Grandia II may not look like much from a technical standpoint--disappointingly, the game actually looks a bit worse than the original Dreamcast version--but its visual design is well done.

EX3 may feel a bit rushed in some spots, but overall it's a fun and great-looking fighting game that won't disappoint longtime EX fans.

A fun, engaging little game, and it will have you running quick cash laps for longer than you'd like to admit--for the purpose of netting the next neat little power-up.

A triumph on the Game Boy Advance, but it's not without its flaws. Given a bit more time to tweak the controls and further polish the graphics, Destination Software could have had a groundbreaking work on its hands.

War of the Monsters will appeal to anyone with an appreciation for the source material, but aside from its graphics, the game doesn't quite live up to its potential.

The gameplay mechanics are sound, and there's enough variety in the missions that you won't become bored with either the arcade or campaign mode too quickly.

It's not for those with short attention spans, but patient players who aren't squeamish should enjoy Sniper Elite's tense and methodically paced action.

The game's short length is what makes it so engaging...an addictive little game much like "Bejeweled" or "Tetris," but instead of being a puzzle, it's a little adventure that you can lose yourself in for a few minutes at a time.

Fans of "Tropico" may wish that Frog City had developed a more direct descendant of the original--the mechanics are basically the same, but Tropico 2 is a very different game.

Fails to live up to the lofty Kojima standards but delivers a technically sound and smooth-playing experience.

The game offers strong graphics and sound as well as a good variety of modes, but it's held back somewhat by its lack of polish.

Even though the wingman mechanics and canyon races don't quite pan out, it's still a stylish and enjoyable street racer.

If you're looking for a game in which you can shoot up or cut up hundreds of ugly aliens for hours on end, you've come to the right place.

It's not for those with short attention spans, but patient players who aren't squeamish should enjoy Sniper Elite's tense and methodically paced action.

Despite some new modes and rules, deep down it's undoubtedly more of the same and definitely targeted at hardcore Dynasty Warriors fans who already own DW4. Given that, it's definitely a quality product.

Robotron is one of the games that have fared pretty well in these collections, but with the scoreboards and online competition that the Xbox 360 version of the game provides, this Xbox Live Arcade download is at least as good as the original arcade hit.

Pretty graphics are great to have and all, but everything else about Madden on the 360 feels like a step backward--and one that makes its higher price tag very difficult to justify.

But ultimately, The Huge Adventure is a fairly basic platformer that doesn't really have some of the innovation of other Game Boy Advance platformers.

Though its new features may not seem remarkable individually, when put together they comprise a number of interesting new strategies and also let experienced players organize team-based games based on those strategies.

Call of Juarez takes few risks with its setting or genre, but it does what it does well enough to be enjoyable.

Chili Con Carnage is light on depth and fairly brief, but it's a raucous good time all the same.

Soul Reaver fans will find a familiar experience in Blood Omen 2, but the new game lacks the innovation and the surprising drama that made the Soul Reaver series great.

One of the most original and enjoyable racing games to come around in a long time.

Even though the wingman mechanics and canyon races don't quite pan out, it's still a stylish and enjoyable street racer.

It's not long on looks, but it's got no shortage of action.

For novice or intermediate golfers who don't mind giving up a few of the features found in previous Links or Microsoft Golf games, it's actually quite a good choice for just $19.95.

Delivers a good balance of tactical decision making and up-close action that will be most appealing to existing fans of Koei's other beat-'em-up works, but it's simple recipe for mass warfare can create an armchair general out of anyone.

The experience just doesn't last long enough to be savored. Gun's main story missions are exciting, but the main plot is over so quickly that the whole thing just ends up feeling rushed, and the various side missions aren't compelling enough to hold your interest after the end credits roll.

It's a shame that Titus is forcing Worms fans to pay stand-alone prices for what easily could have been an expansion pack. As it is--those who've never played a Worms game or never got around to picking up "Worms Armageddon" will thoroughly enjoy Worms World Party.

Combines great gameplay with a fair amount of depth, ultimately making it a game that can be enjoyed by both novice and experienced gamers.

The outdoor levels are much more fun and enjoyable than the indoor levels--so much that the game could have been considerably better had there simply been more of the former and less of the latter.

SWD might seem like some half-baked attempt to cash in on the Star Wars license, though it's actually a competently executed game.

It's a little rough around the edges, and it doesn't break new ground for 3D platformers, but it gives the series the shot in the arm that Wrath of Cortex failed to, and what it does, it does pretty well.

