A disappointment. It completely breaks with the first game in everything but gameplay, and even that is sabotaged by annoying, repetitive level design.

Honestly, we still prefer Most Wanted to ProStreet even though ProStreet offers significantly improved tire smoke that actually wraps around the wheel wells of your car, because Most Wanted had cops that chased us and provided a really compelling reason to drive as fast as humanly possible.

After the high quality of the first two episodes of Season Two, it's disappointing to see the series misfire as it reaches its midpoint.

It's a real shame that Earth 2160 is so hostile to new players, because it features a powerful graphics engine, a deep and rewarding game design, and potentially limitless replayability with all its flexibility.

Is it daring, deep, or dramatic? Not even close. Does it have some straightforward fun at a reasonable price? You bet.

With tasty graphics and a finely-tuned battle engine, Dust Strikers is another quality entry into the Guilty Gear series that while not offering anything new (or better) than other DS fighting games, is still an enjoyable game.

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

If you're looking for a break from the usual DS fare of brain boosters and quirky "impress the girl by beating a billion mini-games" titles, this game will fill the need. But for those looking for a more definitive way to defeat Hitler -- and in the original "story boards" for the war, he sported a Fu Manchu moustache -- the wait continues.

There's a steeper visual disparity between this and the HD-gen versions than many multiplatform games, partly because Rainbow wasn't behind the development of this version. However, if you're not interested in how modern a game looks or feels and you just want to go big now, you'll probably enjoy Untamed.

May not grab you in the same way it did on the consoles a few months ago, but if you're obsessed with the sport and/or don't have your PS2 or Xbox near you, this version is a good way to fill that gap of boredom in your day.

It has a simplistic hand-to-hand fighting system, a jerky, broken camera, crappy, jarring level designs, and horrifically frustrating platforming elements. It pretty much just fails at emulating the combat-heavy action games that have inspired it, and you'll constantly remind yourself of this as you play.

Most importantly, the gameplay feels just a bit looser and less controlled. That's not to say it fails -- it just could have been better.

While Ballers hits from long-range with pretty graphics and plenty of Cribz-esque intros and unique elements, it clangs off the rim a bit with its Chosen One storyline execution.

Luxor remains a quality take, if mostly derivative, on its little piece of the puzzle genre. While the lack of options make the game's $29.99 tag a little much, Luxor provides the kind of pick-up-and-play gaming that's not as common on PSP, especially compared to what's commonly available on DS.

Its look and feel is too juvenile for adults, and some of its challenges are too difficult and frustrating for kids. Even rabid Tolkien fans won't care for the game, thanks to its translation of the classic novel into a lightweight, cartoonish platformer.

Let the kids have their fun. Just play it a little once the kids have gone to bed.

While The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe does have some issues with the A.I. not being smart enough to help you out when you most need it, it's not bad enough to make this a totally horrible game.

Strategy titles are already known for their deliberate pace, which may mean that strategy gamers, with their large reserves of patience, will be better equipped to deal with the load-time interruptions, but the effect is very disruptive to gameplay.

But while the combat and destruction portions of playing as the Saboteur are fun, the story and effect you have on the world are disappointingly underdeveloped.

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 long delay, outdated graphics, crazy system requirements and the clunky Games for Windows LIVE system are show-stopping obstacles to what should have been a great port of a great game more than a year ago.

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

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.

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.

It starts off promising, but too much of what follows is lamely generic or underdeveloped. The game also punishes you for exhibiting daring or initiative.

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.

Hardcore basketball fans will groan at the old-school gameplay of NBA 07, but it's obvious the game wasn't developed with them in mind. It offers a fun little hoops offering for those who aren't sticklers for detail, and The Life is a nice change of pace for sports games.

A disappointing package that seems to have received even less development time than most of the PSP launch titles.

The gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. The singing engine itself is par for the course, but the motion-sensing mic as noise-maker and the implementation of Star Stream are huge annoyances that hurt the experience more than they help, especially if you're a big fan of karaoke games. Although Lips tries to transcend karaoke games by doing something different, it's ultimately hobbled by a foundation of mediocrity.

It looks good, it's clever and upbeat, and it's well-balanced for the target audience. The remote just doesn't add much to what's already come out on other platforms, and in fact brings down the overall game in some areas.

