The economic model is robust enough to keep things interesting and the complexities of running a business will keep players hopping.

A multiplayer component is absent and the AI is a little ridiculous at times; but like a good action film, Black hits you hard and fast, leaving an impact you won't soon forget.

Younger DS owners, especially female ones, will lap it right up, finding the challenge level and frequent save points a good fit.

The great control, realistic physics, and abundance of tracks give MX vs. ATV Unleashed: On The Edge a lot to boast about.

Have your driving your way, while still getting enough substance and structure that doesn't feel like a mere test drive.

A thoroughly welcome development of an established game style, and is well worth your money.

Why not make a game starring Sonic and only Sonic, where he's running around on his own two legs, without any weapons besides his own body, in an action/platformer? Crazy? Yes, but it just might work.

Has everything you could hope for in a DS Monkey Ball: lots of stages, great mini-games, and nice presentation. The less-than-perfect control and the over-saturation of new Monkey Ball iterations, however, make it less attractive to the gaming masses.

A game with no surprises and a superficial combat model, but giant robot fetishists and long-time series fans at least have one less reason to complain.

Sorry, RF Online: Life's too short to play a mediocre MMOG.

Why not make a game starring Sonic and only Sonic, where he's running around on his own two legs, without any weapons besides his own body, in an action/platformer? Crazy? Yes, but it just might work.

Simply a great game. Even without the supreme visual polish of the 360, this is the uncontested champ.

Between the supreme visual polish and deep, excellent play, this is the uncontested champ.

A spectacular boxing game that moves beyond a lot of the systems prior limitations.

It's another throwaway shooter with bad AI, forgettable single player levels, and glib unremarkable multiplayer options. Here lies Rainbow Six. Rest in peace, while we go reinstall "Raven Shield."

While the ground stages don't quite match the rest of the game's quality, there's still something superbly delightful about marching a group of AT-ATs into battle, or commanding a fleet of star destroyers, or chopping up stormtroopers with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Empire at War captures these emotions perfectly, and backs them up with a robust large-scale strategic game and no end of single and multiplayer content.

While this is certainly a playable game, and sometimes even fun and challenging, it crucially fails to immerse players in the world of street art and culture. Instead, it simply appropriates the superficial aspects to make yet another passable action title.

Full Auto feels like someone came up with a good concept and a few fresh ideas, and just expected the game to design itself. It didn't, and we're left with tons of wasted potential. You need gameplay and modes to tie together the combination of racing and shooting.

It's hard to pin down why it's great in a few words or bullet points, but once you play it -- and play it you should -- the quality will be evident.

If storyline's more your thing, Drakengard's action is backed up with a plot that's significantly deeper than your run-of-the-mill action game, and the button-mashing gameplay is hearty and sincere.

Whether you sit down for three minutes or three hours, there is little to dislike here. Just be careful when playing -- it's quite easy to get a bit carried away with the stylus. It any game is going to test the durability of your DS's touch screen, this is it.

A role-playing game that's just a little more interesting than the rest of the fold.

This isn't a game of depth. This is quick football satisfaction and little else. Against a few friends over the weekend, Arena Football is an excellent diversion, but it won't replace "Madden" or even "NFL 2K5" until the weather turns cold again.

In all other ways besides control, Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX is a 2D fight fan's dream come true. It's more than worth the struggle with the d-pad, as there's so much to love and immerse yourself in with this game.

New players will find a passe and not-scary survival horror relic, but old hands will enjoy the nostalgia of a fine old classic with a couple of new features. Take your pick.

The best that can be said is Chibi-Robo may satisfy patient children. The rest of us will grow weary of the hurdles and slow text, and pull the plug to go looking for something else more our speed.

It's probably too much to ask that a single game capture all the nuances of a huge event like the Winter Olympics. But there isn't even the fun and spirit of gameplay that imbued the original "Track and Field," and that was on the Atari-bloody-2600! When a modern game is getting lapped by an 8-bit wonder, something is really rotten in... well, Torino isn't in Denmark, but you get the point

The inaccuracy of the swing and shot placement turns into a severe handicap for the game. True Swing Golf is passively entertaining, but won't suck anyone in as quickly or for as long as "Hot Shots" is able to.