There's no sense of joy or satisfaction when you finish a mission—only relief. However, beating one mission will only present you with one that's even longer and more complicated that the previous one. So why even bother with starting the first mission at all?

The fact of the matter is that unless you are absolutely dying to play an insanely quirky Japanese game about cooking, you should stay far, far away from Cooking Mama.

Puzzle game fans should be pleasantly surprised at how the simplistic Bejeweled gameplay is twisted and enhanced to keep engaging your brain.

If you've long finished Zelda and Super Paper Mario just didn't hit the spot, appease Mick Jagger by making your next Wii game a black one. Maybe Nintendo will soon follow with the console itself.

Its greatest failing is simply that the fun ends too soon.

The game's lack of content is the big killer here, but it's still crazy fun to explore what's there.

Depending on whether you love or hate Lost in Blue’s slow-paced survival gameplay, you will love or hate Lost in Blue 2.

Don’t look at the license and figure it’s some kid game – there’s a whole lot of meat to this package.

If you enjoyed Custom Robo, which I did, and are ready for more options, parts, robos, and online play, then dive in. You won’t regret it.

Your daughter might be sufficiently occupied by it if she's too lost in her own fantasies of making out with Drake to realize that the game has nothing to do with the show.

Spectrobes tries to accomplish a lot but succeeds at very little. Its innovations are marred by rote repetition. The exploration and battle modes are at best boring and at worst mind-numbingly frustrating.

While Master of Disguise may look like a Wario platformer on the surface, the game is plagued by terrible pacing, obfuscated level design, and unsatisfying controls. If you're not going to do a Wario game right, Nintendo, don't do it at all.

I don't think I have ever really been this bored with a game. I mean, Zoey 101 just attacks any sense of fun present in the human brain.

It's one of the first Wii games to go beyond a gimmick and show players what the system is truly capable of.

The new game has its fair share of changes to the formula, but they don't really make the game better, just slightly different. Unless the Disney art is a huge selling point for you, there's little reason to choose Disney Magic over the original, wonderful, plain-old Meteos.

Where Secret Rings really falls apart is in level design. Replicating the main mistake of Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Team has put too many obstacles in the way of Sonic as he attempts to zoom through a level at high speed.

A true Rogue derivative, Izuna’s difficulty and depth will likely only be appreciated by fans of the genre.

Just too simple for its own good, proving that a fancy presentation isn’t necessarily sufficient to overcome an inherent lack of depth.

It lacks depth, meaning that you’ll grow tired of it within minutes – even with a friend.

There's a good balance between the action and RPG elements, and the subtle depth of the battle system is aided by quick weapon selection. Plus, the final dungeon shows that the new dual-character system has some potential for cooperative play in the future.

Despite all of the negative points to the game, the charm that made the original a favorite to many still shines through. As long as you don't start up the game expecting "Mario Kart DS," you'll get lots of fun out of Diddy Kong Racing DS.

Final Fantasy VI Advance is the last Game Boy Advance game from Square-Enix and Nintendo, but this classic game is a great way to say goodbye to a system.

There's a lot more dialogue than some adventure players may be used to, but the characters have wonderfully distinct personalities. (Who doesn't love an old woman with an eyepatch drinking at the bar?)

While the game design has its issues and the localization bloopers are regretful, I still found myself glued to the DS—on my second play through.

Variety is king in WarioWare, and while the game does not contain an absurd amount of pointless unlockables, or a true high-score mode for individual games, it is still a ton of fun.

On the one hand, the games included in Metal Slug Anthology are a blast, they're translated perfectly from the arcade, and they're just as fun, over-the-top, and well-designed as they were ten years ago. On the other hand, this is a stripped-down package with no meaningful extras to speak of, its Wii-specific control options are an almost complete bust, and the lack of Classic Controller support is puzzling to say the least.

The game is easy to pick up, but as the levels continue it becomes clear that the frustrations are not going to be eased, and the various modes are just repeating something you've already played.

Super Swing Golf is obnoxious, gimmicky, featureless, and, despite its best attempts otherwise, humorless.

WSOP is a good way learn poker, but not so good if you want to win first and ask questions later, like most gamers do.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is one of those few genre-defining games that while clearly dedicated to fans of the series, also serves as a wonderful adventure for those new to the series.

Despite some good aspects, I can't recommend Mazes of Fate unless you're willing to tolerate a half-decent game for 20 hours.

If you’ve yet to play a Castlevania game, I’d recommend Dawn of Sorrow over Portrait of Ruin because it’s a more appropriate entry into the series as future games will likely not feature the portraits.

The Ant Bully is a cookie-cutter collect-a-thon adventure, and the game makes absolutely no attempt to hide it from the player.

It saddens me to give a Kirby platformer such a lukewarm review, but Squeak Squad's underused powers, severely obtuse puzzles, and marginal variety sets the series back over a decade.

