As is so often the case in this genre, the minigames miss as many pitches as they hit. We'd actually recommend the Xbox predecessor over this one, if it didn't suffer horrible performance problems when running on the 360.

Most of the massive problems that have plagued next-gen versions of Live have receeded, leaving a game that's fun, accessible, and while flawed, full of enough personality.

Launch issues aside, there's absolutely no reason why any World of Warcraft player should hesitate to pick it up. Consider it essential.

Despite Justice For All's flaws, the game really does offer a rather goofy series of brain-bending challenges. There's a wonderful sense of accomplishment to be had when, during the courtroom scenes, the stupid psyche-lock system is abandoned and players, using only their wits, tear the heart out of a witnesses' testimony.

Smooth Moves does have its share of missteps. Rest assured that most of them are minor, and don't detract from the main formula of the Wario Ware series: insane amounts of fun.

Challenging and visceral, Lost Planet is one of those games that keeps you coming back, even when you're swearing up a storm after dying.

Quite simply, Konami's Karaoke Revolution series was made for the American Idol license, and fans of the show won't be disappointed.

It's at its best when you can just wreak havoc and tear apart a room, tossing furniture with abandon and scattering objects wildly. But the amount of tedium you'll have to wade through along the way isn't worth it. Frankly, Elebits is a great idea in search of a better game.

If you don't need real world licensing or scenery, if you're willing to power through some gratifying RPG advancement with your duffing, and if you don't mind the cloying kiddie graphics, Super Swing Golf is the definitive fantasy golf game.

It's too bad that the entertainment value is still skewed by the lame arena battles, but overall this is a much more viable diversion than the original Full Auto.

Despite its long, long list of lazy omissions it's still a game that Trek fans will enjoy -- if only for the voices, fire-photon-torpedoes ambiance, and graphical effects. They'll just have to grit their teeth while they do it.

Look up "video game" in the dictionary, and Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin should be pictured on the page.

As a single-player game, Portable Ops can't match the scope and drama of its predecessors. Of course, with its bite-sized style and team aspect, it doesn't really try to. This is one of the PSP's best multiplayer titles, giving you essentially a two-for-one experience.

A stronger, smarter fighter than it was during its Xbox 360 battle.

A solid, easy platformer that's colorful, fun, and full of variety. Kids and casual players should love it, but hardcore players may gulp it all down too fast and be left hungry for more.

A must-have for fans of the original game. It adds enough new stuff and fixes enough old stuff that you won't want to miss it.

In terms of pacing, community, and great gunplay, this is the closest you'll get to a handheld "Counter-Strike." And as far as handheld shooters go, this is as good as it gets.

The development team deserves special praise for once again for guns with a sense of heft and kick. The weapon models look great, and they're particularly impressive in action. With immersive effects for iron sights and muzzle flash, and with hearty Hollywood gunshot sounds, there's a powerful you-are-there feeling.

The swordfights, which seem to promise the ability to jump around and swing your Wiimote like a living room ninja, are a profound disappointment.

It looks fantastic, drawing on the power of artwork instead of graphics hardware. There's nothing here that you couldn't do on the Gamecube, which is why Twilight Princess will also be released for the Gamecube. But the visuals hold their own against any next-gen system.

A fast, fluid, and gorgeous game, with a remarkable control scheme, a gratifying sense of progression, and its own unique sensibility. With a launch title like this, the Wii comes out of the gate swinging, demanding to be taken seriously.

If this version of Need for Speed: Carbon either looked or handled better, it might have been a worthwhile contender. But this lazy port simply doesn't have what it takes to bring the Need for Speed franchise to the Wii.

For the price you'll pay for both these games -- which is what you'll need to do if you want a half-decent selection of activities -- you could buy the far superior "Brain Age." Or, for that matter, you could buy just about any of the other genuinely good games on the DS, and pass over this cash-in altogether.

For the price you'll pay for both these games -- which is what you'll need to do if you want a half-decent selection of activities -- you could buy the far superior "Brain Age." Or, for that matter, you could buy just about any of the other genuinely good games on the DS, and pass over this cash-in altogether.

