The whole experience of Universe at War ends up being one big chore. If the single player is dull, and the multiplayer is broken, all you’ve got left is playing skirmish mode by yourself. And that will get old after a while anyway.

While it’s clear that Asobo spent ample time in perfecting the tech that’s needed to enable a speedy racing game to run smoothly for hundreds of (no-load) miles on end, more attention needed to be paid to the fleshing out the Career objectives and tightening up the overall presentation package.

Graphic ho’s will also marvel at how Ubisoft Romania managed to make each frame of action look like a professional oil painting depicting the harsh but strangely beautiful skies of WWII.

New pitching and hitting dynamics make this a fun romp, but its next-gen worthiness is in question.

Mafia contains none of the features which make a game next-gen on the Xbox. There is no online, multiplayer, or system link play. The game is brought to us by a two year old pc game so it is safe to say that the graphics have been seen before.

The game's not perfect but it is leaps and bounds above what we've come to expect from current casino games.

The golf is challenging-not an arcade-like game that makes it easy for you to whack the ball at the flag with every swing.

It’s fantastic fun for a same-screen multiplayer game, and could foster the kind of trash talk we like our games like that to elicit.

The linear gameplay, camera system and shortness of the game make this not a title for everyone, but it still warrants a glance just to witness the goodness that is Rare.

The game is simply way more fun playing with friends than all by your lonely, and if you do play by yourself you’ll be way challenged to complete the game solo, even on the lower difficulty levels. It just doesn’t scale down that much.

A bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing - masked behind pedestrian visuals, a mediocre soundtrack, and a rocky release to market with the whole 3DO debacle, is a racing game with absolutely incredible physics and handling and a fun career mode.

It's engaging but too short. It's pretty but not beautiful enough for its genre. Its gameplay is innovative but it doesn't function as well as it should. There's a lot to like here, but just as much to dislike.

Simple gameplay, great presentation and a finely tuned balance of luck and skill are the elements that made Lost Cities a hit with card- and board-game fans, and this version just makes all of that even better.

Stick to the four or better multiplayer mayhem, and you’ll find Shred Nebula offers you more than enough bang for your ten space bucks.

Gameplay is fast and furious which sometimes makes bike control a real shot in the dark.

The negative points of the title will be obvious to anyone not blinded by their love of the Matrix. Although most are mediocre they still add up to an unfinished, unpolished video game based on a super-popular movie franchise.

The course design is the real highlight within 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures, with gameplay that will frustrate until you figure out every detail of each hole, something that will take longer than most would care to spend with a XBLA game.

Combat is a bit chunky and seems to be a crap shoot most of the time. RTS elements are strong and keep interest levels high. Enemy A.I. is suspect.

THPS HD is certainly good enough, but it's at least a half rotation away from being worthy of the record books.

A truly great gameplay experience for those who can appreciate the slower manner of play. Some of the tasks can be a bit laborious which could deter some weary newbies to laying down there hard earned green for this one. Be advised, you'd be missing out on a real gem.

Pretty fun. It won’t stop me from occasionally busting out NFL Blitz 2000 for the Dreamcast once in a while, but I know it will be a hit when the friends come over to watch the NFL this weekend.

To Ubisoft’s credit, they did as much as they really could have with the original content, and should be merited for the game’s feature set; especially the online four player co-op.

Trivial Pursuit on the Xbox 360 is a pretty well-made digital adaptation of a board game classic. But its flaws are also rather glaring, especially the lack of online play.

The graphics are sound and the audio is decent, but the gameplay is just not enough to make this a great game. There is poor movement, it’s a poor attack engine, and there were just too many holes in the gameplay.

There’s plenty of nostalgic, and newly added, fun to be had in Robotron: 2084. Both those who have played the original to death and those who have never blasted their way through the game will have tons of fun with the added multiplayer features.

I don’t need games that make me this mad for so little payoff.

It seems as if the developers have done everything they can to make the experience authentic for nostalgia-starved fans of the original. The rest of us just see a dated game, with dated graphics, providing us with a solid, yet un-evolved take on the turn-based strategy genre. It does what it does great. The question is, is that what you want to do?

