NFL Head Coach is a decent value when considered as part of the 20th anniversary Madden NFL 09 package, but doesn't quite do enough to merit a purchase for the standalone version.

One-shot kills make it hard to appreciate differences among the nuances of firing rate, penetration value, and stopping power.

It's mechanics and gameplay may annoy you, but if you liked John Carpenter's version of "The Thing," you should be able to buy into (and enjoy) the storyline.

Primitive and unpolished, but its relentless goofiness, perfect use of the license, and twists on the stealth-action genre make it worth playing anyway.

The library of mini-games alone makes the game a must have for anyone looking for hours of mindless fun. Add to that all of the cool extras unlocked when linked with a copy of Spyro Orange, and you end up with an awesome cross-franchise certain to leave you craving more.

The game's lower level of difficulty and varied gameplay styles make it easy for just about anyone to get into the game and enjoy the experience.

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.

Dungeonland could have done with a good couple more months in the oven.

A significant improvement over its predecessor on the 360.

As a classics collection (a Namco Museum, if you will), it fails pretty hard. It's lacking some much-needed games, and its meager selection of seven classic titles pales to the 21 in the PSP Museum. Pac-Man Vs., however, is excellent.

The multiplayer is by far the strongest element of the game, so hopefully we'll see both more ease of connection and an update to online options in the future. With both of those things in place, most likely in a sequel, Squad Command might not be a game whose biggest enemy is itself.

If everything is so average, then why did I give Blood Will Tell the extra half-star? Well, it's got a damn fine story.

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.

Without using the camera it can be frustrating and repetitive, but its mediocre porting is not enough to convince anyone to spend an additional $50 to enjoy it.

Sure, Order of the Phoenix is a little rough around the edges, but it's still the best Harry Potter game yet. Fans will get a huge kick over how well it recreates Harry's world.

Finding all one hundred of Dewy's friends, known as the Eaus, on every level is a real challenge, so the replay value is there.

Sadly, the only multiplayer mode included is a downloadable demo you can distribute to your friends -- we would have loved a cooking contest a la Iron Chef, where the highest scoring player across a series of mini-games would win the fame and glory. Still, the mini-games can be fun.

I can recommend it to anyone who wants a spy based adventure game, but if you're really looking for action and suspense you'll be sorely disappointed with ICB.

A fun game, but it could've benefited from more polish and a little more imagination.

If this title had come out before the console version, I'm sure we'd have been amazed by its accomplishments, rather than puzzled by its mistakes.

Do yourself a favor and pick up New York Times Crosswords for the DS instead.

While the gameplay remains solid and the features are there in full force, the technical issues and sub-par graphics make it absolutely impossible to recommend over Sony's "MLB 08: The Show."

Even playing on the easiest setting, the difficulty regularly spikes to bowel-clenching impossibility. This wouldn't be so bad if the checkpoints flowed a little more freely, as most of the difficulty spikes tend to arrive after a protracted battle has already left you tattered and bleeding.

A failure. Despite the excellent art, and even ignoring the frustrating puzzles, the biggest problem here lies in a group of obnoxiously stereotypical characters working their way through bad dialogue and a poorly plotted and paced script, topped off with three horrifying words: "To Be Continued..."

After playing it for several hours, I started to see that it's a decent game. For fishing fans, it's a must-buy.

The first time you see AquaNox in action, you'll probably be impressed with the bright lights and flashy explosions, but you'll probably tire of those in about five minutes.

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.

A competent and occasionally compelling hack-and-slash, but fans of the PC games will continue to dream of the true RPG they'll never get, and fans of Dark Alliance would presumably rather play "Dark Alliance II."