If you’re looking for a game that is fun [and] will allow you to jump right into it, this is definitely the game for you.

Next to Hawk, it's the best extreme sports title on the Xbox.

Gory, sometimes more so than some would like, yet unique and ultimately satisfying.

All of this beauty doesn’t come without a price, however. Because the levels and their separate areas are so detailed, the game must take the time to load up each segment.

Final Fantasy XIII shoves a handful of protagonists in your face that look like they were designed at a cosplay convention and asks you to care about them simply because they’re wearing a beanie, have a cool nickname or speak with a mysterious Australian accent.

Tony Hawk's Project 8 needed to be absolutely mind-blowing for me to catch skate fever once again, and sadly, it just isn’t that spectacular... yet.

If you are not intrigued by intense storylines and great original gameplay at least go give this baby a rent, you will not be disappointed.

The realistic puck physics and new goalie animations are the best additions, but certainly do not make up for the cheap computer A.I. and the Swiss cheese defense.

The controls are responsive, but the A.I. needs a serious overhaul.

At two-thirds the price of Origins with about two-fifths the content, a return trip to the land of Ferelden doesn’t feel like the deal it seemed it would be.

The main issue is that there are a ton of games out this holiday season that are fun from start to finish, while Nuts and Bolts will probably take most of you up to a point before you lose interest in the Lego-like construction projects and the pursuit to beat all of the challenges.

While the atmosphere might not be all there and while the hitting might prove to be intimidating, those who learn to master the nuances of the game will be in for an enjoyable baseball experience.

The single player missions aren't nearly as engrossing as the original story, but the map editor and Xbox Live playability make up for this nicely.

The Jedi Starfighter feels more graceful and precise than the classic starfighters like the X-Wing or even the Tie Fighter, but maybe I was just feeling the Force...yea right.

If you’re looking for a chess match, you’ll probably be disappointed by what’s instead feels like the kind of war game you played with toy soldiers as a kid in the backyard - lots of bodies flying around willy-nilly and lying face first in the dirt.

The primary downside to The Sleeping Dragon is its linear gameplay and simplified control scheme that will turn off some gamers. Overall I felt that TSD was a breath of fresh air.

On one hand, the systems and gameplay here are AWESOME, on the other it seems that lessons learned in making solid single player games that are also co-op or vice-versa have been missed, and missed hard at that.

Whatever small fun that can be gleaned from Red Alert 3 is not worth the hideously poor attempts at humor and bargain basement production values that envelop the final product like a shroud.

Built upon a strong engine, but not doing much to keep up with the Joneses.

In a nut shell, it has a few "neat" things but in the long run they aren't worth the $60 price tag. I recommend waiting for a price reduction or saving your hard earned money for the next "Call of Duty".

Plagued by many flaws in the control system and in collision detection.

The concept is there in spades; it’s the execution that doesn’t go the distance.

Unless you can look past the AI, control, and gameplay flaws, playing through a season will become impossible because after a few games you just lose interest.

Despite the fact that there are a few blemishes on the overall playability for each of the two titles, this classic compilation should earn a spot in the library of those looking for a fun filled look at how videogames were played back in the day.

I found it to be a great-looking game that has some fun challenges—but more often than not ended up being unbalanced and frustrating.

For every moment that Tomb Raider: Underworld shined, there were two or three where I was extremely disappointed. The fact that it feels at spots like a big movie broken up by interactive segments, rather than a deep game with cutscenes to give you a brief respite from the action, was one of the biggest offenses.

Does a great job recreating the epic lightsaber duels that most of us have come to love, but the big question is will gamers be willing to play through the first few mundane missions in order to get to that point? Initially I would have said no, but I was drawn to keep playing regardless of how bad I felt the visuals were, and even as the framerate chugged along at a snail's pace.

Ultimately, it’s Worms’ lack of features that is its downfall. There’s a semblance of a map editor, but there’s no real user control. Why can’t I place my own objects or shape my own terrain? Why do I have to let the computer do it? And why don’t I have access to weapons that past Worms installments have had?

A somewhat dated gameplay engine shows its age on the 360 hardware...Better looking than the regular Xbox version, but not by leaps and bounds.

An intense and fun shooter that will sadly be overlooked by most gamers. The main negative aspect of kill.switch is the longevity; basically there is none. The game can be completed in 5 hours or less even in the hard difficulty level and there are no real extras or multiplayer elements to give it legs.

Some very fun moments arise in the various tournament offerings. Hits in the game make "Madden" look like its players are playing patty cake with each other. Controls could have been handled a bit better but what we have is acceptable.

The game provides a stiff challenge throughout, which may turn off some youngsters that are initially attracted to its cutesy style.

All the titles are direct emulations so the sense of nostalgia is amazing and old-school gamers will dig the inclusion of Game Gear titles, unlockable Genesis games, and a few extras.

