Smash Cars isn't going to appeal to everyone, but its easy-to-pick-up style of play, often absurdly amusing level design, and budget price tag make it a worthwhile purchase or rental for any RC or kart racing fan.

It's primarily a hack-and-slash game, but the combat tends to be unsatisfying, the production values seem dated, the difficulty is uneven and sometimes excessive, and the original alternate-history setting isn't enough to compensate.

Last year's "Virtua Fighter 4" bordered on perfection, and this new game is technically even better.

Won't win any new converts to the strategy genre, but it's a good game that ought to please devotees of the series.

Covers nearly every facet of professional football, but what makes this year's entry in the series so special is the fact that it ties all its components together seamlessly. Even the new gameplay features have been integrated incredibly well.

One of best football games to date. Madden NFL 2004 covers nearly every facet of professional football, but what makes this year's entry in the series so special is that it ties all its components together seamlessly.

There are a number of things that EA Sports could have improved upon from the previous game, but this series is still far and away the best for anyone looking for a traditional football game on Nintendo's popular handheld.

Covers nearly every facet of professional football, but what makes this year's entry in the series so special is the fact that it ties all its components together seamlessly. Even the new gameplay features have been integrated incredibly well.

Covers nearly every facet of professional football, but what makes this year's entry in the series so special is the fact that it ties all its components together seamlessly. Even the new gameplay features have been integrated incredibly well.

The real problem with Monster Truck Madness is that it's strictly a single-player experience.

Has some enjoyable moments, but the course design and weapon selection are pretty standard.

The lack of gameplay options also hurts Tennis Masters Series 2003, despite the fact that, fundamentally, it's a fairly sound game.

Only about five hours long, which is probably for the best, since the storyline is so nonsensical and the action is so repetitive that you'll quickly be begging for the game to end.

If you're completely new to the series, Island Thunder functions just fine as a stand-alone introduction to Ghost Recon, and with the full single-player campaign, the large number of maps and weapons, and the solid online support, there's a lot of bang for your buck here.

The game does have its moments, but the racing simply isn't very exciting.

There's no remarkable new gameplay to speak of, so the game is clearly intended for fans of the series, who've been impressed by Silent Hill's unusually dark and psychological style.

The world courses are absolutely packed with detail, and they feature some really spectacular special effects.

State of Emergency isn't exactly the deepest game on the market, but with its timers and its high-score lists, the game is definitely shooting for shorter, arcadelike play sessions.

The game does have its moments, but the racing simply isn't very exciting.

Tries very hard to capture the atmosphere and style of the Dinotopia books, but for the most part, it just isn't a lot of fun to play.

Korsun Pocket is an excellent game, is compelling and addictive for anyone interested in deep strategy games, and is easily the best 2D wargame for the PC to date.

A fairly simple fire-fighting simulation that manages to capture much of the thrill, energy, and suspense often associated with the profession.

A thoughtfully designed, complex, and pretty fun game to play. Alas, a dearth of supplemental features and some flimsy presentation drag down what could have been a more solid overall package.

The game's clever premise is overshadowed by the game's repetitive nature.

Even the most hard-core Aquaman devotees will likely find little use for this short, shallow, problematic ramshackle game.

A thoughtfully designed, complex, and pretty fun game to play. Alas, a dearth of supplemental features and some flimsy presentation drag down what could have been a more solid overall package.

A well-meaning title that seems to have all the necessary ingredients, but its key features simply feel too underdeveloped to be any good.

More planes, better graphics, and more options than ever before right out of the box, but the game will likely reach its full potential only if it receives great support from its player community.