Sure, the story isn't that deep or developed that well. Yeah, the graphics are not stellar. True, the audio is pretty much a disappointment. But oh that engine. Spartan controls with ease.

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 fast paced action and quick thinking gameplay make for an entertaining experience. Toss in a strong online co-op component, and there’s more than enough to dig its way out from the depths of mediocrity.

The greatest weakness for Freedom Fighters is its length, which is really disappointing considering that overall the game is nothing but an enjoyable thrill ride. As a single-player experience, you can’t do any better than Freedom Fighters.

A few gameplay issues and graphical shortcomings keep the game from being an A+ stellar title, but hardcore Simpsons fans will be more than happy with this baby.

The more players you can get in a game, the more fun it becomes, but single-player is no slouch either, especially with all the extra modes.

I urge every Xboxer to at least rent this one in order to not only relive the past, but to experience the proper design and content for a videogame mix CD.

It's hard to compare FlatOut to the other extreme games on the market, but that's a good thing since it feels fresh in many aspects.

Takes the FPS genre back to its roots. You feel once again like playing the 1993’s Doom shareware edition, now in full 3D.

The game does have several shortcomings, including incredibly tough computer defense, a few glitches in the dynasty mode, and some overly long animations that affect gameplay, but all in all NBA Live 2004 is the best game of the series.

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.

Battlezone is definitely one of those old games that has been vastly surpassed by present-day titles, but it still has the gameplay appeal to make it worth a look.

Whether you’re new to the game or a member of the old high-school chess club, you’ll find the Chessmaster series still holds the crown as “King” of the sixty-four-squared board.

The excellently crafted encounters, tons of extras and story are well worth the price of admission.

Even though the game may get a bit repetitive in time, the fantastic controls and overall solid programming are worth a look.

But more importantly, the developers at 3D Realms (yes, the original devs did this port instead of working on something else, ahem) added a few features to bring the experience up to date without severely affecting the core gameplay.

It plays well, but it feels like Activision is going overboard by not marketing it as DLC instead of a new retail-box release. Also, developer Beenox did a good job, but didn’t add anything of note to the gameplay components to spark interest.

The game is one of the better Westerns we’ve seen on a video game console, and while that’s not saying a whole hell of a lot when you put it into context, it should be taken as faint praise.

Improves upon last year's hack-and-slash fest in every single aspect. The multiplayer action is incredibly fun, but it does take time to get adjusted to the camera angles. The camera isn't too much of a problem in the single-player game, but still provides a few quirks that will cause some frustration.

The wide range of minigames almost guarantees everyone will find at least something they like in the title, and I’ve yet to find anyone who didn’t get a thrill out of the game’s fast paced racing.

Involves enough gaming elements to keep the action/adventure or platformer fan busy.

Call of Duty, while still a very primitive version of what the story would become, flashes some of the brilliance that the series is known for. If you’ve never played it, then you should—if for nothing else than to see just how far we’ve come in games in such a short, short time.

The one thing that’s missing from the package is a multiplayer mode which, while not as important as in other Xbox Live Arcade titles, would have really been icing on this already attractive cake.

Simple, accessible fun for everyone, including all your non-gamer friends and family. Perfect entertainment for the upcoming party-packed season.

The single player campaign mode has a somewhat abrupt ending that doesn’t exactly lend itself to replay value, but there are still tons of activities included in the game, not to mention those that you create for yourself. The multiplayer modes are the most significant innovation in Saints Row.

Should I judge it for the hours of fun I had and its frequent brilliance, ignoring the commensurate hours I sat through some of the most self-indulgent pseudo-intellectual mumbling masquerading as a cutscene since Metal Gear Solid 4 (and the fact that the game drags on approximately five hours longer than it should?)

The new pitching and hitting systems are magic in the making and will really test the baseball gaming market to see if anyone can counter what EA Canada has done with MVP 2003.

Graphically the game is smooth and unique and the sound is simply spectacular. While there aren’t many gameplay options and selecting particular voodoo powers is nonexistent, the rest of the game is solid.