If you've never been a fan of the series, or if you are deprived of living, breathing friends, this latest version won't win you over. On the other hand, if you're a Mario Party devotee surrounded with human companionship, Mario Party 6 will offer hours of entertainment and a satisfying way to spend a social evening.

Speaking of modes, Karaoke Revolution Country really outdoes itself in this department as the game features a handful of solo and multiplayer game modes, and mini-games (including a silly voice-controlled beach volleyball diversion). For example, single-player options include a QuickPlay mode (pick a song and venue and get to it), Karaoke (no scoring), and Medley (select the number of sequential songs to sing through).

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.

If you’re a serious strategy aficionado who expects more than to be seduced by lush eye candy, you’ll lament the restricted control system and the over-emphasis on storyline at the expense of intricate gameplay.

Polygon counts are noticeably low, for both the characters and the levels, and to have an accomplished developer like Sonic Team not push the hardware is quite a disappointment.

Its Star Wars atmosphere is minimal, and its advancement is riddled with repetitive, boring, time-consuming experience-grind busywork... As it stands, Galaxies is little more than a buggy, incomplete time sink.

Gives D&D fans the chance to enjoy virtually identical gameplay from "The Two Towers," but set in their favored backdrop. Aside from the trio of switchable characters, there's barely anything to distinguish the two titles.

A respectable weekend time-waster. It's got enough going on to fill a late night or two, and not so much that many gamers will pine for it when it's gone.

But what really makes Cars stand out from the pack is the excellent driving controls and physics created by Rainbow Studios.

So it's not as pretty as "DOA2," and probably doesn't play quite as well as either that game or "Tekken Tag," and there's not much strategy in the game either, but hey, if you're looking for a game that will let you literally rip your opponent to shreds, this is the one.

Some minor quirks and design decisions hamper the long-term enjoyment somewhat but overall, it's very good.

Ultimately what we have here is an excellent back-end and a beautiful graphics engine, with a combat-heavy, plot-light module and a few nasty bugs.

Remarkable, really, considering the mess most of the other Star Wars titles turned out to be. But we're not complaining.

Set on simulation, MotoGP 4 is a real challenge. It'll delight bike fans looking for a taste of the challenge and power from these awesome machines, and petrolhead types will be happy to overlook its shortcomings in the process.

A game that just doesn't fit in. Out of the box it's not as fun as its predecessors, and nowhere near as deep or engaging as Madden or ESPN.

Has great production values, is "spiritually" faithful to the look and feel of the famed Disney attraction, and is a very good action/puzzler to boot.

The novelty of the Hulk scenes wears off eventually if you're not a huge fan of the comic books, and the Banner sections are disappointing. Still, it doesn't anger us as much as some movie tie-in mediocrities.

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.

Simple, engaging and spot-on in terms of presenting controversial material in a humorous and tongue-in-cheek manner.

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 ain't particularly novel and it ain't particularly easy, but it is engrossing and refreshingly reliant on strategic thinking to see you through.

Maybe it is the fact that you will frustratingly lose lives because it is not always clear what is potentially deadly scenery, and what is harmless background...Whatever it is, there is something lacking that denigrates this game workmanlike and a tad dull.

One thing is assured: Breakdown is a new watermark in player immersion, and it's difficult to see how it will be one-upped any time soon. From start to finish, in sickness and in health, in combat or in exploration, the player experiences the world as though inside it.

Out of the box it's not as fun as its predecessors, and nowhere near as deep or engaging as Madden or ESPN.

Ultimately, the biggest flaw with Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers is polish. Everything here works decently enough, but it all feels like minor tweaks as opposed to major innovation.

There are just too many buttons in play, and it's terrible when you want to unleash a slap shot from the point but can't remember which triggers and bumpers to use.

Tak 2's biggest flaw is that we've seen it all before. It's not a bad game, and is certainly a lot better than its predecessor, but it really doesn't do anything particularly well.

In the same league as the disposable horror flicks that fill video shelves and late-night cable. It's not particularly frightening, but good atmosphere and short-lived twitch satisfaction is enough to sustain interest for a while.