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.

It's a highly polished experience that will satisfy you if what you're looking for is yet another MMO, albeit one with a few more bells and whistles.

Once you get used to the "flying around on a map" bits in Another Road mode, you notice that the combat is the same as it's always been. This probably won't bother most fans, but they should at least know what they're getting into.

It's just a shame that the multiplayer options weren't fleshed out further, as playing this with seven other guys online would have probably resulted in a much more attractive package.

Leviathan's core problem though is that it's a DLC created to answer questions that nobody was asking, after an ending that itself answered too many, which you know from the start isn't actually going to mean much in the great sweep of things. If you can ignore that though, or simply don't care, it's fun addition to Mass Effect 3 and a great reason to be excited about whatever new adventure comes next.

The game manual claims to provide 25-30 hours of gameplay, but in truth it will likely take you only half of that.

Battles isn't as multifaceted as Advance Wars, nor does it convey the fairy-tale personality of its console cousins, but we encourage you to look past the plain façade: there's some unexpectedly engaging gameplay buried under it.

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.

Shortcomings aside, we harken back to our Vince Carter analogy. Carter's star is fading, and the "next-gen" is already here in D-Wade, 'Bron and Melo. The PS2 version of 2K8 faces a similar challenge.

It's a rare old-school follow-up that furthers its roots without selling out.

I appreciated the places the story took me in the end, but the final series of boss fights not only felt forced into the game's plot, but also were so long and arduous that I wondered if I'd ever beat them at all.

Despite a lot of roaming and only moderately paced action, GUN Showdown's adventure proves unique enough to be entertaining, and the lightning-quick pace of the plot will keep you running from place to place before you have much of a chance to get bored.

If you're looking for a profound single-player experience, you'll be annoyed by the issues with the artificial intelligence, but if you plan to play with a friend, this game is well worth checking out.

A solid game that offers a little more variety than the first with equally amazing graphics, but doesn't do much to improve upon the first game or address its problems.

SBCGfAP is packed with little extras and mini-games, although none provide more than a few minutes of diversion. The real fun is discovering all of the inside jokes from the series plastered throughout.

Short enough not to wear out its gimmick, with enough complexity that getting a perfect score will take a fair while, there's lots to like about A Virus Named Tom.

Nobody expects the remastering of Tomb Raider to be game of the year material, but Tomb Raider: Anniversary provides enough of the original game's thrills to be considered satisfyingly decent.

If you don't know a Liu Bei from a Lu Bu, you're not going to be interested, but those who understand the thrill of taking down the thousandth enemy in a single battle will enjoy it. Just be sure to give the new Renbu system a chance.

Perhaps True Swing's biggest problem, however, is its complete and utter lack of personality.

Eragon isn't trying to outdo Final Fantasy, it's borrowing enough of its good ideas to put together a fairly deep and satisfying adaptation of the movie, and if you can forgive a lack of meaningful innovation, it does a pretty good job of it.

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

It's unapologetically cheesy in presentation, from the one-dimensional characters to the terrible dialogue to the awkwardly awful stereotypes, but it's oddly endearing.

It's a real shame Heroes of the Pacific doesn't include a proper save system and better balancing. Richer multiplayer and instant action modes would be nice, too. Otherwise, this is an addictive air combat game that hits all the right notes: daring, adventure, and non-stop action.

My biggest concerns, though, rest with how multiplayer is balanced. The heroes are simply far too powerful; in one game, three heroes utterly destroyed an entire enemy army. Things get even worse when playing with One Ring enabled.

Definitely a weaker package than "Sonic Mega Collection." The only games that truly hold up today are "Sonic CD" and the "Vectorman" titles. The rest are merely passable and are only of interest to the hardcore crowd.

If you're a Star Wars fan and need to have the PC version, do yourself a favor and wait to pick this up on sale once all the patches have been released; after all, any game that lets you pick off Jawas and Ewoks can't be that bad.

Altair's Chronicles occasional control speed, framerate, and camera issues make us think that this would have been a superior game in 2D, but no one's returning our calls about making classically-influenced 2D platformers for the DS.

There's the core of a truly great beer-&-pretzels wargame in here, and strategy gamers looking for a light, enjoyable romp through a ruined United States will have a lot of fun with Shattered Union, particularly in multiplayer. It's just that -- as with most political promises -- what the game is simply doesn't match up to what it could have been.

It does manage to be a solid RPG, but to get there, you have to grind through some monotonous stuff that really detracts from the game.

AGH lacks the polish we've come expect from Treasure games. It's a good game and a better brawler, and the unlockable bonuses are excellent. However, all these little factors add up to a feeling of rough incompleteness, as if Treasure was forced to ship it two months before it was ready.

