Taking the pigskin to the asphalt is a novel idea and makes for a fast and fun game of arcade football. It's not nearly as slick and addictive as its sister franchise NBA Street, though.

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

And on the whole it was a worthwhile experience. Sure, it maybe doesn't measure up in quality and look of the more professional sports title, such as Top Spin.

Mario Strikers Charged is far from a perfect game, but it truly is fun when played online. For the casual sports fan who doesn't want to spend hours poring over stats, defensive combinations, matchups, and what's inside the vending machines in their virtual team's arena, this game is very much worth a look.

Wii owners who haven’t yet played the game on another console and are hankering for a violent, bloody Grand Theft Auto-style title should pick this one up. But the expanded content doesn’t quite make up for the humdrum visuals and repetitive gameplay.

Compared to EA’s last 360 FIFA release, the game’s flow seems much more natural than FIFA 07’s sometimes bizarrely inaccurate passing and crossing.

Overly finicky controls are the biggest ding against this decent but not superlative version of SSX for Nintendo's winsome Wii.

Although it’s not going to satisfy the hardcore beat-matching gamers, Groove does bring another dimension to the PS2 and the EyeToy.

'Championship' mode though is an ingenious spin on presenting level-based gameplay in a whole new way as there is virtually no pause in the action. For all intents and purposes, Pac-Man has turned into a gruelling video game marathon. 'Championship' mode alone makes this download worth it for any serious Pac-Man fan.

Although the three-dimensional maps are interesting to look at, they aren't very functional. And the small map is even less useful. So you can spend a lot of time running around in circles unless you know exactly where to go.

As Open Season shows, the search for a kids movie game that appeals just as much to parents as it does to little ones proves to be an elusive one. Sub-par controls and by-the-numbers gameplay aside, this one is still worth a purchase if A) you're buying strictly for your child or B) you're looking for an easy 1000 achievement points.

Here lies the ultimate problem: if you're not hard-core, you're just going to end up playing around with it, and you'll almost certainly become bored within a few hours.

Old-school Sonic speed plus a few new twists makes for a decent if not earth-shattering return to the realm of the blue hedgehog.

It's simpler than a deck swabber what's spent too much time in the sun, but this one is surprisingly fun and charming for a game-to-movie tie-in.

I for one am still waiting for the time when they finally shake up the series and create a nice long epic that makes the GameBoy series wish it could compete... Will it happen? Here's hoping.

With a way deeper song list than 'Singstar Rocks' and its authentic content, 'Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol' holds up as the ultimate karaoke game for those who are fans of that sort of thing; Paula's deplorable absence notwithstanding.

It's fascinating the game goes to such lengths in the narrative and it is this that keeps the .hack//G.U. interesting. It's a little open-ended as it's the first in a series of three games, but you can continue to play other levels after the story ends.

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

Madagascar is a great deal of fun and is gloriously cute to look at. If you're completely (animal) crackers about the movie, it's just the ticket.

Formula One: Championship Edition is clearly aimed at real racing game fans and those people, whether they're playing a simple quick race or time trial, in career mode, Grand Prix Weekend, World Championship or with others online, should certainly be satisfied here.

Because of the very convoluted and hard to understand story it knocks the game back a few notches in the enjoyment factor. Running blindly through a game is never as fun as having a reason to do so.

The graphics won't win any awards but despite the small screens, the game still gives a decent sense of size and scope when you're playing. Players are blocky but the game uses bright colours and easy-to-navigate menus (the same of which can't be said about the home console versions).

For some absolutely unknown reason Namco decided it’s was a “good” idea to hide the save points, and make you look for them.

Sony has included multiplayer and some downloadable songs. The graphics also look remarkably good for a game that’s 10 years old. These features help to elevate the game, but are just not enough to save it.

Fans of the books and films will enjoy the chance to explore the Hogwarts grounds and do things like ride Buckbeak the hippogriff and collect all of the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, but there's not a lot in this game to appeal to your average Muggle.

Fans of the books and films will enjoy the chance to explore the Hogwarts grounds and do things like ride Buckbeak the hippogriff and collect all of the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, but there's not a lot in this game to appeal to your average Muggle.

