Besides some lazy moments where characters show up repeatedly and say the same things over and over, some clunky controls on the main map and some overly-long load times between races and minigames, Cars does the trick.

Let’s face it. Minigame extravaganzas like ‘Brain Academy’ are not made for the hardcore gamer. They are for the casual market whose hardcore gaming experience consists of playing solitaire on their computer.

The biggest problem with a game like Magnetica is that whilst a puzzle game is supposed to be the kind of thing a casual gamer can just pick up and bash through, because of Magnetica's often seemingly impossible levels, the frustration of the lack of progress hinders its long term appeal.

But given that we gave Half-Life 2 one of our very rare five-star ratings, it would be pretty tough to improve upon perfection. The mere fact that Episode One comes close to matching the greatness of the original is impressive.

Players new to Texas Hold 'Em poker will learn the game, get to play without losing their shirts and have some fun. Experienced poker players also get a half-hour session with a pro.

Trigger-happy players and those who prefer stealth will both be able to enjoy this game, though those opting for stealth will get a lot more enjoyment in the long run.

There's nothing radically new here, but it's got the best variety of missions and the best storyline of any of the Hitman titles.

A decent but pretty run-of-the-mill RPG.

If you do have a DS but don’t own Advance Wars, skip Field Commander and pick up the true turn based strategy king. If you do already have Advance Wars, just play through it again and save your money for something truly new on the PSP.

The game really shines in multiplayer, where the variety in play styles means that every match is different and challenging. Often players will volley well over 30-40 times on each point, which creates some very intense matches that can easily go either way. Whether playing online or against a friend, multiplayer is the best Table Tennis experience by far.

X-Men: The Official Game is too short, too bland and too rushed to be considered anything more than a three-day rental (and barely that).

Fortunately there are a few interesting boss type fights in the game to keep it from becoming overly stale including some interesting members from the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

Although playing as Wolverine and Nightcrawler is more fun, in the end, even their missions eventually become monotonous. The game definitely could have benefited from more mutants.

Granted, the targeting system is pretty unique to this kind of game, but thanks to it being fairly unresponsive, especially when things really heat up on screen, it ends up being completely derogatory.

As I played through it, there were times when I was just plain bored out of my noggin'. The Wolverine missions are so darn banal.

With a concept as timeless (and downright fun) as the one that the Mario Bros. games adhere to, it would be tough to screw this game up. And Nintendo didn't ... not by a longshot.

When it’s all said and done Rise of Legends is a solid RTS. The single player skirmishes with the computer are much better than playing the campaign and the multiplayer option is an absolute blast.

The series could benefit from features such as other playable races or a crafting system, but you'll likely be so busy adventuring that you won't have much time for gathering herbs.

It's a fine addition to Black & White 2 but in the end it's more of the same - entertaining more of the same, though, for under $20.

The game is such a blast because you only have about ten minutes each day to prove that you really are as quick and sharp as you were the day before.

I love playing games that sway from the norm and try something new, and for that reason alone I was excited for Odama and wanted to give it a great score. Unfortunately, it fails in its execution and becomes a lesson in frustration.

With all of its mysticism, strange but curious creatures and dazzling surroundings, 'Keepsake' will be a sure-fire hit with the Harry Potter crowd if they don't mind exercising their wits as well as feasting their eyes.

Excellent storyline, fantastic game play and next generation graphics, its well worth the price of admission.

The joystick obviously offers the best option for control but the preset controls for the game are quite odd and, for me at least, changing the layout was not possible.

Ground targets like tanks and trucks look oddly crude, and there's some very noticeable slowdown when you're flying low and strafing, especially through smoke.

The game looks pretty good from the air - especially the awesome blur effect when you speed up - but it's almost embarrassing to see some of the details up close.

A riveting game that you can't refuse.

We wanted 'The X-Files' and instead we got 'Columbo'.

Instead of picking where to go from a menu on the screen like you were searching for Carmen Sandiego, you actually get to roam around the various cities and other places on the map.

With the improved graphics, increased card selection and better mission design, Acid 2 stands well above what was already a unique and fantastic PSP experience.

The pacing is so slow that trawling through the usual scenarios is completely unrewarding. It¹s not particularly bad, just boring.

In many ways, The Godfather is much better than "GTA". The producers have taken the "GTA" gameplay concept as a starting point and then made it their own by surrounding it with a well-established storyline that gives everything purpose and charm.

Everything that was great about Morrowind is here in spades, but with smoother gameplay mechanics, snazzier visuals and a faster-moving storyline.

Even if you only have a slightest casual interest in the greatest puzzle video game ever made, the stack of gameplay modes and the introduction of online play are completely reason enough to warrant purchase.

