It succeeds at being an enjoyable, trigger-happy adrenaline fest, but it certainly doesn't push any envelopes or blaze any new trails.

Be forewarned that you need to have patience to play this game. Your matches are long, and the gameplay can sometimes seem slow, but any fan of collectable card games should definitely pick up this title because I've never seen the genre represented so well as it was here.

In high definition, DMC4's graphics and animations are nothing short of stunning, following the series' signature fantastical, pseudo-Gothic style fully detached from any comprehensible real-world time period.

The game looks great, boasting beautiful landscapes throughout the city and Fortuna Castle, where a majority of the game takes place. The combat animations also flow unbelievably well, adding a certain realism to taking out your foes.

While this isn't likely to be the most intense or challenging game you've ever played, it still manages to be quite a lot of fun.

There is no aspect of this title that is completely perfect, but every aspect is almost completely perfect, making for a pleasant diversion whose flaws are comparatively minor and won't detract from the enjoyment of the game.

If you're looking for a simple adventure game based on an enjoyable license, you'll probably enjoy this one.

I'm still not entirely sold on the story in Spiderwick Chronicles for the NDS, but I can't knock the game for staying true to the film.

However, Downstream Panic! is a solid effort, and for all my gripes about it being shallow, it does its job in keeping you occupied.

The poor controls make the game far too frustrating to enjoy, and even if the controls weren't there, the lackluster gameplay and low-quality visuals make it seem as if the developers were just as bored with making the title as I was with playing it.

As intriguing as the concept is, the climax is not as nearly as exciting, and the weak ending makes the problem-plagued trip hardly worth the effort.

In a game genre that is normally filled with complex and difficult-to-learn games, Sins of a Solar Empire manages to find some good, solid middle ground. The title successfully delivers a real-time space strategy that offers 4X and RTS fans an experience that is both detailed and easy to learn.

Zoo Tycoon was never an amazing game on the PC, and the transition to the small screen has lost a little depth, a little character, a little challenge and a lot of graphical magic.

In conclusion, the controls in Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure aren't precise, everything feels sluggish, the visuals are foggy and the detail is nonexistent.

The premise and presentation may be a bit too "out there" for some, but those who aren't afraid to try something new will likely be pleasantly surprised.

It feels as if, somewhere during development, the overall idea suddenly got truncated and was left as a concept stretched out into a full game, so it eventually wears out nearly every idea it's got.

Paradise would have received an even higher score had they included legacy Burnout crash-mode events for those devoted to them.

Foremost, the voice acting is pitch-perfect, with each line evoking the correct emotion from its audience.

The narrow appeal of its surreal setting won't make fans out of everyone, but if MIDI music brings a misty tear in your eye and you find yourself fencing against your shadow while watching Ninja Scroll, then No More Heroes could be what your inner swordsman is craving.

Without a doubt, the improvements that have been made to Ship Simulator 2008 are a giant leap forward for the franchise. There are still a few wrinkles to be ironed out, namely an awkward information display panel, some less-than-realistic physics, and some random game crashes.

The more mature storyline, revamped unit list and redesigned CO system are all quite positive, and online play is something that Advance Wars has needed for a long time. Unfortunately, these good points are countered by the poorly designed COs themselves, the wacky unit balance, and the lackluster number of single-player offerings, which mean that unless you really enjoy playing Advance Wars online, Days of Ruin isn't going to have much appeal for you beyond a single playthrough.

Between painful gameplay that runs the full gamut from "marginally responsive" to non-functional, incredibly shallow options for play, and a fundamentally flawed concept that should have been left in shreds on a meeting room floor somewhere, Furu Furu Park manages to disappoint on every level.

As creative as the controls are, they can't hide the repetitive grind of the straight-up slaughterfest for which Koei's Warrior titles are known.

People who are interested in technical accuracy will be turned away by the glaring inaccuracies in how nitro is used and the fact that it is nearly impossible to control your vehicle in any appreciable degree, and speed junkies will throw down their Wiimotes in disgust at how the game punishes you over and over again for actually using the edge you've been given.

If you're a truly hard-core "CSI" fan, I suppose you could take this for a spin or two, but with technical issues, a completely boring design, poor pacing, and really no replay value, you're better off picking up a DVD boxed set and playing along at home.

I have to give praise to Omega Five, which is a great attempt at bringing an original shooter to XBLA that definitely feels old-school but with enough of a visual emphasis to make it something appealing to play for today's fans of the genre.

Although it does a few things well, Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom seems to punish you at every turn for trying to progress.

As I sit here, I wonder what on earth made EA decide to abandon the Street franchise, which was just reaching its prime, for what's found in NFL Tour.