If Black was created to produce an adrenaline-induced euphoria of maddening guns going wild, then it is a total success. In the sequel, as the end of the story sets up, let's hope the AI is improved and includes at least some type of multiplayer.

24 isn't the ambitious action opus it should've been, but its engaging quirks and variety of gaming experiences still raise it above the cash-in gutter.

While Streetwise's story progression is well thought out, the presentation and implementation of the game engine is sorely lacking.

Bad controls, horrible voice-over (it's just as cliche as it was last time), and the trademark and annoyingly pervasive EA Radio will tax not only your brain, but also your ears. Soccer may be a beautiful game, but it's about time to kick FIFA Street 2 to the gutter.

There are too many unbalanced issues in the game to make it a worthy handheld gaming experience. Street Supremacy is definitely better than its PlayStation predecessor, but not by that much.

Baseball fans might want to jump into all the new features, but really, this is the same basic game from last year, though a nifty online MLB news service is a nice added bonus for all those MLB fantasy fanatics.

If Black was created to produce an adrenaline-induced euphoria of maddening guns going wild, then it is a total success. In the sequel, as the end of the story sets up, let's hope the AI is improved and includes at least some type of multiplayer.

Bad controls, horrible voice-over (it's just as cliche as it was last time), and the trademark and annoyingly pervasive EA Radio will tax not only your brain, but also your ears. Soccer may be a beautiful game, but it's about time to kick FIFA Street 2 to the gutter.

The only ailment of Super Princess Peach is its severely easy difficulty, but that doesn't take the fun away from the game.

There's no shortage of modern racers, but most of the current crop seem obsessed with the attitude of tuner culture than racing itself. Toca Racer Driver 3 has no truck with that: It's all about the driving experience. [Mar 2006, p.80]

There's no shortage of modern racers, but most of the current crop seem obsessed with the attitude of tuner culture than racing itself. Toca Racer Driver 3 has no truck with that: It's all about the driving experience. [Mar 2006, p.80]

MS Saga is like a cake without icing: it qualifies as a simple dessert, but it's just not tasty enough to be memorable.

RF Online delivers an MMO that focuses more on battles and less on stories and quests. For those who lust after solid plots and definitive quests, they can stick to their "World of Warcraft" and "Final Fantasy XI." For those who just want to log on and kick butt, RF Online is the prescription for you.

Sonic Riders certainly gives fans the velocity they've been craving, but isn't tightly tuned enough to be much more than an agreeable party game.

Head-and-shoulders above other EA Sports Xbox 360 launch games, and is the first game in the sports genre to evolve beyond the current generation, and is worth a splurge, even if just for a few hard hits.

Despite the pick-up-and-play allure, Fight Night Round 3 can quickly tire out of frustration. The PSP's limited number and close-proximity of its buttons don't do this boxer justice--fitting jabs, hooks, uppercuts, blocks, clinches, special moves, taunts, etc. for fast access just doesn't work well on the system.

Ultimately, Empire at War isn't just RTS-lite--it's RTS extremely lite. Hardcore RTS fans will rapidly grow bored, and even fans of the franchise are better served with Battlefront for its galactic conquest games, or Galactic Battlegrounds for a Star Wars RTS experience that's actually an RTS.

Frequent glitches and game engine freak-outs contribute to an overall less-than-mediocre graffiti/fighting/platforming hybrid.

Age of Empires: The Age of Kings beautifully leverages the DS's unique strength--its interactive touchscreen--to create a truly worthwhile handheld strategy game. With any luck, we're looking at the dawn of a golden age in DS strategy games.

The number of play modes is impressive at first glance, but since most are only slight variations of "drive-fast-shoot-to-kill" scenarios, the typically entertaining action can grow repetitive quickly. The control is also reliable and spot-on, but the wonky, loose arcadey physics are entirely unpredictable and make some driving scenarios tough to predict.

The brilliant graphics and intriguing combat system make Grandia III an excellent choice for PS2 RPGers-and should happily tide them over until "Final Fantasy XII" arrives. [Mar 2006, p.102]

Almost a mirror image of the first game, which is both good and bad. While it has a great story, it also suffers from some of the cardinal sins of action gaming. You'd think that by adding a kick-ass dragon in to the mix that you'd be dealing with a winning formula. It's just too bad, however, that this doesn't end up being the case.

Exit's gameplay - you're a slick wannabe superhero rescuing innocents from dangerous situations - is deceptively simple in that it has a relatively low learning curve, but once you get further into it, it proves to be far from simple.

Frequent glitches and game engine freak-outs contribute to an overall less-than-mediocre graffiti/fighting/platforming hybrid.

In an incredibly cool turn of events, you'll also be flipping your DS upside-down and side-ways, as some of the mini-games flip the top and bottom screens around in some innovative ways.

The PlayStation 2 certainly isn't left wanting for quality role-playing games, so though Tales of Legendia is competent and enjoyable, in the end it simply isn't memorable enough to carve more than a niche.

While the overall control scheme works well enough, kicking long range field goals through the notoriously tight uprights is far too simple. The limited playbook also gives the game a stale feeling and the half baked telemetry system fails to save the gameplay with largely unimportant statistical minutia delivered in eye-straining small fonts and obnoxious menus.

The game is essentially a port of a decade old fighter and it can be hard as hell, but all the horsepower the PSP brings to the table can't keep this game from being at times mind-numbing frustrating when it comes to control. Put simply, the D-pad the PSP has just isn't cut out to be used for a fighting game, where fast fingers and accurate directional control is paramount.