Nevermind the naysayers, this is a solid racing game with enough style and fun to balance out the repetitive bits.

If you have a couple friends and an afternoon to charge through the game with them, you're going to have a blast. The single-player experience is still fun, but without the lure of real teamwork, the rougher spots of the game tend to punch through to the fore during inopportune times.

In terms of doing the comics justice, this game is a shining example of how to stay true to the source material, but as a game, it can feel a little repetitive. Dig it for the story and the characters, not the depth of gameplay.

Even with the strategy elements, this is still Dynasty Warriors, and for whatever reason, Koei seems keenly aware of how to craft a game that should get tired and repetitive, but still manages to pull you in time and time again.

There's no denying that when everything in sight starts flying, Crisis Zone is a damn good time. Not especially complex nor terribly lengthy, it's still just the right amount of arcade fun with console unlockable goodies, and if ever there's been a compelling reason to own a light gun game, this is about as good as any you'll hear.

Little touches like the ground or glass cracking underfoot when fighters go down hard are nice, but they don't stay throughout the fights and when huge chunks of stone go flying up and then disappear, it almost makes one wonder why they were included at all.

Basic and unassuming, this is an RPG for gamers that love RPGs. No complex battle system, no hugely epic storyline, just old-school goodness by the fistful.

Ignoring the tacked-on 9/11 vibe, Riot Response manages to be a first-person shooter with enough new stuff to make it a worthwhile experience. It may not be a looker, and some of the characters might seem a little cookie cutter, but it's still a blast.

The subtle tweaks and improvements come to a head here in an ATV AND MX game that satisfies, but doesn't offer anything new.

If you can find it on another platform, do so. If not, this is still a hell of a way to present a basic strategy game, and one that mixes equal parts of presentation with gameplay. If only it didn't have to dip so much into one when the other was lacking.

A solid game, no doubt. It provides a visceral, bone-shaking experience. Unfortunately, the changes made from FN2004 only detract from what was otherwise a very satisfying fighter.

The game's pitched a bit too far towards the hardcore crowd that's already spent plenty of time the arcade version, which adds more replay value if you get really into things, but more beginner tracks would have been nice.

I have no idea why I seem to be loving games more than everyone else right now, but that doesn't change the fact that this is a damn fine beat-em-up, and it's a perfect, mindless, meaty bit of action that the genre sorely needed.

Better than the first, but not by much. If it weren't for some roster upgrades that more or less make the game, and a little more control over how your characters level up, this WOULD be the first game all over again.

The extra goodies offset the lower framerate and iffy multiplayer. The core problem still hasn't changed, though, and if you tire of the same thing easily, you're going to be even more turned off by what the PSP version offers.

Sure, you've played most of this stuff before -- and in Call of Duty games, too -- but that doesn't stop it from being some of the most gripping and exciting firefights found on the PS2.

The storyline in place here is good, even if the final boss fight and ending are maddeningly off target. But the game is more than the storyline, it's the experience, and that much of things is quite solid indeed.

It's hard not to play what-if with some of Capcom's later titles on home consoles, and especially with later arcade games, but what's here is a fantastic snapshot of some of the better arcade hits to come from this era.

I swung back and forth so many times on Riders' gameplay that I nearly had an emotional breakdown. The game can seem impossibly difficult until you learn all the shortcuts and master every turn. If that's your cuppa tea, get all over it. If not, rent it.

If you've played paintball in the past -- particularly in a tournament situation -- you may find even more to love here than most.

I must admit, this game caught me completely off-guard. I still had the bitter taste of Suikoden IV in my mouth and it wouldn't come out. But this one won me over with it's good characters, solid gameplay, and the redemption of a series I love.

100% guaranteed to creep you out, Fatal Frame III combines the best parts of the last two games into a story that helps wrap up most loose ends nicely. It's not terribly new, but it is very, very scary.

Hitting and pitching controls are excellent, but improved defensive movement and base running control are still needed.

If you bought into the series not for the boobage, but for the hot man-on-man ass kicking, then you're probably going to find plenty to love here. The game is essentially the same, though in a few ways it's actually improved over the console experience.

The perfect condensation of arcade themes, jaw-dropping visuals and old-school challenge come together in one of the most complete ports I've ever seen on the PSP. Buy this game, and buy it now.

The visuals will likely turn most off to what is quite honestly one of the most entertaining RPGs to hit the PS2, but a general lack of even casual steering towards the storyline does make the game seem aimless at times. Still, it's worth the adventure.

