There are moments of controller-throwing frustration, but also many flashes of true craftsmanship and design excellence.

A great game to play with friends online or off, but here's hoping the next iteration gives us more to do with the D.

The computer players take ages moving, and if you add more than one opponent for extra tactical depth, the problem is multiplied.

It has an uncanny appreciation for the nuances of real tennis. It's smart and unforgiving.

Brings back a sense of adventure which somehow got lost along the way.

Even with its too-standard approach, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is still one of the best treatments given to anime-based games we've seen in a long time.

It ultimately lacks the long-term appeal of EA's offering.

While Mr. Driller: Drill Spirits feels very different from your average block puzzle game, it doesn't offer much depth. However, its fast-paced action and tension will keep most entertained.

Riveting duels, killer combination moves, and buckets of blood see the cinematic adaptation effectively mimic the flick that inspired it.

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.

With extensive gameplay, a great range of cars and replay value that will keep you motoring on even long-haul journeys, GT Advance is a great start for the racing genre on the GBA.

All of Contact's charm can't save it from the tedium that bogs down a lot of RPGs. But it's still as solid as they come, not terribly spectacular, but the perfect fare for devotees of the genre.

The Thing on its own stands as a slightly flawed, yet atmospheric and alluring action-adventure. Hardcore fans of the film, however, will have fewer complaints.

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.

It may seem like a minor gripe, but I still would have liked to see a skirmish mode.

There are moments of controller-throwing frustration, but also many flashes of true craftsmanship and design excellence. DRIV3R is a game for those who love the feel of the wheel, but only for those with the patience to slog through the rough patches.

As-is, playing Urban Chaos feels a lot like listening to a hit pop song. It's fun to hear the first few times, but repetition has its limits.

It's fairly short, so seasoned gamers won't likely see 15 hours of gameplay... but for all their simplicity, they're an entertaining 15 hours, studded with predetermined dramatic events and even references to characters and events from the first game.

The game that is supposedly there to make you feel like Bond, ironically ends up achieving the opposite at times because of the scripted and rather linear nature of the proceedings - there's simply too much 'guidance by hand' to really convince you that you truly ARE Bond.

Intriguing—if a little hackneyed and too A&E docucrap friendly—stories never go out of style.

It does right by the arcade sports genre in that respect, and has great control to boot. What it's lacking in other respects, however -- stats, modes, and variety -- keeps Super Mario Strikers from pulling off the hat-trick.

If running around slicing the arms off enemies and toying around with Force powers is your idea of fun, you have found your game. But then, you probably already found that game many years ago when the series first began.

So if you're looking for a traditional gaming experience, you're likely to find Nintendogs lacking in gameplay and variety. Those with more open minds stand a better chance of being captured by its undeniable charm.

Big Brain Academy's biggest problem is its limited quantity of activities. Yes, we get that it's part of Nintendo's new "Touch Generations" line, and that it's only $20, and it's meant to be a quick diversion...but even the casual audience that's being targeted is going to get bored after a few days.

Comes over as something of a guilty pleasure. Objectively, it's not a good game at all -- it's ill-suited to its platform, repetitive to the extreme, too easy, presented with little flair, and a mere shadow of the best that both Pokemon and dungeon crawlers in general have to offer.

Pretty to watch, but a real bore to play, and when it's not boring, it's frustrating. Not a good mix.

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.

A great kid's game and will amuse gamers with some musical knowledge or puzzle game addiction.