It promises you the world, but never delivers, which is a shame, because, with some polish and some elbow grease, it could've been a spectacular RPG on the order of a BioWare classic. As is, though, I simply cannot recommend it.

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

Blacksite is a decent enough FPS title that's the gaming equivalent of a summer action blockbuster: it sure as hell won't win any Oscars but it delivers just enough thrills to make you feel like you got your money's worth.

Heroes Over Europe--sequel to Heroes Over the Pacific--offers armchair aces yet another reason to climb back into the cockpit, provided you already have a love for the genre. [Sept 2009, p.84]

The excellent tracks alone are worth a look.

Its lack of depth, bad soundtrack, and easy difficulty level make the game a minor leaguer.

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

Certain tracks are a bit redundant with a few too many identical turns and jumps, but for the most part, they're a lot of fun.

It's almost like they came up with the jokes first, then hastily built a game framework around it. [Dec 2004, p.118]

The game feels cramped and limited. Linear levels where there’s little room to explore on your own attribute to unchallenging gameplay.

Collisions are far too bouncy-what should be minor dust-ups send your car cartwheeling through the air, and many of the timed missions have far too little breathing room.

Without the ability to play with more than two people, you’ll eventually have to resort back to playing the actual card game to get the full DBZCCG experience.

Graphically, this version is slightly below the recent Xbox release but in line with the competent PlayStation 2 iteration.

Again, this is why I find Bloodstone so confusing: Trying to release an original Bond title that isn't tied into a big budget motion picture is risky on its own, but releasing it the same day as the remake of one of the most beloved Bond games of all time, with what will no doubt be the biggest selling game of the year in Black Ops waiting in the wings, seems like an odd business decision.

Endless variations on battles and the ability to customize characters make this game a good value for serious fans. People looking for less involvement and hack-and-slash may want to rent or avoid this title altogether.

Newcomers to the series will find this a fun and delightful title to play around with. But veterans won’t find anything new here and should stick with the 360 version of the game.

Trinity Universe's pleasantly creative silliness doesn't extend through all areas of its design, and that's its biggest fault.

The actual variety among the different events is rather low, a problem that stems in large part from the repetitive, button-bashing nature of most events.

Whether or not it's worth $15 to you depends on what kind of a FPS fan you are. If you demand a fulfilling, big budget experience and a butter smooth matchmaking experience, then you should probably stick to the big brand names. If, however, you're just looking for a little down and dirty online action and you don't mind waiting a little between rounds, then Blacklight: Tango Down just might be your huckleberry.

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.

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.

Although it's leaning in a good direction, Music Jam could've used some more rehearsal.

For a fraction of the cost of Mario Kart (HCR sells for 800 Nintendo Points/$8) gamers can have almost as much family racing fun, almost.

When you consider that the game is at its best when the 3DS' depth slider is at its lowest setting and the game is already available for other platforms at a price far lower than $40, Rayman 3D makes little sense on Nintendo's newest handheld. While it's nice to have a 3D platformer for this 3D platform, a more polished effort would have been better.

A perfectly competent beat-'em-RPG, even if it doesn't do much to carve out its own niche in the Lord of the Rings universe. Its strength and weakness is that it's completely inoffensive -- the perfect middle-of-the-road game. Unfortunately, it's hard to see what helps differentiate War of the North from the pack, and the pack is where it's apt to stay.

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

As an overall experience, Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest was a lot of fun, but the rigid precision of its motion controls forced me to take more breaks than I would have liked, and the on-rails style gameplay left me feeling bombarded way too often.

It just turns out to be an object example of how even the prettiest eye candy can't mask flawed mechanics for long, and how gameplay that aims for greatness can stumble and wind up slumming it in Mediocre Town.

While the new game-engine changes are a definite added welcome, glitches and all, the omissions of the Story and Create-A-Wrestler modes leave this title rather pale and without substance compared to teh GameCube edition. [Aug 2004, p.68]

A fun, but pretty conventional ride.

While replaying completed levels to raise scores and collect more lums will unlock secret areas, the core simplicity of the gameplay may not tempt many players to romp again where they have romped before.

