Simply an extension of Infection—muddy graphics, questionable control, and a story concept that’s just interesting enough to keep you going.

Blows away all other surfing games already out.

Offers no major surprises but plenty of refinements to a proven formula. It’s a major improvement over the first game.

Triple Play delivers zero innovation with a game that's virtually identical to Triple Play 2001. But that still means it's the PS one's top baseball game.

An inexplicably rewarding, utterly bizarre, and impossible-to-put-down battery-sucking gem that feels like it was born to live on the Game Boy Advance.

With a great variety of levels, tons of things to smash and collect, and a loveable cast of iconic heroes and villains, LEGO Batman is a fun and enjoyable title that will appeal not only to younger gamers but to Batman fans alike.

While Neves Plus seems like its barebones there is actually a lot going for this package. The only letdown is a lack of an online mode.

On the negative side, the polygonal graphics are plagued by pixelization and the game is way too short, offering only six levels of quick shoot-em0up action. All told, Elemental Gearbolt may be a just a little too easy for the hardcore shooter, but enthusiasts should definitely rent this commendable game.

Controls are simple, yet effective -- touching on the right hand side of the screen activates the right flipper, and vice-versa. There are no gimmicky tilt controls, and the only other time you'll need to touch the screen is when you drag a finger on the plunger thingy to launch a ball.

Contra ReBirth is no doubt one of the best, if not the best, titles to hit WiiWare this year.

It has a few hours of enjoyment and despite maybe being a little too short; you will want to go back over and over again.

Although it's an entertaining and deep game in its own right, a feeling of Grand Theft Auto deja-vu dogs Scarface: The World Is Yours at every turn. [Nov. 2006, p.94]

Even with the lack of a Crash mode and no online play, Burnout Dominator is a wise investment, even for the Burnout first-timer, especially with a $40 price tag.

An addictive title with a deep single-player campaign and a unique take on the match three genre is sure to keep gamers busy.

About as much fun as watching your tomatoes grow...If you’ve got an agricultural attitude, patience, and a hankering for steady and safe gameplay, you just might be a Harvest Moonie.

As the best realization of WWII in a game to date, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway explains why war is hell - with loads of "hell yeah!" moments along the way.

The most important aspect of any baseball video game is the controls, and while those found in MVP 07 will test your patience at times, they ultimately add to the overall experience. [Mar 2007, p.91]

Bubble Bobble Plus!, with its great music, tons of content and multiplayer, finally has pulled WiiWare out of the slump it’s been in.

While the action in the DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games is far smaller in scope than the Wii version, the addition of the Adventure mode and wireless multiplayer helps to up the ante.

To me, this game is well worth the dough -- Cave's superior development quality is more apparent to those who play these games a lot.

Boxing Fever isn't just a punchfest, however--it requires good timing and strategizing in order to move through the ranks.

The only downside to this fabulous adventure is the tricky controls. The digital directional pad doesn’t allow for smooth diagonal movement, which Spyro does a lot in each world.

JPB has less extremely frustrating platform-hopping than the original, but an important part of the newest incarnation still involves pinpoint leaping that occasionally verges on maddening.

The sequel to one of the best fishing games ever unfortunately delivers nothing but a fishy stench instead of a prize catch-of-the-day.

But playing this game live on the console systems lacks the finesse and speed to which you're accustomed. Lag is apparent everywhere, from watching other players float across the ground to empting an entire magazine into a foe at close range with no effect.

Most people will be reluctant to fork over that much coin for an XBLA title but considering the game's box feel and content both Penny Arcade and non-Penny Arcade fans will enjoy, you should get over that concern and play this game.

The whole game comes across as the equivalent of a B-grade horror movie: exciting at times, ultimately unmemorable.

It's certainly true that there are no official "endings" to these types of games, but once you've masterd all the songs and unlocked all the hidden features, there isn't much to do. [Nov 2004, p.106]

Raven's crafted a more than competent FPS, combining some great, if underutilized, ideas with a narrative that's a cut above most in the story-starved genre.

Long time Homestar Runner fans will be pleased to see that all the major characters they've come to know (Marzipan, The Cheat, Coach Z, Pom Pom, etc.) are included along with many inside jokes.

At $14.99, About a Blob is a bit on the high side for what it offers. If you're thinking of playing this game just by yourself, it may not be worth it. But if you have some Robins at ready to follow your gelatinous Batman, About a Blob is a good deal.

What might be most impressive about The Club is that despite the many disparate elements that it cherry-picks from genres as diverse as racing, skateboarding, and first-person shooters, the whole never bears the disjointed feel of a Frankenstein creation, instead ebbing and flowing with a satisfying smoothness that's accessible without being overly simplistic, and action-packed without being nerve-deadening.

