Tales of the Abyss is nothing new. And some gamers will complain about that. But there's a lot to be said for taking something existing and doing it right.

The minigames don't play any better with real-world opponents and the few games available for single-cart download play are not worth sharing.

A series of well-done flying sequences bridge the game's various stages, and the shifting of gears is very much welcome after an extended series of brawls.

Many will dismiss its satire as meaningless vulgarity, and fail to appreciate the intricate and satisfying ass-kicking. But for those able to dig it, God Hand is an excellent old-school game in a bizarre, new-school shell.

Hardcore golfers will be disappointed that Tiger Woods PGA Tour isn't making revolutionary improvements, and everyone else will wonder why EA can't seem to make fields of green look prettier, but it's still the best golf game you can buy on any platform.

The PSP wins out in the multiplayer improvement department, though, with its brand new infrastructure mode, enabling Internet matchmaking on the road. You can still tee up with nearby friends on an ad hoc basis, if you prefer, but you'll miss out on global rankings and the like.

Though Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 doesn't offer anything approaching a revolution in golfing, whether you play your way to the ranked online leaderboards, or just hammer it out with a buddy on the same system, it's truly a pleasure from start to finish.

Eagle Eye Golf would be a decent game for 20 bucks. But at 30, when Hot Shots 3 and FORE! can be had at this moment for eight and 15 bucks respectively on EB.com, it's a tougher recommend.

The bottom line is that diehard Avatar fans will probably be disappointed with the superficial storyline that lacks the charm of the original show, and newcomers will have trouble finding interest in the loosely tied-together missions.

It may or may not be the blood-soaked ending to the franchise, but it's easily one of the most enjoyable games in the series and one of the most unapologetically fun games of the season.

A superior collection, Clubhouse Games is one of the best portable solutions for card and board games.

An enormous amount of top-drawer content for $29.99, and newcomers may rightly mistake it for a full blown sequel. Highly recommended.

So while it doesn't break new ground, Scarface: The World Is Yours is one of the best sandbox crime games for the current generation consoles. It's a slick, well-executed and gritty title that'll keep you busy for over 20 hours.

It's just that there isn't much there, and it gets repetitive quickly. Chances are you'll be more entertained by simply watching the movie a few more times - or heading back to your console for another blood-soaked round with Tony on the bigger screen.

We're not thrilled with the limited character creation options and we don't understand why every time we opt for an AdHoc or Wi-Fi game, the game forces a full system reset.

Disciples will be disappointed by the fundamental lack of gameplay depth, even as they might like the surprisingly high level of difficulty, but more casual fans might appreciate being able to grab a quick space battle here and there in skirmish and multiplayer modes.

But if you're looking for a fresh new take on the old, bubble-blowing action you remember so fondly, Bubble Bobble Revolution just plain blows.

The art design is solid, though technologically, the graphics don't impress at all. At press-time, the chat is nightmarish, and the user interface a pale shadow of other MMOs' well thought systems.

Don't use the lock-on, and the dodgy controls and at best so-so ally AI will end up killing you. The camera system will cause death after death in the infuriating mandatory stealth missions - it's just too hard to get real situational awareness. Despite all that, the game is perfect for the PSP - fun to pick up and play in short bursts.

Meltdown's plethora of content offers more than enough gooey puzzling fun to keep a gamer busy for quite a while. There should be even more arriving in the form of downloadable content. The cel-shaded cartoon graphics (new to this sequel) look fantastic.

Yes, it’s a little tougher to learn the nuances than in years past, but the final verdict is in - and it’s a golden goal.

A patch or two will likely address most small issues, and if online isn't your thing then you're good to go out of the box.

The biggest disappointment, and the feature most DS-ownin' FIFA fans have been waiting for, is a lack of online support so you cannot compete online or update the already outdated roster. There is a multiplayer mode which allows up to four gamers - two per team - to play locally, though it requires multiple cards.

The lack of changes will disappoint some, but for 20 bucks the minor tweaks and new roster nicely enhance what was already a great game.

With such a drastic difference in features and entertainment value between Stewie and the rest of his kin, one wonders why he didn't just get his own game. As it stands, you'll have to play through some pretty irritating nonsense just to get to the good stuff, and it's just not worth the effort.

