New Super Mario Bros. (NSMB) features the best wall jump yet—there is precious little more satisfying than saving oneself from a perilous pit with a knee-jerk wall-jump. Mario may not control as he did in any of the classic Mario games, but he still feels perfect.

While definitely not the sort of game that makes you spaz when you hear about it, Over the Hedge does deliver on the goal of all movie games. That is, to not be a complete pile of garbage.

All in all, Vicarious Visions has created a very generic 3D platformer that just traverses old territory. Even for a children’s game, Over the Hedge completely lacks challenge, subtlety, and length. The game does show signs of high production values, as evidenced by the lovely graphics, convincing voice-acting, and clever use of the two screens. However, those elements just prevent the game from being downright poor.

Though it controls fine and seems to offer something substantial at first, I couldn't recommend it for adults or children.

I really wanted to like this game, and I really hope the rune-drawing system is used again for a different title, because it really is fantastic, but the RTS mechanics are unresponsive, and the timed missions are more of a hindrance than a challenge.

The biggest drawback to the game is a lack of single-cartridge multiplayer.

None of the mini-games are particularly enjoyable, but they’re there, and they break the monotony as well as provide you with some practice.

Rampage is an ancient kind of game, unabashedly repetitive and simple, and that makes it a good choice for older gamers who remember pumping quarters into arcade machines other than Dance Dance Revolution.

A darned fun game. Unless you're a hardcore soccer nut, though, it probably won't beckon you while you're away. However, it's an excellent experience, particularly while playing with friends.

The polygonal, disembodied head of Ryuta Kawashima acts as your personal coach, and his quips are actually pretty amusing. Challenges are stripped down to just include what's necessary, and there's not much to fault, in that sense.

The end result is a game as refreshing as it is frustrating. It deserves credit for its originality, but not for its controls and visuals.

While Worms: Open Warfare maintains the humor and addictive gameplay of the series, it really is only worthwhile for multiplayer on the road.

It’s simple enough that anyone can pick it up and get a game going by himself within seconds, yet it’s sophisticated enough that all of your friends can join in on the fun.

Hunters is really two games; one is fantastic, the other is not. One is easily worth buying if you have good access to wireless Internet, while the other feels slapped together to dupe hardcore Metroid fans and to put "Action-Packed Single-Player Mode!" on the back of the box.

A decent amount of fun, but it is way too short and requires little thought or skill. Certainly not a title you should spend thirty bucks on.

It allows fans of the series to play as their favourite shinobi warriors and do it in style. After extensive time with the 2-player mode, it becomes pretty obvious that the game is geared more towards button-mashers, but, if you're a big Naruto fan, this game is for you.

Not much about the game has a real Pokémon feel, as even the art and music are quite different from the standard Pokémon fare. However, thanks to the Pokédex, one of the core aspects of Pokémon, “gotta catch ‘em all," is still present and provides some replay incentive.

A solid RPG with the refreshing active battle system the series is famous for. If you are a fan of the genre, this one is tough to pass up.

It's bland, boring, and frustrating--and once that kicks in, the only thing that will keep anyone playing is sheer tenacity.

Super Princess Peach is cute, delightfully absurd, and a true-blue Mario game, but still a bit easy. It's probably worth fifty clams to a hardcore Mario fan, but maybe a bit iffy for someone looking for a challenge. [JPN Import]

Sonic Riders tries to do something new with racing but in the end doesn't deliver a polished package.

It should be no surprise that "Feel the Magic: XX/YY"'s sequel, The Rub Rabbits (a.k.a. Where Do Babies Come From? in Japan) lives up to its predecessor in every way shape and form, and even manages to surpass it in most aspects. [JPN Import]

Even with the control and dialog problems, and the item-toting frustrations, Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is still as good as the original was, and more so because of the addition of Rebirth mode and the touch screen mechanics.

Screw Breaker, simply put, is a fantastic game. It's the kind of creativity that can only escape from Japan, and yet with such a quirky design, it's surprisingly easy to pick up and play.

Chibi Robo has a fun and distinctive charm to it. The characters are all a bit quirky.

GHTP is an atrocity. Hyperbole? No, not as far as games are concerned. Aside from a versatile control scheme and some impressive sound design, this game has nothing going for it. GHTP is completely unplayable.

For the money, Tamagotchi Connection's eleven minigames is definitely not a goldmine of intensely fun gameplay time, but there's still some fun to be had.

Despite its innovative touch screen swing concept, True Swing Golf simply doesn’t deliver. There isn’t enough customization, gameplay variety, or fun to be found.

Having a perfect version of MMX3 is reason alone to spring for this package, so if you're a fan of 2D action, you really can't go wrong with it.

Playing it is fun and quick, but the Lunar Ruins are tedious and are a task for completionists only. The biggest disappointment is the lack of a bonus ending for completing the Lunar Ruins, but fans of the game and/or series will still appreciate the added content.

The technical ambition is overcome by nonsensical design and a general lack of creativity.

