It doesn't matter how good the rest of a game is, though, if the controls betray you just when you need them most. [May 2007, p.55]

Undertow is an obnoxious, aggravating mess that, while trying something clever by combining a 2D twin-stick arena shooter with team-based gameplay, fails to be any fun whatsoever. [Spring 2008, p.61]

It doesn't matter how good the rest of a game is, though, if the controls betray you just when you need them most. [May 2007, p.55]

Until the bugs are ironed out, it’s just not worth the headache.

RACE Pro has compelling racing mechanics when it is just you versus the track, but it has more than a few rough patches elsewhere.

As-is, it's a very, very pretty demo of what the SIXAXIS can do. [May 2007, p.69]

Maybe there's a great game beyond level 8. Maybe it turns into peaches and honey. Maybe a magical unicorn bursts from the screen. Who knows? After playing a single level beyond any possibility of ever getting any enjoyment from it again, I turned the game off and walked away. Gameplay masochism only stays enjoyable so long before a feeling best described as "screw this!" sets in, and Fractured Soul blew past that point and never looked back.

Earth Defense Force 2017 is the action game equivalent of potato chips: no nutritional value, but tasty nonetheless. [May 2007, p.61]

The Wii Fit Balance Board is of little help, and only serves to complicate things further.

I can see the novel ideas going on here, but this game needs some serious extra time in the oven. Also, an analog stick. [Vol 3, Issue 2, p.63]

This isn't a remake or a reimagining of the original Painkiller; this is a high-resolution texture pack for an outdated eight-year old game that's missing significant story beats.

If you played through the entirety of the first game and didn’t have a problem with it, this may be your thing. While the collision detection, and some other things have taken some serious hits, there’s still a good story to be found. Otherwise I would skip this and wait for the inevitable sale.

Zack Zero could have shot for the star of “inoffensive mediocrity” and gotten higher marks for the effort. What’s on display here, however, is the product of a game development fiasco that dragged some seemingly good people through a gauntlet of emotional and financial insanity.

Dawn of Mana is a hodgepodge of ideas that range from nonsensical to decent, all smooshed together in a failure of a game. [June 2007, p.54]

The host of technical issues mean that Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command ultimately feels like a bad joke played on anyone who expected it to provide a compelling strategy experience.

All said and done, while Gameloft may have had some good intentions with Texas Hold’em Poker – a family-friendly game of Texas Hold’em with online play to boot – I simply can not recommend this game to anyone outside of those looking strictly for a Wii poker experience.

What could have been a good game inspired by the great "Warioware" series instead is nothing more than a poor imitation. [Nov 2007, p.62]

Had Bullet Witch been a launch title, this bitter pill could've been swallowed, but with so many other great choices out there like "Gears of War" or "Lost Planet," there's simply no reason to play this. [Apr 2007, p.54]

Ghost Rider is a game that aspires to be mediocre, but comes up several leagues short. [Apr 2007, p.57]

It's a nice try, but it still needs a bit of polish. [June 2007, p.61]

t is not just bad, it is bad in an incredibly Wii-specific, low-effort sort of way you just don’t see on other consoles.

Ghost Rider is a game that aspires to be mediocre, but comes up several leagues short. [Apr 2007, p.57]

Party games are supposed to contain playable sequences that are instantly accessible, engaging, and fun. In Fuzion Frenzy 2, there are precious few that fit that bill. [Apr 2007, p.56]

It’s a complete train-wreck of a game, only suitable for those with an appreciation for the amazingly awful.

As far as licensed games go, it isn't too offensive, but it could have been so much more.

Bad Bots is a great idea for a game brought down by a lack of variety or legitimate innovative challenge.

With such a bizarre premise, the one thing Mart Racer desperately needed was fun and enticing gameplay – something that it severely lacks.

Lacking a single inspired trait, 007 Legends is the kind of game released simply to bilk $60 out of uninformed gamers before a swift trip to the bargain bin.

Eight dollars seems too high, especially since the experience is pretty short, and while smashing things has some entertainment value, the overall feeling coming out is “that was really annoying.”

As far as licensed games go, it isn't too offensive, but it could have been so much more.

There's very little consideration for the platform it's been ported to, and even the small handful of DS-specific tools are liable to be useless or buggy.

It falls completely on its ass in every category. Generic shooting, incredibly poor artificial intelligence and glitchy bug-ridden gameplay amounts to nothing more than a meager attempt to cash in on next month’s film.

Clan of Champions is far too stripped down, generic, and forgettable to ever recommend.

Attack of the Movies 3D is just plain bad from start to finish, and while that can be fun in the right movie, it’s just painful in a game.

Unfortunately, Ju-on can be finished in mere hours, but if the characters could actually run, I’d reckon it could be completed in around twenty minutes. In other words, it’s way too short to warrant the price tag.

Thor would have been a lot better with some more time and resources at hand. The problems of the game are plentiful and while some are forgivable considering what the game is, it still doesn't add up to a product worthy of Thor's prestige.

I power walk regularly every summer. I bring my MP3 player with me that has over a 1000 songs and I can actually lift up my feet while I walk. Not only is it free, but it is infinitely more gratifying than Walk It Out!.

Attack of the Movies 3D is just plain bad from start to finish, and while that can be fun in the right movie, it’s just painful in a game.

The stealth BK game "Sneak King" is actually more of an entertaining game than Vampire Rain is. [Sept 2007, p.70]

Thor would have been a lot better with some more time and resources at hand. The problems of the game are plentiful and while some are forgivable considering what the game is, it still doesn't add up to a product worthy of Thor's prestige.

Ultimately, the game is so bad that even extremely fond memories of the original cannot redeem the wretched controls and dull character design. Do yourself a favor and don’t go anywhere near this catastrophe.

If you are considering Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga at all, chances are you simply want a Wii-exclusive online RPG, and if that's the case then do yourself a favor and wait for Monster Hunter 3.

This is a game with only two gameplay features: tap the screen and give Square money. It's true that the music is great and the nostalgia value is off the charts, but neither of these things justify a release that is little more than a blatant cash grab.

Those with even a shred of self-respect should head to a seedy truck stop, bowling alley or other similar establishment and use the forty dollars this retails for to instead play the vastly superior The Fast and the Furious arcade game.

Nothing about this game is good. It's one of the most horrible games ever made.