Forget it if pure action is your bag, but fans of MGS-style thievery owe it to themselves to check this one out. Just keep a couple of puke bags handy if you're a little emotionally sensitive.

Although the game controls quite well, one move is pretty tough to get the hang of.

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

"Burnout 3" was a title that changed peoples' tune from "I don't play racing games" to "No, you can't have the controller. It's still my turn." Compared to that, Dominator just isn't as fun.

The level designs are outstanding and take great advantage of all the powers that the Biometals grant. The game is also extremely challenging.

Layered with outstanding gameplay, cutesy visuals, and spot-on sound effects. It's one title no self-respecting strategy fan should be without.

The multiplayer more than covers the bases, though, as Strikers will join Super Smash Bros. Melee, the Super Monkey Ball series, and the Mario Party games as one of the 'Cube's best titles for armchair warfare.

I was totally engrossed with challenge mode and had lots of fun with the mini-games. The core gameplay, which is quite good, is overflowing with that inimitable Mario charm. The gameplay, characters, and fields more than make up for any defects in the A.I.

The real reason to get the game is to follow Wallace and Gromit through another madcap adventure across the English countryside. In this, the game delivers in spades by capturing the essential good natured humor of a strange little man, an even stranger dog, and the really strange situations they stumble into.

It would make a great game for a younger gamer in your life. The simple gameplay and relatively low difficulty serve as a great introduction to the genre.

There's little that takes away from the game, but also little that makes it stand out.

A mediocre trick system proved to be more of an annoyance than an innovation. Nevertheless, in the end, MX fans will likely find this title worthwhile.

A refreshing, decidedly western RPG that could have been incredible with just a few minor changes. Nonetheless, Summoner 2 is lots of fun.

Overall I enjoyed Silent Hill 4 just as much as the previous games. Although the initially slower pace and more non-conventional puzzles might annoy some gamers, those who hang in there are in for a hellish treat well worthy of the creepy Silent Hill brand.

Overall, the controls prove powerful and intuitive, granting this game its ultimate top-notch status.

Sadly, with its major rules problems, only slightly improved animation (from the PS2 version) and host of omissions and gaffes, the lack of expected features, and most importantly, the under-optimized controls here on the Xbox, prove that NBA Live 2002 is just a rushed game.

The real stars of the game are the two cities, which are huge arenas ripe for careening around in.

A title that every rock lover should have in their collection.

Unlike Sims 2 "University," which added a whole new age, new careers, and new ways to radically change your Sims, Nightlife doesn't change Sims 2 with any bold strokes. Still, just about every feature added in the expansion works and works well, enhancing if not revolutionizing the game.

It's a game you can play with your friends and family, and it perfectly highlights the direction that Nintendo is taking with the platform. It's not the best-looking game on the system, and it's definitely not the deepest, but it may well be the most fun.

Considering that Konami is charging about five bucks for its classics on Xbox Live, it's a pretty good deal getting 15 games for about $30.

The biggest drawback of this game is the inclusion of Venom as a playable character. He draaaags. He can't web swing (but he can cover vast distances with his leaps), he relies on brute strength rather than finesse, and you must also devour people in order to keep the suit from killing the man inside.

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.

If you've never played a Pokémon game before but have always wanted to try it, this is the version to get.

While it's likely worth it for fans to get closure from Underworld, expect to trudge through a large amount of frustrating gameplay to get it. Suffering from a distinct lack of polish, Tomb Raider Underworld seems like it could have benefited greatly from a little more attention. If it didn't have so many technical issues, Underworld could have been a brilliant conclusion to Lara's latest trilogy.

The saber play is great fun, particularly in multiplayer, and the variety in the single-player game keeps it entertaining as well. Next time we'll hope for a new graphics engine, but for now, the Force is definitely with the Academy.

It's a great-looking HD debut for the series, and although the Story mode is cheesy, it's a good vehicle for players to test out their favorite combatants.

A solid racer with a few minor game balance problems. If you're able to get over them -- which isn't hard -- you'll be looking at a good online and offline kart-style game slammed with the good stuff from the Jak & Daxter universe.

My disappointment in this disc's shortcomings is tempered by the sheer amount of great, classic gaming on offer.

An also-ran that's too similar to, but not as good as, the top games on the platform.

Despite its lack or originality and ultimately disappointing graphics, Star Wars Starfighter: Special Edition remains a decent, but far from great game.

Despite some nice features, the overly repetitive gameplay will probably wear thin after a bit.

A well-rounded, deep, and diverse title. The graphics and sound in the GameCube version surpass those found on the PS2.