Samurai Girl is a Korean 2-D RPG that offers a bizarre spectrum of creatures to defeat, admittedly fun combat, and some truly beautiful art. Too bad the level grinding and uninspired maps make it a chore to play through.

Tabletop fans will probably enjoy playing it when a flat surface and friends aren't available for the pen-and-paper version. For everyone else, it's best to go into Blood Bowl understanding that it's best played with others, and largely a brow-furrowing affair when played solo.

The game sadly plays as a barely mediocre firefight.

This frantic fighter/shoot-'em-up hybrid is chock full of explosive content, but its distinctly Japanese tone and uneven production values may put off some gamers.

The gameplay, however, isn’t anything that hasn’t been done already, and the paint-by-numbers seek-and-destroy missions can get pretty dull after a couple of hours.

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

There are much better action games out on the PSP than this one, so pass it by unless you're obsessed with Star Wars.

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.

It may not be the deepest or most original action experience out there, but it's hard to deny the cheap thrills, over-the-top attitude, and mind-numbingly brutal mayhem present in Volatile's latest.

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.

Sometimes enemies take time to notice you, but once they do, the A.I. is fairly impressive.

Illbleed scores major points for twisted originality, even if unfocused and clunky execution keeps it from turning horror on its gory, severed ear.

This visually stunning space shooter lets you battle among the stars, but pilots may be bored by the monotonous shooting and the lack of an alluring story.

Sadly, the horrible control scheme puts a damper on this dapper British agent.

All in all, Wanted: Weapons of Fate isn't so much a game for fans of the shooter genre, but it's a game for fans of Wanted.

If you've been aching for a hardcore RPG experience on the PSP, go to class. [Apr 2009, p.83]

The fact that it's practically Sims 2 with Desperate Housewives textures, voice acting, and character likeness, hardly makes it appealing. The super-simple controls, drama-filled thematic scenes, and $19.99 price point may appeal to the casual gamer, but hardcore gamers should stray far away.

It is an update of "Robotron" with a fantasy backstory. If you’re looking for a new kind of shooter, NightCaster will do—but RPG fans, you’re still in the dark.

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.

It's hardly a masterpiece of gameplay or character development, but it was quite successful in keeping me intrigued and entertained on a few different levels.

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.

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

A friendly but flawed rehash of "Metal Gear Solid" fused with several interesting (but poorly developed) concepts that intend to give the game a unique flavor but end up tasting stale. [Nov 2004, p.112]

Too laid back. It plays more like a lazy day at the beach, rather than a gonzo ride atop a force of nature.

It's a little rough around the edges, so we'd still recommend Resident Evil 4 as the premiere Wii survival horror game, but if you want to dismember the undead in a non-lightgun setting, it's a pretty solid choice.

I had a great time dismembering members of the Empire for four hours, and what little story exists has some great potential, but the hugely missed marks and brutal technical problems really bring The Force Unleashed 2 to its knees. It's tough to recommend this to even the most devout Star Wars fan, since they'll feel the sting of disappointment worse than those who'd simply dislike it as a mediocre action game.

Perhaps the best feature, though, is online multiplayer--at least for PlayStation and Xbox owners. The game's intensity is upped by the human competition, and the standard selection of gameplay modes.

If you like Transformers, buy this game. Even if you don't (or you just hate Michael Bay), you should still give Optimus Prime a try.

PowerUp Heroes is cute and likable, and the motion controls work surprisingly well.

After playing this game, it would be a real stretch for me to recommend Invincible Tiger at any XBLA price level.

With its sloppy controls and a total lack of online multiplayer mode - that's right, the Wii version has no "spies vs. mercenaries," battles, just a poorly implemented split-screen mode - it's tough to justify this version's existence.

With three well-balanced races and a variety of missions and units, Dogs of War offers a compelling playing experience.

The gameplay mantra of advance, stop, button mash, advance, stop, button mash (think "Final Fight" minus the fun) gets crushingly repetitive.

There really should be a full ten decathlon events in the game; seven leaves you feeling hungry for more variety.

You have four major game options when online: quickmatch, play a friend, custom match and home run derby. On top of single game options you have what amounts to be the best online function any sports game could have, leagues.

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."

An overwhelming lack of personality.