Sonic Rivals feels a little like a mini-game to a bigger game. We expected more content than this. The cards are utterly useless in their attempt to milk replay out of the title, and seemed thrown in at the last minute.

In general Star Trek looks and sounds better than it has in recent console incarnations. The graphics are a little jagged, but the ships look great and the interface is well designed. And the sound is excellent, from the sweeping symphonic score to the spot-on weapon systems.

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.

It's disappointing that the few effective minigames are piled under a heap of mediocrity.

Square Enix's attempts to modernize the title go a long way towards making it more enjoyable on the Nintendo DS, and it's a good game overall, but you'll still find that it lags behind more recent RPGs in some respects.

The big question was how well the new controls would work, and though you'll need extra practice to kick well, the game passes the test, making for a solid bridge between two generations of game systems.

One of the biggest drawbacks with this version is the lack of any multiplayer support. Not only is online multiplayer the strongest feature in this sequel, but it's the only claim it has to replayability.

As an entry level title, Downhill Jam makes a good introduction to the possibilities of fast-paced gameplay on the Wii, and is definitely more approachable than "Tony Hawk's Project 8," the series' other current entry.

We're disappointed that Resistance isn't a 1080p wonder. But it's a wonder for totally different reasons -- how many launch games exist that are worth playing six months down the road? Resistance is definitely in that elite camp, and with the strong multiplayer element, we're betting that it will maintain a presence for a lot longer than that.

As much as we're sometimes awestruck by Genji's eye candy, we're more frequently struck dumb by how unwieldy the camera is. Isn't this the next generation? Wasn't the irritation of being attacked from off-screen and being unable to control your perspective distinctly last-gen?

Gitaroo Man Lives delivers an awesome performance on PSP. However, its short length leaves it feeling more like an opening act than a headliner. Despite this flaw, music fans are urged to not miss the game a second time.

It's an absolute monster, with tons of power while simultaneously possessing impressive agility.

A lot like "Raw Superstar Umaga": It's an absolute monster, with tons of power while simultaneously possessing impressive agility.

This is a textbook example of the power of an interface to make a distinctive and clever game even more distinctive and clever. Quite simply, you haven't played Trauma Center until you've played it on the Wii.

The quick races, time trails, and drift challenges aren't much incentive to pull your nose out of the career mode. And the multiplayer is hardly worth booting up. You can only play splitscreen, and without AI cars.

A good game still lurks somewhere under all this garbage. Gothic's approach to the open-ended RPG is a good deal more compelling than Oblivion's, and it surpasses it in other areas too. But if there was ever a game in need of a few more months of development, Gothic 3 is it.

If you've already grown weary of the series, Unchained definitely won't change your mind; but if you have a few more fatalities in you, pick it up. Who knows? Its unique, cathartic brand of violence may prevent a road-rage incident.

Graphics bump aside, little has changed since we clicked the mouse one million times in "Diablo."

A bit too by-the-book to have the magic of the original, but it's still a good game.

Mastering Ridge Racer 7 feels more like a mathematical exercise than a game. Technophiles may love it for exactly that reason, but other audiences may wonder where the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat have gone.

Only the most blinkered Mobile Suit fetishist could love this clunky battle sim, which trades speed, finesse, and depth for...well, nothing, really.

Team Ninja has headed in exactly the wrong direction: more throwaway minigames, the same frustrating friends system, less focus on the volleyball. Instead, it winds up seeming just as superficial as the bosoms of its stars.

A uniquely relaxing and immersive world that hides surprising depth -- building a thriving garden isn't a matter of slavishly adhering to rules or keeping up with the busywork, although those things play their part.

The hallmark of Gears' weapon design is the balance of powerful tools with critical, exploitable weaknesses, and it's executed with real finesse.

Much like "Lumines," however, Every Extend Extra rides the line between flash and total sensory overload, with flashing colors, oversaturated backgrounds and that omnipresent musical accompaniment. It can almost be too much at times. But the concoction works, if only for the relatively short play time.

Despite a few dodgy-looking moments, however, the visual presentation is praiseworthy. The sensation of navigating expansive, violently scarred landscape remains impressive.

