The levels themselves are fun and pack in lots of replay value, but the RPG elements in the overworld aren't quite as polished.

The joy that comes from dual wielding two shotguns cannot be easily replaced.

It's far from perfection, but if classic gaming is in your blood or piquing your curiosity, this Anthology is for you.

One of those rare, fabled games that appeal far beyond the fanbase of its license. The controls are easy to learn, but thanks to the fast-paced action, the gameplay is difficult to master.

Those expecting next-gen brilliance will only find a modified port. At least it's a good one.

The game has plenty of features to offer, including a full integration of ESPN's services online, a decent Dynasty mode, and some stellar gameplay ideas, but the execution feels rushed in too many areas and the game comes up short of being a winner.

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.

It's a shame to see all this potential wasted. It takes a true and determined criminal mastermind to get through this game with all its flaws.

The graphics are quite the mixed bag, very pretty during most levels but yucky on others, something Factor 5 didn't fix because Rogue Leader suffered from this as well.

This game is addictive, pure fun for those who find the sport to their liking, and its presentation is actually pretty sharp, a lot more focused than the somewhat flawed "Rugby 2004" over on the PS2.

The graphics are superb, and the game plays much better than the first Black & White. Just about every aspect has been improved, from creature training to tending to the needs of your followers.

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.

There's not much in the way of weapon or enemy variety, and the game is pretty short, but just about every minute of it is action packed. The dynamic difficulty system works very well.

A fantastic game not only because it makes excellent use of the DS's special features, but also because of its unique visual style.

The varied missions, near photo realistic visuals, real world planes, and live action cut scenes have been mixed to produce a thoroughly enjoyable combat game, and the addition of aces, these skilled NPCs that can take forever to destroy, and a two player mode, only add to the product's rain slick sheen.

The lag alone could ruin any online gamer's experience, and with such a complicated interface, it's not a game anybody can pick up and play with ease.

Sure, it doesn't have the dramatic punch of the Double Dragon series, but it more than makes up for its lack of flair with amazing depth, making it my portable fighting game of choice for Nintendo's handheld.

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.

When Mercury is at its best, it's an elegantly simple and addictive action-puzzler. When it's at its worst, it's like a tedious pop quiz from an unpredictable, bad-tempered teacher.

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

Has the kind of creativity and zaniness that makes for a good spot in your game library, and its gameplay can't be beat when it all comes together during the duration of the game.

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

Globs of action, lots violence, and a story that's good enough to keep things moving. But it's obvious that it needed a little more time to cook, what with the annoying load times, a whacky auto save function, and a frame rate that isn't nearly as fast as the PC version of the game.

The death matching is fantastic, but that aside Darkwatch is like a quality restaurant appetizer, tasty as all hell but not enough to sustain my burning hunger.

Don't expect a "StarCraft"-style fragfest either because this is more of a thinking man's RTS, where reconnaissance and artillery placement is key.

Chibi-Robo is the first official disappointment of 2006, a game that is so monotonous and annoying that not even this Nintendo fan can put up with its BS.

It efficiently captures the mood and spirit of ancient Rome through bloody battles, exhilarating chariot races, and a few minor stealth sequences, all intertwined with a good moving story and impressive (for the most part) gameplay.

Fans of the series won't be disappointed, and those seeking something fast and fun will be happy they picked it up.