Eighty percent of the included games are fun. The other twenty percent are just plain difficult to play and uninteresting.

The Snowblind engine is as solid as ever, but when transferred to a timeframe where enemies use guns and are able to shoot you from way off screen, the gameplay crumbles pretty quickly.

Lacking refinement and that finesse games like THPS just scream, BMX XXX is just a cheap thrill for a Saturday afternoon when you are really, really bored.

We wanted to like Double D Dodgeball more because of the subject matter, but it simply doesn’t deliver the kind of experience we were hoping for. With better controls, the whole “playing dodgeball in space” thing could have worked. But we found ourselves worrying too much about being a sitting duck on the court to have time to enjoy the special, arcade-y features of Double D Dodgeball.

The fantastic Story mode is what really brings Next Dimension up a few notches over similar titles. While the game lacks Xbox specific perks and isn’t the most deep fighting title, it is still a game no X-Men fan should be without.

Those merely curious will likely be scratching their heads, wondering why they can't download this on their Xbox 360 (Capcom's route).

Fans of the series should definitely give it a shot because the game does do the Wallace & Gromit name justice in every respect. With a little tweaking of the camera and level design Project Zoo could have had a bit more flash, but it still ends up being pretty fun overall.

A serious lack of gameplay depth and overall game length keep me from recommending this game to anyone other than a driving game freak.

The great presentation and audio is what really keeps the game alive. If only the developers would have taken more time and attention to detail in some of the gameplay physics, level design, or graphics this game could have been a contender.

The work that fun labs did on the visuals and parts of the gameplay are commendable and show much promise, but the game is lacking in depth and soul.

The whole presentation seems to be lacking the polish that is evident in other action titles available on the Xbox.

The inclusion of a four-player mode is the only improvement over last years turtle offerings. If there had been more time spent tweaking the turtles fighting moves, working on the wacky controls, and focusing more on fun, this could have been an enjoyable experience.

A great-looking but ultimately unfulfilling experience. There’s a lot of flash and flair, but not a whole lot of substance.

The emphasis was put back on "one shot kills", but it is still too easy to run-and-gun with this level of enemy intelligence. Commanding squad mates is cool, but this just doesn't feel like the Rainbow Six we once knew.

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.

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.

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.

If you can get passed the muddy graphics, dated character design, difficult first person platforming and throwaway multiplayer there is an enjoyable single player campaign to be had.

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.

A great story ties together all things Lost, and the flashbacks are unique, but essentially it’s nothing that we haven’t played before.

The flaws hold the game back from being as entertaining as it could have been, yet its over-the-top take on a classic formula is worth more than a few laughs to fans.

Absolutely rent it for a weekend of mindless fun, but return it and move on. 187 Ride or Die certainly took the best elements of some top-notch titles, but didn't execute any of them in a way not seen before.

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.

Other than its support of Xbox Live, Room Zoom is nothing more than "MicroMachines" on the Xbox. It is still a fun game at times, but we’ve seen very similar titles on older systems like the PS1 and N64.

At the end of the day, Tetris Splash is just plain old Tetris with a new coat of paint. It’s a good break from the day’s usual grind, but nothing really spectacular.

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.

Overall Front Mission Evolved is an enjoyable entry in to the series that takes on a new direction. Veteran action fans might want to skip this title if they are looking for a story to rope them in.

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

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.

A decent physics and handling model, not to mention a solid damage model.

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

It’s visually appealing, but too busy to follow, and while it has lots of fast-paced action, it’s over way too quickly.

MotoGP 08’s physics and handling engine does give us hope for the future, however, but it’s clear that Capcom and company have some work to do to in order for the Xbox version of this series to reach its, um, climax.

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

I wanted to like Missile Command more than I did. While it was fun to play again—and the 400 Microsoft Points price tag (about $5) is a small cost—it’s another case where a control pad isn’t the best input device.

The highlights of the compilation are "Rush 2049," "Hydro Thunder" despite its lack of depth, and "Badlands" for its loveable devotion to the top-down two-dimensional look and surprisingly fun gameplay.

While the controls need tweaking, and the pace of the game slowed at times, the missions and overall experience of flying these planes held some fun to it.

DRIV3R is next-gen in neither concept nor execution. Issues like pop-in should not be a part of a next-gen title. Even though DRIV3R relies much more on driving, it still smacks of the genre innovator, Grand Theft Auto.

With puzzle solving taking a backseat to the action, battling enemies becomes the highlight of A New Beginning. If the nonexistent A.I. and poor camera angles were fixed, completing the adventure would be much more fun.

Fans of the series, both young and old, will surely get a kick out of playing their favorite characters and pummeling their buddies all the way back to Bikini Bottom.

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.

Some players, particularly the hardcore fans, may find the stripped down feel and presentation a cheap reflection of the franchise while others may find the more streamlined gameplay easier to jump into.

A solid addition to Xbox Live Arcade, but it is simply just not the version of the game most of us will expect and prefer. Instead of delivering the NES build of the game, we are given the coin-op version that is designed to take quarters from your pocket, meaning it’s quite difficult, and without the thirty-lives code it gets frustrating very quickly.

Despite the additions of a couple of new moves and a shiny new coat of paint, if you’ve ever played a Dynasty Warriors game before, you’re going to feel like you’ve already played this one as well.

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

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

If the game was a little more difficult and the players weren't limited to one controllable plane, then I would say take a serious look at this one.

With varied levels and several different abilities, there is certainly enough here to warrant the cheap price tag and should be an instant hit with kids.

The progression in the career mode is interesting, and trying to bag a moose from a down-town one-shot-kill is just plain intriguing.

