After a couple of games in NBA Street V3, you may well be ready to hit the showers. Unless you're hardcore about basketball, it's hard to imagine that you'll feel much different.

After playing "San Andreas," Liberty City Stories is the greasy cheeseburger that untrained players will enjoy, but connoisseurs can only tolerate it instead of basking in the full favor of something greater.

Another area where Pandora Tomorrow is somewhat of a let down is in the absolute necessity of having to find humans to play with.

Taking into account that the story doesn't really go anywhere until you're about 4 hours in, it could turn some people away. However, the fun boss battles, wide variety of skills, and the everlasting charm of playing a Vampire Hunter is there, and kept me coming back for more.

A game too difficult to learn for newbies, too little off-the-track detail for fans of other high quality racing simulations, and too much of the same for those MotoGP players who are tired of the same old thing.

As entertaining a gaming experience that The Two Thrones delivers, it’s nothing new- more of a refinement on an already solid formula and premise than anything else.

Everyone is scrambling to say that Guitar Hero 5 is the best game in the series. I’m not sure that I’d go that far, but it’s up there. Unfortunately, the Guitar Hero series is now playing backup for Rock Band in terms of both value and quality.

It was like the developers couldn’t decide whether they wanted to make a killer single player mode or a killer multiplayer mode. So instead, players have to settle for average in both departments.

In the end, a pared-down multi-player extravaganza does not a great single-player experience make. This game has a lot of good things going for it, but they exist in departments that ultimately don’t matter.

Again, true flight enthusiasts will balk at the lack of takeoff/landing phases and since there is no multiplayer, Ace Combat 5 can't be recommended for anyone but airplane lovers.

Where it falls down is in originality: for all its polish, in the end it's really just more of the same as I've played countless hours before.

The sound of a leather boot impacting a chicken, and the resulting squawks and flapping that result, must be heard first hand to be truly appreciated.

Upgrades, short cuts, environmental driving conditions, and real-life vehicles force this game above the rest.

Everything's bigger and more complicated, but that doesn't necessarily make it better.

The dark environmental settings are just not catching my eye and if I wanted this type of dark depressive art I would play an Id Software title. The charm that came with the original through its use of colors and the likable prince are now gone.

The analog stick is a bit confusing. During gameplay, it’s used to rotate the camera while on your board, and used to control the player when you’re off the board. During WiFi play, you can’t rotate the camera at all because it’s only used for controlling your character. This becomes quite confusing.

It’s nice to see the addition of vehicles, though they’re not as fun as you'd expect.

If you like fast paced racers that are more on the arcadey side, then there is no reason why you shouldn’t give Midnight Club LA a try.

There was much about the game that was good: the lighting, the music, the character models, etc. However, there were also many things that soured the game for me, such as the game's lack of a mid-mission save system, the too-linear gameplay, the awkward controls, and the game's habit of being generally too strict.

Seems comfortable to rest squarely in the warm embrace of the genre that id pioneered a decade ago. Certainly, that’s not a bad place to be.

Newbies will feel constantly overwhelmed and will dismiss this game in a heartbeat due to its high learning curve.

While I really enjoyed the look and feel of the graphics and controls, there is still a nagging feeling that the game is just too much of a clone.

If you are a fan of platformers, and want to experience it with a drilling machine, this unique game will please 2D fans. Just expect to be let down in the replay value and sound department.

This game will manage to frustrate players within a relatively short amount of time. Repetition and some really difficult operations will be more than enough to push any gamer away.

In the very least, it's a fun way to get bragging rights over your friends without actually inflicting pain, and hey, it could be worse - we could be playing "Raw 3."

Should you buy Ninja Gaiden II? If you loved the first one, yes…but make sure you do so for the right reasons, namely the weapons and new additions to the system.

The poorly designed power shot idea is enough to force any buyer of this game to ship their copy on a one-way trip to hell.

The game also has a number of bugs that freeze the game up during battles or when you save.

X-Men Legends II is a gem for comic book fans, or fans of a good action RPG. The game offers a very balanced proportion of depth, control, and action.

For RPG fans craving a more Zelda-like adventure, Oath in Felghana is a really good bet. Just don't be a hero and shoot for Nightmare mode on your first play-through. Save your sanity and start with normal.

For 800 MS Points ($10), you are going to get yourself a decent old-school shooter with a new coat of paint shooter. If you are a fan of the series, or a youngun looking for a history lesson, at least check out the demo version.