A small evolutionary step above what Stormfront did with The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and players who appreciate that brand of brute-force, hack-and-slash gameplay should find in it a great-looking and enjoyable, if somewhat familiar, experience.

FlatOut 2 seems a little too slick for its own good in spots, but it still manages to provide plenty of destructive racing fun.

Blitz on the Xbox 360 is the same addictive, violent game of football that it was last year. But after a year's time, you'd hope for a bit more than a barely touched Xbox port.

A handful of quirks keep it from being great, but MLB 2K7 is still a very solid baseball game.

The global war of Battlefield 2 arrives on American shores, and this new booster pack delivers some great new battlefields. With that said, the big question is going to be how many servers will adopt this new content.

The underlying game... remains quite good and features a strong cast of characters, unusual environments, and some pretty entertaining hack-and-slash combat.

Stunning visuals and sounds. The only question is whether you are willing to sit down and play the game, with its continuously redundant nature.

And like any good puzzle game, Dr. Mario's addictive style of gameplay has stood the test of time; the inclusion of wireless networking capability adds even more value.

A solid baseball sim that hasn't had to sacrifice too much in the transition from console to handheld. Diehard simmers will probably be able to forgive the game's stoic atmosphere, since the gameplay and features are deliciously deep.

Despite some flaws with the combat, Sword of the Stars distills the complex space strategy formula to a slick, streamlined, and enjoyable package.

While 2002 World Cup offers stadiums and an interface that are specific to the event, the game lacks many of the features found in FIFA 2002, making it difficult to recommend to anyone but World Cup fanatics.

A tight game that experiences a few technical difficulties along the way...A straight port of the original along with a few extras thrown in.

FlatOut 2 seems a little too slick for its own good in spots, but it still manages to provide plenty of destructive racing fun.

The series is definitely starting to show its age, at this point, and only a fan could overlook some of the game's shortcomings. In the end, however, the formula still works.

Blatantly ripped straight from the PlayStation 2, this version of Onimusha 3 still packs some good, solid hack-and-slash combat and a likable story.

Multiplatform gamers should be playing it on the Xbox.

Even though the wingman mechanics and canyon races don't quite pan out, it's still a stylish and enjoyable street racer.

This is a well-produced port of an excellent game, and even though it probably would have been better served as part of a collection than as a stand-alone product, you could certainly find a number of worse ways to spend $20 for your GBA.

While the game's touchy driving model and overly complex career mode won't appeal to everyone, Enthusia is a worthy game for those looking for something different in the four-wheel genre.

Stacked presents itself as a typical game of poker, but thanks to an intriguing artificial intelligence system, it plays things much smarter than your average poker title.

An engaging experience but fails to match the gameplay finesse of "GoldenEye."

In spite of these kinks in its layout, Ecco provides a consistently smooth experience; you'll honestly feel like a deft aquatic mammal and experience the liberating, exciting things that compose a dolphin's everyday life.

It's bigger and more ambitious than any of its predecessors, but XGRA is hindered by a few unfortunate technical and design issues.

Almost everything that has been added to this year's game detracts from the overall experience. Once you're in and racing and customizing your cars, it's a lot of fun, but there are too many obstacles standing between you and the best parts of the game.

In the end, BV succeeds at what it set out to do--it puts you into the role of Batman. Every major aspect of the character is presented in some way in the game...it is one of those incredibly rare birds known as a good licensed game.

Questionable physics and a sloppy trick system still hinder the game from reaching its true potential.

A simple but lengthy and often exciting single-player experience that's a real credit to the world of budget-priced games.

It'll take you a little while to get used to the controls, but once you do, you'll find that ChuChu Rocket offers a lot of value and a lot of fun for moments or hours at a time.

If you already own FIFA 2002, then there really isn't any reason to own 2002 FIFA World Cup, and if you don't own FIFA 2002 but are looking for a soccer game, you should get that game instead.

Manages to combine the extreme sports and shooter genres with surprisingly good results.

FlatOut 2 seems a little too slick for its own good in spots, but it still manages to provide plenty of destructive racing fun.

By abandoning almost all pretense of a coherent story, the designers have simply created a series of beautiful, interesting environments filled with some good puzzles.

Yakuza vividly portrays modern Japan and its organized crime families, but it pulls its punches before delivering a truly great action game or a completely satisfying story.