NRA Gun Club may be useful for demystifying gun ownership for wannabe weekend warriors, but it sure as hell doesn't qualify as much of a game. Even with its sub-$20 price tag, NRA Gun Club is just too overwhelmingly dull to take seriously.

El Matador may be fine to play for a few hours but it's not worth a long-term or full-price commitment.

The only thing that's hard to adjust, in fact, is the tension in your muscles. GTR 2 is hugely better than its predecessor in exactly the area that matters.

The pruned unit selection, simple relationships and fixed playing field give DEFCON more in common with chess than most RTS games. It's not a game to get lost in for hours on end, but it is one you'll get the urge to play again and again for months to come.

And the world is huge. If it was more packed with opportunities for us to use those tools and stunts, this could have been a GTA-killer.

And the world is huge. If it was more packed with opportunities for us to use those tools and stunts, this could have been a GTA-killer.

And the world is huge. If it was more packed with opportunities for us to use those tools and stunts, this could have been a GTA-killer.

If ParaWorld stumbles at all, it's because despite creative units like sneaky ninjas and wooly mammoths, it doesn't go quite far enough to show off its unique personality, and its multiplayer maps are content to offer balance through symmetry rather than varying strengths and weaknesses. These limits never get in the way of having a blast, though.

The revolutionary shooter has been adapted to the Xbox 360 in all its archaic glory and, amazingly, is still as fun and visceral as it was all those years ago.

Devotees of this universe's mix of fantasy staples and steampunk gadgetry might find themselves unable to resist Mage Knight: Apocalypse's dubious lure, and may even enjoy the game's character-building freedom if an effective patch comes along, but they aren't likely to stay enamored for long when this holiday season's bigger and better RPG offerings finally appear.

If you can deal with its quirks, Caesar IV offers a stunning economic model that is sure to challenge even the best money managers while providing hours of play.

The biggest head-scratcher about GHTPM is this: why did it take a whole year to get it ported from the Xbox version? But only slightly less perplexing is why, rather than spending a few hours twiddling the sticks of a PS2 controller, most of the game's target audience wouldn't instead heave the ol' butt out of its couch groove and go play some real paintball?

If you love the idea of playing an interactive commercial for Ford Motors and own both an Xbox and a PS2, then go with the PS2 version. The graphics are about the same and the slightly longer load time on the PS2 will give you a much needed break from this monotonous racer.

The strongest features it offers are the robust customization and nice car models. There are better "underground" racers out there with comparable features (many of which can now be had for half this game's $40 price tag), and if you're a fan of the movies, the movies are what you should watch.

This is a real gamer's game, but the excellent graphics and the action-packed battles should draw anyone in. And once you're hooked, you'll find yourself forced to dig deeper. That's how they get you.

If you're not a serious DDR fan, then playing any one of the games in the series means you've basically played them all. Still, SuperNOVA is a riot to play against live competitors, and makes a perfect entry point for series newcomers and a must play for any fan.

Spectral Souls is a true sob story. There's a perfectly serviceable game here, buried underneath one crucial problem.

Despite its lack of personality, variation or depth, Import Tuner Challenge isn't a terrible racer, and Japanse driving fanatics might get off on multiplayer duels and the realistically non-descript office buildings that pass for scenery.

It would be nice to see a season mode as robust as the most recent PS2 version of MotoGP, but as portable games go, what's offered here is sufficient for decent racing action on the go.

The crowning achievement of failure here, however, is the total lack of multiplayer. Skirmish would be nice, but no multiplayer in a DS version of an intrinsically multi-player tabletop game? Unforgivable.

Don’t bother with this title unless you love the idea of playing an interactive commercial for Ford Motors.

By hooking up with other players via Wi-Fi, you’re also able to play levels that other players create, giving you a virtually endless array of levels to puzzle over even after you’ve completed the main game.

The bottom line is that NBA Live 07 is a pretty darned good hoops sim - once you adjust the wonky default sliders. Without it, the shooting doesn't give an inch, no matter how well you time your release.

We may be decidedly old-school, but there's no denying that it kicks ass getting our game on with the likes of Wilt the Stilt, Oscar Robertson, and dozens of other hoop heroes.

If you're mulling over a b-ball game for your 360 this fall, the only direction to look is away from NBA Live 07. It's a disaster from the word go, and never should have made it out of training camp.

