While it's not a game so much as a pet simulator that you fiddle with for a few minutes every day, Nintendogs is ridiculously charming and cute. And virtual dog poop is a lot easier to clean up than the real stuff.

It would have been nice if the storyline was a little more open ended and the RPG element was emphasized.

It's not as brain-blowingly next-gen as some gamers might be hoping, but Perfect Dark Zero is still a solid and slick shooter that deserves to be enjoyed online.

With its tight controls and diverse and rewarding levels, beautiful and engaging graphics, and its humorous story, Frogger: Helmet Chaos is sure to be a hit with audiences both new and old alike.

This really is only for a defined group of hardcore football fans, but those fans won’t find anything close to this anywhere else.

What could have been a run-of-the-mill shooter is elevated by an interesting plot, wild environments and shifting gravity that sometimes makes you wonder which way is up. Not for the faint of stomach.

If you enjoy the gunplay aspects of the GTA-style genre more than the driving and open city concept, then The Godfather is likely to be a highlight of the year for you.

With all of its mysticism, strange but curious creatures and dazzling surroundings, 'Keepsake' will be a sure-fire hit with the Harry Potter crowd if they don't mind exercising their wits as well as feasting their eyes.

The game is challenging as all heck and you’ll sometimes wonder how you would ever get out of a predicament with a million enemies coming at you all at once in every direction without a super bomb, but it keeps you coming back for more, no doubt. Top notch in every way.

You really have to play this game to understand it but it includes plenty of challenge and lots of replayability, and it looks great to boot. Definitely the dark horse of Xbox Live Arcade!

The single player levels start off simple enough but become almost epic in scope (well, for a marble game!) later on.

Undeniably the best-looking PSP release since "Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror". The floating spectral faces, the tidal wave of blood, the massive beast masquerading as a temple are just some of the early "wow moments" that show off the technology that is packed into the PSP device.

Great visuals, over-the-top enemies and white-knuckle boss battles help overcome Lost Planet's handful of glaring flaws. It's almost as cool as it is cold.

The game really shines in multiplayer, where the variety in play styles means that every match is different and challenging. Often players will volley well over 30-40 times on each point, which creates some very intense matches that can easily go either way. Whether playing online or against a friend, multiplayer is the best Table Tennis experience by far.

And the expansion pack is a step in the right direction. It's a good upgrade if you're willing to shell out for it.

As adorable as it is eccentric, and as addictive as it is challenging, it still may not be everyone's cup of tea. But if happy, singing blobs navigating trippy technicolour worlds sounds like fun, you need this one in your PSP library.

If you like a challenging preconstructed scenario, some with historical overtones to them, you will find this expansion pack a great addition to a great game.

A lot deeper and a lot tougher than it seems at first glance, Dead Rising is an old-school game posing as next-gen zombie slayathon. It can be frustrating as hell, but like the swarms of undead who don't know any better, you'll keep coming back for more.

If you weren't a fan of the original on the Xbox 360, don't expect this sequel to set your world on fire. But there are enough tweaks and perks to keep car combat fans happy, and it's an overall improvement on the first game.

If you liked "X-Men Legends," you'll love Marvel Ultimate Alliance, with its roster of two dozen playable heroes from every corner of the Marvel universe. But please, let's see She-Hulk in the sequel, OK?

Kim does not miss[] a step in the leap to bigger and better things due to the ingenuity of the BVG developers who decided to take the series in a different direction while still maintaining all of the components that have made it so popular.

Even if you decide to skip all the ‘extra’ modes like Superstar and Minigames, you’ll still get a lot out of Franchise. It never becomes too overwhelming – a problem with many sports games in recent years.

If you are looking for a compilation of mini-games to pass the time once and awhile, Clubhouse Games will fit the bill quite nicely.

If you’re looking for something new and fresh, Hotel Dusk fits the bill and then some. It has superb graphics featuring hand-drawn characters, a great storyline and very interesting characters that constantly had me wanting to find the next conversation to see what would happen next.