Though the game's stylus-based controls are tight, and for a while seems to offer a nice distraction, it soon becomes a chore to pick it up at all. With little story incentive and no hope for variety, you probably won't make it past the halfway mark.

What really makes the difference, though, is that Animal Crossing: Wild World is one of the first games to take advantage of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, allowing players worldwide to travel to other players' towns.

It's beautifully constructed, funny, and exciting. It is simply jam-packed with the joy of gaming.

With friends, the action is fierce and the competition is intense. The single player isn't worth it on its own, but multiplayer is definitely worth the investment.

The Two Thrones aims to please fans of both previous episodes, and it does exactly that, without falling into the trap of being one big, compromised mess. Rather, it's a fun and satisfying adventure with the perfect balance of each style.

A terrible game. It's in 3D, and the Burnout tracks are scaled down well, but nothing else about the game is worth sitting through. It's slow, boring, and poorly put together, three things that the Burnout series is definitely not known for.

My opinion of Partners in Time is smeared by the battle system's flaws, which become more of an issue towards the end of the game. However, this is by far the best RPG currently available for the DS, and its use of the dual screens opens up gameplay possibilities that just aren't available on any other system.

Excluding some of Dr. Mario's image-size issues, it's really hard to complain about these games. They're basically the same as they have always been, minus the aesthetics.

There are some issues with using the touch screen for in-game tricks and acceleration, but aside from that, it's a fairly average kart-like racing game.

The big problem is that, while everything works, it's tedious, dull, and lacking any sort of excitement that the console game is supposed to have.

A pretty fun game, although it does feel a bit dragged out and repetitive once in a while. There isn't an auto-save either, so you'll need to remember to save frequently, which can be done from the pause menu.

The touch-screen controls interrupt the flow of the action and lead to plenty of frustration. Furthermore, the puzzles are too simple, the challenge too lacking, and the overall length too short.

This is a beautiful game for the younger audiences. Not too much interactivity for anyone older than a third grader. If you love "Nintendogs," don't take the large step backwards to this game.

It's just not as fun as the previous games in the series. Too much of the formula has changed, and almost none of it for the better.

It may be the best looking DS game yet, and it matches the console experience to a degree that you'd expect only on the PSP.

The best that can be said for the game is at least it’s not a direct port of the GBA game. However, it would definitely be a better game if it had been.

Sonic Rush is an excellent pick-up-and-play title that's as addictive as any in the series, and has better graphics, sound, and presentation than any title before it.

The true test of whether or not this game is worthwhile for purchase is your tolerance for mediocrity. Need for Speed: Most Wanted is a perfectly acceptable racer that simply doesn't try very hard to please or impress.

That is nothing like any Sonic game I played as a kid. Those games were fast, colorful, simple, and fun - all things that Shadow the Hedgehog not only misses, but flat out ignores.

It seems obvious, now, that this game is for the hardcore Need for Speed fan. If you love the series, get it; it's a marked improvement.

The best features of past Mario Kart games are back, and when combined with the new ones in Mario Kart DS, the end result is the most impressive game to ever hit the Nintendo DS and also the best game in the Mario Kart series.

While Chronicles of Narnia has solid graphics and sound, a lengthy adventure, and an excellent story, its repetitive "fetch-and-retrieve" gameplay wears thin over the course of seventeen levels.

The main problem with the level design, and you've heard me say this about many other games, is that the strictly linear missions want you to complete specific objectives without usually telling you what those objectives are.

This game probably wouldn't have been so harshly judged if the previous two Kim Possible games, also made by A2M, weren't much better than any other Disney game by comparison. But due to their surprising quality, it's even more disappointing that Kimminucator is so average.

It’s simply too easy and skews to an incredibly young audience. I can only recommend it to anyone who has never been able to beat a game and would like to know how it feels.

A fine portable adventure game, and as licensed movie games go, it's downright remarkable. The game is on the easy side, but it's good fun even for advanced players; they'll just blow through it more quickly, that's all.

All flash and no substance, something that the Viewtiful Joe franchise has never been about. Gone are the side-scrolling levels and intense action of the first two games; in their place is a bunch of mush that Capcom is trying to pass off as a Smash Bros. clone.

Having three wizards running around and casting spells at the same time allows for some interesting gameplay, but you'll only get to experience it if you have friends to play with.

Those of you with social lives, grab this game, take it (and your GameCube, if necessary) to your next party. It'll be a hit and people will love you for it.

Many of its gameplay mechanics are clearly inspired by the ones found in "GTA: SA," but sadly, Gun doesn't reach that game's overall level of quality, especially in terms of longevity. Even though Gun is very challenging on the harder difficulty settings, it can be beaten in less than ten hours.

The game is very challenging, and trying to collect all of the mini-games is rewarding. I will be playing this one even on my Revolution next year.

This game appears to be a tie-in to a cartoon I'm not even sure exists, but it's definitely based on those weird troll dolls with the big hair that I remember seeing once upon a time. It's a tie-in to another tie-in, and a boring one at that.

