The bottom line is that diehard Avatar fans will probably be disappointed with the superficial storyline that lacks the charm of the original show, and newcomers will have trouble finding interest in the loosely tied-together missions.

So while it doesn't break new ground, Scarface: The World Is Yours is one of the best sandbox crime games for the current generation consoles. It's a slick, well-executed and gritty title that'll keep you busy for over 20 hours.

Yes, it's a little tougher to learn the nuances than in years past, but the final verdict is in - and it's a golden goal.

With such a drastic difference in features and entertainment value between Stewie and the rest of his kin, one wonders why he didn't just get his own game. As it stands, you'll have to play through some pretty irritating nonsense just to get to the good stuff, and it's just not worth the effort.

And the world is huge. If it was more packed with opportunities for us to use those tools and stunts, this could have been a GTA-killer.

You're getting the same far-reaching anime fighter that impressed us six months ago, now loaded with sprinkles of new content and a pretty hot multiplayer mode. If only the presentation was up to par with the fighting (enough with the talking heads), we'd be looking at a complete package.

If you love the idea of playing an interactive commercial for Ford Motors and own both an Xbox and a PS2, then go with the PS2 version. The graphics are about the same and the slightly longer load time on the PS2 will give you a much needed break from this monotonous racer.

The bottom line is that NBA Live 07 is a pretty darned good hoops sim - once you adjust the wonky default sliders. Without it, the shooting doesn't give an inch, no matter how well you time your release.

It may be true that those of you who already own last year's version may feel like you're not getting much more than a roster update and the ability to keep kicking it in the sublime 2K online world, but there's no doubt that the proof is in the pudding, and NBA 2K7 delivers a darn good time.

While it may look awfully similar to the first, don't be fooled: Origins tests negative for sequelitis.

The action pauses so frequently to remind you how to excute your task that the entire game ends up feeling like one giant training tutorial. It's impossible to get stuck at any point because all of the answers are pretty much handed right to you.

The action pauses so frequently to remind you how to excute your task that the entire game ends up feeling like one giant training tutorial. It's impossible to get stuck at any point because all of the answers are pretty much handed right to you.

With solidly rebuilt controls only a little marred by a still-fussy camera, LEGO Star Wars II is even better than last years prequel trilogy-based offering. And, as the first LEGO Star Wars was an amazingly entertaining homage to Lucas's genius, this sequel stands atop the original's shoulders as the pinnacle of LEGO Star Wars fun.

But its solid play mechanics aren't enough to overcome the near-complete lack of licensed courses and golfers, or the various other oversights and issues that plague it.

The lack of changes will disappoint some, but for 20 bucks the minor tweaks and new roster nicely enhance what was already a great game.

The graphics might be a little dated, but they still look good. The manual shot aiming works like a dream – the puck always goes where you want, and the targets that appear in the net make it especially intuitive for newcomers.

Kids probably won't mind much, and they're definitely the target audience here. Pirates' Carnival isn't spectacular in any one sense, but the solid mini-games and well-used license are enough to put it near the top of the distinctly uncompetitive party game genre.

With solidly rebuilt controls only a little marred by a still-fussy camera, LEGO Star Wars II is even better than last years prequel trilogy-based offering. And, as the first LEGO Star Wars was an amazingly entertaining homage to Lucas's genius, this sequel stands atop the original's shoulders as the pinnacle of LEGO Star Wars fun.

Although NASCAR 07 remains pretty much the same decent core game as last year's model, this year's model is just a little more fun for newcomers and a little more chaotic for long-time racers.

The end result is a ramshackle affair that will please neither hardcore Spy Hunters nor Joe "GTA."

It's not a great fighting game, but its wide array of characters, scenarios, and unlockable junk could be just the thing for less critical fans.

With all due respect to all the stat crunchers out there, this is once again the true "fantasy" football.

You do, however, get four-player split-screen, as opposed to the PS2's two-player mode. Whatever platform you choose, Pac-Man isn't a stellar example of the genre, but it's not a shameless money-grab either.

One of the true joys of Madden is settling in for a run of minigames. But there's one factor that's a touch obnoxious: you can't choose what players you compete with.

If you're looking for a more classical style of game where you can turn off your brain and annihilate wave after wave of enemies as you dodge obscene amounts of enemy fire, Xyanide is for you.

Don't let the Live Enabled packaging fool you - there's no online racing, only a few limp content downloads and local four-player split-screen.

Don't be turned off by the difficult controls right away. Once you get used to the steering and can take the corners, FlatOut 2 is an awesome racer with enough destruction and mayhem to last you awhile.

An easy, mildly entertaining grab bag of minigames and missions. Kids will undoubtedly enjoy the game and their parents will find themselves sucked into numerous minigames as well.