The amazing thing is that, despite these issues, Commando 3 still manages to be a lot of fun.

Operation Darkness isn't going to keep the poetic part of your mind captivated, but the strategist in you could get addicted.

If you can round up at least three friends online, the game's problems and shortcomings tend to fade into the background.

While the adventure elements are weak, the writing and combat make up for it nicely.

No matter how you slice it, Sony's first Singstar on the PS3 is a triumph.

The problem is that three bad games plus six ranging from barely adequate to decent plus a final "pretty good" one doesn't add up to anything worthwhile.

R-Type Command is an excellent chunk of addictive gaming set in a military sci-fi space opera, and an easy recommendation for anyone with the small amount of patience a good strategy game requires.

There's a lot to like in this simple and bizarre little game, with the potential for limitless content and a good variety of mazes already available.

In spite of a few valid criticisms, Mario Kart Wii is a ton of fun, albeit being the same experience as always wrapped in a different package.

This is my third time playing Ikaruga, and I'm still not very good at it, but somehow that doesn't matter. Each play is a joy, and each small improvement a delight.

Mana Khemia offers plenty of humor, great looking 2D graphics, solid music, and a combat system that makes the turn-based approach a little more hands on.

What it lacks is the spark that elevates a merely decent game to greatness, but it's still a fun time for people who dig the duck and shoot style gameplay.

Crisis Core is a triple-A tour de force with enough panache and stylistic flavor to infuse your PSP with enough mako energy to last you ten lifetimes.

While it doesn't break new ground, Hot Shots Golf: Out Of Bounds is an undeniably fun game that just about anyone can play and enjoy.

Still, the nostalgia factor wears thin pretty quickly, and the tennis isn't deep enough to keep you playing this title longer than a couple of hours.

More often than not, Bloodshot is one step forward and one step back. For every progression, there is a setback that shines some light on the dark atmosphere and spoils the unique sense of dread that permeated its predecessor.

Ultimately, God of War: Chains of Olympus is a supremely impressive game that just might be the best title yet for the PSP.

It's a near-perfect baseball package, sporting a barrel full of improvements from last season, gorgeous animations, solid online support, and the most compelling single-player mode you could ever ask for.

I haven’t made it to the Lair of the Golden Condor yet, but I'll give it a go every once in a while. It's a great way to kill some time and enjoy a style of gameplay we don’t often see anymore.

Given the sometimes frustratingly difficult missions, when you do down that boss by the slimmest of margins or push those Zigotons out of another area, it feels like a real accomplishment. It’s these moments when Patapon truly excels.

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition is a powerful, bombastic exercise in mayhem.

Sega Bass Fishing is worth a few quarters in the arcade, no question, but just doesn't cut it over the long haul.

Brain Assist is mildly entertaining, but I'm not feeling any more clever for having played it.

The Club is one of those rare games where the demo is truly representative of the final product. If you didn't care for the demo, then this club isn't for you.

It isn’t the prettiest title for the Wii, but if RPGs tickle your fancy, it’s still worth a try.

If you're not into the challenge of doing something over and over trying to get your name higher on a leaderboard there won't be much here for you.

It feels more like WipEout Pure 2 than an original title of its own, but there are so many options, customizable features and settings, as well as online play and expected developer downloads, that makes Pulse to go from a teetering try to a full must-buy.

It's a Japanese import that is a little off the beaten track; a puzzle game with a story. Unfortunately, the concept and its curious title might cause the causal DS crowd to overlook it. It would be their loss.

Poker Smash is a rock solid bit of gaming, and an easy recommend for anyone who's ever found clearing out thousands of tiles a fun way to spend an evening's gaming.

The action is solid and fun, but ultimately lacks anything truly exceptional to stand out from the pack.

Devil May Cry 4 is an excellent example of gilding the lily, with the beauty of its fighting engine weighted down by all the excesses ham-handedly piled on top.

Altair's Chronicles is a stale, uninventive rendition of the universe of our favorite wall-jumping assassin, Altair and should be avoided at all costs.

If you're tempted to rip through Twisted Metal: Head-On: Extra Twisted Edition's multiple courses, tantalizing bonus content, or both, keep in mind that it's not for everyone.

Pixeljunk Monsters is the sworn enemy of a good night's rest, but who's got time to sleep when one more round is calling?

