Though it lacks any original mechanics, and has a somewhat shallow premise, Sarge’s War is very finely polished. So polished, in fact, that you may just slip up (grasp the pun?) as a gamer and ignore the game outright.

If you're looking for something that'll keep your heart pumping and controls that are tight with lightning quick response, this certainly isn't for you.

Escape 2 Africa was a delightful surprise.

Despite the fairly deep single-player mode, the fact remains that in some ways, this title isn't as deep as its companion game "Mario Golf: Advance Tour."

Puzzle fans and casual gamers looking for an affordable, quick game have a great option in Jill's bakery.

Kirby is over far too quick, but it's a decent romp while it lasts, and one that I wouldn't mind playing through again.

Despite its simplistic origins, dull multiplayer, and audio failings, Ms. Pac-Man can be really fun. It is indeed, Maze Madness.

If you know a younger gamer who would get a kick out of inventing jetpacks out of fire extinguishers, you'll definitely want to pick it up. Unfortunately, that narrows the game's niche down quite a bit.

Sorely lacking some solid gameplay elements. Although the game is targeted at a younger audience, it’s still a shame to see so much of the game’s potential get lost in a sea of only a handful of mini-games.

It's an excellent game for kids, with just enough challenge and depth to give them a truly fulfilling experience.

While BloodRayne suffers from a lack of originality and has some definite camera issues, the game play makes up for it by busting out with some dynamic game play elements, weapons, and controls.

It's not bad, but it doesn't quite have the same charm that it did when I was ten years old.

Updated rosters and the always-entertaining create-a-player are all welcome in this installment of Madden on the GBA. Unfortunately, there just isn't enough here to warrant another purchase if you already have last year’s game.

The Biggest Loser is a very poor game; the presentation is pathetic and there is no real interactivity to keep gamers interested.

It may be disappointing to some that this title isn't a new platform game featuring Ubisoft's limbless hero, but what Wii owners ended up with is a pretty worthy substitute.

Boing! Docomodake combines puzzles and platforming in a unique, refreshing way, though its use of DS features might have been more novel had it arrived earlier on in the DS's lifespan.

In the end, Where the Wild Things Are delivers a far more passionate experience than one might expect. Griptonite Games went with a wholly original plot that is far darker and, in many respects, more compelling than the movie’s take, but the developer does so at some risk.

Evaluating Scribblenauts is difficult because, in spite of its numerous flaws, it never skimps on content to work with or play through, it encourages gamers to interact with friends and family for new ideas, and it provides one of the first (if only) titles to engage a gamer's imagination like no other.

Atlus did an excellent job further augmenting this with another great, humorous localization: whoever came up with the unexpected and hilarious, "Murder case! Woot!" remark should be applauded.

In fairness to EA, hockey may be the most difficult sport to translate to a video game. But if you are looking for an accurate hockey experience, I suggest season tickets.

An excellent attempt for Infogrames and I can't wait to see what they will come up with for the sequel.

Othello has been left in obscurity for far too long, and Capcom and Griptonite have done a great job creating a "next gen" version of the rule set to draw new folks in.

It’s polished and fun for the four or five hours it lasts. Hopefully Griptonite takes this solid foundation and really expands on it in a future Spider-Man title.

For portable golf, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 has it where it counts. Its flaws should encourage a cautious purchase, but in many respects, the robust multiplayer makes up for it.

Marvel TCG does a nice job of bringing the battle home for fans, but won't pull many new devotees to the fold.

As usual, Spidey delivers a decent handheld experience that will be great for kids.

Overall, if the game is intended for someone in elementary school, there are few racing genre, and far fewer movie-based titles, that would be better.

Regardless, Crystal Defenders R1 is a solid introduction to tower defense and a decent appetizer to build anticipation for its follow-up.

While some mistakes were made in the making of this game, not enough were made to make it bad.

Every round is quick and frantic and offers lots of opportunities for sudden turn-arounds. The more humans you can get hooked up to it at once, the better it is.

Of all the racing games out there, my favorite is still "F-Zero" and "Mario Kart," but if you want something a little more realistic, but still a bit off the wall, go for this.

When taken as a whole, Active Life: Extreme Challenge is a decent enough game, especially for young fans of extreme sports.

