Somewhere inside Nexagon: Deathmatch, there's an interesting concept trying to get out, but the arena combat, base building, and futuristic sports theme never gel. The lack of clear instruction, the fun-killing load times, frequently lame combat, and some bugs and pathfinding problems don't do the game any favors.

The game's more successful at being "Virtua Barbie" for the urbanite than playing a mean game of basketball.

Isn't worth the cost of an Extra Value Meal, let alone two.

A barely playable disappointment that'll spend less time in the hands of gamers than it will in the hands of the lawyers representing Lady Miss Kier.

If you're a Disney fan, you'll be disappointed by the lack of any real Disney-ness to the game. Other than the grainy images of Mickey and crew, you get no sense of the characters' personalities, voices, or quirks. If you're a racing fan, the game's dreadful camera takes away any potential for high-speed fun and action.

Mildly entertaining for as long as it will take you to win it, and you will win it, because unlimited lives and forgiving checkpoints make this something you can do all on a Sunday afternoon.

Sure the graphics are fabulous, but the gameplay, sound effects, replay value, level design, and camera system are so poor that few people will find this game fun.

Couple the control and camera issues with the bland and slapped-together feel of the graphics, the glitchy control scheme, and a protagonist who does nothing for long stretches of time and then runs from danger, and it's hard to come up with a single reason (other than the big Lord of the Rings logo on the box) why anyone would want to purchase this game.

If special effects trump all the complaints in this review, well, go ahead and enjoy, just keep the receipt around for when the novelty starts to fade.

A textbook case of the gameplay taking a backseat to the graphics... Auto Modellista's biggest problem is still the poor control.

There isn't a single original or inspired moment in any of the game's 16 levels...The level design is so pathetic that the game first recycles a background tile set from Level 1 in Level 3!

Although it had some great ideas (the RTS elements) and a cool storyline, the actual execution of the gameplay is mediocre.

Horrid control combined with a poor interface leaves Combat Medic gasping for air on the battlefield.

Infinite lives can't make up for gameplay that rivals NES games for cheap deaths, many of which are caused by shoddy controls. RTX Red Rock is an experience in pain.

Commits the worst possible crime: it's simply no fun to play.

Is Tsunami 2265 totally devoid of value? Not completely, but it's close.

Just a third-person action game with a respectable storyline and an interesting soundtrack paired with gameplay that simply can't deliver the goods.

Fails to deliver in almost every category. Nicely rendered monster trucks and official licenses hardly mask the disastrous elements that ravenously eat away at this game's soul.

If you're looking for depth or a realistic simulation, look elsewhere. If you're looking for tense, adrenaline-pumping arcade action, you'll probably want to look elsewhere too. It's true that you might find simple glee as you blaze away with your bomber's heavy machine guns, but that wears thin in a hurry.

Once again the problem is one of controls, perspective, and a complete lack of freedom.

It’s also not an overly difficult game, nor an overly long game, nor an overly attractive game, nor an overly fun game.

The embodiment of third-rate gameplay.

The worst thing, though, is the fact that once you've built the airport, the game is essentially over.

The problem with the single-player experience is that the AI is horrible in two major ways.

The game isn't a complete donkey, but it's painfully undernourished in the fun department. A real Mickey Mouse game, to be sure.

Of the three versions, the GameCube release of X-Men: Next Dimension is the best -- strictly in a relative sense, of course.

The lack of speed is a real problem here.

Gotham City Impostors isn't a free-to-play shooter, but it sure feels like one. Even as a $15 purchase, it's a game that's as eager to get you into its cash shop as its paltry five maps, with one of the slowest character customization systems ever to be unlocked by DLC, and matchmaking so poor that getting into a full 6v6 game actually feels like an achievement.

If you're a dedicated Gundam fan that doesn't mind the rudimentary gameplay elements, you'll probably enjoy yourself. Otherwise, with so many other superior RPGs available for the PS2, it's hard to recommend MS Saga.

This game could have been the be all and end all for Trek fans and action gamers alike instead of the sad capstone to a long history of crappy licensed video games.

Despite a few nice features and a cool graphical style (pixel art is pretty awesome), the lame microgames outweigh the good ones by a hefty margin.

Little more than a generic game with little to no flavor of its own. Unless you're a diehard Warhammer fan, Battle for Atluma doesn't have much to offer.

Gretzky '06 piles up some new features, does a better job of tracking franchise info, and has the AHL license for minor-league teams. It does not, however, come close to equaling the on-ice fun of "NHL 2k6" or "NHL '06."

Krater is a game with many problems, most all the more irritating for being specifically added to the formula instead of simply messing it up.

Ultimately, the only notable improvements to this game over the SNES version are the inclusion of a new save feature (as opposed to the cruddy password system of the original), and the inclusion of an extra level (which serves to extend the shelf-life of this game to roughly one full afternoon).

Even though Spy vs. Spy has some dreadful, contrived gameplay, things are evened out a bit with options for in-game Dolby Digital sound and HDTV 480p functions. Even though you're stuck with a mediocre game, it will look and sound fairly clean.

