The player-creation mode is decent but not great. Those gamers who have mastered the art of rendering their likeness onto the small screen may have a difficult time here.

Reverie only lasts a couple of hours, and the motion comic cutscenes are a little disappointing. Still, Castlevania fans won't want to miss it -- even in spite of its quasi-cliffhanger ending.

That said, the suite of options completes what is a very nice package for strategy fans. Honestly, I'm a little shocked by the overall quality of the experience; in lesser hands, I'm sure it would have ended up being a mediocre port of the console shooters. Instead, we've been treated to a scrumptious strategy experience from one of the best designers in the business. It's not a turn that I was expecting for the Ghost Recon franchise, but I will definitely take it.

The titles also have difficulty levels that no company would dare set their games to today; nearly every encounter is a life-and-death struggle in the first two.

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

Finely crafted and fun.

Although there is still work to be done, Showdown: Legends of Wrestling’s new look and play style is a big step in the right direction. Fans looking for a walk down memory lane aren’t going to be disappointed.

A satisfying scrap that'll keep you mashing buttons, if for nothing else than to see Stacy Keibler in her bitmapped bra and pixel panties.

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 is still a spectacle, but compared to the first time around, the hype feels far more subdued.

For Pokemon fans, this is a wonderful game; for everyone else, it's likely a waste of time.

If you're looking for some racing-combat fun, this pod if for you.

Battestations: Pacific might not blow many players away initially but look beyond the middling graphics and fairly simplistic presentation and you'll find a complex and rewarding experience that both strategy newcomers and genre experts with an itchy trigger finger can embrace.

NCAA Football 10 is like an above average college football recruit: it plays hard, keeps its nose clean and eventually gets drafted in the second round. It doesn't make ESPN's Top 10 Plays segment on a weekly basis nor does it rack up the jersey sales but it works hard in the trenches and is a great locker room presence.

Whether you plan to acquire it as a collector’s item or just want to get acquainted with Mega Man’s past, you can be sure it’s going to be one heck of a trip back into time.

Now, the spine tingling sequel, Project Origin is here to continue the story of the psychic and psychotic Alma with damn good results. [Mar 2009, p.78]

If it weren’t for the low frame rate—evident especially in the outdoor environments—and the really dumb A.I., the action would have been more pleasant. Even the sounds of weapon fire and panicking victims should have been refined.

There's a lot to like about Quake 4: vivid (and violent) visuals, comfortable controls, and a surprisingly addictive multiplayer mode. And as a cool bonus, Activision even threw in a gorgeously high-definition version of "Quake II." So what more do you want?

Though a few weaker points keep it from reaching amazing new heights in the B-ball genre, NBA 2K6 remains a fine example of what a high quality multiplayer launch title can be.

I'm still going to recommend you check out the title, though, because it shows that Capcom cares about its loyal fanbase and because it's such a well executed throwback to the series' roots.

With its light-hearted gameplay and silly graphics, Mario Hoops probably won't win over a diehard basketball fan but it's entertaining enough to keep most gamers glued to the on-court action. Nintendo definitely shoots and scores with this one.

Fighting is a blast, especially when you link up with a friend, but the cramped controls and tiny GBA screen occasionally make you feel like the computer is unfairly trouncing you in battle.

The biggest issue in the Ocean is boring and repetitious town and dungeon designs...The battle system is out of this world - the rest of the game is a little more grounded. [Sept 2004, p.108]

Heroes is a relatively simple game that, at times, feels like X-Men Legends with DC character models. Still, the chance to take control of some of the most beloved superheroes on the planet is one that you just can't pass up.

SledStorm's controls handle well. The only sore spot, however, is that performing stunts can feel sluggish due to the slow button response.

MLB 07 looks and sounds great. It's amazing how specific the announcers' comments are, players look like their real-world counterparts and stadiums have the intricate details that will make any fan proud.

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.

This self-described "meandering, mytho-poetic adventure" is a gorgeous, if sometimes aimless, step forward for independent games on the iOS platform.

On the control side, Hunt mostly handles just fine. It feels a little funky when you try to rotate the direction he’s facing (to deposit a body in the shadows, for instance), and the item switching is a little clumsy, but neither issue is serious.