The game is a lot of fun, and even though you can play with unlimited continues, Game Achievement challenges are fairly interesting – although a few are very difficult, if not impossible.

If you're a fan of the original Assault Heroes game and you've been itching for more, Assault Heroes 2 is perfect for you. For everyone else, though, it's a tough call. The game adds a few new extras here and there, but it seems a little weak as far as sequels go.

Despite its retrograde interface and game design, Sam & Max Save the World still manages to please the old school gamers in us who have loved this wacky duo for years now.

While SpongeBob Squarepants: The Movie doesn't break any new ground and won't win any game of the year awards it is a solid single player game that will keep youngsters and maybe even people into their 20's busy for at least twelve hours.

Crave substituted in for graphics at the expense of engaging game play, realistic audio, and any other creative ingenuity that could have been used in creating this game.

The hack and slash excellence of Dead Rising 2 returns with the added flavor of photography. It is a win/win situation.

The game may have quite a steep learning curve to overcome, which may turn away a handful of potential fans, but those that are able to work beyond the game's initial challenges may find themselves quickly hooked on a style of gameplay that stimulates the mind rather than the senses.

A solid arcade racer; perhaps the best that has been released on a console. But only you will know for sure if $60 is a worthy asking price for such a simple game.

With very few good puzzle games to be found on the Xbox, Ultra Bust-A-Move climbs to the top in a hurry. It has everything that fans of the genre look for: addictive gameplay, easy controls, and decent visuals.

A welcome addition to this version is two-player, split-screen co-op. It lets a second player drop into the game at any time, thereby doubling the destructive potential.

Fanatical soccer fans who really missed the European tourney mode in "FIFA 2004" may want to pick this game up..."FIFA 2005" is slated to support Live, which makes the purchase a UEFA Euro 2004 that much harder to justify.

Very much an arcade shooter at heart, Revolver has that ability to be a title that can be picked up and played without getting sucked in for hours.

The new dance pad changes the mechanics of dance games a bit for the better even if it is a bit frustrating at times to keep your bearings while on the mat. Bring a spare shirt too because the action is frenzied and sweat is an assurance.

A minor upgrade from "ASB2003."

So it plays better than last year, but not by much. AI problems and new defensive controls take the player out of the b-ball experience.

It’s one of those situations where I felt the potential wasn’t close to being met—what looked like it was going to be a big sandbox of exciting jungle warfare quickly revealed itself as a fairly small rubber stamp. Too bad.

There’s an abundance of things to see and do, and some great moments are present; however, they’re too few and the sense of missed opportunity too strong to make a convincing recommendation.

If you’ve played any of the myriad action/RPG/brawlers starring superheroes culled from the Marvel universe, such as the X-Men Legends games or the original Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, then you’ve played Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2.

Thrillville remains an easy franchise for casual gamers and youngsters alike to pick up and jump right into.

Small Arms looks sharp, sounds great and starts out being fun, but unfortunately doesn’t end up having sustaining gameplay - an issue that’s somewhat offset by the low price tag.

Very primitive, with few options for making it look better.

It locks you into a gameplay hell of sorts, giving you a devil of a time just to try and survive, though rarely making you feel like the reward is worth the incredible effort. Instead of bringing the poem to life, the gamemakers slammed the book on your fingers.

Highly addictive gameplay that lasts for a few hours. A bit basic for a standalone title.

Mindless gameplay could be making its final appearance on the beleaguered Xbox, so players who relish the opportunity at sending a bunch of empty-headed hooligans to an early grave would be wise to shell out for the ticket price.

It’s pure, old-school, side-scrolling action wrapped up in a gorgeous visual package. The game will certainly appeal to fans of the genre, even if they are left scratching their collective heads after trying to make sense of it all.

The overall scope of the story is much deeper and involving than other games, and the inclusion of multiple characters for combat and puzzles adds a bit more depth as well. The experience is still easy though, and won't pose much challenge to anyone over the main demographic.

Although Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground definitely falls into the “good” game category, there’s no denying that the franchise is getting more than a little stale.

So, is GripShift the end all be all of combat racing on the Xbox 360? Not by a long shot. However, the game definitely stands out in its genre and makes it a lot of fun to get behind the wheel to put the pedal to the metal—and has a price tag of only 800 Microsoft Points (or about $10).

Playing single player is good, but getting in on the action with a group of friends really makes it great.

This is a great example of a game that simply settled. It offered a nice selection of game events, but when it came to things like visuals, sound, and overall experience, it felt like there could have been more.

There's simply not too much new here.

A great golf game that actually has pretty impressive physics and realism.

Cute, but not very original. If you really must pay to play a game that would otherwise be available for free on newgrounds.com, go ahead.

The game ranges from moments of great intense action to totally bland and repetitive sections. The developers present all of these cool things to do and then give the player very little control over doing them.

