The core tactical gameplay is the real gem here, and its quality still shines 10 years after its first release. It's grinding, demanding gameplay that presumes a level of dedication and competence that many modern games don't, and it's all the better for it.

A long and satisfying exercise in combat experimentation, character development, and heady mythology. The curious mechanics and calculated, indirect combat won't appeal to everyone, but anyone that appreciates outlandish character design and trippy visuals should at least give it a try.

After four iterations, FIFA Soccer 08 feels like the first title to live up to the "next-gen" name.

After four iterations, FIFA Soccer 08 feels like the first title to live up to the "next-gen" name.

Overall though, FIFA 08 feels like a game that tries to please several people, and instead, pleases a very small minority.

Spot-on control, great atmosphere, more features than ever and balanced gameplay should send this one to the back of any soccer fan's net.

If you can put up with some repetition and the simplicity of the management system, you'll enjoy yourself. Most of the mini-games are quite a bit of fun, too, and they make for some good multiplayer sessions.

If you can put up with some repetition and the simplicity of the management system, you'll enjoy yourself. Most of the mini-games are quite a bit of fun, too, and they make for some good multiplayer sessions.

If you can put up with some repetition and the simplicity of the management system, you'll enjoy yourself. Most of the mini-games are quite a bit of fun, too, and they make for some good multiplayer sessions.

If you can put up with some repetition and the simplicity of the management system, you'll enjoy yourself. Most of the mini-games are quite a bit of fun, too, and they make for some good multiplayer sessions.

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.

Level design is bland, weapons are bland, control is a novelty at best and irritating at worst. As a free Wii launch pack-in meant to familiarize people with Remote/nunchuk controls, this game might have gotten a pass. Right now the only thing it gets is a big thumbs-down.

Crash might be getting on in years for a videogame mascot, and his latest outing falls well short of classic status, but a few disarming new tricks prove he's not over the hill just yet.

MLB Power Pros is a lot of fun, and quite accessible. That the game has just enough depth to satisfy a baseball fan's need for stats and realism is just icing on the cake.

An excellent alternative to the other baseball games on the market, especially friendly to those who aren't very keen on sports but who may enjoy the strategic options that the game offers up.

A great multiplayer game with a ton of depth: you could spend months learning all the ins and outs of all the maps, the classes on both sides, and all the weapons and vehicles.

Despite a few nice features and a cool graphical style (pixel art is pretty awesome), the lame microgames outweigh the good ones by a hefty margin.

A smorgasbord of rock 'em, sock 'em vehicular insanity that, while not without its quirks, will at least temporarily addict anyone with a pulse.

If you can master Logan's Shadow's complexities, you're in for the most rewarding stealth combat experience available on the PSP. But it's a game that demands a lot from its players, and the PSP is just not a good fit for a game with such an elaborate control scheme.

Substantial changes are what the series needs to really glow again, and they just aren't here. Bizarre Creations "phoning it in" is still better than a lot of developers' best, but if Bizarre Creations has something truly innovative up its sleeve, it seems it's saving it for its next title for its new publisher, Activision.

The easy difficulty setting and lighthearted tone might cause older gamers to scoff, but there's no denying that Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is a quality game that the whole family can enjoy.

The easy difficulty setting and lighthearted tone might cause older gamers to scoff, but there's no denying that Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is a quality game that the whole family can enjoy.

This game seems to be yet another victim of "let's concentrate on making the console versions good and just crank out a portable version in order to generate a few extra bucks."

NBA 2K8 is hands-down the best basketball game available, though it is facing very strong competition for the first time in a long while.

Shortcomings aside, we harken back to our Vince Carter analogy. Carter's star is fading, and the "next-gen" is already here in D-Wade, 'Bron and Melo. The PS2 version of 2K8 faces a similar challenge.

Easy and approachable enough for the DS' vast install base of casual users but rewarding and challenging enough to satisfy the hardest of the hardcore Zelda fans. Somehow, magically, it succeeds on both counts. Phantom Hourglass isn't perfect, but it's one of the best experiences, casual or hardcore, available in gaming today.

It's the best-looking entry in the series by far, and the gameplay is finally coming close to what gamers are looking for from their at-home NBA experience. But as good as NBA Live is this year, it's still not taking home the championship.

It's the best-looking entry in the series by far, and the gameplay is finally coming close to what gamers are looking for from their at-home NBA experience. But as good as NBA Live is this year, it's still not taking home the championship.