The learning curve is a little steep and not everyone may enjoy losing dozens of battles before they finally get the hang of it. However, it should be noted that with 120 cards from the original card game as well as 60 cards from the expansion pack, Atari is extremely faithful to the source material.

With its lack of replay value and repetiveness, the game just gets really old.

The variety of game modes is there, the cool Pokemon license is there, the excellent effort of NST is there, but the core of the game-- the gameplay-- just doesn't have that certain piece of magic and accessibility that separates the Tetrises from the wannabes.

Although Spyro 2: Season of Flame is a very well produced game, the difficulty of it may turn away many players, myself included.

Pokémon Leaf Green and Fire Red are better games than "Ruby" and "Sapphire." Their balance, style, and structure were the original benchmark and they remain that way.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 offers everything players should expect from the series, but the developers at EA Redwood Studios need to take the motion controls to the woodshed for next year's release.

A mildly fast racing game with mediocre techno beats, unbalanced gameplay, but “wow” worthy environments.

Still, it's not so much that Spyborgs is bad -- just incredibly generic.

A far cry from the Sonic of the early 90’s.

As expected, the originals are better and more authentic Resident Evil experiences, and you'll get more enjoyment-- though not multiplayer-- out of them. Darkside Chronicles, on the other hand, is best for someone who absolutely loves light-gun games and has a buddy along for the ride.

For its discount price point, pinball enthusiasts will be entertained.

Fans of the Scooby-Doo! universe will find this a nice pick-up, especially those on the younger end.

While it can indeed get repetitive fairly quickly, especially depending on the relative attention span of the player, those who enjoy simple battling and customization will get their money’s worth.

Pokémon Leaf Green and Fire Red are better games than "Ruby" and "Sapphire." Their balance, style, and structure were the original benchmark and they remain that way.

Star Fox Command isn't quite a return-to-form for the series; it's best to think of it as a good few steps on the road to recovery.

A great game -- a little light on action -- but nevertheless a break-through title.

The bottom line is this; casual players who love a good puzzle game now and then will enjoy this title for a long time to come, but core gamers who look for variety and depth in their games may want to look elsewhere.

Midway should’ve opted for smaller teams rather than 11 on 11 play. Think of Hitz, Blitz or Jam. This was a major game design folly here.

If you are looking for a challenge and do not care that the game isn’t teeming with personality, then it is for you.

Despite all these gripes, Rooms is still a blast to play. While $30 may seem a bit steep for the title that, when boiled down, is nothing more than an advanced slide puzzle, once the game inevitably lands in the bargain bins it is definitely recommended for any puzzle fan.

SIKB makes up for these shortcomings a little with above-average gameplay and audio.

Overall, I found this game to be difficult to get into from a control perspective and then once I became familiar with the controls, the game was an exercise in frustration rather than a pleasure to play.

It's hard to shake the feeling that this has all been done before -- and that the Gold/Silver/Crystal versions did it better.

Animal Crossing: City Folk is a difficult game to evaluate. It is undeniably a well-made and highly polished game that offers all the interesting activities and character the series is known for. On the other hand, it’s almost identical to past titles in the series, with almost nothing in the way of new features.

The downside of the game is simply that it is not up to par with "SSX3," which is what happens when you go head to head with someone who has had two previous tries in one console generation to get it right.

There I was, acting like a little schoolgirl, playing my Lizzie McGuire game, when the action just stopped. It's over. Kaput. The end. I beat the game. I checked the time log on the title screen. I had been playing for exactly one hour.

Did the world need a Digimon kart racer? Not particularly. But as "Mario Kart" clones go, this one's pretty decent.

Bakugan Battle Brawlers is ultimately a silly game based on a silly premise, but the end product's decent enough to satisfy plenty of kids who think the show and cards are the greatest thing since the last monster-collecting/card-battling anime fad.

There is just nothing that really makes this game pop. It's not memorable. It does not stand out in my mind. And that is the most unfortunate event of them all.

Overall, there is a good deal to like about Mini Ninjas.

The fleshing out of the Dig Dug world in story mode was enjoyable, I only wish that the gameplay was a bit deeper, or at least more challenging.