With each level presenting it own unique challenges to overcome, what you have with 'Mario Versus Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis' is not only one of the longest game titles of the year but an accessible and thoroughly addicting puzzle game for thinking gamers of all ages.

Those who consider themselves puzzle game connoisseurs or armchair detectives will have their skills severely tested and unlike the finale of "Missing: Since January", the conclusion is worth all the time and effort.

It’s a game more accustomed to hardcore players who really crave a challenge. For these people, Konductra should be right up their alley.

Its easy controls, addictively simple game play and variety of game modes are likely to appeal to all but the hard-core soccer enthusiast.

With its smaller scope and missions, New York doesn't eclipse 'Ultimate' as the benchmark Spider-Man title for the DS but it does sure as heck give it a run for its money.

Again, like 'Resident Evil', 'Monster House' is not all about eviscerating hair-raising beasties. There are puzzles throughout the levels too but most are of the find-and-place-an-object-here or push-this-crate-there variety.

Blending classic platform game elements with a humourous storyline and a cool dimension-flipping gimmick makes this one of the most satisfying Mario games in years.

It’s the little fun touches that end up elevating The Bigs from being just another yearly baseball installment.

Don’t be put off by this oddball mixture of a casual puzzle game and a fantasy role-playing adventure. Puzzle Quest is stellar as both, and amazingly addictive.

Don’t be put off by this oddball mixture of a casual puzzle game and a fantasy role-playing adventure. Puzzle Quest is stellar as both, and amazingly addictive.

As good as it was, the PSP’s UEFA has everything FIFA has and with the new Treble mode, way more fun in variety.

The first full-fledged expansion for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion takes you on a trip to a skewed and psychotic Oz, full of odd people, new magic and killer creatures. And chances are you’ll love it there.

Though it starts off slow, Folklore turns out to be a surprisingly deep and visually lush experience, with novel new twists on familiar gameplay standards.

The darker and more serious tone won't appeal to everyone, but beneath it is the same great strategy game experience that's made the venerable Advance Wars series such a gem.

It won't replace Grand Theft Auto in your carjacking, hooker-beating heart, but Saints Row is a surprisingly good clone, and it even manages to do a few things better than the games from which it shamelessly borrows.

With great sound, great graphics and gameplay that has stood the test of time, F-Zero GP Legends is going to appeal to almost everyone. Well everyone who doesn't already own "F-Zero Maximum Velocity."

The review score by the way reflects the age it was targeted at – if you are outside of the 6-11 age group, check the low part of the range, because that's how this game will score for you.

It is the answer to those who have bitterly and rightfully complained that not much creativity has gone into the gameplay as the series has progressed.

A creative genius himself, C.S. Lewis would be proud that the developers have been faithful to his vision and that the 'Narnia' games might encourage children to explore the literary world he created.

Although GX is not really meant for the inexperienced or newbie 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' fan who may not know a 'Blue Eyes White Dragon' from a 'Summoned Skull', experienced players will find the game will provide a stimulating distraction.

With surprisingly good graphics for a GBA title, the gameplay is never boring since Phil and his friends are shuttled around quickly from one Blah emergency to the next.

Though it's definitely the low-carb, low-cal version of a traditional role-playing game, Dark Alliance II is a stellar sequel to a great title.

A welcome new twist on the stale survival-horror genre, the Suffering's disturbing unreality makes the prison in "Oz" look like summer camp.

Bond actually carries useful gadgets you simply can't wait to use. He flings himself off walls using a very cool rappelling system and can send in the remote and compact Q Spider to blow up things in tight spaces.

A highly addictive simulation that should please good and bad golfers alike.

The game has a great feel to it simply because it's packaged together so nicely with sound, graphics, and gameplay. Where you may encounter problems is if you've already played the original, because this sequel certainly does not live up the lofty height of its predecessor.

