If you were hoping for a game with the personality of Parodius, look elsewhere -- there may be a decent, if flawed, Gradius design somewhere inside Excellent, but finding it may not be worth the trouble.

With all of these faltering features, Spyro’s newest adventure feels more like it was meant to be played on the PlayStation rather than on the GameCube.

Even with improved graphics and a large character roster, Dragon Ball Z: Infinite World ends the DBZ series on PS2 with a bust instead of a bang.

You’ll often spot limbs and objects poking through solid surfaces, but you’ll almost never see your opponent properly framed—the camera angles are simply dreadful and rarely offer a decent view of the combat (or even the immediate surroundings).

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

It's almost not Sonic's fault -- 3D games just don't age well -- but this lazy port makes the Blue Blur look slower than ever.

The graphics are stunning and the season mode will keep you busy for quite a while.

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."

The game does have one redeeming factor, the visuals.

The ideas behind Fishie Fishie have a lot of potential, but the "single-button to do everything" concept makes the entire thing a frustrating battle of man versus machine.

It's shallower than the shallow end of a kiddie pool during a drought, and dammit, it's such a disappointment, because the series has delivered compelling storylines and settings, if nothing else, up to this point.

This game might be worth a rent for a diehard Indy fan who is not an experienced gamer.

Despite some impressive world-map graphics and extremely catchy anime-style music, Digimon World 3 disappoints in countless ways.

The almost total lack of interaction makes the title difficult to recommend to many audiences, but if you need to fill out your Pokédex and enjoy watching cute creatures fart on each other, My Pokémon Ranch might be worth a look.

You can see everything the game has to offer in an hour or two, and similarly, the two-player split-screen mode gets boring very quickly.

"Quotation Forthcoming"

Without even a hint of fun multiplayer competition, you and your friends will certainly catch an unfavorable fever caused by a dismal showing of Pac-Man Fever.

It's a solid and enjoyable title with enough action and plot to keep you interested over the long haul. [July 2008, p.77]

The worst part is that Jake Hunter had a lot of potential. [July 2008, p.84]

Games shouldn't reach retail in this condition, and while I'd love to give Venetica a higher score, Atari should've never allowed Venetica to reach the market in its current state; if I wasn't required to finish the game for my review, I would've put it back in the box after a few hours because of the save bugs.

You’ll often find the interface working against you.

What we have in Mage Knight is a poor attempt to hop on the "WoW" gravy train. The developer clearly flayed all the depth and nuance out of the formula that made WoW such a huge commercial success, delivering instead a soulless husk stuffed with empty promises and features that you wouldn't want anyway.

Stronghold might have been great once, but that castle has long since crumbled. Spend your ducats elsewhere.

Each fight is punctuated with some of the worst metal music I've ever heard, and fights generally end in unrealistically gruesome finishes. Really, I haven't seen this many broken necks and snapped limps in a fighting game since Mortal Kombat​.

The game itself lacks heart. [July 2005, p.74]

Despite these issues, my family had fun playing Hole in the Wall. We'd laugh at some of our silly poses and would bump into each other to hurriedly get in position when playing as a team. While not even close to being the family favorite (a spot currently held by a Fruit Ninja Kinect), a fun Kinect game in this price range is a hard bargain to pass up.

Behind the flashy extras and cool license, TMNT2 remains an utterly forgettable (albeit forgivable) example of the modern gaming mediocrity. [Dec 2004, p.116]

It's wacky and weird and has some funny moments. It's just too bad that the actual gameplay can't seem to keep up with that kind of creativity.

Destined only to be forgotten.

A landmark in programming incompetence. Exclusive or not, it's a bigger embarrassment than any retro port could have been.

X-Men: Destiny isn't a bad game -- it just plays like an unfinished one.

In a twisted and cruel coincidence, playing no defense is actually more effective than playing defense.

At the risk of repeating myself, the game is just broken. And in this age of "eh, we'll fix that with a first-week patch," it's particularly sad to see what feels like so little effort put into living up to what can even objectively be described as a legendary property.

Overall the visuals for creatures and terrain are crisp, sharp, and Pokemon-perfect even if the sounds are a little too sweet. Dash might not make much of a splash, but it should be a good kid-pleaser.

The kiddie treatment here is both disturbing and annoying, and the games themselves aren’t all that fun.

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.

While I can see Gravitronix having a bit of appeal for younger kids as long as they play with a group of friends, most above a certain age group won’t have as easy a time getting the group together for an 8-player doubles faceoff. For everyone else, hold onto those Wii Points this week.

Attempts to be an exciting pugilist but fails miserably.

