Here's a dumb idea: rushing an expansion by regurgitating nearly all of the original game and delivering minimal compelling content. Here's a dumber one: charing $10 more than normal so unsuspecting consumers will pad your fiscal third quarter.

Savage and Pandemic should be applauded for cramming as much of the Battlefront experience into the PSP, but we can always play what-if, and the omission of even online play is a pretty serious shortcoming. It's good, but not must-have good.

The game is technically proficient but unfortunately Sports Champions 2 fails to offer the unique and interesting events that the original did. There are better examples of most of the sports in other packages or more focused games.

A worthwhile experience – especially if you’re a parent looking for something for kids that won’t bore you to tears.

There's so much failed potential here that it makes me sick. Sure, Ecko and The Collective may have a stiffy for 1984, but there's really nothing wrong with that. It's the forced stealth and the hideous combat that killed the game, not the atmosphere.

Suffice it to say, 1942: Joint Strike is a fun diversion for those who aren't accustomed to the ins and outs of vertical shoot-em-ups and a great throwback for those who are. What it lacks in techno music, vector graphics, or shtick, it more than makes up for with a solid experience that can be enjoyed singly or cooperatively.

It's not really possible at this point to be wowed by an arcade collection, but at least Capcom Arcade Cabinet puts a layer of shine on some of these. They've also dug a little deeper in the archives than usual. Still a bit pricey for nostalgia.

Graphics whores or anyone with a penchant for experiencing truly surreal and wildly imaginative creations would do well to put this on their buy list.

At the end of the day, though, you're still going to have to have a real interest in the sport.

It also represents one of the first games I've played in a long time that's truly something for both kid and adult, and I'll be giving a copy to my nephew this Christmas in the hopes that it'll help bridge the gap between the business side of his father's day-to-day operations and the passion that my nephew has for games.

The Bureau is a bit of a step back for the XCOM franchise. The game lacks the identity of its Firaxis cousin and feel way too much like an uninspired derivative of other games. A fractured development history clearly left its mark.

This game is definitely recommended if you liked any of the previous online Phantasy Star games, with nostalgia aplenty. Newcomers may be less forgiving, and their enjoyment will be determined by their propensity for enjoying action RPGs in general.

Madness Returns is by no means a terrible game, as in fact quite the opposite is the case. But its enormous potential combined with its stubborn unwillingness to take much, if any creative risks, keep this one from achieving its fullest potential.

Burnout CRASH! sounded like a disaster when we first heard about it, but the final product is a pleasant diversion that captures the feel of the old Crash Mode and should provide plenty of enjoyment to longtime series fans.

The PS2 version of Project 8 is a joke. Online was removed -- let me say that again: online is missing.

Letting enemies beat on you while your block window is closed until you’re a bloody pulp or laying endless unblockable attacks onto a character that lacks neither the agility nor the grace to combat enemies that seem built only to make players cuss like drunken sailors.

When the main reason I keep coming back is a thirty second mini-game, we have a problem. Really though, the game does the absolute minimum to be considered "good." While it's fun there's nothing that keeps you coming back for more. Shame, really.

The core, though, is fantastic, and so long as you're partial to Top 40-ish hits, SingStar Rocks! does indeed rock.

Random encounters and a turn-based battle system don't make up for what a true, quality RPG offers and CM just can't deliver; a compelling and complex story, deep characters and a real sense that you're making a change in the world you're plopped into.

If you don't have the time/patience to really pour yourself into this game for months on end, it's hard to even recommend this as a rental.

Amazingly fun!

In the end there are two reasons why someone would purchase this game. The first being that they really like the hack and slash platforming genre. The second being that they really like the goofy sense of humor NIS injects into all of their games.

If you absolutely, positively must have your F1 and can't get it anywhere else, F1 2009 is worth a peek. For everyone else, though, there's simply not enough here to really make a lasting impression.

The problem is with the consistent near-perfection reached by the "Winning Eleven" series and EA’s "FIFA" efforts providing overwhelmingly solid presentation, it’s very, very hard to find any reason to recommend this game when the same chunk of change will buy you a more polished and frankly engaging experience.

