The bone-rattling density of Black's combat makes the nine levels feel like tours of duty with the grizzliest mercenary squads the world has ever seen.

This sturdy racing game features solid racing mechanics and a decent sense of speed, but it's a little unapologetically corny at times.

Using the various bio-augmentations is a hoot (one makes you invulnerable, another slows down time, etc.) Unfortunately, the developers were damn stingy with the save points, which means you'll be replaying some levels more times than you'd like.

Getting the timing down on when to load up the front suspension for extra liftoff on jumps takes a few races, but it quickly becomes second nature. Unfortunately, the game isn't very realistic when it comes to rider collisions.

The sequel to last year's third-person/real-time strategy game set in Star Wars land once again manages to be the 'Nam of Wars games. In other words, the disc does a heck of job of trying to make you feel like you're really "in the sh.t" on Coruscant.

While it’s fun to watch the dwarf hacking away with his ax, the death spells cast by the necromancer make for far more enjoyable viewing.

Using the various bio-augmentations is a hoot (one makes you invulnerable, another slows down time, etc.) Unfortunately, the developers were damn stingy with the save points, which means you'll be replaying some levels more times than you'd like.

While single-player is a mix of the funny and the frustrating, multiplayer, provides its fair share of silly-ass thrills.

Elaborate levels and the multiple paths you can take to solve them go a long way in making you forget about the lack of narrative element.

The crass, lowbrow, and gloriously juvenile Blitz proves that you don't need those fancy NFL-licensed pants to make a quality f'ball sim... Never taking itself too seriously, this shallow Madden instead chooses to revel in the seedy, sex-drugs-rock-and-roll dark side of the pigskin. Which is the side we've always desperately wanted to revel in.

This edition costs only $30, but you essentially get one game, with a lot of variants, for the money. If you want to go retro, you should pick up "Midway Arcade Treasures" for more 2-D bang for less buck.

While the nutball MK mythos is annoying-click through those windy speeches by Raiden as quickly as possible-it's all good once disembodied heads are bouncing around like popcorn.

The developers have managed to squeeze some extra mileage out of the tired "extreme sports" format with a solid racing engine and a trick/combo that will have you linking more tricks together than a prostitute at Charlie Sheen's Playa's Ball.

The single-player campaign is a little too short and too linear, but we're guessing it's probably still about a hundred times more thrilling than anything you'll see in "Episode III" come this May.

With tons of modes, cars, unlockables, plus online play, this disc should keep you busy until your next mullet trim.

Your girlfriend will go batshit for this game. Even if she's always telling you how your games are "juvenile," and that she can't believe "she actually has sex on a regular basis with someone who owns a stupid PlayStation," she'll still love this disc to bits. Trust us.

We're especially fond of the Homecourt Advantage meter, which fills up during games; the closer the score, the louder the fans get and the harder your controller shakes, making it tougher for the visiting team to hit jumpers and free throws.

Greg Gumble and Clark Kellogg do a nice job with postgame highlights and their "Selection Sunday" show lends real NCAA flavor to the proceedings. In the booth, Vern Lundquist and Bill Rafferty do a solid job of keeping commentary interesting.

Sure, you can choose BMX bikes instead of traditional boards, and the soundtrack of punk covers is the best freaking Tony Hawk soundtrack yet, bar none, but whether or not you'll love this game completely depends on how full your Hawk tank already is.

While the nutball MK mythos is annoying—click through those windy speeches by Raiden as quickly as possible—it's all good once disembodied heads are bouncing around like popcorn.

Support for both PS2 Online and Xbox Live 3.0 and a deep franchise mode extend the shelf life of the game well beyond the Home Run Derby and Quickplay options.

Bonus points: "My Sharona," the greatest freakin' song of all time, is one of 30 tracks in the game. Oh, my little pretty one!

Sneaking up on unsuspecting monkeys, cracking them in the head with your stun club, then scooping them up in your net, we confess, is still as much fun as drinking six happy hour-priced banana daiquiris.

Hollywood creature designer Stan Winston lends his psychotic imagination to all of the monstrosities that pop up in the game. Instead of coming from obvious spawning points, creatures emerge from nearly any surface. The technique effectively adds dread to normally benign environments we haven't experienced since our days in the Boy Scouts.

Sure, you can choose BMX bikes instead of traditional boards, and the soundtrack of punk covers is the best freaking Tony Hawk soundtrack yet, bar none, but whether or not you'll love this game completely depends on how full your Hawk tank already is.

While it's fun to watch the dwarf hacking away with his ax, the death spells cast by the necromancer make for far more enjoyable viewing.

Getting the timing down on when to load up the front suspension for extra liftoff on jumps takes a few races, but it quickly becomes second nature. Unfortunately, the game isn’t very realistic when it comes to rider collisions.

A vibrant, eye-popping superhero disc that has more style, wit and compelling gameplay in its first 10 minutes than most games have in their entirety.