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.