There's enough core racing here to entertain for a while, but unlike Gran Turismo, there's not enough universal appeal to make it a buy to anyone but serious riders.

Online-enabled, visually updated, and PSP-tweaked gameplay for a game that has almost universal appeal. What's not to love? It may not be a PSP seller, but it is one of the best non-gamer-friendly offerings you can get after you've bought your PSP.

The Ace Combat games nail the rush of pulling g's and kicking on afterburners, that much will never change. But then, little else has changed too, and without an online component, it feels a bit too much like an expansion.

So the game looks a mess; it runs with the clunkiness of hastily-assembled quick-and-dirty port. It's still Liberty City Stories at heart, which means you get to rip around on a crotch rocket, you get to see some buildings before they were built in GTA III (or, blow some others up as the case may be), explore more of Shoreside Vale, and experience the formation of what would later be the world of Grand Theft Auto III from an entirely new perspective.

The core, though, is fantastic, and so long as you're partial to Top 40-ish hits, SingStar Rocks! does indeed rock.

It's sadly a little too short to be a really meaty experience, but while it lasts -- and for us non-perfectionist sorts, the first dozen or so levels that you try to get across-the-board perfects on -- it's so charming that you won't want it to end.

It’s not easy to deliver role-playing diehards nowadays with a fresh take on their beloved genre, but Devil Summoner quite ably lives up to the challenge. It’s as engrossing as it is amusing, and for as many hours as you’ll be pouring into it, makes for a wholly entertaining experience.

At the end of the day, though, you're still going to have to have a real interest in the sport.

While we certainly wouldn't mind seeing a Super GT update in the near future (mmmmm... airport track...), we'll gladly take a Revo sequel too. Next time, though, the game absolutely must pack in a little more in the way of extras and a deeper online mode.

Dead Head Fred's greatest strength is its humor. The world that was created is almost depressingly dark, but the biting humor and incredibly smart writing keep it light enough that you want to see if you can make everything better.

The visuals and audio could have been better, as could the track list, but what's here is certainly worth the $20 asking price.

Next-gen visuals for the PS3 version can't help that the basic gameplay is the very same sort of mindless button masher that was present in the original PlayStation 2 version. Is it still fun? Yeah, of course, provided you're a comic fan, but 20 hours or so later, it's entirely possible that you won't really want to do this again -- no matter how many characters or in-jokes are added.

If you have the 360 version of the game already, then you probably aren't going to be going ga-ga over the SIXAXIS stuff, and the PlayStation Network, for being free and what it is, still isn't enough to hang with Xbox Live.

Solid, yes, but familiar. I mean no disrespect for the men that died protecting freedom, but considering I was born a good 30 years after the war ended, familiarity with this setting probably isn't a good thing.

Thanks to tighter AI, newer online play, and a portable experience that handily apes that of the more established console cousin, Fireteam Bravo 2 ends up being the better of the two SOCOM games released recently.

a game made for geeks. Even ignoring the steampunk and fantasy element, the whole process of collecting cards and doing battle with them is incredibly dorky, but to be honest, the game is so much fun to play and after about an hour of futzing around, fairly easy to understand that you'll take any lumps just to find someone to play a game with online.

Maybe it's just that, for as much as the series has done to reinvent itself as a pure racer rather than a technical "rhythm" racer, it's still a fairly predictable formula.

It is the sheer amount of stuff that really sells ATV Offroad Fury Pro. Sure, the racing is far tighter and there's far more stuff to do, but from mini-games to a track editor to online play to tons of crosstalk info to shared leaderboards and online forums.

Though it may not feel like the American Idol license was ham-fisted into the existing gameplay, the two aren't married so perfectly yet that they feel like they've always been there. With a little more work on the judges, from modeling to animation to textures, and just a little more work to make it seem like you're actually playing to a crowd in faithfully replicated venues from the show, this could be a killer app.

Old-school to it's core, God Hand isn't perfect, nor is it the kind of game that will please everyone, but buy into the world and the characters, dig into the combo system and enjoy the quirky humor here and you're bound to have a good time.

It's likely that BLADESTORM is going to be an absolutely polarizing affair. Plenty will hate it for not being Dynasty Warriors while commenting in the same breath that the Dynasty Warriors games aren't different enough, while others will find the RPG elements and light strategy to be refreshingly different.

More songs, great music, gameplay that's still as challenging as ever, and minimal losses on the way to the PSP.

