The game isn't quite on a level with EA's "MVP Baseball 2004," but it does compete (which is saying a lot when you look at last year's installment) and it's fully capable of providing you with hours of entertainment.

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.

The gameplay is fairly lackluster when compared to non-licensed games in the genre. The ability to transmute objects is a nice addition, but it simply doesn't add enough to keep non-fans interested.

I can't help but be a bit bored by this formula as I've seen it in countless other titles.

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.

Blocky characters, stiff movement, clipping issues and a generally dated look that makes this game look like it was developed in the 1800's, detracts from what could have been a very influential game.

Long-time players will appreciate the changes, such as mission instancing, more-so than anyone who is new to the series.

Boring, boring, boring. It's like a life sentence unto itself...only you can control when it ends by hitting the power button.

It's far from a disappointing cavalcade of games, as they'll keep you busy for hours, but it almost feels like a speedy effort through development, without actually delving into Namco's history. It's like walking into an arcade for five minutes instead of staying a couple of hours.

While mildly entertaining, the GBA library is far too impressive for Shrek 2 to make a name for itself.

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.

The collection's mostly a success, although when it falls backward, it falls hard, particularly with the miserable remake of "Golden Axe."

Would've been a great game had it come out three years ago, but this is 2005, and its gameplay mechanics just aren't acceptable. There's just so much wasted potential it's ridiculous, and the graphics are so average that I'm very surprised at Volition.

Not only does it feature addictively simple pick up and play gameplay, but the stage-oriented design allows players to either go through a few stages or a few playthroughs at time.

Had the graphics been retouched a bit, the pace been picked up, the sound been reworked, and multiplayer been considered, this could've been the luxury yacht of war games.

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.

If only it had a lower price point...we would've had a true must-have. As is, fans will want to jump right in and casual players will want to give it a look.

Offers an exciting take on a stale genre, but I found it to be unnecessarily frustrating.

The single player aspects are only entertaining for a short period of time, and even in multiplayer the game can't compare to "Super Smash Brothers." It can be a worthy purchase, but only if you have a group of friends, a multi-tap, and no GameCube.

Despite its sophomoric appearance and single player weakness, the game has multiplayer potential that makes it a must-have party game.

Original it is not, this is "DDR" clone all the way. And not even a memorable one.

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

A great simple game for anyone who has ever watched and loved the Cinderella movie.

The game really doesn't have that much to offer, but it does have twelve different levels in which you draw out your own conclusions, and they get more fun with each level.

The sequel plays exactly like its predecessor, in every way that I can think of.

Unless you're a diehard strategy role-playing gamer, Front Mission 4 is so text-heavy and trail and error oriented that you'll spend up to an hour preparing for a battle and reading text and spend over an hour during the battle itself, just to die because you knew nothing about the battle in advance.

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.

It's not that the story mode isn't deep or won't provide you with a good time if you've never experienced anything like it, but for those of us who have, it's about as dry as an overcooked piece of chicken.

It feels incredibly hard to master, and at times the levels just come across as a little bit too overwhelming.

Behind the glitz and curvaceous bodies is a rock solid wrestling experience that allows you to deliver bone-crushing finishing maneuvers inside as well as outside the ring (and even in the mud).

The gameplay is marred by the unforgiving AI that brutally destroys you whenever you gain just the slightest advantage. With that being said, Def Jam is at times more stressful than fun to play.

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.

While Terminal Reality attempts to break up the monotony of this fighting game by including some jumping and leaping "puzzles," turning Rayne into a wannabe Olympic gymnast, it's simply not enough to give this any real depth. It's a good game... for what it is.

The biggest part about Fantastic Four that makes it enjoyable is the multiplayer collaboration. Two players can work together side-by-side in the game's story mode, or can simply go at it in an Arena Battle against endless minions. It may be just the ticket for those eager to team up for clobberin' time.

This is a great game for anyone who has ever imagined the life of a princess. There is plenty to do throughout the game, and numerous events to plan and castle rooms to decorate, so players can stay busy for hours working on the royal wedding or other similar events.

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.

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.

It has plenty of style, but the aged PS2 hardware sometimes can't keep up with the game's intensity. Online play is highly addictive, but the weapons lack proper balance to make it more competitive.

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.

This is a game that has only one audience: players already in the world of Brittania. Anyone who has never played Ultima Online has absolutely no chance of grasping the momentous task of syncing with the various systems of the world.

Thanks to its lacking multiplayer features, it really just seems to be short-term entertainment, although that short-term can be a blast for one player.

ASB 2005 really doesn't offer anything that will attract new fans or that will set it apart from its competitors.

The hook is that the game runs in real-time. It might take your fleet several actual hours to reach the base they will be attacking, or for you to finish construction on all the ships in your queue.

The sheer amount of ways you can put your officers and troops to use in each turn is extremely daunting at the start, but if you're the type that gets sucked in by these types of titles, you'll be ruling China before you know it.

While it attempts to be a strong contender against the Total War series, it doesn't make it, even with the unique addition of naval combat.

While the story is entertaining, it never takes off and soars the way it could have. It's a very generic shooter with a gimmick, but that gimmick's cool enough to last you to the end.

This is really more for people who might be looking for a different way to play The Sims 2 rather than simply adding to existing gameplay.

It's not really much of an Evolution, suffice to say. Capcom Fighting Evolution seems more like a potpourri of Capcom's fighting brands, mixing together different fighters with interesting results.

If you're a fan of FPS, and you haven't already, give it a try. Just don't start doing pushups in your basement.

It has a great storyline, mesmerizing graphics, and unique game elements - all the same ingredients that the two "big" FPS'ers are supposed to have.

