A light touch on the analog stick will be rewarded with precise control...There’s no multiplayer mode, so the fun doesn’t last terribly long. Worth a weekend rental.

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]

Across the 2nd Dimension has a lot going for it in terms of production values, a witty script, and varied level design, but it's so fleeting and dumbed down that even children will find its power fantasies pandering.

Ultimately, while you can see the developer's good intentions, the lack of emphasis placed on some fundamental aspects mar what would otherwise be a solid sequel. Yet, the online battles are still intact and run and play well, so if one tires of the campaign, he can take out his camera/control frustrations on other Star Wars devotees who are also looking for some catharsis.

True to the game's title, MX vs. ATV Alive is a game competing against itself. On one hand, you've got an amazing experience that any racing fan should check out -- it's truly the realization of a series that has been refined to near-perfection over the last half-dozen years. On the other hand, the game's pricing strategy has created a bit of an uneven value in which the available content is too lean for beginners to keep racing, especially if they're unable to go online. Fortunately, the game's positives are currently outpacing the negatives, and THQ's ability to create constant, quality DLC at a fair price can only widen the gap even further.

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.

Despite its storied history and retro charms, Ys I and II is easily the weakest of XSEED's three PSP Ys releases.

If the controls weren't so frustrating, the game play experience would have been a lot more enjoyable.

And with all this fixing, adding, and rearranging, you get the sense that Dark Energy Digital desperately wants you to like their game, going as far as including an in-game "Dev Feedback" menu, letting players vote various aspects of the game up or down, as well as citing the reasons for those votes. But it reveals Dark Energy's focus on fixing the individual components of a fundamentally broken game, and while Prophecy's improvements make for a better experience, they only serve to make a bad experience into just another disappointment.



NBA replay online content does have some interesting prospects, with the top five real-life NBA games from the past week set to be recreated in NBA 07 as part of an online multiplayer competition. Good hustle.

Normally we don't mind short and sweet, but you could seriously finish the game in one long afternoon. Still, despite some frustrations, the game is mostly an intense, exciting, and worthy entry in the long-running series.

The outcome: a lesson in how not to use the touch screen in games. You'll immediately feel like you're in a round of bumper cars as you automatically swerve from side to side. You literally have no control in this manner.

Most gamers may not want to pay full retail price for only a handful of light features, despite how pretty the game is, but if you love your fighters old-school and 2D, The King of Fighters XII is probably worth checking out.

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.

But despite its faults, the terrain deformation and unique online twist is distinctive enough that it's worth playing, even if won't exactly alter the foundations of gaming forever. [Nov 2008, p.90]

One of the better dance/rhythm games out there, and with so many unlockable goodies, it’ll make Britney fans want to consistently play it, baby, one more time.

The game’s worth a visit for anyone whose ideal night of TV involves The Simpsons episode where they go to Japan followed by two Iron Chef episodes back-to-back. It is, however, potentially baffling to anyone else.

The games biggest offender is the questions themselves, there's no rhyme or reason to any of them.

This game is strictly for action junkies and can be completed in a quick weekend rental. However, the quality of the graphics and gameplay hints at the potential for deeper, more compelling Batman games to come.

The music, sound effects, and voice acting make up for some of the problems, but they ultimately can't overcome Drakengard's problems with graphics and slow controls. [Mar 2004, p.65]

Lengthy and well crafted.

To paraphrase its own introduction, Wakfu is an enigma wrapped in a blanket wrapped in a tortilla. But it very well could be the best-looking tortilla on XBLA. A fun game with lots to offer those with an open mind, Islands of Wakfu is worth a look for those with a sense of adventure.

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]

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

If you want a golf game you can pick up and play at any moment on your 3DS, then the $6.99 price tag is no barrier, especially since Let's Golf 3D has a wealth of content totaling around 10 hours if you get into it. However, it is cheaper on other platforms ($4.99) that also include the online play that this game lacks.

Zombie Apocalypse 2: Never Die Alone is far from terrible.

A unique action game that’s repetitive in its style and level structure, Alter Echo is kept from being boring by its over-exaggerated morphing combo system and a wide variety of enemies that adapt to your attacks.

Though this year’s GameDay is extremely fun and playable, Madden gets the nod for better graphics and more authenticity.