Roughly a third the size of its predecessor, meaning that you'll be able to go from eagerly installing the game to disappointingly removing it from your hard drive for good in just two or three nights.

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.

A mediocre FPS combined with a mediocre RTS, where the units don't necessarily do as you tell them. The thinking behind the combination is pretty sound, but it falls victim to the classic problem with this sort of genre-spanning game - you can't take two sub-par games and make one good one.

In terms of other improvements, On Holiday really doesn't seem to have made any thrilling leaps or advancements...Overall, a great expansion.

If you've got enough patience to get used to the kinks in the interface and the sometimes dense mission design, you'll get a great deal of entertainment out of this one, both online and off.

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.

Rebel Strike's control issues and lack of a manual camera option bring added frustration to an already difficult game.

If you're the type to enjoy that style of gameplay, we're honour-bound to point out "Super Smash Brothers: Melee," a superior game in about all aspects, and with infinitely more to do.

Black & White 2 shows a crystal-clear understanding of what makes games cool. If only it showed as good a comprehension of what makes games... well, games.

Think of Pursuit Force as a cross between "Burnout Legends" and "GTA: Liberty City Stories," though it doesn't quite reach the quality level of those two.

Offers exactly what the dedicated Star Wars follower and gamer wants: a way to re-enact the drama and excitement of Lucas' vivacious universe and even deviate from course and create your own scenarios.

Even more impressive than the original, offering richer gameplay, deformable terrain, real-time lighting, new zoom capability, and a host of other improvements that puts TMP at the top of the crowded RTS genre.

If you love the gameplay in "Dynasty Warriors" but are tiring of its setting, Crimson Sea 2 offers a refreshing change of pace with a familiar style of gameplay.

After you see through its repetitive gameplay, gimmicky execution scenes, and tiresome, self-consciously obscene dialogue, there isn't much left. Manhunt's gameplay isn't deep or varied enough to match up to the alternatives on any platform.

While it has its flaws, it's paced well, full of action, and managed to keep us smiling all the way to the end. With a tweak here and a polish there, Ritual could really be onto something good. Bring on part two.

Amongst all the launch games for the DS, this quirky dating game is the one that really captured our hearts and pulled us back.

Pretty much what you'd expect from another sequel. No more, no less.

In Shadowbane, the players get to remap the world, and that's something that just hasn't been done before. It's a significant achievement, and an engrossing gameplay experience that should be applauded, albeit cautiously.

If you come to Children of the Nile with a spirit of investigation and if you're willing to learn the nuances of this complex model of ancient life, you'll be richly rewarded with one of the most serene and gratifying city builders since the genre began.

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.

Despite the game's limited length and distinctly Japanese presentation, River City Ransom EX remains a winner overall. From a punchy, bleeping score to cheesy kung-fu sound effects and esoteric script, the game comes off as a killer blast from the past.

It's worth it, but only if you have the patience to deal with a control interface that could drive you batty.

The game's mediocre in too many areas, and is generally inferior to its predecessor. Yes, mechs are cool. Yes, it adds maturity to the genre. However, "Disgaea," "Final Fantasy Tactics Advance," and "Advance Wars" all blow Front Mission 4 out of the water.

It falls short in a few areas, and the missing tilt-sensor is a disappointment, but puzzle fans with patience and those into heavy metals would still do well to give this one a roll.

This is a Katamari game in all its glory, only a bit truncated. It doesn't have the longevity or the broad appeal of its predecessors, but it has the basic spirit, which is what counts.

One of the best hand-held games currently going... If an action-puzzle game with old-school sensibilities sounds like your cup of grog, The Lost Vikings is definitely worth a raid on your local games shoppe.

Super-serious types who regularly dust their Ninja Scroll collections might have problems with its goofy, irreverent tone, but pure gamers will find a lot of pure fun.

A tightly packed game. Despite the AI and graphics issues, it's simply a lot of fun to play, due in large part to the fielder cam and excellent pitching and batting.