Veterans of Splinter Cell Chaos Theory may be disappointed with Double Agent's multiplayer. Yet, while some may call this game stripped down, we thought the lack of gadgets streamlined the multiplayer experience and sped up matches online.

While rough around the edges, the franchise still wears the crown of best team-based experience in gaming today - for now.

Add in online multiplayer support for up to four wannabe tycoons, and you've got the best railroading sim since the original Railroad Tycoon. Some gamers may find Sid Meier's Railroads! a little on the simplistic side, but it makes for a nice, light snack.

An average sandbox title with a charismatic anti-hero and hilarious B-movie presentation as its saving grace. And we'll take that.

If you're looking for groundbreaking gameplay and a thrilling story - or even differences between the Xbox and PS2 versions, other than HD support for Xbox - you'll be disappointed. Justice League Heroes is a pretty standard action RPG that's neither offensive nor alluring.

The only way you'd really want to play this game is if you're a diehard fan of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and The Flash and you don't mind beating up stupid robots for hours on end in dull levels.

It's a tough act to pull off, but The WarChiefs manages to walk that fine line between familiarity and new material quite well. Age of Empires III veterans are going to love it.

There are nits to pick, like having to hammer at buttons to bypass a predictable array of strolling animations, but Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 is still slick as hell, and any golf enthusiast should be thrilled to bits with the depth of play to be had within.

But even though the game shares some DNA with gems like the WarioWare series or the trippy Katamari Damacy, WTF got the short end of the genetic stick. If you’re going to spend your free time doing something that’s ultimately pointless and repetitive, you might as well get a real job.

If you can play this on a computer, do so. If you already own The Sims 2 for PS2 and are considering paying full price again to get the Pets feature, don't.

By adding yet another layer of realism with the presence of animals - dogs barking in the distant night, cats napping on the couch, rodents running in their squeaky wheel - your Sims' world becomes richer and, thus, your gaming experience more enjoyable.

Even with the hypersensitive shot controls, we think this year’s FIFA may match up evenly with Konami’s latest counterpart, due out later this fall (we hear your cries of blasphemy, "Winning Eleven" fanatics - you'll get the chance to prove us wrong).

Flight Simulator X looks to have touched down six-to-twelve months too early for much of its target audience but, as its score reflects, it's an extraordinarily well-crafted piece of software and one of the most significant releases in flight simming history.

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.

If you stick with the smaller campaigns, you can focus on mastering the interface and designing the ultimate space fleet. Sometimes Space Empires V takes its commitment to customization too far, but there’s never any doubt who the emperor is.

Its "Se7en" -inspired serial killer lunacy is good for a genuine chill or two. It ain't perfect, but it's different and interesting enough to be worth a good look.

If you don't have the nurturing gene or the attention span to keep a virtual animal alive, steer clear - but if you're looking for something that's totally nonviolent and uses all your DS's whistles and bells, Nintendogs is it.

Although it may keep you interested for a while, and some of the classes offer some interesting challenges, The Guild 2 is even more rough around the edges than the original Europa, and not nearly as deep or even as interesting.

Whether you've saddled up with a previous version of Gun or this is your first time strapping on the six-shooters, this title is not to be missed, as it captures this underrepresented genre like no other game.

It's worth checking out, if only because there's nothing else out there quite like it, but it probably won't be enshrined in the hallowed halls of RPG classics anytime soon.

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.