The single player is a complete waste despite the hefty amount of content put into it. If you're going to enjoy Kid Icarus: Uprising, it's because you can stand the awful controls and really badly want something to play online. If you're considering the game for any other reason than that, I highly recommend catching the next updraft and tossing it into the sun.

For any oomph it delivers, Rage relies on the same familiar gunshot sound effects and the same ridiculous ragdoll fatalities and the same silly enemies rolling left and right. Rage is a reminder how thin the line is between old school and old hat.

I wanted it to be a Madden-killer. Unfortunately, it's the same old Blitz with some nice new additions that really don't have a major effect on gameplay.

With its strict linear nature there is next to no replay value, unless you want to collect Playboy bunny pictures. The sad part of all of this is that there is a good game lost inside the driving, the save checkpoints, and the silly time wasting missions.

A true expansion in every sense of the word.

The combination of its weak story setup and the arduous grind to see it through completely killed the single player portion of this DLC add-on for me; thankfully, the multiplayer additions allow me to cautiously recommend it for those who enjoy playing AC:B online and have ten bucks to burn – everyone else, there's nothing much to see here.

The campaign is lackluster both in terms of plot and scope (even the optional "side" missions, while still present, aren’t nearly as creative or engaging as the original’s – and where’s my damn singing sailors?).

Some of the game’s flaws can be overlooked but the checkpoint weapon bug is inexcusable and the nearly complete lack of enemy AI is essentially the equivalent of taking Doom’s enemies and making them forget to move forward.

I'm all for experimentalism and maverick design, but there needs to be a game there and a sense of purpose to back it up. El Shaddai has neither.

The combination of its weak story setup and the arduous grind to see it through completely killed the single player portion of this DLC add-on for me; thankfully, the multiplayer additions allow me to cautiously recommend it for those who enjoy playing AC:B online and have ten bucks to burn – everyone else, there's nothing much to see here.

Gran Turismo PSP falls short of delivering a full experience. Polyphony Digital did an amazing job on the technical side of this game, but the glaring omission of a real career and the lack of car upgrades sinks what could have been a great title.

Stay away from this game if you’re new to the series, and try to find yourself a copy of "Front Page Sports Baseball" or even "High Heat Baseball." I would recommend High Heat Baseball 2002 for your PC baseball simulation needs. Not only was the simulation aspect remarkable, but you could actually play the game as well.

The execution and the boring gameplay coupled with the heavy handedness of the humour combine to make the game a true exercise in tediousness.

The onfield action is enjoyable but it’s tough to recommend when the game is not realistic in the least and so many options are removed from other console versions of the game.

I thoroughly enjoyed the opening moments of each map, looking over the terrain for bonuses and counting moves to make sure that I engaged the enemy with the perfect formation. After that, it was back to 20 minutes of occasionally pressing one button to keep my little soldiers swinging in the most non-violent war this side of a NERF fight.

This definitely isn’t a title that will impress most of the “jaded gamers” crowd, and while I had fun playing it, I certainly wouldn’t describe my experience as extraordinary.

Unless you’ve never played the first game or just have to have the vocal and drum parts included, there’s almost nothing here you can’t get by looking for a cheap deal buying Guitar Hero II or III separately.

With such a strong creative vision and almost unlimited access to Disney's archives, not to mention Mr. Spector's innovative and undeniable talent, it's an utter disappointment that the game has reached the public as an unpolished, uninspired effort riddled with slapdash technical qualities, dated gameplay concepts, and a surprising lack of direction.

The abysmal AI, the absolutely disastrous PC controls, boss battles that all but throw out the gameplay style that got you there in the first place, and the complete and total illogic of some of the gameplay systems (like the aforementioned “shields”) all serve to derail what should have been as memorable a game as I’ve played this year.

From the uninteresting story, to the mediocre voice acting, uninspired puzzles, and serious technical issues, there's really nothing to recommend here. The adventure game genre is not what it once was and your choices may be limited; nevertheless, The Awakened is not worth your time.

Unfortunately, inspiration and programming prowess aren't enough and in the end, Moon starts off strong, but quickly turns into a boring and repetitive experience.

The only leg it has to stand on is its cartoon style that will certainly attract less demanding gamers as well as the merely curious. If that's worth $15 to you, more power to you.

