The game's meant to be a no-frills, no-pressure entry point into the Wii and its bizarre new way of playing videogames, and it's impressive that it manages to be a lot of fun at the same time.

Sorry to say it, but the Wii version's at the bottom of the list for Carbon. It's not redefining the street racing genre, but at times it can still hit a sweet spot blend of intensity, danger and style.

Few people will accuse Monster 4x4 World Circuit of being a good game, but it's been dressed up enough that it at least crawls out of the sub-mediocre sewer.

It's a well-made game that you can try again and again with numerous heroes and their plethora of powers. If you're a comic-book fan, this is probably the most satisfying videogame ever made for you.

Though a slowness to change and evolve hinders Tony Hawk Project 8's greatness, the developers sank a gargantuan lump of time into making the skating feel genuine, and it's enough to revitalize what is broadly the same game with a few newborn adoptions.

Disappointment about the lack of groundbreaking invention aside, Gunpey is a fun and intellectually interesting workout for your brain. If you're sick of falling blocks, or just need some new challenge to wrap the grey matter around, give it a go.

Disappointment about the lack of groundbreaking invention aside, Gunpey is a fun and intellectually interesting workout for brain and thumbs alike. If you're sick of falling blocks, or just need some new challenge to wrap the grey matter around, give it a go.

But, if you're buying this game because you honestly think it's going to make you smarter, it won't. And if you're buying this game because you actually think it's going to be fun, it isn't. That's really the bottom line.

But, if you're buying this game because you honestly think it's going to make you smarter, it won't. And if you're buying this game because you actually think it's going to be fun, it isn't. That's really the bottom line.

Unless you really, really dig old-school shooters that will take no more than a day to completely finish, this game isn't for you. Unfortunately, for what Platypus is, a thirty-dollar asking price is hard to accept.

Though Luxor is addictive, it ultimately lacks the oomph, variation and a multiplayer mode that would help to make it an all-around great game.

But with its clumsy combat, dim AI and generic plot, HoAE fails to add anything new to the already crowded fantasy based RTS genre.

As the name suggests, Rivals plays well against a friend. Racing the computer is cool, but costing your bud the race with a last-minute cheap shot is a whole lot better.

And gameplay wise, so what if Carbon isn't redefining the street racing genre - really, at this point, what could? It still hits a sweet spot of intensity, danger, and style.

Despite the lack of polish in the outer shell, the meat of the Sega Genesis Collection is mighty tasty and in the end that's all that matters. The price isn't half bad either.

The gameplay is nothing outstanding, but it's fun enough while it lasts, and overall it looks pretty slick.

Even without its wealth of extras, though, Tenkaichi 2 packs in a ton of fast, visceral and inexplicably addictive fighting action. Whether you're a fan of the series or you just want to punch a few guys through buildings, new Wii owners looking to scratch a fighting-game itch will want to check this out.

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?

Even on outdated hardware, it's impossible not to have a blast with SingStar Rocks.

The visuals are clean and smooth, the music's right on target and the motion controls generally function well (we had a few hiccups with slowing and stopping the ball).

If it seems like this has been one long bitch session about the game, it is. That's the deal with these types of RPGs - tons of uphill struggles and unaccommodating features that make the experience borderline miserable at times. But for some of us, the Fantasy followers and old-style gamers, it's nice to sneak in such a guilty pleasure in between all the over-produced RPGs that hold your hand every step of the way.

If you're a comic-book fan, this is probably the most satisfying videogame ever made for you.

Every installment has us hoping for a return to glory, but each one further craps on the hedgehog's legacy. The redeeming qualities here are few and far between, and it's just plain not fun.

Despite all of the frustration, however, Tomb Raider on DS can still be great fun at times - as long as you've got super-human patience and are prepared to squint a lot.

Manually controlling your lead blocker to open up a hole for your running back both makes up for years of imperfect AI-controlled blocking and feels great. So does using the Live Opponent feature to play franchise mode against another gamer instead of the CPU.

And if EA manages to add more defensive options and sturdier motion tracking, Wii could become the best place to play Madden in years.

Building on the already solid (if a little claustrophobic) linear design of previous installments, Call of Duty 3 introduces enough new tidbits to keep even the weariest veterans in the fight.

But if this was a test of the shooter on Nintendo's new box, it definitely passes. Revisions and experimentation will no doubt improve the experience, but for now those looking to migrate into Nintendo's new way to play won't be fully out of their element.