Game play, while trying to recapture the essence of the old school arcade game, is excruciating, dull, and repetitive.

Ty's game play is simple to pick up and play, while it merits enough challenge to make even veteran platform junkies scratch their heads for a bit.

The problem with Under the Skin lies in the fact that no matter how far you advance in the game you’ll still be doing generally the same thing over and over. Once you’ve seen the different methods of freaking out the populace, that’s all there is to see.

There are very few gripes here and there; camera issues and confusing career for newbies, but this is undoubtedly the best FIFA game in many years and seems ready for taking on "Winning 11" this season.

Not the wonderful surprise on the GBA that it was on the consoles, but it does serve its purpose in bringing Ty to the portable realm.

Ty's game play is simple to pick up and play, while it merits enough challenge to make even veteran platform junkies scratch their heads for a bit.

There are very few gripes here and there; camera issues and confusing career for newbies, but this is undoubtedly the best FIFA game in many years and seems ready for taking on "Winning 11" this season.

There are very few gripes here and there; camera issues and confusing career for newbies, but this is undoubtedly the best FIFA game in many years and seems ready for taking on "Winning 11" this season.

The colorful visuals, well-paced gameplay and smart dialog came as a bit of a shock. Even more surprising was the part where I kept playing, not because I had to review it, but because I wanted to.

Some hits and misses, but for 20 dollars, you get more than your money's worth here. Especially since they are all arcade emulations, and not ports from other systems or consoles.

Jumping puzzles come up a bit lame as well. The most dangerous looking sections are easily skipped via the Spirit of Air’s short flight time, which is a fairly gross oversight.

The colorful visuals, well-paced gameplay and smart dialog came as a bit of a shock. Even more surprising was the part where I kept playing, not because I had to review it, but because I wanted to.

Some hits and misses, but for 20 dollars, you get more than your money's worth here. Especially since they are all arcade emulations, and not ports from other systems or consoles.

Some of the story is a bit contrived and the game may give players a bit of "been there, done that", but it's a very fun game to play through. There are enough twists in the story and surprises to be seen to keep Mario fans playing until the very end.

The colorful visuals, well-paced gameplay and smart dialog came as a bit of a shock. Even more surprising was the part where I kept playing, not because I had to review it, but because I wanted to.

Even though the mini-games are too common and unnecessarily repetitive, and the random cartoon nudity isn't worth the effort, the wonderfully insane dialogue and characters are worth taking a trip to Larry's collegiate adventure.

Even though the mini-games are too common and unnecessarily repetitive, and the random cartoon nudity isn't worth the effort, the wonderfully insane dialogue and characters are worth taking a trip to Larry's collegiate adventure.

Robotech Invasion is about the fight against the Invid, and that puts the game in competition with every other futuristic shooter instead of playing to the strengths of the series: big robots that switch into planes and fire scores of side winding missiles.

Despite Conflict Vietnam's faithful, regurgitated depiction of the reality of war in Vietnam, the mechanics of the game are far too poor to make it recommendable to any but the most hardcore fans of gritty war games.

There's a fine line between encouragement and frustration in a game like this, and Zero 3 hits it right on the sweet spot.

Even though the mini-games are too common and unnecessarily repetitive, and the random cartoon nudity isn't worth the effort, the wonderfully insane dialogue and characters are worth taking a trip to Larry's collegiate adventure.

Robotech Invasion is about the fight against the Invid, and that puts the game in competition with every other futuristic shooter instead of playing to the strengths of the series: big robots that switch into planes and fire scores of side winding missiles.

This is the definitive Mortal Kombat title. You have more fatalities, self-fatalities (hara-kiri), stage fatalities, more characters, four deep modes of play, unlockable Krypt items, and online play.

While the console versions of Tony Hawk's Underground 2 may be a better game than the original Underground, you can't help but feel that the game is something you've already played before.

PC owners should be quite pleased with the latest installment of the game. Given all the improvements between Underground 2 and "THPS4," fans of the series should be quite happy with the end result.

To make matters worse, if the ball falls down between the flippers players are often forced to start from scratch and many times replay the stage that they previously completed to get back to where they just were. Wash, rinse, and repeat.

This is the definitive Mortal Kombat title. You have more fatalities, self-fatalities (hara-kiri), stage fatalities, more characters, four deep modes of play, unlockable Krypt items, and online play.

While the console versions of Tony Hawk's Underground 2 may be a better game than the original Underground, you can't help but feel that the game is something you've already played before.

With top-notch graphics and a mostly solid game of basketball that rewards practice and knowledge, ESPN NBA 2k5 is loads of fun.