Dungeonland could have done with a good couple more months in the oven.

Even at $29.99 and with an arcade mode that might keep you amused for five or ten minutes, State of Emergency 2 feels simultaneously stale and awkward. It isn't complete trash, but it is too aggravating and unimaginative to be worth more than a Friday night rental.

Operation Spy proves there's plenty of spy-related mini-games yet to be made, but ripping them out of the context of some kind of story means it's all pretty boring.

The decision to reinvent it as an urban street racer wasn't a smart one. The gangsta-ization of things ends up giving PSP owners a forgettable gaming concept and gameplay that's only memorable for its rough spots.

Ace of Spades is also missing a level editor, which is really surprising in a game built from blocks, but that goes hand in hand with the locked-down server, I'd imagine. Those poor decisions have left it in the remarkable position of being fun to play, and completely unplayable at the same time. It's capable of some amazing moments, but Jagex haven't built the potential blockbuster (har har) that it could be.

It's just so generic, despite its few twists, and its B-grade action movie cinematics and plot are absolutely the stuff of dozens of other also-ran action games of the current generation.

If you think you can weather the barrage of glitches and occasionally having to quit and restart stages, then you'll probably have some fun with LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy. Of course, by buying it, you're also telling LucasArts that it's okay for it to release games that are clearly unfinished.

A sloppy port of a game I found to be fairly mediocre.

Even if it does look really cool with its robots, aliens, and model spaceships, Unstoppable Gorg is just an unbalanced mess of a tower defense game. It seems to spend more time setting the player up to fail, than to offer a compelling reason to keep playing.

There have been worse football games out there, but not a lot. If you've got young gamers in your household, sit down with them and break down a Madden playbook instead of forcing NFL Tour on them. Unlike its spiritual predecessor NFL Street, there are no Gamebreakers here. Instead, the game itself is broken.

We don't doubt that Ninja Reflex will improve your reflexes and bring you some small level of coordination. On the other hand, you could probably achieve the same effect with a fighting game or shooter, and have twice the fun.

It's just so generic, despite its few twists, and its B-grade action movie cinematics and plot are absolutely the stuff of dozens of other also-ran action games of the current generation.

You can randomize population (electoral votes), wealth, issue importance, and demographics, but all this does is divorce Political Machine 2012 from context even more. There are historical and social reasons for red state/blue state divides, reasons that Republicans tend to be more successful in rural, poorer states, reasons that certain issues may be more important to California and New York than they are in Georgia and Tennessee. But Political Machine 2012 is only interested in the game of presidential politics -- and unfortunately, it doesn't even do a good job with that game.

While the basic gameplay engine is solid enough, TMNT forgets that less is sometimes more, and does a fine job of boring the player as a result.

No care was taken to immerse players into the world they've lived with since Lewis' tale was first published. And that's a shame.

Exactly what I expected it to be -- a perfectly mediocre game with a few good jokes and not a whole lot of gameplay.

Brilliant concepts ham-handedly executed. All I could think of after finishing the game was poor Fredo standing in the house in Nevada whining, "I'm smart! Not like everybody says... like dumb... I'm smart and I want respect!" Respect has to be earned, and The Godfather II doesn't even come close.

A turbulent ride between decent action, half-baked graphics and camera, and occasionally clunky, but undeniably authentic presentation.

Bleach: Shattered Blade fails in many key areas. However, we'd be willing to overlook the dated graphics, horrid voice acting, wonky controls, or lack of depth if the game was one thing: fun. Hopefully Bleach diehards will enjoy it, because most players won't.

Remarkably enough, the controls are worse than the graphics...If you're looking for a great Tolkien experience, go to your local library and read the books.

There were times when I was loving Astro Boy and times when it was boring me to tears.

A pile of uninspired, by-the-numbers gameplay and missed opportunities.

1) It's not flashy; 2) It's not easy; 3) There's not much of a reward waiting for you at the end. So as long as you're okay with Myst throwbacks in all their staid, obtuse non-glory, you won't be disappointed.

If you go into Touch the Dead with low expectations, they'll probably be met. If you're expecting something on the level of Resident Evil: Deadly Silence or the House of the Dead franchise, prepare for disappointment, because this is one zombie game that will make you want to eat your own brain.

Hell, Alpha Black Zero even makes games like "Chrome" look like high art. Ultimately, the intriguing storyline doesn't compensate for the vast, boring levels, and ugly scenery.

Everything about Raw Danger gets old quick, and that's not the mark of a quality gaming experience.

There's a severe lack of engagement on the part of the player.

Between the occasionally spotty controls, the linear quest, and the highly repetitive mini-games, only the most dedicated Potter fans need enroll this term. Oh, and it was very disappointing to find out that the final boss battle doesn't have you playing as Professor Snape. Very disappointing.

The game's fighting mechanic was a little thin to begin with, and without an online version to lend it some legs, it gets old real fast. Playing with the GameCube controller isn't too hot, either.

It's just a crappy movie tie-in, pushed out just in time for the upcoming film.