Ultimately, Friend or Foe will not be confused for an epic and will likely be soon forgotten among Wii titles, but it is nevertheless a decent beat-em-up and is worth a rental or a bargain-bin purchase for co-op fanatics or hardcore Spidey fans.

For the traveler looking for a tutorial in classic solitary gaming, you could do worse than Travel Games for Dummies.

Overall, Balls of Fury for DS delivers surprisingly solid touch control ping-pong action on the go.

An excellent compilation of two good Dreamcast RPGs which didn’t get as much recognition as they should have received.

Blackhand Edition has a few high points, but it's hard not to think of what a Godfather game could have truly been.

Overall, Balls of Fury for Wii delivers solid motion control ping-pong action at home.

The learning curve is gentle enough for first time RPGers while the scale of the story should appease RPG veterans.

Perhaps it is not the game that RPG lovers have been waiting for, but it could easily be the game that Eragon fans will embrace.

The game is good but not great, and is one that you should probably rent. It takes around 20 hours to complete (or less).

Overall the game isn't bad. Given the turn-based strategy and JRPG competition on DS, this is rental territory. Those that buy Mythologies should do so if they appreciate its multiplayer merits.

While not the most challenging game, Lethal Alliance hits its mark in appealing to the widest possible range of Star Wars gamers new and old.

Overall, the whole package will provide hours of entertainment to gamers who know what they are getting.

LIT showcases some rather novel puzzle aspects, while simultaneously remaining shrouded with horror and darkness.

Crash: Mind Over Mutant isn’t the most original platformer we’ve played -- it’s not even the most original Crash title we’ve played -- but it does work much better than some previous titles in the series.

Painfully inconsistent. It has great control, and myriad single-player and multiplayer modes. Unfortunately, it also has abysmal music and a spotty graphics engine that cannot achieve the sense of speed the Driver games need.

Much like its 360 predecessor, Blue Dragon Plus is an average game that will tempt gamers with its pedigree but also show a failure to live up to its potential.

The story is great, the character development is great, but the gameplay elements can get a little repetitive. MMBN3 is also the most difficult of the Network games.

Guinness World Records isn’t the most revolutionary or innovative minigame compilation on the market, but it works well at what it sets out to do.

When taken as a whole, Gravitronix is an unpretentious Pong-style action experience. From top to bottom, the game functions as it should, with a mix of single-player and multiplayer modes suitable for short spurts.

Many, many better games are out there, but not a whole lot for those looking for a DS superhero fix.

A great game to play with your friends and it can be fun to play alone but I don’t recommend it unless you’re a hardcore Yu-Gi-Oh! fan.

It is, however, very taste specific. A frantic, reflex-testing shooter this is not; it's all about the journey.

Overall, the game play experience of True Crime is just ruined by the frustrating camera system.

Fans of portable dungeon crawlers with touch-screen interaction, rejoice. This is the game you have been waiting for.

It may not be worth it to veterans of the series, but Smash Hits is a worthy investment for those who only started rocking after the series hit the Wii.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs doesn't bring anything new that you haven’t played a hundred times before, but the variety of gameplay types provide a break from the monotony of movie-based games.

If you’re into adrenaline-pumping thrills and any game slower than F-Zero,, don’t expect to get much, if anything, out of this game. If, however, you enjoy paced simulations and the thought of collecting stuff, you may want to put Endless Ocean on your sonar, at least for a rental.

Mega Man Battle Network 6 still has its underlying concepts straight, but can't quite shake off that sixth-game curse, which means it doesn't quite deserve that last tenth of a point.

Questionable control, average graphics, and shoddy music...in the majority of respects it's a decent affair.

I like the idea, it’s just the execution needs work.

A beautiful game. There is enough eye candy to keep you entertained for a few hours, but the awkward gameplay overshadows the looks.

Being that so many versions are available however, at even cheaper prices, there’s not much reason to invest in this port.

It's cute, it's exhilarating, and it's an extremely good alternative to the failed Pokemon Channel. Is it worth the casual gamer's dollar? Probably not.

Although the game isn't the most beautiful out there, the draw is based solely on gameplay, which is rare these days.

Frankly speaking, it's one of the best titles from the NES years. However, the game has been ported so many times that it hardly stands on its own as a stand-alone experience.