Its multiplayer co-op hook is also a nice hook for getting brothers and sisters or moms and dads involved as a sidekick for a little family game action. That's never a bad thing.

JRPG fans should really enjoy Star Ocean: Second Evolution. Sure, it sticks to the formula in ways we've seen many times before, but at the same time it also deviates in ways that make it more than just another RPG.

Dear Esther, however, presents something truly different. It's an experiment to be sure -- and one that's not entirely successful -- but it hits far more often than it misses. It's a strong start to a new breed of adventure that asks players to think instead of clicking on items until something arbitrarily happens.

As short as it is, Stubbs is an instant classic and should appeal to any gamer with even a slightly morbid sense of humor. It's the perfect Halloween rental.

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.

This DLC doesn't bring the much-anticipated level cap increase (Gearbox says that's on the way soon), but otherwise, this is the adventure that Borderlands 2 veterans have been waiting for. Go on the Big Game Hunt for the continued story, but stay in Aegrus for the challenge.

As intriguing and well-crafted as the adventure is, Tiny & Big peters out on a flat note that leaves me wanting more.

Like peanut butter and chocolate, the combination of classic puzzle gameplay and RPG game mechanics results in something greater than the sum of its parts.

The next Dragon Quest Monsters installment on DS will probably be even better, but in the meantime players can enjoy this fun and innovative experience that is more than just another Pokemon game.

Fast-paced action and a great presentation are hampered only by the steep learning curve for what should be a simple point-and-shoot experience.

The game has its weak points, and there's nothing strikingly original about the gameplay, but it's definitely an interesting experience for action gamers looking for a unique atmosphere and story.

While it would have been nice to have a better way to organize workers' shift schedules, customizable characters, a richer combat system, and a multiplayer module, there's more than enough interesting things to do to keep you busy.

The kind of great sequel that should be encouraged - it builds on the solid base of the original, cleans up most of the problems and manages to stake out its own territory in the process.

There's too much of an emphasis on fetching items rather than performing tricks and getting rewarded for doing them well.

Its multiplayer co-op hook is also a nice hook for getting brothers and sisters or moms and dads involved as a sidekick for a little family game action. That's never a bad thing.

The new Open Ice mechanics allow for smoother, wide-open play than previous versions, and the Dynasty Mode is as deep and realistic as any I've ever seen.

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

If you enjoy this type of game, you won't find a much better example of it in the portable world.

It's not "Medal of Honor," but if you can get past the first-generation engine and various technical and design glitches, there's still a good deal of fun to be had.

It's the kind of application that can instantly turn a mother or girlfriend into an addicted gamer, but it's definitely lacking in "party" features.

Exactly what a retro games compilation should be: a celebration of gaming's roots that puts an era in context and preserves it for future generations. And at a mere twenty bucks MSRP, you're virtually guaranteed to get your money's worth.

For most of the game I felt like I was too powerful and things never really felt challenging. Again, I'm thinking that this is partly by design since the game has a mainstream license and will attract many casual gamers.

It's a shame that there aren't as many games on this compilation as there were on the Anniversary Collection ("Mega Man Soccer" really should've been included), but you're still getting some fun games (expect, of course, "Mega Man X6").

It doesn't fix the fundamental design issues that marred Empire at War, but all the fun new stuff it adds and the strategic wrinkles it introduces might make it worth the effort to get past them.

Battalion Wars 2 boasts enjoyable storylines and presentation along with killer weapons and a dose of strategy. That gets a gold star in our book. Four, even.

Unlike so many other sequels, Overlord II navigates the fine balance between completely reinventing the game and not adding enough features to make it feel like more than just a glorified expansion pack. Aside from the often-mediocre framerates and some painfully spaced checkpoints, I had a disturbing amount of fun terrorizing, killing, and/or enslaving all who stood in my way.

An uncommonly beautiful and unique shooting game.

If you're looking for a fun party game for PS2 and you haven't made the leap to HD, Buzz! The Mega Quiz is a great time-waster for you and your friends.

Packs a huge core of ideas into what could have been a standard shooter. We've got powerful psionics, extensive gun combat, and a great story.

There will always be a place for simple violent diversions in gaming, and this is one of those that seems to balance a few contemporary technical features with classic gameplay to create an experience that is quite simply fun.

Episode 2 is as filled with laugh-out-loud moments as its predecessor, assuming you enjoy Holkins's and Krahliuk's scream-in-your-face brand of comedy.

It has enough to keep any committed racing fan coming back for a good couple of months. Some may argue that the gameplay is dated and the lack of options is overly restrictive. Fair enough, stick to Gran Turismo. Everyone else should race, have fun, and enjoy the rally.