Overall, the direction is very solid and I applaud Criterion's bravery for getting out of their comfort zone to explore a new horizon, instead of pondering what could have been.

There's a rare occurrence with most games that are so unique that their shortcomings are heavily outweighed by their strong points. No More Heroes could likely be at the Mecca of a root of examples of this, as it's glaring technical problems of framerate issues and repetitious play are heavily overshadowed by the sheer fun you'll have chopping people in half with your beam sword.

Luxor: Pharaoh's Curse brings the ball-shooting puzzler to the desert, and it's an excellent version of the PC casual-gaming standard.

Compared to other Sam and Max adventures, this is a short one. There are fewer locales to check out than usual, but that lets it tell a nicely condensed story that amuses well before it frustrates (and free hints are better than no hints, anyway).

Fun, but short, pretty, yet too easy to crack open and finish within hours, shooter fans might want to try the trial version before giving it the full noteworthy decision of point shelling.

If you're willing to overlook the length and price issues though, then Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law becomes a fun extension of the series.

Yet another black mark on Sega's formerly meaningful name, and easily one of the most disappointing Sonic games ever made.

Though some games are more fun than others, they're all classics, and always worth revisiting.

The final level, which should have been the deciding factor in a game constantly wobbling between pretty fun and mildly aggravating, became tarnished by the drudgework of forced repetition. NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams still ends up being a decent game, but it should have been so much better.

While lacking a bit of the depth and complexity of King of Fighters XI, Neogeo Battle Coliseum makes up for it in character variety.

Even with its issues though, MX vs ATV: Untamed is a rollicking good time, incredibly well-suited for a portable platform.

Gripshift tries to do a lot of thing, and while it doesn't succeed at everything there's a huge amount of content available for what it does best.

As long as developers continue to chase after "jaw dropping" graphics we'll have to continue to be content with ho-hum AI players.

It's shallow, very easy, and tells a goofy story with all the sap of an after school special. That said, it's a very good kids' game, with some fresh ideas, and a unique blend of gameplay styles that make for a very appealing package.

If you're willing to forgive some slowdown in your shooters and if you were ever a fan of the first two Geometry Wars games then this is one DS game you shouldn't pass up.

With so much on disc content, and plenty of downloadable content being rolled out, Rock Band is an investment that will keep you and your friends rocking for a long time to come.

It would have been improved immensely by true, accurate aiming, but even without it's always a good time blowing away terrorists and earning new weapons for the next play-through.

Revenant Wings remains a fun, simple, moderately challenging RTS for the DS. It doesn’t add anything vital to the original game’s storyline, nor is it of the same caliber of storytelling, though for how lighthearted it may feel, its simplicity will welcome newcomers to RTS games with open arms.

A controller that takes a bit of getting used to, a few wonky levels, and a weak ending are hardly the worst problems a game can face. The journey to Geometry Wars mastery is a fun and addicting one, and each level can be considered its own game by the series's earlier standards.

The greatest illusion accomplished by Time Crisis 4, aside from making the player feel masculine while controlling two of the most flamboyant leads in shooter history, is the transformation of your PlayStation 3 into a full-blown arcade machine.

Each patient is something different, but the theme of the game keeps Trauma Center from becoming yet another minigame-fest.

For most gamers, the clunky ship battles, shallow combat and overall lack of cohesive adventure will have you looking elsewhere rather quickly.

Aside from the nostalgia factor, Godzilla: Unleashed doesn’t have much else going for it.

The quality design will give this the staying power it needs, as long as the community is there to support it.

A stellar hoops experience that continues to build on a strong foundation of collegiate basketball excellence.

Even with a solid multiplayer though, there's no reason for America's Army: True Soldiers to be priced and marketed in the same class as other AAA FPS games available on the Xbox 360.

As an action game, Crysis could be the best first-person shooter ever, blending over-the-top gunning and dazzling pyrotechnics with enough freedom to make you feel like the cunning badass you always wanted to be. It's an immensely satisfying, richly detailed experience.

Just don't draw any conclusions until you've played the game from beginning to end.

Skipping through years of Resident Evil mythos never feels rushed, for the game mostly progresses at just the right pace and makes it entirely worth experiencing.

If you own a Wii, I recommend you hold out and wait for that version, which features an interesting alternate control scheme and full online play.

Definitely not the worst choice for your PSP, but it’s sad to see the stalwart Sonic standing on such unsteady feet these days.

