If you're just a casual fighting game, or more specifically, a fan of Dragon Ball Z, Budokai Tenkaichi may be exactly what you're looking for.

A surprisingly fun game.

Some enjoyable driving missions, but a whole lot of throw away first-person sections, leaves me with a game for which I'm shaken, not stirred.

Standalone, The Path of the Shell misses most of what made the original Uru an interesting game to play.

If you can put up with some repetition and the simplicity of the management system, you'll enjoy yourself. Most of the mini-games are quite a bit of fun, too, and they make for some good multiplayer sessions.

Fans of the film, disciples of The Rock, and old-timers who enjoy a good 2D action / platformer should all investigate The Scorpion King.

The strongest of the dragon's GBA appearances. Thanks to the large number of challenges you're presented with, the game plays a lot freer and more open-ended than most platformers -- handheld or console.

In the end, my trip to Miniopolis seemed pretty uneventful. There hasn't been a lot of improvement since "Bustin' Out," and it's painfully clear.

I'm stunned by Redeemer's hefty number of annoying quirks; in both presentation and gameplay, this game is sloppier than a Carl's Jr. Super Star.

It's very derivative, and beyond a few puzzles requiring you to use all four characters in tandem, there's not a lot that's new here. At the same time, it's mostly enjoyable while it lasts.

Dark Sector is a good game that has some great hooks, such as the wonderful glaive and a powerful shotgun. It's unfortunate that other elements, such as unpolished combat and some very generic NPCs, undermine its ambition (though they don't render the game unplayable).

I just have to issue one small warning: if you're out of shape, you'll find that swinging the Wii Remote through 18 holes of virtual golf can actually be a workout. It didn't take long for me to realize that quitting the gym was a big mistake. I was tired, I was sore, but I still wanted to keep playing. That's a good sign.

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.

This is what space games should be about: lush scenery, freedom, and room to roam. "Elite" is dead. Long live X2.

After my ears finally healed back up from the game's soundtrack, I was pleasantly surprised by IndyCar Series 2005. For a budget title (retail price is about $20), the game really comes across as a solid racing title. The learning curve is definitely steep, but it's still a good enough game to appease most fans of the genre.

If you've already picked up 07, what you're really getting here is a shot to play some impressively immersive golf using the Wii Remote. It's a solid demonstration of the technology.

If all the different Puzzle Quest releases were playing a certain reality show, the Wii version would be the first to get voted off the island. The Xbox Live version and even the PSP version with its annoying bugs are better-looking versions of the same game.

If you're into WWII shooters -- and judging by the sales of every single Call of Duty title ever, you are -- but you're looking for something with a little twist to it -- which, judging by the sales of twisty straws, you are -- and you don't mind the color green -- and judging by the number of Irish people in the world, you don't -- you should get yourself a copy of Wolfenstein.

Unfortunately, unless you're extremely into music making, your fun will run out before too long. The inability to save anything really hurts as well.

I don't think it's awful -- I just think I experienced the entirety of what fun the game has to offer in just a couple of hours, and then repeated this until the credits rolled.

One of the most impressive elements of the Xbox version of Earned in Blood was the AI (both your enemies' and that of your squadmates). Alas, the PS2 version of the game just can't keep up, and there are bugs and glitches all over the place.

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

Fans of sci-fi racing in general will likely find the game engaging, but in the end, the harshly unforgiving nature of the gameplay and steep learning curve will tend to work against them.

Plenty of new material.

An interesting if ultra-niche title, and while Tecmo's Gallop Racer 2003 provides a larger and more entertaining overview of the sport of kings, G1 Jockey 3 provides a considerably deeper racing experience.

Not as good as "Guilty Gear X2" and maybe "Capcom vs. SNK 2," and is so complex and steeped in tradition that it's not the best introductory package for someone wholly unfamiliar with The King of Fighters.

For a somewhat mind-numbing, predictable but still entertaining (if only because of the absurd dialogue and engagingly convoluted storyline) RPG, Wild Arms 5 doesn't add a whole lot to the franchise, but it's worth the fairly minimal price if you're looking for a solid way to spend a weekend.

Force Unleashed may not be the mind-blowingly awesome "Star Wars" game that it was hyped to be, but thanks to some cool play mechanics and good use of the Wii Remote it's still a fun (if flawed) ride.

Although the first few levels may seem somewhat pointless, the game later spawns into a fairly diverse platforming experience.

Doesn't have enough depth and substance to be great. If you don't like its faux hip-hop style then you won't even find it good.

The visuals alone haven't received the facelift they should have. Skyscrapers and other assorted buildings are still boxy and flat, hi-res textures aren't applied to the proper effect, and the creatures themselves lack distinctive bump-mapping and polish.