Aside from difficulty lining up the long shots, Bankshot Billiards 2 is an extremely fun title for all ages, and one that can be enjoyed via Xbox Live or solo-style.

The game is relatively easy, and even with the additional challenges that pop up in each round, most will have no problem breezing through the game. Still, the experience is fun while it lasts.

In this game, most of the 12 achievements offered are for snagging the fruit in each level, with the others being for slamming two enemies with a single rock, dispatching four creatures with a single rock and (the nearly impossible) clearing a whole level’s soil.

While skin-deep beauty may work for the video medium, the word “game” in “video game” means that software needs to be more substantial in order to entertain the majority of its audience. With that said, the stylized souls—perhaps those that can look past the dysfunctional side of haute couture—will have a hard time disliking Afro Samurai.

As much as I like being beaten unmercifully by a duck in a fedora, it can become frustrating and a bit repetitive after a few rounds.

Although the lackluster land gameplay drags the experience down a bit, the sailing parts of the game are just so exciting and enthralling that you can totally forget about the less riveting parts of the game. I do prefer Bethesda's other published RPG, "Morrowind," because there is simply more to do.

So, if you’ve worn out a few dance pads in your day, you’ll probably want to skip this trip to the digital disco. However, if you’re brand spankin’ new to the DDR universe, you won’t find a better place to start your rump-shakin’ career.

With all of the games available on Xbox Live, it’s pretty hard to find something that actually feels completely original, but Elements of Destruction does just that. The game’s blending of strategy and action, mixed in with a meteorological arsenal that would bring a tear to Willard Scott’s eye, all come together to make this a title that deserves a spot on most Xbox 360 owners’ extended forecast.

The platforming leaves a little to be desired, but the rest of the game is varied and challenging enough to keep you entertained.

For a quick-hit classic gaming experience via XBLA, you really can’t go wrong with Ms. Pac-Man. Sure, the game is way simple, but 1981 was a simple time; maybe not in terms of synth pop, but definitely in terms of video games.

As a whole package, Quantum of Solace doesn’t quite cut it. It’s a decent game held back by the constraints of its license, which should be the thing that elevates the product. Treyarch did their best with what they had, but it’s not enough to elevate this game to superspy status.

At 560 Microsoft Points, the add-on is a bit steep with its lack of content and for the casual player, but for the completionist who want to absorb the complete canon of the series and prepare for the next game, it's worth a stab.

As an avid poker player, it was fun to see a twist on the game offered on XBLA. And while Texas Cheat ’Em isn’t going to be a blockbuster hit because of its niche-like following and gameplay redundancy, it’s a fun contest for those who are familiar with poker or would like to mess around with a poker variant that has a devious side.

Licensed audio tracks ands voice acting from the movie makes the audio worth listening to.

While Batman Begins tries to introduce the concept of fear into the stealth/action genre, it needs a bit more fleshing out. The linearity of the gameplay prevents you from creating your own "fear events" and keeps things limited to scripted cinematic events.

Does a good job of topping the other hit Capcom fighter, "Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO." It provides better control with more familiar characters, as well as adding the tagging feature.

It's a fun game for fans of "Super Smash Brothers" and a fun game for fans of the 2D fighters of yesteryear.

While the game does deliver on a lot of the essentials of hunting, it also lacks in certain areas as well. The controls feel unresponsive, and the overall pacing of the game is sluggish. The animal A.I. isn’t great, and the graphics are down right ugly.

Simply doesn’t deliver what Xbox’ers are used to in terms of a quality first-person shooter.

This game without the Godfather license could have been great, and they wouldn’t have had to have changed too much either to the core gameplay. But with the awkward-fitting pelt of Coppola’s murdered masterpiece on its shoulders, it will be hard for people to discover the really well-designed hybrid-type game underneath.

Although the combat lacks fluidity, and the gameplay needs help in the innovation category, Oogie's Revenge stays truthful to the film from which it was spawned, and is sure to please fans.