If you're desperate to dunk on a desktop, a patched version of Live 07 likely won't offend your senses to the core, but you can do better on just about any other platform.

It may be true that those of you who already own last year's version may feel like you're not getting much more than a roster update and the ability to keep kicking it in the sublime 2K online world, but there's no doubt that the proof is in the pudding, and NBA 2K7 delivers a darn good time.

The heart and soul of NBA 2K7 lies in the NBA buildings across the country and the hands of the best players in the world. This year, there's no finer hoops experience to be had on the 360.

Even if The Life isn't perfect, what with gobs of unbearably long load times, it's a unique twist that no other hoops title offers. So it doesn't have much, if any, true replay value - that's OK. It's compelling, and the best part of a game that is otherwise mostly overshadowed by its counterparts.

In the final analysis, the Conquest Mode alone helps turn NBA 07 from a lottery pick into an 8th seed - good enough to make the playoffs but far too flawed for a run for the title.

Stripped down from a car-crime game into a bizarre action-strategy hybrid, The Godfather: Mob Wars actually works pretty well, provided you're not expecting much exploration or any driving. If you've already played through any of the console versions, though, the repeated missions and cutscenes are guaranteed to get tedious.

You're getting a long quest packed with life-giving missions and a presentation that's unlike anything you've ever played. If you consider yourself a gamer in any way, buy this right now. You will not be disappointed.

If you never got a chance to play the original, or if it left you wanting more, this definitive edition ought to tide you over until the inevitable sequel hits.

The quirky and sometimes innocent sense of humor is omnipresent. Why, even after a heated and bitter battle that ends in his tank being utterly destroyed, Rocket's rival will usually pay him a sincere compliment before scampering off in defeat.

If you don't care how broken and rudimentary this game is as long as it's like the show, you're going to be in a fury in no time.

The action pauses so frequently to remind you how to excute your task that the entire game ends up feeling like one giant training tutorial. It's impossible to get stuck at any point because all of the answers are pretty much handed right to you.

The action pauses so frequently to remind you how to excute your task that the entire game ends up feeling like one giant training tutorial. It's impossible to get stuck at any point because all of the answers are pretty much handed right to you.

It's easily the most improved fighter in recent memory, and if you've got some local competition, it's a steal at 30 bucks.

Several modes of mindless violence and one mode of a Monopoly-like board game. There's nothing new or exciting about this title.

All told, Samurai Warriors 2 is several modes of mindless violence and one mode of a Monopoly-like board game. There's nothing new or exciting about this title.

If you can stomach grinding through hundreds of dungeons, then there's dozens and dozens of hours for you to enjoy. If you're waiting for the next great Pokemon adventure, however, keep waiting. This isn't it.

You've never seen a strategy game with combat as intense as Company of Heroes.

With insanely repetitive, mindless action and completely unengaging character progression, Bounty Hounds withers and dies within its first hour.

While games like "Time Pilot" aged gracefully, this side-scrolling space shooter feels old and inflexible, a crusty gaming battleship dragged out of drydock. All you can do is stare and go, "Wow, that's old."

Faces of War wins on several fronts with its attractive destructible environments and solid multiplayer options; unfortunately, it falls short of total victory with frustrating AI and extensive micro-management duties, especially in single-player.

If cutesy farming RPG makes you raise an inquisitive eyebrow rather than gag, Harvest Moon DS may be worth cultivating.

Joint Task Force delivers a distinctive and modern interpretation of real-time strategy, enjoyable in its own quirky way. It ain't perfect, but it proves fulfilling once you've taken a few learning curve lumps.

With solidly rebuilt controls only a little marred by a still-fussy camera, LEGO Star Wars II is even better than last years prequel trilogy-based offering. And, as the first LEGO Star Wars was an amazingly entertaining homage to Lucas's genius, this sequel stands atop the original's shoulders as the pinnacle of LEGO Star Wars fun.

With solidly rebuilt controls only a little marred by a still-fussy camera, LEGO Star Wars II is even better than last years prequel trilogy-based offering. And, as the first LEGO Star Wars was an amazingly entertaining homage to Lucas's genius, this sequel stands atop the original's shoulders as the pinnacle of LEGO Star Wars fun.