A great achievement for the DS that should be worth the wait for fans of the series and those dying for a fully-fleshed out FPS with online capabilities on the dual screen system.

Don't have any idea what the difference between a PetPetPet, a Neopet or a PetPet is and could care less? 'Petpet Adventures: The Wand of Wishing' is probably not for you then. For fans of the odd little beasts and their quirky little ways, the PSP release is a faithful expansion of the Neopet universe.

A perfect merging of sneaking and shooting missions, Dark Mirror’s gameplay flows rapidly from scenario to scenario.

With some of the highest production values seen in any game and more extras than you can shake a silenced tranquilizer gun at (all of which are on top of an amazing and improved single player game) result in a title that is easy to recommend and enjoy.

It has a great mix of tactics and action, it has a cinematic, engaging campaign mode, and plenty of multiplayer fun to keep everyone on Xbox Live happy for a long time.

A unique release in the sense that it could be a stepping-stone to bigger and better things. There is no reason Bigbig couldn’t flesh out what they have created already and release a console version.

I didn't realize how hard I'd been jonesing for destructo-racing fix 'til I gazed upon the game again, this time in all its high-definition glory.

Complete with amazing graphics and sound, violently focused gameplay and a love of all things explosive, it offers a thrilling experience for first person shooter fans and even just those with a bent for action.

Despite of its flaws, it still works.

More than any other release in the past, 'The Show' captures all of the intricacies and the essence of the great game itself.

Black sets out to achieve one goal of being the biggest, loudest and most impressively single mindedly violent FPS. Regardless of the zero it receives for narrative, it most definitely scores huge on thrills.

It's quite unlikely that the intended audience for Super Princess Peach ever played "Super Mario Bros" back in the day, or perhaps any of the many sequels - and therefore is almost likely to be a newcomer to the platform genre. And if that's the case, Peach is a perfect primer, just in time for "New Super Mario Bros" in a few months time.

This overall spectacle sometimes approaches realism, like watching a bout on television. But it’s only a fleeting effect, like those newspaper puzzles where if you stare at the dots long enough in just the right way, a three-dimensional image appears.

This is pure, unadulterated four-wheeled destruction on an epic scale, and I haven't had this much fun playing a racing game in ages.

It's so realistic it makes me want to drivearound my block blasting the horn til' midnight.

All I want do is throw or run with the ball and mash as many players as humanly possible in as many ways as possible. EA's Arena Football does all of that quite nicely.

Had the developers spent a little more time fixing the control and camera issues and making it in general more user-friendly, Chibi-Robo would go from being above-average to being great. As it is, it's still an original, fairly addictive title that has enough going for it to leave gamers satisfied.

2K could have opted to do something truly revolutionary but instead they opted to time travel back to 1983 and give us another 'Hyper Olympic' clone. That approach just really doesn't cut it in 2006.

It’s hard to recommend True Swing except to the hardest of hardcore golf fans that simply must own every variation of the game possible, or to players very new to the realm of digital golf that likely won’t be put off by either its lack of standard features or it’s painfully easy shot execution.

The single player levels start off simple enough but become almost epic in scope (well, for a marble game!) later on.

Just simply charming. After playing all those solemn first person shooters on the market, it is a nice change of pace to find a game that doesn't take itself or life so seriously.

This lack of any replay value is perhaps the biggest shortcoming of a game that’s otherwise good fun and good for your brain.

Although GX is not really meant for the inexperienced or newbie 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' fan who may not know a 'Blue Eyes White Dragon' from a 'Summoned Skull', experienced players will find the game will provide a stimulating distraction.

This is a one-of-a-kind title that could only be done on the Nintendo DS, but this melange of musical marine life won't be everyone's cup of sea water.

The prettiest fighting franchise out there has grown some brains, upping the skill ante but also bringing a ton of online play modes and unlockable goodies to the table.

Another uber-retro game from the heyday of coin-op fun, this game actually holds up fairly well despite it’s very old-school graphics and sound.

You really have to play this game to understand it but it includes plenty of challenge and lots of replayability, and it looks great to boot. Definitely the dark horse of Xbox Live Arcade!

It’s a straightforward backgammon game that’s great for a round or two when you’re waiting for your game of Quake to load (ohhh, dis)

Simplicity can be a very, very good thing.

With its bugs and glitches Revelations does not provide a perfect Prince of Persia experience, yet comes close, and offers a great portable game for those seeking a little action.

Speaking of navigation, another reason this game is so wonderful is that every last thing you do can be done using your stylus. Typing, walking, drawing, organizing – it’s just a tap or stroke away.

The action is exciting and varied, the puzzles are challenging yet rarely frustrating and the environments are simply gorgeous.

