While Parallel Lines is a decent offering, it feels very much like a watered-down Grand Theft Auto, with a more linear storyline and fewer random fun things to do outside of missions.

It looks almost as good as its PS2 siblings and has full voice acting for all the characters, all without the excruciatingly long loading that seems to plague most other PSP games on the market.

For $10 more (and if you can find it) the Special Edition of Subsistence includes a third disc with all of Snake Eater's cinematics re-cut and re-edited into a three-hour movie, complete with new narration. It's an extra special bonus for an already extra-amazing game.

The sporadic and rote boss battles don't ooze as much personality - sitting back and shooting rocks at eyes on stalks as they open isn't exactly epic - and none of the grunt henchman, from reptiles to rhinoceros beetles, provide any combat challenge against Scrat's surprisingly powerful kicks and frantic tail-smacks.

Radically revamped graphics, a new adventure, an old adventure, unlimited challenge, and the amazing Construction mode add up to one very compelling package.

As usual, the online-only nature makes for a steep learning curve, but the excellent community that surrounds this game makes RO an even stronger value. For players that are sick of Normandy, put in for a transfer to the Eastern Front - you'll love every minute.

The unique gameplay is extremely well conceived, if not perfectly pulled off, and coupling it with some super hot multiplayer action earns The Outfit a medal.

It all adds up to a breakneck racing experience that offers a lot of fun (especially when you consider the online modes) for a little cash.

The action gets fast and frantic, and that's what keeps you interested and engrossed.

A game of monolithic proportions... It is the best use of your 360 currently on the market and, whether you know it yet or not, the reason you bought one in the first place.

If the thought of playing as a goofy rip-off of Ninja Gaiden star Ryu Hyabusa named Frank, who always refers to himself in the third person, doesn't have you running for the hills, then by all means pick up Shadow Hearts: From The New World. You definitely won't find yourself bored.

But while the game starts out easy, the challenge quickly ramps up; far from being dumbed-down, this is a game that requires concentration, precision and lots of practice.

The progression of nearly every story element is handled with almost mathematical precision. The results are gaming-by-numbers, but the whole is a hell of a lot of fun.

The power of the Xbox 360 is put to brilliant, vicious use in Burnout Revenge's second lap, and it's still one of the most thrilling racing games we've played. Get online and hurt someone.

State of War doesn't offer much variety in terms of gameplay, but it does offer up a fun hack-and-slash game that can be picked up and played for a few minutes or a few hours.

After all, when you can fly up to an opponent and gut-blast him with a lightning bolt of sheer psychic power ... that makes up for a lot.

There's a kind of freedom here that "Zoo Keeper" simply can't offer. No, Pokemon Teozei isn't as simple, and maybe, as a result, it's not quite as addictive. However, it certainly feels like a much more rounded game, putting it just behind "Polarium" and "Meteos" as the best puzzlers that you can get for your handheld.

And yet, one of the best things about Jewel Quest is its own obsessing with its silly backstory.

It's not often you come across an RTS with production values this high; every part seems to be polished till it shines.

But this is straightforward run-and-gun, and it's bloodless, one-player run-and-gun at that. It's worth playing for its grueling gunfights and beautiful, combustible environments; just don't expect anything earth-shattering.

If you're not too old to play pretend and mean it, Stormreach proves fun for the whole family. Just be aware that if you don't bring your whole family, you won't have much fun.

Not remotely as long as its title. Rather, it winds down after about 12 hours or so, with no multiplayer options. Nor is it the most original. But the story is above par for a game or a TV show, and the sum of its parts equals a good, old fashioned, popcorn gaming experience.

One more thing: the swearing. Normally we don't mind, but the script for Streetwise sounds like it was written by a grade-schooler who'd just discovered cursing. Obscene language is overused to the point where the effect isn't gritty at all. In fact, it's just laughable.

So what would the average person want with a tough-as-nails, sloppy conversion of a year-old adventure? Nothing. Even the hardcore Ys fans should skip the PSP game and go straight for the PS2 verison.

But Generation of Chaos is too chaotic and takes an entire generation to play. Most folks will opt for something faster and easier to love.

FIFA Street 2 just isn't much fun to play, plain and simple.

FIFA Street 2 is like real football because of the spherical bits of leather the players kick around - but that's where the similarities end.

The Stetchkov Syndicate takes that sense of style up a notch as you flit through a church rammed with recovering junkies in one level, then sweep into a rock club with a massive devil statue the next. Excellent.

The lousy racing also means that the reasonably attractive graphics go to waste, and that the only one of the middling engine sounds you’ll want to hear is your own, cooling down. At least the atrocious techno music is easily silenced.

Take all this finesse and arcade action online, and MLB '06 gets even better, with tournaments and leader boards to boot. Overall, it's one of the best baseball games ever, on any platform.

The DS version is by far the worst iteration of the bunch, which is sad considering none of them are that great.

