The soundscape may be imperfect, but the sheer sense of writing quality makes up the difference.

In just about every regard, Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 is repetitive and average.

The game is simple to learn, yet lends itself to intense, challenging battles that can really get your adrenaline racing.

On the most fundamental level, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Make the Grade works. Yes, you can re-create the TV show on your computer, but the real question is why on Earth you would want to.

I don't believe that there's anything inherently wrong with Sega trying to do something different with the series, but by taking away a feature that many fans wanted and offering nothing compelling in exchange, Beast Rider will have a hard time appealing to both series fans and those who are just looking for a decent action game.

I don't believe that there's anything inherently wrong with Sega trying to do something different with the series, but by taking away a feature that many fans wanted and offering nothing compelling in exchange, Beast Rider will have a hard time appealing to both series fans and those who are just looking for a decent action game.

Although we waited for a few patches to arrive and fix up Confrontation's tattered connection problems, it's still no remedy for the game's lack of substance. With an absence of polish, customization, and maps, Confrontation just doesn't deliver a full-fledged online experience worthy of the SOCOM name.

Ultimately, Zombie Uprising is a perfect metaphor for Saints Row 2 itself. Like the mini-game, everything in Saints Row 2 is over-the-top. There are quite possibly no other games that can come close to the sheer number of explosions, bullets, murder, and vulgarity on tap here. And you know what? We wouldn't have it any other way.

Saints Row 2 is a great open world adventure game. The graphics, while not perfect, are very well done and the sound is amazing. The controls are easy to handle, ensuring you won't have to fight with the controller while you're busy fending off your enemies.

Ultimately, Dokapon Kingdom for the Wii is a typical party game; luck, luck, pushing luck, and pondering the nature of luck.

Dokapon Kingdom is a great party game, especially for RPG fanatics. Closer to competitive card games like Munchkins than what gamers generally think of as a party game, it offers a surprising amount of fun and depth for such a simple-looking package.

The combat is fast and frantic, the interface excellent, the controls responsive, and it provides an overall satisfying experience. While it's fun, though, there isn't much that's memorable about Dead Space. It feels like patchwork that's been slapped together from other franchises, and it lacks a spirit of its own to make it stand out from the pack.

The combat is fast and frantic, the interface excellent, the controls responsive, and it provides an overall satisfying experience. While it's fun, though, there isn't much that's memorable about Dead Space. It feels like patchwork that's been slapped together from other franchises, and it lacks a spirit of its own to make it stand out from the pack.

It's readily apparent that Blitz: The League II is not a game for football purists. The use of power-ups, lack of penalties and dirty play is enough to make them cringe. However, for fans of arcade-style sports games, The League II is pretty good.

It's readily apparent that Blitz: The League II is not a game for football purists. The use of power-ups, lack of penalties and dirty play is enough to make them cringe. However, for fans of arcade-style sports games, The League II is pretty good.

There are some fairly good ideas in place, and the game premise is pretty well done. However, the various technical issues and the lack of any real difficulty make the game real boring real fast. For the Bratz fan, this title is a rental at best.

When you take everything into consideration, Bratz: Girlz Really Rock for the DS just isn't that fun to play.

It's a cute, quirky little game that is solid in every respect but doesn't particularly wow you in any sense.

Without a doubt, FIFA '09 is the most fun soccer title I've ever played.

The bottom line is that if you have kids in the house who are fans of the "Tak" animated series, then they'll likely love Tak and the Guardians of Gross, and you can rest easy knowing that it's an all-around solid title.

It looks nice, plays decently, and is okay at distilling the plot of the third season of the show. It's just that it doesn't do anything especially right either, missing the humor of the show and not quite feeling the same.

The game looks and sounds great for a downloadable title, featuring details in lighting and sound effects that go above and beyond what we're used to, as well as a fresh gameplay mechanic that is truly a welcome change in an increasingly stagnant industry.

Engaging gameplay, a plethora of unlockables, and above-norm production values really give this title a boost to propel the franchise into this millennium. It's true: Ninja don't need orange jumpsuits to be cool.

There are some technical problems and crash bugs that need ironed out (especially for ATI users, from the sound of it), and the feel and responsiveness of the controls could have been better. The AI is lacking, but those special slow-motion moments when you score a particularly nasty headshot or a grenade blows a guy into thirds are rewarding and add to the cinematic feel.

