Battle of the Bands is pretty fun, and it’s definitely a cheaper option in the whole music game fad than the peripheral-laden titles out there, but there’s just not a lot of depth there.

The gameplay itself represents a disciplined FPS effort that lifts it above recent mediocre titles such as Blacksite: Area 51, though it doesn't hold a candle to the big guns of The Orange Box, BioShock, or Call of Duty 4.

Ultimately, it’s all pretty basic stuff. There’s nothing particularly fancy about the actual game mechanics and it’s somewhat odd that The Simpsons Game makes fun of various videogame clichés (such as not being able to swim, using levers or pads on the ground to open doors) and then turns around and uses them about a dozen or so times.

I know I want more moves and I pretty much have given up playing against the computer, but when a friend comes over, this is one of the first games we throw in to play. There's just something about Tony Romo running up the side of a wall and leaping into the end zone for the game-winning score while Rodney Harrison whiffs himself into a face full of plexiglass that I can't get enough of, even if it's the only time the Patriots lose all year.

Neves is a simple game, but it offers quick-hit gameplay that leaves you feeling a bit smarter at the end of your time with it.

After learning the full extent of each faction's abilities, it really is pretty neat to completely adjust strategies based on both who you're playing as and against.

The multiplayer mode is great, in theory, but when you’re driving against a pack of opponents that might as well be driving with a blindfold on (intentionally or not), it tends to lose its appeal rather quickly.

The gameplay itself represents a disciplined FPS effort that lifts it above recent mediocre titles such as Blacksite: Area 51, though it doesn't hold a candle to the big guns of The Orange Box, BioShock, or Call of Duty 4.

Nights: Journey of Dreams draws much from Nights Into Dreams, and sometimes it reaches too far back. But even though it takes some concentration to build adequate flying skills, when you finally do ultimately Nights becomes a rewarding contest.

In the end, 2K8 is a great distraction until the season starts, but if you want to put your time into a better game, EA's NHL 08 is the dynasty worth your dough.

Even though it's not as good as previous installments, and is generally more of the same, the fundamental gameplay underneath is still quite amazing, even today (the gameplay excuses its 2004-era visuals).

Dark Sector is bipolar rollercoaster ride that tops out at gorgeous, innovative, and striking (glaive, visuals, virus powers) and bottoms out at a bland, unoriginal, and buggy (gunplay, storyline, melee attacks). The extremes are both high and low, but at least Digital Extremes has a solid base moving forward to the inevitable sequel.

Lost Odyssey is a pretty solid Japanese RPG, and distinctly fulfills the niche it aims for. It's not a true Final Fantasy clone, but at the moment, it's the best-looking late-90s FF knock-off on the market. But whatever "decent" vibe it has ends up being cut down by technical glitches to the point that it makes the epic adventure feel more like a dinky puppet show.

The game moves along at a decent clip, but there are no real high points--no really hard, gritty, challenging sections that burn into your memory cells.

Unfairly hard.

Beowulf: The Game had an opportunity to be a standout movie licensed game. Unfortunately the glitching just made it looks sloppy and in need of work. I enjoyed a lot of the fighting elements they introduced here, and the development team deserves a pat on the back for that.

Though this RTS-interface-for-consoles is pretty good on its own, it's crippled by the poor framerate. Basically, anytime you have one or more Hierarchy walkers on-screen, plus any other units, everyone starts looking like they're moving underwater. Which isn't conducive to an RTS game with crazy units that sparkle and shine.

You find yourself in a game resembling a mix of Fable and Pikmin.

In the end, 2K8 is a great distraction until the season starts, but if you want to put your time into a better game, EA's NHL 08 is the dynasty worth your dough.

For those who didn't check out the PlayStation 2 and PSP games, it will feel fresh and fun. For the rest of us? It's still fun, as long as you're not looking for much in the way of change.

Beowulf: The Game had an opportunity to be a standout movie licensed game. Unfortunately the glitching just made it looks sloppy and in need of work. I enjoyed a lot of the fighting elements they introduced here, and the development team deserves a pat on the back for that.

Even with significant flaws, it's still easily the best D&D game I've played since the power-duo of Baldur's Gate II and Planescape: Torment.

Heroes of Mana could conceivably have the best RTS controls yet on a non-PC RTS game.

Continues crawling forward in the same vein as its predecessors, and it does very well for itself in the Wii.

Dark Sector is bipolar rollercoaster ride that tops out at gorgeous, innovative, and striking (glaive, visuals, virus powers) and bottoms out at a bland, unoriginal, and buggy (gunplay, storyline, melee attacks). The extremes are both high and low, but at least Digital Extremes has a solid base moving forward to the inevitable sequel.

The downside to Rez is that while designed to be played repeatedly to get different aural sensations, the levels play out exactly the same way--with enemies appearing in the same sequence--so truly getting a new experience each time isn't exactly accurate. That doesn't mean it isn't fun or unique, but replay value isn't as deep as it might initially seem.

You find yourself in a game resembling a mix of Fable and Pikmin.

A decent game that has the parts of a great game. Add alcohol or any other mind altering substance to the mix, and some friends, and all of sudden the game could be insanely fun. But a game should be fun enough to be enjoying alone and not just with company.