From the New World is filled with hilarious moments and memorable characters. Series fans will forgive the rough spots, even as newcomers mourn what might've been.

Still, Justice For All demonstrates enough of the plucky spirit that made the first game so memorable. [Feb. 2007, p.82]

So when everything clicks just right, that click is deafening; a good match here is very, very good, and good matches show up just often enough at this early stage to make the rest worthwhile.

The Xbox version of MS3 is a brilliant translation of its arcade parent that, in some ways, surpasses the source material. [Aug 2004, p.66]

A killer combination of awesome controls and realistic details, proving to be much more fun than EA Sports' "Triple Play Baseball."

As I said, Chocobo's Dungeon isn't perfect but it still manages to offer up enough fun to make you keep going. [July 2008, p.83]

It comes down to whether you prefer the presentation and atmosphere of "Triple Play" to the interface and shine of MLB. Surprisingly, 989 has strengthened MLB’s baseball simulation.

The titles also have difficulty levels that no company would dare set their games to today; nearly every encounter is a life-and-death struggle in the first two.

Looks pretty, but the flawed controls prevent it from having the wide appeal a sport featuring toned female athletes in bikinis should have.

EA Canada did a worthwhile job in making this year's version of MVP stand out, even if it serves up a great deal of redone material. [Feb 2006, p.84]

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

Flaws aside, The Pitt is still an enjoyable experience. This more story driven DLC is an enjoyable diversion from the main Fallout 3 plot. And unlike Operation: Anchorage, when you’ve completed your mission your time in The Pitt isn’t over.

Conceptually, Chain of Memories is a good idea but when awkward hybrid gameplay meets plotlines based on afterthought ideas, it's just a perplexing mess.

It's a poorly executed game whose key concepts are either broken or mismanaged, and definitely won't displace THQ's stellar Company of Heroes, or any other worthwhile RTS, from your hard drive.

With elements taken from many different genres, it offers simple yet difficult gameplay for hardcore gamers.

The fast-paced Star Fox action, easy controls, and the fun multiplayer portions definitely outweigh the bad.

Even though so much is included, it all comes down to the gameplay. It's tough to fault the developers for staying true to the original, but in today's age, games have gotten more forgiven, something that Lode Runner seems to forget.

Considering everything you get with this title -- a solid single player campaign, a diverse multiplayer suite, and just plain fun shooter gameplay -- Section 8: Prejudice is a steal at $15. Just get to it before Nic Cage ruins it.

Less polished in the play department and less coherent as a whole, Rayman 3 will likely disappoint the starving cult of "Rayman 2" fans.

Tokyo Xtreme Boredom.

Though its complexity comes nowhere near that of its PC and console relatives, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance steps up and represents for the Forgotten Realms.

Aquila isn’t a must-play game, and many gamers can probably get their fix with a rental. But if your trigger finger’s itching for some challenging combat, it’s worth a tour of duty.

Brainless action-shooting doesn’t get more engaging than AFO. But without depth, the destruction eventually gets repetitious and tiring to the eyes.

Die-hard gamers and fanatical purists will undoubtedly make this game compilation a must-have; but those who took up gaming when the 32-bit era kicked in will find only two titles of interest: "Virtua Cop 2" and "Sega Swirl."

After a long string of epic disappointments, it's nice to enjoy a Spider-Man game so much that I'm actually looking forward to replaying the missions with new abilities and new costumes. Even if you've been burned on lackluster Spider-Man titles before, don't miss this game – Shattered Dimensions simply isn't the one to skip.

It's not often that you run across a good XBLA with flair all its own, but Undertow has it in spades.

Despite some frustrating control quirks, this innovative touch-based action/puzzle/stealth title makes a solid addition to any gamer's iDevice.

Overall, the single-player mode lacks the charm of the portable edition, and, especially for those new to the series, the multiplayer can't compete with the welcoming embrace that the "Mario Party" series is known for. [May 2004, p.68]

I'll admit, I was disappointed by the fact that the game only allows you to play as a cop, and I think most people will agree that it's far more exciting to be chased than to be the chaser.

While not perfect, this game is still a lot of fun. The definition of easy to play and tough to master, SkyDrift is an addictive romp for those willing to take the time to learn how to become the Dominic Torreto of the skies.

It's worth going through the hacking and slashing to get to all the winking and nodding. [Dec 2004, p.154]

This game is just too bare. Sure, some reviewers will pick this one up, play it for an hour, and slap on a decent score, but not this reviewer.

Using tilt is unbelievably awkward. It's hard enough to land high-point combos in Project 8 that require the utmost concentration, let alone have to do it by jerking the Sixaxis controller like an idiot to land the simplest of grinds.