A decent fighting game with enough twists in the gameplay to set it apart from the pack.

The physics are a little clunky at first but ultimately make the game feel a whole lot more natural with a little practice.

It's a simple, fun first-person shooter, which is what gamers look for most in this series. Rest assured that's exactly what gamers will get. Nothing more, nothing less.

There's nothing radically new here, but it's got the best variety of missions and the best storyline of any of the Hitman titles.

This faithful port - no pun intended - of the seafaring PC game shines just as brightly on the big black box. Beware the siren call of its addictiveness, though.

Heroes is not one of those games that will immediately sieze you by the breastplate but once you have mastered the multi-tasking and on-the-spot strategizing that's required, it really does grow on you like a Shambling Mound and in this case, that's a good thing.

A brawler with a deep storyline, based on a cult classic from the '70s? You heard right, suckers. The Warriors is hands down one of the coolest action games of the year.

As a huge fan of standard FPS games, I was a little put-off at first by my personal lack of effectiveness in the game, though I can appreciate the added tactical depth provided by the control of two fire teams.

There is an assortment of plot twists too that provide surprise after surprise as you continue forth. If nothing else, X-Men Legends 2 is a well-crafted and executed storyline that gets progressively intriguing the more time you spend playing it.

The customization is deep, but not so deep as to be lengthy, and the game itself looks crisp and well-polished.

Unfortunately, the music and sound effects are just plain irritating and obnoxious, with tunes that might appeal to 7-year olds.

Without giving too much away, I can say this: There is a plot-twist in this game that is so great that even the most hard-core RPG veterans won't see it coming.

The story is very rich by Mario standards, and the game can be surprisingly challenging, yet accessible, making it a truly great game for gamers of all ages.

Mix a basic but solid game of baseball with the usual hallucinogenic properties of Mario's special toadstools and you get this fun and frothy confection.

A fantastic game that becomes a lot deeper than it first seems once you start learning some of the advanced techniques. A perfect fit for the Xbox Live Arcade.

A clunky combat system and too many immersion-breaking design oddities mar an otherwise excellent RPG adventure.

Casual gamers, and fans of other “real-time” mech based games beware though: Front Mission 4 will probably be either too technical, too boring, or just not your cup of tea.

The biggest complaint that I had, and many others agree is that the game needed to be longer than just 5 cases, maybe 10 or so would have done the trick.

Given its target audience, you’d have a hard time finding anything on the market quite this good that is also targeted at the 12 and under crowd.

Episode 2 should take only about 40 hours to finish, short by the standards of the genre today and half the length of Episode 1.

One additional factor that can’t be overlooked is the addictiveness of this game. Zoo Keeper has been in my DS for weeks now, and as much as I complain about the weight of the DS, or the similarities between Zoo Keeper and "Bejeweled," I don’t think I’m going to change it out for anything else that soon.

There are several game modes, all of which are quite fun and challenging – as long as you can stop yourself from using unlimited hints in the Puzzle Mode.

The visuals and sound design really do drive the package well enough to create what's hopefully as close an experience to the real thing as any of us would like to have.

It's not an essential purchase, but certainly one that makes more inventive use of the hardware than some other Wii launch titles.

What it comes down to, though, is that this package is full of what are some fantastic, fun games. All the extra stuff is cool, but even without it all, the games stand on their own.

Embodies what a handheld game should be. It has short levels, and the learning curve is very low. You'll find yourself whipping through the game in a short amount of time, but the replay value is there with over 90 levels to try and get that gold star on.

The other big reason for shooter fans to check this game out is because of the online multiplayer, which is surprisingly well done.

Most importantly, it has the all-important replayability that can sometimes make or break a game. This game stands up to any FPS out right now, and surpasses some.

Does exactly what it's supposed to do - kill time and appease the masses before its full follow up comes a few months from now.

