Despite its long, long list of lazy omissions it's still a game that Trek fans will enjoy -- if only for the voices, fire-photon-torpedoes ambiance, and graphical effects. They'll just have to grit their teeth while they do it.

Look up "video game" in the dictionary, and Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin should be pictured on the page.

As a single-player game, Portable Ops can't match the scope and drama of its predecessors. Of course, with its bite-sized style and team aspect, it doesn't really try to. This is one of the PSP's best multiplayer titles, giving you essentially a two-for-one experience.

A stronger, smarter fighter than it was during its Xbox 360 battle.

A solid, easy platformer that's colorful, fun, and full of variety. Kids and casual players should love it, but hardcore players may gulp it all down too fast and be left hungry for more.

A must-have for fans of the original game. It adds enough new stuff and fixes enough old stuff that you won't want to miss it.

In terms of pacing, community, and great gunplay, this is the closest you'll get to a handheld "Counter-Strike." And as far as handheld shooters go, this is as good as it gets.

The development team deserves special praise for once again for guns with a sense of heft and kick. The weapon models look great, and they're particularly impressive in action. With immersive effects for iron sights and muzzle flash, and with hearty Hollywood gunshot sounds, there's a powerful you-are-there feeling.

The swordfights, which seem to promise the ability to jump around and swing your Wiimote like a living room ninja, are a profound disappointment.

It looks fantastic, drawing on the power of artwork instead of graphics hardware. There's nothing here that you couldn't do on the Gamecube, which is why Twilight Princess will also be released for the Gamecube. But the visuals hold their own against any next-gen system.

A fast, fluid, and gorgeous game, with a remarkable control scheme, a gratifying sense of progression, and its own unique sensibility. With a launch title like this, the Wii comes out of the gate swinging, demanding to be taken seriously.

If this version of Need for Speed: Carbon either looked or handled better, it might have been a worthwhile contender. But this lazy port simply doesn't have what it takes to bring the Need for Speed franchise to the Wii.

For the price you'll pay for both these games -- which is what you'll need to do if you want a half-decent selection of activities -- you could buy the far superior "Brain Age." Or, for that matter, you could buy just about any of the other genuinely good games on the DS, and pass over this cash-in altogether.

For the price you'll pay for both these games -- which is what you'll need to do if you want a half-decent selection of activities -- you could buy the far superior "Brain Age." Or, for that matter, you could buy just about any of the other genuinely good games on the DS, and pass over this cash-in altogether.

Sonic Rivals feels a little like a mini-game to a bigger game. We expected more content than this. The cards are utterly useless in their attempt to milk replay out of the title, and seemed thrown in at the last minute.

In general Star Trek looks and sounds better than it has in recent console incarnations. The graphics are a little jagged, but the ships look great and the interface is well designed. And the sound is excellent, from the sweeping symphonic score to the spot-on weapon systems.

The design and presentation make this release more palatable for non-gamers than Konami's series, but the limited track selection and unfortunate forced vocal tracks remove some of that value.

It's disappointing that the few effective minigames are piled under a heap of mediocrity.

Square Enix's attempts to modernize the title go a long way towards making it more enjoyable on the Nintendo DS, and it's a good game overall, but you'll still find that it lags behind more recent RPGs in some respects.

The big question was how well the new controls would work, and though you'll need extra practice to kick well, the game passes the test, making for a solid bridge between two generations of game systems.

One of the biggest drawbacks with this version is the lack of any multiplayer support. Not only is online multiplayer the strongest feature in this sequel, but it's the only claim it has to replayability.

As an entry level title, Downhill Jam makes a good introduction to the possibilities of fast-paced gameplay on the Wii, and is definitely more approachable than "Tony Hawk's Project 8," the series' other current entry.

We're disappointed that Resistance isn't a 1080p wonder. But it's a wonder for totally different reasons -- how many launch games exist that are worth playing six months down the road? Resistance is definitely in that elite camp, and with the strong multiplayer element, we're betting that it will maintain a presence for a lot longer than that.

As much as we're sometimes awestruck by Genji's eye candy, we're more frequently struck dumb by how unwieldy the camera is. Isn't this the next generation? Wasn't the irritation of being attacked from off-screen and being unable to control your perspective distinctly last-gen?

Gitaroo Man Lives delivers an awesome performance on PSP. However, its short length leaves it feeling more like an opening act than a headliner. Despite this flaw, music fans are urged to not miss the game a second time.

It's an absolute monster, with tons of power while simultaneously possessing impressive agility.

A lot like "Raw Superstar Umaga": It's an absolute monster, with tons of power while simultaneously possessing impressive agility.

This is a textbook example of the power of an interface to make a distinctive and clever game even more distinctive and clever. Quite simply, you haven't played Trauma Center until you've played it on the Wii.