Nevermind the fact that it's the only option on the PS3 right now, NHL 2K7 is a quick, smart game of hockey with an insanely deep franchise mode, solid online play, serious SIXAXIS integration, a handful of terrific (if fairly minor) new additions and plenty of mini-games and challenges for newcomers.

It's certainly solid enough, and easily the better of EA's sports offerings at launch, but again, the polarizing nature of the controls will directly influence how you feel about the game as a whole.

Throne of Agony doesn't do anything that hasn't been seen in the genre before. Luckily, it does what it does very, very well -- well enough that there isn't a better hack 'n slash on the PSP right now.

So long as you go into things understanding that this isn't really a console-level basketball experience and that it's uniquely designed for shorter, more portable games, you end up with a shockingly good basketball entry. If they end up adding in some of the fluff from the console versions next year, it's going to make things near irresistible.

Yep, best version of the game. That may not be saying much for those who are looking for an exceptionally deep racer, but for $20, this is the perfect value-priced racer.

While they're certainly not bad games by any means, familiarity breeds contempt, and I'm just starting to get irked by the lack of freshness.

It would be easy to call Jewel Summoner a good PSP RPG simply because there have been so many blah ones over the past couple years, but it really does stand as a solid beginning for what is planned to be a fairly ambitious take on a new Okada universe.

I know I keep mentioning this, but it's important. I don't play sports games, and yet I wanted to play more of The Show. I can't think of a better complement about the game, but it's certainly not perfect.

Despite its pedantic handling of some topics and questionable dialogue parts, the game never takes itself too seriously. That, and it's actually a pretty awesome RPG at that.

Disarmingly solid. One expects a game this spritely to be a little lax on the depth or story. Neither is the case here; what you will find amidst all the genuinely enjoyable characters is an adventure that reaches well beyond the confines of a My First Adventure Game aesthetic and actually satisfies on a hardcore level.

This game delivers one of the better RPG experiences on the PSP console. It is put together well and gives you quite a bang for your buck, just make sure you aren't a casual gamer.

This is a game that, for all intents and purposes, is an online experience almost exclusively -- or at the very least a multiplayer one. Yes, there is a single-player component, but it's the warm up. The real fun here is in playing against other people.

What blows my mind is that Neversoft was able to include everything they did in the normal year-long development schedule.

Post-patch SOCOM: Confrontation is a highly enjoyable online tactical shooter with an emphasis on realism and teamwork, but unfortunately the game has a few shortcomings and missing features preventing it from being something special.

Time Crisis 4 is an instant buy for long-time fans of the series. It really is a damn fine game, and the new Guncon has some potential for great games. At its core, the arcade game represents the perfect approximation of what it'd be like to be in a Jerry Bruckheimer action flick, and though it's over quickly, while it lasts, it's a blast.

In all, Guitar Hero III serves as a nice little high water mark for Neversoft. It's hardly all that high, but proves that, yes, they can actually make a Guitar Hero game without trashing the series in one fell swoop and, as evidenced by the stuff seen in the Aerosmith expansion, they can clearly learn from their mistakes.

MLB Power Pros' greatest asset is the presentation. No nonsense and adorably charming, the game suckers you in with what seems to be a simple little game of Baseball Lite, but the deeper you plug into it, the more you realize just how much time and effort was put into making the game appear simple.

A very, very solid and semi-interactive version of the cartoon, Harvey Birdman may be as inept in court as the game's namesake, but all of the humor and interesting takes on classic characters come through just fine.

A very, very solid and semi-interactive version of the cartoon, Harvey Birdman may be as inept in court as the game's namesake, but all of the humor and interesting takes on classic characters come through just fine.

The MX vs. ATV formula has finally burned through the last of its wide-bodied appeal. That doesn't mean Untamed is a bad game, but it's not what I would call a proper Rainbow Studios game either.

The game feels like it was a labor of love, and in the end it delivers a short-but-sweet little adventure that does both the movie and the target audience justice.

Even still, it's a good, spooky horror adventure, and worth a look if you've got 10 hours and 40 bones to blow.

Suffice it to say, 1942: Joint Strike is a fun diversion for those who aren't accustomed to the ins and outs of vertical shoot-em-ups and a great throwback for those who are. What it lacks in techno music, vector graphics, or shtick, it more than makes up for with a solid experience that can be enjoyed singly or cooperatively.

You'll be beaten and angered so many times you'll lose count, but you'll keep coming back, again and again and again and again and...

While they're certainly not bad games by any means, familiarity breeds contempt, and I'm just starting to get irked by the lack of freshness.

While they're certainly not bad games by any means, familiarity breeds contempt, and I'm just starting to get irked by the lack of freshness.