The Legend Tour is limiting, and there isn’t really a challenge system like other Tiger games out there. Also there is a lack of information given to the player, which often keeps you guessing.

Once again Nintendo creates a game for the DS that is perfect for casual gamers, but if that doesn’t describe you, your hatred for this cute title will probably know no bounds.

For such a short game, a Little goes a long way as far as we’re concerned.

Day 1 has upped the ante, and created something far better then their original, but only those who crave Mech games, and need their online fix should give it serious consideration.

A mixed bag of fun. When you're in the cockpit of your Arwing you'll forget where the time went, but drop you onto the ground and you'll be asking "are we done yet?" within minutes.

The graphics in Nanostray are some of the prettiest on the DS, hands down. The environments are varied, there is a ton of vibrant colours and except for some very rare slowdowns, the game runs at a smooth 60 FPS, no small feat considering how much is always going on on both screens.

It’s a straightforward backgammon game that’s great for a round or two when you’re waiting for your game of Quake to load (ohhh, dis)

Wildly addictive, and only the best players will be able to earn the highest-coloured belts.

Its streamlined and action oriented gameplay fit the PSP well and it has been given an exceptionally nice graphical polish.

Had it made use of the wireless adapter it might have been able to duplicate the traditional Mario Party feel.

Had the developers spent a little more time fixing the control and camera issues and making it in general more user-friendly, Chibi-Robo would go from being above-average to being great. As it is, it's still an original, fairly addictive title that has enough going for it to leave gamers satisfied.

There's really not much to this game, yet it still had me coming back for more, trying to finish the single player mode.

Despite its literary background, “Shadows of Angmar” doesn’t rewrite the rules for massively multiplayer online games and instead sticks to the same safe, proven formula. It does, however, deliver a rich world that stays mostly true to Tolkien’s vision. [Associated Press]

Heavy on story and atmosphere and with a massive number of missions to complete, Siren should appeal to devoted fans of the survival-horror genre. But it's simply too complex and unwieldy to be appreciated by less hardcore players.

With some races you can win in a snap but others are down to the wire and sometimes are way too hard. Juiced is definitely for those who love to put the pedal to the metal and lay waste to some asphalt.

Would-be DJs would find the time better spent learning a software application that actually gives them the freedom to create without the restrictions and limitations found in this fun but simple package.

Action oriented fans should steer clear of this title, but those looking for an accurate soccer experience should at the very least give this title a try.

While Spider-Man 2 truly puts you in the webbed booties of the wall-crawler and boasts a ton of freedom to do what you want, there's not enough variety to keep things fresh from start to finish.

With only 35 songs to sing along with, any real fan of karaoke will whip through them in only a few sessions.

The only big problems with the game itself are that it isn't all that long, and it doesn't take advantage of the dual screens.

Not surprisingly, some liberties were taken to reconcile logistics with gameplay. Call in the airborne and your paratroopers arrive immediately, with no need to plan the air drop in advance. But that is where the suspension of disbelief ends.

For fans of the previous game, there’s not much new here beyond a co-operative multiplayer mode where two people are tasked with steering around one katamari. Unless you and your co-player are psychic, though, it’s a tough, frustrating task.

Easy to pick up and play and immediately enjoyable.

While not the amazing experience we were all expecting, Quake 4 is a worthy successor to the Quake franchise.

This overall spectacle sometimes approaches realism, like watching a bout on television. But it’s only a fleeting effect, like those newspaper puzzles where if you stare at the dots long enough in just the right way, a three-dimensional image appears.

Younger racers won’t really care too much about the auto-reset and lack of sliding all that much and should be engrossed in the unfolding storyline.

This is designed as the first game in a new Ubisoft franchise, and I do hope there’s another. The little miscues can be fixed, the stealth tweaked, and I’d be up for free running through the French Revolution next time.

Excite Truck is as boisterous and cantankerous as your mother-in-law was when you forgot to call on her birthday. It's engines roar. It's music snarls. There's nothing sedate or stately about it. And, that's why it's simple but thrilling mindless fun.

