While the incorporation of stealth may not be the strongest feature in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, it's probably the only change worth noting. Although there are other modes for you to try, they're really not worth the time. [Dec 2004, p.134]

For all its simplicity, there's no denying that Serious Sam HD has enough old-school charm and addictive gameplay to make it a worthwhile purchase for gamers that just want to get some killing done the old fashioned way: with a portable ship cannon, gatling gun and four-barreled rocket launcher in your pocket.

Sure, the chatter between characters is pretty hokey at times - and is that old guy a walking stick with a head? - but that doesn't overshadow that Culdcept is an interesting and unique game idea. It's worth a look to see if it will offer you a break from the routine.

Crackdown 2 is an action game with a very exciting and worthwhile set of core mechanics, complete with some interesting multiplayer options, but also a very disappointing campaign and too much familiarity after such a long layover.

Deadliest Warrior: Legends doesn't do anything to reinvent the fighting game genre, but it certainly does give it an interesting twist.

Problematic, though, are the sequences in which you have to swing around confounding and shoddily rendered 3D hub areas to capture Doc Ock, access new chapters, and unlock bonus missions against a timer.

The game isn't necessarily scary, but it will make you anxious as hell. Time-based puzzles are enough to make your heart explode, as are the variety of reoccurring traps.

As a high-octane slay-a-thon, Otogi knows what it is and what it's supposed to do, and as long as you don't mind leaving your brain at the door, you'll probably dig it. Just be prepared to get bored after the first couple of hours.

While not as advanced or socially oriented as the recent Bomberman releases, players will find the original Bomberman pleasantly and subversively enjoyable. [Sept 2004, p.93]

Even with its slicker production, PA2 still manages to feel a bit more muddled than its predecessor.

If incredibly sore hands and a serious feeling of relief after busting caps in countless Shogun hoodlums constitutes a solid console light-gun shooter, then Ninja Assault screams for your attention.

Overall this is a great puzzle game with both an entertaining story and mind-bending puzzles. The numerous locations are both a burden on the art style and a blessing for the expanded scope of the game.

A slightly better value than 2002 with tweaked gameplay and a few new features. The problem is that the competition has jumped ahead substantially within the same time frame.

Serious Sam delivers all the requirements of an exciting FPS, and the 20-buck asking price is a sweet incentive.

The problem, however, is that there's simply too much going on. It's usually a mystery who's winning in any given level, or even where you are. The seemingly arbitrary point system means you can win all the levels, yet still ultimately lose.

You'll either immerse yourself in truly mastering one of the world's most powerful sports cars, or you'll find this about as much fun as taking your driver's test.

It’s the same exact game as the PlayStation version with little more than cleaned-up graphics and faster load times—not good or bad, just the same.

To be blunt, The Conduit is a by the numbers shooter that offers a couple of thrills but ultimately doesn't make much of an impact.

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.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Liqua Pop to parents who want an app to keep their kids busy while on the road, but most experienced puzzle players will find the game to be charming, but ultimately unexciting.

Ultimately, Sarges' Heroes is a weekend rental of mindless fun.

Most distressingly, inventory management is a total nightmare; identifying and using a healing ’shroom is an amazingly laborious process.

The problem here is that the actual racing isn’t that much fun.

A decent title with challenging puzzles that will reward your patience and dedication. It's probably best as an extended rental but some of you might find that it's worth the full price of admission.

The 2nd Runner is also easy as hell, and if you're willing to skip through the cut-scenes, you'll button-mash your way through the sucker within six hours.

Avalon code is a pretty linear game with lots of hidden things to find, and some fun little side tasks. [Apr 2009, p.83]

Condemned is intense, but it's more of an elaborate tech demo or proof of concept than a truly fleshed-out game.

Ultimately, this game’s Achilles’ heel is its unholy union of awkward controls and oatmeal graphics. Still, it’s the best-looking and most in-depth FPS for the GBA.

You'll play through the same environments in each campaign, and despite multiple enemy layouts, that lack of level variety lessens the replay value.

If you’re new to the game, go out and get the original instead as it has a fun campaign to follow. For those who just can’t get enough Dynasty Warriors, you’ll probably have a blast from the mix of modes this expansion has to offer.

Despite some very obvious issues, Sengoku Basara is a gleefully self-aware package of big, stupid fun.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is fun in the time that it lasts, but it doesn't have that same thrill factor that the previous movie tie-in had.

Thankfully, the gameplay shines through in a big way with a nice variety of units that upgrade and control in familiar ways.

There’s a major Nostalgia Factor for those who were playing PC games in 1994, and the single-pak multiplay helps, but if you’ve never heard of Jazz, “old-school” will just mean “kinda generic.”

Gone is the non-linear design of each mission. Each objective is now clearly marked one after another, eliminating secondary (optional) objectives and different ways of approaching a target, which were key and exciting components in the original Ghost Recon game.