Tony Hawk's Project 8 is quite simply a good game. If you're looking for new levels to trick on and a new story mode to play through, it's money well spent. Nail the trick is the type of awesome addition this series desperately needed.

The original's head to head multiplayer wasn't vital enough to make the expense worthwhile, but this time the co-op play is so integral to the game's appeal that most will find it irresistible...This is an absolutely stellar release, with too much variety, originality, rewards, and pure fun to even think about missing out on.

Less Dragon-Ballsy gamers may get frustrated, but are encouraged to stick it out as well, until they get the hang of this deep -- albeit slightly convoluted -- fighting feast.

On the easiest level, you can knock out all the game's songs in an evening. But then you'll see how gratifying it is to do the same song on a harder level. At that point, Elite Beat Agents pretty much has you.

It's a shame there isn't much in the way of non-military resolutions to disputes, as the game's combat system stands out as its key weakness. Even with that proviso, 1701 AD is a game fans of both the series -- and the genre -- will enjoy.

Although Square has clearly found the limits of the PS2, Final Fantasy's new, seamless approach to exploration and combat works beautifully, and comes with all the depth of plot, character, and gameplay that we've come to expect from the name.

It's no "Baldur's Gate II," nor is it a "Planescape: Torment," but the way things are going it's the closest we're likely to get this century.

Killzone isn't able to fulfill its own potential in the end. More variety in the gameplay would make this the killer app it's ready to become.

Root of Evil puts itself across as a lighthearted, if slightly demented, kid's game. But it can be much more challenging than such a presentation implies, and the disconnect is sometimes jarring.

Bear in mind, if you're addicted to racking up your gamerscore, you might find F.E.A.R. a touch frustrating...F.E.A.R. makes you work for its accolades. But even so, this is an excellent port of a great game.

One notable difference is that the frame rate is a lot better than it was in "Most Wanted." But the price you pay is graphics that are considerably worse. Carbon is missing atmosphere. You're still driving through the game strangely un-populated city, but it's got a lot less detail and ambient effects.

No, it doesn't have the depth of its PC granddaddy, but barring a handful of unfortunate issues, it's perfectly good at what it does: pass the time.

If you're already a Guild Wars player, Nightfall is worth it for the story, continent, professions, and heroes. If you're new, Nightfall is the best installment so far, and a great place to start with this deservedly ultra successful MMO.

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.

Action/RPGs tap into some inherent need to button-mash and kill countless foes, while still strategizing a bit with your party and their attributes so you don't feel brainless -- and this may be the best sci-fi themed entry in the genre to date.

What it does best isn't the way it adds a creative, original third side to the classic two, nor the decent added campaign or the extra units all round. No, Forces of Corruption's best feature is exploding Ewoks.

We can grouse about the same-ness of the textures and design, but in motion F.E.A.R. continues to impress. It sounds even better, with most of the shocks this time delivered through an excellent sound design.

It's a perfectly serviceable war shooter offline, and turns into a strong SOCOM rival when you're gunning with 31 other players, which is just the sort of action the PSP has been missing.

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.

In the spirit of generosity, we'll offer that there's about 30 minutes of entertainment to be had. Any fan of "Grand Theft Auto"'s goofy violence will grin as the shark tears people limb from limb. Hours of doing that and little else for hours, however, will dull the enthusiasm of even the most bloodthirsty gamer.

Sam and Max's return is both a funny, well-written return to form and a real testimony to the episodic format in general. Culture Shock shows remarkable sympathy for the strengths of the original game, and has a polished, streamlined presentation that nails its feel.

Its regimented take on open-world gaming is surprisingly well handled, and Hopkins' quest to put order to what is the Wild West of education, has been built with enough loving care that players will be compelled to follow it to its natural conclusion.

For the most part, Double Agent is like slipping on a comfortable pair of shoes. There aren't really any new gadgets, although some of the old ones have evolved.

Ultimately, Battlefield 2142 is a game for the hardcore player. If you've logged endless hours into Battlefield 2, you're going to love the new class tweaks and you'll probably have half of the unlocks within the first week.

