As with the gameplay, the weapons of Dredd vs Death also manage to walk the fine line between licensed glory and gaming mediocrity.

Those familiar with the series are likely to feel right at home thanks to GitS's nicely designed 3d environments that appear to have been ripped straight from the TV series...In the end though it's the gameplay that matters. And in that regard Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex has come up decidedly average.

A text book example of how to make the perfect follow up. Take everything that was popular in the first then power up the graphics, level up the characters and open up the shops so that they stock a larger range of items and spells. Bigger, better, and hell of a lot sweeter.

Simple, fun, and addicting with just the right amount of challenge and cool... just the way video games are supposed to be.

A shining example of how polish and presentation can make an otherwise ordinary game seem special. It may be shallow but what it lacks in technique it makes up for with style and charisma.

The experience that awaits you here transcends such archaic terms. This is an event, an epoch making title that years from now historians will look back upon as a defining moment in the history of video games. This is not an over exaggeration, nor is it simple hyperbole, this is the cold hard truth. Onimusha3 is the reason why you became a gamer in the first place. [JPN Import]

It's never a good sign when adjectives such as linear, bland and dull spring to mind after a mere 2 hours behind the pad, but that's exactly what happens here. [JPN Import]

It's the quiet moments that scare the most. The horrors that the monsters bring can at least be fought, but the silence... it is... unstoppable. It cuts through your psyche like a knife through flesh, fueling your hallucinations and driving up your insanity.

One of my biggest annoyances when playing Drag-on Dragoon was that I couldn't save my progress in the middle of a stage. This can be frustrating if after 40 minutes of leveling up your character you die because of a silly mistake. [JPN Import]

Even still, the lack of any serious genre innovation puts Ninja Gaiden somewhere circa 2001, well behind the likes of "Onimusha3" and to a lesser extent, "Otogi2." Each of those games demonstrates exactly how far the genre can be taken when a little extra effort has been put into such trivialities as background elements, level design and a decent camera system.

Its flawless execution combined with the sheer amount of unlockable features and variety of gameplay makes this the pinnacle of the shooter genre today. A first class game and the perfect swan song for this much loved series.

The graphics do an outstanding job at setting the game's comic, horror atmosphere. Everything from the trees in the background to the disturbingly horrific Army of Zin has been lovingly designed and animated.

A rarity among its peers as it brings a simplified game of football home for gamers that just can't seem to get their minds around the rules of "Madden 2004."

If it weren't for the sense of redundancy that comes from the too-large environments (and from playing through many of them multiple times as the different teams), this title would have been just about perfect. In the end, Sonic Heroes certainly isn't perfect. However, it's a great step in the right direction.

The controls are much more responsive this time round with simple combat techniques such as the circle strafe now being a breeze to perform. Heck, there's even a limited combo system for players that just can't do without!

A modern gaming masterpiece. It's as playable as any "Zelda," and as memorable as any "Metal Gear."

If you're prepared for the occasionally uneven difficulty and the dark themes, Spawn: Armageddon makes a highly recommended weekend rental.

I have no difficulty recommending this one for retro gamers, as it's the best package I can recall Midway sending our way, but others might want to steer clear.

Mario's shouts of excitement are much more subdued than we're used to, and there doesn't seem to be quite the usual level of ambience in general. Some will prefer this, but I didn't.

There's a gaping hole that prevents the collection from being complete, and that hole is "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past." Many older gamers consider it the best title in the series.

From the large selection of unlockable extras to the wealth of documentaries and bonus characters, every conceivable base has been covered. In reaching these lofty heights so easily, Return of the King has shamed virtually every other half baked movie adaption ever released.

There's no denying that True Crime is really just "Grand Theft Auto" in a police uniform and a badge, but delve deeper than that and it soon becomes apparent that at its core lies a much better game.

The graphics are surprisingly good and showcase exactly what the Gameboy Advance is capable of.

In short, just about everything that made the series cool to this point is back and better than ever. The whole experience isn't unlike eating a watermelon: you'll need to spit out a few seeds, but otherwise there's no cooler fruit.

But when you forget about those flaws for a minute, the fact remains that the game can easily pull you into its grasp and keep you there for 10 to 20 hours. When the credits roll, you'll likely feel quite satisfied.

What we have here is perhaps one of the single most well thought out examples of how to craft exciting dog fights without running the risk of having pig-headed players forever circling each other.

If SWRS3:RS were a person, I would have diagnosed it with a bi-polar disorder of some kind. Moments of sheer unbridled happiness come as quickly as they go, replaced with a gut-wrenching sadness that leaves the player feeling empty and bewildered inside.

It was a challenge! At times I would have smothered small animals for some help with defeating a boss, but the good easily out weighs the bad in this case.