One humongous drawback to this otherwise seemingly outstanding surf game, however, is the ongoing slowdown.

MG2 doesn’t move the series forward far enough from its PlayStation roots, but if you’ve got a melodic itch to scratch, it’s still worth renting to make your own boogie-down productions.

Shaolin Monks certainly has its problems, but the action at its heart is the most enjoyable the series has offered in ages.

My suggestion: skip the single-player campaign and head straight to online play.

Despite a few well-placed jolts, it lacks the unmentionable-damaging impact of more fright-fraught fare like "Silent Hill 2."

This is no sim by any stretch, even with the new Franchise mode. Still, it is a decent game of belligerent baseball with mindless fun and laughs for anybody looking to play two - whether that's a doubleheader or just a deuce of innings. [July 2004, p.96]

As a "comic-to-movie-to-game" of sorts, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a resounding triumph, and well worth its measly $10 price-tag.

Ape Escape 3 runs smoothly and is worth your hard earned dollar. [Mar 2006, p.79]

On one hand it has plenty of great ideas and promise, but it lacks that polish that helps elevate games towards greatness. I'd still recommend that gamers check out Universe At War but it's a shame that it doesn't quite live up to its potential.

The beautifully animated black-and-white game has recently been updated to universally function on both the iPad and the iPhone, with another selectable soundtrack from the always-excellent Danny Baranowsky added to the iPad package, making the game's HD debut that much sweeter.

While it's light on content and features and isn't about to make anyone forget about the triple-A racing titles coming out this holiday, Daytona USA is an enjoyable ride that proves that great gameplay almost always ages well. For those who still long for the simplicity of old school titles and the challenges that typically come with it, this downloadable slice of gaming nostalgia is well worth a look.

The graphics will suck you in and the audio is lovable too.

Everything is in place for an absolutely great game that's unfortunately bogged down in a mess of bad design decisions, bugs, and some odd gameplay changes.

Throw in a slightly Euro-trash sound track (with excellent play-by-play commentary) and a consistent and fluid control scheme and FIFA 06 is a great way for soccer fans to hook up for some foot-to-foot action via the online infrastructure mode or some solo season play.

This game require real patience. There's no way to speed through long-distance trips, so it pays to keep a magazine handy (psst, you're holding one).

SC2 improves upon its predecessor by taking the franchise formula and upgrading it in a very tangible way.

With tons of multiplayer options, cool new technological levels, and two slightly different characters to try, the new "Turok" should offer enough to keep you busy when you're tired of "Perfect Dark."

A ridiculously fun pick-up-and-pummel kind of game. Just don’t buy it expecting a revolution.

He may be a pink puffball, but he's also an enemy-eating, power-stealing, fire-breathing bad ass.

The visuals are quite stunning. The 3D environment is extremely detailed from the cheering crowd down to the reflections off the ice. Everything flows very smoothly with precise control of your player and accurate skating animations.

It's faster and nastier than most of the kindred of "Resident Evil" at the cost of losing a bit of edge. [May 2004, p.71]

It should come as no surprise that THAW is well endowed with generously sized, multilayered domains for which to carry out all your skating aggression--half-pipes, quarter-pipes, pools, wires, rails, and so much more are in abundant supply.

For fans wanting a return to the franchise's classic roots, I feel like Kirby's Return to Dream Land is apt to be a bit disappointing. The charm is still there, but the creativity seems to have gone amiss.

Simply put, Underground 2 is an outstanding sequel in all aspects. It offers a lot of new and fun features, yet the game doesn't move away from the core gameplay that made the first Underground so popular, which is pure adrenaline street racing.

Through and through, this remake of Final Fantasy III has been a wonderful return to old school RPGs. Fans of Final Fantasy will definitely enjoy this nostalgic trip to a simpler time, and RPG fans in general would be well served to pick up this fun title.

Essentially, it’s the original Smuggler’s Run, but with video clips included.

MTX's visuals definitely contribute to the fun time. Bikers and their motorized partners look sharp, while the arenas surprisingly offer a lot of detail. [June 2004, p.71]

The controls, however, are a challenge (even with "simulation" turned off) and take some getting used to -- particularly when maneuvering in and out of corners.