Tecmo Classic Arcade isn't entirely loaded with winners, and some might question the bump in price up to the $30 range, but classic gamers will want to jump right in just to endure "Tecmo Bowl" in its finest form, as well as "Bomb Jack" and a few other favorites.

Call of Duty doesn't blast its way onto the Xbox but rather trips over its own feet onto a pile of live grenades. It's an enjoyable first person shooter, but its many glitches (especially those found in the online mode) are extremely annoying, and the game is just too linear for its own good.

Essentially a straight port of the PC mod, only without the PC benefits such as mouse/keyboard play and downloadable maps to extend the gameplay. These lack of additions don't justify the $50 price tag.

The game has a tendency to drag on, and it doesn't take long to realize that all four teams are almost identical.

Comic book fans will appreciate the inclusion of additional enemies and the ability to fight alongside a friend in co-op mode, but the game still comes up short.

The game's definitely enjoyable but it does spread the player thin, and in all honesty it comes off feeling like I've done this all before.

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.

This is a solid game with a multitude of different racing modes (online and off) that will have even the heartiest of crotch dirt-rocket lovers gleefully grabbing their gamepads for hours on end!

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.

If you don't appreciate games with only so much to do and only so much to explore than ER probably isn't for you.

Borrows many of the concepts of Metal Gear Solid and incorporates them into its own formula which works well for it, but doesn't offer enough of its own identity.

The combat options are refreshing, and the ability to pummel up to 15 other people in a deathmatch is awesome, but the graphics aren't as smooth as they could be, and there's not that much more to do, due to the lack of a comprehensive story mode.

If all you want is a shallow collection of mini-games centered around a raunchy, comedic storyline, then Magna Cum Laude is your game.

This game could've been so much more had Kush Games been on their game, driving with the kind of innovation that they put into the goalie control feature. But it comes up giving us the short end of the hockey stick.

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.

The game's on the short side, and it's for some reason a little easier than past incarnations, but it's a fun shooter that's great to play in short bursts. Plus, its zany characters and gorgeous FMV cut scenes put it so far over the top it'd be a crime not to pick it up.

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.

Manages to stick to its roots and, as a result, wins the day with good ol' fashioned action and non-stop comic book action, like the film itself.

Those of you who aren't looking for slow-paced gameplay, limited character movement and sometimes annoying puzzles should look for their gaming satisfaction via another route.

Unfortunately, the AI isn't so easily fooled, and what you'll have to do is repeatedly run about a room hoping that your attacker will wander into the right spot. It's really boring, yet the payoff is worth the time invested.

Easily the funniest game this generation, and is good platforming fun...Unfortunately, the game comes up a bit short in its design and lack of parity. The jokes become repetitive, as do the levels.

The game has its flaws, especially in the design and in some parts of the Career Mode, but it also serves up some mighty fine aspects that could serve the series better in its obviously-coming third incarnation.

Vendetta Online is not really worth the time or the money. It's boring a lot of the time, and most players will probably lose interest long before anything exciting happens.

Of the three maps, Operation Road Rage stands out the most since teams would be hectically fighting back-and-forth for the crucial center control point. However, if you're not a big fan of using aircraft in Battlefield 2, then this booster doesn't offer a huge amount.

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.

You can get stuck in a particular section for quite some time, or unfairly snatched up mid--play. The design of the tables make up for this somewhat, and the price is nice at $20. Go and flip out for a bit.

Feels like a by-the-numbers sequel.

The game looks and plays just fine, and stays true to the theme of the film, but fails to really bring anything new to the experience.

A bit of fun, and those who don't mind some multiplayer action will certainly find it here. It's better than most Shrek games before it, and it faithfully represents the films as it's supposed to.

Thankfully, The Guy Game offers a good deal of entertainment for the audience it's shooting for, mainly the drinking crowd that's into checking out topless hotties and is up for a little trivia to earn their way.

The game surprisingly has some value this time around, particularly with the ability to race against others online and being able to use customized soundtracks during a race.

It doesn't do anything particularly innovative, but that shouldn't stop people from enjoying the game's vast locations, strangely funny Pupanunu people, and quirky use of animals.

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

If you already own the Game Boy Advance version of "Wario Ware", you may want to pass it by since it's included in that game as Dr. Wario.

The game has its flaws, especially in the design and in some parts of the Career Mode, but it also serves up some mighty fine aspects that could serve the series better in its obviously-coming third incarnation.

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 constant need to micromanage my character was a huge turn off, and EA's horrible use of the touch screen doesn't help this title achieve greatness.

The vehicle portions are pretty cool and I'm always down with collecting stuff.

I was surprised at WM19's gameplay and couldn't put it down, but don't expect much from Revenge mode. You can only beat up on security guards for so long.

It's actually quite a bit of fun in the few hours that it lasts, and has every bit of the Animaniacs' ridiculous humor poured into it.

An ideal history lesson and a fun way to waste a few evenings with classic gaming as the focus. It's not as good as other collections, but still gets the job done.

The only major problem with Ape Escape is it doesn't really offer a thrilling gameplay experience. Much like the original, it lacks that all important "wow" factor.

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.

The game suffers from too little variety, and freezing monsters over and over again can get tiring.

This platform adventure stars the 800 pound gorilla himself and this title manages to stand on its own because of its unique design. Unfortunately, said design isn't good enough to make this game a must buy.

It's got plenty of big ideas and executes most of them brilliantly, but the game's shortcomings - namely the frame rate and questionable dialogue - leave us wondering what really could have been with another year of development time.

Its story isn't as cool as it could've been and the lackluster monster design keeps it from matching "Resident Evil" and "Silent Hill's" intensity, but Obscure is a fairly enjoyable game that's worth picking up, especially for the price.

The perimeter shield, one of main selling points of the game, causes a severe power imbalance which is not helped by the fact that opponents have identical unit types.