If you are looking for portable RPG goodness, both your time and money are well-invested if you choose Crimson Gem Saga.

Guitar Hero: Smash Hits is not a new game. It's old stuff with new bits.

It definitely took a while, but once I understood what Badman was trying to do, I was sold. That doesn't mean everyone will get it or even like what the game is doing when they do, but for me it really was something different and unique.

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is a great place for newcomers to jump in -- provided they have the setup to play with others in some form. Without that, or for double-dippers, I offer a far less enthusiastic recommendation.

A seriously impressive entry on a system some may think couldn't really do the series justice, MotorStorm: Arctic Edge is exactly what you expect from the franchise, just minus the soundracks, photos and online. Still good, though.

A true improvement in every way The BIGS 2 proves Blue Castle Games wasn't just a one-hit wonder, and they've established themselves as the premier torch bearer for arcade sports games.

Nope, it's nothing so revolutionary as to woo haters, but for fans, it's a welcome return of the best of the offshoots.

Atlus is known for very obscure and cult-developing titles. While neither descriptors can be properly applied to this title, Droplitz does give you a fun ride, albeit short.

Namco Museum Essentials provides precisely what the name implies: a handful of iconic, still-fantastic games with a slick social wrapper to keep them relevant. Simple as that.

A great portable title.

Meeting the unique demands of Rocket Racing can be maddening, but there is great satisfaction in triumph. With a little perseverance, a lot of entertainment can be extracted from this small package.

Simply put, this isn't a Resident Evil game as the series has built it up. It's an action game and almost nothing else.

Green Day: Rock Band is not the game it could have been. It's also not a bad game in any way, and whatever gripes I might have had about the lack of unlockables or sense of progression or lopsided discography are pushed aside upon playing.

Don't expect anything mind-blowing here, but War for Cybertron isn't just good for a licensed game, it's a good shooter first with Transformers icing on top.

Shank is good, but it could have been a classic with a little fine-tuning.

As essentially a "pack-in" title with the Move, it is a great showcase. The sports offered highlight the range of movements the Move supports, and the simple games and challenges have that addictive quality that keeps you coming back to them.

This game is definitely recommended if you liked any of the previous online Phantasy Star games, with nostalgia aplenty. Newcomers may be less forgiving, and their enjoyment will be determined by their propensity for enjoying action RPGs in general.

I really wish the storyline left me feeling like I'd accomplished something. And the game is like a big fetch-and-make quest over and over again. But you still find yourself wanting to play just one more day.

A strange beast, this: funny and addictive and crass in equal measure. Seen as a sequel it can feel a little like a lazy cash-in, but seen as the latest episode in the life of DeathSpank it's well worth picking up.

A worthy Castlevania game but not the best in the series. Flawed but still worth at least a rental to complete all the way through.

Capcom fixed a few flaws from the first game, but left a lot of them intact the second time around. That doesn't mean it isn't still a blast to explore Fortune City, just don't expect too much here and you won't be disappointed.

The perfect timing of the release can help overshadow a lot of its flaws. It's great to get back in the saddle with John Marston, but I just wish we had something to do. It devolves to a numbers game, which is quite disheartening.

A worthy $20 PSN download.

Those of you who enjoyed Enslaved will have no regrets with this surprisingly lengthy and fun adventure.

A nice diversion that breathes new life into an older title, certainly worth the $15 asking price for those still playing regularly. It is a shame they didn't at least dabble with taking the levels out of the jungle and into the city though.

In the end there are two reasons why someone would purchase this game. The first being that they really like the hack and slash platforming genre. The second being that they really like the goofy sense of humor NIS injects into all of their games.

Stacking fills a role as a clever little family game that is great for a weekend with the kids. As a showcase for the humor of Double Fine, Stacking can't stand up to some of the past gems from the studio.

Filled with well designed puzzles and charming humor, Tales From Space: About A Blob is irreverent fun that overcomes a lack of originality with superior polish and tight gameplay.

This is a love it or hate it game. No game out there frustrates me as much as this title but I keep coming back to it for just one more fight. Trust me when I say there are going to be times you want to snap the disc in half though.

Minis are always hard to judge since they aren't designed to be deep, but what Pix'n Love Rush lacks in original gameplay it makes up for in style and variety.

Crysis 2 is an excellent game - one with dynamic combat, smooth controls, and slick visuals. But the unimpressive narrative and rampant glitches hold the overall experience back.