This one's for kids or those looking for a cheery, laid-back adventure.

The ability to drop seamlessly from a sun-gilded skyscraper-sentinelled skyline to a pedestrian-eye's view of the bustling taxi-clogged street hundreds of feet below is wonderful (SimCity 4 suddenly seems very dry).

Sonic fans may fill their need for speed here, but everyone else, please walk on.

It takes all of 10 seconds to understand but countless hours to perfect. Is there a better recipe for a portable game?

Its toughness means that for the bad tempered out there, this game is a sure source of busted controllers. And its visual and story blandness might be a turnoff.

This complexity demands your total concentration, resulting in an all-consuming gaming experience. You're gonna lose hours to this game.

This complexity demands your total concentration, resulting in an all-consuming gaming experience. You're gonna lose hours to this game.

State of Emergency 2 deserves a spot right next to 25 To Life, 187: Ride or Die, and Final Fight Streetwise as another title that's an urban nightmare for all the wrong reasons. Stop buying them, and hopefully they'll go away.

It's a surprisingly entertaining, well-designed game that stays interesting from start to finish, and if nothing else it'll give you a whole new perspective on those rat bastards who keep tagging your house.

A great game, and a fantastic addition to your collection that nicely compliments the more cartoony, fantasy world of Advance Wars.

The shallow, kiddie-pool of content only provides for a brief bit of splashing around when all you want is to dive right in. It's exciting for a while, but gets stale rather quickly.

It's a surprisingly entertaining, well-designed game that stays interesting from start to finish, and if nothing else it'll give you a whole new perspective on those rat bastards who keep tagging your house.

If you want to kill lots of bad guys and must have a fantasy setting, it may just do the trick. Otherwise, you'd be better off keeping your wanton video game massacres firmly planted in feudal China.

It's not without frustrating bits, mind, like not being able to change direction once you're ascending/descending ladders or stairs. It's also quite slow. But regardless, it's a super-stylish puzzle game that offers hundreds of levels.

Supremacy? Hardly. Fans, enjoy the second helping of EEII. Everyone else, head onward and upwards to brand new conquests.

These Rabbits make an amazing fling, but you won't want to buy them breakfast.

In Japan there's a miniature control pad that slots over PSP and includes 'proper' diagonals, but until it comes out over here, this is simply a slightly-too-tricky version of one of the greatest fighters ever.

While we've obviously got reservations about the exhumation of a decade-old game, the fact that Resi can still provide tension and enjoyment in equal measure is testament to its quality.

With some more care and ambition, Command & Conquer: The First Decade could have been the single greatest compilation of all time, a must-have for vets and newbies alike. Instead, it's actually only appealing to fans of a few of the titles that are still playable, and it's just a buggy nostalgia trip for everyone else.

A kaleidoscope of trippy, tracer-leaving characters parade across the screen, dazzling you into that state of catatonic play where concerns outside the game itself become completely irrelevant.

Veteran players can look forward to the challenges of Vile mode, while newbies will discover a faithful remake of one of the best platformers on the SNES. Yeah, $30 sounds about right.

It's worth checking out, but please, don't let yourself work in this Tamagotchi sweatshop too long.

You can hack your way through nine holes in one bus ride, thanks to fast animations. And, let's face it, if you're a big-time golfer there are not many DS options. Just don't expect much strategy or finesse or beauty.

The real pay-off of Marble Blast Ultra is in the swear-inspiring multiplayer.

The battles are unchallenging, but complex. The story is trite, but entertains. The exploration is fun, but easy.

In spite of its flaws, PQ is an extremely addictive, innovative title that gives PSP-owning puzzle fans a welcome break from falling-block games.

Don't buy Dead or Alive 4 unless you're willing to become its student. It's a great looker, but it's a sourly aggravating game until you learn its ways. However, if you take the time to get some technique wrapped up in those fists, you'll start to enjoy the depth behind the startlingly pretty face.

The smooth-playing analog joysticks of the 360 controller lack the snappy response of the original arcade sticks; the result is a mushy feel that will mess with your sense of timing.

Wik: Fable of Souls may not be the most exciting Live Arcade title, but it scratches an action/puzzle itch that few other games can match.

All of this gameplay does come at a price: There are extremely long loading times to suffer through before each entrance video, before the actual match, and after the match is over.

But if you've got a stack of rejected astronaut applications, or have been struggling to save up that 20 or so million to hitch a ride up with the Russians, SpaceStationSim could be just what you need.

The slow pace, poor voice-overs and lack of handheld convenience lends WCP2 a strong sense of "thank god it's over" whenever it's time to switch off the PSP - and no game should ever do that.

Strategy fans will dig this game's effortless online experience, which alleviates the need to travel around town with a small vinyl briefcase full of checkers and dice, looking for fresh backgammon challengers.

