The game is obviously aimed at children who will most likely eat this one up like it was sweet, sweet candy. Adults, however, will find it about as appetizing as steamed cauliflower and should definitely avoid it as such.

In the end, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 is a solid golf game that should keep you interested for hours. [Nov. 2006, p.103]

But as good as the action is it's the replay value of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon that makes it unbelievable. There's so much to do outside the main arcade mode that you'll feel almost overwhelmed with choices.

New races and units aside, the unexpectedly impressive campaign mode is perhaps the best surprise put forward by Relic. Distancing themselves from the linear structure of the previous campaigns, Relic has instead outdone itself once again, putting together a turn-based strategic level campaign that brings to mind the dynamic feel of Rise of Legends.

Although it's an entertaining and deep game in its own right, a feeling of Grand Theft Auto deja-vu dogs Scarface: The World Is Yours at every turn. [Nov. 2006, p.94]

The fact that it's practically Sims 2 with Desperate Housewives textures, voice acting, and character likeness, hardly makes it appealing. The super-simple controls, drama-filled thematic scenes, and $19.99 price point may appeal to the casual gamer, but hardcore gamers should stray far away.

Gangs of London can be quite fun in spite of its bland story mode, but I'm filing it under the rent before you buy category.

FIFA 07's allure is hard to deny, making this game a sure-fire rental for seasoned vets and a must have for new soccer fans.

But, in trying to recreate the magic of the series, the game dies on the toilet with recycled gags, rehashed plot premises and repetitive gameplay; this is despite solid scripting and voice work from Seth MacFarlane and company.

Global thermonuclear war has been a popular topic for decades, but few things have managed to capture the spirit of the subject and present in both a digestible and utterly unforgettable form as Defcon.

The sheer capacity of things to do in San Esperito is enormous and usually overwhelming.

What we have in Mage Knight is a poor attempt to hop on the "WoW" gravy train. The developer clearly flayed all the depth and nuance out of the formula that made WoW such a huge commercial success, delivering instead a soulless husk stuffed with empty promises and features that you wouldn't want anyway.

Not everyone's going to love the transplanted platform puzzler elements, and RPG purists might be turned off by the wafer-thin town exploration, but just discovering the way your different options fit together is so endlessly absorbing that even wildly divergent tastes will agree that Valkyrie Profile 2 is yummy indeed.

While SuperNOVA is more of the same idea, it takes everything that made DDR a smash hit and turns up the volume a notch.

A landmark in programming incompetence. Exclusive or not, it's a bigger embarrassment than any retro port could have been.

As a sequel, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: March of the Minis surpasses the original by leaps and bounds backed by the capabilities of the Nintendo DS, however the new control scheme does take some getting used to.

A major leap over last season and brings back all the features we so dearly missed. Although the visuals are some of the best we've seen on the Xbox 360, the controls and overall gameplay could take a lesson from close competitor "NBA 2K" series.

NBA 2K7 may not look as good as EA's "NBA Live 07," but the intuitive controls, silky-smooth animation, and fun gameplay makes NBA 2K7 the Xbox 360's basketball game of preference.

Nba '07 is a pretty good action RPG and a decent basketball game. Unfortunately, the two don't quite add up to the outstanding effort necessary to be a contender in the sports genre. [Dec. 2006, p.128]

The best thing you can say about The Godfather is at least the developers didn't just slap the console version into a handheld and call it day.

Okami shames them simply by being the genuine article: A stunningly gorgeous and unique masterpiece that effortlessly blends art and storytelling with puzzles and amusement. Miss this landmark effort at your peril. [Oct. 2006, p.78]

The Godfather is one of those films that defined a decade of cinema. The somewhat open-ended world of this game isn't destined to have anywhere near that level of impact, but it is juicy amoral fun all the same, even if its belated arrival on the next generation is more than a little disappointing.

Tank battles can get quite challenging.

Mamodo Fury suffers from a variety of problems, among them a frustrating camera, an overly complicated combat system, cheap enemies who'll have you tearing your hair out, and repetitive gameplay that just doesn't get any better. The game also screams "value title" with its mediocre graphics and sound production.

If they ever invent a time machine, SNK should set it for the date of the PS2 launch and chuck KoF 2006 through; that, and that only, might make this game relevant.

If monotonous gaming and skimpy Pokemon action aren't your thing, then this is one mystery that's best left unsolved.

Put simply, Company of Heroes is a masterpiece. Its dedication to realistic battle concepts and tactical warfare is enough to make it a high watermark for the RTS genre but its excellent graphics and physics, along with an intensely enjoyable single-player campaign and multiplayer options, help make this an instant classic.

No matter what your age, LEGO Star Wars II will keep your inner child happy. [Oct. 2006, p.84]