This is far and away the best Pokemon DS game out there. It's just not the full-fledged sequel that I'm still anticipating.

Some will enjoy this new method of play, while others will struggle as they go from offensive to defensive moves in frustrating transition.

The game's fun for the most part, especially when it comes to unlocking and customizing characters from the epic trilogy, but I'm really turned off by some of the confusing puzzles as well as the cheap AI.

The touch screen controls aren't incredibly responsive and the mini games are about as interesting as the Utah Jazz.

If Test Drive Unlimited were a car, it would probably be a nice, leisurely ride without too many fancy gimmicks- maybe a Scion without the oddly-shaped frame.

Killing bad guys is very boring thanks to the lackluster mechanics, which never evolve past mindless button mashing, and the cheap AI doesn't help matters. I still appreciate Yakuza for what it is, but I can't justify spending $50 for it.

This game is about as hard as petrified wood. Capcom eased things up a bit by tossing three difficulty levels into the mix, but even the added confidence booster couldn't save me from dying hundreds of times.

Those who already own Battle won't be motivated to drive to the store just to drop $40 on a couple of additional features.

Star Fox Command could have benefited from a few difficulty levels, but it's still a cool shooter that shouldn't be missed.

It's a bit tedious at times, and single player isn't really that exciting, but it's still a fun poker game.

Moderately enjoyable, mainly because the character selection is so diverse. When's the last time you saw Pooka from "Dig-Dug" show the Prince of All Cosmos who's boss?

This may be the weakest console edition of the game on the market, but it's still recommended for those who still have it hooked up and ready to go.

The latest entry in the once respectable ninja series is downright awful, what with its lack of blood, horrendous top down perspective, and abominable story.

The problem here lies with the little things that don't add up. No checkpoints, a complete lack of Xbox Live support, the weakest soldier AI I've seen in ages, and voice acting so bad that even infomercial actors show more emotion keep this title from being a must buy.

While the gameplay isn't really anything new, it's all backed by a terrific story, a mounting challenge, and some impressive graphics.

The game has no significant changes, and the only things adding to its replay value are a few Achievements and an updated leaderboard. But if you loved the arcade classic, spend $5 and dig in.

Mowing over bodies with a lawnmower, decapitating them with hedge clippers, and knocking them over with bowling balls is immensely entertaining and worth the price of admission...But be warned! While Dead Rising isn't a difficult game to complete, its boring escort missions/fetch quests (as well as the single player game's strict adherence to the schedule) make it less than stellar.

While the expansion improves gameplay in a number of important ways, including the inclusion of two new cross-classes, the actual campaign and story leave much to be desired.

It's an old game, but it's still fun, and as long as you're not a tournament level player, you'll enjoy the game despite the slight hiccups during online play.

It may be a little too chaotic for its own good. The difficulty is all over the road, and the car handling leaves much to be desired. The lack of a custom soundtrack feature hurts as well, leaving you with the option to listen to the game's repetitive rock selections.

It's mostly for the kids, but Barnyard knows how to raise a little hay.

The AI presents a formidable challenge and the conflicts are both historic and monumental. However, the presentation could use a lot of work.

While many will still enjoy its timeless shooting gameplay, it's a little disappointing to find that it offers no frills. This is, pure and simple, the arcade game, with the addition of online leaderboards and unlockable achievements.

Cloning Clyde does lack some of the visual and audio spark that other platformers possess, but it has a style all its own that make it a worthwhile addition to your Xbox Live Arcade library. It's worth the $10.

The Xbox 360 version is supposed to be the higher-end version on the market, but instead, you wonder where the extra $10 investment has gone. The game is sorely lacking in modes and extras that exist in the other versions, and its graphics and gameplay have some hitches that could've been remedied in production.

The custom card building and use of the Dragon Balls are excellent additions, making up for the lack of modes in the game.

The presentation isn't spectacular but is faithful to the movie, and the inclusion of the arcade-like Thou Art Dead is a nice touch.

Digital Eclipse is a master of emulation and could've just made the game it was originally intended, instead of trying to spruce it up. However, the best aspects are still intact, and I suppose that's good enough to drop 400 points ($5) on a purchase.

Not the best looking, and certainly not for the impatient, Glory of the Roman Empire gets the job done in a unique and enjoyable way.

Over G Fighters manages to get into the sky, but fails to put on a memorable show.

Through the variety of single player challenges, multiplayer action, and sheer number of Micro Machines to unlock, there's a lot to do here, but the game may frustrate many with its slightly unhelpful camera and constant need to get the handling nailed down in several areas.

One of the best portable football games because its developers elected to avoid the sport's complexities.

The game has poor touch screen recognition (as in when I write 2 the game thinks it's 8) and the presentation is drier than Death Valley.

With lackluster and restrictive gameplay, almost no class diversity, and drab graphics, this is probably a game that should step into the Gloom and stay there for a long while.

