MLB Slugfest 2006 isn't going to revolutionize baseball games, but even at less than half the price of the competition, it still can't be recommended.

In the end, City Life is a credible first try at a city-builder for Monte Cristo. The game's emphasis on social engineering and urban harmony is a nice addition to the genre, and if the player is willing to dig through the messy presentation, there's some fun to be had here.

Delivers exactly what you'd expect from a Half-Life expansion: it returns to the intriguing setting of City 17, delivers lots of tight action sequences and well-crafted puzzles, and is arguably the best-looking shooter out today.

Unfortunately, similar products have been around for years now, and unless you're not old enough to play competitive poker on an online gambling site (most of which offer free games as well), it's hard to justify picking this one up.

A game in waiting. It's certainly playable right now and has some fun despite its issues. Still, you can see how this could end up one of the best baseball game ever made... if it ever gets finished.

All in all, the game features enough choices and entertaining kills to have you playing some missions more than once, striving for that elusive Silent Assassin rating.

Unfortunately, similar products have been around for years now, and unless you're not old enough to play competitive poker on an online gambling site (most of which offer free games as well), it's hard to justify picking this one up.

The game features enough choices and entertaining kills to have you playing some missions more than once, striving for that elusive Silent Assassin rating.

All in all, the game features enough choices and entertaining kills to have you playing some missions more than once, striving for that elusive Silent Assassin rating.

Unfortunately, similar products have been around for years now, and unless you're not old enough to play competitive poker on an online gambling site (most of which offer free games as well), it's hard to justify picking this one up.

Spending 30 minutes aimlessly wondering around because you can't figure out what random part of the environment you're supposed to manipulate or sequence of moves to string together to topple a structure is unforgivable.

The brevity and ease of its single-player campaign and the lack of substance in its multiplayer combine to make for a relatively unsatisfying experience.

On one hand, you can't ignore the game's various shortcomings, the lack of editing tools and failing multiplayer. But on the other hand, it's hard to dismiss a game that eats up late night hours faster than G-String Diva reruns on HBO, leaving you desperate to finish a campaign mission at 3AM before you pass out.

It's a shame that Freedom isn't playable online, and there are a few awkward and unforgiving gameplay elements that hurt the overall experience, but determined hunters will find this quarry worth pursuing.

The multiplayer component is particularly strong, with ad hoc games, an infrastructure network mode where players can link up for games, and a transmission mode where you can send individual turns to other players, so a game can be played over a longer period of time, much like the old play-by-email strategy gaming of yesteryear.

The game lays out so much for the player to happen across and take an active part in that you're able to suspend your disbelief and feel like your actions actually mean something.

This new PSP version retains all of the original's charm and addictive playability, while adding in some fantastic new levels and overhauling the graphics and controls to make it feel like it was meant to be a PSP game from the start.

Spending 30 minutes aimlessly wondering around because you can't figure out what random part of the environment you're supposed to manipulate or sequence of moves to string together to topple a structure is unforgivable.

The brevity and ease of its single-player campaign and the lack of substance in its multiplayer combine to make for a relatively unsatisfying experience.

The controls don't feel like they're adequate enough to stand up to the fast-paced action that the CPU or a multiplayer opponent can deliver.

The single-player experience is pretty sparse and really only worth playing to gain more characters, Achievement Points, and practice. Multiplayer is at the core of this game.

The game's poor presentation and frustrating combat system make the mystery behind The Da Vinci Code one that most gamers would be better off leaving unsolved.

Perhaps the worst offense of all would have to be Wolverine. Not only has Z-Axis managed to take everyone's favorite adamantium-infused Canadian wildman and turn him into possibly the most boring hero ever, they've pinned a sizable majority of the action upon playing as him. Boring, you say? Yes.

Perhaps the worst offense of all would have to be Wolverine. Not only has Z-Axis managed to take everyone's favorite adamantium-infused Canadian wildman and turn him into possibly the most boring hero ever, they've pinned a sizable majority of the action upon playing as him. Boring, you say? Yes.

