Tuners can go crazy creating a fully customized garage, and pure race fans can get off on the sense of speed.

Good old-fashioned crash-bang rally racing...Steel Monkeys' first serious racer is the first game since which really does the arcade rallying genre justice.

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.

Despite a few glitches and omissions (no multiplayer or online options, although there is a map editor), expect Silent Storm to receive a noisily positive reception from the tactical strategy crowd.

The AI issues are problematic but don't detract a tremendous amount from the overall experience -- and neither is a problem in multiplayer. There's much to like about Summit Strike, with the best thing being the price.

It's not the prettiest game going, but its reliance on tense, cinch-your-belt strategy with limited forces is a welcome break from the near-mindless tank- (or in this case, monster-) rush blues.

Thanks to the huge variety of powers and strategies, it'll last at least as long as a typical full-priced option.

What Halo 2 represents -- an integrated online experience, smooth, console-like mechanics and a hassle-free setup procedure -- is a great development for the PC's future as a gaming platform. But all the philosophizing in the world isn't going to change the fact that it's a port of a three-year-old game that we've all played to death, and try as we might, we just can't get excited about that.

Although simplistic in many ways, Otogi 2's character variety, non-linear progression, and sheer level of chaos are all big points in the game's favor. This is a must-see sequel for anyone with a destructive bent.

Displays almost Zelda-like creativeness in its monsters and environments.

An incredible, if flawed, experience. You'll need some tolerance and patience, but ultimately, if you want in on the most realistic mech game ever devised, this is it... To paraphrase the legendary Ferris Bueller: Steel Battalion is so choice. If you have the means, we highly recommend picking one up.

Transformers has just enough of a bright, toy-like look to tickle the nostalgia of those who grew up with the cartoons and the hype, but the game stands up well on -- sorry again! -- its own two feet.

Both atmospheric and exciting, and there isn't much higher praise for a historical first-person shooter than that.

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."

[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.

If you're impatient, have bad carpal tunnel syndrome, or just never got that whole hand-eye coordination thing down, this probably isn't the game for you.

Although the plot is compelling, many will find the slow pace and sub-games too tedious to sustain their interest. Perhaps it's too lifelike for its own good.

More than anything, playing Cloning Clyde will give you the sense that someone had an almost unnecessary amount of fun making this game.

If you're going into Sigma Star Saga looking for the next R-Type or Thunder Force, you'll be sorely disappointed. But if you want a good, solid GBA game that brings something new to the table, it's a shoo-in.

Anyone who's ever sunk more pocketfuls of coins into an arcade machine than they'd care to admit will be incapable of resisting the game's charms.

Although its approach may irritate some purists, the movies' army of fans will lap it up.

Even gamers who have played the "parent" game to death can find something to love in this promising -- if not entirely coordinated -- bundle of joy.

The graphics and gameplay form a vicious duo, and the story mode is like the craft manager to ensure victory.

A refreshingly good -- albeit a bit short -- movie-based game with a dose of ingenuity and plenty of memorable game-play moments for fans and action-adventure gamers alike.

One slight drawback is that without a light for your GBA some of the levels are quite dark and the action further down the line can be somewhat repetitive even with the new challenges the game dishes out for you.

It's great news that Champions of Norrath's rich world, filled with smoothly progressing danger and engaging action, is an excellent title for fans of the genre, both online and off.

Seems to split its aim between hardcore "Matrix" fans and experienced gamers; if you find yourself with a foot in both camps, you may well find this one of the most faithful movie-to-game experiences in recent memory.

Rare's stylish presentation, wondrous depiction of an alien world, and, ummm, mediocre yet steady gameplay come together in a way that simply isn't seen that often in console or PC gaming.