It's a love it or hate it game. If it doesn't click with you right away it probably won't at all. I just wish they had made some better decisions with the way that the co-op is handled.

Tomb Raider took a turn for the worse in the last decade, but unbeknownst to me, it rebounded back for a trilogy of good games. This collection gets them all together at a great price that will whet your appetite for the next game.

Even though there are major improvements the game still needs work. When one of those (the new camera angles) reveals glaring problems (crowds, cars, cheerladers) it seems counterproductive. Still, it's Madden and it's a whole lot of fun.

SkyDrift fell out of nowhere to surprise us with solid gameplay and a nice sense of speed. Sure, it could have used a bit more combat, but it is a racing game at heart, and a decent WipEout knock-off. Definitely worth a look.

In a tired and overworked genre, Renegade Ops steps up to the plate with fun and fast-paced vehicular mayhem that lets you and your friends blast your way through nine levels. The story isn't worth your time, but that's easy to overlook.

Let me be clear here: RAGE is by no means a bad game. It simply lacks the pedigree of classic id Software shooters, and though I absolutely loved the shooting and the light exploration, I needed more to really sell the world itself.

Rochard is a charming romp through space with interesting ideas which, while not entirely original, are executed and pieced together well for an enjoyable final product. We'd love to see what they have in store for the inevitable sequel.

Resident Evil 4 HD unfortunately isn't the remaster it could have been, and its upscaled textures and lack of Move support are more than a little annoying. However, in the end this is still one of the greatest games ever made.

The change in direction, tone, and atmosphere paid off and the groundwork that has been laid should revitalize the series. There are some blemishes but if you have the Ace Combat itch this will scratch it.

Were Uncharted 3 any other game, if it didn't hit with dizzying highs to offset the abysmal lows, it would be infinitely skippable. Instead, compelling (but difficult) multiplayer and enough "wow" moments mean it's worth seeing, but not owning.

Carnival Island does exactly what it claims to on the box: it offers a compelling (and challenging) set of carnival-themed mini-games, a light story and offers the perfect all-ages showcase for the Move. If you have a Move, you want this game.

It's delightful for anyone of any age. There's plenty of extra replay value and its' something that families can enjoy together. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go and start saving up to buy Voldemort.

Soul Calibur V could have been so much more. As it stands, it's a solid fighting game that feels a bit hollow. It misses the creative modes that made the series unique in the first place.

No, it isn't as iconic as Twisted Metal 2, but it still serves up a healthy dose of visceral fun that is only slightly diminished by dubious design decisions. It's certainly the benchmark for vehicular combat this generation.

The collection hits highs (Jak 1) and lows (Jak II) but serves as a great window into the changing of the guard in action platforming in the early aughties. Gamers who haven't checked out the series really should for historic value alone.

The game is deep and focuses on beating the man in front of you. It's like having a pickup game of soccer somewhere except this time you can actually pull off the tricks that the pros use. Grab a pal and have a blast.

The very definition of a pleasant surprise, World Gone Sour proves that the advergame doesn't have to live in the land of mediocrity. For a mere 5 bucks, this is a sold platformer with a wicked sense of humor.

It's a treat to see super heroes nteract with one another. The script is great, the gameplay is strong, and it's a strong step in the right direction. If you enjoy previous LEGO titles, you'll be right at home here.

By no means is NCAA 13 a bad game. It's just that it is not a substantial update given the annual cycle. I wish there was more to keep coming back to. Last year blew my socks off, this year, I still have my shoes on.

It's a solid game, and the improvements show a lot of promise. It fixes a lot of problems from last year, though some things are continuously overlooked. Next year should really make or break the Infinity Engine, as 13 was a test run.

A tale of two games, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron plods through its opening acts only to redeem itself with a strong showing at the end. Plenty of fan service will make series vets smile.

In some ways Tekken Tag Tournament 2 feels like a waypoint before the next REAL Tekken game. Still, there is a huge roster of fighters and the same tight technical gameplay that is the hallmark of the series. Series fans will be pleased.

PES 2013 is a very respectable soccer game that maintains its excellence on the field but unfortunately fall further behind in the bells and whistles department making it a distant runner-up in this year's battle for soccer supremacy.

While by no means a bad game, Dead Space 3 fails to capture the same tension and atmosphere of the previous games. A woefully broken checkpoint system hurts cooperative play, which is a shame given how many modes there are to explore with a friend.

It's easy to get sucked into Urban Trial Freestyle for hours trying to perfect a run, and the difficulty ramps up that there will almost always be a new challenge for you. A nice "harder-core" compliment to Joe Danger.

