IGN

• PC
• 8.6 / 10
• États-Unis

While it's apparently quite easy for a good RPG to turn the heads of our console editors and leave them gasping for superlatives, the fact is that the RPG market on the PC is considerably more competitive. Add in the fact that Jade Empire is nearly two years old and it's not hard to understand that the PC version isn't quite the revelation that it was on the Xbox. That said, Jade Empire is an instantly captivating experience for any action RPG fan who hasn't yet played it on the Xbox. The characters, settings and storyline are filled with fantastic details and the whole game is dripping with atmosphere. There are always meaningful and interesting choices to make throughout the game and a wide range of combat styles to explore. On the other hand, the linear missions tend to simplify the "good" and "bad" morality system and you'll need to focus on just a few combat styles in order to stay alive. Like the PC version of Knights of the Old Republic before it, Jade Empire is a remarkable RPG that, apart from better graphics and load times, really has little to separate it from the Xbox version from two years ago. If you've played it before, there's nothing here that you can't miss. If you missed the game on the Xbox, however, you're in for a real treat.

• PS3
• X360
• 8.8 / 10
• États-Unis

NBA Street Homecourt is a great addition to the sports library on next-gen consoles and a step up for EA's vaunted franchise. The Trick Remixer and new Gamebreaker system will have you jumping out of your gaming chair. Visually, the cartoony-art style surely helps keep the framerate at a blazing 60 fps, with an excellent animation system. While the teams rosters could use and update and the Homecourt Challenge a bit more drama, the gameplay is as good as arcade hoops gets. IGN officially gives NBA Street Homecourt "mad props."

• WII
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

• X360
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

• DS
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

• WII
• 5 / 10
• États-Unis

Seeing Space Harrier II running on the Wii gives some hope for the future – perhaps Yu Suzuki will be inspired by the new console’s unique controls and choose to work on a fresh project taking advantage of that potential. An update to Space Harrier, using Wiimote aiming, Nunchuk character movement and having a silky-smooth 60fps framerate would be killer. But, unfortunately, none of that is here in this simple emulation. This version’s tough to love, and even tougher to recommend. You’d be better off saving your 800 Points and going for a different Genesis title – I’m sure Yu won’t mind at all.

• GBA
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

With so much written about Final Fantasy VI in the decade-plus since its release, there's nothing I can tell you that you haven't heard before. What matters above all else, though, is that even in 2007, FF6 is exceptional fun. Even with its dated visuals and familiar concepts, it's one of the greatest games the world has ever seen, and it's just as entertaining now as it was during Clinton's first term. Don't miss it.

• WII
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis

It would have been hard to recommend the broken Military Madness that first debuted on December 18, plagued as it was by a simple but annoyingly persistent emulation glitch. As that's no longer a factor, the game's true value is restored. Overall Military Madness is a lot of fun, and certainly worth a look if you're a fan of turn-based, grid-based, moonbase strategy. We'll forgive Nintendo and Hudson the oversight this time, but let's hope that future VC releases don't arrive with any more technical troubles.

• PS2
• 2.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Backyard Basketball 2007 is – and seems to forever be – the same exact Backyard Sports template stamped from sport to sport. 2007 means a new cover, a few new players, but the same half-cooked gameplay and presentation of the franchise all over again. There’s very little added content to keep younger gamers interested, and wherever corners could be cut in the production they were, as the general interface, gameplay execution, audio, and visuals all resemble something from the original Playstation or early N64 days. Characters are low-poly and basic, it’s difficult to tell the difference between the pros when on the court, and the overall experience is simply lacking from all sides. If the goal is to make a quick buck off the NBA license and younger PS2/GameCube/PC crowd, the Backyard Sports franchise is a success. If it’s about delivering a quality gaming experience to the younger crowd, however, the series has again missed the mark. Being a children’s product is no justification for sub-par quality.

• PSP
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

Gurumin is one of those pleasant surprises that you wouldn't necessarily expect from its childlike appearance. A ton of difficulty levels, loads of accessories and costumes for Parin and lots of mini-games await players that are willing to give this game a chance. While you'll have to put up with load times and a sometimes questionable camera, this is still an excellent title that should appeal to action fans.

• DS
• 5.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Dogz just feels like it could have been so much more. Like a game that had the potential to be good and engaging, but ended up landing somewhere lost in the land of the mediocre. As a Game Boy Advance title, it would be more impressive. But we're well beyond the point in the DS life cycle where slapping on some stylus control on a GBA design and displaying a static image on the second screen is acceptable form. Gamers expect more now, and especially so since already seeing that extra effort come through in Nintendogs. Dogz may find an audience with parents who want to teach their children about the responsibilities of owning a dog before actually committing to the trip to a real pet store. But for a fun, interactive virtual puppy experience, stick with the proven million-selling winner and pick up -- or dust off your copy of -- Nintendogs.

• X360
• 6.7 / 10
• États-Unis

This is a solid port of Paperboy, so if you liked the arcade original, there's no reason you won¿t dig having it on your mobile phone. I always enjoyed the classic game, so this was a worthy download for me. It should be for you, too.

• PSP
• 8.2 / 10
• États-Unis

Just as was the case in 2005, there's a lot to like in The Warriors. The gameplay is varied, the combat is deep, and the presentational and multiplayer extras add plenty of brownie points. Of course, the biggest issue for some many be the game's extreme level of violence (expect lots of blood, swearing, and street-level combat). However, given the source material, that shouldn't be a surprise. Principals aside, the more obvious snag for PSP users is the clunkier camera and defensive controls. But even with those hurdles, The Warriors is still a highly entertaining brawler and a worthy addition to most action fans' portable library.

• X360
• PC
• 8.5 / 10
• États-Unis

While so many action games are devoid of strategy and so many strategy games are short on action, Battlestations Midway delivers both. So many people have wanted to take control of individual soldiers in real-time strategy titles like Company of Heroes or Battle for Middle Earth. In Battlestations Midway, you do more than zoom in. While the learning curve is relatively high, the time spent running ships aground and crashing planes into the ocean is worth it when you are dominating the Pacific. The graphics are a bit bland but there is a ton of detail. The score and voice-acting are well done, if repetitive. Still, Battlestations' shortcomings do not detract from a great gameplay experience that both action and strategy fans should enjoy. While the online options are thin, this game offers a great one-on-one option for RTS fans as well as a great co-op experience for those that have paid their dues on the training modes. For those tired of the same old thing, check out this unique new title from Eidos -- Battlestations Midway is anything but just another World War II game.

• DS
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS2
• 9 / 10
• États-Unis

• WII
• 7.5 / 10
• États-Unis

Gain Ground's understandably collected a cult following of fans since its Genesis release back in 1991, a large enough group to prompt Sega to revisit the title in 2004 with a PlayStation 2 remake of the design. That release only arrived in Japanese stores, meaning this VC download is the first fresh air Gain Ground has breathed in America since George H. W. Bush sat in the Oval Office. Strategy and action fans should take notice – not of the barely passable presentation or cumbersome graphics, but of the uncommon fun factor found in this mashed-up arcade combo of those two separate genres.

• X360
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis