Overall, NHL 2K9 is a respectable first effort with on the Wii. Still, the subtraction of key features from other titles and atrocious graphical presentation hold it back from any sort of rookie-of-the-year consideration.

Until you've decided and played your hand, the Pokibot is extremely slow. If you're used to Internet Hold'em play, this game seems quite boring.

In many ways, NASCAR 08 is what it should be: a technical, challenging sim that only stock car racing enthusiasts can appreciate. But oppositely, the title's lack of single-player depth won't satiate the hardcore fan seeking customizable features, meta-gaming, and other intricacies that make the sport so different from other racing traditions.

While Viking isn't a total disappointment, the biggest problem here is a matter of the game feeling wholly and entirely unfinished.

In many ways, NASCAR 08 is what it should be: a technical, challenging sim that only stock car racing enthusiasts can appreciate. But oppositely, the title's lack of single-player depth won't satiate the hardcore fan seeking customizable features, meta-gaming, and other intricacies that make the sport so different from other racing traditions.

It’s hard to say that Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is a bad game, it really isn’t. However it is most definitely not worth the full price that is being charged for it when it could be played to satisfaction as a weekend rental for all but the biggest completionists.

This is certainly not the best anthology ever released, but the game can hold its own when standing next to some of the other very mediocre compilations out there.

Overall though, this game is a serious mixed bag. Great graphics and an interesting concept, but the execution was sloppy at times, cumbersome and just plain frustrating.

It’s hard to say that Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is a bad game, it really isn’t. However it is most definitely not worth the full price that is being charged for it when it could be played to satisfaction as a weekend rental for all but the biggest completionists.

Despite the things RocketBowl gets right, most players are more likely to pick up on this thread of general lack of ambition over anything else.

There are other, better, games out there to play now and unless you’re that obsessed reliving the once great games of the past there’s no reason to look back.

Until you’ve decided and played your hand, the Pokibot is extremely slow. If you’re used to Internet Hold’em play, this game seems quite boring.

Fan boys of the original will surely be picking it up, but overall it’s a frustrating experience, and probably not for those new to the Street Fighter series or to retro fighting in general.

Until you’ve decided and played your hand, the Pokibot is extremely slow.

Teenage Zombies is full of great ideas and concepts, all wrapped together in a charming and funny package. Unfortunately, the slow-paced gameplay, short length, and terribly linear design conspire to undermine the positive elements.

While Viking isn't a total disappointment, the biggest problem here is a matter of the game feeling wholly and entirely unfinished.

So, the game does deliver its promise – upgrading a classic sports game while keeping the original gameplay intact – but it does it in such a way that introduces new problems and irritations.

Overall the game is decent and fairly enjoyable, but considering how it doesn't really take advantage of what the system is capable of, it isn't much of a good game to have released alongside the new Kinect hardware.

Nobody is going to be converted to this game series by this entry, it doesn’t offer anything phenomenal to gamers.

The glitches and poor level design don’t quite ruin a game that should have been so much more than the sum of its parts. Still, there’s some fun to be had here with a weekend rental.

While it is impressive how much of the gameplay nuances of the home versions have made it into this handheld cartridge, there simply isn’t enough gameplay to keep you interested for very long.

The classic Hans Christian Anderson story is a nice setting, but its use here leaves a lot to be desired.

Despite its few shortfalls, the main issue standing in the way of recommending this title to our readers is the instability factor.

The security features and high-resolution photo abilities are a nice plus, but they do little to hide the fact that OpSpy is a very mediocre game. Only the most hardcore EyeToy fans need apply to this Spy mission.

The only reason to put any effort into the game at all is to set up a team for a multiplayer or Wi-Fi battle.

NHL 2K8 should be sent back to the minors for some retooling. Gameplay is king, and 2K8 plays fourth-line checker to the competition’s first line superstar.

NHL 2K8 should be sent back to the minors for some retooling. Gameplay is king, and 2K8 plays fourth-line checker to the competition’s first line superstar.

However all of these facets don’t change the fact that Lux-Pain is nearly impossible to recommend. While it succeeds rather surprisingly on almost every technical level it’s still a hard sell due to the translation.

The killing part is fun when you find the special X-Men powers amusing, but that river runs dry approximately an hour into the game, which is actually a decent ratio when compared to the total playtime of about six hours.

The killing part is fun when you find the special X-Men powers amusing, but that river runs dry approximately an hour into the game, which is actually a decent ratio when compared to the total playtime of about six hours.

However, it hasn’t been patched yet, six months after its release, so it’s unlikely it ever will be. Sadly, this game is thus doomed to end up in the bargain bin.

The killing part is fun when you find the special X-Men powers amusing, but that river runs dry approximately an hour into the game, which is actually a decent ratio when compared to the total playtime of about six hours.