Fracture is more than solid. The hook of manipulating terrain to your advantage is used a lot in the game, but it is used in a way that it rarely feels out of place.

LucasArts and Day 1 do deserve kudos for taking such a risky endeavor by integrating the terrain deforming mechanic. I can't recall seeing anything like Fracture in a game before, and I have to admit that I had quite a good time launching enemies into the air by putting a mountain right under their feet. When it comes to the game as a whole, though, terrain is but a fraction of the entire experience, and here Fracture falls flat, with few other outstanding qualities to make it stand out from the rest.

Guilty Gear 2: Overture has a lot of good ideas and offers some entertaining gameplay moments, just not enough to warrant a purchase for most consumers.

Compared to other "monster trainer" games, Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals is just too limited. The game itself is quite linear and fairly short, even as these things go, and while the collection aspect is fun, it doesn't hold a candle to anything in the Pokémon or Digimon franchises.

It's a pretty solid follow-up to the original, and it still stands as one of the best, if not the best, fighter on the DS system.

Before the backtracking kicks in, the game is a lot of fun and had me thinking that I'd be getting a good gaming experience. As you continue to play, the technical problems start to rear their ugly heads, and many of the new platforming sections just aren't a lot of fun to play.

If you are a hardcore basketball simulation player who enjoys not only managing your favorite team through several seasons but playing against like-minded people as well, you probably already have NBA 2K9. If not, go and grab it now. Until NBA 2K10 hits, this will be the best basketball sim you'll ever play.

This is a game designed and built for hardcore fans, and it's not going to waste any time concerning itself with anyone who doesn't "get it." To be perfectly blunt, the game is very, very hard, and most decidedly not for everyone, especially if you aren't an NBA superfan or a longtime franchise devotee.

If you're looking for just one NBA title to satisfy your sports itch this year, I'd honestly have to suggest NBA 2K9 over NBA Live '09 this time out. While the latter has the better presentation and better roster update system, 2K9 was just more fun to play.

These gestures toward usability cannot overcome the fact that Everlight simply isn't very much fun to play. The dialogue is stilted, unfunny, drab and poorly acted, and some of the gameplay mechanics are obtuse.

Pop Cutie! Street Fashion Simulator isn't without a few flaws, it's still a really solid sim title on the DS, and I'd easily put it up there with Diner Dash, especially when it comes to the addictive nature of maintaining a shop.

There's very little overall polish to the title, and there's nothing particularly inspired or compelling about it, either.

An overall miserable experience.

This definitely caters to the hardcore gamer who wants to experience the original Mega Man titles again. Mega Man 9 does a fantastic job of this, and for at $10, it's a steal.

If you happen to be a real cheerleader or someone who dances a lot, then We Cheer is a great buy. (However, it also means you likely already do this for free.) It's also a great buy if you like rhythm games and you have lots of stamina.

A complete average, if not slightly subpar, RPG. If it wasn't for the fact that it had Sonic characters in it, it wouldn't stand out at all. The combat system is interesting but flawed, the gameplay is slow and rather tedious and the plot is as cookie-cutter as they come.

Despite a ho-hum presentation and some odd design decisions, Unsolved Crimes is definitely one of the more solid adventure titles on the DS.

If you haven't yet tried your hand at directing gunk around a board in order to score points, there are much better options out there than this.

Altogether, Pipe Mania is a pretty addictive puzzle title on the PSP, and it does a great job of building upon its original formula while keeping the puzzle-based gameplay exciting and relatively fresh.

All told, Pipe Mania for the PlayStation 2 is an excellent example of what companies should do to revive old games.

It is beautiful, it is deep, and it is only $20.

I'd be lying if I said that Duke Nukem 3D is as good today as it ever was, but it hasn't aged at all badly, and it can teach modern first-person shooters a thing or two about level design and plain fun.

Operation Market Garden may have failed to end the war early for the Allies, but Gearbox's newest entry in its Brothers in Arms series largely succeeds in delivering a gritty story in recounting the struggle through the eyes of its characters. Unfortunately, the rough edges can occasionally dampen the otherwise entertaining gameplay, and multiplayer issues keep this title a strictly solo experience over the 10 hours that it will take to complete it.

On one hand, the core game itself is good, and the story presented here is something you don't expect in a game. On the other hand, the technical execution of the title is so poor that one is surprised that it can run at all.

As I mentioned earlier, Animal Paradise is geared toward younger kids, but this title will only keep them occupied for a couple of hours at most because even kids are going to see through the paper-thin amount of content in this game.

When it comes down to it, Pure is fun. It's simple, it's effective, and it perfectly captures that "just one more race" factor.

As I reflect on Rebel Raiders: Operation Nighthawk, I'm left trying to decide if the game does anything right. But the more I think about it, the more the game proves itself as nothing more but simple shovelware.

Samba de Amigo is unlike any game out there — not just in the music genre, but in the whole grand scheme of video game design. While Samba is easy to pick up and get lost in, it will challenge you if you ask it to.

It's an interesting take on the Pokémon formula, but it can hardly contend for the top spot, and it's really only going to appeal to the fans of the show, leaving a lot to be desired when it comes to gameplay and story.

Overall, Warriors Orochi 2 is a solid game, but the repetitive gameplay and missions that make up the majority of the game prevent it from being anything more than a rental.

This is a title that fits perfectly for those who are a little too sophisticated for the Wii, but yet wouldn't fancy themselves a game of Halo or Call of Duty.

A valiant attempt at fan service, but it focuses so much on capturing and reproducing the essence of the show that it forgot that it also had to be a decent game.

This really, truly is Disgaea, stripped of its stationary roots and shoved onto a tiny cartridge without missing a step. Everything about this title will appeal to the gamer who's been intrigued by the strategy genre, but been too put off by how dire and dramatic it can be.

A cute, charming RPG that feels as a great gateway game for people who are interested in the genre.

While the Dark Knight might not seem the ideal candidate for the happy and cheerful Lego world, the entire affair is handled with a good-natured wink, and we are all reminded that the purpose of these games is to take us to a world where the lines between good and evil are clearly defined and evil is more a thing of comic mischief than serious malice.

Buzz! Master Quiz is a pretty good trivia game that somehow feels right at home on the PSP.

Superb. The AI is decent enough, the combat is great fun, and it's imaginative, varied, and hilarious.

As a Wii game, however, it really struggles to be any good at all, largely because the interface just doesn't work.

Baja: Edge of Control takes a few risks in the off-road racing genre and, for the most part, comes out a winner. Making it more of a sim and less of an arcade racer isn't exactly the safest thing that the developers could have done, but the result is a game that treats the sport seriously and gives enthusiasts something else to play when they tire of driving expensive sports cars around asphalt roads.

Baja: Edge of Control gets a lot of things right … and wrong. In virtually every category, it nails one aspect but completely misses the target on another.

It is a rare game that can appeal equally well to both the casual and hardcore crowds, yet de Blob does just that. It is a brilliant fusion of simple mechanics and in-depth play that deserves checking out.

If you remember the original fondly, then you have nothing to fear; it hasn't been broken. If you're not a hardcore strategy gamer or if you were weaned on them in this century, you may find the archaic mechanics and limited scope a little on the disappointing side.

Unfortunately, due to the shortcomings and bad translations, it's just not as good as it could have been.

Despite some little glitches, the outdated graphics and the obvious catering toward a younger and more inexperienced audience, SimCity Creator is a step in the right direction for the ancient, lumbering SimCity games.

I really enjoyed Wario Land: Shake It!, but I can't say I was blown away by it. If you go into the game with your expectations in check and a willingness to explore the levels instead of just running through them, then you'll get a lot out of the experience.

It may be short, but it is fun and challenging enough that you'll end up replaying it over and over, especially with the addition of challenges and Downloadable Content. Mega Man 9 isn't just a cheap attempt to cash in on nostalgia … it is a new Mega Man game, and one can only hope that Capcom's inevitable future attempts at 8-bit revivals are even half as successful.

There isn't all that much to Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest, unfortunately. The gameplay is short, and necessarily so, because any single match can drag on very quickly, and once a clear lead is established, it is quite difficult to break.

