IGN

• PS2
• 8.8 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS2
• 5.8 / 10
• États-Unis

With co-operative play, a good number of unlockable characters, Survival Mode, and tons of weapons and skills to improve your warriors, those who like the hack-and-slash formula will find a game that can keep them occupied for a good amount of time. The core gameplay is in serious need of an overhaul, though. We've seen this too many times before and are ready for something new. Couple that with painful audio and visuals and it's hard to find a reason to recommend this to any but the hardest of hardcore fans.

• GBA
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Monster House is a welcome change of pace from the summer movie drivel that infests the GBA. The game looks fantastic and fans of the movie are sure to adore the title. It's a license title that doesn't suck, and that's a good thing. It does have its faults though. The gameplay borders on too difficult for younger kids, and can get frustrating. The large amount of backtracking and other downsides might have made this game a snore fest, but the fast paced action is sure to keep kids and maybe even some adults enthralled.

• GBA
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is one of the better license games we've played, and one of the best license games of the summer. Pirates is a lot like that saucy wench in the local tavern. She looks nice, and sounds lovely, but playing with her is an ordeal of getting knocked around and poked with sharp objects (Okay my pirate similes suck). Pirates isn't going to last the average player very long, and unless they have an itching to sail the open sea, or have a Johnny Depp fetish that knows no bounds, they probably won¿t want to keep playing it for a long time. However, for the younger fans of the film, it's worth a go. It's certainly less painful than the last Pirates game.

• DS
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

This game is a good example a DS-specific game, made for the crowd that Nintendo's aiming for. Cooking Mama for the parents, grandparents and girlfriends of the Super Mario crowd, and the game never tries to be anything more than a simple bunch of mini-challenge tasks for the non-gaming population. Cooking Mama does what it sets out to do very well, even if its concept will never be a true gaming classic. It's a really good niche-filler that utilizes the DS well.

• PSP
• 7.9 / 10
• États-Unis

• PSP
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Rapala Trophies is very well suited for the PSP. Aside from the loading times every other aspect of the game is solid and a real improvement from the last Rapala game that appeared on PS2. If you enjoy fishing or are looking for a relaxing diversion on your PSP you should give this game a try.

• PSP
• 4.4 / 10
• États-Unis

What else can be said about bland racing that fails to do anything new? As sad as it is to say, Pocket Racers is just a jumbled mess that doesn¿t know whether it¿s coming or going. Somewhere deep down there¿s an effort to create something unique, but whatever ¿originality¿ is there is greatly hindered by a ludicrous setup and tired gameplay.

• PSP
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

• DS
• 6 / 10
• États-Unis

Harvest Moon has been a solid adventure in the portable world for over a decade, starting first on the original Game Boy, and progressing to the GBC and GBA. Even still, each generation added something new to the mix, starting with simple color display, and ending with a full immersive town and nearly endless replay value. On DS, however, it seems like the development team simply added basic bottom screen item management and a few animal interactions and called it a day. The main bulk of the game is still single screen, uses a ton of the same assets from the Friends of Mineral Town world, and though the game is supposed to be set up in a different town, a ton of the characters “mysteriously” make cameos. Even still, Harvest Moon DS is as solid of a farm simulator as it ever was, and just because it doesn’t add a ton of touch or visual flare to the mix doesn’t mean it’s a total wash. Diehard fans may still wan to pick this one up to pass the time, and there is still a nearly endless amount of play time. If only it had a new look and more immersive controls. Instead, franchise veterans will feel like they just dropped their hard-earned cash for a game that, at its roots, feels nearly identical to a GBA game that released three years ago on GBA. In fact, if you can still track it down, Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town remains to be one of the hottest GBA titles out there, and definitely a steal at around $15 bucks. If Harvest Moon is absolutely essential on your DS, give this one a try at your own risk. As for us, we’ll be heading back to Mineral Town, saving our gold pieces for the real DS successor to Harvest Moon; Natume’s own Rune Factory.

• PSP
• 5.9 / 10
• États-Unis

Considering the drubbing that the first Rengoku received in the press last year, you'd hope that the sequel was particularly stronger in every single way. Unfortunately, the game manages to duplicate just about every single problem that the first game had, from a weak storyline to an unbalanced combat system to unimpressive level designs. It's obvious that the development of this title was definitely stuck in purgatory, which is where you'll be if you decide to play this game.

• X360
• 4.5 / 10
• États-Unis

• DS
• 3.5 / 10
• États-Unis

If you can play from the "see no evil" perspective, you'll probably get a kick out of the Nintendo DS rendition of LEGO Star Wars II. It has some of the same clever puzzles and Stormtrooper-blasting, Tie Fighter-exploding, AT-AT Walker-toppling action of the bigger systems. But the fact that this game's riddled with bugs and that the developer, the publisher, and Nintendo's quality control let this game through is entirely unacceptable.

• GBA
• 7.8 / 10
• États-Unis

The real LEGO Star Wars II product is the one for the bigger systems -- you can't get any better than running around as LEGO Luke on the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube. But for those still adamant about gaming on the go, the GBA rendition is also a really good run. The team's worked within the restrictions of the hardware to recreate as much of the console fun as possible, and though there are more bugs in this game than there are womprats on Tatooine, the game's still got a lot to enjoy, for LEGO, Star Wars, and action fans alike.

• NGC
• PS2
• XBOX
• X360
• PC
• 8.4 / 10
• États-Unis

LEGO Star Wars II, like the first game, is a great entry-level title for young Star Wars fans looking to expand their videogame horizons. Its violence is never scary, its humor is always funny, and its gameplay is always fun. Sure it's easy and simple, and it does get hit by the repetition bug now and again. But the bottom line is that it's a heck of a lot of fun and has a great amount of replay value beyond a single play-through. Best family game this year? Probably so.

• PS2
• XBOX
• PC
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

As current-gen sports titles are devolving into budget titles, it's clear EA has its focus set squarely on its 360 hockey title. But even though NHL 07 looks and feels nearly identical to NHL 06, it remains a fun hockey game, if a bit on the arcade side. The controls are tight, especially shooting, if you have a USB control pad. Ditch the keyboard. We would like to see the checking system tweaked a bit so players aren't so magnetic. Great puck physics make for exciting, organic goal scoring. The Dynasty mode has nice depth but the online options are still not where they need to be for sports fans. The franchise's strength is still in a multiplayer game with you and a friend, head-to-head, like old-school NHL 94.

• PSP
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

Bounty Hounds is a classic example of shoddy execution derailing a slew of great ideas. With a better camera and improved controls, it could have been a real contender. Still, as frustrating as the game can get, it’s enjoyable in short bursts and presents a wealth of good ideas. Beyond that, the game looks great and runs extremely well for the amount of action that transpires at any given time. Multiplayer adds a bit of appeal, but it could benefit from a few more modes in addition to the included one-on-one deathmatch.

• PSP
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

LEGO Star Wars II is a great entry-level title for young Star Wars fans looking to expand their portable videogame horizons. Its violence is never scary, its humor is always funny, and its gameplay is always fun. Sure it's easy and simple -- and it does get hit by the repetition bug now and again -- but the bottom line is that it's a heck of a lot of fun and has a great amount of lasting appeal beyond a single play-through. Best family game this year? Probably so.