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.

Fun at first, but soon becomes repetitive-both in terms of the Punisher's actions and the criminals' voice responses. Add to that weak graphics and animation, as well as not enough opportunities to "enjoy" Punisher's originality, and you end up with an adventure that turns a bit stale too quickly.

The characters are sloppily animated, and when the camera zooms out, the fight is shown in an odd, blurry style that mars the action.

Light years better than its ugly-as-sin predecessor and is already worthy to compete against Sony's Offroad Fury series.

This is perhaps the only game in the genre to actually make each race feel unique and balanced... However, it isn't enough to compensate for the flawed tactical combat that lies at the game's core; nothing save a complete overhaul can redeem SotS from its current mediocrity.

Ultimately, Freakyforms is a game of two halves. Playing mad scientist in the creature creator is fun and it's a great reward seeing your monsters come to life. The problem comes from what to do next. I know that when I was a boy, I envisioned my legion of monsters doing a lot more than gathering knick knacks.

The action does deliver its fair share of thrills, but its repetitive and simple nature quickly wears thin.

If you're going to pick up Shadows of Almia, just keep in mind that while it can be fun, there's nothing compelling or new enough to impress a hardcore Pokemanic.

While not without value, instead of wrapping up my time in the Capital Wastelands in a nice big irradiated bow, Mothership Zeta just left me wondering how much fun being in space could’ve been.

Every year the NASCAR series seems to emphasize a different aspect of the sport. But this year, the focus is back where it belongs: on the driving and on-track competition. [Nov. 2006, p.102]

If you can keep your expectations in check, accepting that Lost in Shadow is essentially an old school Prince of Persia-inspired game with a clever twist, you will find it worth your time to try it out.

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]]

Beyond its online career mode, there's not much that leads Juiced 2 to stand out from the pack. It's an unassuming street racer with few flaws, but at the same time, few outstanding qualities. Even the visuals don't inspire much, leaving Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights cold by morning.

It looks good and plays fast, but lacks the refinement and complexity that space combat fans have come to expect.

Succeeds where "Rollercoaster Tycoon" and even "Sim Theme Park" failed—it gives you the true sensation of riding a rollercoaster, the logical tools to build them, and the ability to show your work quickly and easily.

Regretfully, Army Men RTS’s cleverly conceived combat units and resource system are quickly overrun by deadlier forces: lackluster controls and frustrating gameplay.

For all its frustrations and shortcomings, GR2003 does pay off with the thrill of long-sought victory and a sense of accomplishment for having figured out the bizarre subtleties of this stat-heavy simulation.

A die-hard Tenchu fan, Heather was more than happy to see the series return to form in its latest portable iteration. It may even move a hardened assassin to poetry.

For a paltry ten clams, gamers will certainly get their money's worth with Bejeweled Blitz Live. Its fast-paced style, carefree and easy multiplayer options, and unique gameplay modes make for a lot of fun.

The real shame is that the interface designers didn't take more time tightening up the game flow since the last iteration. [May 2004, p.78]

The problem with Treasure World is once you find items and add them to your garden, that's about all there is to this game.

Heroes is a relatively simple game that, at times, feels like X-Men Legends with DC character models. Still, the chance to take control of some of the most beloved superheroes on the planet is one that you just can't pass up.

The inability of this series to learn from its mistakes is baffling. You'll often find yourself fighting enemies you can't see because some decorative element in the foreground entirely blocks your view, and you've zero control over the camera.

The control scheme is sublimely genius, letting you perform midair attacks and dash around foes with poetic ease. The manual camera is still a bit too loose, though, and leaping and running against walls isn’t as reliable as you’d like it to be.

This unfortunate version of HP2 is just plain slow and its handling just doesn’t feel right. If possible, stick with the stellar PS2 edition or the strong Xbox game.

The Wii advantage is that even with just one remote, you can invite a pile of people over to party and have a really good time together.

Volcano Escape by itself is definitely worth the $1.99 its developers are charging for it, but the optional in-app purchases are definitely overpriced. Still, if you don't mind being locked out some of the game's content, you won't miss out on much.

The levels are still vast, the number of available goals is still overwhelming, and the multiplayer portion adds some replayability.