My single reservation it's that the AI isn't always as sharp as it could be...But in the end, Rifles is still a deep, satisfying, wholly entertaining wargame.

While Euro Force does indeed sate the voracious appetite out there for more Battlefield 2 content with some great levels and a new army, you can't help but wonder if EA is also installing a direct pipe to fans' wallets at the same time.

The excellent graphical effects, nonstop action, and nominal helicopter content make this a great game to fire up for a while just as a change of pace.

Even though it has its share of drawbacks (enemy AI weaknesses, occasional pop-up, and a lackluster ending), its positive aspects (variety of gameplay, numerous side quests, and nice graphics) outweigh the negatives.

After a seven-year absence, the Caesar series returns with a slightly flawed but very engrossing game about ancient city building.

Though Kirby Squeak Squad rarely finds a way to challenge you, it's a clever and cute enough platformer to recommend to most DS owners.

A fun, though fairly short and simple, game that marks a promising new beginning for this beloved series.

Even with the additions and tweaks made to the single-player game, anyone familiar with other versions of the game will find Quake III Revolution to be rather limited.

An atmospheric role-playing game with a rich setting--though it's one beset with a clumsy combat system and some noticeable bugs. That's unfortunate, since the game clearly could have been better had its rough edges been ironed out.

It's not the prettiest shooter on the PC, but it's got a good amount of style, and the run-and-gun action stands up pretty well, regardless of the platform.

It looks nicer, it plays faster, and with its lower barrier to entry, Armored Core 4 should appeal to more than just the series' faithful gearheads.

Plays a solid game of basketball, but even the flashy new features can't hide the fact that it isn't a huge step up from last year's edition.

Thanks to its rock-solid execution, Thrillville delivers an enjoyable batch of minigames in a lighthearted theme park environment.

So if you're looking to immerse yourself in a finely honed Star Trek gameworld -- or if you just like plenty of action -- then The Fallen is definitely worth checking out.

The Live series in its current state is more akin to an aged veteran who's hung on too long (for instance, Patrick Ewing with the Supersonics in 2000), as opposed to a longtime superstar who's at the height of his game.

The game has a variety of gorgeous real life cars, race-long bumper-to-bumper action, and emotionally charged AI drivers--too many positive attributes to be ignored.

Plays very well, makes a great link cable game, and still stands as one of the best Tetris-style puzzle games ever made. Purists may find the slowdown a little disappointing.

If the developer had spent more time refining the control scheme and graphics to make better use of PC hardware and had added more functionality to the game's menus and multiplayer options, the PC version of MotoGP 2 could have been as good as the Xbox version.

While there are some rough edges, the result is mostly a nice little role-playing jaunt into the world of Tolkien.

For those five or six hours, the game is quite fun, especially when playing with other people and using teamwork to mow down the zombie hordes.

Though Lockdown is still a worthwhile shooter, its overall feel may leave longtime fans wondering if the developers have finally strayed too far from the game's roots.

Mega Man ZX offers a familiar but refined combination of action and platforming that will challenge even the most seasoned Mega Man veterans.

Its graphics fall short of the best the console has to offer, but its blend of action, stealth, and driving manages to keep things interesting throughout.

The only blemish on the whole affair is navigating via the world map, as the small size of the GBA screen sometimes makes it a chore to find places you can dock at when riding the whale.

LocoRoco oozes charm for days, but the gameplay is a little too singularly focused for its own good.

Often ends up feeling like a string of puzzles whose solutions are pretty obvious. Nevertheless, Full Spectrum Warrior is very good overall, and deserves credit for being something other than just another military-themed shooter or strategy game. It's just too bad that it isn't more involving.

It looks nicer, it plays faster, and with its lower barrier to entry, Armored Core 4 should appeal to more than just the series' faithful gearheads.

The notoriously bad AI of the previous game has been replaced by a functional computer opponent that acquits itself well in battles on the open sea. But when land is introduced, a number of problems show up.

Although it lacks online play, Bionicle Heroes is a surprisingly adept and enjoyable first-person shooter.

The designers themselves have stated that A Tale in the Desert is about creating a society, and watching the experiment in action is almost as enjoyable as taking part.

