A virtual guarantee to keep you up into the wee hours, playing "just one more turn..." Flaws aside, any game that makes me see the sun come up is a great one.

All in all… this one’s mostly harmless, and could surprise you. Go ahead and give it a shot.

Offering zero replayability and little incentive to complete even a first run-through, Atomic Betty has the potential to entertain only those youngest of gamers who are still easily dazzled by controlling familiar characters on a tiny screen.

It tends to shift between greatness and mediocrity with the frequency of your average rollercoaster ride, but the great parts are easily worth a look by anyone who enjoys beat-'em-ups.

I was surprised by Shrek Superslam. I went in expecting the type of licensed schlock that publishers crank out for a quick buck, and what I got instead was a perfectly adequate multiplayer fighter.

It is fast, fluid, mostly stable, and offers more fun than any military shooter I've played since "Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear."

Everything you loved about the original games is in here, in glorious, put-in-your-pocket color. This is a must-have title for any portable punk.

Despite feeling -- and looking -- somewhat limited in scope and ambition on the Nintendo DS, The Sims 2 offers a reasonable measure of fun if you’re willing to forego the pleasures of simulation for a more narrative-oriented experience.

It does a good job of conveying the experience of actual combat (especially the dying), or at least as good a job as a game can do.

If you want to play The Sims on the road, get the spin-off "The Urbz," which does absolutely everything The Sims 2 does, only better.

It's not for twitch junkies, but gamers with a certain amount of patience will be rewarded with an engrossing game. I just wish that Headfirst hadn't thrown in so much jumping and climbing, and that the sanity effects weren't so detrimental to seeing what's going on onscreen.

A thoroughly accomplished online multiplayer FPS, especially when considered alongside the other shooters appearing in the waning days of the big black box.

Fans will still like it; nobody will be angered by it. But, when looking at the great work done on the PC version, which has positioned itself on a very different path than the original (thanks to the generation hopping), there really isn't enough in this GameCube version to warrant a release past "Livin' Large."

While it is honorable that it at least attempts to make an interesting piece of a game, with platforming and racing mixed together and a nifty clashing element thrown in, the core gameplay just isn't strong enough to really make this terribly memorable.

I've enjoyed Serious Sam 2 as much as I did the first release and its expansion. In some ways, it's better, I certainly laughed more at the corny humor and references to other 3D shooters ("I love collecting big guns," Sam quips on Planet Kleer. "It looks so … UNREAL.")

While it is honorable that it at least attempts to make an interesting piece of a game, with platforming and racing mixed together and a nifty clashing element thrown in, the core gameplay just isn't strong enough to really make this terribly memorable.

While Zatch Bell! Mamodo Battles may be a lot of fun, especially for any Zatch Bell fan, it fails to be more than a button-masher.

While it is honorable that it at least attempts to make an interesting piece of a game, with platforming and racing mixed together and a nifty clashing element thrown in, the core gameplay just isn't strong enough to really make this terribly memorable.

The new additions do much to add new depths of strategy.

It will likely give you goosebumps with its cinematics and rousing musical score, and it often amazes with the excellent sense of size.

Besides that gripe, picking up the PS2 version of Sniper Elite gets you a solid multiplayer game, and a singleplayer game that's challenging, but at least as much so for its grainy graphics as for its unforgiving enemies.

If you're going to do a bit of genre mixing, reward the player's investment of time and patience by remembering to include the good parts.

There's really nothing here that wasn't previously explored in the original game, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

A remarkably faithful but also remarkably flawed version of a great party game.

I may miss the absolute insanity that was "Underground 2," but American Wasteland is still a beautiful, unpredictable trickfest that's every bit as fun in its seventh iteration as it was back in the first.

Chances are you'll be better serviced with any one of Namco's arcade collections.

The best DBZ fighting game I've personally played to date, and it's one that I'll gladly play alongside my repertoire of "dedicated" fighting games.

Chicken Little reached for the sky and instead got an acorn thrown at its head. Pass this one up, folks, and maybe consider the console renditions of the license.

If you've got the means, go for the Xbox port on this one.

It's the best rental you'll ever make.

The audio department has always been a strong point for all of the TH games, although this go-round was my favorite. The soundtrack is awesome, with bands like The Doors, Motley Crue, and Dead Kennedys.

While Fable veterans will likely be able to speed through the original content to get to the new stuff with a weekend rental, newcomers should definitely buy it.

In spite of Chicken Little having a few fun levels, I wouldn't suggest it to anyone over 10 years of age.

It combines a lot of typically dissonant elements into a smooth, polished package, and despite a few small problems, it's well worth your time.