While the main thrust of Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is probably the most polished and enjoyable WWII experience on GameCube, its lack of replay value may still only warrant a rental.

Spartan doesn't offer much new material over games like "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" and "God of War," both of which are more balanced and have vastly superior production values.

It more than meets expectations, with its addictive gameplay, scorekeeping, and level-selecting all well-suited for GBA gaming on the go.

Atomic Betty is quite short, clocking in at just under two hours, with absolutely no replay value. It features a password save, which is quite simply inexcusable.

Overall, the faults of Lego Star Wars can be forgiven just to play as a Lego General Grievious swinging four lightsabers, or as Yoda bouncing around, or as Chewbacca.

There is enough micro-management (keeping your hotel clean, your guests happy, and your sanity intact) that when you get things accomplished you feel good about it, but the game never overwhelms you.

With top-notch graphics and sound that believably invoke the Metroid series, not to mention some really cool pinball innovations that incorporate many trademark features of the series, this game really does feel like a seamless, if unlikely, merging between classic arcade pinball and the creepy-cool Metroid Prime series.

I never thought I'd say this, but not even cleaning up poop can save The Sims 2 (GBA) from being a pile in its own right. Sure, it's got an award-worthy presentation and cool mini-games, but when the central gameplay isn't worth its weight, I simply can't recommend it in good faith.

Mario's strongest influence is on the soundtrack, which is comprised almost entirely of remixes and remakes of familiar songs from the many Mario games over the years. These songs, many of them bona fide classics in the annals of game music, have been brushed up with various styles ranging from jazz to techno. [JPN Import]

This is the perfect date game on two-player mode, and if you have a soft spot for the wonders of domestic tranquility, you'll have a great time playing this game.

If the characters were anywhere close to balanced, or if it were four-player or had some other awesome redeeming quality, I could recommend Zatch Bell, but the value is just not there.

Unworthy of its namesake, and I really wish the developer had taken its time to study what was great about the original game before starting work on the sequel – the lack of finesse present in CTR really shows.

A half-finished game designed so poorly that it probably shouldn't have been started in the first place. Only the most stubborn Spyro fan should even consider picking this up and even then, I implore you to wait until it's on clearance.

The controls are marred with inaccuracy. Precise movement, which should be very easy based on the simple gameplay mechanics, is amazingly frustrating. Changing direction is an exercise in frustration.

American Wasteland ends up being yet another sequel that feels more like an expansion pack, but when the levels are this big and well designed, that's not such a bad thing.

This game is difficult, even on the easiest setting. For those who have been craving a difficult game ever since the GBA titles held off, "Maniac" mode is waiting and it is positively brutal. [JPN Import]

It's just another episode of the TV show.

Everything about Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is surprising, from its intricately staged murders and clever humor to its mere existence. Any gamer looking for a good mystery book or a good laugh cannot go wrong with this instant classic.

This game is bad. It's not painfully bad, but it will bore you into hatred.

Underfeatured for the price. It's not bad, but it's just not worth thirty bucks.

A beefy and satisfying adventure on a system that probably doesn't have many big games left in the pipeline.

Dawn of Sorrow matches and in some cases exceeds the quality of "Symphony of the Night" in almost every way. Yet the two games have their own styles and features, so the newest addition to the series is in no way redundant with its legendary forebear. [JPN Import]

A wonderfully unique game that does an excellent job of sucking the player in through both the tense operations and intricate story segments.

It looks incredible, sounds great, and plays beautifully...what's not to love? If you haven't yet tried out this excellent series, this is the best game to start on.

It's involved, it's long, it's original, and it represents another milestone in console gaming history - the first time that anyone has truly made a PC-style adventure game work on a handheld.

If you are utterly starved for an RPG to play on your DS, rejoice my pitiful friend, because Lunar: Dragon Song is a traditional, predictable take on the genre that will last forty or fifty hours. If, however, you have anything less than the patience of a statue, this game will bore you to tears long before the anticlimactic ending sequence.

There isn't much incentive to continue playing – it simply feels old by the time you've completed the story mode.

The game is only moderately difficult (and, as with most Disney games, cheat codes are included), the graphics are pretty, and you're rewarded with short clips from the movie whenever you pass a level.

A great game. With a great story and polished cinemas and voice-work, it has a lot for fans, and it gives players considerable freedom to approach the game however they like, either as a single-player or multiplayer experience.

It's just a shame that what it has in excellent gameplay, it lacks in just about every other aspect.

A fantastic representation of the comic book. The story is compelling, if short, and the gameplay is fun for the most part.

It's so good, in fact, that even if you stripped away the DK license and made it, oh, I don't know, "Raven's That's SO Swinging", you'd still have a great game. Donkey Kong is just the icing on the cake. You want innovation, but still want a full game? It's right here.

It looks and sounds fantastic, no question. There are some moments when the gameplay really does shine, but most of the time it's unreasonably difficult, or just dull.

The action-oriented portion of the game works better than the strategic portion, which is hampered by a control scheme that's too simple to provide enough depth. The game's is also too short.