Efforts made to envelop you in Warhammer’s medieval yet technological world are undone by sending you hunting for the blue door’s blue key - only to reveal a red door with a similar keyless predicament.

Pop delivers on its promise of providing a bubble-popping game for the Wii, and it somehow turns the premise into an unexpectedly satisfying experience.

It's hard to take Destructopus! seriously. Yet, the cartoony looks, the trash-metal title track, the tongue-in-cheek environmentalism--are actually assets in the game's favor. Sadly, all of the ironic, ridiculous stuffing can't distract the player enough from the realization that they're playing a thin, easily-forgettable experience.

It features a yawn worthy story involving a guy named Atsuma who has a mysterious past and a secret unknown power that could potentially save the world. As I said, yawn.

Project Sylpheed is one of those games you desperately want to like, but falls short in almost every category.

Looks sexy and plays like pro, but it's just not the polished veteran that you've come to expect with PS2 and Xbox. At least it's clear to see that with a little more seasoning, this game should be in fighting shape next year.

Ultimately, Namco Museum Essentials is a group of old games available for $10. Namco did a great job of assembling the package but not enough effort was put into updating these classics and making it a must buy.

Pottermaniacs will love exploring even a 2D version of Hogwarts, but be prepared for challenging and sometimes frustrating gameplay.

The fact that the game is so close to perfection is what makes the multiplayer so damn disappointing.

Once you learn the controls, they respond sharply. The fully user-controlled camera can still leave you in a lurch, but locking onto one target in a group makes the frequent two-or three-enemy smackdowns winnable. [May 2004, p.70]

With many degrees of selectable difficulty, a wide variety of events, and the ability to customize your own tournament, Sports Jam offers lots of replay value and fun.

NHL Arcade falls short in too many areas to be highly recommended. Unless you're a diehard hockey fanatic you can pass up this title. It's a shame too, we needed a good hockey arcade title for PSN/XBLA, but we haven't gotten it yet.

Legacy is fun despite these nagging issues if only by virtue of giving you the ability to control a task force of slick-looking futuristic starships all over the galaxy. And with an interesting story that spans the entirety of the Star Trek timeline and a fairly robust multiplayer, there's plenty of incentive to play.

An undervalued and overlooked title, TNT Racers has a lot to offer. If you're a kart-racing fan you won't regret your purchase -- just don't expect much action with other players online.

If you're a more advanced player, dedicated single-sport Mario titles like Super Mario Sluggers and Mario Strikers Charged are far more substantial and enjoyable experiences. But if you want a colorful pick-up-and-play game to enjoy with your less gaming-inclined friends and family, Mario Sports Mix ought to work just fine -- just don't expect to dig it out too often otherwise.

It's like every other mission-based helicopter shooter, except that it lacks a personality. Fireblade? Firebland.

Nothing more than a third-rate "Crazy Taxi" knockoff, but minus the technique, slick visuals, and overall fun of its source material.

Despite a few structural flaws, Fortress is a fun way to kill little chunks of time.

The linear gameplay can get extremely frustrating.

Although some may be put off by the its slow pace, those with a little patience and ingenuity will feel very rewarded once objectives are completed.

If you can play Unreal II on the PC, do. Otherwise, rent this for the Xbox only while you wait for the other first-person heavyweights to show up later in the year.

The transition from polished first-person console shooter to 16-bit RPG is a smooth one on the visual front, thanks to Vlambeer's excellent pixel art and attention to minute details. It's just a bummer that the gameplay itself isn't quite as absorbing past the first world or so.

There's no doubt that Wild Arms XF is best left for hardcore fans of the series who will probably be more forgiving of the game's faults; the rest of you should look elsewhere for your tactical RPG fix.

It's like playing Simon Says with a Simon that never attempts to fool you and is really into teeny-bop pop; if the graphics were a person, her ugliness would prevent her from making the squad; controls aren't precise enough.

It might not strike anyone as exceptional, but with real-world car details, challenging A.I., and a nice upgrade system, 4x4 Evolution is worth checking out, especially if you’re an SUV fanatic in real life.

The Fun Factor directly corresponds to your level of Potter fandom: The joy of this game comes from experiencing Harry’s universe, not from the repetitive, trite gameplay.

Despite the nice presentation, there just isn’t very much to do compared with Nintendo’s genre-defining fighter [Super Smash Bros].

Tight and enjoyable, even if it doesn’t take advantage of the X factor.