I usually give bonus points for original concepts, but Lost in Blue is just too flawed for that type of consideration, and doesn't come close to achieving its goal.

With development teams like Criterion and Black Rock constantly raising the bar, it's unfortunate to see a racing game as passionless as Test Drive Unlimited 2. Ambitious map size and amazing architecture (seriously, some of the purchasable homes are incredible) can't make up for lackluster racing.

Legacy is a promising development for fans hoping the franchise's third installment will feature a return to the tactical gameplay of Dragon Age: Origins. Unfortunately, it's a bit too late for Dragon Age II, and Legacy's legacy is as a $10 reminder of the full game's shortcomings.

All the good intentions in the world can't make a game good, and shoddy craftsmanship and not-quite-there design afflicts just about every aspect of this one.

NBA Live 06 knocks the progress of this series back to the Stone Age. It sacrifices everything (dunk contest, Superstar Freestyle moves, Franchise mode) for next-gen graphics, yet ends up looking worse than "NBA 2K6" -- which kept all of its features in tact.

Warfighter was clearly rushed out the door to get the jump on Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, and suffers for it.

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.

Unless you're very forgiving, impervious to frustration, or blindly love all things Monkey Ball, Super Monkey Ball Adventure probably isn't your idea of a good time.

The "move all over the grid" aspect is really fun, too, even if you do end up fighting the camera a lot of the time.

Undercover may push the nostalgia button for the NFS faithful. But substandard presentation and a host of nagging technical issues cause it to sputter across the line for a distant third-place finish.

You might get a few hours of enjoyment out of it, but at best, this Voyage is best saved for a short weekend; it's not one you'll want to take too many times.

When considered as a game separate from its good ideas, JTF comes up as decidedly mediocre. I'm a believer in deeper and more meaningful games -- just not at the expense of gameplay.

Perhaps if Grigsby makes a sequel, it'll be smarter and more manageable. As it is now, World at War is the work of an ambitious developer whose ideas are bigger than the capabilities of his game.

Genesis Rising is by no means a total loss and there's certainly some fun to be had, but its lofty potential is squandered due to some poor decisions and a rigid design that will only appeal to a select number of players.

It's astounding, almost like a train wreck the player can see coming, but has no power to stop. These unarmed dullards in Warrior do not stay behind their defenders.

The poor frame-rate combined with the shoddy online play and the occasional system lock-ups drag the game down into mediocrity. And that's a terrible shame for Xbox 360 owners who really have no other choice but to wait for an update from 2K Sports.

Ultimately, Animal Crossing: City Folk doesn't take any meaningful risks, sticking to essentially the same formula we've seen in the previous GameCube and Nintendo DS games. While those games were quite entertaining, and this newest version doesn't debut anything meaningful, we'd have liked to see something new from Nintendo this third time around.

Time Ace comes close to being a good game, but its blandness and obnoxious habit of steering innocent pilots into an early grave keep it from reaching its full potential.

Ultimately, though, its charms are outweighed by gameplay that lacks the tactics of the sweet science in real life. With better examples of video boxing on the market, Don King Presents: Prizefighter is a very tough sell.

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.

There is no single thing terribly wrong with Tork, other than the fact that it's extremely vanilla, uncreative, and by-the-book.

Just a sadly mediocre attempt to do something that really didn't need doing. Now, can we please have a real VF adventure, Sega?

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.

If you spent weeks building the perfect parks, unlocking new content, and wandering around as a guest [in the original], you'll get a little more mileage out of this expansion, but even then, you might find it a little skimpy.

It lacks depth, offers minimal incentive to continue playing past the first hour or two, and doesn't do anything with its online offerings that could convince you to neglect the countless other games that offer far richer multiplayer experiences. There's no reason to pick this one up unless you're desperate for something in the space milieu.

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

On its own merits, though, it's simple, fun, and fast, and this would be enough... if it existed in a void.

Another problem comes in how Conflict: Vietnam handles aiming. Whenever I drew my weapon in first-person view, a bulky rifle sight popped up and took over a good chunk of my screen. Making matters worse, the sight proved to be completely ineffective.

If you or a kid you know loves Sonic, this game will suit your purposes just fine. If you don't love Sonic, but love any racing title you can get, then check it out. If you don't fall into either of those categories, then we're sure you're probably not even reading this review.

Only the most hardcore Tetsuya Mizuguchi fans will be able to put up with Gunpey's repetitive gameplay for long.

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.

SMBA's biggest flaw is that it expanded the scope of the series' traditional gameplay without retaining its laser-like focus on solid game design.

All of this would be excusable if the game's mechanics and level designs were interesting, but they're not -- it's baseline stuff.

Unfortunately, those of us who actually have had any experience with pinball games won't find any reason to come back to this one after the initial feeling of nostalgia fades away.