A great game for the little one in your life, and you might have some fun with it, too.

The overall gameplay in Red Steel would have been much better if it had just focused on the shooting part and dumped the swordplay. Most of the game's controls are not very intuitive. There's nothing special about the game's story or its gameplay, either.

Rather than drastically reworking the series, Twilight Princess refines and expands almost everything you already love about Zelda, and it looks damn good doing it...One of the best games of all time.

This is Nintendo's best console racer since "F-Zero GX," although it will appeal to a somewhat different crowd than that hardcore series.

Instead of porting it over without much thought, they took the time to get something working that took advantage of the Wii's strengths.

More diversity in game modes or a semblance of challenge would have made this game feel like something more than just going through the motions.

Unfortunately, the inherent design of the game just isn’t up to the standard of many other games in the action puzzle genre.

Billy & Mandy has the beginnings of a decent fighting game, but its unrefined battle system is only suitable as party fodder.

All of these things would make the game easy to recommend except that the racing gameplay at its core is simply too frustrating, the controls too inconsistent, and the races far too long.

With higher production values and some online play, it could’ve easily become a great party game.

Had this game been packaged with the system instead of Wii sports, there would be many confused owners. At least developers will know how not to use the Wii remote's features in the future.

It is only the production values: graphics, music, and pedigree that make this game stand out. At its heart, Final Fantasy III is a dated and mediocre RPG that will only please the most die-hard Final Fantasy fans. [JPN Import]

The Wii version is definitely not the best one available, but if you have no alternative, this is a fun and very lengthy adventure to enjoy on your Wii after Zelda has been exhausted.

The overall complexity of the game will immediately turn off the more casual players who were attracted by the control scheme. The hardcore Madden players will most likely prefer one of the more traditional console versions because of precision issues with the gestures.

The main control scheme works really well and makes the game worth a rental for anyone who just wants to get their hands on a Wii shooter. However, some of the simpler tasks are somehow completely broken, and the game as a whole is pretty uninspiring.

If the location sub-areas were each as large as a full location, this game would be a blast, even with its other blemishes. In the end though, Downhill Jam is too short, and with the recent announcement of a full-fledged "SSX" game coming to the Wii in 2007, anybody looking to pick up Downhill Jam might want to think twice.

A lot of fun with a group of friends, but only after you've put the time in to unlock all the mini-games, or if you have an SD card and access to the Internet to download a completed save file.

At the end of the day, Battle for New York isn’t worth the cash if you’ve already played one of the other DS games, and since it looks like they’ll be using the same engine in the future, you might as well hold out if you haven’t experienced any of the previous titles. Sorry, Spidey.

Although the original Trauma Center is a fantastic game, I wouldn't say it's for everyone, due to the extreme difficulty. Second Opinion fixes that issue while providing options to make the game even harder for veteran players.

I find it appalling that publishers can get away with charging $50 on a game that might be worth $10 on a good day. The only thing you can do to let publishers know that we're not going to put up with this kind of crap is to not buy GT Pro Series, a task that should be easy considering the quality of the product.

There is still something incredibly satisfying about beating your buddy up until he shrinks down to a little naked person and then eating him for lunch.

Yoshi’s Island DS may not be perfect, but it is still a great game, even by Mario standards, and should leave a grin on your face as big as Yoshi’s.

If the control issues don't stop you, the tired and overdone level design will.

If you like the show, you won't mind playing through the game to see what antics Aang and crew get themselves into in the game's original story. You'll just wish the game's shortcomings didn't get in the way.

The combination of online classic Bomberman play and unique mini-games make Touch! Bomberman Land a highly recommended purchase. [JPN Import]

If Digimon ever wants to step out of Pokemon’s shadow, it’s going to have to come up with more of its own mechanics. The capture method and digital farm idea are great start, but it’s just that – only a start.

The designers did a great job converting the Japanese Ouendan into an equivalent Americanized Elite Beat Agents.

The definitive version of an already great game, and in the shadow of other Final Fantasy releases, should not be missed.

A solid GBA game trapped in a DS card. It’s got an issue or two, but it’s a pretty epic undertaking and still has a lot to recommend it. If you need a solid handheld title or don’t have enough consoles to be exceptionally busy this holiday, give it a shot.

Is this the game Mana fans have been waiting for? Probably not. However, Children of Mana is an excellent game in its own right, bringing dungeon crawling to a new level on Nintendo DS.

A fun puzzle game for a little while, but after playing for more than a few hours it becomes tedious and tiring.

This game is the best Pokemon spinoff I have ever played, and I dare tread into volatile territory and say this is the best Pokemon game I have ever played. It was fun every step of the way, even if I lost at times. I was always motivated to have “just one more crack" at catching the tricky ones, especially the ones at the Jungle Relic dungeon.