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

If you've stuck with THQ through its early WCW games and WWF Wrestlemania 2000, No Mercy may not be fresh enough to hold your attention.

Though Lockdown is still a worthwhile shooter, its overall feel may leave longtime fans wondering if the developers have finally strayed too far from the game's roots.

Eating the brains of the living to form a massive army of the undead is extremely satisfying, often hilarious, and, unfortunately, almost painfully brief.

Because the air races found in MX vs. ATV Unleashed are so frustrating, one wonders why they even made it into the game in the first place, especially when you consider how fun the game is with two (or more) wheels on the ground.

For those of us who were big fans of the original game, the gameplay and presentation of R2RB: R2 are all too familiar, making the sequel seem like little more than a simple roster update.

Essentially just a slightly better version of the original game.

The gameplay hasn't changed dramatically, but better source material makes Lego Star Wars II a better game than its predecessor.

Molds Middle-earth into a traditional turn-based frame, and while the results aren't all that great, the game carries some pretty good features and should appeal to fans of the source material.

A deep and enjoyable racing title with more racing variety than you're likely to find anywhere else on the market today--and at a meager price tag to boot.

It's a straightforward remake of Koei's cult-favorite rhythm game, but Gitaroo Man still knows how to rock.

With its strong minigames and well-made platforming mechanics, Crash Bandicoot Purple is a good, solid choice for fans of the genre.

Justice for All is a good, lengthy adventure with great character-driven storylines, but it fails to build upon the promising groundwork laid by the first game.

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

Sam and Max return to the PC adventure game scene with the same great sense of humor and solid production values, but some may be turned off by the game's episodic nature.

By seamlessly integrating into The Movies, the Stunts & Effects expansion offers a lot of cool new toys for would-be studio bosses and virtual moviemakers to play with.

While NBA Live 06 does its best to put a new face on its game with the new superstar abilities and tweaks to its franchise mode, the series as a whole still feels stuck in neutral.

Gunpey for the DS is a charming and accessible puzzle game that may not hold the same level of challenge as its PSP counterpart but more than makes up for it with its own unique presentation.

Very different from the shooters or puzzle games that you're used to playing, it's also quite entertaining.

A fresh, original concept that has plenty of style.

An enjoyable story-driven space combat sim that should meet, but not exceed, the lofty expectations of fans of the developers' previous games.

A game that is visually striking, with massive spell effects and a histrionic storyline, but one that may not appeal to fans of realistic war simulations.

The way the CPU fields the ball is disappointing at times, as is the lack of a player editor or a franchise mode, but you'd have to be really discerning to let those shortcomings prevent you from enjoying this game.

The gameplay hasn't changed dramatically, but better source material makes Lego Star Wars II a better game than its predecessor.

From Software has taken an already complex and involving game and made it even richer by expanding the variety of customization options available, in addition to giving players an even larger array of aspects to concern themselves with when building and using their own giant robots.

While the game is currently the best choice for hoops fanatics looking for a portable fix, veterans of the console versions may find themselves a little frustrated with controls that aren't quite as responsive as they could have been.

The first booster pack for Battlefield 2142 offers up three exciting new maps and a new gameplay mode, making it a must-have for fans of the multiplayer action game.

If it weren't for a general scarcity of terror and a control scheme unsuited to its action-oriented gameplay, The Thing would be great.

Gunpey's pulsing music and visuals may remind you of "Lumines," but don't let it fool you: This addictive puzzle game is unique and bizarre enough to stand on its own merits.

The new pitching mechanic breathes some new life into the aging but still very good MVP Baseball franchise.

For serious RPG fans who couldn't care less about the Final Fantasy brand of flash, though, it's hard to envision a more appropriate game.

Those simply looking for a visually impressive, enjoyable real-time strategy game set in the BattleTech universe should find that MC 2 fits that description well.

Although the rebounding game is a bit improved, there are new presentation elements, and the new franchise mode adds quite a bit of replay value, NBA Live 2002 does not improve significantly on last year's version and seems to be falling behind competing hoops products.

