GameCube

Game Description: The Fantastic Four gives you a chance to become fantastic. After coming into contact with cosmic rays, four friends found their genetic make-up had been changed. Determined to use their new powers for the good of humanity, they formed the Fantastic Four. Join them in their battle to save humanity from the clutches of the evil Dr. Doom.

According to the ESRB, this game contains: Mild Language, Violence

Okay, I got the review copy of Fantastic Four and I checked it out. Also, thanks for including that $20 you owed me from our poker night. By the way, when's Jones going to cough up that $175? Baby needs a new pair of shoes, you know. ; )

Do videogames based on movies really need to hit shelves the day their films open? "Of course!" answer marketing teams everywhere. What better time for games like Van Helsing or Fantastic 4 to shake their moneymakers than when their companion films are still big news, burning brightly in people's minds? While this practice makes good money for game companies, it doesn't make good games. High Voltage's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory isn't meant for old fogeys like me; it's designed for children, which makes its technical flaws all the more disgusting.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Fantasy Violence

Yes, I know it's a multiplayer game. No, I didn't play it with anyone else. I've finished just about every Zelda game out there, so I figured I'd give this one a whirl too, "connectivity" be damned. If you can handle a review written from this perspective, then please read on. If you can't, then please hit the back button on your browser now.

Game Description: Explore deep inside the factory and play the story as Charlie Bucket. Find a Golden Ticket and, along with four other children, win a personal tour of Willy Wonka's factory guided by the notorious and reclusive candy maker himself. Explore the many extraordinary environments of the factory, including some from the book that do not appear in the film. Discover what happens after the other children, greed-driven and unrestrained, wreak havoc through the factory. Then save the chocolate factory from their destruction by solving mystifying puzzles and using inventive candy powers. By helping the Oompa-Loompas and restoring order to the factory, Charlie can earn the respect of Willy Wonka and win an unexpected prize!

Game Description:  The Legend continues on Nintendo GameCube in an all-new epic adventure for one to four players. Fusing cooperative and competitive action, Four Swords Adventures features a unique gameplay system that incorporates both the television and the Game Boy Advance. When you enter a building or dive into a cave, your character switches from the TV to the Game Boy Advance. When you emerge, the frantic action shifts back to the big screen. To thwart Vaati's nefarious forces, you'll have to master new skills and techniques never before seen in the Legend of Zelda series.

The Starfox name has traditionally meant decent (or better) shooter action, and Namco is a strong company whom I usually have great faith in. Although I actually did enjoy StarFox Adventures' foray into third-person action, I was quite glad when it was announced that Assault would be closer to the series' traditional space-borne roots. Unfortunately, (and somewhat contrary to Tera's take on it) the end result of this Nintendo-Namco joint project is a schizophrenic mess not worth the time or money.