Gamers looking for a more traditional arcade racer might need to approach NFSU with the following in mind -- it's tons of fun, it looks amazing, and it's best on PS2 due to the online portions, but be prepared to witness a perceptive lack of variety, and one huge-ass single-player challenge in order to get the most out of the game.

Unlike many console-to-PC ports, it's clear that the developers loaded up the PC version with as much high-res art as possible, which looks even better than the Xbox version.

Perhaps the best brawler on the Game Boy Advance, and a good nostalgia trip for Double Dragon and beat-'em-up aficionados.

Chronicles has some of the most unresponsive controls I've experienced in a long time.

A very good single-player game, and a brilliant online game; Ubisoft's streak of Xbox greatness continues.

You'll have fun fighting in Defiance, and feel lucky, because it happens quite often. But if you've been following the series, you'll also know that it's quite heavily reliant on aimless wandering and boring box puzzles.

A tour-de-force of imagination, an electronic window into a fantastic world that exists in only our consoles and a creative French guy's mind. I greatly enjoyed my time in that world, and my only real regret is that it was over so soon.

Barring the terrible control scheme, the single-player version of URU: Ages Beyond Myst is a solid adventure title. Beautiful graphics and sound, fun puzzles, and lots to read and learn about the D'ni makes for an atmospheric game. But the lack of the advertised multiplayer component is a real disappointment.

The look of BR4 is seriously behind the curve. The single-player game is lackluster and the multiplayer, while the most exciting way to mix it up, is still just a button-mashing endurance contest. The game's "guys turning into animals" gimmick is the only thing going for it.

Almost a full-fledged sequel in its own right. Not only do you get the full original game, but you also get a new campaign with a more than respectable amount of game time, new spells, treasures, monsters, and improved interface options.

So much presentation and bulked up features, with nothing of substance underneath.

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.

To my surprise, Insomniac was able to add just enough tweaks and twists to last year's formula to turn a somewhat generic-feeling character action game into something that actually holds my attention...Not the ultimate platformer, but it's definitely the best one coming out this holiday.

For every innovative new feature, there's a gameplay gaffe or design flaw that drags it down; it's certainly better than last year's hyperactive NBA Live 2003, but it's still a year away from being something truly special.

A very good RTS, and anyone who complains that it lacks the depth of a PC RTS is entirely missing the point.

With a slow and chunky multiplayer component, there's not much reason to jump into the driver's seat.

Red flags like the frustrating controls, uneven flow, and the lack of voice-recognition capability present in its other games make it appear that this one was rushed out the door in time for the season.

NOLF fans will likely find it lacking most of the series' charm, and as an action title, it feels strangely unpolished, falling victim to any number of basic problems.

After playing through this excruciatingly awful game, it is a safer bet that you're better off loading up an old game like "Stronghold" or the aforementioned "Age of Kings" instead, because even with its bargain basement price, Crusades offers no value.

Its battles are enjoyable enough, and series fans will be pleased with this adaptation of the Onimusha mythos. But in comparison to everything else on the market, the game falls short in comparison.

Isometric platformers are just not the way to go; the tasks are monotonous; the level design is pathetic; and Bugs Bunny without jokes is like Arnold Schwarzenegger without the accent.

The play mechanics are literally all wrong. Depth in character building doesn't matter when you wish your character would just take a wrong turn and fall off a cliff and land on some very sharp rocks.

Hardcore gamers will be put off by the lack of depth in the arcade sequences, and casual gamers will be put off by the degree of challenge in the strategy sequence.

It has most of the gameplay options and technical competence you'd expect from an A-list publisher, but it never once engages you on an emotional level.

An excellent game that disposes of traditional cheap RTS tactics, and instead rewards clever, direct action.

So much presentation and bulked up features, with nothing of substance underneath.

You'll have fun fighting in Defiance, and feel lucky, because it happens quite often. But if you've been following the series, you'll also know that it's quite heavily reliant on aimless wandering and boring box puzzles.

Beats "Tiger 2004" in exactly two respects: prettier graphics and Live support. Every other category goes to Tiger in a Governor Ahnold-esque landslide.