If you don't mind paying full price for an unchanged port, albeit of a classic game, then you're most likely already a Harvest Moon fan and know what you're getting yourself into. Everyone else, we recommend waiting for a better Harvest Moon title - one with gameplay worthy of the series and graphics worthy of the system - to come out on the PSP.

The game is about trying to get through the simple fights just a bit faster than the other guy. We like that the other guy is a warlord with an infinite supply of loyal soldiers willing to die for him, but repetitive gameplay is a bit too much for us to bear.

With limited continues and a good level of challenge, this game definitely won’t be a cakewalk. Just don’t expect anything that spectacular, either.

The purchase of a Wii does not waive our right to expect a game that looks like it was designed in this millenium. What you have here is a slightly enhanced, magnified, PSP port.

As frantic as the action is at times, its drab visuals, control issues and lack of enemy polish brought us to the point of boredom.

If you’re a serious fan of Final Fantasy and have somehow yet to play the second installment, this is a fairly solid re-make that will at least bolster your appreciation for the series’ roots.

In spite of all these shortcomings, this is still Guitar Hero and the formula still works - this remains one of the best games ever for anyone who has ever thought even for one second that it would be cool to be a rock star (i.e.: everyone). Just be sure to check out the song list if you weren't around to hear this stuff the first time.

HDTV nuts note: the 360 version also goes to 1080i resolution, while the PS3 is limited to 720i. But ultimately, like an import tuner with fuzzy dice and neon running lights but no steering wheel, you can't help feeling that some of the most important parts are missing.

HDTV nuts note: the 360 version also goes to 1080i resolution, while the PS3 is limited to 720i. But ultimately, like an import tuner with fuzzy dice and neon running lights but no steering wheel, you can't help feeling that some of the most important parts are missing.

Bomberman’s always been about party-style multiplayer, anyway. And as such, Bomberman Live delivers where it counts.

Sporting a beautiful look and feel and more modes than you can shake a stick at, it’ll cure your football fever all season long.

Easily the best football game yet for the Xbox 360. Sporting a beautiful look and feel and more modes than you can shake a stick at, it’ll cure your football fever all season long.

It’s all in good fun, though - like a high school reunion. Characters from Tales of Eternia, Tales of Destiny, and even Tales of the Abyss parade across screen constantly, and even if you’ve never played those games, the ensuing crossover comedy is interesting to say the least.

Ultimately, you don’t need to be well-schooled in the sport to get a kick out of Rugby 08 - and if you’re not, the rollicking good time you’ll have will pique your interest. Sporting all the best players in the world, plenty of depth, and the chance to smash some helmet-less faces into the mud, it’s a title that we can really sink our teeth into.

Even if it's not quite everything we hoped, we're pumped that 2K football is back in action. Let the competition begin - again.

Even if it's not quite everything we hoped, we're pumped that 2K football is back in action. Let the competition begin - again.

Even though the game is a bit rough around the edges, Sword of the New World: Granado Espada oozes with quirky personality that will appeal to fans of Asian-born titles, presenting a visual mash-up of anime and Baroque influences.

Riviera feels like an RPG in more than just the sense that numbers appear over the heads of the bad guys you hit, which is becoming harder and harder to find these days.

Much like a lot of the arcade games back then, Golden Axe is fairly short and doesn't have a lot of replayability, as every enemy will appear in the exact same spot every time you play, and there are no branching paths. But for 400 MS points, a classic brawler with functional online play is something that belongs in your Live Arcade library.

Sonic has defined the company for so long - for better or for worse. Drop the 400 points and see where Sonic came from...back when he starred in <I>good</I> games.

The only possible "don’t-buy" concern in Missile Command is that, like fellow old-school, arcade quarter munchers "Robotron" and "Defender", it’s relentlessly, almost brutally difficult...You will find some nice multiplayer action though, and at five bucks, this is a no-brainer.

Getting your head around the combat is key to having a good time. Once mastered, you'll find an immersive action romp full of original challenges, incredible environments and interesting characters. This game might have been around for years, but the intensity of the gameplay has yet to be bettered.

Steel Horizon is its own poorly constructed ship, and unless you’re the captain - which you’re not - then abandon ship. Or, better yet, don’t even get on.

