Destined only to be forgotten.

Building textures look noticeably low-res even at blurringly fast speeds, and the cars themselves fall short of models seen in "Forza." Borrowing levels from previous games, the game's stages fail to excite you.

Overall, Perfect Dark Zero is a solid first-person shooter (it's certainly more user-friendly than "Quake 4"), but the nagging flaws push it a few notches below the greatness of its predecessor--not to mention justifying the $50 price tag.

A freakin' work of art. It is, without a doubt, the best-looking console game to date, and the most psychotically intense World War II shooter to boot.

While the game's aesthetics and design is spot on to the franchises distinct style, gameplay teeters between fluidly fast-pace action and insanely difficult and tedious game segments.

Our first run through the game clocked in at little over four hours, which was quite disappointing. The game does have a ton of collectibles to find, including some cool Xbox 360 Achievement Awards, but just don't expect an epic 20-hour experience.

The visuals are the sickest they've ever been in a Hawk game, but that should come as no surprise--this is the 360. The player skins and massive environments are polished beyond belief, while the moves look exceptionally lifelike.

Is PGR 3 the best racing game ever? Not quite, but it sure stands out as the most visually captivating. Even if you aren't a racing fan, the game is worth a try, just to see the Xbox 360 flexing its muscle.

It's a great sim game. However, it's simply not a solid buy at $60 a pop--especially considering this is basically the same game as the PS2 and Xbox versions, just without the Crease Control feature and hi-definition graphics.

A skillfully crafted work of art that delivers a high level of entertainment from start to finish, especially in high-definition and Dolby Digital audio (highlighted by great western music). But Gun won't jump out at you as a next-gen technological masterpiece--it's just too early for that.

Looks sexy and plays like pro, but it's just not the polished veteran that you've come to expect with PS2 and Xbox. At least it's clear to see that with a little more seasoning, this game should be in fighting shape next year.

No one can deny the Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise the rank of golf sim head honcho, but sometimes even the best needs to change - and soon. [Jan 2006, p.48]

Whether you're in the EA or Konami camp when it comes to soccer, you're probably better off waiting for "Winning Eleven" when it comes - less rushed - to the 360 later in 2006. [Jan 2006, p.48]

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.

Simply put, the controls are awful.

An eclectic mix of rock and hip-hop tunes resonate well, but it's the authentic (and sometimes funny) banter between the dispatcher and other cops that really shifts your driving experience into high gear.

Part of the fun in playing Madden NFL 06 on Xbox 360 is trying to figure out where it fits in the lineage of Madden NFL football games. What's clear is that for all its glitz and glamour it doesn't earn a spot at the front of the line.

The repetition of everything from the enemies to the wintry city streets sets in after only a few missions, but as constricted as the gameplay is, it can be exciting and fun in small doses.

Granted, the underlying structure of DQ8 is totally derivative and younger gamers may find the pacing too slow, but those with an appreciation of its style will rejoice in what is essentially the culmination of kooky Japanese RPGs.

While the control is tight and responsive, the typically reliable camera can be sluggish in a few places, but this can be easily compensated for manually.

For all the consternation about a gun-toting enigma invading a kid-friendly video-game series, the only thing to fear in Sega's Shadow the Hedgehog is the game's slap-dash excution. [Mar 2006, p.80]

While the game's aesthetics and design is spot on to the franchises distinct style, gameplay teeters between fluidly fast-pace action and insanely difficult and tedious game segments.

Need for Speed has its game down to a science at this point. [Jan 2006, p.82]

It hopelessly mires itself in technical problems: frame rates drop and stutter precipitously and unpredictably; characters move through, and get stuck in, solid objects; there's often tangible lag between moving the joystick and seeing the result; collision detection and vehicle physics are spotty at best; and heck, the game even freezes entirely on occasion.

Sonic Rush certainly isn't revolutionary, and it only barely makes use of the touchscreen, but it is a decent distillation of what's kept a sprite-based Sonic alive in the age of textured polygons, as long as you're fine with more of the same.

Aside from a few tiny changes, Half-Life 2 on the Xbox is the PC game, right down to the last spattered droplets of alien blood. Half-Life 2's graphics set new standards for the Xbox, blowing right past heavyweights like "Doom 3" and "Halo 2."

There are predictable missteps--the driving sequences are awkward and twitchy, and the camera doesn't always behave itself--but on the whole, From Russia With Love is a convincing and enjoyable ride on the sixties Bond rollercoaster.

Although it may not match the majesty of the books, The Chronicles of Narnia is still a solid choice for a group of younger gamers.