A racer that is solid at its core, but it does little to make itself stand out in a sea of competent motorsports titles for the Xbox 360. There’s value in Baja: Edge of Control’s premium asking price, but it’s really hard to imagine said value being squeezed out by anyone other than desert or simulation game racing fanatics.

Refining the cover and inventory systems would have gone a long way in making Kane & Lynch: Dead Men more user friendly. Hit detection needs work. The story is engrossing and well-executed.

The only major advantage that Rivals holds over the other Xbox hockey titles is XSN support, but even that can’t make up for the lackluster gameplay, absence of depth, and mediocre visuals.

And for a family-friendly diversion that should keep the kiddies busy for quite some time, Feeding Frenzy 2 really nails it.

C’mon folks, it’s DDR. If you’ve got the slightest interest in dancing to the beat on your Xbox 360, this is the way to go.

After the first few missions, you’ll have some strong challenge—and the need to reequip your mech to match the adversaries you’ll face. It just feels shallow, though, like there wasn’t much creativity poured into it.

Deer Hunt has incredibly deep and challenging gameplay that is coupled with fairly decent visuals and top notch Dolby 5.1 audio. Perhaps now I can understand why hunting appeals to so many people around the world; the thrill of the hunt.

With videogame versions, it’s all about the features and spit and polish. Shotest Shogi does some of those things very well, but ultimately new converts will enjoy it more. It’s a great introduction to a classic game of strategy.

What is new is very good, sadly the new material is in fairly short supply in Pac-Man World 3.

Definitely has an intriguing storyline, but the repetitive gameplay and static camera hurts what could have been a much better effort.

The visual style and animations, brilliant level design and well thought out puzzles equate to an overall gem of an Xbox Live Arcade game.

If multiplayer coin-op games that can be played over Xbox Live sounds appealing, then Gauntlet is surely worth the few bucks it costs to download it. I’m warning you know though: Gauntlet isn’t really about skill - it’s more about having enough credits to finish the entire game.

With its new style of match play and chi attacks, Tao Feng offers up the next step in the evolution of console fighters, designed by none other than those who helped create the genre from the beginning.

Crash "N' Burn will frustrate the hell out of you since it demands so much more from its competitors than nearly every other arcade-type extreme racer.

It might be tough to pinpoint one single aspect of the game that shines above the rest, but it's an overall functional package that will help the pain until the big show comes back in town next season.

Somehow the simple mission style, sharp cheddar-y dialog and voice work, upgrade-unlock-chase (that is in every game these days), and straight-forward controls do add up to having some real charm.

A Hero's Tail does a good job at starting to expand Spyro's world in a few new directions with additional playable characters, but it's just a start.

Crystal Quest tries its hardest to bring a slower variation of the style and substance that Geometry Wars so expertly crafted but it falls short of delivering the overall fun factor that other XBLA games have.

It has some really nice features, but for every nice one, there are an equal number of strange design choices or flaws.

A failure to tread any new ground thematically or even current ground mechanically dooms Aliens vs. Predator to a place in the collections of only the most die-hard fans of the universe, who will play through the game once and relegate it to the same shelf of shame occupied by their AVP Requiem DVDs.

It’s not going to rival a Modern Warfare 2 or Assassin’s Creed II with its depth, but for what it does, it’s worth the 800 Microsoft Points (or about $10) that’s the price of admission.

Playing the original ROM of Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe is great, but we were hoping that the Xbox Live Arcade graphically enhanced gameplay would be a bit better.

The overall look of the movie was transferred over well, but the wacky controls and the repetitive gameplay hold this title back.

Very slow moving and occasionally frustrating is the best way to describe the gameplay in Operation Flashpoint. The vehicles feel entirely too clunky and hurt the otherwise functional gameplay.

It’s a lot of the same thing, with a load of space battles awaiting your arrival. It doesn’t take long for you to become frustrated and perhaps even bored by the repetitive action.

Nexuiz meets the bar of quality you'd expect from a console arena shooter, and does very little to rise above it. If that's enough for you, Nexuiz will not disappoint.

