A battery save would have been the icing on this otherwise delicious six-layer cake. However, even without it, Arcade Advanced is an excellent example of how a retro compilation should be done.

Artificial intelligence could be improved, with obvious gaffes affected by opposing boxers in the heat of battle, but overall, it's no slouch.

If you dig either dungeon crawlers or Marvel comic icons, you'll probably enjoy what Ultimate Alliance has to offer.

The concept behind Closure is superb though, and well served by the wrapping. Everything is tightly bound, from the look to the music to the puzzles. With plenty of levels and some fiendishly hidden bonuses, it'll also last you a decent amount of time.

On GBA, the second verse is the same as the first -- just a little bit smaller and it seems a bit worse.

The best game of its kind I've played. If nothing else, it definitely takes careful measures to ease in new players (meaning the non-Defense of the Ancients elite).

If you're into The Movies for the strategy sim, there's nothing noteworthy added in Stunts & Effects. But if you enjoyed building your own films, the freecam and the improved prop placement options alone are worth the price, while the props, sets, costumes, and effects merely add to the moviemaking experience.

The most troubling thing about Mechwarrior 4: Black Knight is that it's priced like a full game rather than the "add-more" expansion pack it really is.

If you enjoyed the lethargic pace of Tropico, you will likely find Paradise Island a decent enough expansion, but if you couldn't bear the seemingly endless waits for each building to be constructed, this add-on doesn't provide enough to make it worth a second try.

The interesting Shox Zone system and impressive list of unlockables make it one of the more addictive arcade driving games available.

An excellent arcade racing game marred by the lack of anti-aliasing. It seems to suffer from this much more than other games with the same problem.

It makes only incremental improvements to the gameplay formula, as with the first and second sequel.

For those of you who haven't gotten into the Balance Board yet but still want a taste of the carefree life of the world's preeminent pro snowboarder, Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip won't disappoint.

Whether you're a fan of wacky 2D side-scrolling adventure games or a long-time Super G'n G fan, this well-made port is definitely worth picking up.

The screeching of the monsters when they're getting shot and killed is piercing to the ears. Coupled with believable voice acting and excellent moody music, The Thing will be music to your ears.

The new DS-centric controls add a lot to the formula, though some other cool new features, such as forensic videos, are too sparsely used.

Rune Factory is a good experiment which introduces new concepts and refreshed gameplay , but it doesn't do a good job of using the DS' many capabilities.

I loved Wild ARMs 3. It's a wonderful example of a great sequel and a great game, and I would recommend it to any fan of console RPGs. Since Squaresoft did the translation, even the purists should have few gripes.

Sure, it can be rather frustrating at times, but it's always such enjoyable frustration.

Dancing and singing simply takes too much coordination, and the steps aren't timed well enough with the music to make them feel as natural as they should've.

Sporting slightly more impressive graphics than either the 360 or PS3 versions (mostly due to the superior definition of higher-end LCD displays combined with flashy video cards), the PC version of Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 could be the best version of the game.

This isn't a "pick up and play" experience. This is something that requires you to sit down and work with for days -- maybe weeks -- at a time before you start to see the fruits of your labor. Still, once you get a chance to play your game, it's extremely rewarding.

A great game. Sure, it's a wee bit difficult, and pirates aside, the game offers little that is different from its predecessor, but for series aficionados, or those looking to become series aficionados, this is a solid piece of work.

A highly polished and very enjoyable action title that, while not the equal of its console counterparts, is still a terrific action game on the PC.

And its distinctive Japanese flavor, teeming with uniquely fantastical architecture and environments that are rarely rendered Stateside -- complete with ridiculous anime hairdos and not-so-slick voice acting -- Crimson Sea will definitely quench your thirst for action.

Still the best thing out there...Hopefully the developers will make next year's version less arcade-like and implement more simulation aspects that take advantage of the fine engine.

It's got a nice open-ended style, a character that fits the gimmick, and plenty of violence.

Probably the coolest new feature of 2002 FIFA World Cup is the inclusion of juggling. A player who masters juggling can truly be devastating on the field.

While it's got a few problems, particularly with the load times, frequent checkpoints, and lack of multiplayer options, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow is still a good game.

The addition of the First Touch system makes the gameplay much more fluid, and it encourages you to improvise more often. Armchair managers will love the new career mode, one of the best you'll see this year.

Players who are willing to stick it out will find an RPG of unrivaled depth, innovation, and replayability.