There’s some minigames and a wi-fi Battle mode, but good luck trying to play with a friend more than once. We wanted to adore Cookie & Cream; it’s a shame we only get a clumsy mess.

You might be surprised just how easy and addictive this board game can be.

There was limitless potential here, but it's wasted. Transformers: The Game should be a sleek, cutting-edge sports car; instead, it's an old beater whose driver's seat has a spring sticking out in exactly the wrong place.

Transformers: The Game should be a sleek, cutting-edge sports car; instead, it's an old beater whose driver's seat has a spring sticking out in exactly the wrong place.

There was limitless potential here, but it's wasted. Transformers: The Game should be a sleek, cutting-edge sports car; instead, it's an old beater whose driver's seat has a spring sticking out in exactly the wrong place.

The way better controls make this our favorite console version, but it's still not great. Transformers: The Game should be a sleek, cutting-edge sports car; instead, it's an old beater whose driver's seat has a spring sticking out in exactly the wrong place.

There was limitless potential here, but it's wasted. Transformers: The Game should be a sleek, cutting-edge sports car; instead, it's an old beater whose driver's seat has a spring sticking out in exactly the wrong place.

Shot-for-shot this is the same game console players had in January - a fantastic, hard as hell shooter that'll knock your eyes out of your head. But with no new content at all and a lack of the ultra-cool bonus multiplayer maps, we've got to dock it a bit.

A well-made game at its core, and this is a more-than-competent port of it.

It's fun from the very beginning and remains so 20 hours later, enough to put it in the same league as the all-time greats of the PS2 era.

A competitive mode would have been nice, but the big weakness in this package is that it ends too quickly (especially for a $30 game) and leaves you aching for more. Which, considering we’re dealing with a gameplay style first introduced more than three decades ago, is a pretty amazing accomplishment.

The game sure looks pretty, but hopefully your tastes are refined enough to browse the menu a bit longer.

At $10 more than the PS2/GameCube versions, you’ll get a better looking game, but with wonky controls. Had the Camera or Dash button been changed, then we might have film-tie in greatness here. Either way, the GameCube version is cheaper and will still play on your Wii.

Ratatouille’s defied our expectations by dishing out a solid adventure with loads of extras and minigames. If the missions felt a little less repetitive, then we’d really have film-tie in greatness here. Either way, this is one game adaptation that’s easy to swallow.

Essentially, the game is an underwhelming experience that, unlike the film, is ultimately forgettable.

Ratatouille offers some multiplayer modes around cooking, but if you’re looking to get dizzy with a friend, we suggest doing something fun, like blowing up balloons. And then you can throw a party...and celebrate not playing Ratatouille on the DS.

While we loathe its draconian just-one-save system, it's a stunning achievement that'll keep you riveted from its startlingly realistic opening car chase to its final, epic massacre. It's enthralling, darkly comic, shockingly visceral and able to bring you close to its characters in a way that few games do.

It’s pretty accessible, with simplistic interfaces and beautiful eye candy all around. But considering that those arcadey enhancements are what’s supposed to make this game unique, we can’t help but feel casual fans would be better off playing "MLB 2K7" on easy difficulty.

It’s pretty accessible, with simplistic interfaces and beautiful eye candy all around. But considering that those arcadey enhancements are what’s supposed to make this game unique, we can’t help but feel casual fans would be better off playing MLB 2K7 on easy difficulty.

It’s pretty accessible, with simplistic interfaces and decent eye candy all around. But considering that those arcadey enhancements are what’s supposed to make this game unique, we can’t help but feel casual fans would be better off playing MLB 2K7 on easy difficulty.

It’s pretty accessible, with simplistic interfaces and beautiful eye candy all around. But considering that those arcadey enhancements are what’s supposed to make this game unique, we can’t help but feel casual fans would be better off playing MLB 2K7 on easy difficulty.

It only offers a few days worth of play on its own and isn't much fun at all to newcomers. The game is at its best when used as an accessory, albeit an expensive one, to Diamond/Pearl.

These miniscule improvements tacked onto a broken game are like repairing a wrecked car with duct tape.

What you get from this DS disaster instead, is a headache without even half the heart of the novel.

If you’ve ever played the captivating "Pikmin" titles on GameCube, you’ve seen this exact kind of game done infinitely better in every single way – way cuter, clearer goals, more unit variety, vastly superior controls, pathfinding and graphics, etc.

