It may flesh out the recent movie, but on Xbox, it feels like a picked-over meal. [Feb. 2007, p.78]

Even if hunting is about communing with nature, Trophy Hunter reduces it to boredom. [Feb. 2007, p.80]

Big Bumpin' is a no frills, arcade-style gaming at its purest. Bumpin' is identical on Xbox and Xbox 360, but the 360 version looks dramatically better and offers online play. [Holiday 2006, p.78]

The stop-and-go action, the occasional jumps, and the sheer ridiculousness of what you're taking part in lends every race a manic aspect that elicits more giggles than groans. [Holiday 2006, p.78]

The gameplay is one-note repetitive, the environments are stupidly simplistic, and the product placement is overtly in your face. [Holiday 2006, p.78]

It's probably the game Hobbes' buddy Calvin would have designed had he ever grown up, although it's far too repetitious and simply not challenging enough for grown-ups. [Jan. 2007, p.76]

Still, hardcore nostalgia buffs will re-discover a deceptively simple addiction that's worth a five-spot. [Jan. 2007, p.75]

As a community, we must save the children...from mediocre cartoon-based cideogame adaptations like this one! [Holiday 2006, p.76]

Sonic is still the fastest mascot on the block, and his audience desperately wants to root for him. But his latest namesake game is big on rushed disappointment and much too light on fleetfooted pleasure. [Jan. 2007, p.79]

This 2007 edition is the undeniable pinnacle of the genre, dropping a powerful payload of pugilistic power-tripping that you'd have to be nuts to pass up. [Holiday 2006, p.84]

Realistically, Eragon's appeal won't expand beyond its Potter-like fan base. [Feb. 2007, p.78]

We honestly wanted to like this game a lot, but really, it's worth liking only a little. [Feb. 2007, p.76]

Realistically, Eragon's appeal won't expand beyond its Potter-like fan base. [Feb. 2007, p.78]

Okay, so most of it isn't that fresh, and none of it is revolutionary. But if you're looking for the most robust and entertaining dance package currently available, this is it. [Holiday 2006, p.80]

However, hitting the line of scrimmage with a friend on Xbox Live distills football's best elements into a tasty online brew that fans will suck down with gusto. [Dec. 2006, p.76]

It's less enjoyable, more difficult, and at times blatantly creepy. [Jan. 2007, p.68]

But any $20 game that lets you butt-stomp bad guys as a neon-green elephant earns props from me. [Feb. 2007, p.77]

Viva Pinata is a sandbox game in the vein of "The Sims" and "Zoo Tycoon". There's no real way to"win". Your reward for playing is increasing your level, unlocking new content, and, of course, earning achievements. [Jan. 2007, p.80]

It's nerve-jangling fun while it lasts, but unless you're a score whore, Contra loses its appeal once you beat its five missions. [Jan. 2007, p.77]

No longer a covert operation, Epic's sci-fi shooter Gears of War has finally emerged, and it's pretty much everything we hooped it would be, as well as a few things we didn't expect. [Holiday 2006, p.41]

It's still a great ride; just don't expect to be as bowled over by it as you were when you strapped in for it last year. [Jan. 2007, p.72]

So while the elder console looks like it's stuck with the 360's scraps, the series' next-gen evolution isn't complete either. Project 8 is a strong start and one worth playing, but it definitely feels immature--it's merely a beginning. [Jan. 2007, p.78]

It's still a great ride; just don't expect to be as bowled over by it as you were when you strapped in for it last year. [Jan. 2007, p.72]

So while the elder console looks like it's stuck with the 360's scraps, the series' next-gen evolution isn't complete either. Project 8 is a strong start and one worth playing, but it definitely feels immature--it's merely a beginning. [Jan. 2007, p.78]

F.E.A.R.'s downsides mean it's thrilling at first and much less absorbing later on, but its magnificent combat sequences still make it irresistible for serious FPS fans. [Dec. 2006, p.62]

This NFS definitely isn't in the same league as last year's superb Most Wanted. But despite its misfires, Carbon has a lot of great action and intriguing ideas that, with properly calibrated expectations, will be a blast for fans of the series' trademark arcade racing. [Holiday 2006, p.72]

Winning Eleven may still be a more joyful celebration of the sport, but FIFA 07's beauty and fluidity mark it as the early champ of the next generation. [Holiday 2006, p.74]

This NFS definitely isn't in the same league as last year's superb Most Wanted. But despite its misfires, Carbon has a lot of great action and intriguing ideas that, with properly calibrated expectations, will be a blast for fans of the series' trademark arcade racing. [Holiday 2006, p.72]