Offers a friendly mixture of hands-on fighting and strategy. Certainly the game's portable nature and multiple story paths ensure ample bang for your buck. The game's graphical problems are bad enough, however, that you really ought to rent before you buy.

It was a little heartbreaking to notice that Pure's controls were stiffer than XL; the aircrafts aren't quite as floaty and they don't respond as instantly either. So once again, those who were wishing for an XL-feeling WipeOut are left out in the dark.

NBA is beyond lackluster and barebones, it’s downright sloppy. Launch title or not, this may very well be 989’s worst sports effort since the first PS2 "GameDay" title.

For others who appreciate a little strategy to go with their shooting, Brothers in Arms delivers a rather intense war-playing experience that goes along with a fascinating story told from the perspective of the soldiers who lived it.

The game has so many technical flaws that you simply cannot enjoy the experience.

One of the biggest draws of Super Monkey Ball is the addictive multi-player games, all of which included here, and are unlocked from the get go.

Overall, the graphics in Rivals do justice to the Underground faceplate. All of the signature visual touches are present, including the dark settings, the lighting effects, the blurring, the flaring, and so on. Likewise, the sense of speed is exhilarating.

Chances are, however, that no one is going to buy or rent this game just so they can unlock the Edmonton Oilers' Wayne Gretzky that scored 50 goals in 39 games during the 1981 season.

989 has done a tremendous job improving MLB this year, seemingly making two years worth of progress in just one. There’s no question if you want to manage every aspect of a franchise, that MLB is the best game for you.

A crazy mix of the first two Devil May Cry titles, with a bit of innovation and a more upbeat Dante. The action is flawless.

It really is that good, and once you score your first knockdown, chances are that you’ll get as hooked as I have.

Despite a lot of good things, MLB 2K5 just isn’t the overall package that "MVP 2005" is.

Restores any luster to the series that may have been lost with the mediocre reception of "Tekken 4." Its full complement of fighters, sweet visuals, various modes of play, and hidden goodies will keep players coming back for months.

Without a doubt one of the most gorgeous videogames of this generation. Gran Turismo 4 is a masterpiece and there's no two ways about it.

There’s a solid base for a franchise in FIFA Street, but it’s buried under several layers of crap, so you’re not likely to have much fun with it.

The best-playing baseball game available this year, although its presentation is the weakest.

Constantine (the game) is terrible... In the early days of the PS2, Constantine would've been cutting-edge; a fun action romp. But this is 2005, not 2001. We demand that games look, sound, and play better than this.

I can’t take any more, this game is awful.

Personally, I had fun with Return to Arms, despite its flaws… until the end. I won’t spoil anything, but after 20 hours, one would expect more than the anticlimax at the end of the journey.

It’s a good thing WE8’s gameplay is so good, because it takes your mind off the uninspired visuals and average audio.

A lousy game through and through. Like “The Guy Game” it provides little more than a flimsy premise to hide the fact that all there is to do is see breasts on your Playstation 2. From both a game play and technical standpoint, this game is a mess.

One of the few games that has a lot of flaws but still manages to be a blast to play. There are numerous glitches and bugs, and the game’s pacing can be a bit slow (driving from area to area), but once you get in a big ol’ firefight, those things become distant memories.

A fun game – for a few hours. If you’re playing the series for the first time, the game is certainly better than the first NFL Street, but it still lacks replay value.

Many of the additions feel like things that they didn’t have time to add to the last game, and the whole experience feels uninspired. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but Warrior Within is one big letdown.

For a $20 budget title, the game does feature a robust amount of gameplay options, characters, and even online play; but its repetitive presentation, sloppy controls, and slow pace of play remind you of why the game will only sent you back twenty bones.

More of a disappointment, than it is a bad game. It’s entertaining, but there was so much to work with here that the end result is unfulfilling.

Just based solely on its gunplay, Alien Hominid is worthy of mention in the same breath as classic shoot-'em-ups like Contra and Metal Slug. Nonetheless, it is the game's uniquely refreshing (albeit crude) visual style and attitude that justifies the price of admission.

I wish the presentation were more exciting, particularly the graphics, which could possibly put poker newbies to sleep before the first hand is over, but the game makes up for that shortcoming (somewhat) thanks to its deep selection of poker variants and tournaments.

The character development...oh, man...the character development is unbelievable. Seeing such fantastic depth in these characters completely blew me away; some of them feel so life-like it's quite frightening.

Solid game + hilarious translation + cheap price = MUST BUY.

Certainly isn't the worst 2D fighting game ever made, but when you take into account the lack of effort on Capcom's part, the number of fan-favorite fighters that didn't make it onto the roster, and the complete lack of any sort of character building or online play features, it's tough to recommend this game to anybody.

The game is very good in its own right, and for DBZ fans this is a must have title.

If you’re over 30 years old and grew up playing pinball, then Pinball Hall of Fame, at its current $10 price is certainly worth picking up. Unfortunately, the gameplay is limited due to the poor ball physics, lack of analog flippers, and questionable table selection.