While the retro-gaming experience is partially enhanced (in most cases) by the availability of the analog stick, the core gameplay of all titles remains the same. This is usually a good thing, but some titles should be totally scrapped due to poor design.

The various gameplay elements are hit or miss, but at least it seems to be more hit than miss, despite some glaring flaws.

By far the best Godzilla game to date. It will, however, become quite a boring game after a short while, especially in the single-player modes.

I think there was the potential for greatness, and clearly a lot of time was poured into making it what it is, but the end product is ultimately diminished by its shortcomings.

There’s a lot of familiar gameplay concepts—but there are some prominent flaws that lessens your enjoyment.

A lot of the Xbox crowd won’t be able to cope with the dumbed down AI or the hazy graphics in this title; those that will put up with it are the folk who realize that this is still one of the best military campaign fighters available on the Xbox and a really nice 4 person title.

The best poker game on the market. Not by much, but it is nonetheless. The career mode, quick play, and multiplayer aspects of the game all combine to make a nice little package for your hard-earned twenty bucks.

It’s got a solid storyline and plenty of racy language (although not quite on the level of “Deadwood”), and while the action isn’t groundbreaking, it’s enjoyable. That said, there are a number of places where the game just doesn’t deliver the goods, and we can’t help feeling like this could have just as easily been a last-gen title.

The gameplay for this title is very cinema like. It could almost be a movie in itself. But like a movie, everything is very scripted.

The gamers who are all about gameplay and who could care less about fantasy drafts and eleven players a side aren’t going to be too impressed.

The artists and developers did a great job of capturing the essence of a vast, empty mansion. Every room is well detailed with the flavor of a dusty, cobweb infested, untouched house.

This past year Microsoft put a large amount of time and effort into the creation of XSN, so let’s hope this means they’ll have that extra time to beef up the gameplay and depth of the sports titles themselves for the 2005 season.

Feels as though it could have come straight from the scenes of a '80s B-movie horror flick, with dry characters and gameplay that repeats itself to no end.

The nearly endless ways of offing Kewletts keeps the action fresh when the story starts to get a little slow.

For now, we’ll live with the great graphics, the moderate entertainment value and the few decent changes over last year, but the hope was that WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 would be the “Wrestlemania” of WWE games.

Codemasters was hoping to pull off a serious racing simulation here, but it feels like they feel a bit short in the depth of the game.

It’s a fun game, but pales in comparison to other current music games for the number of playable songs and entertainment value.

Things get stale rather quickly, largely in part to the game's propensity to confining players to a single path through the campaign. The multiplayer doesn't help things along very much.

If you're looking for an insane amount of depth or replayability you're not going to find it in Fruit Ninja Kinect. What you will find is an excellent party game with some neat visual flair. If you need a reason to dust off your kinect and feel like having a few buddies over for a night Kinect fun, then Fruit Ninja Kinect is for you.

The game has enough to put a smile on your face, but it ends too soon. The game is good, but it’s way too short. Just when you really get into it, it’s over.

For fans of Tiger-style golf, you’ll probably be tied between which versions of the game to play; the Xbox version is more feature-rich, but the 360 version looks worlds better.

Sadly it falls into the realm of being one of those games that presents nothing new to the adventure genre and instead relies on the usual puzzle solving and mildly entertaining exploration mechanics of past titles.

The visuals may not be stunning, and the audio won't put any surround sound system through its paces, but Xyanide still packs some nice punch, especially when playing with a friend.

Much like actually an actual off-roading experience, MX vs. ATV Untamed is a good time that occasionally gets bogged down in a muddy mess. The high learning curve and occasional visual letdown can throw a layer of muck over an otherwise prime racing experience.

The visual style, the sounds, and the jokes are straight out of the show, and all come together to create a fun and enjoyable game.

There’s a slight lack of presentation, continuity, and flow to the entire title, which unfortunately breaks Full Auto down to its core elements- combat and racing. While combat and racing are great together, most of us will be yearning for more from next-gen software.

With no disrespect intended to the band or Activision, it seems as if , unless you’re a big Aerosmith junkie, GH: Aerosmith will probably feel like you’re playing an RPG over a friend’s house, when you’d rather be playing a shooter or sports game.

The game felt easier just because of the fact that it holds your hand throughout the journey, and acts like a set of training wheels until the end. That doesn't mean the game isn't fun though.

Lollipop Chainsaw absolutely nails certain aspects of its B-movie influenced aesthetic, not to mention how genuinely surreal and surprisingly inspiring it is to see a major Western publisher like Warner Bros. get behind something so unapologetically bizarre. Lollipop Chainsaw at times is a lot of fun - it's just a shame it's almost as disposable as its titular confection.

Overall it shines brilliantly compared to other titles of its franchise, but still falls short in some areas, mainly having to do with gameplay.

Lack of polish makes Cars a bit crude, but not to the point where it's unplayable. The handling is spot-on – the MX Unleashed guys know their physics.