A combination of unreasonable learning curves, seemingly last-minute voiceovers and poor player gratification makes this title barely worth a rental.

All things considered, WWE '12 is a step backwards for Yuke's. Luckily they can return to the RAW vs. SmackDown brand next year and pretend like this game never existed. I encourage them to do just that. More importantly, I encourage you to avoid WWE '12 because games are supposed to relieve stress-not cause it.

Unfortunately, the simplicity went a notch too far, and instead of a fun, arcade-like romp through memories of wrestling yesteryear, we're left with a wrestling game that has the best roster in 10 years, but some of the least challenging and least fun gameplay.

Unless you’ve never played the first game or just have to have the vocal and drum parts included, there’s almost nothing here you can’t get by looking for a cheap deal buying Guitar Hero II or III separately.

In the end, 3rd Birthday disappoints Parasite Eve fans and provides a rather mediocre experience for new players. It would be hard to suggest this game as an entry point to the series, or really suggest it at all.

In my opinion the 10-year-old game this cartridge contains just does not hold up in 2006 and the clear lack of consideration for the needs of the platform earn it a below average "C-" score.

A major disappointment. It’s another game where you can see the potential for the console but instead you’re stuck with a game that was rushed out to stores.

It's admirable that the guys who made Crackdown 2 have created a sequel every bit as good as the original. It's just a shame they don't have that insight into the genre at large. Because there's almost nothing in Crackdown 2 to recommend it over the competition. On the whole, I'd rather be in Panau.

More specific classes, skills, and specializations would have been nice. Matchmaking is sporadic at best, which stinks because the game is almost useless as a single player exercise. The ally AI won't touch any of the mission-specific objectives, which means you've got to babysit that drill by yourself.

Unfortunately, the simplicity went a notch too far, and instead of a fun, arcade-like romp through memories of wrestling yesteryear, we're left with a wrestling game that has the best roster in 10 years, but some of the least challenging and least fun gameplay.

If you really liked the second one, you’ll probably enjoy this one…however if you had your doubts in the past, this one will just make it worse. Wait for the bargain bin on this one.

Simply put: do not buy Virtua Tennis 2009. There is absolutely no reason to buy this over the superior (and cheaper) VT3.

Simply put: do not buy Virtua Tennis 2009. There is absolutely no reason to buy this over the superior (and cheaper) VT3.

Even with a budget price, Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon is tough to recommend. The mediocre graphics and monotonous gameplay bring down an otherwise solid premise. This is only worth playing if you have friends to play with, solo players should take a can of Raid to this repetitive mess.

Unreliability truly is the recurring hallmark of 1942: Joint Strike. Like a used-car dealership, it seems to have a vehicle for every budget and lifestyle, and each one is covered with a thick sheen of low-grade wax. Yeah, they look tasty, but you have to wonder if even a single one can make it off the lot.

The world needs to push back; the missions need to get more serious more quickly and there needs to be greater stakes than whether you make 150,000 bucks this year or 200,000. I think Nitro has that game in them. Alas, this is not it.

A big disappointment. While the game does try to bring over the fun of the DS title and the controls aren’t bad, no one should be forced to pay full price for such a very small number of games with little or no replay value.

What we’re left with is a reminder that no matter who you are, the most important aspect of a game being successful and enjoyable is what goes into the product, not the names that are on the display case.

There just isn’t enough punch in this game to make it last in today’s hardcore gaming market.

Only two things really let me down. First off was the combat system. The dated concept puts two players against each other while lacking the fun multiplayer options most of the other games have.

If you have "College Hoops" and enjoy it, you really should fight the urge to spend a few bucks even on a rental of March Madness 07. It just doesn’t hold up well, and is nowhere near as deep or as enjoyable as its competition.

The best video game adaptation to date of the live action Transformers movie. The bad news is that it’s still not saying much.

If Gamerscore records and leaderboards are that important to you, then go wild. Otherwise, save your money for the next Xbox Live Arcade game.

The best video game adaptation to date of the live action Transformers movie. The bad news is that it’s still not saying much.

Online and offline multiplayer gives Zombie Apocalypse a little extra pulse, but not enough to invigorate the burden of repetition.

It’s overpriced and undervalued.