Topsy-Turvy's sensor isn't quite so advanced -- it only picks up three moves: left, right, and neutral. This gives you far less control over the onscreen action, and can be especially frustrating when you want to roll that boulder just a tad to the right so that you land on it instead of that pit of spikes after you jump.

Bottom line: this is a bad basketball game. The last Sony-published hoops title, NBA ShootOut 2004, was extremely solid, so these massive leaps backwards befuddle me to no end.

It's an amusing homage to the '90s, and too likeable to hate, but it's impossible to recommend to anyone but die-hard SimTower fans.

It feels like Hudson got about halfway through developing it, got tired, and decided to call it quits.

It's hard to figure how they could have got the story, characters, and point more wrong than this. Perhaps by replacing Tyler Durden with, say, Dick Cheney, things would have been worse.

Mutant Nightmare, while wholly competent, goes down like pabulum and possesses all the (as the kids are wont to say) mad flava of boiled water.

For most people, that's exactly what Lost in Blue 2 will be: a complete waste of time. But for a small audience of those that enjoy insurmountable challenges and crushing defeat, Lost in Blue 2 will fit the bill nicely.

This racer needs a serious adrenaline injection to truly compete.

Most of the missions are dull and repetitive, involving menial tasks like delivering cargo or flying around and popping balloons. The environments try hard to look nice and give off a "come explore me" vibe, but they're just too darned bland to generate any real interest.

A throwaway title, and an afternoon of modest fun that kids will get the most out of, since they'll be least put off by the abbreviated levels and most challenged by the puzzles.

Touch Detective has great stylized graphics, interesting-looking characters, a simple interface, and humorous writing, but it all adds up to nothing when the core storyline and gameplay are so lackadaisical.

One gets the feeling that the show's creators are trying to wash their hands of Via Domus, awkwardly placed as it is in the series' now-sprawling legendarium. But above and beyond that, fans should approach it as a lark; it's not very accomplished as a game.

The typical stigma of a launch game includes bugs, glitches, unpolished visuals, short and hurried gameplay, and a general lack of depth. Sadly, Spider-Man 2 fits the bill.

Sure, the online functions decently, but it's merely allowing thousands of gamers with buyer's remorse to play a mediocre game.

A somewhat benign, scaled-down version of the console version that might catch some parents' eye on the shelf come holiday shopping time.

Exactly what I expected it to be -- a perfectly mediocre game with a few good jokes and not a whole lot of gameplay.

A pile of uninspired, by-the-numbers gameplay and missed opportunities.

Even at $30, NHL 07 on the PC is overpriced. It's a budget title, plain and simple, almost exactly like last year's game with a minimal effort to include the new Skill Stick.

In a way, Cortex Command seems like it's asking for a lot of concessions because, for the most part, it still feels like an unfinished game.

I can't say I had no fun at all playing Jagged Alliance: Back in Action -- in fact, I'm having an entertaining time replaying the early missions with an all-melee hit squad and doing better than my first time around -- but I can say that of the 50 hours of my life it took to put a bullet in the queen, I want about half of them back. Even hardcore strategy players are going to have a hell of a time liberating Arulco without it turning into a frustrating quagmire.

In case you haven't been paying attention for the past 1,000 or so words, you have to really like samurai to want to play this. And I mean really, really like samurai.

If only the mini-games that you have to constantly play were more alluring.

All things considered, it's probably a blessing that Dead To Rights II is a short game. Most players will easily nail the coffin shut in a weekend.

Aliens: Colonial Marines didn't leave me catatonic, but it did leave me scratching my head and wondering how a game that's been in development for roughly seven years at the same studio that gave us Borderlands 2 could be released in such an uninspired, unpolished state. Strangely, and perhaps fittingly, it's all wrapped up on a frustrating note that sets up some sort of Aliens tell-all continuation of the story without giving any actual answers.

There's nothing outright horrific about Big Mutha Truckers 2; in extremely short bursts, it can even be a bit of no-brainer fun. But there's too much that's underdeveloped and gruelingly tedious over the long haul.

The AI is shoddy, ball physics are often laughable, and, worst of all, there's no online play for any of the systems.

Turn It Around is a one-trick pony that's still looking to perfect its one trick. The game lacks the diversity of play that has helped make other titles in the mini-game genre meet with at least a moderate amount of success.

All In seems like Crave's attempt to bet the farm on nothing more than a high card. The few improvements the game makes over last year's entry pale in comparison to its shortcomings.

While folks new to the license will undoubtedly be disappointed in the unmanageable controls and cheesy voice acting, die-hard fans of the series will not be terribly surprised by the subpar elements.

Feels rushed and slapped-together as a low-budget attempt to cash in on the holiday film release and make a quick buck from the fans before word gets out that it's not worth half its retail price.

It's just a crappy movie tie-in, pushed out just in time for the upcoming film.

The first time I played the game, I thought that the speakers on my DS had blown out. Background noises that were supposed to sound like running water instead sounded like a harsh mix of radio static and feedback.