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.

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.

They've definitely provided you with huge maps on which to race and some tough opponents to race against, but the whole city looks drab and plain.

Most surprising are the vehicle-based sections of the game. In a word, they're fantastic.

Overall, you can't beat the combination of monkeys, maracas, and the undeniable infectious tunes that come along with it, so Samba De Amigo gets a solid four out of five stars.

Sadly, Saga is slightly gimped when measured up to its Wii counterpart, Bit.Trip Complete. Aside from sometimes-wonky controls (gyroscopic movement for your paddle in Beat or Flux are inexplicably absent, for one), 3DS owners have been bafflingly shafted on the extras Complete offers Wii users, though the bonus of 3D effects here isn't a terrible compromise. Minor gripes aside, this is still a must-own 3DS title.

Most surprising are the vehicle-based sections of the game. In a word, they're fantastic.

A die-hard Tenchu fan, Heather was more than happy to see the series return to form in its latest portable iteration. It may even move a hardened assassin to poetry.

And although the sound of a shopping game sounds only slightly more fun than the real thing, it's actually quite enjoyable.

Sure, crashing is discouraging, but Burnout’s are quite a show, and you can even save your “greatest hits” to a memory card.

Despite a contrived love story, limited camera control, and levels that tend to drag, Konami has provided a refreshing change of pace in this punishing man-versus-nature offering that it requires you to stem the tide of destruction and actually save lives for once. [Apr 2004, p.74]

When taken as a whole, La Pucelle: Tactics is a great strategy/RPG loaded with hours upon hours of solid gameplay, multiple endings, side-quests, and a high degree of customization. [June 2004, p.91]

By playing Banjo-Tooie, you can get a sense of what platformers used to be like. Besides Nintendo with Mario, no one pulls them off better than Rare and this is no more evident than in this well-made remake of the classic Banjo-Tooie.

Just like its predecessor, Advance Wars 2 is a great, excellently balanced, and super-fun strategy game, but it feels more like an expansion pack than a sequel. If you never played the first one, skip right to number two.

Hitz’s greatest hit is its fluid control, which makes the hockey fly by. It’s no NHL 2002, but Hitz should be a blast for arcade sports fans.

The gameplay is certainly realistic, but overall, the physics of how the ball moves feel a bit floaty at times. In the final analysis, ESPN MLB trails after "MVP Baseball" and "MLB 2005," making it a good choice for those who aren't satisfied with those league leaders. [Apr 2004, p.89]

Wetrix works. It might not click with every puzzle fan at first; but after a few hours, the addiction’s pretty potent, and Wetrix starts to show itself as more than a mere digital water demo.

The puzzles can be especially frustrating and there isn’t a whole lot of action, but cerebral brainteasers and humorous interaction between the brothers makes the gameplay refreshing and fun.

A deliberately, paced adventure, Dino Crisis nicely fits the bill; others will be more satisfied with any of the "Resident Evil" series.

It's essentially a simple first-to-three game, but it's unique and incredibly fun once two players really get a grasp of the controls. If you've got someone to play with, Dizzypad HD is worth a download -- even if you only plan on purchasing Battle mode.

It's an original puzzle concept, and it's a good, challenging time. If you're the kind of person that can get into a casual puzzler like Peggle, give this a shot.

Magnetica, while simple in premise, is a great puzzle game for those looking something more than a Tetris clone. The action is fast and hectic, and the touch-screen controls are responsive, giving the whole game a very polished feel.

So when everything clicks just right, that click is deafening; a good match here is very, very good, and good matches show up just often enough at this early stage to make the rest worthwhile.

Though heinous sitting-duck A.I. keeps the single-player experience a bit wan, waging galactic civil war over the internet with real live people destroys, despite slight technical flaws and cumbersome aerial vehicle controls.

Minus points for adding a golf Gamebreaker, and Xbox custom soundtrack support for in-game play would have been nice.

Just like the players of the sport it's based on, the series sees gradual improvement over time through iteration, though it's fair to say a figurative shot in the arm wouldn't be unwelcome from time to time.

Putting on a three-man aerial show is about as tough as it sounds, but making the Gamebreakers controllable definitely improves the strategic aspects of the game. [March 2005, p.84]

Essentially the same game with a slew of slick improvements, and gamers will have an absolute blast throwing down dunks while exploring its new features.