It’s a fairly formulaic plot, but an interesting one nonetheless.

Like a spiny armband of black ink needled in at the end of a bender, Fuel is the tragic result of spontaneity without foresight, and design without inspiration.

Evil Under the Sun suffers from a variety of flaws, glaring and otherwise, but its biggest is that it simply fails to truly draw the player into its world and offers gameplay that is tedious, derivative, and ultimately forgettable.

That’s how I felt after playing the game: that I didn’t really do anything. I’m a big fan of the books – a bit less so of the films, and the games still fail to remotely live up to either.

Give this throwaway a miss and pick up a five dollar copy of 2006's Burnout: Revenge instead.

This is a game that tells a story that's meaningful only to people who have played all of the games beforehand, but does so with repetitive, sometimes frustrating gameplay.

They had to reach back to Berzerk’s, one-stick control scheme and then tack on a bunch of button presses to achieve what could have been done just by using both of the Dual Shock’s analog sticks.

However you choose to play, by yourself with the full, messy story unfolding in front of you, or with a friend, bereft of a narrative but beset by twice as many enemies and twice as much potential loot, Too Human provides and uneven and ultimately unsatisfying experience.

A game that fails to deliver. The visuals and sound are mediocre. The battle system is repetitive and mind-numbing. The level design is linear. The story is confusing and lacks depth.

Intensely frustrating, often leaving one with a feeling of having been cheated or ganged up on, while one can recognize the goals achieved by the developers at Creat Studios, it's somewhat harder to laud them for their accomplishments.

The Hardy Boys: Treasure on the Tracks is a disappointing title all around, which is shocking considering Her Interactive’s track record with the always-creative Nancy Drew series.

"Nothing new" is the mantra for Legion Arena. It’s fun, has good strategy, is multi-player enabled, but really nothing new. Just another solid title from Strategy First.

In the end, if you are looking for a modern day Dungeon Keeper, this isn't it, whether or not Realmforge tried to design that game or not is immaterial.

Quantum of Solace was a rush-job. No amount of pretty textures or fiery explosions can hide it.

Those of us looking for a grind are better off with nearly any other grind game, and anyone who wants to make robots fight might as well stick with Activision's plasticky straight jacketed Transformers shooter. At least those games understand the concept of accessibility.

The issue remains that the game as a whole seems unfinished, with combat that can only be described as woeful and a variety of small issues that add up rather quickly against the overall enjoyment of the title.

I honestly don't know why anyone would buy Tekken Hybrid. If you love Tekken Tag Tournament, there's no reason to drop $40 on this head scratcher when there's a likely superior, current sequel in the cards that will offer the online play and other mod cons that this remaster doesn't. The "prologue" should have been a free download.

Quantum of Solace was a rush-job. No amount of pretty textures or fiery explosions can hide it.

If it wasn’t bad enough that the game pokes fun at its previous release, saying it can be picked at a bargain bin near you and continues the self-deprecating with a quip at the end dealing with the dreadfulness you just played through, one can’t help but agree and have a sort of resentment that the developers knew the game was not up to par with other XBLA - or even Xbox Live Indie games - but still went ahead and released it, which is probably the most humorous thing the game has going for it.

That’s how I felt after playing the game: that I didn’t really do anything. I’m a big fan of the books – a bit less so of the films, and the games still fail to remotely live up to either.

It truly is the story which carries Time Hollow. The gameplay itself is shallow, overly repetitive, and offers no challenge that a six year old couldn’t overcome.

If you can look past the long load times or are a Y’s purist and need to have your fix while on the road, then you might want to consider picking this up, but otherwise you might be better off looking elsewhere for an RPG on the go.

It's a shame that the game doesn't match the acrobatic thrill of its next generation cousins, but at the same time you do have to give credit for trying something new with the stylus only controls.

It is sad that such great superheroes as the Fantastic 4 should catch the double whammy of average movie and game.

Quite simply it screams bargain bin. You could say it’s so bad, it could be a cult classic, but you’ll have to give it a few years. Otherwise, avoid it.

Doesn't feel like a true Call of Duty game. Gamers can blame Amaze if they like or the difficulty of developing a shooter on the PSP format, but either way Call of Duty Roads to Victory falls short of expectations.