In the end though, what really makes Crypto-138 stand out from the pack is the combination of solid controls and side-splitting humor. It may not be politically correct, but it's going to keep you entertained.

This game lacks Batman's attitude, Green Lantern's gadgets, The Flash's quickness, and Superman's strength. It's a mediocre action-RPG through and through.

The beauty of the WarChiefs expansion is that it's not just a lot of new content, but it's a lot of good new content that affects how the game plays. If you're a fan of Age of Empires III, you're going to be an even bigger fan once you've tried this expansion pack.

With polished online play, great visuals, and the right mix of authenticity and accessibility, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 is a solid package for golf fans. Unfortunately, the insulting shortage of courses on the 360 smarts a bit, and there's not a whole lot new since last year.

If you think about this game too much, then playing it can be disheartening, as it takes the feeling that you're completely wasting your time and really drives it home. However, some of the simple little mini-games are oddly addicting.

Rarely does an expansion (or companion, in the case of the PS2 and GameCube) see content integrated so well into an existing game. After a few minutes playing Pets, you'll feel as if the animals have always been a part of your gaming life.

In a market that's crowded with guns, over-the-top graphical effects and heart-pounding action, FSX serves more to educate and amuse than arouse and enrage, and it does so in real style. It's a stunning achievement.

This game lacks Batman's attitude, Green Lantern's gadgets, The Flash's quickness, and Superman's strength. It's a mediocre action-RPG through and through.

In the end though, what really makes Crypto-138 stand out from the pack is the combination of solid controls and side-splitting humor. It may not be politically correct, but it's going to keep you entertained.

Rarely does an expansion (or companion, in the case of the PS2 and GameCube) see content integrated so well into an existing game. After a few minutes playing Pets, you'll feel as if the animals have always been a part of your gaming life.

Think of it as the medieval version of being an air traffic controller: hard to recommend to everyone, but if you're up for a challenge, and can handle all that micromanagement, give it a shot. Just be prepared to go take a long lie down in a darkened room when you're done.

An entertaining and occasionally even deep role-playing experience able to stack up against classic entries in the "Final Fantasy" and "Dragon Quest" series.

But you won't be getting this game for the advanced graphics engine. Instead, you'll be getting it for the fact that during one early battle, someone sticks a piece of paper on your character's back that says 'Kick my ass'.

Mortal Kombat excels at offering plenty of great extras to compensate for its lukewarm gameplay.

By adding more stuff for you to admire and kill, and more places and ways to do it, Dark Crusade gives the already lively Warhammer RTS universe even more life, personality, blood, and meat. It's a gory, giddy delight, with more depth and gameplay than ever.

It may not be perfect, but the combination of movie authenticity, solid action, and exploratory gameplay adds up to one hell of a good time.

Yet these Gangs of London prove to be more like the Jets and Sharks from "West Side Story;" mildly amusing, to be sure, but potentially only dangerous to an 8-year-old boy who still has accidents when mom forgets to turn on the nightlight.

A passing diversion, totally bereft of the addictive zeal of the original. In this case that's a step forward, if only a very tiny one.

Graphically, this year's offering is a big step forward over last year's. However, it still has a way to go.

This could have been little more than a Flash game done on the cheap to cash in on this nostalgia. Instead, Introversion has created a chilling, thoughtful, and eminently playable real time strategy game, squeezing more atmosphere into 60MBs than most games can manage with 600MBs. Sometimes, less is indeed so much more.

If you like fantasy, and if you're ready to graduate beyond the must-haves like Civilization and Heroes of Might & Magic, then Dominions 3 is a unique game you won't want to miss.

There's a lot of fun to be had discovering the different units and strategies. This isn't a great RTS, and it's likely to be forgotten this time next year. But it is a good RTS and it's well worth your time.

Online or offline, as a campaign or a freeform scenario, Caesar IV is an inviting game, easy to like and hard to stop playing. It's got a fairly forgiving learning curve, and it will rarely plunge you into the sort of economic death spirals that can make other city builders so discouraging.

It has a decidedly limited range of licensed cars, an unsatisfying handling model, a dull course and a difficulty level that's way out of whack.