From the spiffy graphics to the more right analog stick-centric controls to the robust Create-A-Superstar to the new WWE 24/7 career mode, this is SmackDown as its finest. [Dec 2007, p.72]

Everything else is pretty much the same as the PS3 version, though, sadly, the online play has been stripped out. [Dec 2007, p.73]

Short, but sweet and--if you followed the game's initial advice--truly scary. [Dec 2007, p.83]

Basically more of the same, but we aren't complaining...It's Guitar Hero, it's next-gen, and it's the party game PS3 owners have been waiting for. [Dec 2007, p.74]

Still, you're Conan, doing what Conan does(well, almost--unlike Kratos, the Conan in this game is pretty chaste overall), and that's always a good time. [Dec 2007, p.86]

With this UMD, you get a wonderful piece of history and two of the best action adventures ever programmed. [Nov 2007, p.82]

Combines absolutely jaw-dropping graphics with familiar platforming/shooting mechanics and genuinely funny humor to make one of the PS3's few true masterpieces. [Dec 2007, p.66]

Overall, NBA 08 looks great and plays smooth, but more importantly, it's a huge improvement over last year's entry. [Dec 2007, p.80]

So while the regular season gameplay has seen some nice overhauling in the last 12 months--including better rebounding and a butter-smooth 60 freames-per-second framerate--NBA 08 delivers a ton more handheld-ready, mini-game action. [Dec 2007, p.80]

Still, it's lovely, good fun, quite challenging, and offers plenty of unlockable incentives and solid online play to keep your foot on the gas. [Dec 2007, p.88]

The mulitplayer is simply outstanding. [Nov 2007, p.83]

About as perfect as games come, and you must play it. [Nov 2007, p.72]

Overall, it's an amazing, oddball game that emphasizes story as heavily as combat. [Dec 2007, p.84]

Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow not only lives up to the high standards set by its predecessor, it actually exceeds them in many ways. [Dec 2007, p.78]

Still, NBA Live 08 can finally give 2K a run for its money and is a serious contender for your basketball dollars. [Dec 2007, p.81]

All of that, combined with a decent variety of gameplay modes and the eight international teams(read:you can also draft international players into your franchise)make NBA Live 08 a great score for PS2 ballers. [Dec 2007, p.81]

Suffice it to say, DDR SuperNOVA 2 is exactly what you expect: even more of the DDR you know and love. [Dec 2007, p.79]

A stunningly realistic simulation, Skate is a deep, eloquent, and completely free-form experience. [Nov 2007, p.80]

An awesome nostalgic package. [Nov 2007, p.86]

With over 70 playable characters, you're sure to be going for a while. [Nov 2007, p.89]

There's really something for everyone in it. [Nov 2007, p.86]

The design is forgiving enough to get plenty of fun out of it. [Nov 2007, p.84]

It's not sloppy, but it lacks a polished tightness. [Nov 2007, p.76]

Beyond that, it is pure dirt racing womderment that serious sim fans will relish in and more casual players will want to push themselves to become more skilled at. [Dec 2007, p.85]

EA's hat-trick, though, goes to the A.I., which will really press you to use strategy, passing, and screens if you want to light the lamp. [Dec 2007, p.82]

That said, "NHL 08's" amazing A.I. and hyper-realistic controls are still a bit more gratifying, but NHL 2k8 offers you an additional choice...and variety is always good. [Dec 2007, p.82]

Original, stylish, entertaining adventure. [Nov 2007, p.89]

Solid fun overall. [Nov 2007, p.84]

The three-on-three team battles add a cool level of strategy, and customizing your characters into blazing fast powerhouses is a blast. [Oct 2007, p.72]

The improved online features should add significant legs to an already full-featured product. [Nov 2007, p.78]

It's not too challenging, but is highly rewarding. [Nov 2007, p.77]

All in all, Level-5 has made a deep, varied, and challenging battle system with a handful of nuances you can utilize to you advantage. [Sept 2007, p.74]

It may start slowly, but we guarantee you won't want to put it down. [Sept 2007, p.78]

Regardless of whether or not you like RPGs you should pick it up, because it's one of the most enjoyable games we've played in a long time. [Sept 2007, p.70]

Only "Fatal Fury 3" remains altogether enjoyable, and is the primary reason to own this compilation. [Nov 2007, p.90]

