And while it doesn't achieve the same epic sense of scale as Jackson's movies, it's still an engrossing and well-made real-time strategy game that captures the essence of J.R.R. Tolkien's wondrous world.

This exotic pedigree gives Torrente the game an air of intrigue that eclipses the final product, which turns out to be a typically rotten movie-licensed budget shooter.

It's remarkable that the game's quest is every bit as big and complex as the original's. On the other hand, some unsightly technical issues and a general feeling of déjà vu will probably prevent you from feeling as strongly about The Sith Lords as you did or still do about the first game.

On the surface, Mario Party 6 seems to offer some of the biggest fundamental changes the series has ever seen. But this is really just a fresh coat of paint on an old building. Luckily for us, though, the building's foundation is still pretty strong.

The shooting interface is unreliable and tough to get the hang of, which is unfortunate considering that Dead to Rights is supposedly an action game steeped in gunplay.

Lacking both the volatile charm and the compelling technical details of the series, it's little more than a halfhearted racing game with some guest appearances by characters and locations you've seen on TV.

Metal Slug's first foray onto the GBA is a resounding success. Even though Metal Slug Advance is a brand-new game, it has all the sights, sounds, and charm of the NeoGeo games it's based on.

So enough with the puzzle bosses! And fix the loading times! And get rid of the idiotic jumping puzzles! Make more levels like the orphanage! Please.

Easily the best chess program for the seasoned chess player, and, if you can work through its occasionally clumsy interface, it may well be the best overall chess program for any pawn pusher.

The gameplay is very much like that of the earliest real-time strategy games. This is a traditional RTS that seemingly ignores all the advances that the genre has experienced over the past several years.

While Warrior Within's new combat and satisfyingly long campaign improve on last year's game, the now darker tone falls somewhat flat compared to the storybook atmosphere in "The Sands of Time."

While Warrior Within's combat and satisfyingly long campaign improve on last year's game, the now darker tone falls somewhat flat compared to the storybook atmosphere in "The Sands of Time."

Fails to live up to the lofty expectations of its own brand thanks to simplistic gameplay, lackluster presentation, a lack of co-op play, and an overall dearth of polish.

Fans of puzzle games will find a passable but somewhat shallow game in Drill Spirits, but fans of this specific series will find that it really hasn't changed much over the years.

It offers a solid new campaign, as well as some new units, textures, and AI upgrades, but it also neglects to address some old problems.

While Warrior Within's new combat and satisfyingly long campaign improve on last year's game, the now darker tone falls somewhat flat compared to the storybook atmosphere in "The Sands of Time."

Ultimately a decent effort, but only because of its online play. The offline component of the game is simply too pointless and spotty to hold anyone's attention.

While Warrior Within's new combat and satisfyingly long campaign improve on last year's game, the now darker tone falls somewhat flat compared to the storybook atmosphere in "The Sands of Time."

The compilation here offers a lot of role-playing bang for your buck, and though each game shows its age a bit, the combined package is still worthwhile for old-school RPG fans and patient neophytes.

So even if bawdy caricatures of rednecks and dominatrices don't sound immediately appealing to you, Outlaw Golf 2 offers a tight, challenging game of golf with some unique gameplay ideas, and it comes at a price that makes it a terrific value.

Lacking both the volatile charm and the compelling technical details of the series, it's little more than a halfhearted racing game with some guest appearances by characters and locations you've seen on TV.

Part of what makes this game so remarkable is it doesn't assume that all you have to do in your busy life is play this one game, and so it delivers a high-quality experience regardless of how much or how little time you're able to invest...A stunning achievement that will make you feel privileged to be a game player.

This conventional real-time strategy game attempts to follow Alexander the Great's campaign of conquest, but it is marred by sloppy development, factual inaccuracies, and a general failure to capture the scope of what made Alexander so interesting and unique to historians.

While its gameplay design may appear to be derivative, there truly isn't anything else quite like Alien Hominid on consoles today.

An uninteresting story and lackluster gameplay, both online and off, leaves this latest adventure feeling rather flat.

An amazing, wonderfully lighthearted game that boasts an intoxicating blend of strategy and action, and as such it's a dire threat to your professional and personal productivity...Quite simply one of the most enjoyable games to come out in years.

An uninteresting story and lackluster gameplay, both online and off, leaves this latest adventure feeling rather flat.

MC Groovz may feature The Fresh Prince's "Parents Just Don't Understand," but dancing to its poorly stepped, overly lengthy tracks just makes us feel like Carlton Banks.

An uninteresting story and lackluster gameplay, both online and off, leaves this latest adventure feeling rather flat.

While its gameplay design may appear to be derivative, there truly isn't anything else quite like Alien Hominid on consoles today.

A great update of a classic game. While some portions of the game have aged better than others, and while the control could've been a little tighter, the game is done right enough to make it a faithful update for fans of the original; new players will certainly find a lot to like here, as well.

