Unfortunately, you'll also have to put up with some of the shoddiest fielding AI I've seen in a while, and enough bugs that will cause semi-frequent frustrations with the entire game, including one that I'd consider to be pretty much a game-breaker at this point.

While Sony has achieved its goal of making the most realistic baseball game to date, they seem to have done so at the expense of one very important thing: fun.

Gamers who have not yet upgraded to the current generation of consoles and pick up MLB 09: The Show for the PS2 can feel confident in a solid, if not excellent, baseball title.

Despite some flaws, I really enjoyed MLB '09: The Show on the PSP.

Phantasy Star Portable is a very interesting entry to the PSP RPG library due to the heavier focus on action. In this regard, it's more like the Monster Hunter series, since the emphasis is on raiding and multiplayer.

The emphasis on the cooking portions makes it an easy title for the kids, though the controls will frustrate them a bit due to the spotty nature of some of the activities.

It's clear that Sony and Guerrilla Games wanted to strike back at the naysayers, and they've done it in the best possible way by delivering a game that exceeds all expectations.

The controls are terrific, and the sound is simply amazing.

The nuggets of genuine hilarity hidden within a few encounters are worth a once-over, but Matt Hazard's reboot should perhaps have been left for a later date.

The nuggets of genuine hilarity hidden within a few encounters are worth a once-over, but Matt Hazard's reboot should perhaps have been left for a later date.

Once you've learned to deal with its quirks, Stoked can be fun. It's a game with a very steep learning curve and a distinct lack of polish around the edges.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand does a good job of alleviating the mistakes of its predecessor thanks to the better controls, great graphics and a foray into co-op.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand does a good job of alleviating the mistakes of its predecessor thanks to the better controls, great graphics and a foray into co-op.

Unfortunately, many of these positive aspects are undone by the game's presentation: bizarre design choices, overly long and deeply uninteresting cut scenes, creepy and off-putting character models and an extremely lackluster dub. It's not a bad RPG; it's simply a mediocre one with a lot of uninteresting filler between enjoyable, if not particularly challenging, gameplay segments.

While EndWar's quirky camera tricks and novel approach to unit selection may very well be functional choices on the X360, they translate very poorly to the PC and create a confusing and chaotic experience that seems to be the precise opposite of what Ubisoft Shanghai was attempting to create.

Retro gamers will likely get more mileage out of Legacy of Ys: Books I & II than anyone who expects this to redefine the way that action RPGs are played on the DS.

The issues with loading and presentation make the predecessor, "Challenge of the Warlords" , the better of the two titles as far as Nintendo DS gamers are concerned. However, the amount of content here in Puzzle Quest: Galactrix and the difficulty of the game make it leagues better than most other titles you'll find on the portable system. Most importantly, while the rules of the main game have changed, the fun and addictive nature still come through.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix does an admirable job of trying to hold your interest for a lengthy puzzle game, but it has a weak story, the AI feels cheap, an aggravating hacking game and the extremely weak multiplayer drag down the experience.

It's a solid localization effort, and there is deep character customization, challenging combat and an entertaining, if riskless, fantasy tale.

What it all comes down to is that it's difficult to recommend Blue Dragon Plus to anyone. Blue Dragon fans will be disappointed by the lackluster story, weak characterization, and total lack of voice acting. RTS fans will be further disappointed by what amounts to a monumentally large step backward in their field of choice, and strategy fans will soon discover that the system prevents the intended actions from taking place.

For a game that tosses so many RTS conventions out the window, Dawn of War II is a surprisingly solid real-time strategy title that pretty much lays down the gauntlet for any game that follows in its wake.

The biggest knock against Death Tank is the price. As one of the more expensive titles on the Xbox Live Arcade service, it provides less than half of the gameplay of R-Type Dimensions.

Although the game has a well-designed and highly customizable driving system, it fails to build upon the gameplay with quality surrounding features, like compelling online play or an extensive career mode.

I'm playing the 360 version, and it's as if this control pad was designed from the ground up to be nearly worthless for this kind of game. There are a handful of other games that have highlighted the 360 controller's awful d-pad, but most of them are using it as a quick-select menu or something. When you're actually trying to input something like a dragon punch motion or any of the EX attacks, it's worse than useless. There is no point in buying SFIV unless you're going to drop the extra money for a better controller.

If you want to buy a good arcade stick or one of the SFIV-compatible control pads coming out for the game, then Street Fighter IV is a lot of fun.

The new characters, weapons and other goodies — like new songs and commentary on the radio, new TV shows and even a brand-new stand-up comedy gig — all make the title well worth the $20 price tag for fans.

Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? is perfect for platformer lovers and Disgaea fans alike. It's loaded with fan service, extremely well-polished, looks and plays good, has subtle depth despite a simple move set, and doesn't punish players for trying out new things with their huge squad of prinnies.

I highly recommend Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride because it's an example of great storytelling, solid gameplay and excellent overall presentation.