Perhaps the worst offense of all would have to be Wolverine. Not only has Z-Axis managed to take everyone's favorite adamantium-infused Canadian wildman and turn him into possibly the most boring hero ever, they've pinned a sizable majority of the action upon playing as him. Boring, you say? Yes.

Perhaps the worst offense of all would have to be Wolverine. Not only has Z-Axis managed to take everyone's favorite adamantium-infused Canadian wildman and turn him into possibly the most boring hero ever, they've pinned a sizable majority of the action upon playing as him. Boring, you say? Yes.

The game's poor presentation and frustrating combat system make the mystery behind The Da Vinci Code one that most gamers would be better off leaving unsolved.

The backgrounds and gameplay are purely 2D, and the 2D and 3D elements blend together perfectly.

Elegant and beautiful and quirky, and shows (in multiplayer at least) flashes of undeniable brilliance. Unfortunately, also like Leonardo's gadgets, Rise of Legends never quite gets off the ground.

Sadly, with ultra-generic gameplay and a muddled story, there's very little in Emergence to hook gamers into future installments.

The first game that made me want to spike my PSP in frustration. In that sense, it manages to truly recapture the home console experience of being angry enough with a game to destroy equipment. Past that, it's a title mired with long load times and not-so-great controls.

It's might not be the best role-playing or real-time strategy game on the market, but when combined, it makes for something surprisingly special.

There isn't one big problem that keeps this game from becoming truly exceptional; instead, it's a collection of small issues that will likely cause a few moments of frustration and anger.

If you're the kind of gamer that likes to set two CPU-controlled combatants battle against each other in "Street Fighter II" and bet on the outcome with your friends, then this may be your type of game.

On a very meaningful level, it gives complete newcomers access to the most exciting aspect of the game right out of the box. And should those players decide to sample everything that it has to offer, they will not be disappointed.

Despite the occasional missteps, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is a more than fitting tribute to its literary inspiration. It's also a great way for fans of real horror to give themselves the heebie-jeebies for a dozen hours or so. Just don't play it late at night, alone.

If you loved the classic OutRun and happened to miss OutRun 2, you definitely need to give Coast 2 Coast a try. It's a prime example of how to update a classic video game for a modern system.

People looking for a loud and crash-filled Burnout experience or something more simish like Gran Turismo will be sorely disappointed, but if you just want to chill out and drive, then this is the game for you. Just don't be surprised if you start feeling a sense of déjà vu if you play it for too long.

For a first attempt at a new idea, this is a pretty solid game, and worth a look for most RPG fans. The worst part? You just know any sequel's going to have a lot more than 396 spells to remember. End the madness!

With tasty graphics and a finely-tuned battle engine, Dust Strikers is another quality entry into the Guilty Gear series that while not offering anything new (or better) than other DS fighting games, is still an enjoyable game.

It's by no means a terrible game, but it simply isn't any better than its older brethren.

Winback 2 is essentially the closest we've come to a three-dimensional maze hunt, complete with action elements that attempt to distract you from an overly simplified gameplay structure. This may have worked at the tail end of the Nintendo 64's lifespan, but at the tail end of this console cycle it just doesn't cut it.

There's a strange sense of... Well, it isn't fun exactly, but it's a slightly addictive charm that forces you to reassemble your controller and try that damn stage one more time... until you fail again due to circumstances beyond your control, and the rage returns.

Midway's got a decade to think about what they want the 30th anniversary Rampage remake to look like. Here's hoping they get it right then.

If you're looking for a full dose of FIFA action, replete with glorious presentation, exciting gameplay, and plenty of online challenge, 2006 FIFA World Cup should be at the top of your playlist.

While it's not the deepest game, it's got enough in the way of modes, including the fairly tough Global Challenge Mode, to keep players going until the next FIFA installment next fall.

If you're looking for a full dose of FIFA action, replete with glorious presentation, exciting gameplay, and plenty of online challenge, 2006 FIFA World Cup should be at the top of your playlist.