Game play is not much more than a mere point and click adventure, but it is your brain that will serves as the game’s biggest asset.

It doesn't do anything we've never seen before, but what it does do is usually done well.

While some gamers will be turned off by the lack of total simulation, they still may be intrigued by the extras EA threw in for good measure such as the deep dynasty, slam-dunk contest, and three-point shootout.

Aladdin isn't breaking any new video game ground, but it's a fun, colorful experience, even though it's several years old.

I'll put it right out there. You'd have to be a huge fan of SNK and Capcom fighting games, or completely new to the genre to be interested in this latest entry.

It doesn't do anything we've never seen before, but what it does do is usually done well.

While some gamers will be turned off by the lack of total simulation, they still may be intrigued by the extras EA threw in for good measure such as the deep dynasty, slam-dunk contest, and three-point shootout.

With top-notch graphics and a mostly solid game of basketball that rewards practice and knowledge, ESPN NBA 2k5 is loads of fun.

While some gamers will be turned off by the lack of total simulation, they still may be intrigued by the extras EA threw in for good measure such as the deep dynasty, slam-dunk contest, and three-point shootout.

It's really a no-brainer for RPG fans even with the genre being so crowded this season. Personally, I put Shadow Hearts Covenant in my top three RPGs this generation.

The only thing that could be improved on for the sequel would be more songs and even more variety.

Many games are excellent world-builders, and many are deep real time strategy war games. Rome: Total War sets out to be both and pulls it off wonderfully.

Fares poorly compared to other genre offerings, and I’d be hard-pressed to recommend it.

The PlayStation 2 version of Redemption also suffers from some technical flaws, such as occasionally visible polygon seams and constant, noisy disc access.

This version isn’t revolutionary enough that it will recruit fans who didn’t like it the first few times, but fans of the series will eat this up and gladly shell out the bucks for what Konami has to offer in this go round.

A USB keyboard plugged into your PS2 is the only way to communicate online. This makes getting a group together and executing all but the very simplest of missions a ponderous exercise.

What probably makes this game so interesting as an action game though is the ability to play up to four players cooperatively. Even better is how seamless they make this experience.

The only real hamper on Katamari Damacy’s greatness is the length of the title. Even with a two-player option, the game is far too short and is over before you know it.

More a glimpse into how a real Army fire team moves and engages enemy forces than it is a challenging real-time strategy game.

I personally like "Psi Ops" better as it was faster paced, had a more realistic look, and easier to control. Some gamers may like Second Sight for its open ended-ness and better-written dialog.

With only eight stages, poor controls, and moderate visuals, its solid line up of 25 characters cannot save this game’s fate of falling below mediocrity.

I really liked certain parts of Blood but absolutely hated others.

It is true that HOI is not for everyone, but fans of RTS, Risk, or just War aficionados, will appreciate the level of authenticity and freedom that this game has to offer.

What probably makes this game so interesting as an action game though is the ability to play up to four players cooperatively. Even better is how seamless they make this experience.

Fares no better than the sum of its mediocre parts. And while the effort put forth by developer Amuze can be considered admirable, it doesn't help the fact that Redemption ends up demanding the very thing its namesake promises.

I personally like "Psi Ops" better as it was faster paced, had a more realistic look, and easier to control. Some gamers may like Second Sight for its open ended-ness and better-written dialog.

What probably makes this game so interesting as an action game though is the ability to play up to four players cooperatively. Even better is how seamless they make this experience.

I personally like "Psi Ops" better as it was faster paced, had a more realistic look, and easier to control. Some gamers may like Second Sight for its open ended-ness and better-written dialog.

The maps offer opportunities for strategy and the online battles are a blast.

It should go without saying that the sights and sounds of Battlefront are top notch. The presentation, from menus to gameplay, is perfectly tailored to the identity of Star Wars.

The controls feel precise and fluid as they react according to the situation you are in. If one thing that may be a downer to some casual gamers is the difficult A.I. in the game.

Playing over a LAN without the headaches associated with internet play can be a blast, either in head to head, teamplay, or grouping against those vicious computer opponents.

The ease of play, with the challenge of a good A.I. creates the perfect balance that not only makes for a realistic competition, but an enjoyable one as well.

Even though the overall look and presentation has not received a glowing amount of attention, it is what EA has done as far as tweaking the controls, A.I. and adding a monster amount of modes and options that will keep fans of the links playing for another year to come.

The maps offer opportunities for strategy and the online battles are a blast.

