The landscapes, from the desert to the jungle, are good-looking, with enough differences in the terrain to keep it interesting. The change that the time-of-day makes on the environments is especially beautiful.

Offers a unique racing format and getting to keep track of your defeated rivals definitely adds an addictive "gotta catch 'em all" quality to the thing. The negatives -- questionable driving physics and some less than state-of-the-art graphics -- are easily outweighed by all the game has going for it.

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.

Unfortunately, what starts off as a fascinatingly fresh idea eventually breaks down. For all the compelling aspects of building your empire, the game's strategic model is actually pretty shallow.

With overly elongated levels, forced backtracking through previously explored stages, and increasingly eye-bleedingly giddy color schemes the further through the game you progress, Altered Beast: GotR is a slightly disastrous attempt to replicate the side-scrolling nature of its source material.

If you've never seen the allure of the Mega Man Battle Network series, this latest installment isn't going to win you over. Even if you are a fan, the heavy sense of déjà vu might have you feeling a little apathetic by now.

Depending on whether or not you think the game is laughing with you or at you, you're either going to appreciate the joke or feel like one of Pavlov's dogs as you helplessly salivate at each turn of the vending machine crank.

For fans of Clive Barker, Jericho could provide some degree of entertainment, and as we stated at the beginning of this review, it's not totally devoid of rewards. At the same time, it's difficult to recommend a game with so many lackluster elements in a world full of Gears of Wars and BioShocks (both of which managed to be scarier than Jericho).

The artificial intelligence is improved and ball physics are much more realistic than in the first game, but while FIFA Street 2 makes a good first impression, it gets bogged down by unresponsive player controls and repetitive action.

A novel game with a unique new mechanic for building towns and cities with personality. Casual players will find a lot to tinker with as they sculpt towns out of their dreams or nightmares. More serious gamers will be able to plumb the depth of the title over the course of the weekend.

The biggest problem with Miami Vice is that it's composed of too many parts, and too few individual parts really do anything well. The closest that the game comes to being rather fun is in the Drug Wars-inspired segments, but they're not enough to carry the game alone.

For those who are interested in some slightly-skewed nostalgia and the freedom to manipulate their characters' skills on a microscopic level, Final Fantasy II is a perfect time sink of RPG pleasure.

But it's impossible to ignore the unfinished feel of the "final" product and even though it received a patch almost immediately after release, a lot more support is needed to make this a game worth investing a lot of time in. It's simply not finished yet.

Bottom line: this is a bad basketball game. The last Sony-published hoops title, NBA ShootOut 2004, was extremely solid, so these massive leaps backwards befuddle me to no end.

While Vexx eked out a win on the Xbox, its PlayStation 2 outing is held back by considerably worse graphics, longer load times, and stiffer competition.

An average game that tries to be more than it really is.

Most of the racing is exciting and a treat for the eyes, but there should have been more in the way of multiplay.

We really wanted to like Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm, but the series is stagnating in gameplay that was obtusely old-fashioned ten years ago. It's unfortunate, but the magic is long-gone.

Lots of fun as you're mastering the unique strategies of Star Trek: Tactical Assault, followed by a crushing tedium once you realize that it doesn't really get any better, or even any different.

Too many movie clips and too little gameplay.

If you're partial to some good shooter action, then check out P.N.03 -- it's not the longest game ever made, but it's stylish and challenging nonetheless.

It does look good -- it's bright, colorful and the period art is great, as is the music -- but it's impossible to recommend for anyone other than the hardest of the hardcore. For those gamers, this is a no-brainer.

Simply too short to be a worthwhile addition to your PS2 library. Saving people and property is a mild diversion at best.

It's neither funny nor exciting, and the two genres it tries to meld are both shortchanged by the attempt.

With PlanetSide being constantly updating and patched, this expansion may become indispensable somewhere down the road, but it's not worth the admission price right now. Take that $$$ and buy a few Code Reds instead, because as all the good players know, the action is best late at night.

If you dig survival-horror games and you're up for a new story and setting -- and don't mind some very familiar gameplay -- Curse is a good time.

After playing the three excellent console versions of Midway Arcade Treasures, it was a major disappointment to see just how half-assed Extended Play ended up being.

And while the game never quite reaches "Incredible" levels, it's still a good enough game to warrant checking out if you enjoyed the movie. Just don't expect to have to spend much time with it.

While the singleplayer campaign doesn't give gamers many reasons to stay engaged, we can envision a large online community racing, tricking and wagering while snowballs fly through the air. Because really, isn't that what snowboarding is all about?

Online, it was worse. There were times when we really felt like there was a 2-second delay between button push and the resulting action.

