NBA Live 06 showed a lot of promise with its great graphics and sound, but the developers lost the ability to satisfy fans by yanking every major advancement created in the series up to this point.

The level of detail in the courses is outstanding, as are most of the player models, but it only features half the number of courses and a less involved career mode.

Unless you’ve got an urgent need to launder $60, there’s not a single reason to go out and buy FIFA 06 for the Xbox 360. Go out and by the far superior (and cheaper) FIFA 06 for the PS2 or Xbox – both versions are excellent.

If you can only pick up one or two of the 360’s launch games, you might want to hold off on dropping $60 on a bare-bones edition of a game you already played.

Just an extremely enjoyable, beautiful, nostalgic, and engaging RPG for the PlayStation 2. This charming, atmospheric RPG is not to be missed.

While Kingdom of Paradise does have several faults, the most hindering being the camera and the lack of a proper blocking mechanism, the game is still the best RPG on the PSP, and also one of the handheld’s better games.

Tedious and boring with very few games and they quickly get repetitive. Some of them hardly even utilize the camera.

Riddled with errors, glitches, catches, freezes, clippings, and resets. If you can endure the insane amount of problems and don't mind that you'll routinely run into errors that'll force you to restart from the beginning of the current primary mission, you'll get some marginal enjoyment out of the title.

It seems that Konami knows that the novelty of the gameplay has worn off and made a number of attempts to freshen things up a tad. Unfortunately, those attempts severely fall flat and what you're left with is a game you've seen a dozen times over, just with a new soundtrack.

Without a doubt, WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw 2006 is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, wrestling game ever made.

Offers a unique perspective on moviemaking and its gameplay style is refreshingly original. If you're a movie buff, or love Sims-type games, The Movies is for you.

Fans of Harry Potter may be disappointed that the game doesn’t quite reflect the darkness of the movie or book, but Goblet of Fire certainly does some things right including impressive graphics, sound, nice 3-player co-op and easy to pick up gameplay. The real problem with the game is the camera, AI and repetitiveness.

Zipper Interactive managed to create very smooth, simple controls for a unit without a second analog nub (a minor miracle), and brought along all the SOCOM visual treats and gameplay nuances that fans of the genre crave, and the PSP enabled them to do this all in style.

It looks decent enough, and, excluding actual voiced speech, sounds decent enough too, but the overall package is a meager offering in a very competitive genre.

It has great presentation; fantastic voice work; fun gun- and horseplay; and a free-roaming world that lets you do almost anything you want. However, even with all these great elements, it's too short to enjoy it all.

The game is especially entertaining the first time gamers sit down and play it. Unfortunately, unless gamers are fans of the karaoke genre, the game does lose its novelty quickly.

As pretty much the only non-shooter/non-sports game on the Xbox 360, you have to get this game just for the change of pace, if not for the fantastic platformer/adventure experience.

There is no other way to describe Guitar Hero other than it’s a fantastic game that’s a blast to play.

Looks, feels, and plays exactly like every other Mario Party ever made. The new 8-player games, new boards, and new minigames aren't enough to differentiate it from anything else you've seen served up by the pudgy plumber and friends.

Fans of the series will be both pleased and slightly disappointed at the same time with the second Castlevania game to hit the third dimension, but to the casual gamer, it will be nothing more than an average action title.

There are too many glitches, the graphics are poor and the game just isn’t fun to play.

Pick it up if you really love the Ninja Turtles, because although the game does have more merits than its console brethren, that’s not saying much.

It’s a boring, repetitive, dull hack n’ slash game with bland visuals, unbalanced gameplay, and useless ninja scrolls.

Unfortunately, the gameplay itself is too shallow to make it a good tycoon game, and the puzzles, in the end, feel too much like homework to actually be fun.

There's no reason to bother playing this game, period. It's cute, it's got an equally as cute presentation, and it's got five minigames that will quickly bore you, and nothing more.

Heroes of the Pacific isn’t perfect but it’s close enough for government work and the result is the most enjoyable dogfight you’re likely to see.

Even if gamers have grown tired of World War II, Call of Duty 2 features the largest battles and most detailed environments of any game to date, making it worth a look.

I really only consider Ratchet: Deadlocked as a bonus game in the series, but it's a great bonus game with a heavy combat emphasis and the same style of televised humor that the franchise is known for.

If twitchy, button mashing games that require some thinking skills are your cup of tea, Gunstar will certainly deliver.

Lego Star Wars is a fun, adventurous one or two-player game for the whole family, and it features all the recent Star Wars lore and more active scenes for those who just love a good, old fashioned Star Wars fight. It's a quick trip, though, and the game is quite easy to play, even with the few difficult puzzles and racing/shooting sequences.

I was stunned by how well made this game was. Stories certainly is a wonderful achievement for the PSP, but it does have a few drawbacks with the slowdown, camera issues, battery and a lack of online play, but you still can’t be that disappointed as this is the best game on the PSP.