What's here is good -- better than you would expect -- and yet it all feels a little to cookie-cutter at times, and the gameplay tends to deteriorate towards the end. It's a solid licensed game, but minus the license, it's just too average.

The load times are absolutely horrendous.

Make no mistake, this is one of the most visually interesting games on the PS2, but it lacks a graphical punch and the gameplay is just too familiar to give the engaging storyline a chance to shine.

The biggest flaw in EDF (other than graphics and gameplay) is the pricing. Charging more for a six year old game than you did on release is a tough sell for something so clearly rooted in the "budget" category from Day 1.

I must admit, this game caught me completely off-guard. I still had the bitter taste of Suikoden IV in my mouth and it wouldn't come out. But this one won me over with it's good characters, solid gameplay, and the redemption of a series I love.

Rag Doll Kung-Fu: Fists of Plastic is a disappointment in almost every sense of the word. It looks awesome, it plays awesome and yet it feels like a tech-demo and not like a game you just spent 10 bucks on.

MotoGP 10/11 is certainly not a terrible game, yet it has so little to offer besides its decent career and great racing core that it becomes really difficult to recommend to anyone but the most enthusiastic of MotoGP fans.

Best Evil Dead game out there, hands down, but there's still a lot of room for the series to grow. Hopefully it's in good hands with Cranky Pants and we can finally see a little more gameplay variety with the sequel.

In terms of doing the comics justice, this game is a shining example of how to stay true to the source material, but as a game, it can feel a little repetitive. Dig it for the story and the characters, not the depth of gameplay.

Tinges of monotony near the end of the game aside, there is plenty here to love, and if you’ve been searching for a good, solid real-time strategy game for consoles that succeeds in spirit where PC-to-console ports have failed, this is a rather smart buy.

Buzz! Master Quiz is a modest, safe approximation of the console games.

It almost feels like a patched version of 2K11. With another challenger looming in the wings for next year's baseball crown it's likely that 2K will have to step their game up. Note to devs: please fix the shoes next year, too. I beg of you.

Expanding the environments, fixing the controls and camera, and allowing an easier matchmaking setup in the next game could mean a seriously fun online experience, but right now, what we have can hardly be called even an experience.

Better than most licensed properties, Cure of the Were-Rabbit has plenty of charm, but it's short of variety where it counts, and doesn't quite capture the feel of the humor from the source material.

So long as you go into things understanding that this isn't really a console-level basketball experience and that it's uniquely designed for shorter, more portable games, you end up with a shockingly good basketball entry. If they end up adding in some of the fluff from the console versions next year, it's going to make things near irresistible.

Yes, the addition of checkpoints eases the frustration, but only a bit. This is a series that can absolutely end up being great, but to get there, it still needs a better scope on varied (and, hopefully, jaw-slackeningly beautiful) level design and for the love of God, Sega, fix that damned camera.

Lead and Gold isn't a terrible game, but it is a ghost town. There are enough thriving games of similar design to be found elsewhere.

Better than most of the series' efforts, this is still a painfully stunted experience. The art team give things a nice visual nudge, but the focus still needs to fall on the core gameplay.

It's got a head above the PSP's run-of-the-mill platformers, but that still isn't saying terribly too much. But if your heart's in the genre and you've got a weekend to blow, it's certainly worth a shot.

Perhaps it’s the flaky difficulty or weak story plot, but something is definitely holding Devil May Cry 2 back from upping the ante of the series’ first comer. In the end, DMC2 boils down to a simple result: a solid sequel, but a failed attempt in revolutionizing action gaming.

Nevermind the naysayers, this is a solid racing game with enough style and fun to balance out the repetitive bits.

If you like a good dungeon crawl without all of the extra crap like deep story or engrossing characters that you care about, here's the game for you. If, on the other hand, you need a bit more meat to your hack and slash, wait for "UL2."

Tries hard to bring the mythology of the White Wolf universe to the PS2 after a successful run on the Xbox, but unfortunately these days, endless hordes that fall to melee combat and a few rounds from a chosen weapon just don’t have legs if they’re not accompanied by some kind of presentation, and with all the richness of the White Wolf background, it’s a shame that there isn’t more of a real story taking place in Wayward.