Besides some seriously bad camera angles where you lose sight of the action briefly and a skimpy wireless multiplayer mode, Brothers in Arms DS is a solid WWII action experience. It lacks the high gloss HD-ness of its console counterparts, but makes up for it in cinematic quality and pacing.

In the end, the shoddy interface, graphics, and controls do more than step on the toes of some interesting concepts - they massacre them.

If you don't have a multiplayer posse, you're left with a functional, but easy and uninspired PSP game that's functional without being pretty.

Transformers: Autobots and Decepticons are essentially one game split into two “campaigns” in a shameless grab for fans’ wallets. All of the fundamental game mechanics, including controls, combat, and mission structure, are exactly the same, and even the first few levels are near-mirrors of each other.

It may be one of the best action/horror games of all time, but the hardcore audience wants more than the best of 2005. Outstanding game, questionable release.

Transformers: Autobots and Decepticons are essentially one game split into two “campaigns” in a shameless grab for fans’ wallets. All of the fundamental game mechanics, including controls, combat, and mission structure, are exactly the same, and even the first few levels are near-mirrors of each other.

Puzzle Scape isn't terribly original in either concept or presentation, but it's enough like the great games it's copying to be well worthwhile.

You'll get at least some satisfaction from seeing your gradual progress over time... until you remember that it just means you're getting better at playing so-so minigames.

With over 250 new puzzles and a level editor to create your own puzzles to send to friends, PQ2 is an easy recommendation for fans of the first PQ or anyone looking for a puzzle challenge on the PSP.

We know that plenty of people will look past the monotonous gameplay, poor voice acting, unimaginative level design, lack of online play, etc., but our advice is to hold out for the next movie.

The game follows a simple beat 'em up formula that will keep you entertained for awhile, but it lacks so much of the depth and creativity that we expect from the comics and movies.

We know that plenty of people will look past the monotonous gameplay, poor voice acting, unimaginative level design, lack of online play, etc., but our advice is to hold out for the next movie.

The game follows a simple beat 'em up formula that will keep you entertained for awhile, but it lacks so much of the depth and creativity that we expect from the comics and movies.

Over the course of playing, we weren’t thinking "God this is terrible." We actually weren't thinking much at all because the game flowed along at an unnoticeable level of entertainment delivery. It was just sort of "there" and then it was "gone."

Prince of Persia has always been about getting through each challenge as quickly as possible, thanks to the one-hour time-limit on the game. Thus, it makes for a perfect Live Arcade action game, as it basically comes with built-in leaderboard support.

By, far, the most notable edition to Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2 is the plethora of new characters. If that sounds like it won’t float your boat, odds are the other minor features aren’t going to be the life preservers.

Between the excellent new controls and the already superb gameplay under the hood, The World Is Yours is one of the best games on the Wii these days.

Never has patience been a bigger virtue than in Tenchu Z. It succeeds as a game of stealth, but only as a game of stealth. Any deviation from hiding and throat slitting - say, katana-slinging your way right up main street like a samurai - won’t elicit much fun.

As distressing as it might be to spend $20 on two whole hours of gameplay, this utterly bland warfare still grows old well before the limp finale. Time Ace might not be broken or particularly painful, but it certainly isn't time well spent.

If you haven’t spoken Similish in a few years, or are head over heels enamored with motion controls, this Sims 2 Pets could be a right neighborly slice of homemade pie. But for anyone else with a Wii and $50 bucks, we suggest you hold out for the upcoming "MySims."

Casual gamers who dug Wii Sports and Brain Age will love it - everyone else might wonder what all the commotion is about and go back to waiting for Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Despite its frustrating enemy AI and the limitations of your arsenal, Call of Juarez has plenty of pistol packin’ heat for the average buckaroo, with a decent, profanity-laced storyline and a bevy of unique multiplayer modes.

Pac-Man Championship Edition is awesome, but just doesn't feel like a full game. It feels like a bonus mode to a more full-featured title.

If you love card games simply because cards are fun to you, well then you might get something out of it. To those who don't wear their hair in gigantic blonde spikes or drool at the thought of any type of card-battling, stay far, far away.