Like "Wii Sports," it is the perfect title to show off the Wii to friends, family and an excellent game to have in your library for those times where you just want to sit back, have a little fun and some laughs.

It’s a great demonstration of all the things that can be done with the Wii controller, although it’s still amusing with a conventional PS2 joystick.

Most NASCAR fans will enjoy this year’s version, but if they have 06, which they likely do, there might not be much reason to upgrade.

Rocky Balboa smacks hard with the love its authors must have for the series of movies it takes its inspiration from. One wonders why on earth it’s a PSP exclusive when it could’ve been done so much better on a platform that allows for more scope than a portable but given the circumstances they’ve done a fine job.

The inclusion of the original Tron games helps push up the coolness factor -- so thumbs up to all for creating a fun on the go Tron experience.

Much like the distinctive homegrown television series, Atomic Betty's sophomore GBA venture is screwball, carefree fun at its very best and a tribute to how far the Canadian gaming industry has come in such a short period of time.

A thinking man's military game, Full Spectrum Warrior's set-piece confrontations tend to force you into one specific course of action. But it's still as close as you'll come to living the real thing - and be thankful for that.

While MTV Music Generator 3 is easy to pick up and mess around with, would-be DJs would find the time better spent learning a software application that actually gives them the freedom to create without the restrictions and limitations found in this fun but simple package.

Black sets out to achieve one goal of being the biggest, loudest and most impressively single mindedly violent FPS. Regardless of the zero it receives for narrative, it most definitely scores huge on thrills.

For anyone looking for a deceptively solid tennis game, grab your balls and get ready to make some racket with Outlaw Tennis (aren't I creative?).

Although it is not as sophisticated on some levels as the continuing adventures of Sam Fisher, it does stand on it's own as a fine addition to the "sneak and destroy" genre of games.

While Spider-Man 2 truly puts you in the webbed booties of the wall-crawler and boasts a ton of freedom to do what you want, there's not enough variety to keep things fresh from start to finish.

While it has a fine single player component, the game only realizes its true potential if you go through the trouble of rounding up three friends with Game Boy Advances.

While Spider-Man 2 truly puts you in the webbed booties of the wall-crawler and boasts a ton of freedom to do what you want, there's not enough variety to keep things fresh from start to finish.

While a bit of a novelty, the mic works well, even if the games could have just as easily been played with a regular joystick.

It has pretty graphics, plenty of extras and an engaging storyline. I may have taken a whole lot more from it if I was a hardcore fan of the history of X-Men, but it still has enough going for it to keep all types of gamers happy.

Besides some lazy moments where characters show up repeatedly and say the same things over and over, some clunky controls on the main map and some overly-long load times between races and minigames, Cars does the trick.

There really isn’t much here that you haven’t seen before in a digital pool game, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a fun way to spend a few minutes killing time.

The main problem with the story mode, though, is that's simply too hard.

Once every few years, a game comes along that changes all the rules. A game so unique and so groundbreaking that it not only redefines a genre, but redefines how we as gamers connect with our world. This ... is nothing close to that kind of game. But damn if it isn’t fun.

For starters, though the game is $10.99 some may feel cheated by there being only two variations of the same level. More content will come available through download, but one level is still only one level.

As much as I enjoyed it, I now spend most of my time nitpicking on small issues that in the end keep this game from being a classic.

Is Leisure Suit Larry crass? Yes. Vulgar? You bet. Immature? Of course. Funny? Downright hilarious. If you're looking for a video-game romp with a lot of off-colour and racy humour, you've hit the bull's-eye.

Is Leisure Suit Larry crass? Yes. Vulgar? You bet. Immature? Of course. Funny? Downright hilarious.

A fun, zany, irreverent, violent (yeah!) and humorous game. It's just not very deep. It makes for a really good rental game as most of the coolest and engaging parts of the game are encountered in the first few missions and are then repeated throughout the rest of the experience.

