So while there isn't all that much on the menu, the fast-paced and simple gameplay can't fail to raise a smile, at least for the first few plays. Most will set it aside after that, but it's priced at a decidedly value-conscious $20 -- less than the cost of a good steak.

A little frustrating, a little predictable, but like many a Hollywood blockbuster, it's a thrill ride worth taking.

The computer players take ages moving, and if you add more than one opponent for extra tactical depth, the problem is multiplied.

Although MVP Baseball 2003 has a few rough spots, it is worth checking out, especially if you're a little tired of the routine baseball game interface and want to get more hands-on when you take to the mound.

What you're really looking at is more of the same.

The somewhat frustrating part is that each scene, after completion, lasts about two minutes, yet takes an hour or so to complete, and while you feel a great sense of accomplishment in finishing each scene, watching the brief replays may make you ponder, "I spent an hour toiling at the controller for this!?"

A fun time, in spite (or because) of its ludicrous story and cutscenes, which you won't find in any other serious racer.

In the same league as the disposable horror flicks that fill video shelves and late-night cable. It's not particularly frightening, but good atmosphere and short-lived twitch satisfaction is enough to sustain interest for a while.

Terminator 3: The Redemption is more interested in being a playable movie than a real game. There's little to no choice for players, who just have to sit back and shoot everything.

A fine place to start for younger gamers. In that respect, the puzzles, side quests and overall presentation are just about right.

Dark Messiah gets points for being unique among shooters, but it loses points for not being unique enough. It's the same old dungeons, the same generic monsters, and some uninspired gameplay that doesn't make for a very memorable game.

You also never get into that old-fashioned running and jumping zone that so characterised the initial games in the series, because you're usually timing laser blasts and calculating jumps.

Although the time in between turns alone may push modern gamers' patience past the breaking point, Risk: Global Domination stays true to its heritage and the enhanced online capabilities will go a long way towards maintaining players' interest.

Most games will have you shaking your head (if not cursing) at the fielding. That's a huge letdown when the pitching and batting interaction is as strong as that of MLB 2K6. Inside Edge is such a fantastic addition that fans have to see it in action.

Playing EyeToy solo isn't the sort of title that keeps you captivated for the length of time that experienced gamers expect, but it's certainly unique and a good crowd pleaser at gatherings.

Some of the time limits are so tight, and one tiny mistake is all it may take to send you back to the beginning, gnashing your teeth in frustration.

It's too hard to steal bases against the computer and throw computer stealers out. Computer batters are far too patient at the plate... It is worth checking out.

The action icons on Groove are more sluggish than on Play, which will mean a lot more furious hand-waving action and frustration that things can't move along quicker.

While it's not as polished as most modern offerings, it's priced to sell and still raises grins like nothing else.

While the game's is an improvement over the 2004 edition, it's still not quite up to snuff.

The biggest failing of Heroes V, which you can almost anticipate from its emphasis on looking so good, is that it's stingy with information.

Blitz: The League is functional, fun, *!#$ed-up fantasy football with enough humor, style, and faux "edge" to keep even the least gridiron-minded among us entertained with its raunchy excess.

In short, the people that should love the franchise mode may be put off by the performance. In addition to the sluggish menus, load times are too frequent and too long. Portable games should be fast and accessible, and Madden isn't.

Although 1503 offers only a few modest innovations, it's still a solid example of how gratifying it is to spread your own civilization, whether it's this century or 500 years ago.

A no-brainer for all Mega Man fans out there. And even if you weren't an old-school addict, you can still dig in for some harmless fun... just be prepared for the frustrations and insane difficulty that come with many retro classics.

A role-playing game that's just a little more interesting than the rest of the fold.

Ultimately, the biggest flaw with Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers is polish. Everything here works decently enough, but it all feels like minor tweaks as opposed to major innovation.

There are bosses with personality and the fighting is pointlessly gratifying enough to distract for long periods of time, but those hungry for some kind of innovation might be left a little cold here.

Although the game works as a fresh take on the familiar without adding too much new content to leave old fans feeling lost, it also doesn't do as much as it could to liven things up.

Boktai may not usher in a whole new genre of environmentally powered games, but it is a very cool merging of technology and gameplay in one sweet package.

There are moments of controller-throwing frustration, but also many flashes of true craftsmanship and design excellence.

A great game to play with friends online or off, but here's hoping the next iteration gives us more to do with the D.

The computer players take ages moving, and if you add more than one opponent for extra tactical depth, the problem is multiplied.

It has an uncanny appreciation for the nuances of real tennis. It's smart and unforgiving.

Brings back a sense of adventure which somehow got lost along the way.

Even with its too-standard approach, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is still one of the best treatments given to anime-based games we've seen in a long time.

