This isn't really a fun toy, either, but more like one of those Fisher-Price "busy boxes" for young kids: Hit a button and it makes a noise; turn this knob and listen to the Pikachu say its name, etc.

Whenever you add a new race into an already established game, the question of game balance becomes an important issue. Rise of the Elves does an excellent job in this regard, as the Elf retinue is not overly powerful nor are they fodder for the other four races.

One of the coolest things about this game is the fact that it doesn't take itself very seriously. The sense of humor manifests in a bunch of ways, not the least of which are the whacked-out in-game TV shows that play out in parallel to the game's own story.

While the presentation doesn't feel like an afterthought, it probably won't quite completely fulfill your live-action, comic-book fantasies.

While the improved handling and graphics are a treat, Spy Hunter 2 feels like it's moving away from the original's inspiration, instead of towards it.

The in-game fighters are ugly, poorly animated, 3D-rendered sprites that make them look as though all your favorite characters have been replaced by rubber dolls -- and not the good kind.

My disappointment in this disc's shortcomings is tempered by the sheer amount of great, classic gaming on offer.

It has a simplistic hand-to-hand fighting system, a jerky, broken camera, crappy, jarring level designs, and horrifically frustrating platforming elements. It pretty much just fails at emulating the combat-heavy action games that have inspired it, and you'll constantly remind yourself of this as you play.

It has a simplistic hand-to-hand fighting system, a jerky, broken camera, crappy, jarring level designs, and horrifically frustrating platforming elements. It pretty much just fails at emulating the combat-heavy action games that have inspired it, and you'll constantly remind yourself of this as you play.

It has a simplistic hand-to-hand fighting system, a jerky, broken camera, crappy, jarring level designs, and horrifically frustrating platforming elements. It pretty much just fails at emulating the combat-heavy action games that have inspired it, and you'll constantly remind yourself of this as you play.

I've played my share of games, and none have made my fingers ache like Lowrider. I like games of timed button-presses, but this feels too imprecise and button-mashy.

Wisely priced at 20 bucks, and its historical info alone makes it a must for anyone with an interest in video-game lore, but not one of the included games is anything more than a mild curiosity.

The saber play is great fun, particularly in multiplayer, and the variety in the single-player game keeps it entertaining as well. Next time we'll hope for a new graphics engine, but for now, the Force is definitely with the Academy.

Unfortunately, it's a mostly uninspired affair, trying to blend several easy-listening game styles, but ultimately never quite hitting the right notes.

Despite a lack of polish and the ineptly presented storyline, Kya: Dark Lineage had enough fresh ideas and fun scenarios to keep me pluggin' through to the end. It's not the prettiest game out there, nor the longest, or the coolest. It is, however, fun and original.

While this is certainly not a huge title and there's little innovation, I must admit I enjoyed it.

A solid, competent shooter, one with a unique presentation and a story just intriguing enough to keep you playing through the end. The simplistic combat, generic design and savegame oddities keep it out of the realm of greatness.

I wish the multiplayer offered more, as it would no doubt extend the title's replay value. The single-player experience is enjoyable, if not revolutionary.

Forget it if pure action is your bag, but fans of MGS-style thievery owe it to themselves to check this one out. Just keep a couple of puke bags handy if you're a little emotionally sensitive.

It's not perfect, but it's got enough unique style to create thirst for a follow-up.

The FPS's non-stop arcade-style shooting is a fun break from a wave of "press yourself flat against the wall and look around the corner" sneak-around titles, but the clunky third-person fighting you have to do to take down the level bosses is goofy.

There's a name for what this game is; it's just not typical to console games. That's "expansion pack." And expansion packs don't cost full price. Sure, FFX-2 gives you another lengthy quest to play through, but it’s just not up to par with the best games in the Final Fantasy series.

The best PC RPG of the year, and possibly one of the best RPGs I've ever played...It's got that obsessive/compulsive quality that keeps pushing you to solve just one more quest, to finish one more task, to go up one more level just to see what new stuff you can get.

The longevity factor makes it a rental for even vaguely experienced payers. On the other hand, as a young player's introduction to gaming, I-Ninja is nearly the perfect tool.

About my only complaint is that it's over too soon -- just an hour, without mistakes...It's unmisssable for anyone who wants to take a space-age vacation from the typical.

With its intuitive, intense gameplay and rich atmosphere, Secret Weapons Over Normandy is the best flight-action game for the PlayStation 2.

It emphasizes the bad side of console games: unlockable planes and maps, cartoony characters and situations, a lame checkpoint save system, and no multiplayer support (something the console versions of the game actually get). Missing are the imagination, innovation, and style of the best console games.

It goes halfway towards inventing a new genre, but it can't decide whether to invent the action-RTS or the tactical-fighting game, so it ends up just awkwardly defying any sort of established gameplay conventions.