Unfortunately, not even cupid's arrow can reconcile my disdain for the DS side-scrolling brawler that bears the name of the object of my affection. [Aug 2006, p.87]

Regardless, it's nice to see that game makers haven't stuffed the GBA into Davy Jone's locker just yet, and that some developers still know that a big-name franchise isn't an excuse to make a half-baked game. [Aug 2006, p.85]

As for its single player component, Break 'em All has you competing against high scores, which gives the title an arcade feel that may not appeal to everyone. [Aug 2006, p.85]

Point Blank is supposed to be a virtual shooting gallery, and without a gun in your hand, you're missing that tacticle feeling that's so crucial to the experience. [Aug 2006, p.85]

Despite there being some room for improvement, I have no problem calling Mega Man Battle Network 6 the series' best entry yet. [Aug 2006, p.86]

Despite there being some room for improvement, I have no problem calling Mega Man Battle Network 6 the series' best entry yet. [Aug 2006, p.86]

They say anything is better than nothing, but in the case of this year's sole GBA baseball offering. I'm not so sure that's true. [Jun 2006, p.87]

It may not be the greatest game ever, but its attention to the intricacies of the sport should satisfy both baseball fans and gamers alike. [July 2006, p.90]

Unfortunately, many of the mini-games don't work well, and the difficulty levels are way out of whack. [Aug 2006, p.86]

Not only is Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure the best Dragon Ball game yet released, it's also an enjoyable, good-looking, technique-filled action game in its own right that's held back only by a misguided shot at diversity an innovation. [May 2006, p.94]

Cars is a decent racer, but ultimately, it is too fast and too rigid for its own good. {Aug 2006, p.86]

It looks nice, it plays nice, and it has plenty of unlockables, quality cut-scenes, and a decent multiplayer mode. Still, frustrations lie around every corner. [Aug 2006, p.84]

IF you're looking for a break from "Tetris DS" or just a good challenge, Magnetica has it. [July 2006, p.94]

Though you can unearth 100 true-to-life dinosaurs in 35 fossil fields, the lack of a campaign mode or fighting-tournament structure makes prospects for long-term play grim. [July 2006, p.95]

Teen Titans is not a lousy game--the play is responsive and the graphics are excellent--but it deserves to be more than a TMNT clone with Titans likenesses and environments slapped onto it. [Jun 2006, p.85]

Magneto fans will be attracted to the DS version of Activision's "back-story" game that leads into the new X-Men movie, since the Master of Magnetism is a playable character only on the DS. [July 2006, p.95]

For portable X-Men enjoyment, I highly recommend a comic book instead. [July 2006, p.91]

Two-thirds of X-Men: The Official Game is pretty good. Two out of three ain't bad. [July 2006, p.91]

But it, love it, and pray to the gods that we don't have to wait another 10 years for Mario's next side-scrolling masterpiece. [July 2006, p.93]

The levels are short, but an item-collection feature offers some motivation to fight through them multiple times. [Jun 2006, p.86]

Although the game has its share of jumping challenges, Over The Hedge is primarily about one thing: Beating stuff into oblivion. [July 2006, p.94]

There's just not too much to do, and what activities there are become incredibly tedious after a short time. [July 2006, p.94]

Even with the younger set, this game offers little in the way of challenge--you can purchase health upgrades if necessary, but if they're necessary, you've got other problems to deal with. [July 2006, p.95]

But the gameplay is so simplified and dull that after a few minutes in the cockpit I was ready to crash into a nearby mountain. [Apr 2006, p.86]

If you have a yearning for pure sudoku in video game form, Dr. Sudoku will provide a cure, but more options and a sharper presentation would have gone a long way. [May 2006, p.94]

LostMagic is not perfect, but it is an exceedingly fun and strikingly original RPG that will test your skills more than any other DS game on the market. [Jun 2006, p.84]

What happens when you take the hard-core, precision-based fighting of Guilty Gear and mix it with the multitiered four-player craziness of "Super Smash Bros."? You get Guilty Gear Dust Strikers for the DS. [Jun 2006, p.85]

2006 FIFA World Cup on the DS is a mixed bag of things that work well and things that don't. [Jun 2006, p.86]

There isn't a world of difference between this game and last October's FIFA 06, but it's a worthy upgrade for those who have World Cup fever. [Jun 2006, p.86]

But while the lighthearted mass destruction is reasonably fun, particularly in multiplayer mode, the game suffers from a lack of technical polish. [Jun 2006, p.87]

