This GameCube port has a few new features that the PS2 version didn't, like a few new stages and skill capsules, but you can't escape the fact that the game is already a year old.

The additional content added to the original PSP game (including a series of enjoyable bonus challenges) makes it a stronger game on the PlayStation 2, but it doesn't have the feel of a true sequel.

Anatomically incorrectness notwithstanding, Barnyard is a perfectly fine family-friendly film tie-in that you won't absolutely love, but has plenty to like anyway.

The biggest problem with Battle Network 5 is the same thing that has plagued all the other sequels in the series: it's just too darn much like its predecessors.

Freespace 2 this is not, but even with its frustrations, Strike Suit Zero is an anime inspired shooter with its balls against at least two walls. It's dumb, possibly dumber than it intends, but it's also the kind of action you're not going to feel bad for enjoying.

Fans of the American Conquest and history buffs can look forward to more grand battles on a truly epic scale. For everyone else, there are plenty of better RTS games to play.

It's not nearly as good as "Ace Combat 4," but it's enjoyable enough to tide you over until the next Ace Combat game.

As is common with games from Square Enix, the story of Heroes of Mana (while maybe not terribly original) is surprisingly deep and emotionally engaging. While that doesn't completely make up for the tragic pacing of the game or the substandard AI, it at least provides something to motivate the long-suffering Mana fan.

Accurately modeling the features that have made this series so endearing and capturing the action from a surprisingly workable viewpoint, it's a tremendous traveling companion for anyone with a taste for adventure.

Less varied but deeper gameplay would have been the way to go. While the variety of different gaming styles is initially a kick, none of them end up being very memorable.

Gamers who may be looking for a deep adventure should consider Enclave. While there are a few graphical elements in the game that could've used a little more studio time, there are just as many gameplay elements that enhance the game.

It's a good overall game, but could have been a refreshing title had it redirected its focus and gone all out in either direction -- sim or arcade.

It's obvious that Nakazato wanted to create a Contra that was inclusionary to newbies, instead of exclusionary. In that he's succeeded. The only problem is that Neo Contra's average difficulty level will have the opposite effect, and turn off the old-timers. It's too bad, as a simple difficulty selection could have helped correct this.

What's here is good stuff, though, and even if it never got another piece of content Forge would pull its weight.

Deprived of a decent storyline, innovative mechanics, and limited variation in either enemies or environments, Too Human is barely worthy of a weekend rental.

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.

More than most other genres, if an adventure's core narrative foundations aren't solid enough to carry the rest of game, everything else is meaningless -- and Yesterday's is a story built on matchsticks and marbles. To play it is to see it come crashing down.

Overall though, FIFA 08 feels like a game that tries to please several people, and instead, pleases a very small minority.

It may not be hanging out in the rarified air that Madden and Sega's ESPN game breathe, but it finally deserves to be on the same playing field as them.

If your'e looking for an off-the-wall spot of multiplayer fun, WDL may be just the ticket. Otherwise, you may want to rent before plopping down 50 big ones.

With its weak story, dull combat, and host of annoyances, Children of Mana just isn't very much fun to play. Multiplayer can be enjoyable, but most of the time players will be going solo, and will be quite bored doing so. The game as a whole just feels pointless.

Of all the versions of Tiger Woods 08 this year, the PS2 offering is the weakest, as development is clearly focusing on the next-gen consoles.

Thanks to the huge amount of customization options, this game offers much more depth of gameplay than what's found in your average fighting game. If only so much tedium wasn't involved in accessing all of it.

If you can't get enough Portable Ops online, Ops + is just about worth it for the extra character limit. For everyone else, save those pennies and dimes for MGS4.

Afro Samurai is a mess of a game. It's such a shame to see such a beautifully rendered and stylish world ground into the dust by such staggering gameplay foibles and technical glitches.

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.

The ultimate battle game to ever hit the PC. So many of us enjoyed playing the original version; well I promise you that the original, though fun, was tame compared to this.

There's a ton of new goodies to like -- new races, new gameplay options, a trading economy model and new interface options. It's certainly a good game, but now the dilemma before me was whether I preferred the original game or its sequel, in terms of interface and game play.