The last game was arguably worse, but it got a few things incredibly, addictively right. Suikoden IV gets a few things above average and most things dead-on mediocre.

A decent sequel to the first game that is ultimately mired by an intolerably imbalanced career mode.

Juiced 2 does some things right. It requires balanced skills in both racing and drifting, and the Spook Meter is a kick. Ultimately, though, it doesn't do enough to stand out in an already crowded field of PSP racers.

A worthwhile romp for RPG lovers that don't mind the hackneyed story and characters. The backtracking and endless travel are a chore, but once you get all four characters on board, the combat and crafting systems make it almost worth it.

It's not a triple-A title by any stretch -- with its gameplay quirks and audio that sounds recorded in a bus-station bathroom -- but it captures the sense of simple fun that Nintendo was shooting for with this new-fangled console.

It's a heck of a lot better than the recent batch of Mega Man X games. If you're looking for a hardcore RPG experience, pass on this, but Mega Man fans should appreciate the change of pace.

There are definitely enough elements to have some fun with it, and it breaks up the monotony of the usual "win tournament to gain points" model.

You could, of course, look at UFO: Aftermath in a vacuum, as if "X-Com" never existed. Even then, however, you're just left with a series of weak real-time tactical battles loosely connected by a shallow strategic shell.

When the far superior "Mario Kart Super Circuit" and the mildly obscure but also awesome "Konami Krazy Racers" already exist on GBA, there's no reason to get this.

As ridiculous as it sounds, with a little more money and thought put into how the player might react to not actually playing the game, this could've been something worthwhile.

A cookie-cutter, linear romp through the sweatier, jungle-infested portions of the Pacific conflict that's sure to almost satisfy fans of the series (especially those craving a split-screen co-op mode -- it's in there!), but leave pretty much everyone else shortchanged; especially in the graphics and gameplay department.

Standalone, The Path of the Shell misses most of what made the original Uru an interesting game to play.

Anyone looking for a lengthy, varied platformer with hidden secrets up the wazoo and tongue-in-cheek humor should find themselves enjoying Night of the Quinkan more than they would have expected.

The ground it treads is hardly innovative, and the grind is intolerable. Clan play helps to skirt these issues, but in general, World of Tanks is a dull slog to be enjoyed solely between rounds of other, more interesting games. Vision slit.

I just can't get over how cheap a lot of the game feels. Whether it's the dated looks, its frustratingly difficult latter portion, or its awkward storytelling, Prototype often feels like a budget title that unfortunately doesn't have a budget price.

Disappointingly, the game sorely lacks a career or league mode, but tries to make up for it with an innovative challenge mode that tests your ability to play flawless football (you know, real football) during a match.

Volition did a great job with Saints Row 2, so it's a shame that the PC gaming segment won't be able to experience the game at it was meant to be played.

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.

Sadly, with ultra-generic gameplay and a muddled story, there's very little in Emergence to hook gamers into future installments.

That makes the battle tricks on hand in Suikoden Tactics nice twists on the staid tactical RPG. But there's not enough battle, and too much chaff to sort through in order to find 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.

EXA doesn't differentiate itself from the herd; in fact, its blatant lifting of so much from Neo is a definite detriment. Shining Force EXA isn't extraordinary. Quite the opposite: it's extra ordinary.

Unless you're predisposed to buying anything that is related to the show, just ogle a few gameplay videos, fancy a screenshot or two, and call it a day without wasting fifty bucks.

But for those who were hoping for an evolution of the franchise, or those who have had no exposure to it in the first place, this is not the game for you.

The multiplayer aspect is particularly entertaining, with a variety of missions available ... and more to come thanks to the downloadable content option.

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 action games on the market. It's a strange title but one that's not without merit.

If there's a lesson to be learned from Pax Romana, it's this: give us all the finger-licking detail you can pack in, but don't ruin it with a poorly conceived interface. It sunk "Master of Orion III," and it sinks Pax Romana in the final analysis.

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.