What could have been a very unique and innovative title failed in several key areas. With a very clunky wrestling/fighting engine that will leave the player frustrated, and more than lackluster visuals, Backyard Wrestling needs plenty of touch-ups.

I had a blast playing through the titles I loved as a kid, and even enjoyed playing some of the crappier games I'd never experienced before, and for twenty bones the price isn't bad. For the fun, and nostalgia, the price of admission is worth the ride in this game's case.

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.

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.

There’s no question that Aegis Wing is fun and challenging, but it would be a hard sell if it wasn’t a giveaway.

A perfect rainy day rental, Disney's Chicken Little brings nothing new to the platforming genre, but rather wraps up classic elements into a short and sweet little package.

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.

One of those games which you know is going to grate the nerves from the get-go; a cut-scene to show a door opening?

The trucks give a good sense of weight, but stay away from being too touchy as the game is very much an arcade style driving game. The game's trading system is fairly interesting and adds to the gameplay value, but the overall lack of depth enables the game to become too repetitive too soon.

There are certainly problems with the title, but the same gore and humor from the movies is intact for the game, which is key. Fans will love hearing their hero back in action again, and while short lived, will enjoy taking down the deadites as well.

The game plays pretty decently, looks polished, and sounds just fine. Fans of the movie would love the action in this game, and casual gamers would love the length of the missions. The game’s biggest problem is that it’s so darned short!

Perhaps the biggest downfalls are the targeting and shooting systems (the heart of any third-person game involving guns) which are adventures in their own right, and make for some trying times throughout each mission.

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.

The story is awful and not very engaging, and please don’t get me started on character dialogue.

You will, however, find the console fans bickering about the sluggish play, friendly AI glitches, and the overall lack of excitement that surround this title.

The combat is solid, and the exaggerated spy look/feel to the game gives it an extra something that sets it apart from other combat games. However, the modes aren't varied that much, and the single-payer experience is weak at best, resulting in a title that will be a blast for a few days, and then fades to the back of a collection.

A less-than-premium price would have nearly made everything better. This is a fun movie game that simply doesn’t have the legs that it ought to for 60 dollars.

Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, the developers forgot that a pool game is only as good as its controls, and ended up with a scratch before the first break.

Mindless fun like we have here is really meant to be enjoyed with another person, but unfortunately the co-op mode doesn't offer enough guts.

At budget-price, IF’s fantasy adventure is a consideration for sure, but those that don’t need Spectral Force 3 to complete some odd JRPG collection should save up their scratch for the big boys that will arriving in the fall.

Four player co-op, a few pretty interesting modes, and a solid combat system equals a fair amount of fun.

The game's fleeting moments of atmosphere are occasionally striking, and will be what Deadlight is most remembered for. It's just a shame that there just isn't enough brains to truly sink your teeth into.

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

Combining clichéd gameplay with tired audio elements are plenty to overshadow any promise that the visual style of the game may bring. Just as the game's title character, John Constantine, this game is straddling the place between videogaming heaven and hell.

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.

Although maybe not pulled off with aplomb, Crusty Demons takes advantage of a developer's decent gameplay engine and musters up an entertaining extreme experience.

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.

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.

As a side scrolling shooter, Blowout does a decent job, but as a next-generation title, it just doesn't cut it. There's something to be said for linear, simplistic gameplay, but for most gamers, this takes it a little too far.

It won’t push your skills or teach you the finer points of Hold’em, but as a bargain product, it does an okay job.

The negatives are too much to ignore: idiotic enemy A.I., lack of variety with missions, short lived gameplay, and iffy graphics, to name a few.

A game that has enjoyable moments to it, but suffers from a severe lack of detail. With little variety to the gameplay and no incentive to go through more than once, The Great Escape is a perfect rental.

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.

Hardcore pool players should be pleased with this simulation and ability to compete with online opponents, but for the casual player, World Championship Pool 2004 seems to lack the excitement that attracts today’s gamers.

The game truly is at its finest when you're with a group of allies and you're forced to work against the enemy's onslaught of foes, but sadly there just isn't enough of this to keep anyone coming back to the single player campaign.

If you played SoE on the PS2, chances are you probably won't need to pick up the Xbox version unless you really want some bargain multiplayer action. If you've never played SoE, you'd be hard pressed to find more value for your gaming dollar.

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

Bakugan: Battle Brawlers is an interesting mix of card games, marbles, and minigames that generally comes together well but still lacks in variety.

The perfect title for those fishing enthusiasts that would appreciate the sim-like experience and huge assortment of lures.

LAN party freaks will definitely want to chuck this one in when the Halo multiplayer gets boring, whenever that is.

Minesweeper Flags is well-crafted and easy to play, and the Flags Mode played with others might just be the fresh enough to add replayability to the fundamental gameplay, but it’s just not as smooth as the original, though thankfully it won’t cost you much if you want to verify that for yourself.

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.

Spawn: Armageddon isn’t going to turn the action/adventure category upside down, but it will get the attention of its based-on-a-comic-book competition.

Just completing a single string of pots (the cages the crabs crawl into on the ocean floor, trapping them) in Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm is a long and drawn out experience, with a difficult to master control scheme and layers of strategy and management to contend with. On top of that, it will literally make you seasick. In other words, a total PC game.

Straightforward and simple even for a title of this nature, Ice Age 2 purchased a copy of Platforming for Dummies, and stuck to it perfectly.

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.

It can be fun but flawed, and fans of Worms gameplay will likely find Worms or Worms 2: Armageddon to be more satisfying.

As a complete experience, Dark Void has moments of intense action, broken up by abject foolishness.

The cover system is actually pretty good. The rest of the game, completely rote.