It ultimately lacks the long-term appeal of EA's offering.

While Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits feels very different from your average block puzzle game, it doesn't offer much depth. However, its fast-paced action and tension will keep most entertained.

Riveting duels, killer combination moves, and buckets of blood see the cinematic adaptation effectively mimic the flick that inspired it.

The franchise may not be as wacky as before, nor as realistic as the competition, but it hits hard, doesn't let up, and is great entertainment for a group of friends looking for something less simmy and more instantly accessible.

With extensive gameplay, a great range of cars and replay value that will keep you motoring on even long-haul journeys, GT Advance is a great start for the racing genre on the GBA.

All of Contact's charm can't save it from the tedium that bogs down a lot of RPGs. But it's still as solid as they come, not terribly spectacular, but the perfect fare for devotees of the genre.

The Thing on its own stands as a slightly flawed, yet atmospheric and alluring action-adventure. Hardcore fans of the film, however, will have fewer complaints.

Fans should rejoice at having the chance to play both Kain and Raziel, with faster deeper combat leading to the story resolution many have longed for. It's not perfect, but Defiance is easily the best of the series.

It may seem like a minor gripe, but I still would have liked to see a skirmish mode.

There are moments of controller-throwing frustration, but also many flashes of true craftsmanship and design excellence. DRIV3R is a game for those who love the feel of the wheel, but only for those with the patience to slog through the rough patches.

As-is, playing Urban Chaos feels a lot like listening to a hit pop song. It's fun to hear the first few times, but repetition has its limits.

It's fairly short, so seasoned gamers won't likely see 15 hours of gameplay... but for all their simplicity, they're an entertaining 15 hours, studded with predetermined dramatic events and even references to characters and events from the first game.

The game that is supposedly there to make you feel like Bond, ironically ends up achieving the opposite at times because of the scripted and rather linear nature of the proceedings - there's simply too much 'guidance by hand' to really convince you that you truly ARE Bond.

Intriguing—if a little hackneyed and too A&E docucrap friendly—stories never go out of style.

It does right by the arcade sports genre in that respect, and has great control to boot. What it's lacking in other respects, however -- stats, modes, and variety -- keeps Super Mario Strikers from pulling off the hat-trick.

If running around slicing the arms off enemies and toying around with Force powers is your idea of fun, you have found your game. But then, you probably already found that game many years ago when the series first began.

So if you're looking for a traditional gaming experience, you're likely to find Nintendogs lacking in gameplay and variety. Those with more open minds stand a better chance of being captured by its undeniable charm.

Big Brain Academy's biggest problem is its limited quantity of activities. Yes, we get that it's part of Nintendo's new "Touch Generations" line, and that it's only $20, and it's meant to be a quick diversion...but even the casual audience that's being targeted is going to get bored after a few days.

Comes over as something of a guilty pleasure. Objectively, it's not a good game at all -- it's ill-suited to its platform, repetitive to the extreme, too easy, presented with little flair, and a mere shadow of the best that both Pokemon and dungeon crawlers in general have to offer.

Pretty to watch, but a real bore to play, and when it's not boring, it's frustrating. Not a good mix.

Tak 2's biggest flaw is that we've seen it all before. It's not a bad game, and is certainly a lot better than its predecessor, but it really doesn't do anything particularly well.

A great kid's game and will amuse gamers with some musical knowledge or puzzle game addiction.

Because of the excellent job EA has done in its implementation, this new graphics engine feels comfortable and natural.

Don't buy it expecting a complete remodel -- it's just a fresh coat of paint on an old frame.

There's an awful lot of linear, shooting-gallery tedium you have to plod through to get to the good stuff.

The franchise may not be as wacky as before, nor as realistic as the competition, but it hits hard, doesn't let up, and is great entertainment for a group of friends looking for something less simmy and more instantly accessible.

A game that just doesn't fit in. Out of the box it's not as fun as its predecessors, and nowhere near as deep or engaging as Madden or ESPN.

Though it suffers from control issues and won't be to everyone's taste, Dog's Life delivers on its promised subject matter.

Despite its casting issues, Marvel Avengers is a decent enough LEGO romp — better than the disappointing Jurassic World and Batman 3: Beyond Gotham but not quite as good as Marvel Super Heroes. Fans of its spandex stars should certainly suit up. The rest of you might want to wait for another hero.

For all the great things this game has going for it, longevity is its weakness. With only 14 real missions, each of which able to be completed in less then ten minutes, there's just not much game for your money.

While seemingly similar to previously released action titles at first glance, Kill.switch quickly proves to impart its own unique types of spin on the strat-shooter genre, not merely in mechanics and "hooks," but also in the game's very dramatic approach.

