Between the simple card system, the short length, and the anime look, Fighter's Battle feels like a game that was meant to get younger players interested in the Dynasty Warriors series. Longtime fans may be irked by these changes and the lack of a story, but it's still a DW game at heart.

The graphics, which look perfectly fine on the PSP, look decidedly low budget blown up on a TV. This is compounded by the fact that AS has been released as a full price title. This would be less of a problem if the game was $30, but for $50? You'd be better off saving $20 and picking up a copy of "Resident Evil 4."

PSP owners will be able to gloat that their version of the game looks better than the Wii edition.

For those who are interested in some slightly-skewed nostalgia and the freedom to manipulate their characters' skills on a microscopic level, Final Fantasy II is a perfect time sink of RPG pleasure.

Rocks the 80s feels like it was slapped together with as minimal an effort as possible. A $50 price tag only adds insult to injury, as it's arguable whether it's even worth half that price.

It does take advantage of the 360's power to deliver the nicest looking iteration of the game, but questionable gameplay set-up, quirky AI, and lackluster online play drag things down. This version is slightly more playable than its PS3 counterpart, but only slightly.

Graphically, it's the best that NASCAR has ever looked, but once you get past the pretty picture, you're left with a racer with plenty of holes.

The problem with 08 is that it's not all that different from 07. Other than the chance to jump behind the wheel of the Car of Tomorrow or the ability to save races at any point -- which is cool -- there's not a whole lot that's shiny and new about it.

That these additions make the experience deeper and richer and way more fun can be considered nothing less than a "Wonder."

What's most important to us is that this game has come closer than ever to recapturing everything we loved about the first Ghost Recon and for that alone we think it's worth checking out.

A solid RPG for the handheld and one that definitely blows one-dimensional RPGs like Untold Legends and X-Men Legends out of the water with its sheer depth and levels of customization. It can get repetitive at times and you'll occasionally get overwhelmed with micromanaging your inventory, but the pay-off is generally worth it.

Even with its foibles, it's a darn good time. It makes you want to play again. It continually induces high-stress profanity. It forces you to improve -- and with time, you do.

Definitely worth another few play-throughs. However, it's depressing how little Sony added to this package.

The game shipped with passable production values, dated graphics, and a minimal number of play modes, so it's hard to consider this a good value at the $59.99 price point. On the other hand, if you're a die-hard football fan and want to once again experience 2K's style of play, then this is your only option.

The team clearly hasn't kept up with the competition in terms of graphics and presentation, as this year's game doesn't look that much better than the last outing.

The pace of things and the more demanding controls in Smash Court Tennis 3 may bum out those expecting more of an arcade tennis experience, but anyone looking for a truer-to-life sim-style take on the sport should definitely check this one out.

There's just not a lot of meat here, and after a single playthrough, you'll probably be ready to move on to the next big adventure.

A strong case can be made for Ninja Gaiden being the greatest action game ever made. This is easily one of the best games to play on your PlayStation 3.

If you're looking for a nice, simple time-killer, this is a good way to go. It gets even more fun when you have a friend join in. It's just a shame that there aren't more people to play against online.

The gameplay feels as though it has mapped exceptionally well to the PS3's controller, unlike many other ports for the console. However, Rainbow Six has traditionally been a multiplayer-focused franchise, and it's here that the game disappoints.

It's hard to recommend Transformers: The Movie on its own merits, but those looking to simply stomp around a city as Optimus Prime will have some fun with it.

I can't imagine anyone but diehard fans going to these lengths. Everyone else should stick to Atari's game based on Transformers Armada -- it's still the best way to wage a battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons.

I can't imagine anyone but diehard fans going to these lengths. Everyone else should stick to Atari's game that's based on Transformers Armada -- it's still the best way to wage a battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons.

It's well worth playing the single-player campaign, if only to experience an irreverent take on the typical fantasy setting.

If Lost Planet was a budget title, we'd have an easier time recommending it. The main campaign is short, multiplayer matches are nowhere to be found, and you'll need a lot of computing muscle if you want to run it with a decent level of detail.