Soul Bubbles does a magnificent job of feeding its unique approach to strategy and puzzle-solving at a constant yet measured pace, never leaving you with one bubble manipulating technique for long.

A lot of fun despite some serious missteps; the bad news is Praetorians falls far short of the greatness that it might have achieved.

Not only do you get a fairly rich role-playing experience, but you also get the jumping and exploring bonus of "Crackdown" and a thoroughly awesome fighting game as well.

As a total package, it's hard to find many cracks in Tiger Woods 07. The game looks just about as good as its PS2 counterpart, has appealing style and presentation, and plays the part of genre-leader with aplomb.

A solid addition to an already impressive franchise.

A good solid Bond game -- but there should have been more of it.

It looks and plays much like the original, simply set in two new cities. Fortunately, this is EXACTLY what the original needed. The new cities are fun to explore, the single-player challenges will keep you busy for weeks, and the multiplayer is truly unique and fun.

MVP Baseball 2003 has several obvious flaws and missing features -- such as the lack of an in-game player editor or a fantasy draft option -- but the prospect of what future versions of the series could be should make any baseball gamer extremely happy and anxious.

If you're a fan of strategy, board, or card games, this is one you can't let slip by despite its unfamiliar name and unassuming appearance. It's a thoroughbred.

If, like me, you want a little more story to chew on, you'll probably want to find a game packed with a little less extension and a little more pretension.

One of the best compilation discs on the store shelves.

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.

While it's a solid enough game, once the feelings of nostalgia wane, you may feel a bit restricted by the game's linearity and the sometimes difficult camera.

The game is brutally violent, unapologetically vulgar, and simply a hell of a lot of fun to play.

Despite noticeably upping the action level, bolting on co-op, and even charging us extra to cheat, this space-zombie shooter trilogy brings it home nicely with a lengthy, atmospheric, and suitably gory climax for our long-tortured hero, Isaac Clarke.

Although Fatal Frame III will simultaneously delight and scare the bejesus out of fans of the series, Tecmo will need to take that next big step in "Fatal Frame IV" to keep this innovative series at the top of the survival-horror heap.

A game that is equal parts extreme sports action and surreal soap opera, an improvement that should keep it at the top of the wrestling game into the next decade.

Even with the disappointing lack of online play and the utterly unsurprising graphics issues, Street Fighter Anniversary Collection's two superb fighters offer enough outstanding gameplay to keep you cracking skulls and throwing fireballs for a long time to come.

Modern Times' strengths really shine in sandbox mode -- an area Tropico 4 shied away from -- which will provide more than enough hours for $20 of game for those who left Tropico 4 wanting more.

The game is polished, and delivers a satisfying journey while it has you, but loses you with an all-too short experience.

Sure, the game looks like a Dreamcast graphics demo, and its precepts haven't changed much since the arcade original based on similar hardware, but it's the gameplay that sells this title, almost as much as your love of monkeys.

The game's minor tweaks here and there do a lot to smooth out some of the weakness from before, and the new gameplay features add just enough to the game's familiar formula to make things interesting.

We've seen it all before.

It's not incredibly original, either, with a big debt to Diablo-style gameplay, for instance. Then again, it has some great things that the Diablo games don't, like huge 3D environments and a fire-breathing dragon you can ride.

While it might fall short of championship material, it's still an excellent game that will get fans through the upcoming season.

Oddball comedy and action galore -- sadly, it's the same simple action over and over.

With its epic storylines, hundreds of combat scenarios, and open-ended structure, Gladius is one of the deepest games of the year. If you play strategy/RPGs because you're an anime fan, Gladius will bore you; if you play them because they're fun, Gladius will obsess you.

By far the most straightforward and enjoyable version of the series.

Doesn't just do an excellent job of conveying a time-honored tradition's mass appeal, but portrays it in such an exciting light that even haters such as myself can't help but recognize.

At $19.99 you're not going to find a World War II strategic wargame that provides more bang for the buck. However, be forewarned that you're going to have to put in some serious effort to become good at this game.

The Starfighter games for the Xbox simply feel faster than they do on a PlayStation 2. The speedy Xbox hardware simply offers a more realistic feel of what it's like to engage in aerial combat.

The definitive version of the game. PS2 Splashdown players who own an Xbox should consider this upgrade.

A sizeable leap forward for the series. It's still a few key AI tweaks away from challenging Winning Eleven for the arcade soccer crown, but at least EA's game is back in the conversation.

