This one's for the hardcore players, kiddies. It's a perfect multiplayer game (especially if you have a hardcore fighting stick or two), but the casual fighting game fan sure isn't going to be entertained for long.

Everything from the first game has been done better, cleaner and with more emphasis, but the free-roaming city is a double-edged sword, offering a sprawling metropolis to navigate, but a bit too much travelling in some spots.

The length may be meager by other raging game standards, but what's here packs enough of a wallop to entertain even adults for a while.

The minigames and Sunny's bits are quite well-done, but the lackluster audio, sloppy controls and general lack of graphical punch drag the experience down.

You'd think after almost a half-dozen games, the Warriors franchise would get a little old, but the injection of Japanese flavor and history into an already familiar stew just makes it all the more irresistible.

I'm going to bite the bullet on this one and say that Up Your Arsenal does not top the standards set by "Going Commando." Don't, I repeat, do not take this as a sign of UYA being a bad game, because by all means, it is not.

An utterly average RPG gets an average score. Fantastic visuals and killer sound effects can't hide the fact that this is a marathon most gamers won't be able to finish.

Fantastic movie meets mediocre game and equals... a mediocre game with solid visuals and little else.

A weaker soundtrack and nagging problems with the interface take the game down just shy of getting a full 10, but this is the digital embodiment of a killer app.

Taiko's patterns can be incredibly addictive, often sending mixed signals to your brain like every good challenging rhythm game, but once you nail a string of rapid-fire sixteenth notes with rimshots buried in the middle, the game will hook you with that classic "just one more try" addiction.

This is more or less "Ace Combat 4" with a few slight upgrades and gameplay honed to near-perfection, but the formula's just a bit too familiar, and the lengthy missions may turn less patient gamers off before the story can suck them in.

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.

The problem is, with all the advancements that have gone into 3D fighting games like insanely deep combo trees or ultra-balanced, technique-driven combatants, not to mention multi-tiered environments triggered on the fly or interactive elements, there's nothing here that's terribly compelling, and certainly nothing that would give you reason to play this game over the 2D versions.

Ty 2 is in no way a bad game, it's just merely average in just about every way.

It may seem odd to praise a fighting game that rests in the three foot end of the Olympic diving pool of fighters, but it's the combination of totally engrossing extra game modes, seemingly endless unlockables, an easily accessible mythology and the kind of passion and geeky pride that just rubs off on you.

Buy this game, if only for the fact that it's the best of its kind, but like me, you'll probably find that after pouring literally dozens of hours into the game, you'll find yourself searching for something a bit meatier, and I don't just mean bigger combos and larger levels, but something that really revamps the genre like it did almost five years ago.

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

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.

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 have a couple friends and an afternoon to charge through the game with them, you're going to have a blast. The single-player experience is still fun, but without the lure of real teamwork, the rougher spots of the game tend to punch through to the fore during inopportune times.

Go buy this friggin' game. Now. Reward Namco for having the balls to put out something this... well, Japanese. For $20, you're getting one hell of a party game.

Forced stealth quibbles and slightly iffy physics aside, Second Sight's offering of a decently complex story (or as complex as you're going to get for an 8-10 hour action game) with a couple of twists and a silky smooth, high-budget presentation is one of the best Free Radical has pulled off to date.

One hell of a brawler. A fantastically weighted fighting system that perfectly demonstrates how thick, raw sound effects and smooth animation can suck you into the visceral, almost feral world of these underground fights gives your fingers, eyes and ears all something to digest while plowing through a story that actually keeps you in the game.

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.

Hands-down the year’s best platformer. This is just a masterfully constructed adventure that drips with charm and ingenuity and never fails to keep you involved, entertained, and loving every minute of it. You can take our word on it: this one is a gem.

It’s not as deep or story-driven as, say, a "Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance," but there’s still enough here (especially in the surprisingly well-presented bonus features should you find yourself interested in the characters or world) that will keep the die-hards coming back.

