Legends is a compelling game for those who aren't fans of the license, but it's an absolute must-have for X-Men followers; the bigger the fan, the more you need this game.

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.

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.

One clear advantage of the PSP version is the multiplayer support. This is the only version of SSX that allows for multiplayer games aside from split screen.

This isn't a perfect collection by any stretch: Alpha 2 Gold's enhancements are negligible, and online and Alpha 3's great console modes are nowhere to be found. Still, Alpha Anthology is a lot of Street Fighter fun for around $30.

Where Prey succeeds is with its backstory and the fear you feel trying to decide if that coffee cup in front of you is really a coffee cup. If you’re looking for a shooter with a beautiful environment, decent story and open-world-style gameplay, pick up Prey.

Strangely enough, the key to the game's success may very well be the restricted camera. Yes, saying so is likely to get us branded as gaming heathens, but for Castlevania, it works and it works well.

To produce a console RTS game that equals its PC counterpart is no mean feat, and here Electronic Arts has even surpassed it slightly in some areas.

A great concept, brutally funny and accompanied by some beautiful sweeping melodies, but it suffers from some basic technical flaws and dips of interest in gameplay.

The gameplay is still addictive and people who enjoy their virtual people will find themselves compulsively playing this GBA version.

Its gameplay sacrifices and slightly stale taste make it no match for "Tekken: Dark Resurrection."

The meat of the game is always in multiplayer, and Yuke's and THQ have handled that with finesse.

A must-have for any fan of this genre and is easily my selection as strategy game of the year so far.

The problem is that it cannot escape its mod roots, looking very dated and feeling rather uninspired - ironic considering many of its features were the inspiration for the successful WWII titles that followed it.

A solid update to the series that doesn't really break any new ground, but shouldn't disappoint diehard fans of the Tekken line either.

While Gladius isn't going to convert haters of RPGs or turn-based strategy, it's got the same hard-to-define addictive hook as its older peers, "FFT" and "Tactics Ogre."

The boards look very similar. A few more would've been great, too. All things considered, Metroid Prime Pinball is a fun little game that is great for players 7 to 107.

It's got some great physics that come into play during the game, but relies most on rapid-fire gameplay that only lets up to make you sweat even more.

Rising Tide sometimes feels all wet, but Civilization’s ship can still be righted.

You came here for the dumb summer shooter fun, you stuck around for the wet icky graphics and the "M.C. Eschertime!" Ten hours later -- or longer if you can hold out against multiplayer nausea -- you're going to have gotten just what you expect from a solid well-done shooter.

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.

Planet Moon set out to create a game that was pure, visceral fun and it did just that. You can sit down and play for ten minutes or ten hours and still be enthralled.

If you're looking for an accurate representation of the arcade machine, you'll find it here, and you'll be more than pleased with the experience.

The bosses are either too easy or too irritating. And most of the great enemies we saw in the recent Xbox release are nowhere to be found, leaving dull soldiers and a scattered few fun baddies.

Admittedly there isn't a great variety of action-adventures on Xbox, but Buffy's fast-paced and entertaining gameplay puts it head and (rather shapely) shoulders above its limited competition.

It is almost unerringly gorgeous and a blast to play, though the combat could have been pushed forward to true "God of War" levels with just a few different options. Even so, this is the best action title going on the PS3 this fall.

An old-school "Myst" adventure tarted up in new clothes. For all the superficial changes to gameplay, anyone who completed the original game ten years ago will encounter a lot of deja vu here.

A solid, straightforward first-person shooter. It manages to stumble, gasping and grinning, from the no-man's land of "adequate" and into the green zone of "good," mostly due to the assorted flairs and presentational touches that make all the difference.

While The Sims: Unleashed offers plenty of new features, game objects and gameplay changes, it doesn't significantly add pleasure to the game, which is a real disappointment.

Kamikaze air attacks, det-pack-laden jeeps, hijacking enemy vehicles - it's rare for a round to go by without something amusing happening. With this expansion, DICE has taken the comedy potential of BF1942 to new heights.

A thoroughly humorous and entertaining game with a few rough edges. Camera problems and a lack of voiceover acting are the only real flaws.

The game will be exciting right up until you realize that the game itself is controlling how close the games will be, and your skill seems to have no bearing on the outcome in the long run unless you get a lucky shot at the end.

Great control and tracks would be for naught if the graphics engine couldn't keep up, but not to worry. MTX runs at a silky smooth framerate that grabs your collar and shakes hard.