It's best to get Cooking Mama 2: Dinner With Friends for a younger relative, and then borrow it when they aren't looking.

There is no higher point in Mario platforming than this, and given the height of galactic situations, only something far off the spectrum like Super Mario Micro or Super Mario Universe ad nauseam could possibly topple it in terms of scale and evolution in game design.

With both local and full wireless support, you can't go wrong having a portable version of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.

While there have been some changes and remodeling in the time off, this is more of the same good stuff as the first season. If the craving for more has hit you by now, this will make the perfect stocking stuffer.

While the combat can be rough and punitive, and the graphics won't make you stand up and shout, its whole is greater than the sum of its parts. While by no means a perfect game, it offers a fun and decidedly different take that's unique to the PlayStation 3 platform.

Though the pacing is quite nice for a 40 hour quest, you spend way too much time gallivanting about the land to just level up. The scenery may be pretty, but it's a chore to go through.

Overall, Empire Earth III just feels cheap. Poor visuals, poorly thought out design choices, a completely lack of originality.

A brilliant idea on paper.

While some games sell the cheese-factor and are still fun, Zombie Ninja Pro-Am is just plain bad with nothing at all to counterbalance all the negatives.

There’s a reason it's defeated Halo for the top spot on the Live charts. It's simply that good.

I just wish it had been a little less polished and a little more ambitious, focusing more on the story and developing additional abilities for the player to gain as the action progresses. It'll never be game of the year, but it's a solid experience no FPS fan should overlook.

Brilliant stuff. Where else can a bubbly fallen angel butt heads with a bratty, ambitious prince hoping to become Overlord of the Netherworld?

THQ had an opportunity to cash in on an expensive license with a barely-there effort, but instead decided to spend the time and resources necessary to build a racing game that offers lots of fun for kids and fans of the movie.

Food Frenzy has an interesting visual style based on the ending credit sequence of the movie, but that's not enough to spice up the repetitive nature of the gameplay.

Every minute of Guitar Hero III has been an exciting experience.

By testing your brain rather than your brawn, it stands out against the too-common controller-wagglers.

ZX Advent packs an ample challenge that will chase away many of those groomed on easier 2D action games like the recent Castlevanias.

[Trials and Tribulations] much like the titles that preceded it, is fueled by a quirky and colorful cast that you'll remember long after the experience is over.

The goal of becoming a chef is quickly lost in the mundane nature of most of the missions.

I've been a sucker for the pulse-pounding excitement of the MotoGP race days for a few years now, and couldn't be happier with how MotoGP 07 turned out.

This one is strictly for the kids who aren't able to relish the true humor of SpongeBob, and who aren't quite adept enough to see how much of a rehash Atlantis SquarePantis on the Nintendo DS is.

The kids will get a kick out of all their heroes being in one place, while Mom and Dad can enjoy a few hours of alone time. It's win-win!

It's too hard at the beginning for newcomers and young ones, too simple in its stage and artistic direction, and overall, it plays like a prototype to the previous and superior Katamari titles.

In the end, though, the biggest problem with Avatar, just as it was with its counterpart on the DS, is its almost criminally short length.

While it doesn't embarrass itself or insult gamers, it's not going to be near the top of the list of must-have titles for youngsters this holiday season.

Eventually, though, the feeling of “screw this!” will win out, as the annoying levels slowly outnumber the fun ones.

It may seem as if Arc System Works is whoring out the series for everything it's worth and while that may be true, Accent Core is a much different game to those who have played it before.

It varies from amazing to simply good, but it'd be worth the money at twice the price if you haven't already experienced any of it before.

Despite the all-but-broken strategy of the core gameplay, Puzzle Quest can easily knock hours off the clock without trying.

Even with its lack of car tweaking, painting, and/or upgrading features that are by now de rigeur in modern racing games, Sega Rally Revo remains a rollicking good time, sticking firmly to its arcade-style roots.

As for me, my trip is over, and it's one game I'm never going to revisit.

A couple of years ago it was easy to recommend the must-own titles on the PSP, but with so many stellar games these days, I'll simply say that if Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions disappoints you, then maybe this genre isn't what your looking for.

While it may not have universal appeal, it's a superbly polished and eminently playable offering on a platform that still awaits a defining set of exclusives. It may not wind up selling any systems on its own, but it's still a worthy gem.