While March Madness 2004 does a good job at capturing the feel of college basketball, a general lack of polish keeps it just a little short of greatness.

A racing game that puts drivers in the spotlight without sacrificing exciting on-track action.

While March Madness 2004 does a good job at capturing the feel of college basketball, a general lack of polish keeps it just a little short of greatness.

It may seem ironic that Shadow of Destiny, one of the best PC adventure games to come around in some time, was originally a console game.

Vivendi Universal has captured the essence of the Hulk--comic book violence in all its forms--and provided an opportunity to unleash his rage in a manner that succeeds as a game.

A good substitute for "Super Smash Bros," and while you may find it lacking in certain areas, the fast-paced design and raucous battle mode more than compensate for the majority of the game's wholly subjective shortcomings.

Madden NFL 07 overcomes its no-frills presentation by providing all of the play modes and rich football fundamentals that fans have come to expect.

Aside from the goofball characters and silly dialogue, Radiata Stories is a pretty average role-playing game. However, it's one you'll want to play, if only for the beautifully crafted world, compelling characters, and off-the-wall humor.

The gameplay hasn't changed dramatically, but better source material makes Lego Star Wars II a better game than its predecessor.

For all the changes in Starfleet Command Volume II, it's basically just a slightly improved version of the original.

A fun and satisfying management game, ... [but] if "Zeus" was two steps forward for the series, Emperor is its one step back.

Anyone looking for the next "Street Fighter" probably ought to look elsewhere, but Dragon Ball fans (even casual watchers) will be more than delighted.

Anyone playing Tony 3 or anyone with the DC version of Tony 2 needn't bother.

As a nostalgia piece, this new iteration is a great 3D representation of the classic NBA Jam experience, but when compared with recent arcade basketball offerings, like the "NBA Street" series, it doesn't quite measure up.

Those who played the original will simply find the same game in a new package...If you've never taken up arms in the Kohan universe, this is your second chance to introduce yourself to a new brand of real-time strategy game--and you shouldn't miss it again.

The presentation is solid, the gameplay inviting, and the visuals stellar.

A game that might be mediocre in its presentation but more than makes up for it in its gameplay and concept.

Despite the game's uneven presentation, Links 2004 is still a good choice, especially for Xbox owners to whom online play is of paramount importance.

A solid and enjoyable snowboarding game that successfully brings Tony Hawk to the mountain.

Thanks to its rock-solid execution, Thrillville delivers an enjoyable batch of minigames in a lighthearted theme park environment.

The gameplay hasn't changed dramatically, but better source material makes Lego Star Wars II a better game than its predecessor.

It has a variety of high-quality tracks, and it controls well and looks good. If you can afford only one motocross game, then "Motocross Madness 2" is still the best.

It's hard not to enjoy Enigma. Streamlined but not dumbed down, the game captures the exciting feel of WWII naval combat even if it ignores many of the details.

The game's cohesive presentation is engaging, offering some genuine scares that are a rare treat.

With its blend of cinematic style, 3D immersion, sharp writing, and likeable characters, it's otherwise an adventure game that does the genre proud.

Metropolis Street Racer is a beautiful racer with accurate physics and tight control, but the kudos system makes it far more challenging than it needs to be.

A surprisingly clever and enjoyable little game.

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

Warts and all, Need for Speed Underground is a good racing game--not because it's pretty, but because it's actually engaging and fun to play.

PQ2 builds on the good foundation of the original and addresses many of its weaknesses, offering a bigger, better puzzle experience.

2006 FIFA World Cup does a good job of re-creating the carnival atmosphere that surrounds the competition, but it suffers from frequent and obnoxious slowdown.

It's a fun game that relies more on gameplay and exploration than it does on flashy special effects, and it features a lengthy (although linear) quest that should satisfy even the most critical gamer.

The gameplay hasn't changed dramatically, but better source material makes Lego Star Wars II a better game than its predecessor.

As a stand-alone game, NBA Jam is definitely fun to play, but it lacks the gameplay depth of pretty much every other major basketball title on the market, arcade or otherwise.

There isn't another baseball game on the system that feels this authentic or puts so many aspects under the player's control.