Anyone coming to this game free of any prior experience with Final Fantasy in its previous incarnations will not be disappointed and longtime fans of the series in general will be gratified by witnessing the roots of such a storied franchise. However, those hardcore fans that have played the GBA version may find little to bring them back except the luscious screen resolution of the PSP.

The real issue with Nervous Brickdown is that it finds itself bound to the Breakout formula. There are some very cool, very well-suited to the DS mini-games here, but you're always fundamentally bouncing a ball and trying to make sure it doesn't slip past you.

There are some things the game does right -- the drive-by shooting is pretty sweet -- but problems with the controls for the driving -- essentially the guts of the game -- more than suck any sort of fun out of the thing.

But for $40, you're getting much, much more than your money's worth. Any PSP gamer with even a passing interest in music creation should absolutely take Traxxpad for a spin.

It does look good -- it's bright, colorful and the period art is great, as is the music -- but it's impossible to recommend for anyone other than the hardest of the hardcore. For those gamers, this is a no-brainer.

It's the closest thing we've seen to an HD-gen "Silent Hill," except that in The Darkness you get to play as that venerable franchise's ultimate evil monstrosity, Pyramid Head, clothed in the flesh of a mafia hit man.

It's the closest thing we've seen to an HD-gen "Silent Hill," except that in The Darkness you get to play as that venerable franchise's ultimate evil monstrosity, Pyramid Head, clothed in the flesh of a mafia hit man.

It's a little thin on game modes, but the career mode is a kick, as is going head-to-head against a buddy or two. There are far worse ways to spend your summer.

It's a little thin on game modes, but the career mode is a kick, as is going head-to-head against a buddy or two. There are far worse ways to spend your summer.

The Bigs is more fun than its hardball counterpart in Wii Sports, but not by much.

Multiplayer is where the game takes a big hit when compared to the PSP version of The Show.

The real draw here should be competing with other players over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connect. Sadly, it's far too difficult to really get anything resembling a fulfilling online experience out of Pokémon Battle Revolution.

Hour of Victory does stage a mini-assualt on the typical genre formula by offering three different characters. That coup, unfortunately, is put down by the sheer force of mistakes found in every other aspect of the game. Dulled-down graphics, poor framerate issues, and undesirable online play nuke this one.

If you've got a penchant for dumping quarters in the traditional machines at local bars, Touchmaster is for you.

Sure, Order of the Phoenix is a little rough around the edges, but it's still the best Harry Potter game yet. Fans will get a huge kick over how well it recreates Harry's world.

Sure, Order of the Phoenix is a little rough around the edges, but it's still the best Harry Potter game yet. Fans will get a huge kick over how well it recreates Harry's world.

That rushed feeling permeates through the entire game.

Fans will get a huge kick over how well it recreates Harry's world. I know a lot of multiple system owners are wondering if they should get this version of the game or go for the "prettier" versions. It's a tough call, really. The Wii controls are quite a bit of fun, but the 360 and PS3 versions looks quite a bit better (although the Wii version certainly doesn't look bad).

Despite the enjoyable spell casting, the DS version of Order of the Phoenix simply isn't much fun. It's made even less enjoyable due to the poorly handled control and camera angles.

If you're looking for a break from the usual DS fare of brain boosters and quirky "impress the girl by beating a billion mini-games" titles, this game will fill the need. But for those looking for a more definitive way to defeat Hitler -- and in the original "story boards" for the war, he sported a Fu Manchu moustache -- the wait continues.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of DiRT is the poorly implemented multiplayer portion of the game. Instead of allowing you to try some of the head-to-head events that are included in the single-player game, like the Rally Raids or CORR events, you're limited to single-car hill climbs and rally events against times being uploaded by other players in your session.

The lack of a real multiplayer mode is a huge disappointment to us. What makes this omission even worse is how short the single-player campaign is.

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

If you're that desperate for some new Transformers action, you'd be better off sticking to the console versions. Or better yet, track down a copy of Atari's old PS2 game based on Transformers Armada (sure, the cartoon kinda sucked, but the game was aces). In the meantime, this game should be the first thing to jettison when Astrotrain starts requesting that we lighten our burden.

