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.