One of the best entries to the franchise in years. [Nov 2007, p.81]

Way more than a bargain bin-worthy roster update from last year's game. [Nov 2007, p.81]

Sadly, this could've been the best RPG on the PSP to date, but it's marred by an exhausting 2-3 hours of intros and reading (yup, no voices). [Sept 2007, p.82]

It feels much more fun and fresh than its predecessor. [Aug 2007, p.83]

That said, GH Encore is a great game that's just as fun to play as GH1 and 2, and although it's not for everybody, if you're an '80s fan it's absolutely worth the price of admission. [Sept 2007, p.72]

Beats the pants off the PS3 version. [Nov 2007, p.85]

An engaging RPG adventure that's well-suited to the PSP. [Aug 2007, p.85]

Thoroughly enjoyable. [Aug 2007, p.84]

The controls are tight, and the playbook is plenty deep. [Oct 2007, p.80]

Like Sega's "Virtua Tennis", Namco Bandai's Smash Court 3 is very easy to pick up and play, but has significant depth beneath its deceptively simple exterior. [Sept 2007, p.79]

A very frustrating experience, it's also a very rewarding one. [Aug 2007, p.80]

Throw in some of the most comprehensive online options currently available on PS3, and Rainbow Six Vegas delivers great value for the combat sim-minded. [Sept 2007, p.76]

It's definitely old-school, but it's just as fun and charming as it was 20 years ago - only with modern tweaks that make it even better. [Aug 2007, p.83]

Fun, fresh, and fantastic. [Aug 2007, p.85]

The Darkness is brutal in its violence, language, and dark tone. [Aug 2007, p.70]

Ultimate Ninja 2 is still undeniably fun so all that other stuff is just ancillary. [July 2007, p.82]

Our only real complaint is that 40-odd levels weren't enough to satisfy us, but the fact that Crush left us wanting more speaks volumes about its quality. [Sept 2007, p.79]

The witty dialogue, quirky character interactions, and thrill of pursuing totally hot babes are what make Brooktown High a thoroughly engrossing and entertaining sim. [July 2007, p.83]

So, as you've gathered, Odin Sphere is an incredibly deep, incredibly detailed, spectacularly beautiful game--and it doesn't hurt that it plays like a dream, proving that gaming excellence doesn't necessarily require a third dimension. [July 2007, p.76]

The online features are terrific. [Aug 2007, p.84]

Really, Harvest Moon isn't about leveling up skills, getting rich, or beating the system; it's about enjoying idyllic surroundings and having some old-fashioned, farming fun in the process. [July 2007, p.82]

There isn't much variety once you've mastered all four levels, but CAC's multiplayer makes it worth buying. [July 2007, p.84]

While a sloppy port doesn't completely ruin what is otherwise a solid shooter, it does make it the last-resort option when compared to the polished PC and Xbox 360 versions. [June 2007, p.86]

If it weren't for the host of visual and audio glitches that scream "rush job," this would rank as one of the best PS2-to-PSP ports ever. [July 2007, p.83]

The whole experience is definitely still good, but undeniably anticlimactic. [July 2007, p.84]

This PSP racing port of a port delivers the incredible mileage and deep features of the console version, save some graphical downscaling and minor tweaks. [June 2007, p.80]

Sure, it doesn't do anything really new, but it doesn't have to: it's just a lot of fun, and that's more than enough reason to recommend it. [May 2007, p.76]

The PS2 version has a great Auto GPS system in the form of a HUD map that works with voice prompts and really comes in handy when trying to find races. [June 2007, p.80]

All in all, once you get over the fact that Shining Force EXA isn't a "Shining Force" in the strictest sense, you'll be hacking and slashing your way to a darned good time. [May 2007, p.80]

Play Oblivion. It's amazing. [June 2007, p.70]

Push past the initial hump, however, and the RPG elements pull you into an incredibly addictive and enthralling role-playing game experience. [June 2007, p.81]

So do we really need another soccer title like UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 to sink our cleats into? The muddied, slide-tackling answer is yes. [May 2007, p.81]

Even if it didn't have the violence and the gore and the nudity and all that fun stuff, it would still be great game because of its masterful gameplay. [May 2007, p.66]