Your love for trivia games will heavily determine whether you want to pick up this package or not, as there's a great deal here for movie fans but probably not a lot for others.

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.

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.

Tony Hawk's Project 8 takes the series back to its roots, and feels like a way to introduce a new generation of gamers to the skating world.

A great example of a "good" game. The not-so-good parts (the foot missions) aren't bad enough to weigh the entire package down, but the excellent bits (the flying chunks) just aren't enough to counter the rest.

PS2 online has all of the aforementioned flaws and is an overall nightmarish experience and should be avoided at all costs.

Viking: Battle for Asgard is beautiful as far as offering a hurricane of blood and gore can be beautiful, but it's easy to get bogged down in the repetitive combat.

Compared to the most popular sudoku that has appeared on a console so far, Brain Age for DS, Carol Vorderman's Sudoku presents a more serious approach and is especially designed for hardcore sudoku fans -- never doubt their existence.

What the game is simply doesn't match up to what it could have been.

It's essentially the same game in a prettier engine, mowing down waves and waves of enemies with the all-too-infrequent vehicle sequence or boss battle to break things up.

A novice looking for an easy way to enter the world of virtual business-building would probably enjoy this game, but hardcore tycoons will find it a short-term diversion at best.

Plays more like a beta version of EA's FIFA Soccer than it does an "extreme" sports game from Midway.

As much as you'll wish for more variety in setting and situation, what you do get is so smooth, creepy, and darkly pleasurable that you'll be left with a smile and a twitch, if not necessarily satisfaction.

Gods & Kings is Civilization V with a few new things to do, and a lot of new civs and units. Does that disappoint you, or excite you? Then you have your review.

A potentially rewarding but decidedly punishing experience.

Though it's hardly sufficient to make you forsake home console warfare for handheld ops, and the dollars-per-hour ratio would give any gamer pause, Medal of Honor Heroes 2 boasts enough polish and design acumen to be worth an expensive few days on the front lines for those who simply want another WW2 shooter experience.

While not all of the new additions to the series work completely -- the wingman concept is interesting, but could use some tweaking -- there are enough new ideas here to make the game feel fresh and show why NFS remains one of the top racing franchises for the system.

These diminutive mechs pack a strong punch.

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's pretty irritating to play a sequel and face so many of the issues of the original, but Bloodshot's ability to take you into the terrifying world Monolith has crafted is astonishing.

It's definitely fun, but the only real innovations, the EyeToy games, merely provide a fleeting diversion. Unless you're hoping they'll breathe new life into this franchise, you won't be disappointed.

An enjoyable variation on city-builders, and it certainly makes for a pleasant trip down memory lane for Caesar fans like me. The problem is, the game's flaws will keep it from being little more than a nine-day wonder on players' hard drives.

It's not exactly a stellar game, but the capable story and unique battle system make it a solid addition to the GBA library.

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.

The advantage is (once again no surprise) the Dual Shock controller. Instead of having to strain for the white and black buttons, fatalities and throws reside on the shoulder buttons, where they belong.

Jekyll & Hyde does create a moody and interesting game out of the book's characters, and there's some very cool stuff here.

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.

The simple gameplay and relatively low difficulty serve as a great introduction to the genre.

Duels of the Planeswalkers sacrifices that customizability in order to present a friendlier, easier brand of Magic to Xbox Live Arcade. Without deckbuilding, and with such a limited card pool, this is ultimately going to be a novelty for any serious Magic player.

Muramasa is frustrating because it's a game that should be great, but its compounded faults result in it merely being good. If you can overlook the repetitive combat and boring backtracking, then you'll get a kick out of slicing up ninjas and monsters for a few hours -- and you'll certainly like ogling one of the best looking titles on the Wii.

Fans probably won't be bothered by being forced to muck through the multiple load-screens or unskippable cut-scenes, but gamers just here for the action may find these elements too much to bear.

The constant action means the Harry Potter series has always lent itself well to the video-game format, and thankfully (albeit surprisingly) EA has mostly improved upon their winning formula, while upping the ante visually and adding welcome multiplayer features, easily making the Goblet of Fire their best adaptation yet.

Multiplayer saves Fracture from itself in a way, because the wealth of modes and greater availability of weapons (not to mention the superior AI of human opponents and team members) provide a much deeper degree of variety.

Comes up short in a number of ways. Would you really notice a big difference between playing the last game again on a higher difficulty and running through the new one with your eyes half-closed? That's the $50 question, and it's one that unfortunately must be answered in the negative.