No matter how much you love Star Trek, no one can escape the curse of off-screen objects.

There is a moderately fun, addictive quality to the single-player game as you churn through the objectives and gain familiarity with the expansive levels. The online features hold immense potential but so far seem crippled by sheer lack of participation.

Far from a well executed game, but it gets bonus points for an interesting base concept.

The potion problems bring down the rest of the game's brighter spots.

At the end of the day, Magical Starsign is your average, run-of-the-mill JRPG with some touch screen gameplay thrown in, hoping to disguise an old horse as a new pony.

What Nintendogs does, it does very well. It’s a brilliant design that’s instantly appealing, and it truly can’t be done on any platform but the Nintendo DS.

This is a hardest type of game to review, where its substandard qualities are hidden inside the most mediocre and unremarkable package.

No more worrying about 52 card pick-up or missing pawns. Clubhouse Games provides a compelling collection for nearly everyone. With a full experience of single player modes and multiplayer capabilities, both quantity and quality are well served.

The good news is that I had an enjoyable time playing the game even without being very familiar with Naruto, so it stands to reason that real fans will like it even more.

A definite must for fans of the series. However, if you're looking for a serious 3D fighting game, this game won't be for you. While the game is beautiful and features abundant fanservice (the clean type), the unbalanced game mechanics make for little more than a party game to be enjoyed with friends. [JPN Import]

If you appreciate action games with major puzzle and strategic elements, then March of the Minis is for you. In particular, the game is perfect for players interested in level design.

Billy and Mandy's gameplay is chaotic and exciting but ultimately gets boring after an hour or two, even when playing with other people.

Baten Kaitos Origins will not sway dissidents of turn-based RPGs, but the peculiar aura and lively battles are commendable, and its plot is strong in spite of its clichés.

The tank battles are unexpectedly fun and should be a blast with friends in multiplayer.

All three of these single-player games hold up well by modern standards and each will take at least a few hours to exhaust...if you're good enough, that is.

All of the benefits of level grinding found in the classic Pokemon games are either removed or cheapened in this title. Without anything to look forward to, it's hard to deal with the monotony of the dungeons.

All in all, Mega Man ZX is a worthy successor to the Mega Man Zero line. The combination of Zero's gameplay with X's power-collecting is a nice mesh of the two series.

Cooking Mama was fun for a while, but after the novelty wore off, the repetition of the mini-games and the janky stylus controls just became a bigger and more noticeable defect, and while I’d love to praise the game for trying something different, I have to fault it for not having much depth. [JPN Import]

So why does it suck? It should be protected by the double negative of the two licenses. Ah, but the truth is that there is a third negative at work here., that being the console-game-ported-to-handheld negative. As far as I know, that is a Triple Negative.

Feels like another "phone-it-in" anime game. The mini-games are boring, the Captain events feel tired and generic, and there's no replay value to be found.

I recommend LSWII to those who really loved the original – for me, it was worthwhile to see all the cinemas and locations, and plenty of fun in co-op. It doesn't live up to the original by any means.

Mario Hoops is an innovative adaptation of the sport, and the multiplayer is worth trying, even with just two players.

The mandatory touch screen controls for Command actually work very well.

If you're looking for a great kart game, stick with "Mario Kart." If you really have the urge to play a kart game featuring Namco characters, then by all means, pick up Pac-Man World Rally.

The mini-games range from mildly amusing (the raccoon-tossing one in particular) to dreadfully boring and bad (the fruit sorting game will be a frequent nightmare for me, I am sure) and the overall quality is unfortunately tilted towards the latter.

It would be an all right buy for younger kids if they really, really like Barnyard or 3D adventure games that aren't too complicated.

If 400 puzzles sounds like more Sudoku than you could ever want, much less need, I highly recommend Nintendo's own "Brain Age" as a superior alternative. It includes only 100 puzzles, but the interface is significantly better, and you get all the Brain Age stuff in addition to Sudoku, which is really just a side offering in that game.

Slightly better than your average game that comes with an unintentionally comedic story. It's no shock that MMBN6 isn't trying to win over new fans, and on a system all but dead there isn't much need to innovate. It is what it is and fans of the series who aren't sick of the formula yet will love it.

Slightly better than your average game that comes with an unintentionally comedic story. It's no shock that MMBN6 isn't trying to win over new fans, and on a system all but dead there isn't much need to innovate. It is what it is and fans of the series who aren't sick of the formula yet will love it.

Cars for the DS is not a terrible licensed game; in fact, it is beautifully presented and even includes some clever mini-game ideas. But it never surmounts the feeling that these mini-games should have been a side offering to a real, main game that just doesn't exist.

Overall, it's a great game for anybody who's a fan of puzzle games or logic problems.

Magnetica is so difficult that I find it hard to recommend not only to the people Nintendo is targeting with their Touch Generations line, but also to anybody else.