Call of Duty: Roads to Victory, however, proves that not only can the Big One be done respectably on the small screen, it can at times be downright engaging. [May 2007, p.78]

Still, this is one of the best games on the PS3 at the moment, and given the dearth of titles out there on the console, you can't really go wrong. [Apr 2007, p.80]

Overall, Icon is an incredible first effort that feels like there just wasn't enough time to fully flesh out every feature, but got the core concept nailed. [Apr 2007, p.76]

It's still worth playing, of course, and it's a great way to bide your time until the next-gen "Burnout" hits the streets. [May 2007, p.73]

But hey, at $20, it's hard to go wrong, even if you've played it already. [May 2007, p.81]

Not to worry though, Formula One Championship Edition offers some of the truest-to-life driving we've seen, while also being the Burger King of F1 racers--you can have it your way. [May 2007, p.72]

The PSP version of MLB 07: The Show packs quite a lot of game into a handheld port. [May 2007, p.83]

We loved "MLB 06: The Show." Accordingly, MLB 07: The Show has some huge cleats to fill, which it pretty much does. [Apr 2007, p.88]

Sure, the game is lacking online play, but when a game is as masterful as VF5 is, we can survive without it. [Apr 2007, p.68]

Part of what makes Size Matters so good, though, is that it eschews much of the combat-heavy, Clank-less stuff from "Deadlocked" in favor of a "back to basics" approach that works pretty well on the PSP. [Apr 2007, p.83]

Overall, it's a very good game, and it only costs $20, to boot. [Apr 2007, p.87]

Gurumin might seem too easy for a lot of gamers, especially at the start, but don't be deceived: there are several harder difficulty modes to unlock. [Apr 2007, p.85]

Classic brick-busting and baloon-popping of yore comprise Capcom Puzzle World, with the biggest draw being Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. [Apr 2007, p.87]

Honestly, Winning Eleven 2007 is so fun we can almost forgive Konami for "Bomberman: Act Zero"...almost. [Apr 2007, p.82]

While the graphics are average, the overall presentation is decent--the addition of more conferences, great commentary, and authentic team fight songs make this feel unexpectedly modern for a current-gen...ahem, last-gen game. [Mar 2007, p.84]

RotTK XI manages to breathe fresh life into a stagnant franchise and proves an infectious journey that markedly improves on its predecessors in both style and substance. [Apr 2007, p.84]

Imbalances not withstanding, Rogue galaxy is definitely worth playing. [Mar 2007, p.78]

Anyone who's played "Sid Meier's Pirates!" on the PC or Xbox knows that it's an open-ended pirate adventure that lets you roam the high seas as you please, and this recent PSP port holds true to that style. [Apr 2007, p.84]

The Lockdown Stick returns from last year, giving you the ability to force premature shots or even edge opponents out of bounds. Bottom line: It's fun! [Mar 2007, p.85]

Unless you're a big fan of the show, base your purchase solely on how much you like the new songlist. [Feb. 2007, p.84]

Aside from those problems, Blazing Angels easily transports PS3 gamers back to the Big One, with action and excitement for all. [Feb. 2007, p.78]

It's like a mash-up of the old and new control schemes, which works pretty well. [Jan. 2007, p.82]

This is a game--actually the game--to buy a PSP for. [Feb. 2007, p.74]

When it comes down to it, this game is about playing against real people, online or off, and in that regard, there's little out there that's as gratifying--or impressive. [Jan. 2007, p.74]

Factor in the ability to save in any game at any time and you have yourself another value-packed retro set that's equal parts entertainment and history lesson. [Holiday 2006, p.80]

Once again, SOCOM is one of the better shooters on the PSP. [Feb. 2007, p.81]

Overall, Ultimate Alliance is entertaining no matter which version you decide to play. [Jan. 2007, p.80]

Undoubtedly, Need for Speed: Carbon is a fun game--the racing is solid, there are a lot of cool cars, and the car customization is pretty robust--but your wingman, one of the game's big new features, don't work out as well as they should. [Feb. 20007, p.82]

Despite a few technical snafus, it's impossible not to begrudgingly enjoy Sega Genesis Collection. [Feb. 2007, p.86]

It all adds up to a strong, promising rookie effort, but it sucks that the $20 cheaper current-gen version still has the overall edge on the depth chart. [Jan. 2007, p.79]