It's still not nearly enough to save what is a fundamentally bad shooter. The smartest thing GamersFirst did was make APB: Reloaded free-to-play, allowing players to find out for themselves without the upfront cost.

Frame-rate issues, unimaginative combat and adventure gameplay, and multiplayer that sags leaves Unlimited Adventure in the position of not quite being able to compete with the One Piece games of the last generation.

It remains bogged down with completely unbalanced gameplay, maddeningly difficult AI, and online gameplay that has the longevity of a stick of Big Red. That being so, there's nothing worthwhile in the final product that you can't get in the demo.

Yes, the PS3 version comes with bonus single-player content. No, it isn't worth the aggravation. If you have a 360 or a beefy PC, buy those (cheaper) versions of this game. If you only have a PS3, "Resistance" is a better shooter for the system.

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.

The use of dragons as player-characters offers a unique perspective to the action-RPG genre, and it's stable and attractive. Even in a weak year for single-player RPGs, however, it's not enough; it simply doesn't offer enough gameplay elements to make it worth a purchase.

The biggest letdown of all, however, may be the quick-and-dirty nature of EDF's PC port, evident from the "Press A or click to start" opening prompt. It didn't crash on me, but that's it. Beyond that, however, it's locked at 30 frames per second, lacks any significant graphical options, and has a multiplayer match-finding tool that could be unfavorably compared to a maze filled with minotaurs.

You have to own military manuals to make any sense of the thousands of acronyms which are "understood" in the game.

Honestly, it's an okay game at heart, but it's hard to see that if you've even caught a glimpse of the other versions.

If the action was consistent and engaging Legends could have been a major success.

If you prefer your tycoon games in sandbox mode with the capitalism aspects removed, and you love the idea of designing the perfect version of Manhattan Island, Tycoon City makes a neat little construction kit. But if you're looking for an actual strategy game, give this one a pass.

Despite some smart moves on the part of the developers (voice talent, good graphics engine, franchise overhaul) none of them really pan out and bring much to the experience, leaving the game to flounder with its new but repetitive focus on combat.

The Wii might be hurting for air combat games, but even the mediocre Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII is slightly better than Heatseeker (and by this point, there's a decent chance that you can find it used).

As a final misstep, there's no final, ultimate puzzle that combines all the mechanics I'd learned -- it just sort of ends.

Legends isn't a horror of a game. It's just a game that wouldn't have been greenlighted on the PS2 trying to cash in on the Wii's popularity and gullible gift-buyers.

A game that shouldn't have been made. It's a hardcore product with next to nothing new to offer to the hardcore. Meanwhile, more casual people will be turned off by the confusing learning curve and the utterly awful aesthetics.

Despite some smart moves on the part of the developers (voice talent, good graphics engine, franchise overhaul) none of them really pan out and bring much to the experience, leaving the game to flounder with its new but repetitive focus on combat.

One of the ugliest games of this generation, and the majority of Dreamcast games would put it to shame. The textures are cloudy and the player models are cheesy.

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.

While the controls on the PS2 are easily the best out of any of the other console incarnations, they still can't save this game from succumbing to it own horribly boring repetition.

The execution leaves a lot to be desired, though, and all-too-often feels more like work than play.

We were hoping for more from The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, and we're disappointed that the game didn't do more with such a powerful license. Star Wars: Battlefront hasn't aged very well, and to get essentially the same game with a different theme left us wanting more.

When it comes right down to it, Heatseeker just isn't a good value for the money, compared to what else is out there for the PS2.

If you're playing for the satisfaction of building up power and conquering territory, or for the unique experience of, say, creating a badass platoon of headless knights and running across a friendly vampire bat to stick by their side in battle, you'll probably be able to ignore the game's problems and focus on your accomplishments within the game.

After such an uneven effort, there can be no other assessment made: the game gods must be displeased.

I had a good time playing it for the first hour or so. But after that, the lack of originality and the repetition of the game really started to wear on me.

It doesn't help matters that the game plays like a mindless shooter-by-numbers.

If you or a kid you know loves Sonic, this game will suit your purposes just fine. If you don't love Sonic, but love any racing title you can get, then check it out. If you don't fall into either of those categories, then we're sure you're probably not even reading this review.

It's competent, and weird, and will be infamous in a couple years. That's gotta count for something, right? Even Young Lady With Full of Troubles could appreciate that.

It just comes a bit short as turn-based game, with underwhelming historical battles and lacks the rich RTS experience of the original.

From the boring art design to the painfully weak enemy AI, just about every facet of the game screams mediocrity.

It's hard to recommend Transformers: The Movie on its own merits, but those looking to simply stomp around a city as Optimus Prime will have some fun with it.

