The long delay, outdated graphics, crazy system requirements and the clunky Games for Windows LIVE system are show-stopping obstacles to what should have been a great port of a great game more than a year ago.

It really can teach you to appreciate the nuances of racing and may even renew your love of cars. For a game like this, we think that's the best compliment we can give it.

Fans of shooters will find, quickly enough, that the absolute reliance on purchased abilities over skill makes this a poor Counterstrike-style title. RPG fans will, likewise, find that there aren't enough RPG elements to make a whole game out of. And both sides should have the common sense to realize that when a company sneaks out a test game disguised as a full retail product, you don't reward it by buying it.

While the abilities are beautifully balanced and the right team can be a near-amazing gameplay experience, the price, the stinginess of the content, and the amateurish lack of polish gives us pause. Maybe a lower price point that doesn't make Shadowrun as much of a ripoff as it is could help down the line. But until then, despite how much I want to like Shadowrun, the good times are not nearly worth all the money, frustration and hassle.

While unimpressive from a technical standpoint, and uninspired from a mini-games standpoint, the core Mario Party formula remains intact.

The party mentioned in the title is a very short one and players will likely decide to leave it early to knock on other doors: Rayman: Raving Rabbids and Wario Ware offer much more fun for only slightly more cash.

With levels that build on each other in terms of complexity (and, thusly, difficulty), the game inspires that kind of "just one more level" feeling of addiction that may result in you freeing Dan from his insomnia but earning yourself a nasty case in return.

We really wanted to like Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm, but the series is stagnating in gameplay that was obtusely old-fashioned ten years ago. It's unfortunate, but the magic is long-gone.

Your best bet for head-to-head fighting fun on Nintendo's newest platform.

The game is tolerable if you're really into its style, which is decidedly Japanese (both the art direction and the gameplay). If you are new to the Mana series, this is probably a bad introduction.

Even though the difficulty ramps up dramatically halfway through Career mode, dedicated gamers will be able to complete the whole thing in a day, if they don't get tired of the somewhat shallow and repetitive gameplay before then.

Playing Brooktown High, you can't really ever lose, but with so little content to explore and so little reward, you can't really win either.

Ninja Council 3 comes across as a game that was quickly slapped together just to get something Naruto-related on the DS.

Even though the difficulty ramps up dramatically halfway through Career mode, dedicated gamers will be able to complete the whole thing in a day, if they don't get tired of fighting the poorly designed controls before then.

There were times when I was getting into the action despite the repetitive fighting. A lot of the levels are well-designed and if you're a Pirates fan, it does a pretty good job of transporting you into Jack's world.

If At World's End had standard combat controls, it wouldn't be a great game, but it'd be solidly mediocre. As it is, it's just no fun to play. Even the biggest Pirates fan will quickly grow tired and toss in their "Dead Man's Chest" DVD to watch while they place an ice pack on their shoulder.

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.

If you go into Touch the Dead with low expectations, they'll probably be met. If you're expecting something on the level of Resident Evil: Deadly Silence or the House of the Dead franchise, prepare for disappointment, because this is one zombie game that will make you want to eat your own brain.

Despite its technical issues Freestyle Street Basketball is a charming, fun street-style basketball MMO with a great value proposition. With its five-minute play time and free low-level game, it can be enjoyed by those looking for a quick game on an afternoon lunch break.

A slick and graphically upgraded version of an already strong PS2 title. It shares some of the same problems as that game -- namely a very difficult base running mode -- and has a few of its own in the form of some of some graphics hiccups, but overall, it's a solid debut.

Once the initial enthusiasm fades, there's very little to keep a player's interest. The plot is inconsistent and the pace of the game is too discontinuous to be truly appreciated.

The interface may be ugly, the transition effect between levels is crude, and we had a number of random lockups on three separate systems, but there isn't anything here that's a true deal-breaker.

What Infernal has to offer is very simple, pretty graphics, showcased in a variety of levels that take you from a mountainside monastery to an offshore train yard to an aircraft carrier, paired with decent action and surprisingly fun boss battles.

Command & Conquer 3 isn't a brilliant reinvention of the RTS game. It's dirt-farming and mediocre live-action cutscenes and tank rushes and screaming that the Mammoth Tank is unbalanced (it is), and that's where the fun lies.

But for those who were hoping for an evolution of the franchise, or those who have had no exposure to it in the first place, this is not the game for you.

For the hardcore military buff, ArmA's attention to real-world detail is unmatched; comparing it to something like "Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter" is like comparing "IL-2 Sturmovik" to "Combat." If this concept scares you, then run away: ArmA will eat you up and spit you out before you can figure out how to aim your M-16.

Right out of the gate, Spider-Man 3 is going to smack you in the face with some of the worst next-gen graphics you have ever seen.

While the controls on the PS2 are easily the best out of any of the other console incarnations, they still can't save this game from succumbing to it own horribly boring repetition.