Unfortunately, where World Tour improved on its predecessor in every way, Total Destruction fails to recapture any of the fun of its arcade ancestors.

If you're looking for a full dose of FIFA action, replete with glorious presentation, exciting gameplay, and plenty of online challenge, 2006 FIFA World Cup should be at the top of your playlist.

But if you're new the genre, you might want to know what you're getting into: a very, very demanding experience. Yes, it can be rewarding, and you might just make a lot of friends in the process.

Dreamfall is an amazing journey that propels players into a world where science and magic and art and music combine to make a whole much greater than the sum of its parts.

While it's tough to give NeoWave a recommendation, there's no real reason for interested parties to avoid it. KOF is still KOF, and this game is what it is.

Dreamfall is an amazing journey that propels players into a world where science, magic, art, and music combine to make a whole much greater than the sum of its parts.

Brain Age is a remarkably accessible game that just about anyone can pick up and get something out of.

The problem is that NetDevil really needs to improve on the social aspects of the game; as it stands now, it's more of a "massively single-player game" than anything else.

It keeps everything that fans love about the series and adds more to the experience. Although gamers looking for a deep experience may find the game lacking in some respects, casual gamers looking for a refreshing adventure won't be disappointed.

It took me just under 8 hours to complete 90% of the game, and it's not a terrible stretch to imagine someone rushing through it in 5 or 6. It's a good sign for a game when players want more, and it's further proof that the Tomb Raider series is back in a big way.

It's far from revolutionary, but as a mélange of elements that have proven successful in other action/adventure games, it's certainly entertaining and gratifying on many levels.

It took me just under 8 hours to complete 90% of the game, and it's not a terrible stretch to imagine someone rushing through it in 5 or 6. It's a good sign for a game when players want more, and it's further proof that the Tomb Raider series is back in a big way.

Are you going to play multiplayer on Xbox Live? If you are, rush out and pick this game up right now. It's got just about everything you could want from a multiplayer game, including plenty of competition and a solid netcode implementation.

A rush of horror and brutality from the start, grabbing you by the throat, tossing you into the abyss, and laughing as you try to claw your way back out.

It took me just under 8 hours to complete 90% of the game, and it's not a terrible stretch to imagine someone rushing through it in 5 or 6. It's a good sign for a game when players want more, and it's further proof that the Tomb Raider series is back in a big way.

A severely flawed game that could have been far better had it undergone further testing. The freeze bug is absolutely crippling and has even caused retailers like EBGames and GameStop to reduce the amount of money they'll offer for the game in trade-in value.

Odama is simply beyond strange. It's rock hard, annoying and yet intriguing all at the same time. It's also a pinball game, a strategy game and more over, a game that you'll either love or despise; or even a little of both.

If you liked the original, or are intrigued at the notion of dominating the one-on-one world, there's ample reason to pick this one up.

The WW2 shooter has been done to death, and this game doesn't do anything at all to breathe life into the genre.

You'll need to know what you're doing before you'll have any hope of enjoying it, but once you've made it, the effort will pay off.

The WW2 shooter has been done to death, and this game doesn't do anything at all to breathe life into the genre.

It's interesting that in this batch of baseball games, the owners of current-gen systems, specifically Xbox and PS2 owners, end up getting the more stable, and ultimately more enjoyable version of this game.

A pretty good port is a far cry from a strong original game, but fans looking for a quick fix of shooting action should find that this game meets the standard.

It's interesting that in this batch of baseball games, the owners of current-gen systems, specifically Xbox and PS2 owners, end up getting the more stable, and ultimately more enjoyable version of this game.

Strong, challenging puzzles, a perfect hint system, and an intriguing story makes Keepsake one of the better adventure games to come out in a while.

This is the sort of game you can enjoy well enough while you're playing it, but once you exit the program, you'll be in no great hurry to play it again.

A decent sequel to the first game that is ultimately mired by an intolerably imbalanced career mode.