But the fantastic presentation of the multiplayer concept, aided by the single cartridge format, is reason enough for purchase. Bombs away!

Another uber-retro game from the heyday of coin-op fun, this game actually holds up fairly well despite it’s very old-school graphics and sound.

Is Leisure Suit Larry crass? Yes. Vulgar? You bet. Immature? Of course. Funny? Downright hilarious.

You gain experience from every battle -- which makes you stronger – lather, rinse, repeat, add a story, and there’s your gameplay.

If you think you’d enjoy playing an RTS you played 4 years ago, but with wickedly updated graphics/sound/cut scenes and with a dual layered map, then by all means pick [it] up.

This game has everything a Sudoku enthusiast could possibly want – namely, hundreds upon hundreds of puzzles ranging in difficulty from quite easy, to frustratingly difficult.

Given today's evolution in RPG's (even for handheld RPG's), I find it hard to believe this compilation will hold the attention of newer gamers for longer then 15 minutes. Any old school players out there with a GBA however will get plenty nostalgic with this duo of games.

A bigger pad would help in the future.The other problem is the selection of game modes to choose from.

While the game looks good, controls well and is genuinely funny in spots, the action starts to get repetitive fairly early on. But you gotta love that shark gun.

While the "girlfriends" are an interesting twist, Street Racing Syndicate doesn't rise much above a strictly average racing game. You'd be better off with "Need For Speed Underground" and a copy of "Maxim."

Taking the pigskin to the asphalt is a novel idea and makes for a fast and fun game of arcade football. It's not nearly as slick and addictive as its sister franchise NBA Street, though.

Old-school Sonic speed plus a few new twists makes for a decent if not earth-shattering return to the realm of the blue hedgehog.

Here lies the ultimate problem: if you're not hard-core, you're just going to end up playing around with it, and you'll almost certainly become bored within a few hours.

While there's not a whole lot of variety to the game play, the slick look and novel control scheme help make up for Rise to Honor's other shortcomings. And no, that's not a crack about Jet Li's height.

Although it’s not going to satisfy the hardcore beat-matching gamers, Groove does bring another dimension to the PS2 and the EyeToy.

For the features it has, though the same as others on the market, and for it’s ability to just give you a good time I give this game a 7 out of 10.

Don't let the big-headed cartoon folk fool you, this is a solid (but fun) simulation of golf, and online-enabled to boot. Too bad it's so similar to the previous game in the series.

Enjoyable, although apart from the upgradeable weapons system and weapon loadouts in the multiplayer, it is not groundbreaking.

What's also frustrating is that lower-level foes with no real super powers like Nazi soldiers and Nuclear Winter's henchmen are way too strong. Often you may find yourself swarming an irritating straggler here and there after engaging in a huge rumble that has left your team weaker than Aunt May.

Word of advice to the developers: When creating the next installment of this franchise, do what you did with the presentation end of things, and almost completely rip-off "Grand Theft Auto," and their gameplay. It’ll make this sort of title appeal to almost everyone.

It’s gritty, and unpolished in many areas (I actually had a few freezes that forced me to reset my PS2), but if you bite down and bare it, you’ll like it. That is, if you are a fan of movies like those Mr. Ritchie makes.

The graphics and sound in Death Jr. are nothing spectacular. The music is catchy but repetitive, and the sound effects are sparse and basic.

Also a little disappointing is the permanent map display that takes up the right-hand third of the screen and can't be switched off. Some sort of heads-up display or radar option would have been nice, so you could roar into battle using all of the PSP's widescreen real estate.

While it's not the most original game of its kind, fans of MediEvil should like this slick redux of the popular PlayStation platformers. The wireless multiplayer minigames are a nice bonus, too.

Despite of its flaws, it still works.

An exciting adventure that will keep you engaged until the final battle.