A one trick pony--a no-frills wrestling game that tries to compensate for its lack of modes and options by providing all-out titillation. If that's what you're looking for, then, by all means, rush out and buy this game. You won't be disappointed. Just don't expect a rich experience underneath the jiggling flesh.

Truly is a no-brainer. So long as you have at least a slight interest in karaoke, you should get it--whether or not you already own any of the previous volumes.

The camera simply cannot detect movements accurately enough to make replaying games for a high score a viable option, since you’ll often not get credit for things you did correctly.

The game's got a bevy of problems, including boring gameplay, a horrendous framerate, and lousy aiming.

Don't bother renting or buying this game if you're only mildly interested in the Godzilla concept, felt the previous game sucked, or consider yourself a fighting game snob. The best thing about Godzilla: Save The Earth is that Godzilla is in it.

If you're older than 12, you have no business playing this game.

It’s a very good game, but there’s just not enough improvement, and the big new features like online play and wrestlers’ voices couldn’t have been done any worse than they were.

Has a number of fantastic games on it that will have you coming back for more every so often, but these games have been released in previous collections already, and the omission of Sonic CD (considered the best Sonic to date) and Knuckles & Chaotix, while expected, is a letdown.

Visually, San Andreas is pretty lackluster. The game doesn't display a single "wow" element in its visuals. The framerate is still too jerky and the pop-up is absolutely disastrous.

Despite its few visual sore spots, it's one wonderfully sharp looking title with an addictive nature that'll have you pressing for more.

Despite being a so-called "budget" game, Scaler's production values are more in line with full-priced software. The graphics are sharp, the polygon count is high, the sight distance is far, the bosses are large, and there's a goodly amount of animation to see (not just in the characters, but in the environment as well).

Ultimately, the game's biggest flaw is its duration. Most players will only need two or three hours to complete the final level.

Really the only thing Battle Nexus has going for it is the original TMNT arcade game being included, but even that stinks because you are forced to play through a good part of the new game to unlock the 15 year old game that’s 5 times better.

Those who are fans of the FIFA series will not be as disappointed as last year, but may still feel there is something missing that hasn’t been there since the 32-bit era.

Surprisingly, this game has a ton of staying power. Among the hundred or so people you can talk to, there are a dozen different girls to pick up and at least twice that number that send Larry on fetch tasks or trigger funny events. And I don't mean sort of funny. We're talking wack to the extreme.

The off-sync graphics are more humorous than they ought to be, the lyrics display makes it tough to keep up with subsequent verses, the censoring on some tracks is hit or miss, and the arrangement of some tracks puts focus on verses and choruses that aren't the main parts of the rap. Individually, any of those problems could be forgiven. Taken together, they make it tough to recommend this game to longtime fans of rap and hip-hop.

Let's assume that you're still interested in Robotech: Invasion even after hearing about how lifeless the Invid are, how weak the Cyclone concept is, and how the game doesn't try to mimic too closely the sights and sound of the cartoon it's based on. At $20 MSRP, it's worth the "risk" so long as you remotely care about Robotech and are curious to find out how the whole thing ends.

The game does feel quite a bit like "THUG," but if you haven't played a Tony Hawk game in a year or longer, you'll be pretty impressed with THUG 2.

While seasoned gamers will be turned off by the game's countless cheap deaths, bad controls, inept camera and uninspired gameplay, Crash rookies might find something to like.

The game's soundtrack is awesome, but since many of the songs are old and/or obscure, some of the charm may be lost on the target audience.

Taken strictly as a puzzle game, it's pretty good. However, when you factor in the surreal Yellow Submarine style cinemas, the happy-happy music, the twisted dialogue, and the sole play mechanic of steamrolling people and towns into a giant ball of stuff, the end product is one of the most unique and altogether satisfying games ever published for the PlayStation 2.

An exceptional game. Feel free to pick it up just to see your favorite rap stars and thugs beat up one another. You'll end up getting a nicely designed fighting game in the process.

Very enjoyable and easy to pick up and play. With a story that’s interesting and game play that is simple but fun, you’ll get hooked pretty quickly.

The game's got an intense story, great music, and solid voice acting; but problems like poor controls, frustrating gameplay, and a general lack of polish keep the game from earning a gaming medal of honor.

May very well go down in the books as the finest arcade racing game of all time, and one of the best titles the racing genre has ever seen.

The career mode while a nice idea, is boring, the physics are questionable, and while there is multi-player, the lack of online support is sorely missed. If you can pick it up for a good price, and you know what you're getting into, then it could be worth a purchase.

The sound effects for the cars are fine, and you can actually hear the effect that the different exhaust and exhaust upgrades have on each car. Whine about Electronic Arts all you want--at least they have the resources to put good soundtracks in their games.

Visually, the game is a stunner.

A shame, not because I feel teenagers shouldn't be allowed to watch dumb women take their tops off, but because they'll end up buying a crappy game to do so.

If you already own Viewtiful Joe for the GameCube, you probably shouldn't let the inclusion of Dante lure you into buying the game again for the PS2. It's the same game, just one year later.

If you're not going to play this game online, you don't need it, you won't like it, and you'll be mad that you paid full price for it.

