In this captivating outing, 47 revisits the past while modernizing the nagging flaws of his previous games, making for his best trail of assassinations yet.

Two-player affairs expose weaknesses in the pitching portion of the matchup, but it’s forgivable since the majority of GBA owners will likely go at it alone.

While the first-person shooter levels are average, the third-person levels are substantially well balanced. The A.I. is very intelligent. [Apr 2004, p.86]

The newest Oddworlds feel rather canned, confined, repetitive, and contrived, and Munch and Abe control more stiffly than most characters put in similar situations.

The whole game feels bloated, like it’s trying to do too many things at once, and the new character-oriented career mode is uninspired.

If you're considering purchasing NightFire, make sure you have at least three friends or you'll miss out on the lasting appeal of a Bond game that can actually stand up against its N64 predecessor.

It's solid proof that sometimes a game doesn't have to be overly complex and innovative to be great -- if it has solid fundamentals and executes them well, you'll still have an excellent product.

A great-looking game, but since a standard Monopoly board is so large and dense with information, it's often difficult to see certain elements on the board.

Learning how to navigate and apply the many different options and variables will take some time and practice, and while I'm not saying that putting in the effort isn't worth it in the end, I am saying that today's market seems less likely to embrace a title that has a learning curve as steep as Brett Michael's declining rock-credibility.

The core game is a classic, time-tested RPG, and the visual overhaul is excellent, but technical caveats and arguable matters of personal preference prevent me from saying that Silver Star Harmony is now the definitive edition of Lunar to play.

It's incredible how much this feels like an actual Castlevania game. Everything from the weapon/armor customization and spells to the 32-bit art style makes this essentially a complete Castlevania game that just happens to have have a surprisingly fun puzzle-based battle system.

Despite some minor griping, Legendary Wars is a very good title with great longevity and a design that adapts equally well to both casual gaming and longer, more involved playing sessions.

The Live series makes a strong come back this year with NBA LIVE 10, so what if it took a decade on the pine watching 2K take home all the hardware? There's no shame in being the Sixth Man so long as you keep improving to a full fledged starter. With that said, I don't remember the last time I saw somebody go out and buy an Aaron McKie jersey.

You'll find your comrades oblivious to gunfire mere yards away; facing an enemy gunner, with their weapons conspicuously inert; and haplessly running into your line of fire. Getting penalized for losses incurred like this is annoying enough; having a mission terminate prematurely because of it is downright maddening.

The Wii version of Geometry Wars is a great port and the developers overcame the one potential hurdle--the controls.

If you are a Wii fanatic or are just looking for to play a game that entertains as much as it innovates, then Wii Fit is right up your alley.

It takes you about three seconds to learn how to play it and it takes quite a few mistakes before you hit a game over, but this is a remarkably intense, challenging game.

Whether you pay $15 for the game itself or more than $30 for the title and its expanded content, you'll find a surprisingly fun and refreshingly original experience that rivals full-priced retail software in depth and scope. Just make sure that you give it a chance past its slow first hour. I'm glad I did.

All in all, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is an extremely solid assemblage of some of the Genesis' greatest hits, and with extras and achievements, hidden interviews and an entire museum of concept art thrown in for good measure, it's definitely worth a look from old school gamers looking to re-live the glory days when a hedgehog didn't need a lame Werehog gimmick to prove that he was the baddest mascot around. [Apr 2009, p.83]

Handsome and smoothly executed.

A spotty story and monotonous gameplay keep Dark Cloud from rising to new heights.

At once the best wrestling game in years, an awesome showcase for some damn good hip-hop, and an example of what can happen when a game company takes a chance.

Some lag issues and controller preferences are the only strikes against it.

It's also refreshing that, instead of a wilder arcade-like approach, the game portrays the sport more realistically; it’s a bit more work to pull off a dizzying spin or flip, as it would be in real life.

Maybe the option that tips the scales for you is Madness's all-mascot teams. [Jan 2005, p.106]

With a 10-12 hour story mode, an optional new-game+, and a fairly high difficulty curve to tie it all together, CRO is a robust - if not all that replayable - RPG.

It may not be the breath of fresh air that the original Skate was, but Skate 3 still offers up plenty of innovation in its robust skate park creation mechanic, engaging multiplayer feature, and expanded move list.

Get past the frustrating difficulty and you'll find a beautiful, rewarding game that is easily the best yet in the series.