If you can look past the minor problems in the animations, the Superman AI and the new rule missteps, you will find that EA has actually created a pretty good sim style game.

Radiata Stories has a fair amount of replay value to back it up. It has 175 recruitable characters, and if you go through both scenarios, you’ll have about 30 hours of gameplay, assuming you don’t get lost.

While Rebelstar: Tactical Command may seem a few years late to PC gamers used to this level of depth in their SRPGs, handheld gamers can now enter into the arena of intelligent, well designed and rewarding turn-distance-based gaming.

If you can look past the minor problems in the animations, the Superman AI and the new rule missteps, you will find that EA has actually created a pretty good sim style game.

It's not perfect, but when you add up the rule changes, the vastly improved gameplay, the bug fixes, and the $20 price tag, it's impossible not to recommend this game to anyone who loves the sport of Hockey.

If you can look past the minor problems in the animations, the Superman AI and the new rule missteps, you will find that EA has actually created a pretty good sim style game.

The only real reason not to get this game is if you have no access to Xbox Live and already own the PS2 version.

Luckily, you have the option to turn the new passing system off, but if you do—what valid new additions separate 06 from the rest? Almost nothing. It’s looking like the lack of competition is a bad thing, but who knows?

While its multiplayer might leave something to be desired, its single player hits its mark.

The most impressive feature of Dungeon Siege 2 is how well it balances the sleek combat of the original with enhancements that add breadth, without any element feeling out of place.

While its multiplayer might leave something to be desired, its single player hits its mark.

Just an all around good game. Where it lacks in polish it makes up for in character.

Luckily, you have the option to turn the new passing system off, but if you do—what valid new additions separate 06 from the rest? Almost nothing. It’s looking like the lack of competition is a bad thing, but who knows?

Unfortunately, the game's visuals don't have any noticeable improvements from the last game; it looks like Madden 06 uses the same graphics system from last season.

Luckily, you have the option to turn the new passing system off, but if you do-what valid new additions separate 06 from the rest? Almost nothing.

In every sense of the word, Graffiti Kingdom is a flat-out fun game. It’s not amazing, and it’s not even great, but it’s well worth the price of admission if not just to try something new.

Suffers from the same "problems" as any sim-game; repetition of the tedious.

All sorts of great action await you, so to put it to plain and simple words; NCAA Football 06 is the best game in the series.

The game is a huge improvement over its predecessor... To put it to plain and simple words; NCAA Football 06 is the best game in the series.

Recommending Killer 7 is frightening, much like recommending A Clockwork Orange, or Pulp Fiction, or Eraserhead. The art we love is not always universally enjoyable, but we all want to share that favorite special vision with others, while still worrying about what they will think. We offer our sincere but guarded blessing to Killer 7.

Recommending Killer 7 is frightening, much like recommending A Clockwork Orange, or Pulp Fiction, or Eraserhead. The art we love is not always universally enjoyable, but we all want to share that favorite special vision with others, while still worrying about what they will think. We offer our sincere but guarded blessing to Killer 7.

The maps are completely awesome and it's great that they are being released to those of you who don't have the option of taking the game online to download them. Otherwise, it's worth just waiting until next month when you can get them for free.

Stylistically, the game borrows heavily from many predecessors, including Lunar, Grandia and all entries of Squaresoft’s Secret of Mana franchise. But with just the right amount of borrowing and combining of different elements into something new, alchemy becomes wholeheartedly amusing, entertaining and rewarding.

The game also features some nice unlockables as well as multiple endings for every character in the party. And just in case you need another incentive, Atlus isn't shipping too many copies either, so grab it while you can.

If you consider yourself a fan of SNK, a fan of good online modes, or are just in the market for a new fighting game to take online while you wait for NeoWave or Samurai Shodown, look no further than The King of Fighters: Maximum Impact – Maniax.

An excellent step in the evolution of the series, featuring strong improvements to communication in action games while retaining the hectic nature of the combat so familiar to fans.