Like Marathon (XBLA), you should try out the free demo before you make a full purchase just to see if your stomach can handle the rotation effects.

Bookworm is exactly what it says that it is, a game where a worm goes around beating up creatures using only the power of his words. If that sounds like a good time, and have fun with the daily word jumble, Bookworm Adventures is probably the right game for you.

With simple graphics and musical soundtrack, Rush’s $6 price point is justified. The controls are quite solid too, but being able to zoom in and out could have been nice but isn’t totally necessary.

Its clear that the franchise is on its way from breaking out from the shadow of its older, more popular sibling, Madden.

FF1 & 2 had potential with its classical turn-based fighting, but Square-Enix just left it a mediocre "enhanced" port.

Despite the problems, Dead Rising 2 is a fun and satisfying package overall.

In the end, you must head the advice which our dear bounty hunter has taken to heart, literally: BE THE BALL.

OutRun fan boys rejoice—everyone else proceed with caution.

Sadly, Metal Slug Advance is the worst game in the franchise with the stupid health bar, insane difficulty, shoddy frame rate, unknown playable characters, lack of a co-op link mode, and merciless respawning enemies.

I believe this game could have been made with better graphics, more innovative controls and some real customization for your skate park.

For 800 MS Points ($10), RooGoo is going to give you a new way to enjoy your puzzle games.

Ultimately, the game holds only a moderate amount of appeal for those outside the series' existing fans. The game is fairly unique, in its focus on story and interaction over combat. However, at its core Yakuza 4 stands alongside Grand Theft Auto, Mafia II and Red Dead Redemption. It's a game where you can do bad things and watch a story unfold in a unique game world. If what I've described sounds great…then you'll enjoy Yakuza 4. If not…check out any of the other games I've mentioned.

The central narrative holds up for the most part, the squad-based elements are terrific, and the suspense won’t let you down.

Apollo Justice, while staying true to an original, winning formula, has some pitfalls that prevents me from recommending it to people not familiar with the series.

Despite the limited appeal of Arc Arena and personal hang-ups with the story and lack of character depth in Arc II, when combined into one package, this series shines as a high-watermark for the RPG genre.

High difficulty, poor construction, and annoying audio make this game a rental, at best, for all but the most hardcore of real-time strategy gamers.

Not only addresses the problems of the previous game, but also makes extra advancements in the gameplay. But even those advancements have their problems, mainly the maps and motorcycle.

With light platforming, simple controls, bright color pallet, basic game design, and ease of use, MySims Agent is probably the best game in the MySims series. Although best suited for younger players, adult gamers can still get some entertainment out of this title.

Field Commander is nothing more Advance Wars with a fresh coat of paint. But while Nintendo players will hark that Sony stole their coveted stragety game, you can’t ignore the fact Sony’s multiplayer mode one-ups the GBA and DS versions.

It is not a game you will blow through in 2 days, but I spent about 7 hours a day on it and beat it in about 6 days.

The original Need for Speed Underground is still better than its sequel, which speaks for the great quality of the first game or the lack of it in the sequel.

This particular version of [Unreal Tournament] seems more like a beta than a well-aged port.

Variety of play and replay value is not enough to make us overlook the aspects that are problematic, like the difficulties in locating and defending some of your cities.

To the average gamer, it may seem like Makai Kingdom doesn't know what it wants to be, but to the strategy RPG fan it's exactly what it should be.

Nancy Drew: Resorting to Danger isn’t a perfect game.

This isn't a bad game, but it just ends up as "yet another Guitar Hero" with the set list being the only important difference between Warriors of Rock and World Tour or GH5 or Band Hero.

After all is said and done this is the best Budokai to date however there are still two or three major flaws preventing Budokai 3 from being a truly great game.

Sniper Elite just doesn't have that much to offer your average gamer.

Worms is not a bad game, not by a long shot. In fact, it is quite entertaining, especially for new comers to the series. But do I need to spend another $10 or $15 on a Worms game when a previous version is already owned? No, not really.

There aren't many unique mini-games after the first few stages.

If you have never played a game in this genre, you should probably pick up this title. However, if you feel like you can handle an MP-40 pretty well already, the main fun to be found here is in the airplane and tank missions.

Because of the rather boring combat system, it's a sad fact that Silent Hill 4 really isn't all that scary.

The learning curve can be an obstacle to enjoying it fully, but give it a little time and play it on easy first as the tutorials gradually teach you everything you need to know.

While not spectacular by today's standards, Tales of Phantasia still has charm and an uncommon style of gameplay.

