So mindlessly enjoyable that you'll soar right past those flaws. [May 2008, p.73]

Roogoo is a treat for anyone with a penchant for puzzlers. And be sure to try the Party Play mode with three pals - it’s a competitive/cooperative hybrid that’ll have you blaming each other for your failures while laughing the whole time.

Bourne Conspiracy screams weekend rental. It isn’t a one-trick pony, but it has three or four moves at best - enough to truly impress you for a while, but not enough to compel most of you to punch, kick, and shoot all the way to the end of the game.

It’s definitely a “more of the same” type of sequel and it has a few rough edges the original didn’t, but Ninja Gaiden II is still one of the best, most exhilarating action experiences on Xbox 360.

This game isn't about simulating racing; it's about creating fun out of it. And it succeeds beautifully, one thrilling white knuckle at a time.

While the character selection leaves a lot to be desired, the brilliant mix of versus battles, mini-games, and co-op challenges will keep you entertained for hours. [Sept 2008, p.77]

There’s still a lot of entertainment value here: the cutscenes, the puzzles, the whip, the unlockable areas, the light-hearted humor. But, moreso than with Lego Star Wars, you don’t need a microscope to see the flaws in this shiny new jewel.

It shines as a fun but pricey distraction. [May 2008, p.76]

But unless you have fond memories of Warlords' primitive arcade past, its gameplay is just too simplistic to offer more than a weak dose of transient wistfulness. [Sept 2008, p.77]

Whether its quirks annoy you more than its strengths entertain you, though, all boils down to how much of a Quake fan you are.

Colonies ups the frigid fun and arachnid ass-kicking while lowering the price: thirty bones buys the original's content plus tons of new multi- and single-player offerings. [June 2008, p.77]

Twenty bucks is a perfectly reasonable sum when you consider how many retail Xbox 360 games offer the same quantity of content…and we'll bet you didn’t laugh half as much playing any of those as you will playing this.

UEFA Euro 2008 narrows the FIFA ranks to just 52 teams in competition for the confederation's crown, but it still delivers realistic control, convincing independent ball physics, and smooth online play-making. [June 2008, p.81]

Prince Caspian's contrived charms don't run especially deep, but they present just enough middling excitement to make it worth playing for younger teenaged fans of the film. [Aug 2008, p.75]

Despite the high overall level of polish, Assault Heroes 2 feels like an overlong expansion pack - and at $10, it's one that costs twice the price of the original. Good game? Yes, but a tough sell.

A genius quiz-show game that ranks right up there with classics like "You Don't Know Jack." [Apr 2008, p.68]

As the game reaches its midpoint, repetitive missions and aggravating boss encounters begin to sap the seat-of-your-pants fun.

If it were up to us, we'd have included a few better missions, weapons, and cars earlier in the game - if only for a temporary taste. That would definitely improve the pacing (while leaving plenty of surprises for later), and it'd have ensured that ADD players don't stop early without seeing the brilliant content that's down the road. [June 2008, p.40]

The game is one long rush that comes from plotting against a worthy adversary. Lost Cities absolutely nails the right combo of gambling and card-counting skill and counts as Live Arcade’s latest gem.

So yeah, Chosen One has its woes, but gameplay is what’s always made this series fun. If you’ve got some tolerance and some RTFM time, Chosen One will deliver.

Keying on the show's rudimentary (and universally derided) animation instead of its wonderful writing and goofy humor demonstrates an atrocious error in judgment. [May 2008, p.76]

Unless your nostalgia borders on masochism, let this pointless war rage without you.

The fact that it's a mere five levels long and can be frustratingly difficult might limit the game's appeal, but it's hard not to appreciate Ikaruga's meticulously crafted brilliance. [May 2008, p.75]

Even with the Quest Mode’s extra goals, the game felt too simple for its own good. Extra value should’ve come from the online modes, but horrific lag rendered them unplayable, and there’s no offline multiplayer.

At the beginning of the tediously unchanging Adventure Mode (the only mode in the game), you have nearly unlimited time when choosing where to drop a block. That removes any sense of urgency…and you really don’t need to employ any strategy to succeed anyway.

Dark Sector assumes you’ve played a metric ton of games. And even if you have, you’re still likely to get confused and frustrated. Some kind of hint when you’re clearly not grasping it would’ve gone a long way toward easing the pain.

If Petroglyph can fix the single-player AI, smooth out some of the game’s graphics slowdowns, and provide a camera that zooms back more than a few inches, chapter two of Universe at War could well challenge Battle for Middle-earth II for overall Xbox 360 RTS honors.

But the real stars of the show are the battle sequences in which you lead an army of literally hundreds of NPCs into full-on raging wars. It’s just a shame that there’s so much filler between the fights.