This is a one-of-a-kind title that could only be done on the Nintendo DS, but this melange of musical marine life won't be everyone's cup of sea water.

Don't have any idea what the difference between a PetPetPet, a Neopet or a PetPet is and could care less? 'Petpet Adventures: The Wand of Wishing' is probably not for you then. For fans of the odd little beasts and their quirky little ways, the PSP release is a faithful expansion of the Neopet universe.

A game which has enough to keep you engaged with it all the way until the final crucial discovery about the nature and meaning of Nibiru.

Parents might suffer alarming flashbacks of their own wedding planning fiascos but the wee ones will have great fun exercising their creativity while also learning to follow instructions.

A unique release in the sense that it could be a stepping-stone to bigger and better things. There is no reason Bigbig couldn’t flesh out what they have created already and release a console version.

It's quite unlikely that the intended audience for Super Princess Peach ever played "Super Mario Bros" back in the day, or perhaps any of the many sequels - and therefore is almost likely to be a newcomer to the platform genre. And if that's the case, Peach is a perfect primer, just in time for "New Super Mario Bros" in a few months time.

It's hard to imagine how this epic strategy game's control scheme could be any better on a console, but it's still not quite a match for the precision of the PC version.

It's a fine addition to Black & White 2 but in the end it's more of the same - entertaining more of the same, though, for under $20.

Younger gamers will enjoy the Roman atmosphere and fairly easy game play and there are enough features and variety in CivCity: Rome to make it a good addition to any strategy game collection.

It's simpler than a deck swabber what's spent too much time in the sun, but this one is surprisingly fun and charming for a game-to-movie tie-in.

In the end, Turok demands more than some gamers will want to give.

With a way deeper song list than 'Singstar Rocks' and its authentic content, 'Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol' holds up as the ultimate karaoke game for those who are fans of that sort of thing; Paula's deplorable absence notwithstanding.

If dueling with collectible cards isn't your idea of a fun time, the Marvel Trading Card Game doesn't really offer anything new to pull you or other gamers in.

Justice For All will entertain you with engaging characters and interesting storylines. If you’re good at detective work, you’ll be hooked; if you’re not, you may be putting this game down sooner than later.

Although, Naruto has a lot of unnecessary elements, it still is one of the most enjoyable fighting games I have played in a long time.

As Open Season shows, the search for a kids movie game that appeals just as much to parents as it does to little ones proves to be an elusive one. Sub-par controls and by-the-numbers gameplay aside, this one is still worth a purchase if A) you're buying strictly for your child or B) you're looking for an easy 1000 achievement points.

As enjoyable as the game is, as my roommate can attest to, watching someone else play is about as exciting as watching the real thing.

For the most part however, the control works great. Once you align your backswing with the power gauge on-screen, it's really simple to drive accurate distances and directions.

The Sony version has brilliantly rendered 3-D animated characters and cut-scenes, the actors from the animated series doing the voice work and large areas to wander around. There is just no comparison with this title. PSP owners are getting a treat this Halloween while DS'ers shouldn't be tricked into buying their underdeveloped edition.

And the story's intriguing.

A quick but surprisingly enjoyable diversion. It's recommended only for younger gamers who likely won’t be able to point out the game’s obvious shortcomings like its graphics and almost complete lack of memorable sound.

Fantastic visuals, a decent plot and an interesting music-based fighting system are hampered by some tacked-on non-features, iffy controls and a thinner roster of rappers. Bring back Lil Kim!

A solid game, but nothing special. And while certainly one of the RPG’s for the PSP yet, it’s nevertheless wise to remember that MK: Jewel Summoner benefits most from being a big fish in a small pond.

Overly finicky controls are the biggest ding against this decent but not superlative version of SSX for Nintendo's winsome Wii.

Although the three-dimensional maps are interesting to look at, they aren't very functional. And the small map is even less useful. So you can spend a lot of time running around in circles unless you know exactly where to go.