Isn't quite up to the spectacular standards of LucasArts' "Rogue Leader" and "Starfighter" shoot-'em-up franchises, but it supplies plenty of Star Wars-themed shooting action, and the Live support considerably boosts the replay value, more than making up for the brevity of the one-player campaign.

It's definitely a great-looking and playing title, but its simplicity might turn off a lot of players.

Weak weapons, dodgy dodging, and the most oppressive scoring system in years all rob Nanostray of any momentum it might have mustered.

It's enjoyable for a few brief moments to blow away vessels in a manner that harkens back to the classic Wing Commander. The thing is, without a robust economic engine, an interesting and dynamic universe to explore, or even a decent storyline to follow, DarkStar One is destined to sink into the black hole of gaming obscurity.

TOSE has done a topnotch job of proving it's possible to create a licensed game perfectly playable by children and adults alike without insulting the intelligence of either, one of the highest compliments that can be laid on games with such a shameful expectation attached.

Every element of it is solid but unexceptional. Card battling is done far better by PS2's "Culdcept"; story is done better by a host of other RPGs. In fact, the only area where I think it'd be truly difficult to compete with PSO III is music -- this soundtrack is almost too good for the game.

Hardcore simulation fans really need not apply due to the broken rebounding model. But if you want a lot of high-flying sizzle in your hoops game and you don't care about the other minutiae, then by all means pick it up.

Keep your expectations in check and you'll find it succeeds in being a decent facsimile of the PS2 games. Just don't be expecting much in the way of sweaty palms or a rapid heartbeat.

The Treble mode is an excellent touch that adds twists to the usual Manager mode. The visuals look solid for the system, but online play is a total mess and is probably not worth your time.

A sweeping 360-degree look at your boat and its surroundings adds much to the immersive quality -- a quality that is sorely needed in other departments of the sim.

Lacks the full-on rampage of other action titles. "Halo" this is not. Combat is almost a throw-away sub-feature, and it shouldn't be.

If you love multiplayer, have a speedy connection and the horsepower, or if you really enjoy skirmish battles against the CPU, then it's much easier to recommend.

A good idea, and I think that with the right implementation it could make for an excellent game. Bogged down with tedious, unpolished gameplay, weak graphics, and unimpressive presentation, Stuntman is not that game.

Even on the hard difficulty setting the AI is only a second from making a mistake that leaves the lane wide open for a monster slam. Shooting the three is not as easy because of the percentages, however, depending on the player, this can be exploited against the computer in a big way.

Incredibly weird. While I found my time with Cubivore pretty intriguing, I'm betting that the majority of gamers will be left scratching their heads and wondering what the hell they've just witnessed on the screen.

There's not really all that much new content in Mario Party 6 save for the microphone novelty, but in the end the final product feels more polished and enjoyable than both previous efforts released on the GameCube.

Toy Soldiers still has a lot to recommend it. The PC version comes with the Kaiser's Battle and Invasion DLC expansions, and its level designs have just enough variety to make at least one playthrough interesting. Some of those scenarios I'll probably come back to a few more times to improve my score. But still, Toy Soldiers is just a little too repetitive to enter the tower-defense hall of fame occupied by games like Defense Grid and Orcs Must Die! The clue is in the name: it's a brilliant toy, but just short of a truly great game.

RPG fans and fans of titles such as "Monster Rancher" and "Magic Pengel" will probably adore it.

The established Lego game design wasn't broken, but, after so many games, it was beginning to get a bit stale. Those used to the previous titles might feel a bit disoriented at first, but you'll soon settle in and begin having fun exploring the large hubs and condensed levels.

The difficulty and level design problems are a real shame because when it's good, Narnia is really a lot of fun, but when the designers decided to make it really tough, they managed to sap most of the fun out of what should have been a whimsical action ride through the frozen land of Narnia.

"GTA: Mexico" with B-level developer talent: The game Robert Rodriguez would have designed if his brain had been replaced by a satsuma: This is Smash TV in sombreros.

Even the most hardcore country fan will go through what's here in one or two sittings, and with very few extra tracks to unlock, the game just doesn't have staying power.

It's incredible how nasty and trashy this gameplay looks, when something very similar looked so great. There are a lot of really nice touches here, but they're wasted on a game that feels like a high school talent show version of a great movie.

More about style than substance. Nevertheless, the style excels, and there's still enough substance to give strategy gamers something worthwhile.

An underwhelming, choppy mess.

Worth checking out for platform and Sonic Team fans, but is likely too difficult and glitchy for more casual players.

When it came time to score Galaxies, I initially thought of all the bugs and broken areas, the steep subscription fee and poor customer service, the often slow-paced gameplay and as-yet unrealized potential of the game. And yet, even with all these drawbacks, I find myself hooked -- there's fun to be had, if you're willing to dig through the frustrations.

At the end of the day, rugby lovers will love how far this franchise has come since last year's version.