Terribly immersive... If you've got a system good enough to run this, do not miss out: F.E.A.R. is one of the most strikingly fun and exciting games to be released all year, and easily the best FPS since "Half-Life 2."

A good entry into the turn-based strategy genre. It doesn’t offer a depth of play of some of the bigger titles, but it is fun and, more importantly, easy to pick up but difficult to master.

The amount of missions, hidden missions, and secret unlockables (including a kick-butt homage to "Double Dragon" that's unearthed once you finish the game!) makes this more than worth the price of admission.

The small pits of positively realized potential are buried in bad design decisions and textbook examples of corner-cutting all over the place due to the game's huge (yet faltered) emphasis on presentation. Overall, a huge disappointment.

It's not change that I'm against. It's change for the worse that disappoints me so much about this game.

For online PS2 fanatics, SOCOM 3 is not the must-buy title that it should and could have been, but for the niche it has carved out, it serves well as-is.

The overhaul of the Uber-Trick system did nothing to enhance the experience, (quite the opposite) the GUI presentation was bad enough to be called insulting, and there is the distinct possibility that this incarnation may alienate past fans of the franchise.

The lockdown stick really adds an extra realistic dimension to the title, and with the addition of back/off screens, offense is a lot easier too.

Not exceedingly pretty, nor does it find itself being extremely innovative on the inside. What it does do is present an extremely tight story – the second half of a story, even, that manages to maintain the level presented by the original after throwing a World Series-grade curveball right into the player's mouth.

Basically, Quake 4 took the ball that "Doom 3" started carrying and runs with it in a different direction, one that, for the most part, vastly outshines the original bearer of the engine.

Some people are going to hate it on sight, but I believe that like SaGa Frontier before it, Romancing SaGa has a welcome place in the gaming library of anyone who appreciates a completely free-roaming experience and isn't above being patient with the quirks of gameplay it holds.

There is some redeeming value and fun to be found in this cartridge, but it could've been so much better had they really taken the time to get the interface right and improve the graphics a whole lot. As it stands now it's a slightly below average PC strategy game that's been hacked up and stuck on the Nintendo DS.

Unless you know someone who wants to join up to play some online paintball, or if you have a high tolerance for buggy games, you'd probably be better served playing a different title.

It's still the lack of high-velocity thrills - and not necessarily the Axe body spray and iRiver billboards - that make for the biggest disappointment.

Sure, it's not the second coming of extreme sports games, and some people might even be a bit disappointed, but if you've never played an SSX game before, this is definitely a great starting point.

It's not possible to really say it's good, since low expectations are almost required to enjoy Ty 3, but it is distinctly not bad.

Not only is this game absolutely atrocious, but you generally don't want to give a machine a reason to hate you.

The graphics and sounds are too simplistic, and the lack of a casino atmosphere is readily apparent. The only real saving grace of this title is the multiplayer mode, but even that is lacking in that you can't play roulette or other games of pure chance with your friends.

A nice change of pace from most MMORPGs and should definitely be the first place one looks if they intend to let their children try online gaming, but due to its repetitive nature and the difficulty for a seasoned gamer to take this title seriously, I have a hard time giving it an extremely high recommendation.

An awesome game and earns a great deal of respect and admiration, but doesn’t quite earn what I wish it would.

An awesome game and earns a great deal of respect and admiration, but doesn't quite earn what I wish it would.

Seems more like an expansion that adds levels, weapons, and a new campaign to further flesh out the storyline, rather than a standalone title.

The developers took out the Creature vs. Creature combat, but villagers are less helpless and can do things like get their own food and take care of their most basic needs without your constant supervision.

The most complete 2D Castlevania game to date. Gorgeous graphics and compelling music combine with exciting exploration and combat to form a great action experience on the Nintendo DS.

It has a pretty steep learning curve, but in the end, it's worth it.

A nice romp through a D&D universe, but at times, it felt like I was playing through what I have done before, most likely because the mechanics are a melting pot of aspects from various preceding games.

Whether you're looking to recreate a battle just as it happened or simply command some sweet-looking tanks and aircraft from the '40s, the game should fit your bill.

It's a good effort, but it's just not worth more than bargain bin prices.

I simply can’t recommend this to anyone but the most obsessive of fans. Other "giant robot" games such as "Zone of the Enders" and "Armored Core" have so much more to offer, with nowhere near this many problems.

Frogger: Helmet Chaos is not a bad game by any stretch, nor is it particularly good. It seems like yet another licensed re-hash that attempts to re-imagine a gaming classic.