It's a fine effort, and the additions to the game generally improved the overall experience - but it just doesn't feel like enough.

While the majority of the gameplay is above average, the game’s bevy of technical issues kill any hopes that a hardcore fan would be satisfied with this game in the long term.

The lack of any direct competition seems to be taking its toll on the series as each year it feels like it's slipping ever so slightly in quality.

Once again, most songs are performed by studio musicians instead of the original artists. That’s actually fairly typical of karaoke CD’s.

Just recreating the city and getting the web slinging right is impressive on its own, but they aren’t enough to keep the game from getting stale too quickly. The game can be beaten in less than ten hours, and while that’s only 50% if you haven’t gotten all the bonus hidden stuff, there’s not really anything interesting enough to entice you to keep playing.

If you're the kind of person that wants a baseball videogame with trick pitches, turbo boosts, and sucker punches, then I have little doubt that you'll appreciate Midway's take on America's national pastime.

A must-have for any old-school wrestling fan. However, if you’re a more recent fan of the WWE, or you’re just a casual fan, there isn’t enough depth to the game, nor is the gameplay solid enough to warrant a purchase.

A buggy, unfinished and uninspired game.

Unfortunately, it’s near impossible to look past getting stuck in canyons with seemingly no way out, missing a jump and having to backtrack for five minutes, and endless load times to simply refill your health.

If you take the time to unlock everyone, and you have the time and ability to go online, then you’ll have a great time. However, if you are just interested in playing some quick games with good players, you can’t, because they’re all locked.

If you've got nothing else better to do, then Destruction Derby Arenas can kill a few hours of your time. Provided you're not expecting too much out of the game, you'll have some fun in a "it's always fun to smash cars" sort of way.

If you look at where the series was the last time we saw it, the turnaround that the MLB series has experienced is amazing.

The Suffering has a lot of good stuff going for it – scary creatures, fast-moving gameplay, and a good story. It also has enough flaws that anyone who’s grown tired of the genre will likely be unable to look past its faults.

A solid, but unspectacular game. It’s not that it’s a bad game, but it doesn’t really break any new ground, and it doesn’t do any one thing particularly well.

The game can be a little easy at times, and the short levels hurt the flow of the game, but if you’ve been a fan of 007 on the big screen or on a console, you won’t be disappointed by his latest outing.

While it is by no means a bad game, there’s just not enough substance to it, and the controls, which were touted as being revolutionary, are below average.

The camera is atrocious, the graphics are bland, and the voice acting is lousy. The concept is cool, but after two mediocre games, it looks like it’s time for Sega to put down the Shinobi series once and for all.

The PS2 Heroes is by far the worst looking of the three. Generally there isn't much of a change in a game's visuals if it's designed for all three consoles, but the underpowered Playstation 2 really takes a beating this time around.

The in game music does not really make an impact on the player, with boring melodies that are simple and repetitive.

A fun game to play, but it does have a lot of flaws that will keep you from enjoying it like you did with NBA Street. The single player mode is frustrating and time consuming, but it’s a necessary evil if you want to beef up your team to play online or against friends.

Ultimately, the main reason to pick up this 2-pack is its "bang for the buck." Two excellent fighting games for $30 is a bargain.

It's unfortunate that Manhunt becomes such a redundant game so quickly. The game employs a few very good concepts, but they are off-set by the game's mediocrity and pointless gore.

An unoriginal game that fails to improve on any of the games it emulates. It’s just another game in a long line of “me too” cookie-cutter platformers that fills the stores around Christmas time.

If you’re curious, spend one of those new twenties in your wallet on some old favorites.

Sometimes it’s just too darn hard to figure out what you need to do, or where you need to go.

The enchanting, soft and glossy graphics will draw you in; the spot-on controls and level design come together with what's one of the best-integrated and most sophisticated storylines I've ever seen in a game, and will keep you there, stuck like a genie in a bottle.

The game’s technical flaws are minor, and the game’s only other negative point is that it’s somewhat short.

EyeToy: Play doesn’t have complex graphics, nor will any of the sound effects or songs blow you away. Despite the fact that the games are simple, they almost all manage to be fun to play alone, or with a group of people.

Some of the new additions are a breath of fresh air, while others feel like they were thrown in simply for lack of better ideas.

It's one of the best games of the year, no doubt, and anybody who denies the game that much is a tree-smoking psychopath.

The gameplay is absolutely phenomenal, as this is single-handedly one of the most environmentally open games since "Midnight Club" and "ATV: Offroad Fury."

Stands out among the pack as one of the most awe-inspired games to hit a console since the release of "Final Fantasy VII." The unbelievably gorgeous visuals, that feature a level of detail never quite seen in a game before, are beyond words. Describing something as beautiful as ICO is hard to do. ICO is hands-down the best adventure/puzzle game of our time.

YOU MUST GET GT3! Your life depends on it!

An adventure title that is longer than most others. It features 15 levels, with 5 tokens to be collected in each level, mini games, 15 mini bosses, 5 bosses, beautiful FMV's, colorful areas, free movement, and so much more that my fingers can break from writing so much info.