Despite the perennial AI issues, 2006 FIFA World Cup is far from disappointing. [Jun 2006, p.86]

And despite being extraordinarily challenging in that way that makes die-hard games totally addicted but can drive off casual players, it is a game that every Nintendo fan must play. [May 2006, p.92]

The action feels downright sluggish at times. [Feb 2005, p.102]

This boring mess of a sequel should KO the franchise for good. [May 2006, p.94]

Once you're in the boat, the action gets unavoidably repetitive, however--see a fish, catch a fish, repeat. [Jun 2006, p.87]

So many aspects have improved from the previous "Harvest Moon" games, and Magical Melody exhibits such remarkable production quality, that the time it's taken Natsume has obviously been well spent. [May 2006, p.89]

Though Open Warfare marks a welcome return to 2-D for the turn-based action-strategy franchise, these annelids, are starting to show their age. [Apr 2006, p.83]

We still have high hopes for RPG's on the DS, but the many obvious flaws of Tao's Adventure left us disappointed. [May 2006, p.91]

The foundation is there for a sound game, but the lack of options and activities can make The Tower SP feel more like a fixer-upper than prime real estate. [May 2006, p.91]

You may not love all of it, but you will love much of it, because it offers a whole lot more to love than "Tetris" did back in '89. [May 2006, p.90]

Hunters is new-school, action-packed, and a great addition to the growing collection of Wi-Fi titles. [May 2006, p.86]

But the majority of Ice Age 2 is tedious and lifeless. [May 2006, p.88]

It's getting to be that Yu-Gi-Oh! trading-card games have longer titles than shelf lives. [Jun 2006, p.87]

Fortunately, younger gamers(or older one's with a short fuse)can skip levels freely if they want to experience the monotony of the repetitive level design more quickly. [May 2006, p.88]

More variety...might have made a big difference, but unfortunately, only Sid the sloth makes a playable guest appearance, and it's in a single minigame at that. [May 2006, p.88]

Multiple characters and unlockables provide some incentive to play, but only the most devoted Naruto die-hards need apply. [May 2006, p.94]

It doesn't add a whole lot to the fighting genre, but it's a rewarding game with a well-tuned fighting system and loads of replay value. [May 2006, p.91]

Pokemon Trozei may seem simple, but it packs a challenge that will keep puzzle-action fans intrigued for a long time to come. [Apr 2006, p.85]

Not an immediate attention grabber, Tales of Phantasia takes time to sink in. But once you're under its spell, you'll be in it for the long haul. [Apr 2006, p.84]

Slow goal keepers ensure high scores and an exciting enough experience. [May 2006, p.94]

More finese than bravado, soccer is a subtle subject for an outrageous Street title, but the second game in EA's "FIFA Street" series justifies its over-the-top treatment with more tricks and fireworks than the original. [May 2006, p.87]

At its core, the game plays, not surprisingly, a lot like older 2-D Mario titles. [Apr 2006, p.83]

Rather than shoehorn the current Monkey Ball experience onto the DS, it would have been nice if the developers had tried to reinvent it in a way that truly took advantage of the handheld's capabilities. [Mar 2006, p.88]

Oftentimes games like this feel like a quick cash-in on a popular license, but Sonic Riders has the depth and good looks to succeed with or without the hedgehog. [May 2006, p.87]

If you've got the patience to wrangle units, Age of Kings is a most worthy addition to your game library. [Mar 2006, p.85]

Appealing on many levels, and its most shocking moments are sure to raise a few eyebrows. [Mar 2006, p.87]

If you're old enough to read this review, you'll probably want to pass on Escape to the Big Blue, but your younger siblings might enjoy it. [Apr 2006, p.86]

Unfortunately, with its bland presentation and dearth of play modes, Sudoku Fever's rendition of the game is pretty underwhelming. [Apr 2006, p.86]

It may not be the all-new title some were hoping for, but it's a great game worthy of bearing the Resident Evil name. [Apr 2006, p.82]

One of the best platformers to hit the GBA in a long time, and definitely not one to miss. [Mar 2006, p.88]

It's not the most challenging game, but Chibi-Robo has a lot to offer behind its supercute veneer. [Mar 2006, p.84]

In the GBA side-scrolling platformer, George must traipse through the jungle, stow away on a cruise ship, and then chase down an artifact that has been stolen from the local museum--a journey that will eventually lead him back to the jungle from where he came. [Apr 2006, p.86]