You control every tile of the hospital floor, from the amount of vending machines to how much you pay your surgeons. It does get tiresome, especially after hearing the bossa-nova-flavored lounge music loop for the 70th time, but for a short while it can be as addictive as OxyContin.

Clunky and unimaginative.

The ability to share this joy with people around you and then play them from anywhere in the world serves to make this one of the better buys you can make for the DS.

You'd think slamming shells the size of watermelons into heavily armed rolling metal fortresses would be hard to botch, but Tank Beat digs a design rut too deep for even the most ardent artillery lover to climb out of.

The humor, characters and, most obviously, the difficulty of Surf's Up are geared towards a younger audience, but the game is also fun enough for anyone to play, although the simplicity might keep it from having a very long shelf life in most collections.

Surf’s Up is a bad Mario Kart clone (replete with cloned weaponry) with a dash of the barest of bones from SSX thrown in. As such, there’s no excuse that it’s made for young kids, because any kid would be way better off just playing Mario Kart DS, which uses almost the exact same basic formula, but offers depth and polish.

A worthwhile purchase. Early on you may find it hard to justify, but give the game a chance - and a few online matches - and chances are you’ll soon be a fan. Can’t wait to download some of the impending expansion packs.

Forza 2 is real world driving honed to perfection, and easily the best racing experience on the Xbox 360.

The innovation and surprise goes no further than the dwarves, trolls and magic. As much fun as those elements add to the shooter genre, they're simply not enough to compensate for the absence of everything else.

It's still plenty of wacky, crazy fun with four human players, but it's still a shame that it doesn't rise above the glut of other minigames compilations on the Wii despite its prestigious pedigree and the most impressive cast in all gamedom.

Atelier Iris 3's gameplay systems will tickle RPGers' OCD mental G-spot for a bit, but not often or long enough to put up with the game's lack of any other redeeming values.

You’ll need the patience of Buddist monk to progress through the archaic Quest mode without consistently resorting to a cheap “Ring Out.”

The multiplayer needs more than one-on-one deathmatches.

We advise you to save your sanity and leave Atlantis at the bottom of the ocean.

With a great interface and the best source material possible, The New York Times Crosswords is a must-have for any crossword fan on the go.

Nostalgic music and consistent art direction can't save a game from crippled controls, a mulish camera, and painfully tiresome reptition. Dawn of Mana is ultimately remarkable only for being such a bitter disappointment.

Most levels in Diner Dash: Sizzle and Serve last five minutes tops, which makes it a flexible on-the-go offering. We’re increasingly annoyed by publishers’ tendencies to toss a casual PC game onto portable consoles for a notably higher price than its PC version.

It’s actually a pretty fair price for what you get. But it’s hard to justify even that price when there’s surely something a bit more substantial coming to the service in the near future.

Brooktown has obvious charm and we do hope for a sequel, but it's going to need to hit the books hard before we'll give it a passing grade.

There's arguably some creativity in the souls-as-power-ups bit, but having to switch into spirit mode, grab the proper color orb (assuming the tapping works; it's erratic), and sling it at DJ's feet in order to heal is a cumbersome chore.

We absolutely found ourselves drawn to Marvel Trading Card. It's just that the intense complexity and cramped screen real-estate kept it from being the accessible, instantly lovable smash-bang, super hero-em-up that the comics themselves are.

It’s a slick little pick-up-and-play experience, though sadly, it is a short one. The varied Wi-Fi Party mode almost would've made up for NC3's brevity... if it only allowed game sharing.

Most levels in Diner Dash: Sizzle and Serve last five minutes tops, which makes it a flexible on-the-go offering. We’re increasingly annoyed by publishers’ tendencies to toss a casual PC game onto portable consoles for a notably higher price than its PC version.

Beyond its quality, its unexpectedness is what makes Odin Sphere doubly special. It came from absolutely nowhere and reminds us that people are still struggling to make the games of their dreams.

Overall the game is not great, but better than your average movie-tie-in, and if you like sword fighting or pirates in general, it could be worth your time.

It’s not that Art of Fighting Anthology is packed with sub-par games; it’s just that it isn’t “packed” with anything. If this were combined with the publisher's upcoming 4-game Fatal Fury collection into one big compilation, the resulting package could be a must-by. But that's not the case, so it isn't.