Sword of the Stars is full of solid ideas and offers interesting strategic challenges and fun multiplayer action to those willing to weather its quirks, frustrations and obscurities.

It's lacking in originality and refinement, but Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII ends up as a playable and occasionally interesting experiment with traditional action gameplay packed with cutscenes, story and fan-pleasing cameos.

From here on out, next-gen games are going to be separated into two categories: those that have evolved, and those that have not. Even though N3: Ninety-Nine Nights gives us literally 1,000 onscreen opponents, I'm afraid it sits firmly in the latter section.

For a game that's humble and not especially innovative, Deep Labyrinth is a title that, strangely, really feels like it belongs on the Nintendo DS. It's a little different and takes a few risks that don't pay off, but it ends up being a successful game in its genre.

D1 fans will be able to look past the game's numerous flaws and appreciate the fact that there's a game tailored to their specific tastes. The average gamer, on the other hand, will have a hard time getting the hang of the controls and will be a lot less forgiving of the game's flaws.

It's enjoyable for a few brief moments to blow away vessels in a manner that harkens back to the classic Wing Commander. The thing is, without a robust economic engine, an interesting and dynamic universe to explore, or even a decent storyline to follow, DarkStar One is destined to sink into the black hole of gaming obscurity.

One of the most uniquely imaginative horror games ever created... Despite the fact that there are some frustrating elements (namely the save system and AI), Dead Rising is a straight-up blast from start to finish.

Underneath the stylized art and strong anime-bent of Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation lies a glowing core of light strategy gameplay with some very gratifying customization elements.

If there's one thing that should have been fixed with the expansion and wasn't, it's the map and quest marking system. The mini-map in the corner is still fine, but the map screen is so useless, it actually takes away from the fun of the game.

FlatOut 2 drives a fine line, but manages to come out on the good side more often than not. It might be a good idea to tether that controller to your wrist, though, because it's possible you'll send it flying just as much as your driver.

Unless you're very forgiving, impervious to frustration, or blindly love all things Monkey Ball, Super Monkey Ball Adventure probably isn't your idea of a good time.

It's no modern-day classic, but Barnyard is still a good choice for young gamers, with a nice unhurried design somewhat reminiscent of "Animal Crossing."

Every facet of the core gameplay is plain, making Barnyard for the GBA the most forgettable kind of throwaway entertainment. It's too bad, because it had the potential to be more than the usual mediocre film tie-in.

FlatOut 2 drives a fine line, but manages to come out on the good side more often than not. It might be a good idea to tether that controller to your wrist, though, because it's possible you'll send it flying just as much as your driver.

Anatomically incorrectness notwithstanding, Barnyard is a perfectly fine family-friendly film tie-in that you won't absolutely love, but has plenty to like anyway.

Unless you're very forgiving, impervious to frustration, or blindly love all things Monkey Ball, Super Monkey Ball Adventure probably isn't your idea of a good time.

It's not exactly a stellar game, but the capable story and unique battle system make it a solid addition to the GBA library.

The game knows about a dozen different ways to kick ass and just about all of them happen to be pretty entertaining.

People who play mostly single-player games and aren't interested in scenarios won't find much new stuff in Warlords. At the end of the day, the expansion pack brings some great new stuff to the table. We just wish Firaxis could have taken some chances and offered us more of it.

An enjoyable variation on city-builders, and it certainly makes for a pleasant trip down memory lane for Caesar fans like me. The problem is, the game's flaws will keep it from being little more than a nine-day wonder on players' hard drives.

It's impossible to recommend a multiplayer shooter that no one plays. If no one's playing now, just after release, rest assured no one will be in a month.

The biggest problem with Miami Vice is that it's composed of too many parts, and too few individual parts really do anything well. The closest that the game comes to being rather fun is in the Drug Wars-inspired segments, but they're not enough to carry the game alone.

A great RPG with an unorthodox design. There are amazing design elements here. The art and sound direction are unmistakably original, amplifying what could be the game's best asset -- an incredibly active and technical battle system. There's a lot to like, but at times the game is bolder than it is balanced or practical.

The Heisman difficulty level seems really balanced for the first time in years. The running game is great, with grind-it-out yardage available inside and game-breaking moves to be had outside.

While it's not quite as strong as its current-gen iterations, NCAA Football 07 is a great next-gen kickoff for one of our favorite sports series. The developers nailed the feeling of being in the middle of a rockin' stadium on game day, and the game looks as good as anything we've played on the Xbox 360. The online play is a bit disappointing.

NCAA Football 07 works very well on the PSP, and controls flawlessly without some of the analog-stick issues that have plagued other games on the platform.

A worthwhile romp for RPG lovers that don't mind the hackneyed story and characters. The backtracking and endless travel are a chore, but once you get all four characters on board, the combat and crafting systems make it almost worth it.

There aren't as many playable characters as we'd like, and the visuals really aren't up to snuff, but the voice actors from the series bring the characters to life, and there's plenty to unlock and accomplish. Best of all, it's good fun for head-to-head competition.