The PSP's best arcade football title, with fast and enjoyable gameplay that rewards skill-based play.

A game that has eliminated most of the ugly bugs from last year's entry, but it still doesn't manage to rise much above the quality of its predecessor.

X2 does offer some highly satisfying gameplay--if you're willing to stick with it. It's not a game that has any reasonable prospect of revitalizing the space sim genre, since it's from a small developer and isn't particularly accessible, but it's a game that highlights why the genre was once much more popular.

Sound bugs and loading times mar an otherwise great translation of Warrior Within to a portable platform.

SSX Blur has its moments, both joyful and frustrating, but it winds up being a solid entry in the SSX series.

A fun, lighthearted platform action game with colorful graphics, challenging and varied levels, and fast-paced gameplay.

Situation: Comedy is a good adventure that complements the original episode nicely, but it also feels much shorter than the first episode. Also, though this installment has a terrific premise, you don't get to do enough during the cooler parts of the game.

Almost everything that has been added to this year's game detracts from the overall experience. Once you're in and racing and customizing your cars, it's a lot of fun, but there are too many obstacles standing between you and the best parts of the game.

Offers more of the intense and suspenseful single-player and multiplayer action that made Vietcong the respectable game that it is.

Black's first few levels are exciting, but the action movie formula wears thin fast, and the game's over not long after.

Makes up for its technical shortcomings with a great location and an impressive amount of detail.

The games run accurately and the package has some nice extras, but the graphics are a little on the blurry side.

3rd Strike delivers new characters and enough new options to make it a worthwhile product, even if you already own "Double Impact."

Cars for the PSP is hardly a game any driving fan should just run out and buy. It's a solid little racer that will certainly hold some appeal to fans of the movie, and any younger players with a PSP ought to get a kick out of it. However, those with more discerning driving tastes might want to give Cars a test drive before taking the plunge.

The absence of a basic team-building mode, a few minigames, or at least some other method of drawing out the overall replay value is really the game's only significant shortcoming. Otherwise, it's an immensely fun product.

As is the case with most party games, EyeToy is simplistic at best, but the way you play the game truly makes it a one-of-a-kind experience that just about anyone, regardless of skill, can enjoy.

This updated, portable version of 2006's open-ended Wild West action adventure introduces a few keen changes and features to make up for a few bits that were lost in translation.

A good, solid 2D shooter, even if it is over before you know it.

The experience just doesn't last long enough to be savored. Gun's main story missions are exciting, but the main plot is over so quickly that the whole thing just ends up feeling rushed, and the various side missions aren't compelling enough to hold your interest after the end credits roll.

The game is a bit on the rough side overall, but it still has a simplistic charm and a somewhat compulsive replayability factor.

Underneath its modest looks and intimidating, complex battle system is a turn-based strategy game that is surprisingly fun and satisfying.

Filled with flashy, colorful visuals and frenetic combat, Bujingai can be quite an enjoyable experience--provided you don't pay too much attention to the near nonexistent storyline and the linear-to-a-fault level design.

An engaging, realistic tactical wargame, but it also doesn't stray far from the Close Combat formula. While there's nothing wrong with that, there is a definite sense that we've played this game before.

With a multitude of elements that let it transcend that narrow and often underrated genre, racing fans and those simply seeking a wild, entertaining experience would do well to check it out.

While it does have some new features and still plays well, it actually falls short of its two predecessors in the important area of multiplayer support.

Even though the wingman mechanics and canyon races don't quite pan out, it's still a stylish and enjoyable street racer.

Black's first few levels are exciting, but the action movie formula wears thin fast, and the game's over not long after.

It's a basic dungeon crawler at heart, but Summon Night: Swordcraft Story has enough fun with the formula to make it worth playing for role-playing fans.

The GameCube version slightly edges out its PS2 brother...It succeeds at what it set out to do--it puts you into the role of Batman.

But Blood II lacks some of the innovation of the original; the horror-theme is less pronounced, and the level design doesn't stray far from the average...But it's hard to fault Blood II for not doing anything new; it sets out to be a traditional shooter and does a good, if not great, job.

Karaoke Revolution Party makes a good party game, especially if you've got all the necessary peripherals, but it's no greater than the song list, which is too diverse for its own good.

Ultimately, unless the historical Chinese context interests you, you'll find that Fate of the Dragon is just another real-time strategy game with a few original features, but with nothing really outstanding to recommend it.