With smoother animation transitions, a better framerate, and a tad more pace, NBA Live 06 will look silly-good, as the rendering and motion capture is already there.

The game will definitely have you busting a gut laughing and is even better when shared with friends. The single player mode, graphics, and especially audio are really polished but the game still feels like it could have used a little more "umph".

Other than the split-screen camera, there are no aspects of Alias that haven’t been done before and better. The simple combat system can turn out some pretty cool fights, but there is no flow to the game with the constant interruptions from HQ and the multitude of save points.

Varying levels of seriousness in the users that gather to play 3 on 3 NHL Arcade in ranked or unranked online matches creates a fresh, party-style atmosphere that works within the confines of XBLA.

In Mad Doc’s defense, space flyers are hella-hard to pull of right, and sadly, I can’t say this one was pulled off right enough for me to recommend it to those that aren’t Trekkites.

The XMP mode can be a ton of fun with at least 4-on-4, but with any less it seems rather slow and unsatisfying. The visuals are unimpressive, minus the nice weapon particle effects.

Even if you bump into another car, you always seem to be the one who takes the force of the impact while the opponent carries on. Needless to say, I had a few words to scream each time this happened.

Die-hard fans of the game will like the easy-to-read cards and varieties in the game types; all that a heartthrob needs in any convenient, downloadable format.

The issue becomes whether you’ll try to fight through the hurdles (natural and unnatural) to milk some fun out of it. It’s in there, but it doesn’t seem as if it’ll sustain you for very long.

Even though Wheelman combines myriad genres, gameplay styles and presentation references into a single title, it actually pulls it off quite well.

While the AI isn’t horrible (at times it can be very challenging) you will find it funny to have a horde of enemies coming at you, all too timid to shoot... Mace has not only stood up to my expectations, but crushed them and left me very happy.

Want a better baseball video game experience? Unfortunately it’s on the PS3 with MLB The Show. Xbox 360 gamers are stuck with this rough-hewn and frustrating game that could have otherwise been a gem. Instead, that no-hitter in the bottom of the ninth got broken up by a grand slam.

While Need for Speed Undercover delivers in the areas of cinematic production, audio, visuals and through its sweet vehicle roster, it falls a bit short in the realm of top-tier, arcade-quality handling models.

Phantasy Star Universe seems far too content to wallow in its mediocrity. The story kind of lumbers along until its conclusion, and while there’s fun to be had with character progression, the plotline never really grabs hold of you and demands your attention.

The cut scenes are gorgeous, the mech design is cool, the overall art style is kind of awesome… but the game itself isn’t really worth it.

A very straightforward version of the titles we hold dear in the watercraft racing genre, with Xbox Live giving it a little kick in the ass.

Sadly, simply being a better console RTS does not mean it matches up to the great PC RTS games most gamers are accustomed to.

Platform junkies will dig the challenges and combinations of different powers each character has, movie fans will enjoy the continuation of the story and their favorite characters, and gamers just looking for an innocent rental won't be disappointed either.

Better than last year's game but only because of the innovative use of the trick stick on offense and defense. A few hiccups such as the unavoidable juke animations hurt the experience a bit but it's still fun while it lasts.

Despite its less-than-thrilling presentation, it doesn’t change the fact that the Bass Pro Shops: The Strike bundle with the controller is actually the best fishing experience you’ll find on the X360.

The online options are a worthy addition, but the game's sound and graphical abilities are severely lacking even if some of the presentation is borrowed from the television series.

The battles between the creatures feel slow, and border on boring. The intensity that should be felt from fighting as a giant lizard wasn't felt, and that is a shame.

Even with some of the gameplay issues that, if avoided, could have helped to make a better overall game, FIFA Street 3 is still a fun pick-up-and-play experience for the raving soccer fan.

You’ll play it for a few hours, then take it online, play for awhile longer, then you’ll be done with it. It’s fun for the time that it lasts, and will definitely last you longer than the more expensive value meal that you’ll be buying.