Whirlwind over Vietnam offers a gameplay experience that is neither innovative nor executed well.

If you are a fan of Native American heritage or mythological events, or if you are looking for an excellent 3D platformer, this title certainly delivers. However, if you are looking for a long game with any replay value at all, or some modicum of difficulty, then Brave: The Search for Spirit Dancer certainly isn't for you.

Full of quirky characters and solid gameplay, there is nothing that I can think of that would really prevent one from wanting to play this fun game. Be warned, however, that it lacks replay value and, as I've stressed repeatedly, has a few levels that just bomb.

If you're a gamer looking to whet your palate on something new or, worse yet, a casual gamer looking for something to play during a train ride, consider long and hard before putting down money for this. The sharp difficulty curve is enough to scare away all but the most devoted and patient of gamers, and the repetition will lead to the frustration and hand cramps.

The addition of a few extra areas does not make up for the massive amount of flaws, both gameplay and graphical, that turns a fun game into a chore.

Dollars aside, Guitar Hero II is a sequel that improves upon its predecessor in every conceivable way, and the Xbox 360 version sweetens the pot with additional songs and light online functionality.

While some of Prince's acrobatic movements are decent with the Wiimote, the combat — especially the Speed Kill — suffers badly, and overall, the game performed better with a tradition control scheme.

Truly an enjoyable game. Yes, it is mostly mini-games and simple card battling, and a lot of the game may seem childish, but it proves to be a fun time, especially for Final Fantasy fanatics who will appreciate all the of character references and song throwbacks.

In general, Made Man: Confessions of the Family Blood is a marginally passable offering, something to play if you've drained every last bit of enjoyment out of Max Payne and absolutely can't find anything else to play.

It would have been perfectly fine as a web game played with a mouse on some online game portal, but as a $30 portable game played on a system with no shortage of top-quality puzzle games, Honeycomb Beat isn't a contender.

Penumbra: Overture focuses on delivering immersive gameplay by providing an engaging storyline, a surreal atmosphere, and a very creepy playing experience.

A shining example of what a retro compilation should be.

With shoddy aiming, bad enemy A.I. and mission objectives vapid enough to induce a coma, the Medal of Honor series has seen better days.

As good as the single-player campaigns are, the multiplayer capabilities are where the game really shines. Going head-to-head against a human opponent doesn't involve a storyline, but victory is always more satisfying against a real person than against a computer opponent programmed to perform at "normal" difficulty levels.

There are about eight hours of somewhat-fun gameplay here, but given the weak multiplayer offerings, there is virtually no replayability.

Despite the gatekeeper glitch, and a few tolerable crashes at transitioning points, Elder Scrolls IV – Shivering Isles is certainly money well spent. Characters are well developed and the main storyline is interesting.

It all comes down to what you're looking for in a racing game. Test Drive Unlimited for the PSP has the potential to keep you playing for months on end, as long as you don't sit down for extended sessions.

From an objective point of view, it suffers so many technical flaws that I would normally caution against purchase. However, from a subjective perspective, I enjoy the setting and ambience so much that I recommend it despite the bugs and inelegant performance.

It has a great atmosphere and is extremely easy to pick up.

If you're a car lover, then you're going to drool over the detail and specifications of the vehicles in TDU .

The overall strength of Test Drive Unlimited on the PS2 isn't in its presentation — these sights and sounds are far better on other consoles — but the scope of what it set out to do in the first place, which was to really bring about the next evolution in the genre.

Despite the unique look and direction this takes on the RTS genre, the feeling of "I've been here before, done this before, and seen this before" pervades the entire experience.

Even with all of the setbacks plaguing it, though, this Wii port of Blazing Angels: Squadrons of World War II has it where it counts. It adds motion-sensing functionality without sacrificing the fun — it, in fact, manages to enhance it in some cases.

While there are a few stability issues, it's nothing that can't be fixed, and the gorgeous effects of the game outweigh the small bugs.

It's got all the ingredients for a successful hack-and-slash, but falls short in enough areas to discredit itself to all but hardcore fans of the genre.

Armored Core 4 delivers more of what the series is known for: fast-paced, arcade-style mech action with highly customizable robots in which to fight. It does this with some very nice visuals to boot, although it fails to be really great with the extremely short campaign, forgettable missions/story, and a clunky user interface for the garage and shop.

It's simple and frankly quite fun, but it's just a bit too short for a $60 game, and it can easily be finished in a day.

Every time you think you've seen everything this game has to offer, you'll come across something new.