Sure, it's a bit simplistic, but the gameplay is solid and the odd online mode is strangely addicting.

The multiplayer features in SimCity DS are so disappointing that one might start wondering about the exact meaning of the word "multiplayer" itself as seen on the back of the box.

The reason that the Wii version is the best is because the new control system makes the gameplay more enjoyable. Using both the Wii remote and the nunchuck, players will be able to perform all of the regular moves and attacks from before, only now they can do them in a more sensitive, accurate and pleasing fashion.

A good game. Vicarious Visions does some great work on the DS, so I suppose that I shouldn't have been too worried. Sure, it's a bit simplistic, but the gameplay is solid and the odd online mode is strangely addicting.

And although you can probably get twenty bucks' worth of fun out of it with a little effort, why wouldn't you just drop the cash on a game that did it better two years ago?

If you're really into the whole brain training thing, Hot Brain is a perfectly serviceable game. Just be aware that you're not getting a lot of bang for your buck. You'll have fun, but once you finish a couple of rounds, you'll start to wish that you could have more.

The graphics are distinctly last-gen, with bland, repetitive environments that feel as slapped together as every other part of this lackluster brawler.

There is a special level of Video Game Hell reserved for ROTSS. Simply by existing, it has made the world that much less fun. It's the videogame equivalent of watching your dog being run over, with worse production values.

The graphics are distinctly last-gen, with bland, repetitive environments that feel as slapped together as every other part of this lackluster brawler.

There is a special level of Video Game Hell reserved for ROTSS. Simply by existing, it has made the world that much less fun. It's the videogame equivalent of watching your dog being run over, with worse production values.

There's no reason for you to ever play this waste of plastic. Avoid it at all costs.

It's just that the really sloppy platforming and box-moving, which take up a good chunk of the game, puts a big damper on any joy that we might find in shooting up bandits and cowboys.

Naruto fans will most definitely not be disappointed by this sequel, and even fighting game fans who can't tell a Hokage from a Dragon Ball could do worse than to check it out.

Don't get us wrong, we understand that Tenchu sucks, but some of us happen to like it regardless of its faults and it is those die-hard fans that will find Tenchu Z to be the most rewarding of the entire series.

Time Ace comes close to being a good game, but its blandness and obnoxious habit of steering innocent pilots into an early grave keep it from reaching its full potential.

It's probably the best concoction of edutainment that you'll find this year, if you're playing it alone. However, given the sense of community that we've found goes hand in hand with the Wii's marketing, we're just as disappointed in the multiplayer options as we are happy with the single player.

There will be inevitable comparisons to Neversoft's GUN, but CoJ feels much more a next-gen version of the lackluster Dead Man's Hand than anything else. And it's about as worthwhile a purchase.

Anniversary is a great way to relive the original feel of Tomb Raider; just don't expect anything more.

Not only can you learn how to play it in ten minutes, you can pretty much master the strategy of it in the same amount of time as well.

The gameplay is a snap to pick up, but the player is rewarded for delving deeper into the combo system. Sure, there are those who will say that the original Tetris is the best puzzle game of all time, but if there was ever a game that could top it, it's this one.

Bereft of any sort of challenging AI and sporting a handful of weapons that all seem to have been dredged from some imaginary WWII shooter from the eighties, this game is the kind of thing you can expect to get for Christmas from a grandma that knows nothing about video games and relies on a shifty game store employee looking to move the non-sellers.

The long delay, outdated graphics, crazy system requirements and the clunky Games for Windows LIVE system are show-stopping obstacles to what should have been a great port of a great game more than a year ago.

It really can teach you to appreciate the nuances of racing and may even renew your love of cars. For a game like this, we think that's the best compliment we can give it.

Fans of shooters will find, quickly enough, that the absolute reliance on purchased abilities over skill makes this a poor Counterstrike-style title. RPG fans will, likewise, find that there aren't enough RPG elements to make a whole game out of. And both sides should have the common sense to realize that when a company sneaks out a test game disguised as a full retail product, you don't reward it by buying it.

