Ultimately, it's the variety of planes and unlockable goodies available for each aircraft that keep you pushing through the more limited, recycled stretches of this airborne assault freebie. There's room to grow here, but World of Warplanes leaves the runway with a sound foundation intact.

Satazius is a good way to scratch your shooter itch, but it won't win any awards for creativity.

And that's just what Labo is at the moment: a great tool for creation, rather than for playing.

For anyone that poured their heart into any of the last two or three games, however, Mega Man Battle Network 6 definitely comes across as been there, done that.

While it accomplishes its goal of providing a fun WWII-themed shooting gallery, it doesn't really shine in any one particular area, resulting in a game that's competent but not very compelling.

This 2D fighting game is a real blast from the past, but its big cast of fairly interesting characters and its online play can make it worthwhile for NeoGeo fans.

The original Galaga is an undisputed arcade classic, and this is a fairly faithful version of it.

Diehard fans of the series will probably be pleased simply because they can take Dynasty Warriors with them everywhere, though if you haven't been impressed by the series lately, this simplified handheld installment won't do anything to reel you in.

Using a tweaked version of EA Tiburon's Madden engine, Arena Football at the very least manages to nail down many of the intricacies of the sport. But the actual gameplay feels like too much of a nebulous gray area between arcade and simulation, and both the presentation and the features set are lacking.

This is about as standard as a mission-based flight game can get--you'll get to bomb targets, dogfight, and defend a lot of stuff in a variety of era-specific planes. While it's a competent package, it doesn't stand out in any way.

This console and PC trip through the Wardrobe is a mostly run-of-the-mill action adventure that might hold some measure of appeal to fans of the film, but not so much anyone else.

Solid graphics and sound and fun gameplay are things just about everyone can appreciate in a game, and while the fishing genre doesn't have the widest appeal, the arcadelike aspect of the game opens it up to a wider audience.

For anyone that poured their heart into any of the last two or three games, however, Mega Man Battle Network 6 definitely comes across as been there, done that.

It's marred by substandard graphical performance, long loading times, and artificial intelligence issues, and it simply isn't as impressive as its counterparts on other platforms. On its own merits, though, it can still be a tense and exciting first-person shooting experience.

A huge improvement over the last two games. Of course, that isn't saying much. Actually, Regeneration is a lot of fun to play, but it's marred by a host of bugs and an ugly presentation.

Unfortunately, Panzer Claws' skirmish mode doesn't offer much in the way of new thrills, and to date [11/26/02] there are hardly any players playing the game online.

Die-hard fans of the original may feel a twinge of déjà vu when they dig into the update. For everyone else, though, Colin McRae Rally 2.0 represents one of the most solidly addictive racing experiences that money can buy.

This trio may not look or sound as nice as recent games developed specifically for the GBA, but they're far from ugly, and, more importantly, the gameplay in each of them still holds up.

Monster Bomber isn't as complicated as some puzzlers, but its quick pace and hands-on nature are undeniably appealing.

Though The Getaway's combination of driving and on-foot shooting sequences is occasionally entertaining, and the production values are impressive, usually the game just isn't fun--in place of almost every gaming convention The Getaway boldly tries to defy, it offers a significantly worse alternative.

There's still some fun to be found here, but ultimately Killzone is a barely adequate game that probably won't hold your attention for very long.

The style and attitude are available in spades, but unfortunately the battles just feel sloppy and unsatisfying. There are some great singular mechanics in play here, but they're all just tossed together in a mess of flashy effects and shallow gameplay.

You'll probably dig on the game's unique concept, but when it comes to playing Pac-Pix, that concept gets old real fast.

Though Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects is a competent portable beat-'em-up, it's not the best value the PSP has to offer.

Fun for a short while, and at least you'll have some great sightseeing ahead of you before the game starts to lose its interest.

A pretty dry game that's a little too light on the action for people who don't like an equal dose of slowly paced strategy, but if you're as much into customizing your own ship as you are blowing other ships to pieces, Naval Ops: Commander might be for you.

It's not as complex as current-day management sims, but this portable remake of the 1994 classic is as addictive and time consuming as ever.

Arguably the finest PC-based tennis simulation to date. It is strategic, positional, somewhat realistic, and at times extremely challenging.