The game looks and sound great. The town has great detail and an elaborate layout that makes each new place look different but still seem to be part of the same setting.

If you happen to be a veteran gamer WITH kids, then Madagascar can provide you with a guilt-free excuse to play video games with your children- or maybe even on your own ("Honey, I'm just clearing this level for Bobby...)

So if you're looking for an all-out melee, then Call of Duty 3 is your game. If you want something that's somewhat stealth mission-based, then you might want to give "SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Combined Assault" a whirl.

It looks nice enough but clumsy controls, a boring ‘stocking up’ system that you’re forced in to and general repetitiveness put this squarely into the ‘coulda, woulda, shoulda’ category.

Fans of the books and films will enjoy the chance to explore the Hogwarts grounds and do things like ride Buckbeak the hippogriff and collect all of the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, but there's not a lot in this game to appeal to your average Muggle.

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.

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.

The game looks and sound great. The town has great detail and an elaborate layout that makes each new place look different but still seem to be part of the same setting.

The single player section is definitely a letdown, but the multiplayer mode makes up for it in a big way.

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

Fans of the books and films will enjoy the chance to explore the Hogwarts grounds and do things like ride Buckbeak the hippogriff and collect all of the Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, but there's not a lot in this game to appeal to your average Muggle.

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.

The repetitiveness of the levels and sub-par AI makes the 8 missions seem a lot longer than they should be.

What's even more annoying is that like in previous SOCOMs, the characters have a bad habit of getting stuck on the environment.

The repetitiveness of the levels and sub-par AI makes the 8 missions seem a lot longer than they should be.

The repetitiveness of the levels and sub-par AI makes the 8 missions seem a lot longer than they should be.

There's not much to it but it can be kind of fun if you're into this type of game.

A well-meaning but often humdrum knockoff of "The Sims" and a tycoon-style business game that's not helped by its lack of a truly "adult" presentation.

The game has its moments, but in the end it feels like watching a second-rate episode.

Stunning visuals, intense audio and an interesting backstory can't quite make up for the mediocre gameplay and technological glitches.

A rewarding short-lived diversion but as the exceptional ‘Chicken Little’ and ‘Kim Possible’ Disney Interactive game franchises prove, it could have been and should have been so much more.

Doesn't quite live up to the simple fun and excitement of the original game, mainly because it seems to have been designed with its co-op multiplayer mode in mind.

A well-meaning but often humdrum knockoff of "The Sims" and a tycoon-style business game that's not helped by its lack of a truly "adult" presentation.

Better than Dark Angel but not nearly as good as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the TV-to-video-game treatment of Alias amounts to a fairly basic stealth-action title that's likely to appeal mainly to fans of the show and/or Jennifer Garner's digitized bum.

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.

Better than "Dark Angel" but not nearly as good as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the TV-to-video-game treatment of Alias amounts to a fairly basic stealth-action title that's likely to appeal mainly to fans of the show and/or Jennifer Garner's digitized bum.

A well-meaning but often humdrum knockoff of "The Sims" and a tycoon-style business game that's not helped by its lack of a truly "adult" presentation.

The main problem with Frogger Ancient Shadow, however, is that's its too difficult to play. The controls take a little getting used to.

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.

In the end, Persona 3 is a tedious excursion that made me waste hours of my life that I will never get back and left with my right eye bloodshot for staring at the TV screen as my contact lens ran out of moisture and it solidified to my cornea.

While Cars is fun and inventive at times, it does manage to stay a cut below most of the competition.

If you have played Sega GT 2002 at all, in any way, stick clear of this title, and avoid that empty feeling you'll get from paying money to play it.

Easy to get and get into, with a slick engine (and only a few nitpicky problems) but clearly lacking a really creative story team.

If you absolutely love the movie (or your kids do) then get the game, but if you want a good racing game, get something better (i.e. Burnout, Wipeout, Race Driver 2006, Ridge Racer, OutRun 2006 or even Need for Speed Underground).

Better than "Dark Angel" but not nearly as good as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the TV-to-video-game treatment of Alias amounts to a fairly basic stealth-action title that's likely to appeal mainly to fans of the show and/or Jennifer Garner's digitized bum.