The visuals and story aren't going to bring anyone new to the fold, and you have to be a very dedicated sort to want to invest the incredible amount of time necessary to play a single game from start to finish. At $39.99 dollars, though, you do get a lot of game for your money.

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 is an impressive new direction for the franchise, as it features a way for players to become directly involved with the other side of professional wrestling: the storylines. Sadly, I've been unable to find a playable match online, thanks to severe latency issues.

Despite its flaws, Dante's Inferno is definitely worth checking out, if only because it presents a unique visual take on one of literature's greatest works. It's occasionally shocking and often annoyingly repetitive, but the action is good enough to keep you engaged through what is a thought-provoking experiment in converting classic literature to a game.

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.

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

Despite having more bells and whistles than CS, it simply fails to become addictive.

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.

Of course, the combination of sim and action game is sometimes a bit jarring, making the game seem like it doesn't really know what it wants to be. Regardless, Thrillville is a fun game, and if you're a fan of sim games on the PC, this would be a good way to introduce the genre to a child or younger sibling.

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.

Once you get over the initially steep learning curve in handling the cars, you'll find yourself left with a surprisingly deep and entertaining racing experience.

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

It's not a game that will redefine strategy gaming, but it is an enjoyable ride.

Forget its troubled lineage -- Revenge of the Fallen is a huge improvement over the first movie tie-in. While the average gamer will be modestly entertained, Transformers fans will probably love it.

Broken Destiny's lackluster single-player game makes it a difficult game to unconditionally recommend. It's certainly a technical marvel, and if you have friends to play with, you'll love it. It really is a portable Soulcalibur game, with everything good that implies. But if you're fighting solo, be aware that this game isn't really designed for extended play.

Mr. Pants the character deserves to star in more than just a puzzle game. He's a goofy, charming product of British humor, so we fully expect a Mr. Pants platform game or (even better) RPG in the near future. Please?

Blazing Angels 2 is superior to the original game in every respect, but it's still not as amazing as the Xbox classic "Crimson Skies."

For such an intricate setup, Mafia II doesn't quite deliver on the promise of making you feel like a gangster until the last few chapters. You spend a lot of the game watching things develop slowly from behind the glass, as Vito makes a name for himself in action sequences separated by a little too much downtime.

It's not that the game has the wrong songs, but that it has so few of them. For $60, 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.

The animation is slick, and there are many appreciable smaller touches, but it's also tarnished by repetition and technical issues. If you've never been a fan of the series, this installment certainly won't change your mind. However, if you're a die-hard fan who was disappointed by Spider-Man 3, Web of Shadows should be right up your alley.

The biggest problem Lord Blackthorn's Revenge has is that even with the new things that have been added, it's still basically a dated game.

The overall integrity of the game has remained intact. So if you're jealous of your DS-toting friends walking around with those giant swollen craniums of theirs due to all of that brain-boosting gaming they're doing, do yourself a favor and give your own melon a workout with a healthy dose of classic chess.

The studio behind Shattered Memories obviously has a better understanding than most developers about what does and doesn't work on the Wii, and, with the increased emphasis on psychology, I can't wait to see their future work within the nightmare world of Silent Hill.

The very soul of an annual update, this Tiger is all tweaks -- but none of these are new to the PS3 version, 360 fans. This was one title that really could have shown the power of the Sixaxis and the PS3, but fails. Instead, it's arguably worse than its current-gen versions and is no better than the competition on the 360.

Its simple elements are well-blended in an adventure that only lasts about eight hours but still manages to fill its time with great fighting, fun puzzles and a general nostalgic atmosphere.

Although Marvel Nemesis is far from being a perfect game, it's still an exceptionally strong outing for EA. Comic fans should be suitably impressed with EA's use of the Marvel license, and fighting fans will likely find more than enough substance to keep themselves entertained.

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.

Most of the mini-games are surprisingly skill-based, and even Wii Sports haters should find something to enjoy. I definitely did.

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.

Compared to the barebones, disappointing release that is "Death Jr.," Konami comes back with the rebound, offering players a solid title that's simple to play and enjoyable for gamers of all ages.

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.

Nintendogs is good, but after the novelty of the voice recognition wears off, there's just not a lot to do.

While Karnaaj Rally might not have the staying power of a truly classic game, it is plenty of fun in small doses -- playing it for 15 minutes at a time is fun.

The forgettable campaign and the Fortress hero bug are both huge annoyances -- but the Fortress town itself combined with the new scenarios, random maps, and other goodies make it a no-brainer for die-hards of the series; it makes the idea of going back to the original unthinkable, which is the mark of any good expansion.

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.