Those that have played the original will definitely still find a lot to like here, while those that haven't, can finally see what all the fuss is about.

A high brandwidth assault on the senses.

Individually, the components of GTA San Andreas are very strong. When combined, though, the total package makes for one of the best gameplay experiences that has been seen in the gaming world in years.

Raw and addictive, but lacks the polish to make it stand out in a niche market.

To put it plain and simple, this game is worth double its original price.

It's easy enough to get into, but will offer up enough challenge for more advanced players.

It’s impossible to describe the joy playing Guild Wars offers. It isn’t particularly deep, but it’s highly rewarding nonetheless. A friendly design and interface, and the simple, elegant combat, are bound to appeal to a wide range of gamers.

With its unique art style, good story, and fantastic soundtrack, it’s one of those games that can definitely be enjoyed by a lot of people.

No title is likely to exhibit this much magnetic appeal for some time to come, and as an outspoken resident of Lungfishopolis once remarked, if you don't buy Psychonauts, you "are against children-and against love."

No title is likely to exhibit this much magnetic appeal for some time to come, and as an outspoken resident of Lungfishopolis once remarked, if you don't buy Psychonauts, you "are against children—and against love.”

Despite the somewhat brutal attack against the game's battle system, it really isn't too bad, especially if you up the difficulty from the hand holding-like default setting.

The game is worth the price of admission for the customization alone, but throw in near perfect graphics, great sound, a plethora of game modes and online play and you have a racing game that is one of the best on the market.

The game is worth the price of admission for the customization alone, but throw in near perfect graphics, great sound, a plethora of game modes and online play and you have a racing game that is one of the best on the market.

With the focus more on action this time round the game is even better than before. It’s true that it loses its way towards the end, lapsing into same old same old territory and playing too similarly to Doom 3, but Doom fans will love it nonetheless.

Even though the multiplayer deathmatch is a little basic, it's still pretty fun, and the levels are laid out just how any old-school shooter should be. It's fun, just nothing spectacular.

The PlayStation 2 version isn’t bad, but it’s lack of technical godliness is a relative hindrance, and the online mode is a little less fleshed out than that of the Xbox and PC versions.

The weather effects are noticeably impressive in Chaos Theory, and for something so trivial, you’d be surprised just how striking they really are.

The single-player is short but sweet, and the multiplayer is just totally sick. With the addition of cooperative play and a new action-focused approach, it makes Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory the most accessible, entertaining, and enjoyable game in the series so far.

It is so much fun, so well-paced, that hours will flow by leaving you with a grin on your face, enveloped in this divine virtual game experience. It is the will of the gods that you buy this game.

With the immense amount of toying and tinkering you can do in this entry of the TimeSplitters series, you will be hard-pressed to become bored quickly.

With the immense amount of toying and tinkering you can do in this entry of the TimeSplitters series, you will be hard-pressed to become bored quickly.

With the immense amount of toying and tinkering you can do in this entry of the TimeSplitters series, you will be hard-pressed to become bored quickly.

This is pure, unadulterated fun at its finest, so don't expect complex strategic decision making or hours of agonized role playing as you customize your characters. Instead, let Irrational's newest delight serve as a reminder that games, above all else, are meant to entertain and amuse us.

The squad ethic has been applied solidly to fast-paced action that is sure to appeal to any serious action gamer. If you can overlook the short, 10-hour campaign and a multiplayer component barely worth mentioning, then RC is an easy recommendation.

Devil May Cry 3 is this year’s PS2 version of "Ninja Gaiden," and it’s arguably better.

Action and strategy seamlessly blended together.

The squad ethic has been applied solidly to fast-paced action that is sure to appeal to any serious action gamer. If you can overlook the short, 10-hour campaign and a multiplayer component barely worth mentioning, then RC is an easy recommendation.