The definitive motorcycle racing game, this is not. The problem with MotoGP 4 is that it does little to signify itself from previous MotoGP releases by the Namco team, nor does it have the extra oomph to really push it beyond what Sony did with their own Tourist Trophy project.

If only these instances of charm were more frequent, and weren't interspersed by such tired gameplay, Legend of Heroes II could have been much more enjoyable.

At first I thought it was going to put me to sleep because I had played games like it before, but its nuances, however subtle, make it a slick budget title.

But between the game's turtle-speed pacing, AI quirks, useless motivation, and bland online play, its game isn't as solidly backed-up as it should have been.

MtB:RS is a rather short, uncomplicated "budget" strategy game that certainly helps teach the fundamentals of "how to" play an RTS to gamers just breaking into the genre, but will offer virtually nothing to the experienced strategist.

Seeing as how it's $20, MGS:DGN is one of those "what the hell" purchases. Even if you're not a Metal Gear fan it's worth checking out, if for nothing else than to admire the slick art work and check out a confusing story that you might have missed.

And aside from wanting to achieve better scores, there's little reason to return to Point Blank DS, though to be fair, it's best experienced in short, controlled bursts.

Liberty City Stories is by no means a terrible game, as it still manages to deliver most of the goods we remember from the PSP effort we went through last year in console form. But it could've used a little bit of touching-up to go along with its terrific price, so that the game could've gotten the same kind of respect and recognition that its previous chapters received.

Unfortunately, the biggest problem from the core title still hasn't been addressed, and that's the extremely limited number of available workers.

The mini games are fun but it also feels like the game can get pretty repetitious.

At $20, Slugfest 2006 isn't what I'd call a terrible title. It has the same great gameplay as previous entries and does deliver a fast game of arcade baseball. But we've seen this before, and done better, and unless Midway's planning to give it all they've got for a next-generation edition, maybe it's best to let someone else round the bases. This Slugfest has lost a bit of its punch.

Hmmm, I guess in the catalog of poker games that are on the market, Stacked does manage to be one of the best when it comes to its thinking opponent system and the inclusion of Negreanu himself, putting some personal touches on the product.

It does provide some good action and has plenty of engaging multiplayer to keep you busy throughout the summer. But one can't help but think a little more effort would've been nice to capture some of the manic energy that made the show such a success.

Having grown tired of boring crime simulators, I find playing as a killer shark to be a refreshing change of pace, and the game's various bells and whistles, such as the JAWS theme and the sound of hapless divers screaming underwater are joys to listen to.

While it's great to build your own hunter and create weapons and armor with creative aspects, and some of the monster hunting is thoroughly enjoyable, the game runs into some slight problems with gameplay and camera control that keep it from being in "freedom" of flaws.

A charming little adventure that deserves to find an audience for its creativity and its endless list of adventures to complete.

It's nice to play as different characters, and the presentation is true to the comic book essence, but the whole thing feels like a condensed action affair that we've seen before, countless times.

Lastly, the main game isn't all that long, coming in at about five or six hours. In a way, that's a good thing, as I can't imagine the game lasting much longer without things starting to get a bit old, plus the multiplayer and mini-games will probably add a few more hours to the mix for younger gamers. Still, it's something to be aware of, especially if one is considering spending $40 on the title.

While the game continues its multiplayer mayhem on a new platform, one can't help but think it's the same old thing all over again.

The game controls well with the Xbox 360 controller (aside from the d-pad issues), so if you can get over the lackluster graphics you should be able to enjoy yourself.

It needed a bit more work with its action and stealth elements, and it probably won't catch on with those unfamiliar with the series, but fans will enjoy the freefall into pure genius.

It's no doubt a solid fighter, and if you absolutely adore SNK and this series then by all means, but I think this is truly the nail in the coffin. It has to be, because I'm getting tired of playing the same game every month.

Grasshopper Manufacture, best known for its work on the underappreciated "Killer 7," has done a great job capturing the essence of the show while incorporating its own signature elements, and the result is an entertaining hack and slash adventure that serves up plenty of action that's been marinated in tasty Samurai Champloo shenanigans.

Odama takes the hard way and really makes you work to see every one of its twelve levels. This will fascinate many looking for something new from Nintendo's camp, but the whole thing seems a bit done in by a clunky, uninteractive control scheme and a cramped presentation.

A first-person shooter with a fairly interesting premise, but uninteresting gameplay. This is as straightforward as games can possibly get.

The gameplay itself hasn't really evolved that much, and those who didn't feel the vibe from the first game will certainly not feel it here either.

As an Action-RPG the storyline is outstanding, but the gameplay falls a bit short. This is primarily due to how overly easy the game is. You can run through the entire game using nothing more than the basic attack button, and your assistant characters suffer from poor AI.

The only problem, though, is that this isn't the best edition to find a release, as the displays are above average at best, and the music selection is wayyy lacking.

If you're looking for some quick and easy fun, it's here. However, if you're looking for some depth in the wrestling engine, you'll need to wait for a next generation "Smackdown."

