A counterintuitive control scheme, oddly balanced difficulty, obnoxiously repetitive combat, and a nearly useless camera in co-op mode. Eventually such problems become too numerous and too annoying to tolerate, turning what could have been a simple monster-killing romp into a scattered, clumsy mess.

A counterintuitive control scheme, oddly balanced difficulty, obnoxiously repetitive combat, and a nearly useless camera in co-op mode. Eventually such problems become too numerous and too annoying to tolerate, turning what could have been a simple monster-killing romp into a scattered, clumsy mess.

Ultimate Ninja 2 still values style over substance, but a bigger cast of fighters and a better-realized story mode will certainly make it a hit with Naruto fans.

There's nothing else quite like Scarface on the Wii yet, but the gamepad-to-Wii Remote transition has made this lackluster game play even worse.

Ninjas, ninjas, and more ninjas can't save the technically flawed, uninspired Tenchu Z.

This middling rail shooter will not change your life, but it might improve a bus ride or two.

The Sims 2: Pets offers good AI and challenging pet gameplay, but the Wii control scheme isn't ideal.

Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree is a simple collection of brain teasers that are different enough from the other minigame collections on the Wii to make it worth playing.

Call of Juarez takes few risks with its setting or genre, but it does what it does well enough to be enjoyable.

This new take on an old favorite adds new, exciting elements to the formula without getting rid of what made Pac-Man so good in the first place.

The success of Tomb Raider: Anniversary is twofold; it does well by the memory of the original Tomb Raider, and also makes a dynamic action adventure game that's fun to play in 2007.

Dragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Densetsu's attempt to do something different with card battling, while commendable, doesn't compensate for its shallow gameplay.

Hospital Tycoon tries to inject a bit of drama into its by-the-numbers tycoon game formula, but ultimately ends up dead on the operating table.

Spaceforce offers up a beautiful, dynamic universe to explore, though it suffers from a steep learning curve.

Born of Blood is a very good, though brutally challenging, expansion to the turn-based space strategy game Sword of the Stars.

Planet Puzzle League offers a puzzle game experience that is familiar, flawed, and fun, all at once.

Soviet gulags were probably more punishing than You Are Empty, but we're not taking any bets.

Tank Beat isn't much fun. There's very little to it, and what is there is bland, and simplistic. If there's one feat developer MileStone managed to pull off, it's how dull it managed to make the act of blowing up tanks. That might be a fascinating accomplishment, but it makes for an utter bore of a game.

Hanging 10 in this movie-licensed surfing game has its moments--just don't expect to enjoy it for very long.

Hanging 10 in this movie-licensed surfing game has its moments--just don't expect to enjoy it for very long.

Halo 2 for Vista is a solid game that probably won't appeal to anyone who's played any recent high-profile PC shooters.

Terrible controls murder what little appeal exists in this archaic arcade driving game.

Hanging 10 in this movie-licensed surfing game has its moments--just don't expect to enjoy it for very long.

Hanging 10 in this movie-licensed surfing game has its moments--just don't expect to enjoy it for very long.

Surf's Up on the PSP is a basically fun variant on the kart racer formula, but the restrictive trick system and lack of online options means you'll be done with it quickly.

Hanging 10 in this movie-licensed surfing game has its moments--just don't expect to enjoy it for very long.

Hanging 10 in this movie-licensed surfing game has its moments--just don't expect to enjoy it for very long.

On the DS, Surf's Up is a fun, kart-style racer with a satisfying trick system and two worthwhile multiplayer options.