The PSP is already blessed with great racing games, but what it doesn't have is a racer to satisfy those not interested in white-knuckle competition. Cars fills the niche perfectly.

Worth a bash if you can rent or borrow it from a friend.

The game itself is an uneven mishmash of fighting, driving, and shooting. Call it Grand Theft Goodfellas; if someone took Rockstar Games' popular Grand Theft Auto series, moved its setting to New York, and then sent it via the Wayback machine to post-World War II New York, the result would be The Godfather.

Using the Wii remote just feels natural, too, and although it's not a monumental success, this is a Sonic console game you can feel proud to own. It's been a while since we could make that statement.

One part hockey, one part soccer and one part pure fantasy, Quidditch World Cup may not have the draw or the depth of Madden, but it is still plenty of fun to play.

One of the biggest design differences between Gothic II and practically all other RPGs is that it doesn't ramp up in difficulty as you go. Encounters are tough in the beginning, often overwhelming, and don't get easier as your skills improve.

Once you get past the graphics, though, everything else is virtually unchanged. As mentioned above, there's really not much new here.

The game's controls and user-interface are clean and intuitive: the analog stick and four face buttons are all that's needed to play, and the unobtrusive onscreen icons give you necessary information when you need it.

So if you're looking to give SWAT 4 a bit more longevity, your $20 will go a long way with Stetchkov Syndicate, but sadly not as far as it could have gone.

You have to sort of force yourself to play in the beginning. Putting in that time pays off in the end, though, much like some of those art-house flicks that go from head scratcher to heartstring tugger in just a couple of hours.

Though it's good, it's overshadowed by the mighty SSX Tricky and Tony Hawk's - don't buy it until you've bored with these two.

The design and presentation make this release more palatable for non-gamers than Konami's series, but the limited track selection and unfortunate forced vocal tracks remove some of that value.

The very definition of a "pick up and play" video game, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 strikes a comfortable balance between bite-sized gameplay and respectable longevity. It could use some tighter controls and a multiplayer mode, but it's a competent addition to the DS' line of puzzlers.

With numerous incentives to play, it's a shame that the game isn't more visually appealing. It's not a bad looking game by any means, just rather unremarkable.

Praetorians isn't the deepest RTS going, but for fans of the genre and/or the era, it's a no-nonsense, well-presented package.

If you haven't already played "Corkscrew Follies," there are definitely enough attractive new features and interesting scenarios in Loopy Landscapes to provide hours of additional coaster building enjoyment to your theme park empire.

Lack of originality notwithstanding, gamers in search of an above average stealth action game experience with a good story and couple of minor innovations won't be disappointed with Cold War.

The graphics and sound both capture the action well, and the character animation is particularly strong.

With more polish, a better campaign, and a little more attention to detail, it could have been a real winner. In the end, it's creative and novel, but its flaws prevent an unreserved recommendation.

A great game...But it misses out on the magic four stars because of the sheer difficulty that will undoubtedly throw certain people into spitting fits and hissing rages.

A fine place to start for younger gamers. In that respect, the puzzles, side quests and overall presentation are just about right.

If the difficultly was a bit more consistent and mission parameters more forgiving, then Battlestar Galactica could have been a massive hit. As-is, the game is sure to please fans of the license, but those looking for something deeper will likely be disappointed.

A game that just doesn't fit in. Out of the box it's not as fun as its predecessors, and nowhere near as deep or engaging as Madden or ESPN.

Another minor issue is that while Nikki is death while on the stealthy offensive, she's not much good if the combat suddenly gets up-close... the moral of the story, we suppose, being don't let the enemy get close to begin with.

If its creepiness, truckload of style, and inventive concepts sound appealing, then by all means give it a shot. On the other hand, if you think the repetitive shooting, ho-hum puzzles, and inability to actively control your characters' movements will flip your smile upside down, then it might be best to avoid this in favor of another play through "Resident Evil 4" or "God of War."

It doesn't quite work. Although it's hard to see how the controls could be improved, at the same it's not hard to see that improvements are necessary if console real-time strategy games are ever going to be an easy alternative to those on the PC.

Most of the attraction was the aliens, though it was difficult to restrain the urge to lift them out of the genre-bound confines of Earth 2160 and into the groundbreaking RTS they deserve.

Most games will have you shaking your head (if not cursing) at the fielding. That's a huge letdown when the pitching and batting interaction is as strong as that of MLB 2K6. Inside Edge is such a fantastic addition that fans have to see it in action.

The solo adventure is often captivating, however, and the ancient Chinese atmosphere often overshadows the fact that you're playing the same old action-oriented RPG one more time.

What's here is engaging and contains a compelling, in-depth story to complement the gameplay.

It's designed to be played through multiple times, and won't show anywhere near the whole of its plot or locations first time out.