Powerful, easy to use, and loaded with potential, it could become the flagship computer title for train enthusiasts.

Sure, it may hit a few speedbumps along the way, but the multiplayer appeal can't be denied -- and thanks to the infrastructure support, you don't have to worry about finding local competitors.

One of the most innovative and enjoyable titles of 2000.

Mixing mountain biking with Road Rash-style violence and Tony Hawk's token trick allotment, it transcends conceptual shortcomings, officially clocking in as one of the season's best titles.

Unfortunately, the frequency of the random encounters means the relative simplicity of combat can make it tiresome and repetitive at times.

It takes advantage of the unique points of the Nintendo DS with a simple fighting system, and it overcomes the system's limitations with a nicely done smoke-and-mirrors presentation of swinging freely through a 3D city.

With versatile server options allowing operators with a dedicated machine to run a variety of servers, the potential is there for massive success over the net. We're more than happy to recommend it to you heartily.

It's one of those rare games that manages to combine detail, historical accuracy and playability to make a truly engaging and entertaining strategy game.

While some of the new content is rather pointless, there's still a good quantity of solid additional material in this expansion, and the transport improvements alone make it worth the cost.

The control is satisfyingly tight and responsive, and the stealth kills (spookily augmented by the controller's vibration function) are right on that clinical line between gratifying and, well, a bit disturbing.

Almost akin to what alcoholics would call a "moment of clarity", a prolonged amount of play reveals Burnout to suddenly be a far more enjoyable game than initially realised.

Where Mega Man Battle Network fails is that it can too often venture into the realms of monotony with a relatively unexciting setting that may be a bit too ingrained by Pokemon culture to stand out.

With plenty of teams to play and extras to unlock, it's good value for money, and as a multiplayer game it will be hours of fun.

While the missions in The Simpsons: Hit and Run can take on an air of sameness after a while and the pursuit scheme is less than completely thought out, the most startling thing we can note is that the gameplay stands on its own, Simpsons or no Simpsons.

It doesn't quite match the brilliance or originality of the first game, and it is looking a bit dated thanks to the Quake3 tech, but the core game is still loads of fun and well worth playing whether you're a casual gamer or a hardcore Star Trek fan.

The most creative and cathartic button masher since cult favorite "Gunstar Heroes."

Detroit: Become Human tells a dramatic story about androids seeking to find their own way of living with and among humans. Yes, it’s a well-worn sci-fi trope, but the characters in Detroit are compelling enough to make it feel interesting again. There are some issues with controls at times and some story beats that miss the mark, but if you’re looking for a impressive story that can be played out in a multitude of ways, dig into “Detroit.”

By removing some of the arguably cheap content from the game and introducing a couple of new weapons, Resurrection of Evil could be a rebirth for id's thriller.

If you’re looking for a fun, addictive arcade racer, where you can take devious shortcuts to get one over on your rivals, then look no further.

What if those mists could be lifted to reveal the full extent of the battlefield, with catapults and battering rams laying siege to castles in the distance?

But with a friend, Dark Alliance II's polished, addictive and comparatively deep gameplay, along with much improved replay value, makes it one of the best cooperative games around.

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.

A thoroughly humorous and entertaining game with a few rough edges. Camera problems and a lack of voiceover acting are the only real flaws.

Not every level in Yoshi’s Woolly World is a winner, and the game suffers in comparison to the absolutely magical Super Mario 3D World, which still easily ranks as the Wii U’s best platformer. But it deftly pulls off the trick of being both stupendously cute and technically well-crafted, appealing to youngsters drawn in by the sweet plush Yoshis and to more skilled gamers looking to challenge their reflexes and item-hunting skills.

A solid, straightforward first-person shooter. It manages to stumble, gasping and grinning, from the no-man's land of "adequate" and into the green zone of "good," mostly due to the assorted flairs and presentational touches that make all the difference.

It's simply essential that you see the movie before playing The Thing to get full enjoyment out of it...Even considering all its faults, this is still an extremely fun and spooky title.

Rating such a schizophrenic beast is tough. But one thing's for sure: If you're in the mood for a retro-styled, light-hearted platform game, you'll love Conker. Equally, if you're looking for high-adrenaline Xbox Live thrills, it'll be right up your street.

Offers a professional, worthy campaign and is definitely a good buy for the price even if it isn't as satisfying a single-player RPG experience as Bioware's immortal "Baldur's Gate II" series.