The game itself lacks heart. [July 2005, p.74]

What's most disappointing, however, is how pitifully the game's "attitude" falls on its face. Every last unfunny quip issued by the traffic chopper, every painful Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, every ham-fisted racial stereotype is so poor that you can't help but wonder "what were they thinking?"

Watchmen: The End is Nigh, Part 2 is a straight up brawler. You have a couple of combo attacks and blocking maneuvers. There is almost no gameplay variety as you button mash your way through the three chapters.

Despite the improved character roster and so-bad-it's-funny decapitations, Samurai Showdown Sen has very little to offer you except easy Achievement Points.

Lowrider is sure to hook fans of such games as "PaRappa the Rapper" and k"Um Jammer Lammy" (or anyone with a cursory interest in lowriding for that matter) but—again—this is not a racing game.

Greg Hastings Paintball 2 is made for a very specific clientele. But because the video game lacks the excitement of the real thing, it does little to expand interest for the sport outside of its core demographic. If you're someone who owns your own gear and is really into paintball, you'll appreciate having a game dedicated to your sport. Everyone else, however, should save their $20 for something else.

There is just so much wrong with this title that it is crazy to think that this passed the focus testing from Nintendo.

While there is a greater emphasis on speed, you'll still have to take control of some slower characters like Silver and Tails, who now has one of the most frustratingly awful attack movesets of all time.

MLB Stickball is a cute and simple game but its a weak groundout, not the home run it aspires to be.

Controls aside, the gameplay itself is nothing to be excited about. The courses are clumsily designed, the races are repetitive, and the characters are unmemorable. In short, Barrel Blast is offensive to all the senses. It feels wrong, looks awful, and it isn't a treat for the ears, either.

With sloppy production values, insane load times, sub-par graphics and sound, and gameplay that irrevocably evolves into: grapple, counter, super, grapple, counter, super, this game isn't even worth the rental fee.

It's not that the idea of pushing Ghost Recon into on-rails territory to make good use of the Wii's control setup is without merit -- other franchises have gone a similar route with great success. The problem is that it's executed so poorly that it feels like a cheap cash-in on the Ghost Recon name rather than an innovative twist that brings something new and exciting to the series.

Moderately enjoyable with good replay value, but its many flaws really hinder what could have been a great romp in the snow.

Even basic navigation is difficult in this game—it will take you an hour or two before you have any idea how to get anywhere.

Regrettably, the game does too many things poorly to allow itself to rise above being forgettably average, and that's a shame considering its palpable potential.

Any way you cut it, it's just not worth the aggravation to play through what is just another botched licensed movie game. [June 2008, p.81]

War World is a game that almost everyone should pass on. If you are a fan of mech games, options like MechAssault or Chromehounds are a smarter choice than War World.

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.

If you're a diehard Ghostbusters fan who sleeps in a Ghostbusters bed, takes your food to school/work in a Ghostbusters lunchbox, and can recite every line from both Ghostbusters flicks, chances are you'll get your money's worth out of Sanctum of Slime. Everyone else will find a pedestrian shooter that doesn't live up to the Ghostbuster name.

Poor visual presentation, repetitive, very short.

It's too bad, because Cursed Crusade has fleetingly interesting ideas, like forcing you to push a very slow-moving mantlet towards an enemy's defensive line, or the way the timing of tapping out combo strings actually encourages thoughtful player response. Co-op can actually be fun in short bursts with a friend, and even the detailed aesthetic is surprisingly competent.

Fans hoping for a worthwhile update to one of gaming's most revered hack-and-slash franchises will be sorely disappointed by this poorly designed and utterly mediocre title.

And although the sound of a shopping game sounds only slightly more fun than the real thing, it's actually quite enjoyable.

In many ways Red Bull X-Fighters is an exercise in frustration. Many of the elements of a really cool extreme sports game are here, but this title just can't pull it together. If you're a big fan of this genre, or of the real-life X-Fighters racers, it's certainly worth a look. But for others who require more refinement, there are much better options available.

MLE: The Game is extremely shallow in both gameplay and modes available. The only people who would have any fun with this game are youngsters who cannot stop laughing at bathroom humor.

If you're looking for a mindless way to rack up Achievement Points, go ahead and rent Ninety-Nine Nights II, but be warned -- it's like watching the first 10 minutes of the Battle of Helm's Deep on repeat for 30 hours. After a while, you won't even care who's winning the fights, and only periodic bathroom breaks will break up the monotony.

It's shallower than the shallow end of a kiddie pool during a drought, and dammit, it's such a disappointment, because the series has delivered compelling storylines and settings, if nothing else, up to this point.

A lot of folks are looking for a slice of Japanese otaku life as a video game, or just some anime fan-service, and if that's you, you won't be disappointed.