Beyond the graphics and design foibles, the difficulty ramps up in an unsettling way, with races going from child's play to infernal bloodsport in the span of a single race.

I find it both unforgivable and amazing that any game would be released without the ability to save during the game. That's right - you can't save during each of the Conquests.

I pity the fool who doesn't at least consider renting it.

There's really nothing here that gamers haven't seen elsewhere, and frankly, if they've never played a Medal of Honor game, they'd be better off picking up the compilation pack that contains much better installments of the series.

Some will scoff at the game's seemingly wacky control schemes and twitchy vehicle handling, but those who enjoy arcade racers will likely find something to enjoy here.

Despite some minor technical and presentation flaws, an advanced AI and deep focus on one style of poker should not only keep fans interested, but actually help them to improve their real-life poker experience.

KoF12's online play is (to put it mildly) atrocious.

A fun way to spend a few hours if you enjoy the television show. It's faithfully done, easy to play, and a showcase of pop-culture references and parody. You won't get many hours of game for your thirty dollars, but you will get some laughs.

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.

Realistic dance sequences, solid graphics, and a soundtrack from Spears makes Britney's Dance Beat a surprisingly entertaining game.

Doesn't capture the spirit of the Dark Knight, and it's barely as interesting as most platformers for the two-decade-old NES.

The more I played it, the less I enjoyed it. It's a rudimentary beat-'em-up game which borrows the combo compliments of "Devil May Cry" and the buy-a-combo system of "The Two Towers," and thinks those elements by themselves are enjoyable, which they're not.

Got a spare 20 to 30 hours, and a hankering for mindless medieval bloodshed? Not been pressing the Square button enough? Go on -- give this an intense weekend rental.

The game's lack of personality is underscored by its lack of difficulty. Playing through Samurai Jack is about as challenging as watching an episode of Samurai Jack.

The game uses plot as an afterthought and focuses instead on a woefully undeveloped combat system and skill tree (or pole, as it happens to be).

Scores with a handful of options and hardcore appeal, but needs more punch.

The game's abysmal controls and moronic A.I. fail to deliver.

If there's one thing that should have been fixed with the expansion and wasn't, it's the map and quest marking system. The mini-map in the corner is still fine, but the map screen is so useless, it actually takes away from the fun of the game.

The coolness of the character-morphing and combat are overshadowed by the repetitive and linear play and a lackluster look.

If you're a Voyager nut drooling at the opportunity to explore every nook and cranny of the ship...or are an Elite Force multiplayer junkie looking for some variety, then this Expansion Pack is exactly what you're looking for.

Whether it is the long loading times, the low framerate, or the poor control, there is really no reason for anyone except a hardcore fan to purchase this game.

When you're not being underwhelmed by Sorcerer's Stone, you'll be infuriated by it.

I can say that if you're tired of the preoccupation with the omnipresent emotion of "fun" most games seemingly need to contain, and like the idea of an experience which garners actual thought, you would do well to give Trauma a look; just remember that what you'll find will depend entirely on what you're looking for.

With limited customization available for riders (only eight!) a lack of any real explanation on how to actually play the game, a non-existent soundtrack (exactly how many hours of "vroom, vroom, vroom, screeeech, crash" can a person be expected to take?), and a limited sense of fun that other racing games like SSX and BurnOut (or even Forza 2) excel at, MotoGP 07 is a serious, hardcore game that demands a high skill level and a certain amount of earnestness from its players.

As dense and nihilistic as the source material, but not nearly as thrilling.

It's an amusing homage to the '90s, and too likeable to hate, but it's impossible to recommend to anyone but die-hard SimTower fans.

This racer needs a serious adrenaline injection to truly compete.

One of those games that's much more enjoyable in small doses. A quick race while you're sitting on the bus or with your kid brother/sister in the doctor's waiting room is a great way to pass a bit of time. When played in longer stretches, though, many of the game's annoyances start to really grate on you.

The graphics are amazing, the gameplay isn't perfect, but decent, and the loading mini-game is very promising for what developers can do in the future with this new hardware. Unfortunately, the frame rate is atrociously choppy during replays, and the online is possibly the worst I've ever experienced with any online game that actually connected me with an opponent instead of just not connecting.

A classic dungeon crawl with a couple of twists. It's set in futuristic Tokyo and it's cel-shaded. Unfortunately, those two nifty wrinkles aren't enough to make up for the game's otherwise lackluster play.

The AI on both sides just isn't very intelligent.

The game plays like a warped fighting game, and practically everything about it screams frustration.

The best advice I can give anyone playing this game is to keep the poorly written manual close at hand, because you'll be referring to it frequently. In fact, I can easily say that this game is almost impossible to play well without it.