As light-hearted as it is, it has a seriously addictive flavour to it and it looks and sounds great to boot.

The problem with this game is that you can repeatedly continue over and over and over again, taking away some of the challenge.

There really isn’t much here that you haven’t seen before in a digital pool game, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a fun way to spend a few minutes killing time.

There are several game modes, all of which are quite fun and challenging – as long as you can stop yourself from using unlimited hints in the Puzzle Mode.

The worst part is, you can basically hit a button to get more and more health, as opposed to adding quarters in the arcades back in the day.

The game is challenging as all heck and you’ll sometimes wonder how you would ever get out of a predicament with a million enemies coming at you all at once in every direction without a super bomb, but it keeps you coming back for more, no doubt. Top notch in every way.

A fantastic game that becomes a lot deeper than it first seems once you start learning some of the advanced techniques. A perfect fit for the Xbox Live Arcade.

Wildly addictive, and only the best players will be able to earn the highest-coloured belts.

It’s unfortunate that the Xbox controller can’t possibly be as accurate as a mouse (this game originally was released for PC a few years back) but you actually get used to it quickly enough.

To say that King Kong looks good is an understatement. It's gorgeous. Even on the technologically dated PS2, the imagery is truly beautiful and there are times during the game that you will just stop and look around at the scenery, enhanced yet again by the lack of any menus to distract you.

One of the most grandiose, atmospheric, movie-like experiences in a video game ever. This is a standout on all the home consoles, but it hits even bigger heights if you snag it on the Xbox 360 along with a high-definition television.

In the history of gaming, there are a few releases that warrant the cost of purchasing an entire system. 'Goldeneye' and 'Perfect Dark' for the N64 and the groundbreaking PS2 version of 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City' are a few of those extraordinary titles. In my mind, based on its astonishing graphics and feral gameplay, you can now add 'Peter Jackson's King Kong' to that list of rarities.

It's not as brain-blowingly next-gen as some gamers might be hoping, but Perfect Dark Zero is still a solid and slick shooter that deserves to be enjoyed online.

The graphics, the sound, the level designs, the characters and their voice acting - everything about this game is truly terrifying and horrific all at the same time. Revel in one of the scariest video games ever made.

A must-buy for Xbox 360 owners who love -- and live -- to speed.

A bigger pad would help in the future.The other problem is the selection of game modes to choose from.

Even the novelty of playing as Sean Connery's classic Bond can't overcome the feeling of been there, done that.

The depth of what appears to be an initially incredible simple and one dimensional game is astounding as always with Mario Kart DS, and the delivered promise of online opponents only adds to the overall incredibly rewarding experience.

A creative genius himself, C.S. Lewis would be proud that the developers have been faithful to his vision and that the 'Narnia' games might encourage children to explore the literary world he created.

While film aficionados will get more out of it than your regular Joe who will pay full price to see anything starring Rob Schneider, The Movies is for anyone who not only think they can make movies better than Hollywood, they know they can.

An exciting adventure that will keep you engaged until the final battle.

Goblet of Fire is far from a difficult game, but should present enough of a challenge to younger Potter fans, and there's plenty of extras for fans of all ages to sift through, making this an above-average title.

Aside from being full of useless exposition about Rune Cannons and the various empires in these Island Nations, the story doesn't even make much sense.

Gun is the best Wild West game to date but it is a low-down dirty shame that developers Neversoft didn't apply the same comprehensive approach to the design work as they did to the soundtrack, voice casting and the plot.

Gun is a violent, interestingly fulfilling shooter, albeit so brief it doesn't quite do its fantastic premise justice.

Kids have done this all before over and over again in more distinct and sleeker settings. Besides the cool runaway Robot sequences there's nothing that's challenging, innovative or eye-catching about Zathura.

Kids have done this all before over and over again in more distinct and sleeker settings. Besides the cool runaway Robot sequences there's nothing that's challenging, innovative or eye-catching about Zathura.

The Call of Duty franchise proves that it's not all about mindlessly shooting wave after wave of enemies and moving onto the next section. You have to plan out attacks and take your time. When friends die on the battlefield, you'll actual react to it.

All in all the premise of the game is fun. If you gave this game to a nine-year-old they would have smiles on their faces.

Not worth a glance while searching the racks at your local video game store. Easily one of the wor[st] Nintendo DS games yet.

Much like the distinctive homegrown television series, Atomic Betty's sophomore GBA venture is screwball, carefree fun at its very best and a tribute to how far the Canadian gaming industry has come in such a short period of time.

A flimsy, hollow and ill-timed release that only some children would take pleasure from as their expectations on occasion are not that high.