim, "What game is that? It looks awesome."

The PC version of Tiberium Wars certainly retains an edge, thanks to its mouse support, but chances are you'll be pleasantly surprised how quickly that advantage comes to seem moot when doing battle from your couch instead of an office chair.

UFO: Extraterrestrials has largely managed to capture the elements that made X-COM such a classic and iconic game. Almost nothing about the game can labeled as innovative or revolutionary, but it is such a well packaged refinement of a proven formula that it is hard to complain.

The best thing about playing Spider-Man 3? Without a doubt, the web slinging. Thanks to a tight control scheme and great level design, slinging around the virtual city is one of the game's great thrills.

The best thing about playing Spider-Man 3? Without a doubt, the web slinging. Thanks to a tight control scheme and great level design, slinging around the virtual city is one of the game's great thrills.

Offering up what is essentially a diet version of Spider-Man 3 with motion sensing web slinging and combat is a weak showing, which is why I suggest you pass on this one and find a way to play the far better 360 or PS3 versions instead.

Is Cube fun? Not...really, but its clever torture.

Thankfully, one of the earlier problems with the game - the lack of tables - has been somewhat resolved with the release of two new tables since Pinball FX came out several months ago, though players will undoubtedly take issue with the rather tardy release of new tables.

Despite playing similarly, LOTRO is not "WoW," and that's perfectly fine. If you are into LOTR, you'll probably find this a more engaging experience than other fantasy MMOs because of the meatiness of Tolkien's Middle Earth.

Unfortunately, the PS3 version features a choppier frame rate. F.E.A.R. is still playable, but the frame rate doesn't maintain a preferred rate of 30 frames per second, giving the action a slightly sluggish feel. Luckily, the controls give super-precise targeting abilities, which helps compensate.

A solid RPG experience that is muddled by some unfortunate pathfinding and UI issues.

If you're an action-shooter fan, looking for a pleasant distraction, the game delivers a quality experience, considering the $20 price tag. However, if you're a fan of the comics and were hoping for some of the glorious art style and heavy plot twists, you might just wish that XS Games had left The Red Star on the shelves to rot.

Finally, it is possible for trainers to meet friends online and battle others around the world via the DS' Wi-Fi. There are also competitions that incorporate acting, singing, and dressing up the little critters in costumes.

Whether you're a long time fan or Pokemon newcomer, this is a solid, fun game. [July 2007, p.86]

It's been far too long since another game of such scope, breadth, and originality hit computer screens. Theatre of War--while having some significant problems--is a game well worth looking at.

If shootem'ups are your thing, than you can't go wrong with Raiden III. If not, save your money for the arcade.

Despite the beautiful visuals and nuanced details, there's more tedium here than anything else. After a while, even die-hard RPG fans would be hard-pressed to enjoy the mindless sprints through the endless dungeons.

Virtually everything you come into contact with during your time spent with this game is laden with a truly warped sense of humor.

The gameplay is fun but quickly gets tiresome. It's also somewhat frustrating because the DS screen is a bit cramped and the stylus controls sometimes resulted in careless errors.

But, the added level of depth and infinite replay value through Xbox 360 Achievements and loads of downloadable content make GHII Xbox 360 the ultimate version to own. [Apr 2007, p.80]

It features a yawn worthy story involving a guy named Atsuma who has a mysterious past and a secret unknown power that could potentially save the world. As I said, yawn.

Chocobo Tales is about quick and easy fun. The Crayola art style, pop-up book style graphics and fable stories may make it seem like a kiddie title and technically, it is. However, the game is fun enough that and packed with enough nods to diehard fans that Final Fantasy fans of all ages should give it a look.

If tile-pattern puzzles are your cup of tea, this game might be the honey.

Normally we don't mind short and sweet, but you could seriously finish the game in one long afternoon. Still, despite some frustrations, the game is mostly an intense, exciting, and worthy entry in the long-running series.

Tiberium Wars does what the series has always done best; providing the most enjoyable RTS experience around via excellent storytelling, enjoyable campaigns and a lasting multiplayer experience.

Solid controls aside, this is still the same game you've been playing since the first Medal of Honor. It's a solid shooter with the standard cinematic presentation, but I'd probably be much more excited about it if the 800 other titles in this genre didn't exist.

It delivers more of what made Oblivion great: creative quests, a huge land to explore, and tons of things to do there, making this expansion is a solid purchase for anyone who was a fan of the core game.

It delivers more of what made Oblivion great: creative quests, a huge land to explore, and tons of things to do there, making this expansion is a solid purchase for anyone who was a fan of the core game.

An immense treat that offers fresh and innovative gameplay experiences. If I had to level one complaint against the title, it's the fact that it's missing the little bit of extra polish that gamers have come to expect.

Bloated expectations aside, Virtua Tennis is a fan service treat from the moment you open the box, and setting down the controller without blowing hours on end requires considerable willpower, even if it all comes to feel like just a more refined, balanced version of what we already played to death on the Dreamcast.

An outstandingly well-made game. Its technically impressive visuals, easy to learn but hard to master gameplay, and great selection of mini-games makes Virtua Tennis 3 an ace.

EXA doesn't do much to further the legacy of the series but at least it doesn't critically damage it either.

The mechs are highly customizable--a franchise hallmark--but the environments are sparse and the gameplay experience itself feels ultimately soulless.

Most importantly and most powerfully, however: The completely open-ended nature of this experience creates a very real sense of infinite possibilities.

Afterburner is addictive and fun, but best played in short bursts. Though the game is sometimes challenging, it never gets frustrating if only because it no longer requires a stream of quarters to keep the action going.

It's the gaming equivalent of a local neighborhood eatery: the food's good and service is decent, but it certainly won't be the best meal you've ever had.

Rather than mixing speed and destruction Full Auto feels messy and made me wish I could turn my rocket launcher toward my head.

Deep and engaging puzzle action with a heaping tablespoon of RPG elements on top. Should come with a warning label--it's that addictive.

A game that tries exceedingly hard to avoid any attempt at innovation, or for that matter, any pretense of being fun.

As fun as hurling dozens of rockets at a time into a swarm of giant alien ants is, it will get boring after a few hours. If you're up for a shallow yet addictive and gratuitously violent shooter, you can't go wrong with Earth Defense Force. Just take a break every few hours and read a book to rebuild some of the higher brain function you just lost.

TMNT provides some fairly fun ninja-style leaping around, but it's hampered by boring combat and annoying jumping puzzles that further suffer from control issues.

The cool platforming elements make this one worth at least a rental--if only so one can revisit the days when "Cowabunga" was a socially acceptable thing to say.

Coupled with the terrible combat, the game is only 2 hours long.

If it weren't for the torrid pace at which you're required to gather edibles, Lost in Blue 2 would be an enjoyable game. The developers obviously wanted to instill a sense of urgency, but really, all they did was rob the game of its fun.

Coupled with the terrible combat, the game is only 2 hours long.

Yeah, that's pretty much the story of "Pokemon," but it's tedious and boring in Custom Robo. The story is flat and the characters are inane.