A gameplay experience more fans will enjoy, but an out of the box experience that might not be challenging enough for hardcore seamheads who spent countless hours mastering how to throw the perfect curve in MLB 2K8. Still, this game is by all means a successful update.

Offers a distinctly Japanese-flavored experience for the GameCube, and those looking for something a little different could do a lot worse than Chibi-Robo.

The characters are sweet but the story is bland. The battles are sexy but sometimes overstay their welcome. The graphics are great but the music is forgettable.

Airborne has a few tricks up its sleeve, but that doesn't necessarily take it to the next level.

The storyline and wingman idea both add a lot to things, but eventually, the racing becomes too repetitive.

The game's presentation is easily worth the attention of even the most hardcore comic fans. The graphics are all fairly well defined, though the PS2 version doesn't look quite as sharp as either the Xbox or GameCube versions.

Unlocking all the characters requires beating the single-player arcade mode no less than 16 times, a mind-numbing chore that borders on Super Smash Bros. levels of grind-ness.

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.

The dueling is fun, and it's even available as a multiplayer game. Unfortunately, you need two copies of the game to take advantage of it.

Though its simplified setup and reduced options may not please some of the more battle-hardened soldiers of days past, the game's more streamlined approach is an excellent way to bring the Worms experience to a new generation of gamers.

For most of the game I felt like I was too powerful and things never really felt challenging. Again, I'm thinking that this is partly by design since the game has a mainstream license and will attract many casual gamers.

A very decent race game. It's just one that happens to fall into a crowded category, and the car that's late out of the gate is rarely the winner.

All of the irreverent charm and style from before are still packed solidly into this title. The multiplayer is phenomenal, and Xbox Live is probably the best online play that the series has ever seen.

A surprisingly fun first effort that is well worth looking into if you're a fan of collectible card games.

While the game should have included at least a little bit of museum-quality extras, at $20 it's still a hard deal to pass up.

Once you get a few levels into the game, you start to see the purpose and role of each weapon, and Constantine encourages you to think strategically about how to take down enemies.

One thing I will say is that Acclaim has the beginnings of a game engine and gameplay model that could really kick some serious butt if they just take the time to implement more modes and tweak what's already there.

A capable homage to Robotech, but doesn't impress on its own merits as a shooter.

It does a good job of emulating 29 games, but a lot of these games are less than exciting inclusions. Meanwhile, some genuinely classic Taito games are left out.

The constant action means the Harry Potter series has always lent itself well to the video-game format, and thankfully (albeit surprisingly) EA has mostly improved upon their winning formula, while upping the ante visually and adding welcome multiplayer features, easily making the Goblet of Fire their best adaptation yet.

Modern Times' strengths really shine in sandbox mode -- an area Tropico 4 shied away from -- which will provide more than enough hours for $20 of game for those who left Tropico 4 wanting more.

Endless Space easily earns a strong recommendation to fans of this genre. But I also can't quite call it a great game, because it lacks the flavor that makes games like Alpha Centauri, Sins of a Solar Empire, or Civilization so great.

Once you get over the initially steep learning curve in handling the cars, you'll find yourself left with a surprisingly deep and entertaining racing experience.

Mushroom Men has a few flaws, but it's still an enjoyable game. The platforming is solid, the premise if fun, and it has fantastic art direction. Hopefully we'll see an improved sequel in the future.

In the end, Crash Mode really saves the game. The problems with translating the fast nature of racing to a small screen are nullified by the high fun factor involved with Crash Mode.

The game has what it takes to satiate the average RPG fan with an engaging (if not by the numbers) story, fast-paced battles, and entertaining gameplay devices that provide enough to appeal to a broad audience. If nothing else, it's like a vanilla shake: nothing new, but still satisfying.

Sure, it's a bit simplistic, but the gameplay is solid and the odd online mode is strangely addicting.

It's far from revolutionary, but as a mélange of elements that have proven successful in other action/adventure games, it's certainly entertaining and gratifying on many levels.