OD takes the intensity of its predecessor and raises it to the ump-teenth power, with double the game length, two additional playable characters, and an involving story that puts some anime to shame.

Simple core design decisions sabotaged any redeeming value and eventually just left the game a shell of what it could have been.

"Good." Yeah, that about sums up the game. Not "great," and certainly not "shite," but it doesn't quite have the longevity of "Super Smash Bros.," nor the kind of size and complexity of "PowerStone's" environments. Still, it’s a better game than we should be getting for a game license, and as a rental, it’s perfect for a weekend’s play.

Right now, all we're left with is a great controller and a set of lackluster songs.

Sure, plenty of elements are executed well, but some things, like the ENDLESS switch flipping is just needlessly tedious.

Tomb Raider Legend is an amazing game, and EVERYONE should own it. They just shouldn't own it on the PSP. Though Buzz Monkey tried valiantly to replicate the console outing, either the programming staff or the hardware just wasn't up to the task.

Piss poor visuals and gameplay that doesn't hold up post the double digit hour mark mean this is a game that's not only crippled on the PS2, but rather stunted to begin with.

A classic example of a good-not-great game, SOCOM 4 adopts some modern conventions, but gets stuck in a rut between realism and engaging game play. Having the trio of single player, co-op and multi is nice, but none of it is very compelling.

Do Not Fall is a game made for those of us who enjoy a challenge. The simple concepts and steep learning curve mean this isn't for everyone so know your limits before going in. The charm of the story and the design are universal however!

It'll require a Herculean effort to control your rage as you watch 20 minutes of sneaking around evaporate into nothing with just a single misfired shot, but that doesn’t mean the game shouldn’t be tried.

It is a well realized casual game that is big on the glitz but short on the revolutionary gameplay elements that can really grab you.

At this point an "enhanced" edition (or editions) of a Ninja Gaiden release are obligatory, but none of the enhancements make this game any more viable as an actual game to enjoy playing. Let's hope the series can bounce back one day.

It's hard to hate a game as genuinely quirky and happy as PaRappa and indeed I don't hate it. I do hate the sticker price and the lack of anything truly new, however, and until this is on the PlayStation Store as a download, avoid it.

Ultimately, it comes down to $30 for a single game when two games were about as much just a couple years back. If you're that big a Final Fantasy fan, then there's really nothing more to say. If not, you're not missing much.

Better than the first PS2 Spider-Man game, but not quite as ambitious as Spider-Man 2 on consoles, this is still a rewarding and engaging game with a bit less action than I would have hoped for.

The MX vs. ATV formula has finally burned through the last of its wide-bodied appeal. That doesn't mean Untamed is a bad game, but it's not what I would call a proper Rainbow Studios game either.

Codemasters would be best served choosing to make their games either realistic or fun, and stop trying to find a balance between the two. Right now we are left with a game that alternates between frustrating and boring, but one that is never enjoyable.

Blazing Angels may be the first flight game to sport SIXAXIS controls, but that doesn't mean it's any more innovative. Fortunately, the game itself isn't half bad.

PaRappa may not be the most worthwhile purchase for some due to the fact that it’s ridiculously short, and the replay value doesn’t really add any new gameplay elements, but it is PaRappa, and if that floats your boat, the short bit of fun you’ll glean from the game may be enough.

Could be more polished, and a tough sell at four hours with no replay, but certainly a uniquely crafted experience.

As the ice melts, we see a decent game to play.

Despite some good stabs at satire and humor, the overall experience of All Zombies Must Die! is uninspiring. A light crafting system adds a bit of variety, but we've all killed an awful lot of zombies by now.

A true improvement in every way The BIGS 2 proves Blue Castle Games wasn't just a one-hit wonder, and they've established themselves as the premier torch bearer for arcade sports games.

Thanks to its disastrous mess of a user interface, DCUO is unplayable for anyone lacking superheroic patience. SOE, SCE and DC Comics have colluded in an attempt to foist a dreadful and amateurish product onto comic book and MMO enthusiasts.

Most of the magic of the original version of the game was the presentation coupled with the online play. With 50% of that largely taken out of the equation, and no extras two years later, this is just a bastardized version of a very good Xbox game.

