Konami still has a ways to go before its Rengoku series can be called respectable, but Stairway to H.E.A.V.E.N. is miles ahead of its predecessor. The visuals look better, environments look great, and the customization in the game is addictive. Should the combat improve in the inevitable third iteration, this will be a franchise worth checking out.

A poor man’s "Max Payne." Hardcore Castle fanatics will still get this game regardless, and they may as well should as it is a modest representation of the comic series, it just could have been so much better. To everyone else, you can probably romp right through The Punisher and complete everything it has to offer with a rental.

There is a fairly deep single player mode, and a lot more courses and personality to this game. However, Tecmo is just a few steps away from nailing the Wii-Remote controls, and a character-creator and a few more multiplayer modes could have benefited this game greatly.

Accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. It provides a simple game play experience that will entertain younger children quite effectively.

If you have the original Ape Escape, stick with that.

The main arcade missions are done before you know it, and the lousy continue system doesn't help matters that much more either.

Remove the decade old plot progression, fix up the difficulty, balance out the characters and you would really have a contender on your hands.

As one, I felt the game lacked the show’s trademark wit, and didn’t do a good job of capturing the characters.

These games aren't cutting-edge, but they are classics. Each game brought back great arcade memories for me, and reminded me that I've been playing games for almost 25 years.

Its main issue is a lack of originality in an increasingly stale genre. Where THQ tries to innovate, they do not execute well enough to rationalize buying Tak over any other 3D platformer.

I cannot recommend a purchase as this game gets really repetitive and boring playing by your lonesome.

The mini-games help keep things interesting, and the ability to replay them, as well as other unlockable content really help out the replay value. Unfortunately, poor level design and uninspired combat drag the game down well below its potential.

Shot-Online has a tightly knit community. There seems to be constant tournaments and other events going on to keep the community there. The MMO stuff just doesn’t do it for me.

Shrek the Third isn’t an altogether bad game, but is certainly a sloppy one.

The problems lie mostly with the game design, which is enjoyable, yet flawed. While Samurai Shodown V isn't necessarily a bad game, it doesn't quite hold up to previous entries in the series.

The audio is about as enthralling as the graphics are, which is to say not that much.

On the other, it’s impossible to deny just how flawed some of the remakes are. I can’t help but be disappointed by their lackluster quality, but by the odd lack of the original games being on here.

If you’re looking for a decent single player game to plow through in a weekend, Bullet Witch would make a terrific rental.

A unique and totally serviceable game, but the thing is that it just isn’t all that fun.

So while this game might take you only a few days to beat, its presentation and feel make for a fun pinball game not like any other. If you’re looking for something that takes pinball to a new level of greatness, look somewhere else.

The control is flawed and attempts to handle the system's limitations in an imaginative, yet dysfunctional manner. There are many problems here from the button configuration and poor AI to auto-targeting.

If you really want your derby racer fix on the Xbox that I highly recommend going with "Eve of Destruction" or "Crash 'n Burn" instead.

Don’t look to the expansion to add anything new to the game that will get you very excited unless you’re completely in dire need of more animals.

It's not the worst game in the series, but perhaps the most disappointing because of the developer's inability to deliver on the majority of its several cool ideas.

If you have Live, this can be an incredibly enjoyable game once you get used to the profane and immature nature of players that frequent the lobbies.

Sure the new single player experience is a nice change of pace, but there isn’t anything revolutionary added to the franchise that will make you ponder ‘why did I miss out on this one?’

Mind, it’s still a decent game with gorgeous graphics and an incredible environment, but it possesses little of the magic that some of its predecessors have.

Don’t get me wrong, this is still the same addicting CS we all know and love, but why shell out the extra $50 and Xbox Live fees to play a five year old PC game that has been free since its release? The complete lack of extras is pretty noticeable, and the single player modes do nothing for you.