Dedicated fans of the series will find a challenge, but the cumbersome controls and questionable AI remain most effective kill-joys.

Even if needles make you squeamish or you feel faint at the sight of blood, Trauma Center is a cure for what has been a spell of mediocrity on the DS. [Nov 2005, p.131]

An excellent set of unique-mini-games. [Jan 2006, p.99]

The control feels tight and fairly responsive on the analogue pad, making passing and scoring easy feats. Your teammate's friendly A.I. is also mostly reliable, save for the occasional hiccups that leave your buddies staring stupidly at rebounds and loose balls.

Dedicated fans of the series will find a challenge, but the cumbersome controls and questionable AI remain most effective kill-joys.

Maybe it would be more exciting if there was some actual challenge involved, but most of the battles amount to a rock, paper, scissors competition where your opponent is limited to 'rock' for their arsenal.

Quotation forthcoming. [Dec 2005]

Save for a handful of relatively current songs, most of which are unlockable, the music is purely recycled from earlier games. Some of the new gameplay modes are interesting, like playing online, but a "workout mode" hardly seems innovative.

A full-featured map editor and 16-player online play puts multiplayer at the forefront, and nearly every swaying piece of foliage and stunningly realistic body of water makes Instincts a technical treat, especially in 480p.

Bet on Soldier attempts to up the ante on the genre, but instead deals a conservative hand that only FPS fans will want to check.

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

The thoughtful and varied designs of each mission are clearly linear, yet somehow avoid a stuck-on-rails feel, whether you're sneaking around in the dark, gathering photographic evidence, or tearing through the occasional action set-piece.

It pumps up the star power with plenty of show, but Superstar Freestyle doesn't ignore the go. Whether your real-life NBA team is headed for playoff stardom or a ticket to the lottery, NBA Live should make the 2006 just a little more enjoyable.

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

Aside from the enhanced one-on-one, the five-on-five gameplay also gets a bit of a brain boost. Fast-breaks and transitions spread the court in a more realistic fashion than before, and the two-person motion capture technique makes for some very cool animations on defense.

All this action is powered by a load of good-looking, intricate, new animations and improved character models to produce a great little NBA show. NBA 2K6 has great appeal for that gym rat inside all of us.

The biggest setback, however, is the tragically minuscule length of the main story mode, which we leisurely knocked through in well under ten hours. With such rich story options in a beautifully designed world it's a shame that there isn't more for Spidey to do outside of the mild mini-missions and racing for medals.

Brings the super stylish world of Marvel comics to life with beautiful and enjoyable results, but ultimately spins a regrettably short Spidey story-mode experience.

Winter Assault is, ultimately, a modest expansion pack that will manage to satisfy, if not thrill, Dawn of War diehards. In this topsy-turvy world, sometimes that's more than enough.

While Indigo Prophecy is an intense gaming experience, it's easier to compare the title to a film affair. If you can get past the minimalist game interface Prophecy can be an awesome entertaining play.

The best version yet of a game that doesn't redefine the genre but surely reinvigorates it.

Combine the bizarre environments with the highly original, if a bit eclectic, soundtrack and a distinctly Japanese sense of humor and you have the makings of another classic.

Genji's appeal for hardcore and newbies alike is that it's an excellently crafted example of the good 'ole slice and dicer with just enough challenge to keep things interesting.

A solid, riveting story combined with refined gameplay set this game firmly in the outstanding (or should that be "uncanny"?) category.

It is still far from revolutionary, but Tiger Woods PGA Tour '06 is the virtual golfer's best bet for a realistic round out on the links.

While Indigo Prophecy is an intense gaming experience, it's easier to compare the title to a film affair. If you can get past the minimalist game interface Prophecy can be an awesome entertaining play.

A solid, riveting story combined with refined gameplay set this game firmly in the outstanding (or should that be "uncanny"?) category.

While most of Ninja Gaiden: Black is the same as before, the little additions that have been added make a world of difference, especially for those hardcore gamers looking for more punishment. And if all that content isn't enough, you even get the old school arcade Ninja Gaiden, too.

Minus points for adding a golf Gamebreaker, and Xbox custom soundtrack support for in-game play would have been nice.

Putting is harder, but much more rewarding--an Ideal Putt Camera helps with gauging potential break on difficult putts.

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.

Shaolin Monks certainly has its problems, but the action at its heart is the most enjoyable the series has offered in ages.

"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.

Quite simply the best arcade racing game ever made. Everything that you loved about the last game is still here and kicking, but with added modes, more action, a faster sense of speed, and some truly addictive multiplayer modes, this game will undoubtedly go down in history as being the epitome of action racing this generation and possibly even the next.

What really counts here is the gameplay, and in that sense, Regeneration is a fitting tribute to the films. It's great, gory fun to hack limbs off your Deadite foes, and the targeting and combo system are up to the challenge...even if the camera angles suffer from time to time.

What really counts here is the gameplay, and in that sense, Regeneration is a fitting tribute to the films. It's great, gory fun to hack limbs off your Deadite foes, and the targeting and combo system are up to the challenge...even if the camera angles suffer from time to time.