The graphics are not jaw dropping, but as is the case with most strategy games, this really doesn't matter. In the end, it's the quality of the gameplay that counts.

Perhaps it’s the flaky difficulty or weak story plot, but something is definitely holding Devil May Cry 2 back from upping the ante of the series’ first comer. In the end, DMC2 boils down to a simple result: a solid sequel, but a failed attempt in revolutionizing action gaming.

If (or more likely when) the price on this game drops to Greatest Hits level, it should be a perfect impulse buy.

Simple core design decisions sabotaged any redeeming value and eventually just left the game a shell of what it could have been.

Good, but is targeted at a very, very specific type of gamer, and you could be left wanting more if you don’t fall into that niche.

Where the game really shines is in presentation, however, something that rescues an otherwise bland adventure and helps raise it from a mindless, linear quest to the promise of seeing something interesting with each new locale.

The sheer wealth of Simpsons reference material saves Hit & Run from falling into the same trap the previous games had.

Is Tekken Tag Tournament a new game? No, that’s what Tekken 4 will be. TTT is an improvement and refinement of the old games.

The game is by no means for everyone, but with amazingly good graphics, a theme and feel that stick remarkably close the movie, and enough challenge to keep the game from being beaten in a few hours, Finding Nemo presents the first really attractive Disney movie/game tie-in in years.

The combat system is leaps and bounds above the first game’s, but things like pausing for spell animations and disjointed, eye-watering lighting and texture palettes keep the interest level down.

PaRappa may not be the most worthwhile purchase for some due to the fact that it’s ridiculously short, and the replay value doesn’t really add any new gameplay elements, but it is PaRappa, and if that floats your boat, the short bit of fun you’ll glean from the game may be enough.

It’s funny, but I swear Aerial Assault looks better than Tribes 2 PC. The levels aren’t as big because of memory limitations, but the game looks just as good everywhere else.

A good game that suffers from being just a bit too rough around the edges and too short overall to be a must-buy. It is however a definite rental and for anyone looking for a nice, short but visceral experience.

Without the graphical chutzpah of the PC or even Xbox versions, Max feels like a deflated, stripped-down, hack of his former self. If you don’t have access to a PC or an Xbox, this is still definitely worth checking out as it’s a short but sweet experience, just know that there are far better options out there.

Tinges of monotony near the end of the game aside, there is plenty here to love, and if you’ve been searching for a good, solid real-time strategy game for consoles that succeeds in spirit where PC-to-console ports have failed, this is a rather smart buy.

Given how entertaining it is in short bursts, it’s the perfect thing to bring out at parties or get-togethers, making this one of the easiest ways to rally the whole family around one of the hardest possible family-wide activities: playing video games.

In spite of a poorly constructed multiplayer scheme and the lack of online play, Worms 3D is a successful transition into three dimensions without sacrificing quality gameplay in the process. With the formula down path, hopefully Team 17 can deliver the perfect Worms console experience next time around.

For about the price of a DVD offering a flashback look at classic gaming, you’re getting the story of the company, told by the people who were there, and then you can experience their handiwork.

Incessant loading screens and a bit too much repetition hurt the game's long-term appeal, but taken in three- or four-hour chunks at a time, this is an incredibly rewarding (and unique) racing experience.

The problem is with the consistent near-perfection reached by the "Winning Eleven" series and EA’s "FIFA" efforts providing overwhelmingly solid presentation, it’s very, very hard to find any reason to recommend this game when the same chunk of change will buy you a more polished and frankly engaging experience.

OD takes the intensity of its predecessor and raises it to the ump-teenth power, with double the game length, two additional playable characters, and an involving story that puts some anime to shame.

There's not much here to fuel the kind of nostalgia the promise of reliving the days of yore, huddled around an arcade cabinet, fighting over what quarter resting on the glass was yours, and generally just reminiscing about a simpler time can provide.

The problem is, the pedestrian missions are endlessly repetitive...This is a definite rental (everyone should experience swinging around the city), but in about a month, you’re going to start hating yourself if you pay full price.

Impressively addictive, and manages a quiet grace about itself in presentation -- despite being about smashing the crap out of every moving thing in sight. It's just that without any online options, very little in the way customization and a set of races that towards the end of the game begin to feel a bit stale, it's hard to recommend this as a full-price option.

Make no mistake, this is one of the most visually interesting games on the PS2, but it lacks a graphical punch and the gameplay is just too familiar to give the engaging storyline a chance to shine.