Likewise, I wouldn't touch this game again over the higher quality Capcom and Tecmo offerings available on the same platform. I'd advise other push-button martial artists to do the same.

Ultimately, Tiberian Twilight is a poor end to a long lived franchise. Its core design violates the major tenets of RTS sharing and openness, and this alone is enough to make me hate it.

Remember when Blitz and NBA Jam ruled supreme, and we all got our first taste of the notorious Midway Comeback AI? I’m sad to say that a close relative of that AI seems to be present here.

I suppose even a professional escapologist can’t find a way around poorly implemented touch screen controls.

Like all games based on successful licenses from the written world, it’s a shame to see Immortals of Terra struggle so much in terms of overall direction. I’m sure in the vast Perry Rhodan landscape there’s more than enough material to make several blockbuster titles, yet this game fails to even make it out of the starting block.

Simply put, there are too many negatives here and too many other excellent action games on the PSP to justify spending time with this jumbled mess. This is one set of memories best left forgotten.

I am reminded of Super Monkey Ball Jr for the Game Boy Advance as an example of a great handheld maze game. Although it was released many years ago, the difference in actual gameplay experience between the GBA and the DS is night and day.

If it wasn’t bad enough that the game pokes fun at its previous release, saying it can be picked at a bargain bin near you and continues the self-deprecating with a quip at the end dealing with the dreadfulness you just played through, one can’t help but agree and have a sort of resentment that the developers knew the game was not up to par with other XBLA - or even Xbox Live Indie games - but still went ahead and released it, which is probably the most humorous thing the game has going for it.

Everything it tries to do, it fails—from the beginning to the abrupt and anti-climactic ending.

The mech combat is fast paced and brutal, but once that veneer wears off you find that under the hood is a slap shod mix of broken balance, goofy game mechanics, and an abject lack of the tactical gameplay for which the franchise is known.

This is a sad day for The King of Fighters. The combat is as taught as ever, but everything else is a comedic misinterpretation of “less is more.”

You'll like this game if you like: grainy, blocky, choppy, ugly football.

Greater variety in ship types and missions would be nice. A greater sense of threat and better damage modeling (especially rips below the waterline or actual sinking instead of simply stopping) would help a lot.

Remember when Blitz and NBA Jam ruled supreme, and we all got our first taste of the notorious Midway Comeback AI? I’m sad to say that a close relative of that AI seems to be present here.

I can certainly understand challenges, but “obtain all of Evil Rose’s costumes” isn’t a must-play reason for me.

There are no added features to speak of. There’s no online multiplayer or split screen – there’s not even a 2 player hot seat game, which is a pretty big omission.

The potential existed here for a good game, yet it's been squandered due to poor mission structure and downright bad cooperative intelligence.

At the dawn of 2004 not enough time has passed for this to be a retro title and now it just feels out of date. I also suppose that if it were budget priced at $19.99 and a player who was curious about the Resident Evil franchise wanted to pick it up, I'd recommend it. But at $39.99... I can't do that.

The coop is a nice, but not perfect, feature that not many games have lately, but unfortunately that may not be enough to save this game from its terrible graphics and seriously repetitive gameplay.

It may be fun, but no amount of political (and entertaining) backstabbing can hide the fact that, at the end of the day, this is still Dynasty Warriors 6 with a slight incentive to keep hacking and slashing.

Twitch-based gamers who do have the latest and greatest graphics cards won't have the patience for the punishing puzzles, and those who play games for story will find themselves rolling their eyes until they fall out of their sockets at the clichés and the horrible dialog.

A music game crippled by a so-so adventure game, which leaves both kids and adults looking to High School Musical, or trying to get tickets to the real Hannah Montana Tour.

Overall, Rayman 3D is a competent platformer but it's sinfully old. Rather than sprucing it up and developing a truly great re-release, Ubisoft was happy to repackage ancient materials and ship them as new content. If you've played the game already there is very little reason to redo it on the Nintendo 3DS. If you haven't played the original, it's likely too old to be worth your time. However, if playing tragically outdated platformers with more back story than you'll know what to do with is what you're after, Rayman 3DS is your game.

The game is so hopelessly generic, even with what little is does get right, it just can't rise above what it is... another "me-too" game.