Catwoman commits every action-adventure platform-jumper crime imaginable: lousy camera angles, incomprehensible level designs, and a lame combat engine.

For all the consternation about a gun-toting enigma invading a kid-friendly video-game series, the only thing to fear in Sega's Shadow the Hedgehog is the game's slap-dash excution. [Mar 2006, p.80]

Darkest of Days' best missions come right at the end (with closer-quarters action and a fantastic original weapon), but by that point, it's too little, too late. An entire game built in that mold might've been able to overcome the numerous problems, but unlike with time travel, there are no do-overs in game development.

No matter how many bonuses are unlocked or how many special guests show up, the core gameplay of Superman: The Man of Steel is boring.

Add in tired and repetitive level designs, a lackluster story and the general absence of fun and you have a title that isn't worth playing. [Dec 2008, p.95]

There's no exclusive content, just a new way to struggle with already poor combat.

The visuals and sounds keep up with the pace, although you may be too busy with the controller to notice.

Doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the GameCube’s capabilities.

It's a solid and enjoyable action title with enough action and plot to keep you interested over the long haul. Even if you don't like the comics or care about the upcoming movie, there are worse ways to spend a couple of hours.

Pirates vs Ninjas is an attractive looking title and offers a unique take on an old school game, but its ineffective gameplay just won't let it compete with other titles more worthy of your hard earned cash.

While there are some cheap thrills to be found in the title's rail-shooter segments and hardcore Terminator fans will no doubt want to rent the title just for the chance to go toe-to-toe with a T-600, I can't recommend Salvation as anything more than exactly that: a rental.

It's fun enough, but it's definitely not dangerous.

While Streetwise's story progression is well thought out, the presentation and implementation of the game engine is sorely lacking.

While I wasn't expecting too much from G.I. Joe as a whole, I walked away with the impression that, while it wasn't absolutely horrible, it really didn't leave much of a lasting impression either.

Save your money for "SmackDown 2" or any of THQ's other upcoming wrestling titles.

It seemed impossible to mess up but sadly, that's exactly what they did.

With sloppy production values, insane load times, sub-par graphics and sound, and gameplay that irrevocably evolves into: grapple, counter, super, grapple, counter, super, this game isn't even worth the rental fee.

This game was meant to be played with four players instead of two, but considering how much fun you get for the price, you shouldn't be deterred from buying it.

What's most frustrating is that I know Gameloft can do better than this. Hell, they have done better with Asphalt 6 and even Asphalt 5 -- mobile alternatives that are much cheaper (and more fun) for anyone with an iPhone, iPad, or Android device. In fact, just buy one of those games instead. Even if you just don't want to play Ridge Racer, Asphalt 3D isn't the better option by any stretch.

The only thing that could have made this slapdash and sloppy game any weaker would have been to throw in Aquaman. [Apr 2004, p.86]

Rengoku doesn't break down, but it doesn't' break new ground either.

With its defining features only partially living up to their potential, it's reduced to a barely average third-person shooter.

While I wasn't expecting too much from G.I. Joe as a whole, I walked away with the impression that, while it wasn't absolutely horrible, it really didn't leave much of a lasting impression either.

It's too bad the play mechanics are not more engaging, especially given the potential of the Wii-motion controls. But as is, the range of mini-missions and quests you lead the precocious Coraline through will feel familiar to anyone who's played any number of average film-tied titles.

It's a shame, too, because had it hemmed in the play time and polished the combat, it could have provided a lean and mean eight hours of satisfying God of War-like, gore-fueled fun.

Regardless, I think it goes without say that Spray is both very bad and very broken; and that's in addition to the ugly pastel graphics and terrible animation (like I said, the main character skitters). Let's just forget it ever happened, shall we?

Throw in some very uneven game presentation - nice graphics, poor instruction manual and plug-your-ears-annoying soundtrack - and gamers are presented with a title that not even the in-game appearance of Wesley Snipes could make appealing.

An evil off-road ATV racer that will sap the happiness and energy out of all who play it.

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

While many maps have some great design choices, Things on Wheels feels like a dated and out of place title that may have been more accepted in the earlier stages of Microsoft's Arcade platform.

The PSP version, however, has this incredibly unfun, dual-pronged fork-in-the-eye problem of too many pokey load breaks paired with one...h-ell of a...won---ky, fra-me...rate. There were so many times until I got used to it that I thought the game was just going to crash altogether.

The worst part of the game has to be the audio. The incessant buzzing that is meant to represent the vehicles engines brought to mind the tinny whine of our time with Outrun on the Sega Master System. There's literally no variance or change in pitch in the engine's hum for, oh say, air flow, proximity or speed. There's just straight up honey-powered bee-mobiles.