Arrrrg, still angry. I know Pseudo is close, and it's clear that they have the technical prowess to make a pretty game. It's just in major things like balance and creating a game that is clearly defined that they seem to be having issues.

Unless you're a hardcore Tales fan, there's no reason to pick this game up; there will be plenty of great RPGs hitting in the next few months, so save that cash and trade it in soon for something a little more worthwhile.

There's no denying that when everything in sight starts flying, Crisis Zone is a damn good time. Not especially complex nor terribly lengthy, it's still just the right amount of arcade fun with console unlockable goodies, and if ever there's been a compelling reason to own a light gun game, this is about as good as any you'll hear.

You can tell the development team dug the source material, and in some ways they did it justice, but overall, the levels are too uneven, the difficulty spikes to pronounced and the action a bit too repetitive to stay fun for long.

Just be forewarned that your hard earned money may be better spent elsewhere.

This is an incredibly well-designed mech shooter, period. Genki has a genuinely enjoyable mixture of combat, upgrades and globe-hopping Snow Crash-like dances across servers, and it's a fantastic mix indeed.

A nice value for the price. Getting two games for the price of one stretches the experience out into something that feels console-length, but was made portable.

If there are huge differences between the console and PSP versions of Frogger, I didn't catch them. The gameplay and challenge are still a problem, and as such, I'll happily give them the same score.

Too many changes seek to make the game frustrating rather than something new. The ideas are sound, but the execution just isn't there.

A combat sequence here, an elaborate puzzle there - Arthur earns no originality merit, but damn if it doesn't come together well. Just bare through those first 10 minutes.

Quite possibly the prettiest game I’ve ever seen...But presentation isn’t really the problem here. It’s the gameplay.

A puzzle game that doesn't do puzzles all that great, but does feature a nifty offbeat plot and a world populated with eccentric characters. The art style is eye-catching, but the UI doesn't fit well with the PS3.

High Velocity Bowling is far, far better than you'd think it initially seems. I've little doubt that this review will probably be one of the highest-rated of the bunch on most aggregate sites, but I honestly think it's a simple matter of going into the game with an open mind.

Magic Ball is fun enough while it lasts, but it'll only last you a weekend or so at most.

There was an obvious attempt at dispensing some decent puzzles and plenty of skewed humor and while the humor works, the overall game just doesn’t.

A bit of imbalance here is a bit ironic considering the themes of the game, but it's true. The storyline does help lift things up to the point of being better than your average RPG, but that doesn't mean the game isn't without significant faults.

It would be easy to call Jewel Summoner a good PSP RPG simply because there have been so many blah ones over the past couple years, but it really does stand as a solid beginning for what is planned to be a fairly ambitious take on a new Okada universe.

R isn’t a horrible game, and if you actually get a bit used to the controls it’s absolutely playable, but the whole idea is that you shouldn’t have to get used to a racing game’s controls unless it’s as rewarding as, say, "Gran Turismo."

Knowing that this would otherwise be a great portable platforming, its sad to see Ape Escape: On the Loose plagued by poor camera and controls and suffer in quality as a result. The charm and enjoyment is all here if you can tolerate the pesky technical difficulties.

Inferno Pool may well end up being one of the hidden gems of the PlayStation Network.

Carnival Island does exactly what it claims to on the box: it offers a compelling (and challenging) set of carnival-themed mini-games, a light story and offers the perfect all-ages showcase for the Move. If you have a Move, you want this game.

The improvements and additions make it a far more enjoyable prospect to newcomers than the PSP version was, and it may even be enough for those that gave up on the original to at least give the game a rental to see how things have improved.

A worthy $20 PSN download.

This is a perfect example of a game being lesser than the sum of its parts. Solid graphics and sound, arguably the best control in the series, and some decent missions don't excuse crap online and too many bland objectives.

Meeting the unique demands of Rocket Racing can be maddening, but there is great satisfaction in triumph. With a little perseverance, a lot of entertainment can be extracted from this small package.

Don't get me wrong, the game is fun and a filled online match is second to none. With some better decisions this game could have been special, instead it's forgettable and will likely be abandoned. Sitting in lobbies is not the definition of a good time.