While still quite playable for several hours, the lack of true innovation or noteworthy upgrades makes Mater-National seem like more of a rushed expansion than a full-fledged - or fully necessary - follow-up to a memorable kid-friendly racer.

It's short, clocking in at around four to six hours long, but this isn't a slapdash effort - the plot might be lame, but the action, level design and graphics are all pretty impressive for a DS 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.

A multiplayer game that required the turtles to co-ordinate their efforts and powers could have rocked so much harder. For that matter, so could a camera that chose better angles and thus caused to fewer missed jumps due to misjudged distances.

Before this could get too gamey sitting on store shelves, the publisher wisely dropped the price to $20, which is where it should have started.

The world, while beautiful, isn't any different then the past two games. And the music, although it very badly wants to be important, won't be anything you find yourself humming after putting down the PSP to practice sword techniques.

Whether you’re dodging and jabbing in first-person to fend off wild predators, microphone-grunting to speak to a gorilla, recovering after a hurricane or earthquake, playing fire-making, harpooning, or milking mini-games wirelessly with another DS owner, making a necklace, or just discovering a new flower that you can use to flavor your food in the cooking mini-game, this is a different adventure, and one worth embarking upon.

So despite high production values, highlighted by another stellar turn by Ironside, there are too many frustrations for anyone but the most staunch Splinter Cell fanatic to try and stomach.

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.

The game offers plenty to do and an impressive breadth of characters and skills to master, but some polish in certain areas could really help make it a game you’d want to pay to play. If you’re looking for a new MMO or a game with Diablo-like replayability, play Marvel Heroes first and pay for it later (if you want, that is.)

Like an early card match at a pay-per-view event, WWE 2K Battlegrounds is meant to keep the crowd entertained before the main event re-enters the arena, but it's rarely as flashy or fun as its concept implies.

It's not often that the promotion campaign might be more enjoyable than the final product, but Wanted: Dead may have to grin and bear this ignominy. Despite some effort to subvert genre norms with its characters and amusing mini-games, the core action is bogged down by low production values, imbalance, and repetition. For every moment it hits its stride, there's another where it stubs its toe, and some slick execution animations are as imaginative as it gets.

Tales of the Shire does Tolkien's lore justice and has a new approach to unlocking features in cozy games that'll make your heart sing. However, Bywater struggles to keep you content with staying in the Shire for long.

Even training monsters has become a total chore; you have to set each task manually, instead of being able to set long-term training schedules. This is a de-evolution at best.

A direct port of a game clearly designed for the Wii to platforms that don't even support the core appeal. It's sad now that the bunny that demos the Wii's controls before every event is replaced by...empty space.

If you have a modicum of gaming ability, the challenge is simply non-existent for dozens of levels. You’ll simply be going through the motions. Even casual gamers may find TiQal a bit too forgiving for a bit too long. It’s almost too casual.

If you're buying this for solo gaming, save the cash or just head to a friend's house - multiplayer's the only way to go with Wii Play, and even then you'll be satisfied within a week.

This lovingly preserved Defender's well worth the 400 Microsoft points. But there's more pure fun to be had for $5 in the Arcade - and what's the profit margin on 5% of Xbox 360 owners again?

Ditching the lengthy matches of Mario Party's past in favor of shorter options makes sense, and it makes for more manageable experiences. But it's still saddening that the longest game of Island Tour that you'll ever play should wrap up in under an hour.

If this sort of game doesn't sound appealing, no one can blame you. Datura is arty, a tad obtuse, and the clumsy Move controls don't make it any more accessible. For more methodical, curious gamers, we recommend you download Datura, and play it with a DualShock. Moments from the game have a way sticking in your mind, calling you in for a replay.

The average gameplay links the excellent storytelling together in a way that players of all skill levels can enjoy. It’s a great carrot-and-stick model for the millions of Final Fantasy VII donkeys out there.

It tries to cater to both fight fans and Dragon Ball's frighteningly devoted legion, yet fails to really hit the mark on either side.

Sonic Forces is a spectacular but empty sugar rush that’s over in a blur. Once again, Sonic’s return to form falls flat.

Sacred 3 has the skeleton of a fun co-op hack 'n' slash experience, but it's marred by too much repetition, balance issues, and the worst comedy routine this side of Open Mic Night at the Middle of Nowhere Comedy Shack.

Cutting straight to the chase, instead of driving aimlessly in search of an event miles away, was good for consoles, and it’s all the better here on the PSP.

Driver '76's brand of road rage does get more right than it does wrong, and though it might not offer the best combat action or racing excitement, it still deserves a look for its competent mix of the two.

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.

Call it Before They Were RPGs: a trip back to the days when the genre was simple, looked bad, and just wanted to be taken as seriously as the other, cooler genres.