There are definitely enough elements to have some fun with it, and it breaks up the monotony of the usual "win tournament to gain points" model.

A living, breathing fairy tale in the purest sense. In this tale, the magic and wonder from Disney's pantheon of worlds and characters are merged with the interactivity and excitement of an epic Square Enix role-playing adventure. The result, in theory, may seem contrived or overly convoluted. But it works.

The difficulty level may have been cranked up a little too high for the average gamer to enjoy the single-player experience, but the robust multiplayer component of the game helps to make up for it.

What we actually have, though, is something more in line with what the original should have been that ends up being less compelling for its lateness.

The tunes vary widely in difficulty -- and while personal taste in music is something I can't debate in a review, I found the overall selection of music to range from good to, shall we say, "interesting."

The single-player game features some welcome additions (pipe bombs are a lot of noisy, nasty fun), while the multiplayer is even more fun than it was the last time out. This is undoubtedly one of the Xbox 360's best titles.

A marked improvement over the original PSP launch title, with flashier, smoother graphics, a slicker, more user-friendly presentation, improved combat, and a slew of multiplayer options that will keep fans of the game coming back for more far after they've completed the single player campaign.

There's no doubt that the arenas look amazing, and the presentation is great. Unfortunately, this is a game and not a tech demo, and the gameplay and modes are severely lacking.

What I did get is some good co-op play, an extension of the Empire mode that I enjoyed a while back, and a current-gen price tag acting almost as an apology from Koei for the lack of innovation.

The difficulty level may have been cranked up a little too high for the average gamer to enjoy the single-player experience, but the robust multiplayer component of the game helps to make up for it.

It's certainly the best Harvest Moon game in recent years, and it really comes close to greatness -- if only it had been paced a little better, then everyone would be able to enjoy it.

In the end, though the mini-games may have their flaws, the true beauty of Space Rangers 2: Rise of the Dominators is how all of these disparate elements fit together into an almost seamless whole. The more the player gets into the Space Rangers universe, the more enjoyable the whole thing becomes.

Ultimately, playing the game makes you wish that the developers had spent more time refining the command system (or finding a decent cast of voiceover artists).

If you have any interest in the guts of baseball, OOTP 2007 is simply a must-own product. It's a landmark achievement. It's weird to think about it: It took a London-based company known for its soccer management games and a German-born developer with a passion for the sport to produce arguably the best and most complete simulation of America's Pastime.

Its fast-paced style of play makes it easy to pick up and put down on a whim, and its original presentation makes those moments of gameplay surprisingly fun.

While some may moan about the "twitch," "cheap," or "shockingly similar" gameplay that you just can't get away with these days, arcade purists and those seeking a legal way to play an outstanding array of Capcom's late '80s offerings should revel in this collection.

Though its simplified setup and reduced options may not please some of the more battle-hardened soldiers of days past, the game's more streamlined approach is an excellent way to bring the Worms experience to a new generation of gamers.

And while the occasional AI problem keeps the game from reaching its full potential, Worms: Open Warfare still manages to never stop entertaining.

While it features an innovative, easy-to-use melee combat system and some interesting campaigns, it's ultimately hurt by boringly repetitive side missions and some underwhelming environments.

You can make the argument that a videogame needs more action, but instead of building up any suspense that leads to action, the game beats you over the head with the action to the point of desensitization. That might work for a generic mob game, but when you slap The Godfather label on it, that raises the standards a bit.

A poorly implemented, poorly translated adventure game about an uninteresting character doing uninteresting things. Nearly the only things going for it are that it doesn't crash and should be playable on a wide variety of systems.

The people that made the game really want you to feel like you're chosen by destiny, fated to be a hero; and they've put a lot of effort into it. Being completely solid doesn't hurt, of course.

There's plenty of ball-rolling fun to be had here, as long as you keep it to brief intervals, or as often as the pain in your hands will allow.

Even Sam's biggest fans will disappointed by this mediocre title, especially those that are expecting the same type of experience they've gotten used to on the consoles.