Rather than melding together the best aspects of the games which obviously influenced it, Urban Reign instead only manages a watered down stew of fighting elements that taste more like an appetizer than a main course.

Criterion pumps max performance out of the PSP and succeeds in delivering every last ounce of console chaos from the Burnout series in a handheld package.

Quite simply the best arcade racing game ever made. Everything that you loved about the last game is still here and kicking, but with added modes, more action, a faster sense of speed, and some truly addictive multiplayer modes, this game will undoubtedly go down in history as being the epitome of action racing this generation and possibly even the next.

What really counts here is the gameplay, and in that sense, Regeneration is a fitting tribute to the films. It's great, gory fun to hack limbs off your Deadite foes, and the targeting and combo system are up to the challenge...even if the camera angles suffer from time to time.

Despite being on the more graphically capable Xbox, sadly the visuals are nearly identical to the PlayStation 2. Music remains gratingly repetitive, but the additions of Japanese voices do help to make the experience more bearable.

Thanks to a wealth of sim-style features and topnotch gameplay, it narrowly establishes itself as this year's must-have hockey title.

With NHL 06, EA Sports is revisiting its roots to create a feature-stable game with both style and substance, and it all starts with the controls. Quite simply, they are the most responsive ever. [Oct 2005, p.102]

Radiata Stories has its share of hilarious moments and never takes itself too seriously, inspiring a perverse sort of curiosity as to what the characters will get themselves into next.

With NHL 06, EA Sports is revisiting its roots to create a feature-stable game with both style and substance, and it all starts with the controls. Quite simply, they are the most responsive ever.

Thanks to a wealth of sim-style features and topnotch gameplay, it narrowly establishes itself as this year's must-have hockey title.

With NHL 06, EA Sports is revisiting its roots to create a feature-stable game with both style and substance, and it all starts with the controls. Quite simply, they are the most responsive ever. [Oct 2005, p.102]

Cearly, the new team feature needs to be better tuned as do the disappointing visuals. [Oct 2005, p.100]

Cearly, the new team feature needs to be better tuned as do the disappointing visuals. [Oct 2005, p.100]

An excellent 2D hack-n-slash title, but it really doesn't stand up to today's handheld gaming standards. If DW Advance was released 5 years earlier, it would have turned a lot of heads.

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.

Hulk isn't quite the stellar action vehicle it could've been, but it's got more than enough solid fun to justify a purchase. If cathartic obliteration is up your alley, you'll find plenty to enjoy in Ultimate Destruction.

Despite offering a laundry list of moves and button combinations, the game's complicated controls feel shallower than the three-buttoned Capcom arcade classics like "The Punisher" or "Alien vs. Predator." Group battles feel too constricted with the auto target locking mechanics, and the simplistic one-on-one fights are somewhere on the level of "Pit Fighter."

Despite offering a laundry list of moves and button combinations, the game's complicated controls feel shallower than the three-buttoned Capcom arcade classics like "The Punisher" or "Alien vs. Predator." Group battles feel too constricted with the auto target locking mechanics, and the simplistic one-on-one fights are somewhere on the level of "Pit Fighter."

Despite some screen layout flaws, Nintendogs is infectiously cute, and pretty addictive. It's really easy to form an emotional bond with your puppies--they're so life like. Who knew rubbing a pixilated sprite could be so enjoyable.

Despite some screen layout flaws, Nintendogs is infectiously cute, and pretty addictive. It's really easy to form an emotional bond with your puppies--they're so life like. Who knew rubbing a pixilated sprite could be so enjoyable.

Despite some screen layout flaws, Nintendogs is infectiously cute, and pretty addictive. It's really easy to form an emotional bond with your puppies--they're so life like. Who knew rubbing a pixilated sprite could be so enjoyable.

The new real-time battle mode seems abortive at best, and the AI can sometimes seem a little too easy to manipulate, but the core turn-based gameplay can't be beat.

Darkwatch mixes its Western Roots with gothic horror and steampunk aesthetics, and the results are uniquely engaging...Just darned good fun while it lasts. [Sept 2005, p.64]

But it's now clear that Dungeon Siege II is now undeniably one of the action RPG stars. It makes many, many welcome tweaks and improvements--far to many to list here--and is sure to thrill any action RPG fan.

It sports a unique premise, wonderful art direction, and genuinely funny writing, and yet guilelessly hangs itself in the Hall of Shame by botching the camera and controls.

The result, though a little awkward, is a hybrid with neither the depth of a true RPG nor the frenetic pace and art design of a pure-bred shooter. Both sides of the experience are fun, but less than stellar.

Darkwatch mixes its Western Roots with gothic horror and steampunk aesthetics, and the results are uniquely engaging...Just darned good fun while it lasts. [Sept 2005, p.64]

The first-person combat is lively, but decidedly average. The controls are overly-sensitive and a little imprecise, particularly for movement up and down (the y-axis). Oddly there are no adjustments to dampen or even this out.