The Xbox's advantage is, of course, graphics. Here the character models don't look as flat and the textures feature slightly more intricate detail. The world is still pretty blocky, but with a decent framerate and solid effects, we can accept that.

Diehards will love the reduced emphasis on checking, while more casual fans should enjoy the new skill stick moves and the ability to place your shot wherever you please. Best of all, every rule change has made it into the game.

I can understand why Modern Warfare 3 has changed so little in the last four years, given that so much money is resting upon its shoulders, but that doesn't make this developmental stasis any more forgivable.

The multiplayer game is subpar and under populated, but the single-player game is slick, polished, frantic, and exciting.

It's not going to spark an adventure-game revival but it's clearly worth checking out if you like being spooked and don't mind a story that's a bit tough to follow.

Once a game starts, it's nearly impossible to put down if you're a soccer fan. Anyone who's put in any time on a WE title will be quite impressed with Konami's translation is exceedingly faithful, from the opening cinematics to the overall presentation

By no means a terrible game. It's just a very slapped-together title that shows that direct ports of handheld games to PS2 probably aren't a great idea.

It takes some getting used to, but in the end, Fallen Enchantress largely fulfills the promise of its genre-blending premise.

Online is where NHL 2K7 possibly does its best work. Players with the know-how to stop "money" one-timers will put your skating and checking skills to the test.

While Abyss may not be an all-time classic, its charming characters and exciting battles more than make up for its little problems here and there.

An excellent expansion that does exactly what an expansion pack should do -- add in new stuff while improving the core gameplay. The game remains a bit over- reliant on micromanaging special powers and hero units, but for fans of The Battle for Middle-earth II's gameplay style, the expansion pack is a must buy.

A great strategy game. If you liked the original, there's more than enough here to justify the upgrade.

Diehards will love the reduced emphasis on checking, while more casual fans should enjoy the new skill stick moves and the ability to place your shot wherever you please. Best of all, every rule change has made it into the game.

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.

By itself Open for Business may not be a must-have, but paired with "NightLife," the two packs together will probably add hundreds of hours of gameplay to the series. Running a restaurant, building a trendy nightclub, creating a megastore, opening a cozy little coffee shop -- these kinds of challenges will keep you entertained for months to come.

It could have easily been a "great" game if more time was spent making the interface cleaner and less micromanagement was needed all around.

The attention to detail is unmatched.

Minor quirks and the length keep it out of the 90s, but FAKK2 is definitely an entertaining single player experience.

Very fun and very funny; it deftly satirizes "Grand Theft Auto" while being almost as entertaining -- and it even bests GTA with its instant mission restarts, superior in-game navigation, and more easily accessible collection of vehicles.

One of the best strategy games released this year.

Max Payne definitely deserves its M rating. Its story, tone, and language are miles beyond what most folks are used to from a GBA title. Happily, so is the look and sound of the game.

In fact, one of the worst things you can say about an expansion pack is true of Escalation: it feels optional.

If only Microsoft could have exercised a bit more of the gardener's patience and attention to detail, Viva Pinata could have been a bumper crop of gaming goodness.

No matter how you slice it, Kinetic gives back what you jump, move, and punch into it. Though it's not a replacement for an actual trainer or a full-fledged gym, it does provide a little more entertaining spin on the whole exercise idea.

A great package.

Lousy AI balancing and assorted cheap tricks constantly remind you that it's never quite a fair fight; the designers are always lurking behind the scenes, ready to pull the rug out from under you at any time.

A solid strategy game experience for GBA owners. Anything the game's presentation lacks is more than made up for by the intricacies of its gameplay.

It offers a lot of character interaction and an interesting storyline that will keep you guessing. Even a quirky camera system, a few minor graphical glitches, and flawed character logic can't bring this title down.

It will demand a lot of your time, and a lot of your patience. It's a game that becomes really fun game once you master everything.

A much better game than the original.

It plays like, looks like, feels like, and IS like Mario Kart, which is a good thing!

The online experience was definitely the most fun aspect of game as a whole. Over a broadband connection lag was practically non-existent, but the biggest hook is racing against other non-CPU riders.

It has all of the trappings of a bad RPG: extremely linear gameplay, over-the-top voice acting, frustrating camera angles, and a ho-hum storyline. What saves it, and what ultimately makes it a fun game to play, is the terrific combat model combined with stellar graphics.

Certainly one of the best racing titles for the system, even if there are no foolish spectators to mow down every time you slide a bit too widely around a curve.