Helps make the Joint Operations experience an interesting and engaging one, though be prepared to face a noticeable learning curve and some frustrations at first.

Playing the game can be a numbing experience. Antiquated graphics, horrible voice-overs, clumsy storytelling, boring characters, derivative settings, pixel hunts, simplistic puzzles, and severe bugs have a way of doing that. If Legacy can do something wrong, it does.

Ultimately a decent effort, but only because of its online play. The offline component of the game is simply too pointless and spotty to hold anyone's attention.

Almost identical to the first Ultramix. This might have been a big disappointment if this entry in the series wasn't still the best value to be found in a DDR game.

Offers a fine collection of classic pinball machines. It looks good, controls well, sells at a budget price, and should be a no-brainer as an addition to your library if you're a fan of simulated pinball.

Delivers more, more, more of what made the first game superb--but it's so similar to its predecessor, it's inherently less inventive.

Despite the fact that Krome Studios was able to translate the story, look, and feel of the film well enough into its offering, the gameplay is simply too lifeless and frustrating to hold your attention the entire way through.

The mechanics of Metal Gear Solid 3 can be just as confounding as the storyline--but also just as rewarding, especially once you reach some of the game's memorable, dramatic confrontations. In short, this is a great game that embodies both the impressive style and the one-of-a-kind spirit of its predecessors.

Despite the fact that Krome Studios was able to translate the story, look, and feel of the film well enough into its offering, the gameplay is simply too lifeless and frustrating to hold your attention the entire way through.

If you don't already have an established love for Takara's customizable line of toy cars, you'll find that ChoroQ has little in the way of redeeming qualities.

While it borrows some new features from "NCAA Football 2005" and includes a revamped play-calling system that is actually fun to use, a broken dynasty mode and choppy online play mar an otherwise good basketball game.

If you're a fan of college basketball, the attractive presentation, smooth online play, and deep legacy mode are all good reasons to check out ESPN College Hoops 2K5.

The game's mundane subject matter sometimes overwhelms the experience, since having to frequently rest, shower, and relieve yourself in the game is about as much fun as it sounds. But The Urbz nevertheless provides some surprising depth and lasting value.

What may be a surprise, however, is how poorly Madden NFL 2005 for the DS compares with some of its contemporaries on other platforms.

The gameplay is fast and accessible, and there's enough variety in both the single- and multiplayer modes that you could spend a lot of time with the game.

An 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.

A pretender. While it borrows some new features from "NCAA Football 2005" and includes a revamped play-calling system that is actually fun to use, a broken dynasty mode and choppy online play mar an otherwise good basketball game.

If you're a fan of college basketball, the attractive presentation, smooth online play, and deep legacy mode are all good reasons to check out ESPN College Hoops 2K5.

There's nothing especially wrong with it to make it something worth drawing ire over, but at the same time, it never finds a way to actually draw you into its experience, and it just seems to lack the intangible qualities needed to make a truly successful platformer.

While Half-Life 2 breaks little new ground, it's still a superb and engaging first-person shooter, as well as an amazing technological accomplishment.

A resounding failure. Unless you're a masochistic Fight Club fan looking to purposely have your sensibilities offended, then you'd be well advised to stay far away from this game.

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 a copy of a previously released game that wasn't that great to begin with, but with the less-engaging characters of the Miami cast and a series of mysteries that also aren't as interesting.

This game is just flat-out bad in most every way you can think of, and for a franchise with such promise and potential, that's a truly disheartening thing.

Had the feel of the weapons been a little better, and had the campaign been more consistently intense, Finest Hour could have been a much better game.

The game is clearly best suited for hardcore fans of Capcom's fighting games, who might enjoy exploring some of the nuances here, but probably won't find much reason to keep coming back.

This is far and away the best Dragon Ball Z game around, and it's a must-have for DBZ fans. However, the action is also so fast-paced and viscerally satisfying that it can genuinely appeal even to those otherwise uninterested in Dragon Ball Z.

Essentially a collection of minigames tied together by the age-old story of unrequited love, Feel the Magic: XY/XX ends up providing an engaging experience that is more than the sum of its parts.

Yet while Spider-Man 2 sure looks great, it suffers from extremely frustrating level design (and it doesn't really take advantage of the dual-screen layout of Nintendo's new portable, either). Some of these levels can be so annoyingly difficult that they'll make you want to wreck your brand-new Nintendo DS.

Offers a fine collection of classic pinball machines. It looks good, controls well, sells at a budget price, and should be a no-brainer as an addition to your library if you're a fan of simulated pinball.

Had the feel of the weapons been a little better, and had the campaign been more consistently intense, Finest Hour could have been a much better game.

It's a good single-player shooter with a terrific multiplayer component.

Unfortunately, some of Crash 'N' Burn's central ideas--the persistent wrecks being the most obvious example--introduce complexity that, in the end, will leave you more frustrated than thrilled.

