Jeanne manages to capture perfectly what we want from a tactical RPG: to make us care about the characters through a well-done but not distracting story; to give us enough choices in customization to make preparing for battle and spending our resources meaningful; and in providing us with battles that feel like certain doom from the first turn, even after we've won dozens of them.

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.

Manages to capture the clunky inapproachability of the d20 rules while keeping none of their underlying elegance, making it tough to recommend it to anyone.

We can't recommend Persona 3 highly enough, although a lack of even an option for controlling your whole party directly is a real shame.

If you just want a simple and enjoyable portable strategy/RPG to whittle away some time with, Luminous Arc will fill that role very nicely. But if you were hoping for a deep, compelling SRPG you could play competitively against others, you'll find that this light doesn't shine anywhere near as brightly as it should.

As is common with games from Square Enix, the story of Heroes of Mana (while maybe not terribly original) is surprisingly deep and emotionally engaging. While that doesn't completely make up for the tragic pacing of the game or the substandard AI, it at least provides something to motivate the long-suffering Mana fan.

Rune Factory is a good experiment which introduces new concepts and refreshed gameplay , but it doesn't do a good job of using the DS' many capabilities.

While it has been difficult to wholeheartedly recommend a Madden football game for a few years, Madden NFL 08 is a significant improvement over the series' past, and has refined the formula in such a way that it actually brings something new to the game.

The PlayStation 3 version is feature complete by comparison, but it doesn't run at the silky smooth frame rate of the 360 version. It's a no-brainer decision if you own both systems, but early adopters of the PlayStation 3 should still have a good time with this one.

Considering the strong debut we saw last year, we're not quite as impressed by what's been added to the experience.

While it's a solid enough game, once the feelings of nostalgia wane, you may feel a bit restricted by the game's linearity and the sometimes difficult camera.

Once you get used to the controls and master the trick moves, you'll rediscover your addiction to this arcade classic.

We have to admit to being a bit disappointed at how similar Star Force is to the Battle Network games. We were hoping that Capcom would take this opportunity to reboot the series into something fresh. Instead, we have more of a sidestep than a step forward.

We have to admit to being a bit disappointed at how similar Star Force is to the Battle Network games. We were hoping that Capcom would take this opportunity to reboot the series into something fresh. Instead, we have more of a sidestep than a step forward.

We have to admit to being a bit disappointed at how similar Star Force is to the Battle Network games. We were hoping that Capcom would take this opportunity to reboot the series into something fresh. Instead, we have more of a sidestep than a step forward.

The biggest problem is the lack of difficulty and subsequent lack of replayability, but while it lasts Boogie offers a pleasant distraction from the usual crop of rhythm and action games on the market.

If you can approach GD2 on its own terms and conquer it, the utterly unique gameplay experience is simply, well, glorious.

It literally takes a good two or three hours before things really get rolling. If you can make it that far, though, you'll get to bang away at a very solid game.

There's an awful lot to do in Picross DS, but given the addictive nature of the puzzles, don't be surprised if you plow though the puzzles in a couple of weeks. The downloadable puzzles and custom puzzles will keep you busy for a while longer, but the fact is, you'll want more.

Not only does it adapt the gameplay mechanics of a GameCube title to the remote and Nunchuk, but it makes them pretty easy and accessible to use.

Between the simple card system, the short length, and the anime look, Fighter's Battle feels like a game that was meant to get younger players interested in the Dynasty Warriors series. Longtime fans may be irked by these changes and the lack of a story, but it's still a DW game at heart.

The graphics, which look perfectly fine on the PSP, look decidedly low budget blown up on a TV. This is compounded by the fact that AS has been released as a full price title. This would be less of a problem if the game was $30, but for $50? You'd be better off saving $20 and picking up a copy of "Resident Evil 4."

PSP owners will be able to gloat that their version of the game looks better than the Wii edition.

For those who are interested in some slightly-skewed nostalgia and the freedom to manipulate their characters' skills on a microscopic level, Final Fantasy II is a perfect time sink of RPG pleasure.

Rocks the 80s feels like it was slapped together with as minimal an effort as possible. A $50 price tag only adds insult to injury, as it's arguable whether it's even worth half that price.

It does take advantage of the 360's power to deliver the nicest looking iteration of the game, but questionable gameplay set-up, quirky AI, and lackluster online play drag things down. This version is slightly more playable than its PS3 counterpart, but only slightly.

Graphically, it's the best that NASCAR has ever looked, but once you get past the pretty picture, you're left with a racer with plenty of holes.

The problem with 08 is that it's not all that different from 07. Other than the chance to jump behind the wheel of the Car of Tomorrow or the ability to save races at any point -- which is cool -- there's not a whole lot that's shiny and new about it.