PS2 owners get the worst console version of a weak game.

The problem is that for a sequel, it does nothing to enhance the gameplay found in its predecessor, sans a few new moves and match types.

The promise of well-implemented squad tactics is completely undercut by terrible control and routine missions.

The control is somewhat unwieldy, the camera is clunky, and there's not a whole lot of skill required. It gets old rather fast.

It does well what it means to do: provide some action-packed amusement for a younger crowd. Yet if you're an old-school parent grabbing it for your kids, you might want to sneak some time in too, as long as you don't expect anything more than light entertainment.

It's just a shame that the gameplay flaws (seriously, why can't you tilt?) drag the entire package down so far. Maybe next time, Nintendo should just toss a few Koopa Troopas and Goombas into the "Pokémon Pinball" template.

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.

The kiddies will enjoy seeing more Robinsons goofiness, and you won't mind picking up the controller to help them through the occasional tough part. Just try not to get too frustrated with those darn Wii Remote controls.

Slogging through the beginning of the game -- before you can allocate points to the good skills or fulfill the quest requirements for companions -- can take its toll on you.

You'll have the most fun playing TNA iMPACT! against friends, since they're most likely to work a match that'll flow creatively while providing a decent challenge. The AI makes a poor tag-team partner, and it's always more fun to pull off a finisher when there are friends around to witness the act.

It's not a game style that many can master; in fact it's downright frustrating and not always satisfying. Tapping two buttons like a madman will never feel like Skating, and neither will the twitch puzzle used for Figure Skating performance. But there isn't a better way.

It may confuse some and frustrate others, but its addictive nature should keep you hooked until you learn to appreciate the art of the dungeon crawl.

Aedis Eclipse: Generations of Chaos shows a lot of potential, but buried so deep that it's just about not worth digging for.

While unimpressive from a technical standpoint, and uninspired from a mini-games standpoint, the core Mario Party formula remains intact.

And while the game never quite reaches "Incredible" levels, it's still a good enough game to warrant checking out if you enjoyed the movie. Just don't expect to have to spend much time with it.

A nice addition to the Rainbow Six series as a supplement -- especially if you're a history buff and want to learn more about the real-life men and women combating terrorism around the globe.

The game's more successful at being "Virtua Barbie" for the urbanite than playing a mean game of basketball.

The package isn't incredibly fancy, but Sudoku Gridmaster offers an easy way for the uninitiated to learn the ways of Sudoku.

The background material behind the storyline is well developed enough, and those with considerable tolerance for over-the-top gore and violence may derive some pleasure from it. But the game's execution as a bland third-person stealth adventure with sub-par combat and annoyingly stylized death sequences hamstrings what could have been a sleeper hit for mature audiences.

While Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters was a hoot on the PSP, the move to the PS2 has done nothing to improve the game in general and serves as a great commercial for the PSP version more than anything else.

It's really a bummer to see 24: The Game fail so miserably at being a competent title. It seems that the main focus of the game was on making it look cool and impressing fans of the show when they looked at it.

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.

The developers deserve kudos for trying something different in an over packed genre, and they nearly succeeded.

The series is making progress, but it's still a cut below what Sega and EA are offering.

The surprising depth of the campaign mode, and the simple pleasures of smashing into oncoming traffic, helps negate the weak audiovisuals and onslaught of "yee-haw!" hee-haws.

While the game should have included at least a little bit of museum-quality extras, at $20 it's still a hard deal to pass up.

Only those with 20-20 vision, muscular thumbs, weeks of free time, and patience in overlooking overloaded graphical offerings need apply.

There have been a few MMOs that have tried to build stable gameplay structures based on universal PvP/guild play system -- "Shadowbane" being the most high-profile example. Almost none, however, have done it as well as Lineage 2.

It's an improvement over last year's effort, but it still remains a strictly niche product.

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

If you've never seen the allure of the Mega Man Battle Network series, this latest installment isn't going to win you over. Even if you are a fan, the heavy sense of déjà vu might have you feeling a little apathetic by now.

It's that lack of respect that keeps Blitz from being a truly entertaining alternative to vanilla football. Players are one-dimensional, drugs are easy to get and use, and playing the actual game itself is more about dumb luck and freaky bounces than skill and ingenuity.

Outside of diehard Godzilla fans, no one really needs to bother with Save the Earth in the first place.

It does, however, provide a completely unique mix of strategic planning, design optimization, and cathartic release, held together by an enjoyably loony mix of World War II aesthetics and high-tech, sci-fi tomfoolery.

The duels themselves are flashy and enjoyable, but the story mode surrounding them is almost as dull as actually being in class.