Somehow manages to be as deep and addictive as it is rushed and flawed... What it fails at borders on inexcusable; it doesn't launch the Tekken series up to the same level of greatness as the "Virtua Fighter" series.

No game on the PS2, sadly, features slower load times than Gran Turismo 4. So when playing—or rather, getting ready to play GT4, you might as well have some refreshments nearby.

Even with a lackluster story and an almost overwhelming glut of features, Project: Snowblind manages to hold these disparate elements together remarkably well.

Even with a lackluster story and an almost overwhelming glut of features, Project: Snowblind manages to hold these disparate elements together remarkably well.

In the Xbox version of the Street Fighter Anniversary Collection, you're getting one of the greatest games of all time, a definitive iteration of a true classic, online play for both, a great anime movie, and several other bonuses.

Some might be a little disappointed by its short sub-30 hour campaign, but most people will find it forgiving because this game has so much heart and soul that it will be remembered long after it’s beaten.

This kind of game could have been a lot of fun online, but Nintendo apparently doesn't see it that way. At the very least a system-link mode would have been a welcome addition.

This game not only has an incredible control scheme, but it has so many extras that you probably won’t even have to update until V5. Whichever way you look at it, NBA Street V3 is the new pinnacle of the NBA games and is much more fun than any other basketball game in existence--including "NBA Jam."

This double-pack contains SNK's best work to date, warts and all.

This game not only has an incredible control scheme, but it has so many extras that you probably won't even have to update until V5. Whichever way you look at it, NBA Street V3 is the new pinnacle of the NBA games and is much more fun than any other basketball game in existence--including "NBA Jam."

This game not only has an incredible control scheme, but it has so many extras that you probably won't even have to update until V5. Whichever way you look at it, NBA Street V3 is the new pinnacle of the NBA games and is much more fun than any other basketball game in existence--including "NBA Jam."

It's impossible to imagine someone not enjoying Stranger's Wrath, and while its innovations may seem superficial, all of the whimsical variations on the usual themes make for an exciting and eccentric game that must be experienced to be understood.

Not since "Silent Hill 3" and "Eternal Darkness" has a survival horror game offered so much polish and fascination.

One of the most impressive aspects is despite the numerous simultaneous explosions, the frame rate doesn't skip a beat, which is a rarity in the genre.

Although the game is a bit short with six main dungeons and should take only about 30 hours to beat the first time, the gameplay additions and unique style definitely makes up for it.

While the game screams for online multiplayer action, it's sadly not a part of the package. Still, the game's single-player campaign is more than fullfilling, and Mercenaries' varied missions and large collection of explosives will have you glad you grabbed it.

A game that probably could have used a bit more focus and polish but despite that still does its job well. The single-player campaign is somewhat interesting and gripping, and players looking for the ferocity of multiplayer won't be disappointed.

The problem with Kingdom Hearts is it's definitely not the action RPG people fell in love with on the PS2. It doesn't carry the same mood along with the story (though it had a well-written plot), and with the pacing the game has; it can often feel a bit rushed.

Experienced players may be somewhat annoyed by the limited AI and rudimentary base building, but those drawbacks won't stand in the way of a surprisingly compelling game.

The story is still as engaging as any you have ever and will ever witness, but the technical issues are too abundant to ignore, which keeps The Sith Lords from reaching the status of last year's Knights of the Old Republic.

To put it plain and simple, Metal Slug Advance is one of the most entertaining Game Boy Advance games of the year, and if you even find the game easy enough to beat it quick, you'll want to keep going time and time again to improve your skill.

Too bad that all of the "enhancements" made to the prince's fascinating virtual world are actually liabilities. We are glad Ubisoft toyed with the bits that needed improvement, but we wonder why they "fixed" the things that were never broken.

Too bad that all of the “enhancements” made to the prince's fascinating virtual world are actually liabilities. We are glad Ubisoft toyed with the bits that needed improvement, but we wonder why they “fixed” the things that were never broken.