The new Open Ice mechanics allow for smoother, wide-open play than previous versions, and the Dynasty Mode is as deep and realistic as any I've ever seen.

It's unfortunate that the issues with the clock and the interface add another layer of difficulty to a title that's already got learning curve issues.

And the best part of all -- you won't have to go eBaying for a Sinclair ZX Spectrum computer to play it.

Sadly, even if the fans at Arco were banging authentic Sacramento cowbells like crazy, it wouldn't be quite enough to land NBA Live 09 on top of the basketball heap.

There are much better fighters out there to spend your time with.

There's not much here to differentiate the PS3 version from current-gen consoles besides the sweet high-resolution graphics (and in the case of the Xbox 360, not even that), but if you have a PS3, there are worse games you could play on it.

Strong in concept and weak in execution. It's a trip to be able to work your way up the ranks, but it's far too repetitious and difficult and it could have been a lot more enjoyable.

While it's likely worth it for fans to get closure from Underworld, expect to trudge through a large amount of frustrating gameplay to get it. Suffering from a distinct lack of polish, Tomb Raider Underworld seems like it could have benefited greatly from a little more attention. If it didn't have so many technical issues, Underworld could have been a brilliant conclusion to Lara's latest trilogy.

Although the game doesn't bring a lot of new experiences to the table, it does do a great job of adding to the experience gamers enjoyed the first time around.

NCAA Football 07 works very well on the PSP, and controls flawlessly without some of the analog-stick issues that have plagued other games on the platform.

It's amazing how well some of these games stand up. Yes, they're absolutely nothing to look at, but the gameplay in a lot of the cases is just as addictive and compelling today as it was 20 years ago.

If you're just a casual fan of the fighting genre, there are certainly better choices out there that would provide a better overall experience.

For all its graphical weaknesses, RE:DC successfully accomplishes the most important thing: the gameplay itself.

I hesitate to call it a nice try, because in some ways it didn't even really do that.

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.

It's fun, it looks good, it has a solid set of multiplayer options, while also bringing some new features to the series. Though the series has been getting stale, Ace Combat X does a great job of reminding us of what it can be.

Aside from these few relatively minor negatives, F.E.A.R. 3 is a very solid shooter that covers a lot of the right bases -- I just wish the developers had put as much imagination and creativity into the single-player campaign as they did into coming up with new multiplayer modes. And, you know, actually made it a bit more scary.

THAW for Xbox 360 is a phenomenal game...if you haven't picked it up already.

Dynasty and Tournament Modes offer rewarding single-player experiences, and mini-games lifted straight from MVP past are good for passing the controller with a room full of people.

Underneath all of the character imbalance, graphical bugs, odd level distribution, and unrealized LEGO potential is a decent, if sadly uneventful game.

Unfortunately, while the "big-picture" ideas manage to work, the game ends up being brought down by a number of annoying little details that make individual battles less fun than they might otherwise be.

Blacklight's a smart and polished take on a very tried-and-true formula, and if that's what you're looking for, there's really no better F2P option.

A remarkably fun and addictive game that, while not without its flaws, is brimming with enough charm, good humor, and depth to keep gamers occupied for a long time. The bad news is the game has a problem with relaying information to the player that is, at best, annoying, and in one case, almost brings the entire product crashing down.

What we get is an amalgam that is best labeled "Battlefield Warfare" -- an admittedly entertaining concoction, but one that tastes awfully familiar.

It has a few shortcomings, but the gameplay is smart and challenging. Down in Flames is also conveniently easy to jump into and out of when you want a quick bit of fun. Then again, it's so addictive that you'll probably be playing for a good, long time.

Noby Noby Boy appears to be confusing from the outset, but it's a surprisingly rewarding experience once you've cut through its eccentricities. It offers a lot but appears to be about nothing.

Whatever your inclinations, Tropico 3 is an enjoyable city simulator that offers the same sort of replayability that others of its kind do; this one just emphasizes experimentation with moral behavior rather than perfecting a building grid.

Falls short of what I think it intended to accomplish. The guts [are] there with the good control and tight physics model, but the presentation is not up to the level it should be.

The story integrates so well with the faux-online theme that it drives you to continue playing almost as addictively as the real social interaction of a legitimate online game does.

Any fighting game has progressively harder enemies, but the bad guys in this game beat you as much with their intelligence as they do with their attacks.

Not just a way to make a quick buck off of diehard Buffy fans, it's a game that is as deep and fun to play as anything else on the system.

For fans of the previous Bomberman games, the DS version is easily one of the best in the franchise.

Sorry, it's been an epic wait for the tech upgrade... It's a good game, but too often resorts to recycling a number of first-person shooter clichés instead of breaking new ground.