The premise is good -- a game for wrestling fans who can quote every moment of past Wrestlemanias who want nothing to do with a newfangled control system. If the action was consistent and engaging Legends could have been a major success.

A good game, but nothing more. It's a shame because it had the potential to be great.

Most companies believe slapping a license is work enough, and while the Goblet of Fire isn't a terrible adventure, it's not nearly as compelling from a visual or gameplay standpoint than what you could pick up for your GameCube.

Crappy story and occasional boring moments aside, Bionic Commando is a good game, akin to a summer popcorn flick. It won't stick with you, but it'll certainly entertain you. When the action amps up it feels awesome; it's just too bad that those moments couldn't have comprised the game's entirety.

Graffiti connoisseurs will love the real-life taggers that make cameos, as well as the actual art that Trane puts up. The game also features a fantastic soundtrack, as well as one of the most impressive collections of celebrity voices in recent memory.

The real issue here isn't so much that Armageddon is a mediocre game -- which it is -- rather that it's such a letdown after its excellent predecessor.

At first, it's all very charming, but with the frustrations that come with difficulty spikes and often clunky controls, it gets old very quick. We don't play games for the same reason we go to museums, and RCR makes that frustratingly clear.

While it's clearly better than the original, there are still some kinks to work out both from a design and a technical standpoint.

While the addictive gameplay remains [from the GameCube version], all things animal are replaced with generic geometric shapes and run-of-the-mill sound effects.

This game is simply a heck of a lot of fun to play with a friend.

A decent tribute to its source material, but fails to capture its best qualities.

As much as I love Euro Force (and its budget price), I can't bring myself to give it a higher recommendation. At this stage in its life, Battlefield 2 should be lean, mean, and free of bugs. Its faults should be forgiven no longer.

Sure, there are a few problems, but it's worth, say, dealing with the busted camera to see which videogame the writers are going to parody next.

The inclusion of the ridiculously over-the-top mini-games instantly helps this game move ahead of the pack, and the online action is highly entertaining.

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

The best thing that can be said about Cars is that it lays down solid racing gameplay without feeling generic.

The best thing that can be said about Cars is that it lays down solid racing gameplay without feeling generic.

For a lot of players, the excellent graphics and high levels of violence and sex appeal will be more than enough to keep Bloodrayne 2 spinning. It's really a shame that the A.I. is so daft, and even with all the acrobatics, the very linear levels don't truly captivate.

The animal changes are more than a simple gimmick, but it alone cannot provide the level of depth BR3 needs if it wants to be a real contender.

This game just might revitalize the genre.

A damn good game, Combat Command 2: Desert Rats has nearly all the strategic depth of much more complex titles at half the cost in learning time.

The legacy mode is rewarding and the gameplay is predominantly solid, but a plethora of bugs and some AI issues ensure it won't supplant EA's game as the reigning champ this season.

A rock-solid RPG that faithfully re-creates a classic adventure. It's only a few interface issues, lackluster storytelling, and a limited scope that keep it from being among the best in its genre.

Older gamers will likely tire of this game in a hurry, although there may be those who enjoy it nonetheless. By and large, however, this is a game aimed at young children.

It's not the strongest competitor in the field, but MotoGP 4 is a solid contender in the genre.

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.

More aggravating than fun, a hassle really is the best way to describe this middling platformer.

Fails to deliver anything even close to Rare's seminal "Goldeneye."

If you want something casual and wild, go for a different game, but if you want a simulation, a challenging one at that, Konami's got you covered.

A schizophrenic title that can't really decided what it wants to be. It's still a fun and different take on the sport of football -- especially as a multiplayer party game -- it's just not as much fun as it used to be.

The game has improved -- most notably by including some very thorough online abilities -- but not to the degree that the EA and Sega games have.

Too simple for its own good, yet somehow likable in the end. While the beat 'em up action is undoubtedly repetitive, it was just solid enough to keep me playing for another level.

The sheer pandemonium and brutal weapons can be pretty amusing, at least until the gimmick of all the explosions and rioting wears off. Unfortunately, that can wear off fairly quickly.

It's not that the game has the wrong songs, but that it has so few of them. For $50, you can't help but feel a little cheated when all you get is Guitar Hero III with a light coat of paint and barely half the songs.

A good title, but also frustrating because of its PS2-quality graphics.

Though getting through Ty 2 is particularly easy, it would likely be enough of a challenge for younger players to make this a good gateway game. The same humor, scripting, and play mechanics that feel childish to experienced players will be new and entertaining to those without experience.

Silent Hill: Homecoming is a very strange game, as its dual nature and oddly unsatisfying gameplay could likely turn both fans and newcomers away.

Unfortunately, without even multiplayer to redeem it, Enclave ends up as just another mediocre disappointment.

Black Gold's combination of intense real-time action, gorgeous graphics, and streamlined play make this one of the best real-time strategy games of 2001.