All in all, this is a nice addition to the XBLA collection. When you’re ready for some “down” time from the hectic fraggin’, Switchball is a good change of pace.

The puzzles are original, difficult and entertaining, with the sight for improvement ever so addicting, making Brain Challenge a greeted addition to Xbox Live's Arcade for a fit eight hundred points.

Instead of yesterday’s news, it’d be nice to see a high resolution, high definition 2D fighter on XBLA instead of ancient blocky sprites.

A solid game when viewed by itself, but the fact that "NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup" is identical except for a few new features is really disappointing.

Shows marked improvement from its predecessor, but it still has a number of issues. The gameplay becomes repetitive after a short while, and there is no Xbox Live mode to be found.

Road to the World Cup can be fun, but it really doesn’t offer as much as the Xbox counterpart.

While I feel that Prey is a better game than "Quake 4" and "Doom 3," Prey is a next-gen game, which is held to higher standards and it’s a letdown in a few categories, namely the pathetic multiplayer.

NHL 2K8 reminds me of a hockey team that looks unbeatable on paper but fails to perform in a big game.

In comparison to other flight action titles, Heroes Over Europe just doesn’t measure up.

The controls are spotty, all the good stuff is hidden behind a byzantine unlock structure, and the graphics are a notch below par for the Xbox.

The story is interesting to some degree and the main missions are intriguing, but the rest of the game is a let down.

This would be a good purchase for anyone with a Live account if it wasn’t for one thing. Price. Bankshot Billiards is 1200 Microsoft Points. That translates into fifteen dollars, more than any other game on the Live Arcade. While Bankshot Billiards is good, it isn’t that good.

What really holds this title back is its extremely linear gameplay. Everything seems to be dumbed down.

Dull side missions that the player must complete to progress combine with chasing down almost every boss just doesn't appeal to me.

For a game that's supposed to be a horror game, the formula it relies on is so repetitive that after 20 minutes you've seen all the scares, not to mention all the environments you need to see.

I had more fun playing by myself, which is odd since I thought I would have loved the multiplayer.

For eight hundred Microsoft points, there's only a mild amount of fun to be found in the gameplay--even in the most diehard heart.

There's nothing new that we haven't seen many times before and done better. If you're looking for a game that so far seems to be like nothing else, then it's probably best to just wait a couple months for Psychonauts.

Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 is pure and unadulterated fan service, nothing more, nothing less.

With no online play, you probably won’t spend too much time playing this game.

If you love turn-based strategy-styled games, then by all means, download Band of Bugs. But, for the casual gamer, I recommend to stay away. There’s not enough enjoyment to warrant the time and/or Microsoft Points.

Vigilante 8: Arcade sets out to be an exercise in updated, nostalgic goodness, but ends up falling short.

It's sloppy and mediocre all the way through.

If you don’t avidly love poker, I suggest you avoid this rendition on the Xbox Live Arcade. If you love card games, the interface and graphics are mediocre when compared to what the team behind Uno put forth in their title.

Shadowrun is a tragic example of great potential and poor follow-through.

So short it hurts, especially in the wallet area. Had the game done something revolutionary I may not be so concerned with the length, but it doesn't. It's just the same old Gauntlet with a shiny new exterior.

If you must have every mech game out there, GunGriffon isn't that bad. It doesn't meet expectations with such great games on the market that already fill the mech genre for the Xbox.

Those who truly enjoy backgammon or want to try it for the first time may be interested in this game because of the low price (400 MS Points), but anyone else should use their MS Points elsewhere.

Despite the dull design and terrible frame rate, I found myself playing KFK for five hours straight. The entire game I personally had a feeling offelt “This isn’t very fun, I wish I wasn’t playing this” but continued to do so anyway.

One last thing I have to touch upon is the ending of the game, which happens right after you play the final battle in the movie, it's just so completely ludicrous, I'm at a loss for words trying to describe it.

Probably the most boring racing game I’ve ever played. While some folks may find driving virtual exotic cars around a bland replica of Hawaii relaxing, I find it frustrating. Especially when the cars control like they are on ice.

Doom plays quite well in single player on the 360 thanks to tight controls, crisp (but definitely dated) graphics, and a smooth frame rate. Split screen is also flawless and it’s a blast to play with four people in the same room.

The game is merely another mediocre bag of wasted potential tossed out that simply begs you to lower your expectations right before diving in.

An enormous let down in most regards. Many well done elements and innovative features are present in this title, but they just aren't executed well.

If you want some real comic book action, skip this one and wait for Ultimate Spider-Man, due out later this year.

Sure, they were able to cram hundreds of enemies onto the screen at one time. Yes, the ability to kill goblins with incredible attacks is fun. But alas, I don’t find it entertaining to keep playing the same clichéd storyline that contains no innovation.