A worthwhile experience – especially if you’re a parent looking for something for kids that won’t bore you to tears.

Taiko's patterns can be incredibly addictive, often sending mixed signals to your brain like every good challenging rhythm game, but once you nail a string of rapid-fire sixteenth notes with rimshots buried in the middle, the game will hook you with that classic "just one more try" addiction.

You'd think after almost a half-dozen games, the Warriors franchise would get a little old, but the injection of Japanese flavor and history into an already familiar stew just makes it all the more irresistible.

Same game with minor improvements. They're nice, sure, but that doesn't mean you should have to pay another $50 just to get the stuff that should have been in the first game.

A fantastic distillation of the series' classic gameplay and KOF 2003 does a wonderful job of trying to update the formula without breaking things too much, but this is after all a classic collection, and should be taken as such.

A decent platformer, sure, but don't expect anything new or original here. It's a nice diversion and something good for kids, but adults will probably want to stick to the bigger budget titles.

It does the film justice, working you into the storyline in a convincing way and then leaving you with just as much to do after the movie is over. For that EA is to be commended, particularly the Redwood Shores studio, which I never thought would get it together.

One of the better collections, Namco Museum was born to be ported to the PSP. The updates are solid and the gameplay's perfect for short trip. Stop reading this and go grab a copy.

It's the exact kind of game -- if not the presentation of it -- that the PSP is hurting for so much right now, and in all honesty, once you're a few hours in to the game, it's fairly easy to overlook the loading screens and lose yourself in the action.

What's here is good -- better than you would expect -- and yet it all feels a little to cookie-cutter at times, and the gameplay tends to deteriorate towards the end. It's a solid licensed game, but minus the license, it's just too average.

The storyline in place is something that absolutely should be experienced, but it's not one that comes easily. If you can stomach more random encounters per capita than nearly any other RPG out there, it's worth it, but that's a lot to ask.

For what it is, Pursuit Force certainly accomplishes all it set out to do, which may not have been especially lofty. It's a pure action movie boiled down into a game, and at that it succeeds very, very handily.

"Good." Yeah, that about sums up the game. Not "great," and certainly not "shite," but it doesn't quite have the longevity of "Super Smash Bros.," nor the kind of size and complexity of "PowerStone's" environments. Still, it’s a better game than we should be getting for a game license, and as a rental, it’s perfect for a weekend’s play.

This is portable Katamari, and it's fun in small spurts. Under the surface, though, there's an inescapable feeling that the series is losing some of its magic.

As a compilation, this is a nicely rounded collection of classic games, presented flawlessly and filled with just enough bonuses to satisfy the hardcore fans. Not all the games are great, but the total package is well worth the price.

Dungeon crawls live or die by their longevity, and sadly this is not a game with staying power. It's fun, yes, and markedly improved since the last game, but the combat has to be more varied and visceral, and the presentation just a little more refined.

It's not the most perfect fighter, nor are all the extras particularly interesting, but what's here is the finest example of what American fighting game developers can produce, and if you're any kind of MK -- old or new -- there's enough here to warrant a purchase. And then some.

It's not perfect -- not by a long shot -- nor is it without frustrations, but these are inherent problems with the PSP itself for the most part, and one could argue that the game's length is perfectly suited for a handheld. Just be ready to take the good with the bad.

It's certainly not a perfect game, and barely uses the license at all (which is probably a good thing), but for a portable shooter, something the PSP sorely needs, it works beautifully. If only those rough spots weren't so rough.

It’s doubtful we’ll ever get another UMD so loaded with extras. Interviews, movies, hidden clips, a slideshow, music videos. There’s a ton of stuff to find here, and most of it is directly related to the games themselves.

This game needed online play. I've already spent a bazillion hours with the first two games, and what would have made this feel truly fresh would have been playing against other vets. Consider me bummed.

Arrrrg, still angry. I know Pseudo is close, and it's clear that they have the technical prowess to make a pretty game. It's just in major things like balance and creating a game that is clearly defined that they seem to be having issues.

Your mileage with the game will be directly proportional to how quickly you glom onto the basic design concept and let it hook you. If blowing stuff up and watching an ever-increasing score next to an ever-dwindling clock isn't something that at least <I>sounds</I> interesting, you're probably best left to feeding your "Lumines" jones.

The PS2's videos are a horribly compressed mess.

The PSP version's framerate is almost universally choppy, but it is exact same game (and a little more, level-wise).

