Both movie fans and general gamers should get a few hours of fun out of it, and frustration is kept at a minimum -- preventing you from becoming an irate pirate.

The DS game supports the touch screen for mini-map movement as well as weapon selection, but suffers from a lower resolution and a restricted display area. The PSP game looks much prettier, but requires more button presses to navigate.

If you just want to experience the visceral knockout quality of a good arcade-punching match, then UFC is exactly what you need.

The computer cheats in a rather spectacular fashion, particularly in movie mode.

Just plain fun - nothing more, nothing less.

It doesn't really share too much with the original arcade title.

There's a lot of twisted humor to warm the hearts of players.

You'll need a high level of tolerance for boneheaded design choices, but there's plenty of fun to be had. Psi-Ops has all the right ideas, but it trips itself up in the execution.

If there were a more advanced game behind the excellent writing, The Bard's Tale could have been one of the highest rated RPGs this year. The Bard's sarky one-liners, foul mouth, and rampant chauvinism make every cutscene and conversation entertaining and frequently laugh-out-loud funny.

The lack of a mid-game save aside, PoA is great fun to play - not only does it have the necessary hook to keep you interested in what happens next, but it manages to perfectly reproduce the atmosphere of the Apes films.

The learning curve is considerable. Beginners are sure to be put off by the sheer volume of information presented. The game's interface -- all icons and indicators -- will also be uncomfortable for casual enthusiasts.

It's a solid first-wave title, while the awesome 3D engine and multiplayer game makes it a truly new experience in the portable arena. Let's just hope the next legend that SOE tells has more surprises.

Without patience and some dedication, this could be a quick ticket to frustration. But that's also what makes the game appealing, because for those who are up to it, there's a serious challenge in store.

I appreciate that developer Vicarious Visions has tried to steer Skylanders in a new direction, and there’s certainly plenty to do here. But I’m not sure the future of Skylanders lies in mediocre kart racing, and unfortunately, there’s just too much of that in Skylanders SuperChargers. Hopefully the next entry will get the series back on track.

The game is severely crippled by awkward controls, inexplicable design decisions, and arcade-like sequences that reveals way too much about how to breeze though the twelve brief missions.

Mothers and fathers concerned that their impressionable offspring are being perverted by dalliances with Liberty City and Max Payne will open their arms to Parappa and his wholesome morals.

Neo Contra isn't as true to the original games as fans might wish, but nevertheless, it's a good attempt at recapturing the original's magic and a respectable action game in its own right.

It's not the most sophisticated of offerings. There's not much here other than the destruction -- the levels are repetitive, and most encounters play out similarly. Little differentiates the game's weapons, and the plot is threadbare.

FlatOut 2 is fun, if only for a little while.

If they had done something about the AI and given more feedback during pausing, there's a fair old chance that The Art of War would have upped its score to win our Highly Recommended accolade.

Best of all, your character is no longer the somebody-please-talk-to-me newbie that he was in the first episode; it's no coincidence you've made it this far, and as a bulked-up character in your own right, it can now fall to you, as quests, to take other virtual newbies under your wing.

There's no denying that "IL-2 Sturmovik" is a great sim and therefore Forgotten Battles is a great sim by extension. As a sequel, however, it's a bit underwhelming.

Gamers who liked the idea of, say, "Twisted Metal Black," but found the execution too quick and snappy to be satisfying, should check out Road Kill, a decidedly more kinetic follower.

The game's short length and near nonexistent replay value means it's hard to justify recommending beyond a rental or picking up at a reduced price.

Fast and frantic gameplay.

Commendable, lacking only in more targeting controls and somewhat dull first impressions. Its gameplay quality will depend greatly on a large enough supply of well-mannered group members.

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

A ripping good time.