The game still comes up short, with only two main modes (Free and Empire Mode) to play around with, an almost completely lacking sense of multiplayer, and repetitive, cheesy audio.

Multiplayer's worth a go, and the game still has a mostly killer presentation, but, really, it's an acquired taste, just like the first game. If you loved that, have a field day.

You know, there's a crowd out there that Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII was built for, and it's spelled out in clear letters- ARCADE.

The fast paced music helps in getting your blood pumping and gets those blocks moving.

But the lack of ingenuity and appealing new level designs simply spell this out as Katamari Portable instead of a blazing new experience.

Stylus control would have been a perfect way to ape the original's mouse controls, but using the d-pad to move your cursor and A to select feels good and works well. The building menu is opened with R and is equally painless to navigate.

But too many things come up short, like the haphazard combat and gun systems and the fact that most of the missions run the same, with the dumbest cops in the world getting outran and you getting the best of goons.

The primary appeal of this booster come from the maps, which provide a nice variety of gameplay and justify the download even though they don't support 64 players.

Sadly, this Wand of Wishing grants players only an average game.

But even if card battling has slightly gotten your interest, Ultimate Masters is worth a look...although it's far from ultimate.

Taking place in two entirely different eras, the 1970s and 2006, Parallel Lines bleeds style, but the most important aspect, the gameplay, is actually fun.

The game scores better than expected because it carries over the personality of its material, and also mixes in a little variety during the game to keep things a bit lively.

Sure, it's a little itchy at times in terms of its single-player redundancy, the graphics could've been a little bit more detailed, and there's something to be said about actually struggling to control a tank, but it still delivers some satisfying team-based action, with different soldiers at your command and the ability to really blow anything up.

The game still plays incredibly well and manages to capture the manic energy of college hoops, and the Legacy mode is recommended for dunk-alites, but the presentation is clearly in second place behind NBA 2K6, thanks to fuzzy graphics and a lame commentary duo.

A balls to the wall action adventure game that's one part "Twisted Metal," one part "Burnout," but unfortunately, it lacks the replay value of those two games.

Shin Budokai works itself on the road to redemption, thanks to gameplay that refuses to complicate itself and a presentation that's pure DBZ all the way.

It's a good reminder of everything that once was in terms of the smacking-around-everyone-and-staying-alive gameplay, but the fact is, the gameplay hasn't really aged well itself.

The game won't keep you in terms of any kind of longevity, but it's an engaging enough fighter to keep you busy until the next hot GameCube title comes tumbling into stores.

A solid pick up for Pokemon fans, but I strongly suggest that you check out "Zoo Keeper," "Polarium," and "Meteos" before purchasing Trozei.

I think Criterion could've done so much more with this game to turn it into an instant classic. As is, it's a great sugar rush that's worth a few hours of your time, but doesn't really justify the full $40 price tag like it should.

The game features a number of scenarios and a gripping storyline that will suit fans of the series rather nicely. It still comes to an end way too soon, follows a bit of the basics at times, and doesn't really offer anything for the casual fans in terms of innovation, but it could've been a lot worse.

If you're looking for a capable role-playing adventure with plenty of hack n' slash action, it still delivers like its console brethren did. However, it has its share of flaws, like loading time that grows abundanting into being a pain and mini-games and a Media Player that seem better suited to the hardcore fans of the series.

During your time with the game, you'll enjoy the adrenaline rush and the constant action that it brings. However, I just wish Criterion thought about the long-term, as the game can only survive so long on such a short push of action.

Fans of the series will love the additional features, but newcomers may be footing it off in favor of something more their speed.

Kudos to Nintendo for giving us a glimpse of how things would be on the flip side of the world, with Peach saving the day for a change...even if she's crying or storming through it.

Despite little annoyances and a bothersome soundtrack, the game still delivers quite well in terms of beautiful graphics and fun D-pad-moving gameplay.

If you love your RPGs cliched, tired, and boring, then MS Saga will keep you busy, but personally, I can't stand it.

Sonic Riders tries to put some zesty racing action on the line here, but suffers due to inadequate gameplay and the kind of AI that makes you want to bash your controller into pieces with a hammer.

At least it's not as purely unbearable as the first, packing a few neat ideas like the ability to use vehicles to mow down enemies and the balancing between different freedom fighters in your crew.

Full Auto can easily be recommended to those who don't mind a heavy amount of vehicular carnage in a racing game, along with the high speed thrills that come with it.

Drakengard 2 is sort of like a dentist trying out a new drill. It's got a different method to bringing forth the action over the original attempt, but you still can't help but feel the same old pain after a little while.

The result is a collection of good intentions and ideas that sound great in theory, but play poorly.

All in all, this game is a lot of fun, and young and old gamers alike will have a blast playing as their favorite characters from the movie.

Tales of Legendia's unique battle system is extremely appealing, but as far as RPGs go, it's a bit too cliche for its own good.

But the game certainly hasn't aged well, and what worked ten years ago (ink ribbons, that zany control scheme) isn't so attractive these days.