Kudos to EA Sports for not being afraid to juice the complexity factor of an already complex game. Rookies will have to pay their dues, but veterans get treated to a brand-new challenge. [Sept 2005, p.82]

Kudos to EA Sports for not being afraid to juice the complexity factor of an already complex game. Rookies will have to pay their dues, but veterans get treated to a brand-new challenge. [Sept 2005, p.82]

Kudos to EA Sports for not being afraid to juice the complexity factor of an already complex game. Rookies will have to pay their dues, but veterans get treated to a brand-new challenge. [Sept 2005, p.82]

It's fun, fresh and innovative, and much better than the predecessor, Magic Pengel. [June 2005, p.90]

The commentator's unfunny one-liners quickly grate on the nerves, and characters occasionally freeze-up and don't behave the way they should during a game, which is particularly annoying when facing the overly skilled A.I.

Looks great with well-animated action and vivid story-buiding cut-scenes. However, the gameplay is simply too redundant to hold interest, even with the addition of two-player action. [Aug 2005, p.77]

The game successfuly builds on accomplishments of the series' earlier installments without becoming stale and outdated (thanks mostly to the awesome new play modes.) [Sept 2005, p.84]

The game successfuly builds on accomplishments of the series' earlier installments without becoming stale and outdated (thanks mostly to the awesome new play modes.) [Sept 2005, p.84]

Killer 7 is certainly off-beat, but it's on the lonely side of mediocre, and even a rental will ultimately feel like wasted money.

A decent fight that has one arm tied behind its back. [Sept 2005, p.81]

In the end, it's a simple situation. If you only care about the single-player portion of Halo 2, don't waste your cash. But if you're a Halo 2 multiplayer nut, you have no choice: you simply must invest in the Multiplayer Map Pack.

Even with all the unchanged flaws, Mobile Suit Gundam vs. Zeta Gundam is still the best Gundam game to ever come out, and is highly recommended to fans of the series.

The best aspect of the game might be the way that satisfying play experiences come in bite-sized pieces. [Sept 2005, p.80]

You'd have to be a die-hard devotee of the art of the Japanese RPG to find delight in [Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana]; the rank-and-file gamer will find it as slow as mud and about as thrilling. [July 2005, p.98]

In short, Shot-Online isn't just a good game, it is a game that is good for the industry.

Every once in a while there comes a game that truly defines creativity. Destroy All Humans is indeed one such game; it has all the right elements to make it a smart, intuitive, and hilarious experience.

While Battlefield 2 definitely shines as the most impressive in the series, the lack of advancement to gameplay may give it a shorter lifespan than the original.

Even with its conservative mechanics, bland graphics, and user-unfriendly interface, the sheer depth of the game will still appeal to the faithful who've persevered for nine sequels - however few they may be. [July 2005, p.98]

Another benefit of the DS is the two screens that allow up to eight people to play, and only one player needs the actual game for all to join in. Multiplayer is where Bomberman has always delivered, and the DS version is probably the most engaging yet.

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.

The training levels are a little tedious, but serves it purpose to have you naturally thinking and reacting as if you're Batman by the heart of the game.

The training levels are a little tedious, but serves it purpose to have you naturally thinking and reacting as if you're Batman by the heart of the game.

The training levels are a little tedious, but serves it purpose to have you naturally thinking and reacting as if you're Batman by the heart of the game.

Combine the dull career mode, spin-out crazy physics and average graphics, and you get a ride evoking the same emotions when DX Civics buzz down the street late-night with coffee-can mufflers.

Sucks no matter what game you compare it to. [Sept 2005, p.80]

Kinetically challenging and undeniably captivating.

While it's pretty easy to do the minimum required to pass each checkpoint, getting special items will demand a flexible imagination that stretches far beyond simple 2D. [Sept 2005, p.81]

Combine the dull career mode, spin-out crazy physics, and average graphics, and you get a ride evoking the same emotions as when DX Civics buzz down the street with coffee can mufflers late at night. [July 2005, p.78]]

San Andreas for the PC has the most to offer. But considering the steep system specs and the key binding headaches, casual players may find that it's more trouble than it's worth. [Sept 2005, p.52]

The shifty A.I. and the blistering enemy fire aren't the only things that make Euro Assault the toughest MOH to date. Health power-ups and revives are at a premium and if you die you have to restart the mission from scratch.

While Samurai Western is a somewhat standard hack-and-slash with a quirky setting, it doesn't hold up for two main reasons: lack of polish and much-needed variety.

The most balanced version, combining the best qualities of the PC and PS2 games into one well-rounded offering. [Sept 2005, p.53]

There are minor disappointments - the vehicles can't compare to those of Halo 2, and some of the environments are a bit bland amid the stylized design and saturated colors of others - but the end sum experience is so engaging and empowering that you'll easily forgive the shortcomings.

An excellent offering but is only recommended for the hardcore side-scrolling shooter fan due to the short gameplay time. [July 2005, p.74]