Everything it does, it does with aplomb, from kicking out graphics that just should'nt exist in this generation -- let alone on the PS2 -- to delivering a sense of speed, yet offering controls that allow you to keep up with the increasingly brilliant level design, to offering an suite of online modes that will make you fall to your knees in thanks of broadband. This is the very definition of a must-have game.

Impressively addictive, and manages a quiet grace about itself in presentation -- despite being about smashing the crap out of every moving thing in sight. It's just that without any online options, very little in the way customization and a set of races that towards the end of the game begin to feel a bit stale, it's hard to recommend this as a full-price option.

There's not much here to fuel the kind of nostalgia the promise of reliving the days of yore, huddled around an arcade cabinet, fighting over what quarter resting on the glass was yours, and generally just reminiscing about a simpler time can provide.

Even with the strategy elements, this is still Dynasty Warriors, and for whatever reason, Koei seems keenly aware of how to craft a game that should get tired and repetitive, but still manages to pull you in time and time again.

The storyline does an amazing job of slowly expanding in scope (though it does bog down a bit in the middle of the game, most of the stuff it trudges through stays relevant well after the scope of the game has outgrown the smaller conflict), and the twists will absolutely knock you on your ass, while battles are fast, interesting and offer a nicely customizable way to trudge through the grind of leveling up all your characters.

It's just evilly fun, and it'll kick your butt and you'll hate it for being so hard, but it won't really matter, because there's enough charm and downright fun here to keep you coming back.

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.

Despite its goofy and, possibly to some, even tasteless look, HSGF! is one of the most enjoyable golf games on the market, and surely the finest I’ve ever come across in its field.

Anyone craving a good, serious scare and the kind of foreboding that rarely comes from games like this has only to snag a copy of this game. And who doesn't like a little freakyness now and then?

Good enough to be a solid rental, but anything else and you'll wonder exactly how many times you can run from room to room smacking broken record-voiced enemies over and over again to make things worth your $50. Trust me, even with the number of times you'll revisit levels and bust out the same combo chain, it's not enough.

Level designs that literally force you to try and retry an incredibly difficult section while fighting the controls and camera instantly suck any fun out of what could have been a nice attempt to mix "Prince of Persia" exploration and free-form 360 degree fighting (a la SCEA's "Rise to Honor").

There's literally no real reason to invest anything more than a 15 minute playthrough in the game.

The problem is, the pedestrian missions are endlessly repetitive...This is a definite rental (everyone should experience swinging around the city), but in about a month, you’re going to start hating yourself if you pay full price.

It’s the on-foot action that shows how busted the game really is. Aside from all the disgusting clipping issues (just about any part of any model’s body can poke through any wall with reckless abandon), the lack of animation tweening -- hell of any real animation at all, the on-foot game is just plain crap, plain and simple.

Refinements in story, level design and narrative pacing have helped the single player experience fall at least on par with the first game, but the addition of an evilly addictive multiplayer mode that plays differently depending on which side you choose makes it a must-buy.

If you’ve played "Front Mission 3," play Front Mission 4. There’s more game, more strategy, and a slightly better presentation, but done expect anything new.

Through innovative use of the nigh-ubiquitous Havok physics engine, a decent (if rather clichéd) storyline, and some impressively well fleshed-out game design, Midway has managed to create a game that offers something different, but more importantly, a whole hell of a lot of fun.

If you’re a die-hard HP fan… well, keep reading the books. If you’re looking for a decent Potter-tinged romp, this is the best one you’re gonna get – at least until the next movie comes out.

The pacing, boss designs and core gameplay are pick up and play easy, but with all the unlockable goodies doled out for replaying the game and finishing up levels with a dead aim and speedy trigger finger offer enough for those perfectionists to get the most out of the game.

Onimusha 3, if meant to be the series’ swan song, is as polished, refined, challenging, rewarding and just plain fun as a game of this type is ought to be. Stop reading this review right now (cause, well, it’s over) and get to your nearest store to pick up a copy of this game.

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.

