There's a whole new story, working multiplayer, thousands of new items, new mini-games and sidequests, new classes to play, and the ability to play evil and good plot paths. On the other side of the coin is gameplay that most of us have seen before, following the same formula, and not taking any real chances in the process.

Gamers who just happen to be both cyberpunk freaks and strategy addicts might find some real value from COPS, but overall this is a very disappointing title that most gamers would be better to pass on.

Stranger's Wrath is insidious. Few games have so thoroughly hooked me and absolutely compelled me to play for way too many hours while neglecting all other responsibilities. It offers such a mix of modern game genres that pretty much everybody will find something to love and many, like myself, will find a lot to love.

But I think watching the original anime is much more entertaining. So to those who haven’t seen it and to those who have, stick with the show.

There are many things in The Punisher that make it stand out from other games, such as the interrogations, the superb voice acting, the appearance of other comic book heroes and villains (not going to say who to spoil it), but the repetitiveness of each level can start to wear you down.

For a real visual treat, pop it into a Nintendo DS and enjoy the game with true backlighting.

A game that truly is a playground for the arsonist-at-heart. The storyline is actually decent, the amount of background information is very impressive (the manual is actually handy for a change too), and the large number of weapons, vehicles, and gameplay styles available make for a significant amount of replayability and flexibility in choosing how to play - always a plus.

The singleplayer experience is still woefully sub-par (honestly, what the hell was up with that final battle?), the interface feels a lot slower and clunkier than it needs to be, the multiplayer is laden with a number of bugs, and the game overall just doesn't feel very polished. On the other hand, the graphics are nothing short of amazing, the game is very easy to pick up and play.

I'm sorry Tecmo, but even though we mech sim fans are rather neglected and abused these days, that doesn't mean that you can shovel out a pile of dung and expect us to start devouring it. "Unacceptable" is a label I can slap on just about every aspect of Gungriffon: Allied Strike.

Provided you have no problem affording the 4GB footprint, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay is definitely worth taking for a spin.

If I could venture one bit of advice to Capcom, I would suggest that they not fall into the rut of offering a new Viewtiful Joe game every year and actually make the next installment a meaningful upgrade in 2006. Perhaps add in a cooperative mode for two players to tackle.

A fairly hard game that regularly borders on the frustrating.

The combat can be a bit repetitive after a sustained amount of play time, but the decent story, characters and card collecting aspects more than make up for it.

A step in the right direction. It makes the generally boring board portion of the game more interesting with the addition of the strategic Orbs and the day and night shifts. It does not completely solve the past games' problems, but I'll take what I can get.

It's not powerful enough to convince Painkiller detractors to join the fold, but it's certainly everything a fan the original game will love.

The limited ways to play ultimately causes the game to get tedious and the AI can't even pretend to measure up to the human element that makes poker so interesting.

A tremendous product. Wonderfully fun and thrilling, inspiring and energiz[ing], just a great amount of fun.

An absolutely fabulous game that is nothing but fun from start to finish. And as an extra bonus it is family friendly. No blood, not wound and no death.

The first console software package to offer these games since they originally appeared on the 2600, so in a way it represents history itself. The arcade games also offer some of the best play experiences from the days when arcades were king. It's a great package that should be in any serious gamer's collection.

A short and simple minded FPS shooter that will fill the void if you need some mindless run and gun action, but if you are looking for game play that is a little more mentally challenging and in depth, or even fun, than you will need to keep on looking.

The Behemoth has to be commended for bringing gamers a really nice shooter with a fantastic look and feel. In these days of development teams with a cast of dozens, it is nice to see a small group of passionate individuals produce a game that is clearly a labor of love.

While the main game in Super Mario 64 DS does seem a bit dated to be a launch title for the Nintendo DS, it is still a fun action/adventure that will satisfy the handful of people that have always wished they could have Super Mario 64 on a handheld.

Add to this already impressive pack some nice unlockables like the flipperless Play-Boy pinball table and the carnival favorites Xolten the fortune teller and the Love Meter and you have a very entertaining package for the whole family at the extremely reasonable price of $19.99.

With Snake Eater’s few flaws, awkward camera and ludicrously long cut scenes, the new features added to this chapter of the series with the camouflage and the need to eat does give the game a little more depth to help make up for the shortcomings.

In the end, it's a shame that the bugs in the game were not fixed prior to release; it is unimaginable that they weren't noticed by the design team. They're pretty blatant.

While it may do what other games have already done, the important point is that it does it <I>better</I>.

Honestly, I think you’d have to be a super fan of the 2D fighting games to really think this game was great.

But the frustration that the average player will feel with the level design, and the lack of a map to help him navigate those levels, is going to truly test his ability to resist the temptation to throw his shiny new toy.