It's only a buck, and I wouldn't hesitate to call it one of the most interesting puzzle-adventure games on the App Store. If you're tired of shallow arcade-style games and want a game with a good, interesting story, Infinight is more than worth its asking price.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon is fun in the time that it lasts, but it doesn't have that same thrill factor that the previous movie tie-in had.

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.

It's a neat show of some of the inventive ways developers might be able to use the Wii-mote in the future, but it's not really worth the 50 dollars unless you really dig its quirky style or absolutely love minigames.

With just mediocre features, Barbarian weighs in as just an average brawler. [July 2002, p.76]

While Showcase doesn't include as much variety as past WarioWare titles, it continues the franchise's longstanding tradition of being completely maniacal, frantic and fun.

Some may not appreciate Star Soldier R's replay-intensive gameplay, and may view the game as something that can be seen in its entirety in less than ten minutes. It's a fun ten minutes, though, and assuming you're willing to accept it for what it is, your Wii Points will be well-spent.

It's straightforward, hack-n-slash combat online or off. But you must jump online, however, to get the full experience of what the Dreamcast is capable of doing.

Regardless, these games all provide a certain kind of mindless fun you can't get in overproduced big-budget action titles, and that includes Chronicles. And the fact that you can level-up your weapons to prepare for the next big fight adds at least some purpose to the whole affair. It's not easy to explain why a non-fan should give these games a try; you just have to try them somehow and see if that mindless fun strikes a nerve. Otherwise, being loosely tied to the last Samurai Warriors should make Chronicles a fine choice for the series fan who bought a 3DS.

Create is far from a bad game, as the score I've awarded it should attest. But it consistently relies too much on sheer quantity over true freedom and intellectual quality to be a top-drawer puzzler, and doesn't live up to the implied promises of its own title enough to join the top ranks of the burgeoning build-your-own gaming revolution.

It's like day old meatloaf: still delicious, but still meatloaf.

And while you could chalk up Apocalypsegeddon by recommending it only to fans of the show, it's slightly better than that. It's short-lived and a little monotonous at the same time, but as long no one in your group is offended by the TV show's adult-rated sensibilities, there are worse ways to spend an afternoon than fending off the end of days.

GameDay has always seemed to be chasing EA's Madden games, and this GameDay is no exception, but it still shows some spark, and manages to be a fun mix of football action.

This is no sim by any stretch, even with the new Franchise mode. Still, it is a decent game of belligerent baseball with mindless fun and laughs for anybody looking to play two - whether that's a doubleheader or just a deuce of innings. [July 2004, p.96]

World Cup–level graphics and realism have to struggle to make up for controls that keep getting yellow cards.

The controls are the same-they're as touchy yet unresponsive as always, so be prepared for swan-diving off high ledges to your death when you were merely trying to scoot up a bit.

Overall, I was actually pleasantly surprised by GoldenEye: Reloaded. There are enough nods to the source material to keep the game from being a complete derailment of the franchise, and while the multiplayer will never measure up to the original, it still has its English charms.

If you're a diehard, you'll relish playing through your favorite early battles in the epic story. Sagas is a competent first entry to the action genre, just not exemplary.

Little room for personality, not many instances of clear level design, and not a whole lot of time before the game gets dull. [June 2003, p.104]

Percepto is a mind-bending puzzle game that blurs the line between 2D and 3D. While the app doesn't have the greatest art, the clever mechanics and challenging gameplay keep it interesting.

D-A-C is a fun title that would have faired better at a lower price point due to the lack of content and overall mediocre feel.

Overall, I was actually pleasantly surprised by GoldenEye: Reloaded. There are enough nods to the source material to keep the game from being a complete derailment of the franchise, and while the multiplayer will never measure up to the original, it still has its English charms.

Although Prisoner of Azkaban is still aimed at the tween set, it’s more interesting—visually and interactively—than previous Potter games. And yet, Harry’s still got a ways to grow.

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

Good but unspectacular graphics and above-average sounds almost forgive the simple-but-clunky controls.

It's still worth the time for aficionados and platform nuts, but All 4 One is much less likely to pull casual fans away from the season's other heavyweight fare.

It's by no means perfect, but Virtua Tennis 4 shows there is still life (and maybe a few trick shots) left in the tennis simulator genre.

But overall, I had fun with Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion -- and if the 3DS version managed to impress me, I'm officially on watch to see what the upcoming console version of the game is going to look like.

As much as I've come to re-love Beyond Good & Evil, the niggling issues stand out as possible evidence that Ubisoft might not be willing to invest more time in Jade than is strictly necessary. It's a shame, and I hope that's not really the case, because this is a yesteryear project that deserves the trilogy it never got.

There's a very limited selection of game modes. Players can select Single Mission, Multi-Mission, or Multi-Player, however all the game modes feature the same Metroid Pinball tabletop worlds and goals--there's just a lack of variety.

This game is very fun once you get the hang of it, but it takes a die hard sim fan to give this game a very long life.

Clearly, this version of Spider-Man 2 looks and plays better than on Nintendo's DS. But with some control wonkiness plagued throughout the game, Spidey doesn't spin an entire web of delight.