The controls feel precise and fluid as they react according to the situation you are in. If one thing that may be a downer to some casual gamers is the difficult A.I. in the game.

The ease of play, with the challenge of a good A.I. creates the perfect balance that not only makes for a realistic competition, but an enjoyable one as well.

Even though the overall look and presentation has not received a glowing amount of attention, it is what EA has done as far as tweaking the controls, A.I. and adding a monster amount of modes and options that will keep fans of the links playing for another year to come.

Even though the overall look and presentation has not received a glowing amount of attention, it is what EA has done as far as tweaking the controls, A.I. and adding a monster amount of modes and options that will keep fans of the links playing for another year to come.

The ease of play, with the challenge of a good A.I. creates the perfect balance that not only makes for a realistic competition, but an enjoyable one as well.

Even with only seven levels, which are huge, it will take even the best shooter fan quite a few tries to complete this one to the end.

Those not familiar with the series and who are interested in a great looking, stylish and unique stealth/platformer, should give Sly 2 a try.

If you are into first person shooters (single player or multiplayer), or love WWII action games, you should get the original game and the expansion pack because it is just that good.

What ends up happening is that you'll just punch and kick your way through the game. Sure, you'll change characters and gain access to new special moves, but it's still the same thing over and over. Punch, kick, block. Rinse, lather, repeat.

The innovative parts of Fable surround what is a very solid, if traditional, role-playing game, and the whole package comes together exceptionally well.

Despite Conflict Vietnam’s faithful, regurgitated depiction of the reality of war in Vietnam, the mechanics of the game are far too poor to make it recommendable to any but the most hardcore fans of gritty war games.

Despite Conflict Vietnam’s faithful, regurgitated depiction of the reality of war in Vietnam, the mechanics of the game are far too poor to make it recommendable to any but the most hardcore fans of gritty war games.

Veterans can complete this in one sitting of 4-8 hours if so inclined. Even with all the monotonous backtracking and escort missions, the game is far too short. The downside is comparable to seeing a great horror flick that is only 80 minutes long.

Damn near flawless in almost every way shape and form. Brilliant visuals, ear pleasing audio, highly addictive game play, and enough modes and tracks to keep you busy for months on end.

The story is so original, the experience is completely scary, and the afterthoughts of the game will make you look over each shoulder when you are alone in the house. This game, like the Silent Hill titles before it, get in your head and stay there for quite sometime.

Veterans can complete this in one sitting of 4-8 hours if so inclined. Even with all the monotonous backtracking and escort missions, the game is far too short. The downside is comparable to seeing a great horror flick that is only 80 minutes long.

The visuals are cleaner, more vibrant, and oozing with a slick presentation. The audio is, to coin a phrase from Good Times, "Dy-no-mite!"

There’s nothing extraordinary about the game but it will give fans a place to beat each other in friendly way.

Once you have a few upgrades earned, the game becomes fun in quite a hurry.

It's just that those defining moments are spaced out by some poor AI and a punishing alert system that end up severely dampening the overall experience.

The gameplay is dead on in "Third Impact." It’s one of the most well handling fighting games produced, with every move coming across to the screen at the same split second rate as player input it into the control.

Where DW4 Empires makes its biggest advancement is in the Empires mode itself. This addition gives the series the oh, so, much needed depth that keeps it from being a monotonous hack and slash title.

If you're into the storytelling style – which you'll get a taste of in the first few minutes – you'll probably enjoy it. There's just nothing exceptional about any particular element of the game.

This game is a big step up in visuals compared to the Thunder series of old, which gives even more hope for future titles to come.

Once you have a few upgrades earned, the game becomes fun in quite a hurry.

This game is a big step up in visuals compared to the Thunder series of old, which gives even more hope for future titles to come.

Once you have a few upgrades earned, the game becomes fun in quite a hurry.

The default difficulties are done so well that you'll have to play a lot to even consider going into the slider screen.

The default difficulties are done so well that you'll have to play a lot to even consider going into the slider screen.

One of those rare games where the entire package comes together so well that it creates such a fun and memorable experience that you never want the game to end.

Has lots of features and pulls them all off very well, there's just not a home run in any category.

It's a cute game, with monsters that would make excellent stuffed animals, but the execution is too childlike for adults and not intuitive enough for children.

A fantastic 2D game that everyone should pick up. It’s at a value price now and the PS2 version includes an unlockable Dante from Devil May Cry, who uses cute little guns Ebony and Ivory to blast people to pieces.

The ghost gameplay is fine up until the wild camera and sometimes desolate gameplay pop up.