The biggest misstep that Namco Bandai made was to not include multiplayer. That addition alone could have made the game a worthy purchase.

An undeniably rushed product. It’s obvious in the lackluster gameplay and visuals. Content-wise, there’s a TON of activities and sub-plots in Spider-Man 3 such as sky-diving, Mary-Jane thrill rides, bomb defusing, races, etc. The only problem is very rarely are they fun.

In essence, if you absolutely loved the film to bits and absolutely must have an Iron Man game to go with it, then Sega have done as good a job as they can of producing a playable version of the movie.

Plain visuals, repetitive audio, and straightforward gameplay make up this title’s feature list. Hearts fans will, of course, enjoy playing online, but most can be content with the Hearts game included with Windows XP, saving their 400 MS Points for something else.

All in all, Blue Dragon is the type of game that would have made much more of an impression about a decade ago. Unfortunately, a forgettable story, cast, score, and battle system make for something that feels more akin to the eager ambitions of novices as opposed to the calculated work of seasoned veterans.

This game is very shallow. Instead of being a content-rich $20 game such as Phantom Dust, that's as deep as an ocean, we get a mediocre action game that's has the depth of a kiddie pool.

Between its labyrinth maps, dreary gunplay and enemy design, along with repetition that will break some of the most patient players, this is a game that's not worth your time.

Sadly, the game offers much less than the Xbox version, and gamers are expected to pay more but get less.

Clive Barker's Jericho is the type of game that would have made an impact a decade ago. Its onslaught of enemies is far more reminiscent of old-school shooters like Quake, and if that's your bag then you should be able to at least marginally enjoy what Jericho brings to the table.

Again, Fuel is just a poor game no matter how you try and look at it. There's a fair amount of content here, but it's not good.

Overall, the single-player is a boring affair. Online multiplayer is not worth the hassle.

Tetris Splash doesn’t bring anything exciting or more enjoyable to the table of Tetris. Unless you’re feeling extremely nostalgic or wanting to add an additional 200 achievement points to your gamer score, I suggest you pass this one by.

If I was David Fincher right now, I would be looking for the man or woman assigned to approve this project and making sure they never had a job again.

I enjoy playing it in short bursts. Short because if I try to play more than a few rounds I get increasingly annoyed by the bad hit detection and unresponsive controls.

After playing coop with a few of my friends, we all were left disappointed expecting the same excitement we had on the NES. I guess nostalgia does wear off over time. It’s a shame that Contra didn’t grab a hold of my attention like I thought it would.

It's a shame that for every step forward, Two Worlds takes about five steps back.

With the lack of its original trackball controller, new and exciting gameplay, and only bringing in tacked-on modes, Missile Command unfortunately won’t meet expectations of ones who had fun with it nearly 30 years ago.

A sub-par survival horror game, plain and simple. Everything about it is appalling. The gameplay, the audio, the camera... the only thing remotely good about this game is the graphics, and they're not even that good. This is a horror game, but it's not even the least bit scary.

If you expect to open up your mech (or in this case, War World) to see this decked-out, snazzy, cool game, you are going to be extremely disappointed.

I am disappointed to say that the online play is at the top of the list for much needed rework. The online should have been one of the best areas in the game, but instead turned out to be sloppy.

The port seems to be fairly close to arcade perfect, but the controls are just a tad sluggish. You’re better off saving those Microsoft Points for the new original content planned for XBLA later this year instead of this tired retro retread.

If it weren’t for Tenchu Z, Vampire Rain would undoubtedly be the worst title I’ve had the displeasure of playing on the Xbox 360. Why Microsoft decided to bring this travesty to North America is beyond comprehension. It packs itself chock-full of every gaming cliché in the book.

All things considered, Pinnacle Station is a disappointing addition to Mass Effect.

Well, it does have nice music and decent voice-acting. That's all though, and for the same amount of money this game costs, you could see the movie and buy Psychonauts off eBay.

An unoriginal set of mini-games, terrible story and dead multiplayer makes Bliss Island one where you would build a raft and sail off soon as possible without ever looking back.

Better games can be bought with 400 Microsoft Points so do yourself a favor and defend yourself, and your wallet, from these Warlords.

For the little enjoyment being offered and problems that are present, a 800 Microsoft point purchase just cannot be justified. There are too many negatives and scarce positives to be found.

The single-player campaign doesn’t even contain a full-blown plot. To add to this laundry list of blunders, the multiplayer is a snore-fest and a lag-laden cesspool. In short, avoid Tenchu Z like the plague and never look back.

The repetition and horrible encounters make Superman Returns: The Videogame drag along at a snails pace. I’m sure many gamers will be ready to call it quits after the first hour. Simply put, this title does not offer nearly enough to warrant a $60 purchase.

The game play was weak, the graphics weak, and the audio even worse. I was fed up and bored with this game after just a mere six minutes of playtime.