A solid multiplayer offering, gore aplenty, a low price point, and general undead silliness make Zombie Apocalypse a fun diversion.

It's more different than fun, but once you get the hang of it, Air Ride's quirks become strengths.

Unfortunately, the enjoyment can't keep up, likely resulting in a premature ejection of the game from your console&but remember: It happens to nearly every gamer at some point.

Although fairly fun, Sunny Garcia lacks true replay value since the action tends to feel repetitive, and the beaches begin to look the same.

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

I recommend the paddle controller. If you're up the import, Arkanoid DS becomes quite interesting, but otherwise it's a well-done, extremely casual affair.

Worst of all is the repetitive and completely linear feel of every mission.

Doesn’t necessarily revolutionize the gaming experience—the game does, however, offer a fine continuation to the already classic series.

Hardcore Naruto fans who are subject to long road trips will manage to squeeze a few hours of fun out of Ninja Destiny. All others should apply their stealthy skills elsewhere in gaming's vast stable of ninja titles.

Quotation forthcoming.

I'm not expecting every licensed game that comes along to offer a worthwhile gaming experience on-par with Arkham Asylum or any other triple-A heavyweight, but come on -- I don't expect it to undervalue my time, either.

The most prominent problem Spider-Man 2 suffers from is its convoluted indoor levels. Oftentimes, you need to search areas for a set number of criminals to bop or hostages to free. But without a map to consult, too much time is spent frustratingly backtracking and combing through every nook and cranny you've already visited.

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.

With subpar graphics, the action doesn’t get as bloodied as it should.

A fantastic concept upon which an average game lies. Play it as a curiosity and an example of innovative technical game design, and you'll enjoy yourself. [Mar 2004, p.72]

A watered down racing title that won't do much for even the most dedicated dirt bike or ATV enthusiast.

So, is Watchmen worth your hard-earned cash? I'm going to have to give a resounding "yes" to this expertly crafted beat-em-up. Even with its' shortcomings Watchmen always feels fresh, and really stands apart as a downloadable title.

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]

Wii Play: Motion offers a better balance of quality to questionable content than the original release, with more total games and play variations in the package, but in this day and age the experience feels very insignificant. Along with Mario Sports Mix, Nintendo's Wii offerings to date in 2011 seem content to mine past concepts with middling success, which may be fine to the dwindling number of new console owners -- but it's tough to believe existing Wii owners will feel the urge to rush out for another unremarkable mini-game medley.

The dialogue and plot are more clumsily written than the lyrics to a Christian rap song, which makes it hard to get involved in the tasks at hand. When you don't care, you don't care, ya know?

So, no, Moon Diver isn't the second coming of Strider. Instead, it's carved out its own niche as a serviceable and party-game-flavored action title. Grab three friends, mash some buttons, and you can't go wrong. Just don't expect it to be Shakespeare.

The graphics are obviously improved over the PlayStation predecessors, but even fans of that trilogy will be disappointed by the comparative dearth of traps to choose from. Ultimately, mediocrity ensnares Trapt with it's own lack of gameplay meat.

In the end, though, the gameplay is repetitive and sadly uninteresting.

Gardening Mama doesn't do anything that we haven't seen already in the Cooking Mama games. [Apr 2009, p.79]

All in all, Shaun White's Snowboarding didn't leave me blown away. I liked the terrain they provided, the impressive visuals and the push towards new ways to perform tricks. I hope this title continues on and that all of the little glitches and feedback from fans help create an epic snowboarding game worthy of Shaun White's name.

I'm not expecting every licensed game that comes along to offer a worthwhile gaming experience on-par with Arkham Asylum or any other triple-A heavyweight, but come on -- I don't expect it to undervalue my time, either.

But the frustrations of the game, including its limited replay value and annoying sound and controls, keep this game from being a "must-own" for all action addicts.

Rogue Agent will leave you shaken and stirred. [Feb 2005, p.72]

Simply a rather dull experience, which could be the worst thing you could say for any piece of entertainment. From my time with it, James Cameron's Avatar: The Video Game only furthers the point, rather than dispels it, that the movie-to-video game genre is as treacherous as the planet of Pandora itself.

Campaign proceedings are frustrating as hell for one reason: spontaneous failure.