It’s a CD that adds about 20 endangered animals to your existing game of Zoo Tycoon 2, and that’s about it.

Fans of the first two should pick it up for sure, and other RTS fans would be smart to do the same.

Shadow of the Colossus is a spectacular game for the PlayStation 2 with splendid visuals, a great artistic atmosphere, a unique horse mechanic, and magnificent, towering colossi – but it’s limited by the power of an aging system.

It’s a pretty good title with impressive graphics, a lot of tracks and cars, a deep single-player adventure and full online support with many game modes.

The graphics and voiceacting for the game are very solid, but the long loading times and limited difficulty make the game nothing more than just your average fighter.

There are just way too many issues at hand to recommend picking up this sequel until it hits the bargain bin.

Disney did put together a solid product instead of coming out with a sloppy game to market with the movie, but they still didn’t quite close the deal.

A refreshingly original game. It looks wonderful, and its blend of humor and addictive gameplay is very entertaining; it will certainly keep you amused from beginning to end.

The new gameplay additions like the bert slide, nata spins, and the BMX bike really don't make the game any deeper than the other recent TH games. Add to that the short story and classic modes and some disappointing and over-hyped features and what you have is a Tony Hawk game that fails to live up to the expectations set by its predecessors.

While the main game can take about 15 hours at most to beat, completing all of the additional side-quests may take you up to three times as long.

The Warriors may be the best example of a movie being transferred to a game, ever. You can tell by the entire production including the audio, graphics, controls and gameplay that Rockstar cared about the film’s origins.

The Warriors may be the best example of a movie being transferred to a game, ever. You can tell by the entire production including the audio, graphics, controls and gameplay that Rockstar cared about the film's origins.

Online play with vehicles, giant maps and customizable weapons are a blast that you won't get tired of any time soon, and the single player mode is a nice diversion especially with the addition of checkpoints.

Despite the lack of multiplayer options, there are plenty of things to do in the single-player tour mode, and its steady progression in difficulty is wholly satisfying.

The new lockdown stick makes defense in a basketball game fun again, and the return of the field general play calling easily make this feel like you’re playing a true college basketball game. Despite some of the horrid blemishes that make this feel like a somewhat incomplete game, NCAA March Madness is still a decent college basketball title.

Despite the lack of multiplayer options, there are plenty of things to do in the single-player tour mode, and its steady progression in difficulty is wholly satisfying.

If you’re looking for a classic-style FPS with gorgeous visuals, Quake 4 is your cup of tea.

From the unbelievably dense traffic with the inescapable crash sequences, to the poser-fest plot and the explosion of brand placement, this game is a definite multiple-offender.

Despite the lack of multiplayer options, there are plenty of things to do in the single-player tour mode, and its steady progression in difficulty is wholly satisfying.

The new lockdown stick makes defense in a basketball game fun again, and the return of the field general play calling easily make this feel like you're playing a true college basketball game. Despite some of the horrid blemishes that make this feel like a somewhat incomplete game, NCAA March Madness is still a decent college basketball title.

Despite the lack of multiplayer options, there are plenty of things to do in the single-player tour mode, and its steady progression in difficulty is wholly satisfying.

The game features fun and innovative boss fights and your Soul Robber weapon is nice too. Those elements are solid, but Capcom didn’t perfect key aspects of the game including the terrible camera angles and repetitive fighting that causes the game to be irritating.

The game features fun and innovative boss fights and your Soul Robber weapon is nice too. Those elements are solid, but Capcom didn't perfect key aspects of the game including the terrible camera angles and repetitive fighting that causes the game to be irritating.

As a continuation of Doom 3, it's great, but as a standalone Xbox game it falls flat.

The game has seen a remarkable improvement since the previous Gretzky NHL released at the handheld’s launch, but it still isn’t quite where it needs to be and probably can’t compete yet with 2K Sports’ or EA Sports’ versions if and when they come out for the PSP.

Overall, NBA 06 has a lot to offer and plenty of hours of gameplay with the season mode, minigames, online mode and more, but the game just feels incomplete and rushed.

FIFA 06 is a great game for both soccer novices and enthusiastic players alike, and is a worthy investment to a soccer fan’s entertainment library.

FIFA 06 is a great game for both soccer novices and enthusiastic players alike, and is a worthy investment to a soccer fan’s entertainment library.

FIFA 06 is a great game for both soccer novices and enthusiastic players alike, and is a worthy investment to a soccer fan's entertainment library.

FIFA 06 is a great game for both soccer novices and enthusiastic players alike, and is a worthy investment to a soccer fan's entertainment library.

It’s an affair for the patient, meticulous player who doesn’t mind playing a puzzle game in disguise as a WWII RTS. Blitzkrieg II is too unforgiving and downright frustrating to warrant my recommendation to any but the most intense history buffs.

Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit isn't a bad game by any means, but it brings nothing new to the genre.

Certainly seems to be directed towards a younger gaming audience with its colorful environments, cute characters and simple controls. The game is pretty childish with a straightforward story mode and a nice selection of multiplayer games.

Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit isn't a bad game by any means, but it brings nothing new to the genre.

Heroes of the Pacific isn’t perfect but it’s close enough for government work and the result is the most enjoyable dogfight you’re likely to see.

Heroes of the Pacific isn't perfect but it's close enough for government work and the result is the most enjoyable dogfight you're likely to see on the current Xbox.

An uninspiring platformer with unintuitive controls, bland gameplay, repetitive environments, and a missed target audience – kids aren't going to have neither the skill nor the patience to play this game, if they even have the desire to.

Lost in Blue is an ambitious game that offers some quirky gameplay.

Certainly seems to be directed towards a younger gaming audience with its colorful environments, cute characters and simple controls. The game is pretty childish with a straightforward story mode and a nice selection of multiplayer games.

The game’s audio, variety of weapons and moves keeps you interested for a while, but the game isn’t that long and is very repetitive, which certainly kills any buzz you originally had.

Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2 doesn’t do anything new or “revolutionary”. It’s still a solid game that diehards of the series will eat up, but for those looking for some added spice will be left wanting until Konami ships out the next one.

An uninspiring platformer with unintuitive controls, bland gameplay, repetitive environments, and a missed target audience – kids aren’t going to have neither the skill nor the patience to play this game, if they even have the desire to.

Far Cry Instincts is just another example of how bloody marvelous UbiSoft can be, and how good a console shooter can be without needing to distract us with aliens and shiny green space suits.

The game's audio, variety of weapons and moves keeps you interested for a while, but the game isn't that long and is very repetitive, which certainly kills any buzz you originally had.

Now if Sucker Punch could upgrade the visuals, grant us some real character depth, spare us the obvious dialogue (tap the square button to do this, then hit R1 to do this), and add online play, we’d have a much better winner.

While the main game can take about 15 hours at most to beat, completing all of the additional side-quests may take you up to three times as long.

The impressive amount of characters to play with, along with the striking character graphics and animations, gives the game a good presentational value, and the exciting boss battles and interactive levels make this an entertaining game that is worthy of at least a rental.

Overall Madden 06 for the PlayStation Portable is a solid title with everything you’d expect from the mega-hit football franchise including great gameplay, graphics, audio and options, but the game falls short with in-game loading.

The game has seen a remarkable improvement since the previous Gretzky NHL released at the handheld’s launch, but it still isn’t quite where it needs to be and probably can’t compete yet with 2K Sports’ or EA Sports’ versions if and when they come out for the PSP.

The result – a fantastic action RPG that fans of the Marvel universe and non-fans alike should enjoy sinking their teeth into for more than a couple of hours.

The result – a fantastic action RPG that fans of the Marvel universe and non-fans alike should enjoy sinking their teeth into for more than a couple of hours.

The impressive amount of characters to play with, along with the striking character graphics and animations, gives the game a good presentational value, and the exciting boss battles and interactive levels make this an entertaining game that is worthy of at least a rental.

An interesting and exciting game that does a great job of combining both action and RTS elements.

The result – a fantastic action RPG that fans of the Marvel universe and non-fans alike should enjoy sinking their teeth into for more than a couple of hours.

The impressive amount of characters to play with, along with the striking character graphics and animations, gives the game a good presentational value, and the exciting boss battles and interactive levels make this an entertaining game that is worthy of at least a rental.

The result – a fantastic action RPG that fans of the Marvel universe and non-fans alike should enjoy sinking their teeth into for more than a couple of hours.

From the orchestrated theme music to the chaos of cartoon battles the game delivers loads of entertainment and even requires some creative thinking to beat the tougher levels.

Animaniacs: The Great Edgar Hunt is a decent game if you are between the ages of five and ten and enjoy the cartoon series.

It's the same tried and tested gameplay with some cool new cars and levels, and a few new features that may or may not be your cup of tea.

Burnout Legends is the best racer available for the PSP and may be one of the top five best games for Sony's handheld.

It's the same tried and tested gameplay with some cool new cars and levels, and a few new features that may or may not be your cup of tea.

It's worth a look as a rental, as you can certainly have a good time with the game over the course of a weekend, but its flaws keep it from being worthy of a purchase.

It has memorable characters that certainly could have made it a standout hit for gamers, but it seems the developers didn’t put enough time into fixing all the faults that included problems with camera angles, controls and more.

it's a first-person shooter that involves an interesting theme (possession) and brainpower (puzzles). You won't find a plethora of intense weaponry or a gripping, daunting plot, but you'll enjoy the gameplay and be intrigued enough to finish the product.

It isn’t perfect, but at least it’s a little different from all of the others we’ve been seeing, and that’s good enough for me.

What we’ve got here is a fair game that I wouldn’t recommend to anyone except for a mindless, young teenager that likes shooting games and puppies.

Unfortunately complex systems and a light atmosphere can’t replace the features it needs to be a solid RPG.