While significant improvements are obvious in most aspects of the game, the ghost of the original title's schizophrenic gameplay still haunts Anchor's latest.

Where GTA used humor, masses of distractions, OTT violence, and a giant game world with a real sense of space and depth to mask the unimpressive visuals, Driver is the opposite, using an impressive physics engine and city to hide repetitive and languid gameplay that's becoming increasingly difficult to enthuse about.

For a game that's humble and not especially innovative, Deep Labyrinth is a title that, strangely, really feels like it belongs on the Nintendo DS. It's a little different and takes a few risks that don't pay off, but it ends up being a successful game in its genre.

Drome Racers' controls are frustratingly floaty, just as they were in Rollcage, and the cars themselves are even floatier, hovering several inches off the ground instead of maintaining contact with "terra droma."

While combat obviously isn't the focus of a stealth game, the fighting in Surma is stunningly awful.

While Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup is a faithful handheld version of the literary sport, it doesn't quite work as a game without the feeling of flight that is Quidditch's most magical aspect.

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 40 dollars, but you will get some laughs.

It's a predictable, run-of-the-mill RPG with a plain vanilla story. The new graphics engine does, however, add some flair to the game's legacy.

A well-crafted game, but it's so by the books in so many ways that it never really gets off the ground.

From vanilla A.I. and a very limited game engine, to technical issues and a frustrating camera, it's a game that's extremely hard to recommend.

This admittedly impressive-looking title ultimately proves to be less than run-of-the-mill, in terms of the actual gameplay and battle dynamics.

TMU is a fine diversion for quick game breaks, but not much more. In a way, it's like popcorn, enough to be a snack or even an appetizer, but you won't get a full meal out of it.

The elements were in place for a solid platforming title with a little hand-to-hand combat thrown in for good measure. Unfortunately, a painfully annoying camera and some downright boring combat kept that from coming to fruition.

A competent, highly stylized romp through a fading franchise that's appealing to the younger set, not really hip enough for the teen crowd, and not in-depth enough for veteran gamers.

Coupled with strong graphics that grow more impressive over time, as well as the standard Disney incentive to open additional animated cutscenes, Treasure Planet isn't quite the gem it could have been, but it does soar at times.

This is almost a decent game -- it certainly tries -- and Trekkers looking for an action game could certainly do worse. Avoid beaming in with particularly high expectations and you'll probably get your 15 bucks worth of hot Enterprise vs. Bird of Prey action.

Some nifty gameplay mechanics and nasty enemies keep it from being an also-ran, while a little too much repetitive exploration and a short story keep it from being a contender.

It's refreshing to see an original portable game, but Scurge: Hive has some serious problems; mainly, the obnoxious time limit and frustrating enemy fights.

If you can say that you're looking forward to having ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a week than this might be a great title for you. Other than that very particular market, it's tough to see Galaxies being worth the recommended price.

Delta Force Xtreme's multiplayer isn't subtle or innovative and tends to suffer from lag and some crashes, but it's filled with exciting, over-the-top action.

The controls are great, but with nothing to do in terms of content, things ultimately fall short.

The biggest problem is the lack of difficulty and subsequent lack of replayability, but while it lasts Boogie offers a pleasant distraction from the usual crop of rhythm and action games on the market.

If you're a Black Hawk Down multiplayer junkie, you'll probably get your money's worth just from the three jungle maps. But everyone else should probably save their $20 until Novalogic offers something more substantial.

In spite of its solid online multiplayer, good video editor, and fun arcade game, the overall experience can't rise to the level of the game's great predecessors.

First to Fight's flawed A.I. and abbreviated single-player game certainly don't advance the FPS genre in a significant way, but its entertaining multiplayer component scores a welcome bull's-eye.

After years of living up to the name of evolving the beautiful game, Konami's latest Pro Evolution Soccer effort is an embarrassment for a series that has served as the dominant title in the genre.

You'll spend far too much time in the park, and not enough in the attractions, and that's just not very fun, no matter how old you are.

While this is certainly not a huge title and there's little innovation, I must admit I enjoyed it.

If you've played "Syberia" and absolutely need another adventure game, give this one a shot.