Wii owners who haven’t yet played the game on another console and are hankering for a violent, bloody Grand Theft Auto-style title should pick this one up. But the expanded content doesn’t quite make up for the humdrum visuals and repetitive gameplay.

Compared to EA’s last 360 FIFA release, the game’s flow seems much more natural than FIFA 07’s sometimes bizarrely inaccurate passing and crossing.

Tekken V: Dark Resurrection is still fun to play and it's much better than most of the competition. It's just a bit of a letdown because it feels to me that the developers missed a chance to fully take advantage on the PS3's capabilities.

And on the whole it was a worthwhile experience. Sure, it maybe doesn't measure up in quality and look of the more professional sports title, such as Top Spin.

Besides, any game that lets you engage in drunken bar room brawls can‘t be all that bad, savvy?

Mario Strikers Charged is far from a perfect game, but it truly is fun when played online. For the casual sports fan who doesn't want to spend hours poring over stats, defensive combinations, matchups, and what's inside the vending machines in their virtual team's arena, this game is very much worth a look.

'Championship' mode though is an ingenious spin on presenting level-based gameplay in a whole new way as there is virtually no pause in the action. For all intents and purposes, Pac-Man has turned into a gruelling video game marathon. 'Championship' mode alone makes this download worth it for any serious Pac-Man fan.

That's 100 games and 10 dance offs in 10 stages, folks. Yep. Moms and dads, this game will have your kids tied up until doomsday...or shortly thereafter.

As long as your little one can puzzle out how to operate the GBA to begin with, Little Einsteins is a perfect teaching tool that just like the animated series makes learning fun.

The overuse of bland office building environments and a steep difficulty curve mar an otherwise captivating storyline and novel use of the first-person perspective.

Taking the pigskin to the asphalt is a novel idea and makes for a fast and fun game of arcade football. It's not nearly as slick and addictive as its sister franchise NBA Street, though.

It's not the most original brawler out there, but the tasty graphics and cinematic comic-book style action help make up for some of the games imperfections.

There's little need for varied strategies throughout Lockdown, and once you figure out how to sweep a room efficiently, the entire game is pretty much open for completion. It makes for an interesting twist on the strategy based shooter formula, because the need for absolute teamwork is almost entirely diminished.

All I want do is throw or run with the ball and mash as many players as humanly possible in as many ways as possible. EA's Arena Football does all of that quite nicely.

Gun is the best Wild West game to date but it is a low-down dirty shame that developers Neversoft didn't apply the same comprehensive approach to the design work as they did to the soundtrack, voice casting and the plot.

Old-school Sonic speed plus a few new twists makes for a decent if not earth-shattering return to the realm of the blue hedgehog.

For the hardcore gamer, there should be enough here to keep their interest through until the ending.

Word of advice to the developers: When creating the next installment of this franchise, do what you did with the presentation end of things, and almost completely rip-off Grand Theft Auto, and their gameplay. It'll make this sort of title appeal to almost everyone.

Old-school Sonic speed plus a few new twists makes for a decent if not earth-shattering return to the realm of the blue hedgehog.

I for one am still waiting for the time when they finally shake up the series and create a nice long epic that makes the GameBoy series wish it could compete... Will it happen? Here's hoping.

Taking the pigskin to the asphalt is a novel idea and makes for a fast and fun game of arcade football. It's not nearly as slick and addictive as its sister franchise "NBA Street," though.

A decent party game for the attention deficit disorder crowd, but the single-player game doesn't offer much that you won't have already experienced in the Game Boy Advance version.

The single player section is short and simple enough for any youngster to get through (probably with a little help from mom or dad) and best of all, there are plenty of addictive minigames to keep players occupied after the closing credits.

Even the novelty of playing as Sean Connery's classic Bond can't overcome the feeling of been there, done that.

Gun is a violent, interestingly fulfilling shooter, albeit so brief it doesn't quite do its fantastic premise justice.