Regardless of the number of variations in outfitting, the combat remains simple and unimpressive.

If you already have a track and field game, Athens 2004 is just more of the same.

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

Your friends won’t like it because it’s too hard, and you might get bored because once you master the funky physics it becomes pretty repetitive.

It’s a big improvement over the previous game in the series, the ill-conceived “Super Monkey Ball Adventure,” and it’s another solid showcase for the Wii.

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 developers of 187 Ride or Die definitely had the right idea. The game is easy to just pick up and play and has fun multiplayer modes. But the laughable plot, disgusting language and weak (very weak) single player mode keep this game from being great.

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.

The game is downright boring, and although it looks pretty, even gamers new to the series probably won’t find many redeeming qualities in it.

If you’re a kid and a big fan of the Tony Hawk series of skateboarding titles or similar games, Surf’s Up may be a cool addition to your collection as it is a decent pick up and play title for the ankle-biters but it really doesn’t present much of a challenge to anyone who has experienced puberty.

A cool concept with a flawed execution, Yoshi fans with a lot of patience will probably really dig this game. But it's nowhere near as good as it could have been.

The realisation that there's a great deal of repetitive gameplay here sets in all too quickly with samey fight sequences and perpetual chasing.

Although it’s got some novel gameplay elements and is stuffed with tons of things to do, Spectrobes ultimately ends up being just so-so in the fun department. Definitely not the Pokemon killer we were expecting.

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

I reward the game for its outstanding creativity and its fun game play. Unfortunately, its downfalls brought the game to a crash.

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.

Dominator is as slick and insane as the other Burnout games, but it’s missing some key features found in its most recent predecessors. Fans of the latest Burnout titles might want to swerve to avoid this one.

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.

Maybe the problem is True Crime tries too hard to be all things to all people, and in the process, neglects to do anything especially well.

While it's more about the art of being a ninja than the hack 'n' slash escapades of Ninja Gaiden, Tenchu is hampered by mediocre graphics, bad camera control and a host of other niggling faults.

In my experience, it is usually the GBA title that pales in comparison to the sophistication of its elder sibling. Not so with Monster House. The GBA RPG-like game is the clear-cut keeper.

Playing as a ghost who can possess people, animals and inanimate objects is a definite novelty, but a lot of the game's action sequences have a been there, done that feel.

It's very amusing playing it together as a team.

It might be generous to say Miami Vice: The Game breaks the curse of South Beach cop titles. But it beats Bad Boys: Miami Takedown. Beats it senseless.

Technically, 'Rival Swords' looks like you wrapped your television in thick gauze a lot of the time and the faded colours don't help matters much.

But then this freedom is also the game's biggest flaw. Whereas Goblet of Fire is divided into levels, in Order of the Phoenix, you have to complete a number of mini-goals and quests as the story progresses. Hermione and Ron are your companions for most of the game and can sometimes offer advice about what you need to do next.

Such a deceiving title – the presentation leads you to believe you’re going to be getting a near AAA experience, which only sets up a big crash when you realize the game doesn’t live up that promise. Don’t get sucked into thinking War Times is a groundbreaking game, and you’ll get plenty of enjoyment out of it.

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.

With only a so-so single-player storyline, it's up to Custom Robo's fun but not particularly deep multiplayer modes to carry the game, and it turns out to be a little too much weight for these mini-bots to bear.

As if the gameplay wasn't stale enough already, every few minutes you are treated with long speeches from characters in the game.

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.

A little less fun, less deep and less educational than it ought to be, especially for a full-priced game. A C+ effort only.

If, on the other hand, you enjoy this type of genre, it's still a solid card game, albeit no substitute for playing with real cards.

Maybe the problem is True Crime tries too hard to be all things to all people, and in the process, neglects to do anything especially well.

Fans of the old-school Nintendo 64 version might find a lot to like here, but this standard racing title's reliance on repetition and gimmicky touchscreen controls won't do anything to make you forget Mario Kart DS.

The simulation is the best I’ve seen to date, it just falls short of my "Golden Tee" memories.

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.