If Namco just spent another month or two polishing the camera and targeting, it could have had a rock solid action title under its belt.

It's passable at best, and surpassed by The Suffering in nearly every aspect. Sadly, Sony had the right idea in not bringing this title to the U.S., as it simply brings nothing new to the table.

Although far from perfect, this is still shaping up to be the best portable version of Splinter Cell to come out to date.

XD is a decent enough effort, and it's certainly not a bad game, but considering how well crafted the handheld RPGs are, the unrealized potential and missed opportunities of XD become all the more apparent.

Shame on Namco for sitting on this game for so long and letting it grow stale.

During each mission, there's a chance for some turn-based squad combat to occur. These fights, I'm sorry to say, are a poor man's XCOM.

I've been reviewing PC games since 1999 and playing them since the late 1980s, and this is the first time I've had to jump through this many hoops to get a single game going.

It remains bogged down with completely unbalanced gameplay, maddeningly difficult AI, and online gameplay that has the longevity of a stick of Big Red. That being so, there's nothing worthwhile in the final product that you can't get in the demo.

Another victim of the quickie DS action blues. The star isn't very likeable, it's not much fun to play, and it's as ugly as a Jack-o-Lantern on January 9th.

As a "my first graphic adventure," it works pretty well, with some unique puzzles and some interesting characters to get involved with. Veterans of the genre, however, will come away wanting more.

If you're the kind of gamer that likes to set two CPU-controlled combatants battle against each other in "Street Fighter II" and bet on the outcome with your friends, then this may be your type of game.

Not counting those pauses and time spent scratching my head about obvious puzzles, The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav clocks in at around six to seven hours, which makes me balk a little at its $30 price. Comparatively, Walking Dead is $25 for the season of five two-hour episodes, and Resonance is $10 -- two adventure games you really should play this year. Satinav, on the other hand, carries with it a number of disclaimers that you need to be aware of before jumping into this fantasy adventure game.

As a shooter, it's an awfully generic game that we're hard-pressed to recommend among the smorgasbord of significantly better FPS titles out there right now. As a political allegory, it's undermined by poor audio with no subtitles, heavy-handed storytelling, and little to emotionally invest in these characters.

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.

Given that Ice Age 2 is intended for a younger audience, it's not a terribly long or challenging game. Don't be surprised if the adventure is finished after about four or five hours.

A derivative, repetitive and shallow tie-in that fails to capture the dynamic energy of the comic or the film.

Another problem comes in how Conflict: Vietnam handles aiming. Whenever I drew my weapon in first-person view, a bulky rifle sight popped up and took over a good chunk of my screen. Making matters worse, the sight proved to be completely ineffective.

While it has the series' trademark snappy dialogue, sultry vixens, and more double entendres than a classic Rodney Dangerfield routine, it's missing one thing: the fun. The mini-games dragged after only a few hours, and getting through the game felt like a chore.

Despite how oddly compelling I found many of the diversions found herein, I couldn't get too into this game's dated fighting mechanic.

There was great potential with Star Trek: Legacy, and the foundation has been laid for a truly stellar game. But the end result feels rushed and that potential still remains untapped.

While the experience isn't particularly compelling, you can conceivably play Circle of Doom for hundreds and hundreds of hours.

It doesn't help matters that the game plays like a mindless shooter-by-numbers.

One of the most tedious, poorly-conceived 3D platform games that I've had the displeasure of slogging through. That said, it doesn't screw up the technical stuff.

Plays like hundreds of other action fighting games, and looks worse than half of them.

A half-hearted attempt to make the game even more ubiquitous than it already is. Very little effort was put into making it a compelling experience in its own right, and thus, you have very little incentive to experience it.

For those who bought the original game and have supported it through two years of corporate turmoil, though, Soviet Assault feels like somebody's just trying to squeeze money out of a loyal fan base that really deserves better.

It looks okay, sounds all right, and plays decent. But nobody is going to fall in love with the game, unless they're in love with the sound of Jamie Little's big mouth.

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

Simply doesn't have much to offer.

Character choices aside, if you can get past the occasionally spotty controls and the somewhat sluggish combat, you'll have a decent time with this game, especially if you grew up watching Godzilla and King Ghidorah duke it out on Saturday afternoon TV. Just don't set your expectations too high.

If you're really into the whole brain training thing, Hot Brain is a perfectly serviceable game. Just be aware that you're not getting a lot of bang for your buck. You'll have fun, but once you finish a couple of rounds, you'll start to wish that you could have more.

If you or a kid you know loves Sonic, this game will suit your purposes just fine. If you don't love Sonic, but love any racing title you can get, then check it out. If you don't fall into either of those categories, then we're sure you're probably not even reading this review.