Here we have a game that compiles seven barely-different shoot 'em up games into one Wii disk, so the only way you're going to like it at all is if you like the original Metal Slug. None of the sequels have done anything particularly different, and every one of them has a ton of throw-backs to the original.

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.

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).

Since this is a kid's game, it's not terribly long or difficult. Even so, it's a pretty decent romp. 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.

The brevity and ease of its single-player campaign and the lack of substance in its multiplayer combine to make for a relatively unsatisfying experience.

Not a bad game, especially when compared to the mediocre A Wonderful Life, but it stays too much within the traditional rules of the series, without trying anything different on the new handheld.

It does take advantage of the 360's power to deliver the nicest looking iteration of the game, but questionable gameplay set-up, quirky AI, and lackluster online play drag things down. This version is slightly more playable than its PS3 counterpart, but only slightly.

Sure, fans of Dirk and the Dragon's Lair series will enjoy the game on a different level than most, but with its inherent gameplay issues, rescuing Princess Daphne really boils to down an exercise in frustrating trial-and-error gaming only made worse by flawed technical aspects.

The game's reliance on padding is its biggest sin. Since there are very few environments, the designers force you to explore every nook and cranny of each one repeatedly, from every direction.

Considering the amount of detail that clearly went into designing the lush landscapes, enormous environments, and character art for this game, it's really a shame that the fun factor seems like less than an afterthought.

Unfortunately, Scooby Doo gets so bogged down in unfolding its linear narrative and conveying the differences of its main characters that it never really gets around to being fun.

The game falls short of its potential, serving more as a sort of interactive blueprint for a few decent episodes that would probably be more entertaining on TV.

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

It's the worst kind of tie-in, combining a feeble license with feeble game design, and expecting gamers to pay $50 for the privilege of suffering through the collective ineptitude.

The numerous lackluster features that run rampant in Attack of the Clones prove that it's just a reckless padewan with limited knowledge of the Force.

A flawed, boring game design that fails to capitalize on the inherent coolness of its theme and character.

Too many movie clips and too little gameplay.

A mediocre average effort, falling short of the mark set by Twisted Metal and its heartier clones.

The lack of manageable control and the nearly on-rails gameplay are just two of the sorest sore thumbs that stick out, which if fixed could have made the game at least halfway enjoyable.

An improvement over "Real War," but only in parts. It's still a clumsy game to play with a major frustration factor.

This expansion seems to ignore most of what was good in the original and instead concentrate on fast-paced, frustrating, and nearly mindless action.

It's a golf game with strippers, but its gameplay won't be getting a huge tip.

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.

Such a faithful port of the original that it even reproduces the disappointment many of us felt oh those many years ago when we realized that there was not a lot of gameplay beneath the clever film-like experience.

A barely passable "Diablo" mod with all the weaknesses of the original game and few of the strengths.

Any sense of coolness quickly evaporates as soon as you pick up a controller as Jet X2O suffers from a control scheme that is twitchier than a two year old on speed.

A mediocre effort, falling short of the mark set by "Twisted Metal" and its heartier clones.

Basically a step down from the original console games ... which weren't all that great to start with.

A disappointing expansion for Heroes IV. The few new items available could've easily been available for free, while the biggest change to the game - multiplayer -- is already free.

A jack of all trades and a master of none. Although it offers variety, it doesn't do anything so well that you'd want to play it again.

There are fleeting moments of fun in Reign of Fire, but they're quickly smothered beneath lame level design, wretched controls, and a surprising lack of intensity, considering all the dragons and missiles and fire and whatnot.

Especially boring was the fact that characters that die cannot be brought into the game immediately -- you have to go back to the nexus (that's not what it's called, but hey, it's my review) and get them, restarting the level again in its entirety. Ugh.

A mediocre FPS that fails to make good use of the Serious Engine.

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).

A painful reminder that all the authenticity in the world can't help when the game is completely unpolished and the core gameplay is weak.

This is the most unfinished retail game I've ever played.

An ambitious genre-bending title killed by one tedious mission after another.

Even if its technical issues were resolved, you'd still be left with a flawed, boring game design that fails to capitalize on the inherent coolness of its theme and character.

While I cannot dismiss its flaws, I can easily ignore it and move on to better examples of this unique form of expression from the early 21st century.