Is it daring, deep, or dramatic? Not even close. Does it have some straightforward fun at a reasonable price? You bet.

You couldn't ask for a more unapologetically insane FPS. Turn off your brain, turn on auto-fire, and get serious.

It's the lack of spectacular leaps, jumps, and tomfoolery made famous by the series that makes this knock-off all the more embarrassing, sure to sicken fans of the original game.

Since just about every trail is unlocked from the beginning, you won't get to feel the satisfaction of making your way to a new mountain (one of the best parts of "SSX 3") and exploring it for the first time. Still, there's no denying that this is yet another stellar entry one of the most consistently excellent series around today.

The game's minor tweaks here and there do a lot to smooth out some of the weakness from before, and the new gameplay features add just enough to the game's familiar formula to make things interesting.

Anyone looking for a lengthy, varied platformer with hidden secrets up the wazoo and tongue-in-cheek humor should find themselves enjoying Night of the Quinkan more than they would have expected.

Due to the game's poorly crafted A.I., this isn't really a game to play alone. Much like actual paintball, Splat Magazine Renegade Paintball just isn't any fun without some friends.

Since just about every trail is unlocked from the beginning, you won't get to feel the satisfaction of making your way to a new mountain (one of the best parts of "SSX 3") and exploring it for the first time. Still, there's no denying that this is yet another stellar entry one of the most consistently excellent series around today.

The only problem is, it doesn't take long for combat to feel repetitive, because all non-boss enemies are dealt with in the same way -- whip, whip, whip, grab, swing, toss, repeat.

It needs more games, more multiplayer games, and a single-system multiplayer mode to make it truly worthwhile. Otherwise, as mentioned before, simply buying a deck of cards and finding a few friends is a much more entertaining experience.

TOSE has done a topnotch job of proving it's possible to create a licensed game perfectly playable by children and adults alike without insulting the intelligence of either, one of the highest compliments that can be laid on games with such a shameful expectation attached.

This flawed action-adventure title kicks the long, spindly legs right out from under the Nightmare franchise and threatens to disappoint young and old gamers alike.

Speaking of graphics, Virtua Tennis: World Tour looks almost identical to "Sega Sports Tennis" on PS2 -- which is a compliment.

From the great use of sound, the sharp graphics, and the innovative use of combat tactics, it's sure to please fans of Road to Hill 30 who want more of that same kind of gameplay.

While Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood feels a bit too much like its predecessor in many ways, that's like saying "The Godather 2" was a bit too similar to "The Godfather."

Hopefully, some day in the future, id will see fit to give gamers a more robust multiplayer experience worthy of the DOOM name. Until then, the single-player campaign is still strong enough to carry the title and provide action junkies more than enough to satisfy their itchy trigger fingers.

Unfortunately, in the process of fixing the game, they ended up stripping much of what made the first game so endearing by allowing the numbers to take precedence over the personality. What Black & White 2 gained in competence; it seems to have lost in soul.

I like the lay of Dawn of Sorrow's land, and the soul mechanic is great; however, with the inferior character design and ho-hum touch-screen features, this isn't the be-all end-all of portable Castlevania. Regardless, it is a must-have for all action fans, and kicks the ever-loving crap out of any other action/platformer on the DS.

Even with its shortcomings, this version is still the best. If EA decides to continue moving forward with the franchise, it should definitely incorporate some of the features from the portable version into future console releases.

The game's abysmal controls and moronic A.I. fail to deliver.

Gretzky '06 piles up some new features, does a better job of tracking franchise info, and has the AHL license for minor-league teams. It does not, however, come close to equaling the on-ice fun of "NHL 2k6" or "NHL '06."

You'll likely never see a better utilization of the DS' touch-screen, nor will you play a pseudo-sim this engaging.

It'll be a buzzer-beater between this and "NBA Live '06" to determine PSP hoop honors. NBA '06 does a lot right, and offers a slew of options. There are minor glitches to be found, but nothing we'd term a game killer.

By moving the game to the PSP, EA managed to keep most of the console experience intact and give gamers a robust basketball experience that fits nicely in the palm of their hands. If you're a fan of the game, this is by far the best portable experience you'll find to date.

The PS2 version isn't as pretty, but it controls better, while the Xbox version is substantially more beautiful to look at. Either way, though, it's a solid game.

How a respected strategy developer like Paradox could've produced a game so broken, cryptic, and unfaithful to the franchise is a mystery. And why Hasbro, who owns the Avalon Hill properties, approved it is beyond explanation.

A refined version of an outstanding platformer series, and with games in this genre becoming more and more rare these days (especially good ones), it's hard to not recommend this title.

The game's abysmal controls and moronic A.I. fail to deliver.