You'll be hard-pressed to score more than a couple goals. But that just mirrors real life, and the action delivers plenty of thrills.

Where the wheat gets separated from the chaff, however, is the A.I.; and Sega’s game is all whole-grain goodness.

Digital déjà vu. Your brain knows that it’s a brand-new game…but you never quite shake the feeling that you’ve played it all before.

A very, very, very old-school platformer that doesn’t have enough standout new features to keep it fresh in this day and age.

It’s really a thinking man’s shooter that plays out like an explosive game of chess—a very, very hard game of chess with limited continues.

Most WipeOut race fans will play Extreme G3, say, "wow, cool," and just drool over how potentially cool "WipeOut Fusion" is gonna be.

While it doesn't change much from Layton's previous adventures, the small tweaks (and the generous extras) make this my favorite Layton game to-date. The series is one of the few remaining champions of the graphic adventure, and, fortunately, they're doing a damn fine job of keeping that genre relevant for a modern audience.

Despite some screen layout flaws, Nintendogs is infectiously cute, and pretty addictive. It's really easy to form an emotional bond with your puppies--they're so life like. Who knew rubbing a pixilated sprite could be so enjoyable.

As a standalone DS game, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is an amazing adventure almost at the level of "Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass". [Apr 2008, p.79]

If someone asks me to recommend them a good action-RPG for the iPhone, Dungeon Hunter 2 will likely be my chief suggestion. Sure, it has a few issues, but overall it boasts some major refinements over what was already a fun game.

As a ninja connoisseur I can easily say this game is one of the top ninja based titles on the market with the exception of the grand daddy of all ninja games: Ninja Blade.

Tank battles can get quite challenging.

Features immense replay value.

Still, with such a wide selection of games to choose from with over 30 core mini-games, not to mention medals to win, "Perfect" ratings to earn, and incredibly simple yet insanely engaging Endless Games and Rhythm Toys to unlock (never thought I'd spend two hours digitally flicking a coin in tune with an ever-changing tempo), Rhythm Heaven is a must-own for handheld gamers everywhere, plain and simple, and a welcome breath of fresh air for the gaming scene in general.

More structure proves more comfortable for the console environment, and the addition of two-player really opens up the game as something more than just a spectator event.

Across the board, the slick environments, cut-scenes, and character faces shine, although some of the animations are awkward, particularly when 007 runs. A great title song by Mya, strong voice acting, and booming sound effects complete the package.

At the plate, the cursor-assisted hitting is solid, but base-running can be a button-pressing adventure with multiple runners on the bags.

Why Sam has stepped out of the shadows and is on full out attack makes complete sense in context with the story, so if you can accept it for what it is and not dwell on the fact that it isn't what you've come to expect in a Splinter Cell title, you'll no doubt agree that Conviction rivals Chaos Theory as the best title in the franchise's history. [Jun 2010, p.78]

The open, expansive world of Hitman is certainly what makes this game an enjoyable experience. There's a good mix of stealth and action, and your enemies are smart enough to give you a challenge to the very end.

Kirby Mass Attack rewards you for replaying it many times over, with several impressively polished mini-games (my favorites being the RPG and pinball ones), big fruit bonuses, and very frequent references to past Kirby titles.

By virtue of being around longer, the Xbox 360 has more compatibility and a larger, more cohesive community to play with. While you're still guaranteed a good time on the PS3, it's tough to truly rock out when you know there's a bigger venue to play in and a better band on the way.

It isn't perfect, but Alan Wake is a superb mystery that has plenty to offer. Gamers willing to put up with the minor inconsistencies will be rewarded with a rich narrative that's definitely worth experiencing.

A fun game with some very noticeable flaws and some less-than-stellar presentation, but in the end it's a memorable adventure I'd certainly recommend to any aspiring roadie. It comes pre-packaged with its fair share of issues, quirks and bugs, but all of the near-misses in the world can't take the fun out of this inspired adventure. [Jan 2010, p.70]

Controlling your fighter can become a difficult chore as the characters often feel sluggish and almost unresponsive in heated bouts where quickly moving CPU characters always seem to have the advantage.

It's funny, it's charming, and it's an absolute blast to play for both aspiring Demon Lords and returning Overlords.

While the game immerses you in an enormous, compelling saga, its sheer complexity will scare off all but the most dedicated space-combat aces.

Although it doesn't break much new ground and the series' vibe has become more mainstream with age, Wipeout Fusion is simply an excellent, action packed racing game. [July 2002, p.73]

A supremely enjoyable online shooter. Against all odds, Battlefront II may make you forget all about that little game called "Halo 2."