With solidly rebuilt controls only a little marred by a still-fussy camera, LEGO Star Wars II is even better than last years prequel trilogy-based offering. And, as the first LEGO Star Wars was an amazingly entertaining homage to Lucas's genius, this sequel stands atop the original's shoulders as the pinnacle of LEGO Star Wars fun.

With solidly rebuilt controls only a little marred by a still-fussy camera, LEGO Star Wars II is even better than last years prequel trilogy-based offering. And, as the first LEGO Star Wars was an amazingly entertaining homage to Lucas's genius, this sequel stands atop the original's shoulders as the pinnacle of LEGO Star Wars fun.

A textbook example of how to screw up a sure thing, the Nintendo DS version of LEGO Star Wars II is easily the 'must avoid' release of the year. Other systems get a stylistically pure and super fun title. Meanwhile, the DS is saddled with a buggy, incomplete letdown that wastes your money and good will, deeply tarnishing LucasArts' reputation.

This isn't a game trying to reinvent the wheel, but rather one that's just trying to roll along. And if that's what you're looking for, it's a blast.

In the end, Stairway to H.E.A.V.E.N.'s gravest flaw is its beat-for-beat recreation of the original game's many problems. None of these issues are new, and they haven't been improved in any notable way since the first game.

It's more of an interesting but unfocused experiment than a tight, compelling Mega Man game.

There are gobs of customization options for each of your squad (and lord knows you'll need 'em), but there's not much variety to the goings on, and the whole Grand Prix affair won't take you much more than 8 hours or so. Multiplayer offers some extended usage, but not enough to keep it a long-term rotation.

There's no denying that Rule of Rose is extremely pretty, atmospheric and disturbing. Unfortunately, it fails on just about every other level. The gameplay is tedious, the scares are nonexistent and Jennifer is such a cringing, passive non-entity that you'll likely identify more with her malevolent (but strangely endearing) tormenters.

Kids probably won't mind much, and they're definitely the target audience here. Pirates' Carnival isn't spectacular in any one sense, but the solid mini-games and well-used license are enough to put it near the top of the distinctly uncompetitive party game genre.

The graphics might be a little dated, but they still look good. The manual shot aiming works like a dream – the puck always goes where you want, and the targets that appear in the net make it especially intuitive for newcomers.

A very solid hockey game. Everything feels smooth and refined, and while everything could be refined even further, this lays the groundwork for next-gen hockey.

While we aren’t impressed with the changes (or lack thereof), with the price reduced to $29.99, current-gen gamers are still getting a great game, and for half the price of the 360 version.

NHL 2K7 is a solid game and the new animations help to make it feel more next-gen worthy than last year's entry. However, despite the sheer number of new features, nothing feels particularly groundbreaking.

Our only technical beef with the game is the occasionally spotty touch screen control. Some of the minigame commands aren't as responsive as they could be, leading to bad grades on dishes you know you're nailing. Other than that, everything here works great - just take your time and don't expect too much.

Things could've improved in the later parts of the remarkably minimal story when you start colonizing islands, but because every nation on the map will swiftly descend on your new outpost, even this is reduced to grinding out enough cash and crew to withstand the assault.

A decent diversion for the casual fan, though hardcore players are likely to find it a bit on the short side.

Mario Hoops betrays the tradition of quality inherent in other Mario sports titles, and proves to be a lot more style than substance. The stylus is not, in fact, perfect for every game type.

We really wanted Bad Day L.A. to live up to its potential, which makes its suckitude feel even more than just bad; it's like a betrayal.

Although NASCAR 07 remains pretty much the same decent core game as last year's model, this year's model is just a little more fun for newcomers and a little more chaotic for long-time racers.

Although NASCAR 07 remains pretty much the same decent core game as last year's model, this year's model is just a little more fun for newcomers and a little more chaotic for long-time racers.

The end result is a ramshackle affair that will please neither hardcore Spy Hunters nor Joe "GTA."

Though players looking for straightforward, hardcore racing might be let down by TDU 's laid back attitude, the instant online world and impressive attention to detail make this tropical driving game unique and enjoyable.

If you're any sort of fan of 2D games and crazy-ass violence, you owe yourself a crack at this one.

Yakuza's story has the intensity of a page-turner - not surprising, as it was penned by a novelist - and the gameplay backs it up. Kazuma Kiryu's tale is an addictive blend of mystery, suspense and brutal violence.