If you've been hankering for a good 2D Action RPG that lets you dash around as a half-vampire in a massive dungeon, maybe it's time you go back and check out the game that really started the modern Castlevania phenomenon.

While not the worst game I've played, the combination of a dumb story, repetitive gameplay, and those damn in-battle voice clips made me have to relegate it to the scrap pile.

New unique minigames and a gigantic island to explore makes Lost in Blue 2 an engaging purchase for anyone who can get past the daunting first few hours of extreme survival. However, the one-two combo of a companion who lacks any sort of survival competency and the required precise micromanagement of each character's vital stats can tempt even the most hardened survival buffs to snap their DS clean in half.

There was nothing fun, enjoyable, or remotely redeeming about this game at all. The experience was akin to having a root canal.

So Disney published an RPG with some innovative mini-games utilizing the DS to its full extent. Unfortunately, the rest of the game was garbage.

Nothing more than a short and simple game that provides a thoroughly unsatisfying experience. While the localization is excellent, not only is there not enough of it, what's already there is lost in the torrent of monstrous difficulty, subpar aesthetics, and an overly simplified game system.

The bottom line regarding Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner is that the game is a colossal disappointment.

While part of the fun is in exploration, I just found it very difficult to figure anything out. Add to that a translation that is at times pretty bad and, at points, incomplete (parts of text are just cut off and missing), and you have a game not worth a purchase.

It doesn't have an incredibly lengthy quest or a massive skill system for hardcore RPG fans to dig their teeth into, but Gurumin is the type of game that will snag the attention not only of a core gamer, but also of the younger sibling or sometimes-gamer significant other.

A weak story and semi-clunky controls prevented the game from being a lot more enjoyable. Regardless, it's a good game that has some great style and music with very interesting concepts.

Because of its hybrid nature as an RPG/visual novel, it's quite different from our previous tastes of Gust (in Atelier Iris 1 and 2). And, when you stop and think about how rare the dating-sim, visual novel, and love adventure genres are in the US (some Hirameki titles and a few other obscure releases), it's great to see a game like this represent that faction of Japanese culture, on the PS2 no less.

With an awful plot, some shoddy controls and poor dialogue working against it, you might expect that Rogue Galaxy would receive a poor overall score from me... and you'd be right if it weren't for everything else. The gameplay, in particular, was a saving grace but the music and graphics also pulled this game from the depths of despair into something fun.

InuYasha: Secret of the Divine Jewel is a dud.

If you're into RPGs for that rush of fun and adventure, avoid this game. Heck, avoid the whole Legend of Heroes series. But, if you've stuck it out so far and have enjoyed the storyline created by Falcom, a company respected by many a J-RPG fan, know that this game has a plot that enriches the others even as it proves its own value to the gamers' imagination.

The story was engrossing, getting me engaged from start to finish, and the 2D styles on the characters and environments gave the game some charm.

Overall, this is a Metroidvania game. Get it if you like Metroidvania games. Otherwise, find something else to do with your time. This game does well for what it is, and does not stray even an inch outside.

If you like comic books and action RPGs, I can easily recommend that you purchase this game.

At this point, I don't think it's reasonable to recommend playing this particular version of the game, unless you absolutely loathe voice acting (and/or refined graphics, and/or the PSP as a platform).

A fun, but dated and unoriginal flight through the land of Hyrule. The main quest may be longer than most, and the sidequests may be in abundance, but that doesn't help Twilight Princess from feeling like the same thing we all played nearly ten years ago.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance is the result of two games' worth of experience on Raven Software's part, and it shows.

In the end, if you're a fan of RPGs, the kind of person Square Enix wants to pick up this game, you're going to like Final Fantasy III.

The game is very well balanced.

As with its handheld predecessors, Dark Kingdom is a game that can be enjoyable to hardcore fans of the genre who are willing to overlook its flaws, but probably not to anyone else.

All of the additions to the "Advance" port of Final Fantasy V are worthwhile, but it is a shame that the new jobs and bonus dungeon are only available right at the end of the game.

Another nail in the coffin of the Seiken Densetsu series.

Final Fantasy's final swan song for the PlayStation 2 is a complete masterpiece. Square Enix's attention to detail and love for their craft is embodied through and through. This is an adventure that will, without a doubt, stand the tests of time.

A splendid platform bundled with a highly agreeable romp through a lengthy and entertaining sample adventure. In addition, fan-made modules are already beginning to pop up, and while most are tests and exploratory attempts at present, there are a few coffee-break modules that immediately extend the life of the purchase.

Regardless of how the series pans out, as a stand-alone title .hack//G.U. Vol.1//Rebirth is a fun title to play, especially if you're stuck with a PS2 while everyone else spends big money on the next-gen consoles.