Completionists will love the amount of things to find and collect, and with the unlockable Free Play mode and extra characters, the game has a fairly decent replay value. This game is a lot of fun, especially if you have someone nearby to play with.

There is plenty of content, several different multiplayer modes, and a large amount of replayability.

Sadly, after playing this year’s other solid platformers (Braid, Lost Winds, De Blob), Wario Land Shake It! just doesn’t grab me by the shirt collar and demand I play it.

For fans of Darwinia, this game is an instant purchase, but I’d recommend waiting on the Arcade version for online play. For anyone on the fence, pick up the demo, and here’s hoping it gets the reaction on consoles it deserves.

Warhammer Online is the first MMORPG since World of Warcraft was released that actually holds a candle to it in terms of content.

Just as is the case with prequels, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed provides insight into the dark areas of the Star Wars Universe while being flawed in many ways.

For anyone who considers themselves a fan of the series I would recommend a purchase, there is definite replay value in repeating earlier levels with newly gained abilities, and many of the game’s flaws fade into the background when your character is powerful enough to dominate a level.

Warhead continues this tradition, bur has a slightly more coherent and focused story, even better gameplay and even more impressive graphics.

Yggdra Union is by no means the definitive tactical RPG experience, nor is it a perfect game. However, for all of my qualms, I found myself continually going back for more—and not just because I had to in order to review the game, but because I felt myself drawn to the strategy and enjoyed the satisfaction of victory.

While Dragon Quest IV doesn’t offer anything overwhelmingly new or unique, it’s a solid RPG experience that any fan of the genre will have fun playing.

Strong Badia the Free has some great gameplay ideas without proper implementation. As soon as it starts to get into a proper rhythm there’s a confusing portion that drives it to a deal halt, and some of the best sections of the game don’t pay off as well as they should, especially considering the Homestar Runner license.

"Rock Band" seemed like the definitive music game experience when it came out, and Rock Band 2 has taken it even further, fixing the few things that were wrong with the first and adding a little bit extra to boot.

Light on content, strategy, and presentation, this mediocre title fails to innovate in any real way, and instead strips away a lot of what has worked in the past.

The only thing more unbelievable than the fact that Zoids Assault is a full-priced title is that they advertise downloadable content on the back of the box.

With barely a visual hitch, exceptional presentation, engaging online, improved controls and an unmatched level of realism, there’s almost nothing to prevent a full recommendation to any fan of hockey or sports games in general. Even if you aren’t a fan of sports games, the game is so good it could turn you into one.

With barely a visual hitch, exceptional presentation, engaging online, improved controls and an unmatched level of realism, there’s almost nothing to prevent a full recommendation to any fan of hockey or sports games in general.

Even taking the shortcomings into account, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better game than Yakuza 2 on the PS2 this year. I’m impressed with Sega being able to churn out a game of this quality, and wish they would do it more often.

I spent time with both hockey games this season, hoping that 2K could at least be considered a decent hockey simulation for those who still haven’t gone over to the EA side. Sadly, 2K can’t even hold its own against older versions of its own franchise, let alone a game as technically sound as NHL 09.

Weighing the minimal problems of Groovin' Blocks against the things it does right, I find that the game's benefits far outweigh its issues. Fans of not only rhythm games, but of old-school puzzlers will find plenty to fall in love with here.

The scope and scale of Spore is tremendous, bringing the story of life itself to gaming in a way that will not be replicated until a possible sequel.

Spore Creatures isn’t the shovelware I originally expected, but it isn’t much more than a cash-in on the PC version’s anticipated success. It isn't a bad game, it isn't a good game, it's just sort of there.

Other than the A+ character creation and the B+ graphics, the best thing about this game is the ever-so-busty ditz of a ring girl that shows up between rounds to semi-flash what’s under her robe.

It might be a little on the short end when compared to Square’s other JRPGs, but there is more than enough content to extend the game significantly. That said, anyone who isn’t already a fan of the genre will likely grow tired of the cliché locales and repetitive gameplay, as well as not being as forgiving of the game’s many other missteps either.

Some people might be surprised by the high score given to this game. However, when you look at the whole package, you have a second game in a series that brings improved gameplay, better graphics, and many additional features—all for a lovely $39.99 retail price point.

With its threadbare narrative, unlikable characters, uninspired combat, and myriad technical issues, Mercenaries 2 is a huge disappointment. There’s some fun to be had blowing up buildings with a friend online, but playing through enough of the game to unlock these weapons is more of a chore than it’s worth.

Castle Crashers reaches for the stars and actually manages to grab hold, but immediately stutters, lags, freezes, and drops out of the sky.

The minor innovations and improvements aren’t flashy or particularly sexy, but they definitely enhance the experience and are all welcome additions to the series.

Considering that Tiger Woods ’09 is being hailed as the greatest golf game ever released for the 360 and PS3, it is truly depressing that the Wii port is such a mess.