The gameplay in Conquest of the Underworld is very formulaic, despite the generally high quality of the map designs.

Online connection issues and a dearth of content keep this fun hybrid game from reigning supreme.

Technical problems mar this delightfully crass, immature, and over-the-top sandbox game.

This year's Pro Evo improves upon its predecessor in some key areas, but it does little else to keep up with the competition.

Tolkien fans may enjoy the game's presentation of Middle-earth lore, but The Hobbit tends to rely too heavily on derivative, uninspired gameplay for it to stand up on its own.

With little notable improvement to the formula and steps backward in several key areas, SmackDown! vs. RAW 2008 is a big disappointment.

It's safe to go back into the water with Undertow, an under-the-sea XBLA shooter with solid multiplayer modes of play.

The Redemption's varied missions and new powers are a lot of fun, but the predictable ending is a big disappointment for the series.

A strong sense of deja vu and poorly balanced combat loom over The Baconing, but smart puzzles and humorous dialogue entertain throughout.

To make a long story short, Madden NFL 07 for the GBA is simply the 06 game with updated rosters and five extra minigames.

Similar to "Hitz Pro," Blitz Pro is a combination of arcade and simulation styles. Unfortunately, this combination doesn't work nearly as well as its NHL predecessor, and, while the end result can be fun, overall it's a pretty big leap backward for the Blitz series.

Sony's EyePet is a creative and fun game with plenty of content but it suffers from a lack of proper instruction.

Ice Age may be kid-friendly, funny, and faithful to the movie, but it's also repetitive and over too quickly.

Zeno Clash is surreal and relentlessly bizarre, but sheer weirdness takes this first-person brawler only so far.

It can make for a decent though relatively brief diversion for GameCube owners really hurting for an RPG, and its lighthearted style makes it suitable for Pokémon fans.

While Cold War features some pretty impressive graphics and a decent story, the predictable enemies you'll face and the limited number of environments you'll visit prevent the game from being particularly exciting.

While Cold War features some pretty impressive graphics and a decent story, the predictable enemies you'll face and the limited number of environments you'll visit prevent the game from being particularly exciting.

This short adventure game nails the feel of both the show and the island on which it's set, but struggles with some of the characters.

Compared to so many other movie-inspired games, Cars for the Nintendo DS is genuinely one of the more interesting ones. The care that went into each of the different minigames is impressive. Unfortunately, there just aren't enough of them here to hold a person's attention for very long.

Poor level design poisons Jericho's awesome but unrealized potential.

Operation Flashpoint: Red River features realistic and challenging missions but is often hampered by poor AI and other frustrations.

It's just too bad the game's abhorrent visuals, combined with a few lingering gameplay quirks, relegate it to the unenviable position of being the best of 1996. Unfortunately, if you've checked the calendar lately, it's the year 2000.

Operation Flashpoint: Red River features realistic and challenging missions but is often hampered by poor AI and other frustrations.

ProStreet is a solid racing game, but it has some performance issues and is missing most of what made the previous games in the series interesting.

Operation Flashpoint: Red River features realistic and challenging missions but is often hampered by poor AI and other frustrations.

New gameplay mechanics and multiplayer support are welcome additions to the series, but they come at the cost of accessibility.

Brave Story follows the traditional role-playing-game formula to the letter and ultimately turns in a serviceable, though unremarkable experience.

The game has lots of spunk, for sure, but it's ultimately no deeper than its vacuous star.