Hardcore Godzilla fans will appreciate seeing the decent renderings of some of their favorite monsters here, but they're unlikely to be terribly impressed by the action itself.

This game is just flat-out bad in most every way you can think of, and for a franchise with such promise and potential, that's a truly disheartening thing.

Despite the fact that Krome Studios was able to translate the story, look, and feel of the film well enough into its offering, the gameplay is simply too lifeless and frustrating to hold your attention the entire way through.

The additions made to the game seem largely perfunctory when you consider that the underlying gameplay is still quite dull, and that the game simply lacks an engaging storyline or characters worth caring about. The fundamentals needed to make a quality platformer just aren't here.

A great way to relive some of the high points of classic gaming. However, the less-than-perfect emulation tarnishes what would otherwise have been an incredible trip down memory lane.

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

A resounding failure. Unless you're a masochistic Fight Club fan looking to purposely have your sensibilities offended, then you'd be well advised to stay far away from this game.

The battle system has a flaw or two, but the lavishly detailed world of Baten Kaitos is a great place to go for a nice fairy tale.

Had the feel of the weapons been a little better, and had the campaign been more consistently intense, Finest Hour could have been a much better 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.

Unfortunately, some of Crash 'N' Burn's central ideas--the persistent wrecks being the most obvious example--introduce complexity that, in the end, will leave you more frustrated than thrilled.

Many players will quickly fall in love with the line-drawn artwork that's used in the menus and backgrounds, as well as the barnyard sound clips that are the game's sound effects, but, beyond those aspects, It's Mr. Pants is merely an average puzzler with a limited array of features.

A diverse platform game with excellent graphics and sound and an impressive list of bonus features. The game's most defining feature, though, is its sharp degree of difficulty, which may prove frustrating for some younger or less dedicated players.

Improvements have been made to such an extent that this latest release stacks up well against the pedigree established by the console versions of the franchise.

The actual racing in Need for Speed Underground 2 is still pretty good, but unfortunately most of the stuff you do in between races keeps you away from the game's best moments.

Despite the addition of a middling and somewhat unnecessary multiplayer component, Echoes stands shoulder to shoulder with its predecessor, delivering absolutely everything you'd want from a new 3D Metroid adventure.

The sequel's enhanced graphics and sound make it a good "sandbox" kind of game, and if you're a parent with small children who need to be entertained, that might be all you need.

Its one redeeming feature is that five percent of the game's proceeds will be donated to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. But you may as well cut out the middleman and just give all $20 to charity.

When you factor in how little this game really differs from any of the last few games in the line, there's really no good reason to go out and buy it.

When you factor in how little this game really differs from any of the last few games in the line, there's really no good reason to go out and buy it.

A cool piece of technology, and it definitely has the potential to be a lot of fun, especially in a crowd setting. If you're a fan of karaoke, or think that enough of the songs on the disc are appealing, you'll certainly have fun with the game.

While the game's wrestling mechanics are sound, the game's overwrought method of titillation gets completely in the way of the action, and the game's campy-to-a-fault story mode is just plain terrible.

Run-of-the-mill fighting and stripped-down strategy sequences make Shaman King a fairly drab ride that's only recommendable to extreme fans of the series.

This game simply builds on Jak II's winning formula by adding more weapons and abilities, varied kinds of action, and an interesting and well-told story; in short, all the stuff that made its predecessor a great game.

Maxis' bold changes to the original formula set forth by The Sims aren't all for the better, but they make The Urbz a very distinctive and surprisingly solid 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.

Spyro's newly expanded roster doesn't manage to save A Hero's Tail from monotony, and even the title's targeted younger demographic will probably soon tire of the game's reliance on boring collectible gathering.

EyeToy: AntiGrav is definitely outside Harmonix's comfort zone of mostly music-driven gaming, though it's an honest effort at something interesting and accessible. However, the daring design outstrips the technology that drives it.

This budget-priced bonus pack features several additions to the original game, but it also exists as a playable, stand-alone product--albeit one that isn't as interesting on its own as it is when combined with the original.

By adding a sorely needed feature--namely, the ability to sing duets--Karaoke Revolution Volume 3 is most definitely a worthy addition to the rapidly expanding franchise.

The bad news is that Gretzky still isn't anywhere near as good as the current crop of competition, and it simply lacks the features and depth needed to be considered one of the big boys.

In a genre as close to utter desolation as the space combat sim, even a plucky little space shooter with more heart than technical prowess like Space Interceptor can prove to be a breath of fresh air.

The game's mundane subject matter sometimes overwhelms the experience, since having to frequently rest, shower, and relieve yourself in the game is about as much fun as it sounds. But The Urbz nevertheless provides some surprising depth and lasting value.

A surprisingly disappointing story and a fairly short single-player portion are noticeable shortcomings, but there's just so much breadth of content in Halo 2, and the action itself is so outstanding, that there can be no denying its quality.