Given the type of game they set out to make, it's hard to see how they could have made it any better.

It's a drag that some serious AI issues still plague the simulation, but the EyeToy interaction and ball physics make MLB 2005 worth a look. A readily available online component even alleviates some of the AI tics.

The most singularly glaring issue with Roboforge - there is absolutely NO MANUAL. What?! Yes, it's true. Sadly, you'll be completely on your own with only the skimpiest of Flash5 tutorial-introductions to guide you.

[Its] overall gameplay is nothing new and even the "extra" modes seem pretty desperate... but the base mechanics look terrific and ultra-smooth on the tiny GBA screen, and both newcomers and old-school fans alike will have something to go ape about.

The movie creation tools are undoubtedly improved by the additions.

Those expecting something completely different, such as the ability to pilot spaceships or man turrets, will need to wait until the next release.

Whilst the new challenges offered in the expansion will amuse and frustrate those megalomaniacs amongst us for some considerable time, there is nothing spectacularly new about Paradise Island.

It's likely to be dwarfed by some of the mega-games already in the pipe, but is well worth a lengthy tour by RPG enthusiasts.

Unravel might look like LittleBigPlanet, but in practice it’s the kinder, gentler Limbo.

A worthwhile purchase for those new to the series, provided you feel ready to take on the initially steep learning curve.

Rife with action and bursting at the seams with bonus content, the title will also go down in history as one of the most intense products ever created for hobbyists' consumption.

It proves a suitable fix for bloodthirsty gamers, yet hardly the remorselessly addictive diversion many had been hoping for.

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.

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.

Just don't be surprised when you find the game length to be dangerously close to the running time of an average Bond flick.

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.

A very comprehensive strategy game that is surprisingly easy to pick up and just gets deeper and more addictive the more you play it.

With a diverse selection of top-notch games, an incredibly creative "sketchbook" front end, and plenty of unlockable extras, the Capcom Classics Collection is an appealing choice for any retro-gamer.

Twenty bones for a good read isn't a bad deal by any means -- especially one as well illustrated as this. Add in its extra features, and it's approaching a bargain.

Go to faraway lands, meet strange orcs... and kill them. Microsoft proves that real-time strategy can be done right on consoles.

This is great gaming, great art, and a great way to give yourself the creeps while fumbling around with the oddest virtual camera you've ever handled.

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

If your only option is the PS2 version, it's a less attractive option -- but if you're looking for simple, addictive brain teasing, you can't go too far wrong with this.

Overtaking games like "Gran Turismo," Criterion Games' racer is more like ageing Sega classic Outrun on a heavy dose of speed with a touch of Red Bull to help push things along.

Planet Moon set out to create a game that was pure, visceral fun and it did just that. You can sit down and play for ten minutes or ten hours and still be enthralled.

While Gladius isn't going to convert haters of RPGs or turn-based strategy, it's got the same hard-to-define addictive hook as its older peers, "FFT" and "Tactics Ogre."

A slightly improved Star Trek tactical simulator, but that's pretty much all it is. The production values are still bland, and the user interface is just slightly better than before.

Due to good physics modeling, sharp AI, and spot-on controls, no amount of wonky pitches and fiery players, watery stadiums, and moronic (if hilarious) commentary can detract from the solid gameplay.

It's not without its flaws -- a lack of tactical depth and disappointing multiplayer are chief among them -- but it's gripping and spectacular to play, and certainly one of the better Star Wars games on the market.

Liberty City Stories sticks to the roots of the GTA series -- albeit to a fault. Seasoned GTA players won't find much new, but those who don't already own the game on PSP won't kick themselves for throwing down a 20-spot on this.

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

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.

Much more user-friendly and action-oriented than their "Romance" series, Tactics throws you right into battle early and often; turn-based strategy fans will surely love this one.

Plenty of Bruckheimer-style action, a decent suite of multiplayer options, strong visuals, and a variety-packed single-player mode. Derivative it might be, both of past Far Cry games and other FPSes, but there's still no arguing with the quality of this offering.

The economic model is robust enough to keep things interesting and the complexities of running a business will keep players hopping.

The parts alone don't suggest a great game, but as a whole, it works really well, and I expect to be playing Starlancer for a while longer yet, especially with the incredibly fun cooperative mode available.

While the missions in The Simpsons: Hit and Run can take on an air of sameness after a while and the pursuit scheme is less than completely thought out, the most startling thing we can note is that the gameplay stands on its own, Simpsons or no Simpsons.