In spite of a poorly constructed multiplayer scheme and the lack of online play, Worms 3D is a successful transition into three dimensions without sacrificing quality gameplay in the process. With the formula down path, hopefully Team 17 can deliver the perfect Worms console experience next time around.

The Lost Expedition is indeed noteworthy, if for no reason other than the fact that it manages to bite the style off of Metroid rather strongly but still injects enough humor to keep it entertaining.

CoN is as graphically polished and diverse a hack and slash as you can get and is easily one of the most visually impressive games on the PS2.

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.

Irem has, possibly more than any game they've made in recent memory, crafted a shooter that is at once faithful to the challenge of the original shooters that came before it, and utterly accessible to anyone experiencing it for the first time, and they've thrown in a remarkable amount of depth and just plain fun to keep both sides equally true to the source material. R-Type Final is a blast, plain and simple.

I’m not entirely sure where it happened, but somewhere during the development of the sequel, the magic that had permeated every refractive chunk of ice and rippling pool of water in the first game gave way to tired, monotonous trudges through vaguely different environments explored on endless fetch quests.

An absolutely fantastic game, and stands as one of the best ways to enjoy old-school flavor in a decidedly next-generation effort.

More focused on action than story progression and deep character development, Brotherhood of Steel comes dangerously close to being called a Fallout game in name only.

There's plenty of promise here, but it's buried under horribly unbalanced, cheap gameplay that all but ruins the overall experience.

Incredibly frightening -- so much so that it’s hard to recommend it to everyone. The game is rather short, but the goodies you can unlock on the title screen mean there’s a bit of replay value for those willing to run through the game on a harder difficulty level.

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."

Only slightly above the mean in most respects. It bites off of "MGS" and "Splinter Cell" so heavily in most parts that it’s hard to walk away from the game with a entirely unique sense of what the game was trying to do.

Without the graphical chutzpah of the PC or even Xbox versions, Max feels like a deflated, stripped-down, hack of his former self. If you don’t have access to a PC or an Xbox, this is still definitely worth checking out as it’s a short but sweet experience, just know that there are far better options out there.

A shoddy sequel that does nothing to honor the original, Midway’s second Spy Hunter remake should’ve been handled by Paradigm, or at least another developer that was willing to do the series justice.

Quite simply a bad game. Period. There’s just not enough variety in the combat to make the action entertaining, and poorly designed jumping puzzles, sloppy combat and unresponsive controls all add up to a game that won’t even keep Spawn fans entertained for more than a few seconds.

For about the price of a DVD offering a flashback look at classic gaming, you’re getting the story of the company, told by the people who were there, and then you can experience their handiwork.

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 fun game that’s utterly and completely bone-chilling in some parts. If you’re old enough, this is one hunt worth going on.

Just make sure you’ve digested "Final Fantasy X" either way and you’ll walk away from X-2 with a nice, satisfying ending.

By the end of the game, I didn't give a crap about finding any more red coins or killing another 90 enemies, I just wanted out. To have a game transform from something fresh and enticing into another drab, boring, overworked action game is something I've not had the displeasure of watching too many times.

The best game in the series. It offers more road, more opponents and more customization options than any of the TXRs that came before it, but with gameplay that’s hardly budged since the series’ inception and graphics and sound that are merely passing.

One of the best arcade racers to come along in years. Developer EA Black Box did an incredible job simulating speed, adding a slew of upgrade options and provided a nice (if slightly minimal) assortment of race-worthy cars.

For $20, you’ll be getting a fantastic collection of games and a bit of history to go with some of the bigger ones. Hopefully future collections will add a bit more in the history department, but for now, this is an admirable start.

There’s a good chance that this will be the final chapter in the series (as the ending suggests), and if it is, there’s probably no better way to close up the story and give the fans what they were looking for: closure.

A pretty perfect example of how licensed games can go horribly wrong.

While Ratchet is less of a whiny little catbitchthing, the same sense of humor that the first game possessed permeates everything about the sequel, keeping it light despite more dire circumstances.

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.