It's difficult to recommend Warhammer Online to anyone who isn't into player vs. player, as that's the real focus of the game, but for those who do, it's definitely an interesting take.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed can often be a frustrating mess. There are tons of polish issues and questionable design choices. Even with a 2.5GB install onto the PS3, there is still far too much loading. However, when everything works, there's just something innately satisfying about being able to kill dozens of Stormtroopers with the flick of your wrist.

There's no feeling of being "unleashed," and the actual implementation of Force powers is drastically inferior to older games like Jedi Outcast.

The license might not match up, and if the developer had created it without "Red Bull BC One" being attached, I believe that more people would have been willing to check it out, but as it stands now, it's definitely enjoyable.

An exemplary game to hold aloft as a challenge to future game creators to either match or exceed.

Those who don't want to bother with creating their own artwork in this rather particular form, however, may wish to skip the title. Those who aren't sure either way should probably give the online original a try and decide from that.

Mount & Blade boasts solid battles and the eventual freedom to fight whoever and whenever you want while maintaining a kingdom, and it's a powerful draw.

All in all, Dragon Quest IV is an excellent addition (or duplicate) to any RPG fan's collection. I recommend checking it out if you missed it the first couple of times as it'll keep you busy until the brand new Dragon Quest IX releases later next year.

Armored Core for Answer fixes a lot of the problems that existed in Armored Core 4. Significantly more fun missions, graphical improvements, a fantastic sense of scale, and an enormous amount of customization really help the title. However, the impossible-to-understand story detracts value from the single-player experience, so the only reason for you to return is to build your mech, which is something that's going to overwhelm most players.

There's fun to be had with Battle Fantasia. It's a title that's reasonably easy to pick up and play but has enough technical depth to take some time to master. There isn't enough depth in the content and fighting to appeal to the hardcore fighting game fan.

If you're new to Peggle, there's no reason why you can't start with this, and if you want some more levels to set off a new bout of addiction, then Peggle Nights is definitely for you.

For the price, the TW:EE pack has a tremendous amount of value and the sort of extras usually only found in a Collector's Edition.

The faction wars are an interesting concept, but the game is mostly about the player making his way through the zone and uncovering some of its secrets. It's a bit more about gunfights and a lot less scary than its predecessor, but overall, Clear Sky improves upon the original in many ways while using the same strengths that made it so compelling in the first place.

I definitely enjoyed Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants, and it's probably the best SpongeBob SquarePants game we've seen in the past few years.

It does a lot to cater to nearly all skill levels and playing styles, and it's one of the most user-friendly rhythm games ever published.

The new features breathe some life into the stagnating DDR formula, but so little of it is actually fun that it quickly devolves into plain old DDR with a few gimmicks — the game even calls them gimmicks.

With unattractive graphics, a decent song list, and no real innovations, DanceDanceRevolution X is pretty much your typical DDR mix, for better or worse. By now, you probably either like the series or you don't, and you know it.

A good start for a new wrestling franchise. The fighting animations are fluid, and it's refreshing to see a wrestling game go back to the fundamentals as opposed to gimmicky matches and auxiliary items.

Though undeniably beautiful and well designed, the game is simply too difficult to learn (the tutorial weighs in at almost six hours) and too slowly paced for most players not already attenuated to its type.

It offers nothing, not even to die-hard fans of the Zoids series, and certainly not to Xbox 360 owners who are looking for an SRPG to tide them over. It's rare I say this, but Zoids Assault is a game to avoid at all costs.

NHL 09 is as real of a hockey game as it can get. It looks great, sounds good (if repetitive), plays great and has an amazing set of features.

NHL 09 is as real of a hockey game as it can get. It looks great, sounds good (if repetitive), plays great and has an amazing set of features.

Anyone who likes simple simulation games, is a fan of the "Hell's Kitchen" television show, or was a die-hard Root Beer Tapper fiend will find that the Hell's Kitchen game is definitely worth a play.

I'd definitely suggest checking out Active Life: Outdoor Challenge, especially if you've got a house full of young ones that you'd like to see be a bit more active when it comes to their gaming time.

Yakuza 2 is a fantastic sequel to an already great game.

In many ways, Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise is a perfect game for the DS.

Its mix of arcade and realism — combined with almost no challenge from the AI, unimpressive graphics, mediocre audio, and dated controls — drag down the title.