Gradius is one of those titles that (for better or worse) has just as much appeal today as it did when it first came out. In fact, it’s even harder to find this kind of action today when 2D games are considered inferior.

Make no mistake about it -- Burnout Dominator is a fun and addicting arcade -racing game that fans of the series will enjoy, it’s just missing some key features that would make it a one of the series’ best, for that we’ll have to wait for the true sequel later this year.

If you can look past the remarkably unbalanced multiplayer mode and the “put on some type of 3D glasses to fully understand the visually appalling 2D red Virtual Boy boxes” that the player must fly through in order to complete every other mission, the Star Fox Command will bring a smile to your face.

Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy is an excellent example of a game that could have been a lot of fun had it just done a few things differently.

With no real depth, like a true league mode with player stats, trades, and so on, it almost feels like it should be a mini game inside the next, inevitable "Mario Party."

It is an all right start if Nintendo decides to make this into a series, but they simply need to add more content to make this worthwhile.

The chills and suspense that is a trademark of Silent Hill is still there, but the new aspects can provide an interesting twist to people bored with the old Silent Hill format.

This is one you can feel confident about showing your family and friends who are normally saying things like "pish-tosh" when you bring up video games.

In the end, the story mode of Ultimate Spider-Man and the incredible boss fights make it worth a rental. The repetition of missions and short length of the game do not justify a purchase.

If you really want to get into the KoF series, but can't deal with the low grade graphics, then pick up "KoF: Maximum Impact," but if you want a solid, fun, high-quality fighting game that delivers masses of playtime, then King of Fighters 2002/2003 is well worth the investment.

At best, Groovin’ Blocks is an average puzzle game.

What's not to love about games where you play as a robotic savior who must navigate his way through an augmented, mechanized, futuristic Earth filled with bottomless pits and ditches of conical metal honed to sharp points that threaten your success, all played to rocking and memorable tunes?

TrackMania is a great addition to the DS’s racing library and should hopefully set the tone for games to come.

Unless you’re locked into buying a bundle when you purchase your Xbox 360 this holiday, it’s probably best to rent Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland.

It looks good, it sounds good, yet, while it has a few interesting moments, it doesn’t impress or break new ground the way the original did.

Just like every other Bust-A-Move before it. The only real difference is the use of two screens and stylus touch control.

The ten extra levels and two new weapons do seem to just barely justify the expansion’s price tag in the end.

A lot like other quirky Sega titles like "Space Channel Five" and "Samba de Amigo" in that it’s a lot of fun to play and has an outlandish charm to it, but once you’re done, there isn’t much left to do with the game.

Be warned that the control scheme is quite frustrating and the levels are reused more often than they should.

If you ever wanted to play Monopoly with a new twist, have a passion for board games, and like a slower paced game, the Culdcept Saga will definitely fill your plate.

If you have a respectable gaming level PC, the frame-rate hiccups and certain bland textures may make the PC version more desirable.

As a game by itself, Metal Gear Acid is alright. But as a Metal Gear game of the series, I much rather prefer the intense action of a third person real time adventure game.

There is a decent amount of jokes that end up being pretty funny, but there might not be enough quality humor to keep some players fully entertained.

I'm not going to say that Ultimate Ninja 3 has the best gameplay of any of the Naruto games. But what I will say is that Ultimate Ninja 3 is the best all around Naruto game to date.

Despite all this, Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution is still just a simple, mediocre fighting game that doesn’t adequately fall back on its source material enough for it to warrant a purchase for anybody expecting an experience like the one offered by the show.

It’s a highly recommended compilation for old timers (myself included), but maybe newbies will not appreciate the games as much.

For fans of aerial combat games or the anime on which The Sky Crawlers was based, however, the game offers an excess of value, with an Achievements-esque medal system, multiple difficulty levels, and dozens of things to unlock.

Even though Pipe Mania is not a bold departure for a game that’s existed for years now, it’s still a pretty good game.

Most likely, the developers adding in all these gameplay elements to make it easier on the player, something that the target audience -- younger kids, would appreciate. But to the fans of the first title, it is like a slap in the face.

If you are fan of point and click adventures, there is absolutely no reason why you should not buy this game even with the shoddy programming code.

Most players will be happy to know that all the games' control schemes are mapped out pretty well on the Xbox's controller.

All in all, Lord of the Rings: The Third Age is steeped in high (if utterly borrowed) production values and serves as a perfectly solid RPG.

The game promises the a lot but in the end, absolutely fails to deliver any kind of entertaining experience.