The high-def graphics feel like overkill, and the addition of Fooms - cutesy animations to "send" emotional outbursts to other players - don't make sense when you can chat freely with other players. At the end of the day, it's cards; no more, no less.

Hardwood Spades is cheap, cute, competitive and worth the cash if you like team-based card games in the least.

It's a great concept, but the simplistic physics and repetitive puzzles let it down somewhat. You can never really put together any flowing moves, and the game runs out of surprises far too quickly.

Most Crossing fans won't mind the clunky interface or the lack of other upgrades because there's so much inherent charm seeping through the DS' speakers.

While the game exists on four different platforms, the only noticeable differences between each version are the usual cosmetic ones, with the PS2 version looking slightly worse than the others.

Whichever version you choose, though, the action is top-notch awesome. With the series' clever design and sense of humor fully restored, The Two Thrones is a stellar return to form for Prince of Persia.

Despite being a very solid RPG, it never takes itself too seriously. There's just something very cheeky, almost silly about it all (and the game really focuses on this) as it throws one ridiculous situation at you after the next.

This blood-drenched blast-fest is still one of the most intense games ever made, and twitch gamers looking for a serious challenge won't be disappointed.

Thanks to easy multiplayer integration, this surprisingly sturdy download is sure to keep you playing long after that.

When it comes to puzzle games on Xbox Live, Hexic HD feels fresher and Astropop proves more exciting.

Right from the start you're surrounded by creatures that suck away your life. The only way to get ahead is to learn a novel's worth of tricks and memorize the mazy layouts - something only the old-schoolers may have the patience for.

And despite its difficulty, the game constantly lures you back, persuading you that this time, you've got it figured out; this time, the high score is yours. But "this time" becomes "next time," and after several lost hours, you realize that this humble $5 downloadable might just be the best experience you've had with your Xbox 360.

This is not just another falling brick game; Hexic is a keen evolution of the genre that gives the player a lot more credit than most puzzle games do.

It's this progressive difficulty that makes Joust just as intense today as it was 20 years ago, and a welcome addition to the Live Arcade for those who fondly recall the Defender days of yore.

Flawless control, sleep-stealing gameplay ... there's just no reason to skip out on this perfect, mutated storm.

Fast-paced and often challenging, Outpost Kaloki X is one of the few Xbox Live Arcade titles that actually makes you earn your Achievements.

It's a bit of a bummer that Zuma is single-player-only: I would've loved to go head-to-head with a buddy over Xbox Live. But the game still packs plenty of thrills into a tiny package.

Unfortunately, GamesRadar's editorial staff doesn't yet acknowledge the Real Time Conflict genre, so Shogun Empires had to be scored according to the narrow standards of fun, successful strategy games.

Players who've enjoyed the Battlefield franchise for its signature rollicking vehicular combat can skip this expansion altogether.

This is adventure done right.

Running around and making time your bitch is a sensation nothing else on the DS can duplicate.

One thing about that online mode: it features a nasty bug that can completely ruin the experience, but is incredibly easy to fix.

It has flashes of brilliance, but overall presents a shallow experience with gameplay unworthy of the 360's potential.

This multiplayer component caps an already stunning single-player campaign and extends the value greatly. If you can't get enough of WWII, Call of Duty 2 is the hot ticket.

If you like getting frightened, you need Condemned -- it's the scariest game of the year.

Tiny DS buttons make tight and efficient combos downright painful, and unless you set your sights on buffing your skater’s speed stats from the get-go, the pokey pace of play will put you to sleep.

Unfortunately, NHL 2K6 barely seems like a next-gen game. The graphics are cleaner and slightly prettier than the last-gen versions, but there's no wow power here - you wouldn't be surprised to see this game running on Xbox.

If there's a nit to pick with Gun, it's that it's short. Depending on how much you poke around, you can beat it in anywhere from six to ten hours. To us, that's no problem; we'll take a short amazing game over a long lackluster one any day.

It's hard to recommend NBA Live 06 for purchase just yet. It's almost certain to be a must-buy monster in future years when the exploit is fixed and the feature set is restored, but you'll have to decide if a drop-dead gorgeous game with only a season mode is worth your 60 bones in the meantime.

Ultimately, the first golf game on 360 is an admirable sign of things to come. But considering its emaciated course selection and the fact that it runs ten bucks more than the current-gen version, we'd think long and hard about which version is best for you.

While some gripes remain about the slightly confusing character skill progression, Amped 3 delivers a solid, next-gen entertainment bonanza that howls with the soul of a true snow beast.

It's a shame that the multiplayer options don't include a cop pursuit mode, but that's a minor omission in a one-game-fits-all package.

The gameplay, as ever, is absolutely bang on and they've gone the extra mile in making this far more approachable for American Football rookies. You can select Madden's plays, which are demystified by the legend himself.

The ultimate descendant of classic console RPGs. It's what all RPGs might be like if Final Fantasy VII hadn't come along and changed everything.