Too bad that all of the "enhancements" made to the prince's fascinating virtual world are actually liabilities. We are glad Ubisoft toyed with the bits that needed improvement, but we wonder why they "fixed" the things that were never broken.

Too bad that all of the "enhancements" made to the prince's fascinating virtual world are actually liabilities. We are glad Ubisoft toyed with the bits that needed improvement, but we wonder why they "fixed" the things that were never broken.

On our 5.1 system, the sound was as overwhelming and exciting as the best battles, although there were times when the environmental sound made it difficult to hear an NPC's spoken dialogue.

But really, why fix what isn't broken? It's great to have a new iteration in a potentially classic franchise, and Viewtiful Joe 2 is as joyous to play as the first, some slightly more frustrating puzzles notwithstanding.

The series has been known for extravagant production values, but this one is without a doubt the top of the heap. Graphically, Snake Eater takes everything about "Sons of Liberty" ' which is still to this day one of the best looking Playstation 2 games ' and one-ups it in every way imaginable.

Half-Life 2's greatest triumph, however, is not in any of these individual elements, but in the Orwellian milieu created by constant reminders that you are not the hunter, but the hunted.

This game hits the nail on the head in so many ways it really is hard to nitpick about the small shortcomings such as no in-game cut scenes or free flight. If you are a DBZ fan, don't rent this game. Buy it right now.

Features a lot more action, is much more story driven, has better graphics and sound, and the game is a lot harder than its predecessor was.

Graphics wise Jak 3 is stellar. The backgrounds are fantastic and they seem to go on forever. The player models look grand as well.

Most of the new additions in the game aren't innovative on their own, but like with the original, Bungie combines almost everything that makes the FPS genre fantastic into one, nearly flawless package. Halo 2 is, without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest game on the Xbox, and arguably one of the greatest games ever made.

It is evident that the five years of development were well spent, and you can see that EverQuest II was, is, and will likely continue to be a labor of love. If you want a satisfying, intriguing title full with potential, look no further.

Just a fantastic game. Needless to say, it's the best in the series, the best platformer on the Playstation 2, and probably the best of this generation.

It is hard to find a game with the perfect blend of unique, action packed missions and interesting and enthralling non-mission events, but Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas pulls it off in convincing fashion.

Not only is it the best game in the series, it is quite possibly the best game in its genre. Beautiful to look at, enormously entertaining, and never boring, players should prepare to lose hundreds of hours to the best theme park title ever created.

A decent action game with a lot of nifty gameplay twists thrown in for good measure. While we wish BloodRayne moved a bit better than she does, no one can argue that she brings a sexy darkness to an action game (ahem) dripping with personality.

A decent action game with a lot of nifty gameplay twists thrown in for good measure. While we wish BloodRayne moved a bit better than she does, no one can argue that she brings a sexy darkness to an action game (ahem) dripping with personality.

Every single element to the game is polished to such a high degree that virtually everything you do in the game is highly entertaining.

With the inclusion of Classic Mode and the continuation of this quite natural evolution of the franchise, Neversoft has done most everything short of bringing Tony Hawk to your doorstep to put a smile on all of the fans’ faces; old, and new alike.

With the inclusion of Classic Mode and the continuation of this quite natural evolution of the franchise, Neversoft has done most everything short of bringing Tony Hawk to your doorstep to put a smile on all of the fans' faces; old, and new alike.

With the inclusion of Classic Mode and the continuation of this quite natural evolution of the franchise, Neversoft has done most everything short of bringing Tony Hawk to your doorstep to put a smile on all of the fans' faces; old, and new alike.

With the inclusion of Classic Mode and the continuation of this quite natural evolution of the franchise, Neversoft has done most everything short of bringing Tony Hawk to your doorstep to put a smile on all of the fans' faces; old, and new alike.

Not for the impatient type, but if you are willing to struggle through the often laborious brain-teasers, you may find the final reward surprisingly fulfilling.