I know I keep coming back to this, but the online part of the past five Tony Hawk games has been the thing that keeps me coming back after I've played through the single-player game. Now granted, the goals this time around mean that I'll probably never completely finish the game, but I miss me some Trick Attack. Yes, I can do some local multi-player, but if I can't be beaten by some six year-old calling me a fag, I'm not really living the online experience, y'know?

If you're a fan of the series, it's a no-brainer, but if you've been turned off in the past by the focus on the multiplayer aspect, the buggy AI and questionable graphics aren't going to sell you very much.

Well well well, a licensed game that's actually worth the plastic it's burned onto. Hell, it's actually a decent fighting game. Shallow, perhaps, but still a great party game and solid enough that you want to explore the different modes.

The fact that 20 hours into the game I was still experiencing the same stuff I played 20 minutes after I started means it's not terribly deep. But it's fun and I can't deny that.

Still, here's a thought, Ignition: release the game with tweaked controls, a fully working camera and tilt support for the PlayStation Network. On the PS3 and for a good $10, the game could be one of those titles that everyone has just to properly show off the SIXAXIS.

The improvements and additions make it a far more enjoyable prospect to newcomers than the PSP version was, and it may even be enough for those that gave up on the original to at least give the game a rental to see how things have improved.

No, it's not a universally awesome list, but CCC is certainly packed with enough gems that it justifies the measly $20 entry price. And in the end, that's what it all comes down to: bang for the buck. CCC has plenty of it.

If this is the sort of thing that's going to come out of Sony consolidating their worldwide development studios, we're in for some seriously kick-ass looking games -- and sooner than most probably think.

A combat sequence here, an elaborate puzzle there - Arthur earns no originality merit, but damn if it doesn't come together well. Just bare through those first 10 minutes.

The BIGS is great stuff. It's not imposing -- despite the stature of the players in the game -- it's not overly technical, nor is it terribly shallow. No, the game won't give any baseball sims a run for their money, but it is a blast.

Though the presentation might be weak, the core puzzles can't be praised enough. With a slightly clunky level editor and some very basic unlockables, it only gets better. Cube is by no means perfect, but it is perfectly enjoyable for puzzle freaks.

Though it can hold claim to the title of most advanced PSP tech showpiece, the actual gameplay part of Brave Story is left lacking -- if only a little. Go into it expecting naught but a cliched RPG experience and you won't be disappointed.

It’s fun to feel like a ridiculous badass sometimes, and Riddick has it down to a thickheaded science.

Piyotama is a terrific value. At $3, it's just the kind of simple impulse buy the PSN needs, and hopefully this is a sign of things to come. Give it a shot, because honestly, who can't spare three bucks?

I won't try to say WET is a perfect game or even a truly great one, but when it's hitting properly, it feels good.

Saints Row 2 is a very flawed game, but it does have entertainment value.

The PSP version is ultimately the best of all of them because it contains the least amount of actual, straight basketball, but at least the PS3 version's sim aspects are solid enough to handle plenty of repeat plays and all the additional free downloadable content.

As it stands right now, though, it's merely going to have to settle for being the digital equivalent of tactical splinter; hardly lethal, but annoying enough that it can't really be ignored.

Ghostbusters is the game we’ve waited for, and given a little more time, this ambitious title would be an instant classic.

High Velocity Bowling is far, far better than you'd think it initially seems. I've little doubt that this review will probably be one of the highest-rated of the bunch on most aggregate sites, but I honestly think it's a simple matter of going into the game with an open mind.

PAIN just needed a little more... something. Another level, more stuff to do, I don't know what, but it's impossible to escape the feeling that what's being offered for $10 is spread a little too thin.

Decent, certainly capable of hooking those taken with all things militaristic and diplomatic, but very few will be smitten with the overall presentation.

Iridium Runners is sort of the equivalent of a feel good movie. No, none of the characters are all that engrossing, there's not a whole lot to make you appreciate what went into the production, and yet... it just all works.

Really, the game looks and feels much like Guitar Hero III, but done better. How much better? That's going to be about as subjective as the track listing the band, Activision and Neversoft cobbled together.

It's just that it's not going to be overwhelming, and with so many incredibly solid SRPGs on the PS2 at this point, Chaos Wars doesn't really have what it takes to stand out.

Those that take the time to enjoy the game for what it is -- a mash-up of RPG and board game elements -- will find plenty to dig into, however.

Racing the cars is a fun and enjoyable experience, but the modes on offer make it more of a chore than an enjoyable experience.

While not nearly as addictive as PixelJunk Monsters, FluffyLogic has done a hell of a time making a tower defense game that is uniquely their own.