This interesting installment in the Tales series is probably best suited to hardcore RPG nuts and fans who loved the previous titles.

Vampire Rush doesn't overhaul the tower defense genre, but it's worth a purchase if you're still not bored with tower defense or digital analog stick controls.

Hardcore "Bust A Groove" fans will probably like the sequel more than neophyte PlayStation dancers, who they might get more out of the original.

Quantum of Solace is a good first-person shooter that, in my opinion, is the best Bond game since Goldeneye.

If there's one feature that's unique to SRS, it's the "official" ladies of street racing as seen in the many import tuner magazines. If that's your main interest in the game, then you'll find plenty of incentives to keep playing. [Oct 2004, p.83]

So while Konami succeeded at building a simple but graphically enticing fighter, it failed to create anything but an average game with a penchant for g-strings and larger than usual cup-sizes.

Sure, it has some control foibles, and it can tire out your gamer's cardiovascular system in a New York minute, but Kung Fu Live is a surprisingly successful motion-controlled beat-em-up that will entertain you (and anyone who happens to be watching you) for quite a few hours.

A good college football package that doesn't dazzle, but makes the grade.

The frustrating trial and error aspect is the main issue I find with this cute budget title. As it gets more difficult it just seems like more and more trial and error: Memorize the sequence of actions to take and perform them as flawlessly as possible.

These are minor problems, however, compared to the mind-numbing frustration of the A.I.’s catch-up programming, which makes your opponents inexplicably faster when you’re ahead in the last legs.

It takes more than formulaic adventuring and dusty turn-based combat to craft a role-playing title worthy of the LOTR name.

World Party’s simple goals and humor are universal, and can easily be enjoyed worldwide—but the game’s dragging pace and frustrating gameplay will have you swearing at the screen no matter what language you speak.

If nostalgia is your game, the original Tecmo Bowl on Virtual Console still remains unbeaten after all these years.

If you enjoyed the exploits found in "Splinter Cell," try out Rogue Ops. It’s not as intense or compelling, but the game still has enough action to satisfy even the most hardcore stealth hero.

Simply a good idea that awaits complete realization. [Jan 2010, p.77]

As with other 989 games like "NHL FaceOff," be prepared for a blinding, almost overcaffeinated pace as pitches rip by at a murderously fast clip.

The game is also a trying experience online. Apparent lag, even though you're playing on broadband, is everywhere. Character animations are limited and it's difficult to target someone from long distance.

Captures all the basics of this fast-paced game. The fun for a non-rugby fan will be in learning about the sport, and Rugby 2005 just might win a few converts.

Wireless head-to-head play with a pal is a kick. It might not win over fans looking for a hardcore sim, but in the handheld rink, Gretzky NHL at least holds home ice.

Watching these heroes pirouette amidst the violence is surprisingly entertaining, and while Seven Sorrows doesn't deliver fully on the promise and longevity of its progenitor, it does provide a fleeting good time.

Unwieldy controls and average graphics stall this flyer. But the game is certainly not grounded.

Despite slow and repetitive gameplay and the lack of a compelling story, the premise is cool and the low-tech mech shootouts are tense. Ring of Red will be hypnotically fun to some and sleep-inducing to others; rent first.

If FIFA isn't quite realistic enough for your taste, WTS should scratch your soccer itch with its tight, sim-style gameplay and solid lineup of features, which includes custom teams, season play, the World Cup, and a variety of other cups.

If a Playstation is all you have and three Syphon Filters just isn't enought, then C-12 is worthy of your attention. [August 2002, p.86]

Despite its flaws, I found Payday to be more Ocean's Eleven than Small Time Crooks; it's got some clever moves, a fun sense of imagination, and it makes you appreciate (and rely upon) every member of your cast. Not since Left 4 Dead have I wanted to get my buddies together and spend late nights working together towards a common goal.

Saint's Row 2 deserves props for its phenomenal customization and inventive multiplayer modes-including drop in and out cooperative play-but it's derivative design lacks polish and panache. It's entertaining, but it's also outclassed by its competitors.

By today’s standards, these games probably won’t mean much to gamers who grew up on the combo flow-charts of Tekken and Soul Calibur, but these King games are nevertheless very playable thanks to responsive controls and intuitive easy-to-execute moves.

It's not quite Mirror's Edge or Dead Space, but if you like DMC, pick it up.

While a fairly competent game, it just doesn't manage to add enough new content to make it worth a serious look.

With more bump mapping and shading combined with beautiful particle and lighting effects, Nightcaster II's visuals are a few steps ahead of the prequel's, but overall the graphics look plain and at times muddy.

The number of play modes is impressive at first glance, but since most are only slight variations of "drive-fast-shoot-to-kill" scenarios, the typically entertaining action can grow repetitive quickly. The control is also reliable and spot-on, but the wonky, loose arcadey physics are entirely unpredictable and make some driving scenarios tough to predict.