While the abilities are beautifully balanced and the right team can be a near-amazing gameplay experience, the price, the stinginess of the content, and the amateurish lack of polish gives us pause. Maybe a lower price point that doesn't make Shadowrun as much of a ripoff as it is could help down the line. But until then, despite how much I want to like Shadowrun, the good times are not nearly worth all the money, frustration and hassle.

While unimpressive from a technical standpoint, and uninspired from a mini-games standpoint, the core Mario Party formula remains intact.

The party mentioned in the title is a very short one and players will likely decide to leave it early to knock on other doors: Rayman: Raving Rabbids and Wario Ware offer much more fun for only slightly more cash.

With levels that build on each other in terms of complexity (and, thusly, difficulty), the game inspires that kind of "just one more level" feeling of addiction that may result in you freeing Dan from his insomnia but earning yourself a nasty case in return.

We really wanted to like Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm, but the series is stagnating in gameplay that was obtusely old-fashioned ten years ago. It's unfortunate, but the magic is long-gone.

Your best bet for head-to-head fighting fun on Nintendo's newest platform.

The game is tolerable if you're really into its style, which is decidedly Japanese (both the art direction and the gameplay). If you are new to the Mana series, this is probably a bad introduction.

Even though the difficulty ramps up dramatically halfway through Career mode, dedicated gamers will be able to complete the whole thing in a day, if they don't get tired of the somewhat shallow and repetitive gameplay before then.

Playing Brooktown High, you can't really ever lose, but with so little content to explore and so little reward, you can't really win either.

Ninja Council 3 comes across as a game that was quickly slapped together just to get something Naruto-related on the DS.

Even though the difficulty ramps up dramatically halfway through Career mode, dedicated gamers will be able to complete the whole thing in a day, if they don't get tired of fighting the poorly designed controls before then.

There were times when I was getting into the action despite the repetitive fighting. A lot of the levels are well-designed and if you're a Pirates fan, it does a pretty good job of transporting you into Jack's world.

If At World's End had standard combat controls, it wouldn't be a great game, but it'd be solidly mediocre. As it is, it's just no fun to play. Even the biggest Pirates fan will quickly grow tired and toss in their "Dead Man's Chest" DVD to watch while they place an ice pack on their shoulder.

The dueling is fun, and it's even available as a multiplayer game. Unfortunately, you need two copies of the game to take advantage of it.

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.

Despite its technical issues Freestyle Street Basketball is a charming, fun street-style basketball MMO with a great value proposition. With its five-minute play time and free low-level game, it can be enjoyed by those looking for a quick game on an afternoon lunch break.

A slick and graphically upgraded version of an already strong PS2 title. It shares some of the same problems as that game -- namely a very difficult base running mode -- and has a few of its own in the form of some of some graphics hiccups, but overall, it's a solid debut.

Once the initial enthusiasm fades, there's very little to keep a player's interest. The plot is inconsistent and the pace of the game is too discontinuous to be truly appreciated.

The interface may be ugly, the transition effect between levels is crude, and we had a number of random lockups on three separate systems, but there isn't anything here that's a true deal-breaker.

What Infernal has to offer is very simple, pretty graphics, showcased in a variety of levels that take you from a mountainside monastery to an offshore train yard to an aircraft carrier, paired with decent action and surprisingly fun boss battles.

Command & Conquer 3 isn't a brilliant reinvention of the RTS game. It's dirt-farming and mediocre live-action cutscenes and tank rushes and screaming that the Mammoth Tank is unbalanced (it is), and that's where the fun lies.

But for those who were hoping for an evolution of the franchise, or those who have had no exposure to it in the first place, this is not the game for you.

For the hardcore military buff, ArmA's attention to real-world detail is unmatched; comparing it to something like "Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter" is like comparing "IL-2 Sturmovik" to "Combat." If this concept scares you, then run away: ArmA will eat you up and spit you out before you can figure out how to aim your M-16.

Right out of the gate, Spider-Man 3 is going to smack you in the face with some of the worst next-gen graphics you have ever seen.

While the controls on the PS2 are easily the best out of any of the other console incarnations, they still can't save this game from succumbing to it own horribly boring repetition.