Easy to pick up and tough to put down, Wizard Hex is a novel and enjoyable board game concept that works well on iOS devices.

Bug Wings is a fantastic game -- simple to learn and nearly impossible to master. The promise of more levels to come in an update make this an even better value.

RO2 is an acquired taste and brutally punishing to newcomers.

Rune will satisfy your axe-swinging, lever-pulling, zombie beheading urges, just don't expect anything too deep.

By far the most ambitious and complete wrestling game in history...but its weakness lies in the attention to the game, not to the details.

Different, rewarding, intelligent, funny, and filled with memorable characters and weird creatures. It’s damn fun, too, and will keep you performing the repetitive duties required of a monster raiser for far longer than you’d ever imagine.

The addition of an Impact Player, who can be reassigned on the fly, offers more user control and can entirely change the flow of a play.

Although it’s essentially a port of an arcade game that’s two years old, this is one matchup that’s a pleasure to kill hours with at home.

With its slick voice-command system, depth of strategy and frenetic action, EndWar is one game I'll still be playing after its evaluation. [Dec 2008, p.96]

Well done, but with a few tweaks to the graphics and sounds, it could have been a very good game.

The game is a visual feast. If it controlled a little better this would be a perfect score, but as is, this game is still a hell of a good time.

Age of Booty is an admirable attempt at making a fun RTS game on consoles. While its simplicity might be a turnoff for some, it is at least worth a look.

While there are some noticeable blemishes in the game such as graphical pop-in and broken cut scenes, Destroy All Humans succeeds where many have failed. This is truly a refreshing way to experience an adventure that you wish would never end.

When you get down to it, Infestation's excellent presentation and grim atmosphere outweigh most of its minor faults. The old-school gameplay offers a fun challenge and blends well with the source material to deliver an authentic trip through sci-fi memory lane. For a hardened Alien fan like me, that's reason enough to grab a DS and dim the lights.

Battestations: Pacific might not blow many players away initially but look beyond the middling graphics and fairly simplistic presentation and you'll find a complex and rewarding experience that both strategy newcomers and genre experts with an itchy trigger finger can embrace.

Yes, this is all very gory, grisly, and absolutely not for kids or anyone with a weak stomach as people are decapitated, disemboweled, perforated, shot, and chainsawed—all to the cackling delight of your offscreen savior (brilliantly voiced by Brian Cox) who relishes each kill.

A fairly simple racing game with tons of extra content and options that keep the game fresh and challenging.

Everything about Dominator's gameplay just feels right. The welcome return of burnouts has infused an even greater sense of recklessness to a game that certainly wasn't lacking it to begin with.

B-Wars does a good job of establishing its tactical challenges, and you have to exercise some strategic thinking into how to best deploy your forces and juggle them around according to the changing tide of battle.

Unfortunately, the game's tilt control scheme never felt quite right, so take that into consideration before jumping in expecting pure Star Fox-esque bliss.

It's easily the Mario Kart of soccer games and that should tell you a lot. Even if you think you're a confirmed soccer hater, Super Mario Strikers just might rock your world.

Graphics too, are impressively done, with sharp textures and bright, colorful areas giving life to the game. Unfortunately, the sounds of Mario Superstar Baseball can't stand up to its graphics.

With a bright and bubbly gameplay, it's hard not to enjoy the work Telltale put into it, with fun sounds to go right along with it. With about six hours of gameplay, you'll be hooked and wanting more, just in time for the release of the next episode.

Order Up! offers up just enough addictive fun to make it worth your while. It's not going to unseat Cooking Mama from her culinary throne, but it is an entertaining experience that's perfect for a few rounds of bite-sized fun.

There’s a great side-quest-and-story-packed game underneath the not-so-luscious surface.

While fleeing from ghosts may seem like a small issue, it really does drag down an otherwise brilliant game. [Oct 2004, p.74]

The graphics aren’t much different from those in FIFA with players still having that stiff, android feel.

While Potter fans will enjoy seeing Gilderoy Lockhart on their GBAs, uncompelling gameplay makes him just another pretty face.

The player models and animations in NBA Live are simply jaw-dropping.

A refreshing multiplayer showing overshadows the humdrum single-player game.

It's already a fun, extremely well-written game, so those who enjoy strategy games shouldn't pass it up.

"Minor" would be the best way to describe the changes in Nightlife, and only fans will likely lay hands on this copy. Hopefully the career-based third expansion will be Sim Revolution we've all been waiting for.

We can't help but enjoy the fact that we're getting a solid sports experience for nothing. It's definitely more fun in groups and won't have a great deal of longevity, but anyone who doesn't find at least some fun in Wii Sports has a heart of coal.