If someone had bothered to design an original game around this level of technology and artistry, we'd really have something. Too bad we got this mid-'90s relic instead.

The major bones of contention are the clunky controls, clumsy camera, and awkward targeting system.

All the hours of trial and error eventually pay off since the freedom in creating move animations is immense.

Straddles the line between arcade and simulation nicely. Players move, look, and behave in a realistic fashion, but fatigue, substitutions, and playcalling don’t interrupt the fun.

Simple strafing would have been preferable to Obi’s clumsy acrobatics, and the sloppy, inaccurate controls require too much work for a game so shallow.

Essentially, Spike could've developed a better game if they used some kind of fusion to merge the original Raging Blast's gameplay with Ultimate Tenkaichi's stellar graphics. But the end result here just falls short of being a memorable experience.

If it weren't for the torrid pace at which you're required to gather edibles, Lost in Blue 2 would be an enjoyable game. The developers obviously wanted to instill a sense of urgency, but really, all they did was rob the game of its fun.

The beauty of Splinter Cell games has always been the flexibility and fluidity of their controls, especially on the Xbox. But Splinter Cell: Essentials fails to adapt the mechanics to the PSP, and the end result is a frustrating experience with lengthy load times -- an overall trimmed experience.

Challenging both in terms of difficulty and convention (you do more than just run to the right), Pitfall looks gorgeous on the small screen, especially its fluid character animation, while the controls respond well and the sounds are sharp.

Surprisingly solid and fun.

She's a good old dog but hard pressed to learn new tricks.

I liked Adventures to Go, though its flaws are hard to ignore. It's a good game to play when you've got a bit of time to kill or when you need a brief break from a more demanding title. AtG doesn't demand extensive commitment to have fun, but it also won't provide much for players looking for a meatier role-playing epic.

All things considered, Fate/Extra simply isn't a game I can recommend to everyone, but those who can accept the game's many imperfections will likely enjoy their time with it.

Bladestorm is a fun medieval experience, and veterans of the tactical action games will enjoy, though it may be a good jumping-on point for those new to the genre.

The game's graphics are murky, blocky, and uninspired, while the soundtrack, filled with monster groans and quiet music, is just as bad. Controls are thumb-numbing and plain.

Though the single-player mode is a drag, Starsky & Hutch features a great two-player mode that fuses aspects of Driver with Time Crisis by having one player ("You be Starsky!") drive using a steering wheel peripheral and the other player ("I'll be Hutch!") shoot with a light-gun. It makes for great co-op gameplay.

Sucks no matter what game you compare it to. [Sept 2005, p.80]

What saves this title is the nostalgia factor you get from playing it. While the love for this genre is the redeeming factor, it still doesn't give it enough oomph to justify downloading it.

Overall, Overlord Minions is a missed opportunity for the Nintendo DS. It had a lot of potential, but it was lost to the inaccuracy of game play.

A puzzle game has to be challenging in order for it to be addictive but TiQal gives players too many chances.

If you needed an excuse to pick up another Wii Remote and you have an extra Hamilton in the wallet, then by all means pick up Wii Play. Just don't expect to fully get your money's worth.

But overall, I had fun with Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion -- and if the 3DS version managed to impress me, I'm officially on watch to see what the upcoming console version of the game is going to look like.

A huge amount of slowdown, even when there’s little going on, detracts from the overall simple shooting-n-slashing frenzy. A sloppy targeting system and the inability to strafe make the controls more of a pain than painless.

Moderately pretty graphics and average sound don't offset the labored frustration that follows playing this stilted title. [Nov 2005, p.146]

Limited button-customization, poor object detection, and sloppy beam-saber execution add to the frustrations. Still, Journey to Jaburo is an enjoyable alternative for fans of giant-robot games.

The video game equivalent of a local theater production—it aspires to be professional but just can’t deliver a high-quality experience. Trouble is, the ticket still costs just as much.

Showdown's preset camera angles aren't very intuitive--in later levels, players are constantly attacked from enemies offscreen, and Captain Gundam frequently can't see enemies that he is attacking. Also, the item system is clumsily implemented.

From the random bugs and collision problems to some joke missions that have no punch line, the whole game feels rushed and unfinished.