The graphics and environment are beautiful, and the open-ended gameplay with RPG-like elements work great, but they cannot recover from the other shortcomings.

The glitches and poor level design don’t quite ruin a game that should have been so much more than the sum of its parts. Still, there’s some fun to be had here with a weekend rental.

The problem with Rocky Balboa is that it just doesn't have enough depth to satisfy any real boxing urges.

There are a few good points to the game, but in general it’s a very unremarkable experience. There are no areas of the game that are particularly bad, but then, there aren’t any that stand out.

The killing part is fun when you find the special X-Men powers amusing, but that river runs dry approximately an hour into the game, which is actually a decent ratio when compared to the total playtime of about six hours.

Poor interface and bad pacing. The story isn't terribly great either.

Unless you're a soccer hooligan who already owns the better soccer games on the PSP, you really shouldn't bother with World Tour Soccer 06.

Overall, there's just not enough content in Super Monkey Ball 3D to justify the purchase. The only mode worth playing is Monkey Ball, and although it is fun, it doesn't last very long. Both the 3D effect and motion sensor controls work great, but they can't be used at the same time. And no online functionality really strips the game of any prolonged use. Unless you're a Super Monkey Ball fanatic, this one's a pass.

There are better rhythm games out there, and without any real meat to it, Battle of the Bands feels like it has lost this one.

In the end, Splinter Cell 3D just feels like a lazy port.

In all, this game is one for the younger and loyal crowd of Nancy Drew followers; all others can take a pass.

Vancouver 2010 is not a horrible game by any means, it's just the sum of the parts add together to present a lessen than desirable package.

While it shines with striking décor and beautiful backdrops, Party Animals fails at engaging its audience and providing a solid game experience.

Vancouver 2010 is not a horrible game by any means, it's just the sum of the parts add together to present a lessen than desirable package.

Vancouver 2010 is not a horrible game by any means, it's just the sum of the parts add together to present a lessen than desirable package.

It’s an innovative title based on a unique premise. Where it falls short is in a few key elements, the rigid gameplay structure, dumb artificial intelligence, overly challenging missions, and poorly implemented control scheme all greatly detract from the overall enjoyment factor.

If you really have the urge to play a game like this, go buy the original Crackdown. It'd be much cheaper. You've already beaten the first one, you say? Well guess what - you've pretty much already beaten this one too.

There’s just not a lot to this game. An incredibly short playthrough and lack of any stimulating thought don’t make it really worthy for purchase, even for a budget title.

There’s some solid strategy tucked behind the overpowering interface and lackluster graphics, but a few serious errors, clunky controls, and some really poor audio in the form of bad music and repetitive speech make Pacific Storm a frustrating experience overall.

The game’s not terrible, but a poor example of what a novel adaptation could be, and so might only be enjoyed by those who really like the tales of Poirot, and a good mystery. It’s a good thing the original novel comes packaged with the game, because in this case, I’d recommend giving it a read instead.

You won’t be missing anything if you never play some of the games; they are really not that great.

Rise of Flight is at its core a strong flight simulator. So while flying is fun, dogfighting and bombing ultimately left something to be desired.

A basic city building game is joined with simple combat, trading, and research. CivCity Rome is very plain and not very fun to play.

With incredible graphics, great sound design and a fantastic sense of humor one would imagine that this game couldn't possibly fail, especially in light of Twisted Pixels' previous works. Unfortunately the gameplay is nowhere near up to the caliber of the rest of the game.

In the graveyard of first-person shooters for the PSP, Rainbow Six Vegas is just one more for the crap-heap.

Ubisoft really dropped the ball with this title. What should be an exciting fast-paced aerial combat game comes off more frustrating than anything because of its control issues, poor A.I, and just downright infuriating level designs.

Ubisoft really dropped the ball with this title. What should be an exciting fast-paced aerial combat game comes off more frustrating than anything because of its control issues, poor A.I, and just downright infuriating level designs.

Ubisoft really dropped the ball with this title. What should be an exciting fast-paced aerial combat game comes off more frustrating than anything because of its control issues, poor A.I, and just downright infuriating level designs.

Plainly put, if you've played any other band-specific Guitar Hero games, you know what to expect, and that is a game that isn't as good as the others.

Disciples III: Renaissance does not have a lot going for it. Well, strike that, it does have a fantastic art style that will draw you in very quickly if you allow it. But the lack of tactical depth, the repetition of battle, upgrades, and heroes levelling, a campaign that's long but not terribly interesting, even the poor audio all work together to make playing this game a chore.

Valhalla Knights 2 does nothing with the power of the PSP and is a rather bad game to boot.

Plainly put, if you’ve played any other band-specific Guitar Hero games, you know what to expect, and that is a game that isn’t as good as the others.