The monkeys skills are well-represented in his 13-episode adventure, but a stiffness in the controls creates frustration in situations that rely too much on accurate double-jumping. [Apr 2006, p.85]

Though the art style, from the folks who brought us "Parappa the Rapper," is delightfully bizarre, the rest of the game is pretty bland, simplistic, and repetitive. [Mar 2006, p.87]

At times the game seems almost too easy, but you do have to concentrate and often employ strategy to score birdies consistently. [Mar 2006, p.86]

If you enjoyed "Dawn of Sorrow" for the DS but haven't had the chance to play this pair of adventure side-scrollers, you gotta pick this up. [Apr 2006, p.86]

Quotation forthcoming. [Mar 2006]

The games in MMXC are the kinds that will make your wrists hurt and your palms sweat, and I mean that as the highest compliment. [Feb 2006, p.97]

The only flaw is that once you've played a little Electroplankton, you'll want more. Ten kinds of musical creatures, especially such little masterpieces, can stimulate you for only so long. [Feb 2006, p.99]

It's like fighting a fireworks display. Sometimes the enemy blows up. Sometimes you do. There's no strategy; no hook that makes you think about how you'll do better next time. [Feb 2006, p.99]

The total diversion makes for a fun but frivolous diversion. [Mar 2006, p.85]

One of the best RPGs of all time gets even better. [Feb 2006, p.101]

If so much of the game weren't based solely on the touch screen, Konami might have had a winner. [Feb 2006, p.100]

Suffers from one of the worst cameras in recent memory, killer slowdown and bland levels rife with invisible barriers. [Feb 2006, p.97]

It holds its own in a number of ways; it will serve fans of tactics and card-collecting games well. [Feb 2006, p.100]

The traditional controls feel a little more precise than the new touch screen feature, but the touch screen allows for faster response. [Feb 2006, p.99]

Truly exceptional. [Jan 2006, p.109]

While Mario Tennis is by all means a decent game, it lacks the flair that would make you want to play it over and over again. [Jan 2006, p.108]

It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of a well-established franchise, but the core gameplay is nearly spot-on. [Jan 2006, p.111]

A triumphant ending to an extraordinary trilogy. [Feb 2006, p.98]

The riding mechanics aren't terrible, but Full Throttle's open-ended, GTA-wannabe world just doesn't work. [Mar 2006, p.86]

A worthy follow-up to "Superstar Saga," and the first great RPG on the DS. [Jan 2006, p.110]

What these games lack in style and innovation they make up for in challenge and fun. [Jan 2006, p.114]

Think "Mario Kart" on ice. [Jan 2006, p.108]

Though the game shines in strategy play, it lacks luster when the focus is on individual events. [Dec 2005, p.124]

It's visually murky at best - sometimes it's difficult to make out what's happening or to find key items. [Feb 2006, p.97]

King Kong is known for achieving great heights, but this game runs out of steam before reaching the top. [Feb 2006, p.100]

The lighting effects are truly stunning. The sound is also top-notch. [Feb 2006, p.96]

It suffers from an overly simplistic fighting engine, weak animation and a story mode that skims past major plot points with all the bluster of 10th grade chemistry class. [Jan 2006, p.114]

That it does what it does with such colorful flair and tight pacing is the pleasant surprise that makes htis entertaining piece of fluff rise above the licensed-character hop-and-battle scrap heap. [Jan 2006, p.111]

Graphically, Double Trouble looks great, providing another example of the DS's polygonal capabilities - and though there is slowdown, it's fairly minimal. [Dec 2005, p.110]

Platform afficionados will appreciate the smooth control and nonstop action. [Jan 2006, p.110]

Aside from a few minor issues, though, Vicarious Visions had done a fantastic job creating a faithful and fun Hawk game. [Jan 2006, p.112]

This kind myopic, ethnocentric brutality is the stuff that gives video games as a whole a bad reputation. [Feb 2006, p.99]

Solid, but it could have been so much more. [Jan 2006, p.115]

SonicTeam has done a magnificent job of distilling Sonic to its purest essence without making it feel like we're treading old territory. [Jan 2006, p.105]

If you can put up with some roughness around the edges, though, you're in for a satisfyingly lengthy and tough ride. [Jan 2006, p.108]

An enjoyable, high-octane adventure. Naysayers be damned. [Jan 2006, p.111]