Uncredibly polished, brilliantly designed and just plain <I>fun</I>.

Technically more of the same without any major advances to the series, something that keeps it from being a marked advance in what the first game started...If any one area of the game got the most subtle tweaks that made the biggest difference, it’s in the graphical overhaul.

Given how entertaining it is in short bursts, it&#146;s the perfect thing to bring out at parties or get-togethers, making this one of the easiest ways to rally the whole family around one of the hardest possible family-wide activities: playing video games.

True Crime does many, many things right, but for as many cool features that it flaunts, there&#146;s another that drags the whole experience down.

A good game that suffers from being just a bit too rough around the edges and too short overall to be a must-buy. It is however a definite rental and for anyone looking for a nice, short but visceral experience.

With ranging, alluring challenges that offer tons of key rewards, all under a difficulty that feels just right, FR2 offers an outstanding but affordable package that you&#146;ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. It just may be the best ten bucks you&#146;ve ever spent.

Broken down, each individual part of THUG (control, music, level design, graphics, sound) is better than the games that came before it, which should add up to the best game in the series. And yet, there&#146;s something intangible that just couldn&#146;t hook me like the older games did.

One of the best light-gun shooters you&#146;ll find on a console. The gameplay is addictive, the GunCon2 controls are unmatched, and the overall feel of the game is just right.

Nothing short of the best snowboarding game videogames have ever seen, and while there are a few nagging problems, the presentation and execution of a massive, three peaked behemoth that you’ll try your damndest to conquer is pure gaming bliss from the moment you first drop onto the mountain.

The added elements like Axel’s powers and the Reploids that need rescuing add something new and entertaining to the mix, but with such a lackluster presentation, most of that effort gets pushed aside by and otherwise bland experience.

The execution may be flawed in a few ways, but the game’s adorable charm and earnest attempts to keep things fresh are just enough to make it a better game than its successor in nearly every way.

But if you&#146;re looking for a poorly-assembled gimmick of a game that serves as a friendly reminder of the good ol&#146; Celebrity Deathmatch days on MTV, all for a discounted price of $19.99, then CD just might be for you. If you&#146;re not looking for authenticity, though, stay far, far away from this one.

Probably the first real unabashed "GTA" clone that manages to still work well on its own merits. Definitely worth a rental, and for those that really dig the motif, probably not a bad buy either.

For now, though, it might be best to stay out of Baghdad.

This is Robin Hood&#146;s curse; it's fun and frankly addictive enough to keep you playing, but after a few hours, you'll notice the freshness of the mini-games quickly giving way to endless repetition.

The sheer wealth of Simpsons reference material saves Hit & Run from falling into the same trap the previous games had.

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.

Extensive gameplay, tons of unlockables, gorgeous graphics and solid audio qualities all come together to deliver a game that is only millimeters away from gaming perfection.

A steep learning curve, specific source material and an overall feel that doesn't exactly scream mass market means the game probably won't have the universal appeal that Incog&#146;s previous efforts had, but given enough time, it's more than easy enough to warm to the game&#146;s plusses.

The freshest thing to hit the market since bananas. The wildly addicting gameplay and monkey-catching offer hours and hours of enjoyment, and completing 100% of the game is a rewarding task that can easily offer 20+ hours of gameplay time.

Where the game really shines is in presentation, however, something that rescues an otherwise bland adventure and helps raise it from a mindless, linear quest to the promise of seeing something interesting with each new locale.

The game is by no means for everyone, but with amazingly good graphics, a theme and feel that stick remarkably close the movie, and enough challenge to keep the game from being beaten in a few hours, Finding Nemo presents the first really attractive Disney movie/game tie-in in years.

It strays from greatness thanks to completely frustrating AI that ends up cheating so badly, it&#146;s not even worth playing.

Its funky bugs, ho-hum core plot and flat, unrewarding ending keep me from recommending it to everyone, but the amazing graphics, unrelentingly sharp dialogue and fantastic score keep it high enough that I can say it&#146;s a definite rental.