Amped may not be exactly like snowboarding, but it's the closest you can get without equipment.

Huge parks to crash through, a wide array of famous riders and tricks, and familiar Tony Hawk-style gameplay all add up to a solid offering from Acclaim.

The game is long, its systems are well done, and it's quite nice to look at. And most importantly, it has legs.

Although there are a few problems with the Freestyle Superstar system, it's still one of the most innovative elements we've ever seen in an NBA game.

There are much better fighters out there to spend your time with.

Every bit better than the original, and in many shiny ways. The multiplayer is a blast, it looks great, the game modes are expanded exponentially over the first, and the game dances on the fine line of being fairly realistic without being too over-the-top crazy.

Despite the audiovisual grandeur of the rest of Generations, the shortcomings make it feel like little more than a "popcorn game" -- exhilarating, not very serious, and over before you get a chance to take it all in.

Despite its technical problems, Yakuza 2's story really kept us coming back for more. It's fantastically paced, constantly dropping teasers to keep you interested in what's going to happen next.

In many ways, Brain Age has become the ideal videogame gateway drug. The games are accessible to anyone, don't require any special physical dexterity or experience, and feature a regular reward system in their daily measurement of your brain age.

It has enough to keep any committed racing fan coming back for a good couple of months.

It's not all that new and not all that different from the other games in Sierra's classic "City Building" franchise -- but it's loads of fun all the same.

The only major complaint is that once a coaster is finished -- or even well into its construction -- it isn't very easy to make even minor adjustments.

It’s a fast-paced, adrenaline rush kind of game, and it’s really quite difficult, but that should just mean it’ll keep you busy for a while.

To be sure, Grand Prix 4 is a souped-up version of its predecessors with no major innovations, but this is about as close as you can get to the real thing without being scraped off the pavement.

It's definitely fun, but the only real innovations, the EyeToy games, merely provide a fleeting diversion. Unless you're hoping they'll breathe new life into this franchise, you won't be disappointed.

The new Open Ice mechanics allow for smoother, wide-open play than previous versions, and the Dynasty Mode is as deep and realistic as any I've ever seen.

The creators' scatterbrained ideas for ways to improve Rayman 3 over its direct predecessor has left the game shackled with a lot of half-baked, completely non-cohesive concepts and generally dull, repetitive, and tiresome gameplay.

While the EA game is solid, it just doesn't stack up with 2K6.

This is the first frothing video game form of Cthulhu Mythos that's been done almost completely right, and this year's most frightening first-person adventure. A true cult classic.

Sadly, even if the fans at Arco were banging authentic Sacramento cowbells like crazy, it wouldn't be quite enough to land NBA Live 09 on top of the basketball heap.

So, is THAW the best Tony Hawk ever? No, but it's definitely better than the last two. It's a throwback to the old-school Hawk series, yet it's a compromise at the same time.

This is an entertaining shooter with many good points, but nothing's particularly outstanding or original here. Members of the Old West FPS posse should snap it up faster than Doc Holliday could clear leather, but city-slicker varmints oughta just wait till it hits the bargain bin at the local general store.

The multiplayer component is particularly strong, with ad hoc games, an infrastructure network mode where players can link up for games, and a transmission mode where you can send individual turns to other players, so a game can be played over a longer period of time, much like the old play-by-email strategy gaming of yesteryear.

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.

While it's about as edifying and substantial as potato chips, it's also just as engaging and tasty.

A flawed, but stunning piece of work. Etherlords is a gripping game. Yes, there are elements that need improvement, but overall this is the best game ever released in the turn-based fantasy genre.

This added depth makes Resistance the new benchmark in expansion packs.

Doesn't quite match the Xbox and GameCube titles, but still good fun.