Plainly put, if you’ve played any other band-specific Guitar Hero games, you know what to expect, and that is a game that isn’t as good as the others.

Pass on this title and save your money for the better games coming out this year. There will be no lack of them.

When it comes down to it, if you’re really, really interested in seeing a bit more of the world and character from the film, then you might have some enjoyment with this game, but just a little. But without some varied combat or something that doesn’t feel like filler, it’s hard to say that anyone else will enjoy it.

There just isn't a whole lot going for Shaun White: Skateboarding. It's a game that's, at best, bland and uninspired, and stuck in the past. With the quality of skateboarding titles that are out today, this game just doesn't do enough to stand out from the crowd.

There just isn't a whole lot going for Shaun White: Skateboarding. It's a game that's, at best, bland and uninspired, and stuck in the past. With the quality of skateboarding titles that are out today, this game just doesn't do enough to stand out from the crowd.

There just isn't a whole lot going for Shaun White: Skateboarding. It's a game that's, at best, bland and uninspired, and stuck in the past. With the quality of skateboarding titles that are out today, this game just doesn't do enough to stand out from the crowd.

When it comes down to it, if you’re really, really interested in seeing a bit more of the world and character from the film, then you might have some enjoyment with this game, but just a little. But without some varied combat or something that doesn’t feel like filler, it’s hard to say that anyone else will enjoy it.

There are better snowboarding games on other systems, and Shaun White just isn't one that needs to be played.

This title isn’t altogether terrible, but gives you no incentive to make you want to keep playing.

Not enough story or character for a role playing game, not enough combat for an action game, Rise of the Argonauts must languish in Tartarus, the mythological Greek hell.

When it comes down to it, if you’re really, really interested in seeing a bit more of the world and character from the film, then you might have some enjoyment with this game, but just a little. But without some varied combat or something that doesn’t feel like filler, it’s hard to say that anyone else will enjoy it.

Ultimately, the game falls apart when the player is bombarded with harmless background colours and life-sucking enemy bullets at the same time. The two become almost indecipherable from one another.

Call of Juarez: The Cartel, isn't a very good game when you get to the basics. Its low production values and simple gameplay drag the experience down, while an erratic pace to the storyline makes it worse.

Call of Juarez: The Cartel, isn't a very good game when you get to the basics. Its low production values and simple gameplay drag the experience down, while an erratic pace to the storyline makes it worse.

Call of Juarez: The Cartel, isn't a very good game when you get to the basics. Its low production values and simple gameplay drag the experience down, while an erratic pace to the storyline makes it worse.

There are better snowboarding games on other systems, and Shaun White just isn't one that needs to be played.

Pass on this title and save your money for the better games coming out this year. There will be no lack of them.

For the majority of gamers, however, Fish Tycoon would likely “float to the top” and get “flushed” after only a few hours of play.

In the end, Lego Batman is just a crappier version of Lego Star Wars or Lego Indiana Jones but with a guy in a cape.

As it is this isn’t a worthwhile value for your money. Accept that this is just Activision trying to milk the Guitar Hero fans for their money and wait for the price to drop so you can get it on the cheap.

In the end, Lego Batman is just a crappier version of Lego Star Wars or Lego Indiana Jones but with a guy in a cape.

As it is this isn’t a worthwhile value for your money. Accept that this is just Activision trying to milk the Guitar Hero fans for their money and wait for the price to drop so you can get it on the cheap.

Immortals is not a game that I would choose to play in order to relax or pass the time in the airport.

Untamed isn’t a game worthy of adding to your collection unless you are a die-hard MX or ATV fan.

While the overall design and extras are decent, without a consistent feel to its controls, My Horse & Me isn't worth saddling up.

The in-game instructions also leave you dizzy, so Cities XL is really quite impenetrable if you haven’t played something else in the genre. After suffering through the cheesy “inept mayor/smart assistant” shtick of the tutorials I was still left horribly confused regarding basic game principles. Worse, I was bored.

This is one of those games where you'll want to love it, yet can't help but hate it at times.

The clunky controls, lousy storytelling and overall unappealing gameplay make it difficult to recommend this game because you’re better off watching the movie.

If you’ve played this on the PSP, there’s no reason at all to pick it up on the PS2. Even if you haven’t played it before, it’s hard to recommend.

There's a lack of collectible species, the battle system is slow and repetitive, and the mining system is overdone. Unfortunately for the game, it relies on these gamplay elements to make it fun, and each of them comes up short. In turn, so does the game.

It’s easy to play and it’s challenging but with bland visuals, unimaginative design and a truly flawed multiplayer mode, the cons outweigh the pros.

Eragon isn’t an awful game. The problem is that what is there isn’t good.

Eragon isn’t an awful game. The problem is that what is there isn’t good.

Eragon isn’t an awful game. The problem is that what is there isn’t good.