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.