It's a good effort, but it's just not worth more than bargain bin prices.

Though far from perfect, Heroes of the Pacific does a great job of combining a fun, loose aerial shoot-'em-up with real-life battles from the Pacific Theater of World War II.

There are probably some niche players out there who will love Down in Flames, but the steep learning curve, unfulfilling graphics and repetitive sound bites definitely rule out this title as an introduction to the genre.

Though far from perfect, Heroes of the Pacific does a great job of combining a fun, loose aerial shoot-'em-up with real-life battles from the Pacific Theater of World War II.

Unfortunately, as imaginative as the X-ray camera and creative gadgets are, they simply cannot make up for Cold War's countless missteps

It is a perfect showcase of what's to come and although it is somewhat frustrating at first, it truly is a rewarding experience later on.

Total Overdose doesn't do much that's new or innovative, but what it does drips with so much style that you can't stay away.

Total Overdose doesn't do much that's new or innovative, but what it does drips with so much style that you can't stay away.

This latest iteration is mainly recommended for hardcore DDR fans who want online PS2 play (Xbox already had online play in 2003's DDR Ultramix) and a new song roster. The gameplay is still addictive and fun, but more notable additions need to be made to keep the series fresh.

Graphics and sound for the game are merely competent; not too bad, not too great. The combat sequences have an extremely blurry, pixilated look to them, owing to the pseudo-3D used to move the camera around.

The inability to skip through movie cinematics hinders the enjoyment a bit, especially since so much of the gameplay involves trial and error.

Far Cry: Instincts on the Xbox is a much more balanced and fun game than the PC version.

Total Overdose doesn't do much that's new or innovative, but what it does drips with so much style that you can't stay away.

For younger gamers weaned on more current games such as "Burnout," a rental may be all you need to sate your curiosity of how things were before bump mapping and light bloom.

Unfortunately, as imaginative as the X-ray camera and creative gadgets are, they simply cannot make up for Cold War's countless missteps

A great game, especially for kids, and the gameplay is simple but deep enough for anyone to enjoy.

If you are looking for a completely new NBA experience, this is not the right game for you. If, however, you just want a new game with updated rosters and are curious about the ins and outs of the superstar abilities, then this might be the title for you.

Every bit the great game its predecessor was, and then some.

Midway has actually succeeded in creating an acceptable sequel to The Suffering, one which fans of the original should definitely look into.

Scoring this game is hard, because while the excellent ports are truly excellent, there are also some hideous clunkers in the mix.

The omnipresent difficulty and "nothing new" feel might turn off some gamers, but let it be known that for fans and gamers alike, Ultimate Spider-Man is a treat.

It's too easy, it's too short, and the overall gameplay is repetitive and highly derivative from what had come before.

In short bursts, the micromanagement isn't so bad and watching your park slowly flourish can be rewarding, but over time you may find that the whole thing just feels a little bland.

A quick fix of fun gaming that really doesn't need to be lingered over.

It doesn't try to trump "MechWarrior" as the king of the mecha-piloting genre; it just tries to be fast, furious, and fun while offering the player plenty of customizability in order to fine-tune his mech to perfection and give it that special personal flair. In that, SLAI succeeds with flying colors.

Despite some issues with the A.I. and pathfinding, as well as some balance problems, this is a rather extraordinary expansion pack for an already stellar game.

The game is a powerful and easy-to-use tool, and you'll no doubt use it many more times in the future, although you may not be impressed by the mediocre graphics. As for me, I'll just stick to writing screenplays.

It's only awkward because it's stretching old and tired muscles in new and interesting ways, however, and for the people it resonates with, I predict this game will become quite the cult classic.

In the long run, although you'll find yourself bothered by the control scheme, the just-above-average graphics, and the minor sound quibbles, you'll forget it all as you get sucked in to the story of Indigo Prophecy.

It has everything I look for in an RPG - a quality story, superb visuals, excellent music, a hint of humor that doesn't overstay its welcome, and above all else, a sense of immersion that sweeps me away to another world.

A solid brawler with a nice selection of new and familiar characters. It sports a great deal of interactivity with the environment, and gives a number of fighting styles to work with.

The variety of mission types and the addition of multiplayer co-op mode definitely make this a worthy sequel to the original "Katamari Damacy."

Through its immense playability that never gets too complicated, Genji is just another one of those games for people who play video games. At absolute worst, this is Rental of the Year for 2005.

SCEA's Gretzky team needs to go to skating camp and really work on building a hockey game from the ice up. Until then, they will be left with a lame game, no matter what sort of bells and whistles they tack onto the box.