DV Zero surprised me with its well-laid-out, retro-style platforming -- so much so that my daily commutes flew by as I kept my nose in the screen. I would love to see a follow-up, but as this was basically a promotional tie-in, there's little chance of that happening.

Blue World is a great sequel: There's lots more to see and do, with refinements all around, from graphics to gameplay.

The carefully crafted setting, the intertwining of ingenious puzzles with a portly, gluttonous protagonist, makes this a terrific game that I wholeheartedly recommend you play immediately. [Grade = A+]

The multiplayer component may not be to everyone's taste, but the original game is nothing short of brilliant. Meanwhile, very much like the XBLA version of Rez, it's a game that doesn't show it's age on account of the fact that it was deliberately, stylishly dated to begin with.

Takes everything its predecessor did and maintains that urgent sense of wonder and discovery, creating a world that copies its past self, yet keeps the freshness that made it so exciting when the first game debuted two years ago.

Cave Story feels like the most amazing console game from the year 1990; that it's only now coming to console 20 years later shouldn't be held against it.

Play and enjoy After Burner Climax for what it is: a thrill ride.

Play and enjoy After Burner Climax for what it is: a thrill ride.

DQIX is a subtly sophisticated game, and while it doesn't quite revolutionize RPGs it definitely pushes them forward.

Continuum Shift provides a seamless fighting game experience by offering excellent Tutorial and Training Modes to help you learn your character before testing their skills in the game's near-flawless online mode.

Continuum Shift provides a seamless fighting game experience by offering excellent Tutorial and Training Modes to help you learn your character before testing their skills in the game's near-flawless online mode.

It's a bigger, better-looking adventure that moves the series forward in some surprising and substantial ways, and it remains one of the few legitimately funny games out there.

It's a bigger, better-looking adventure that moves the series forward in some surprising and substantial ways, and it remains one of the few legitimately funny games out there.

Shank is the freshest, most unequivocally rewarding beat-em-up game to come along in almost a decade.

Shank is the freshest, most unequivocally rewarding beat-em-up game to come along in almost a decade.

You might chafe a bit at having to pay for it -- I'd much rather have seen this as part of some sort of pre-order deal -- but you can't argue that Case Zero is not only an effective way to set the stage and build anticipation, it's also a meaty, satisfying slice of the zombie apocalypse.

Comedy's a tricky thing to nail in any format, and episodic gaming remains just as elusive for most developers. Against all odds, Telltale gets both right with Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse.

Comedy's a tricky thing to nail in any format, and episodic gaming remains just as elusive for most developers. Against all odds, Telltale gets both right with Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse.

But after seeing the perfect last shot of the campaign (in fact, it's so spot-on, that Bungie community director Brian Jarrard confirms that, unlike previous titles, there's no additional cinematic or end-scene for finishing on Legendary difficulty -- everyone sees the same last scene), and playing round after round of multiplayer, I can say that while I admire and respect every previous Halo title, Reach is the Halo that I absolutely love.

So, yes, it can be frustrating, but getting past those roadblocks also leads to the game's most memorable moments. If you give it a chance I'm sure you'll feel the same.

Donkey Kong Country Returns hits all the right spots; it's filled with childhood nostalgia, stunning visuals, and mentally taxing challenges.

It's the most enjoyable experience to be found in arcade racing this year, and it provides that feel through fantastic courses that allow for deep strategic moves, especially when your team works together.

It's the most enjoyable experience to be found in arcade racing this year, and it provides that feel through fantastic courses that allow for deep strategic moves, especially when your team works together.

They know traditional pinball well enough to design a great table, and they know how to complement a table videogame with gimmickry without upstaging the gameplay.

Where previous iterations amounted to ports and bizarre 3D interpretations, Pac-Man CE managed to merge classic, addictive gameplay with a high-definition, modern touch.

The game's tutorial is excellent, and it slowly introduces you to some otherwise difficult concepts, but unless you have a lot of chords under your fingers beforehand, it takes actual practice to play on Pro Guitar.

The game's tutorial is excellent, and it slowly introduces you to some otherwise difficult concepts, but unless you have a lot of chords under your fingers beforehand, it takes actual practice to play on Pro Guitar.

If you're looking to run through the newly busted-up Azeroth with a fresh character, you won't find a better excuse to re-roll than the inclusion of playable Goblins and Worgen in Cataclysm.