The DS isn’t lacking when it comes to puzzle games but if you were disappointed with the puzzling of Mr. Driller Drill Spirits or Yoshi Touch & Go, Meteos firmly supplants both as the premier puzzle game available on the DS.

A fresh and exciting step forward in a market that always threatens to be staid and blinkered, and I hope future games will steal (not borrow) its innovation, its excitement and style.

An engaging experience from start to finish, including the mini-games and boss battles.

If you let it, Nintendogs will warm your gaming heart. Nintendo put more than enough content into Nintendogs to keep your kids and, lets face it, you engrossed for many hours.

If you let it, Nintendogs will warm your gaming heart. Nintendo put more than enough content into Nintendogs to keep your kids and, lets face it, you engrossed for many hours.

If you let it, Nintendogs will warm your gaming heart. Nintendo put more than enough content into Nintendogs to keep your kids and, lets face it, you engrossed for many hours.

Regardless of whether one is playing the game alone, or online with a few other people there is a ton of fun to be had with this game, and it should be in every DS owner’s library.

Navigating the environments with a controller isn't as intuitive as a mouse and keyboard setup, but with a bit of patience and some experimentation… well, Bungie has seen to it that Halo 3 will probably be the most played Xbox 360 game for at least the next year.

The sound is phenomenal, just like the graphics.

It’s got everything; humor, excellent cutscenes, great graphics and strong gameplay. What more can you ask for?

It has everything you want from a platforming Mario Bros. game and then some.

All in all, Rainbow Six Vegas is an excellent tactical simulator, one that does provide some good replay in forcing you to play at near perfection (on the highest difficulty) and with some patience in order to succeed.

Metal Slug Anthology is already a tremendous deal for your money, and the fact that it's portable makes it all the sweeter, especially since you can save the game when you quit and return to where you left off.

You get your money’s worth.

You should play Metroid Prime 3: Corruption to experince one of the best games available on Wii and one of the top games 2007 has produced (to date).

Phantom Hourglass won't disappoint fans. It has all of the core elements that has made the Zelda series so popular, while also breathing new life into it by introducing intuitive touch screen controls.

Interestingly, it’s the game’s inability to escape certain problems of previous games, like cameras and finding hotspots, as well as clinging onto the standard Zelda formula of traveling from dungeon to dungeon on a grandiose collectation that holds the game back. Despite this, it is still a must-have for anyone who owns, or is thinking of picking up a Wii.

GTA IV is a rollercoaster of emotional gaming hidden under the typical killing and murderous maiming so perfectly provided by the GTA franchise.

Clubhouse Games is not as cheap as a deck of playing cards, but it's more versatile -- it's worth it for the multiplayer options alone (if card games are your thing).

If you only buy a handful of games each year Elite Beat Agents should be among them. It’s fun, plain and simple.

In spite of its issues, Mass Effect is still a completely entrancing blend of two completely different genres, the likes of which we really haven't seen on the consoles since Deus Ex.

From the amazingly vast landscape to the equally impressive NPC interaction to the first-rate story to the many, many choices and gameplay freedom it presents to gamers, to the co-op that will have gamers coming back for return visits to Albion long after the revenge on Lucien has been satisfyingly taken, Fable II is a stellar and engrossing RPG of the highest order.

No matter how you tee it up, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 is simply the best golfing game available today.

Gearhead gamers will thoroughly enjoy the true-to-life car behaviors and the ability to modify cars to unlimited extremes.

No, it doesn’t tread new territory that hasn’t been explored in a previous expansion, but nonetheless The Sims 2 Pets turns out to surprisingly be the most engaging and addictive expansion yet for The Sims 2.

While EA will probably never make another Mutant League game of any sort, NFL Street 3 ensures that the game of football can still be irreverent and entertaining at the same time.

It may not surpass the game-of-the-year quality of Call of Duty 4, but certainly is a very good alternative, especially for those looking to fight the online battle with vehicular manslaughter as part of their killing repertoire.

A quality title by a quality developer who has shown that you can actually fix a game that ain’t broken, and introduce fresh possibilities into an already intriguing genre.

If you are thinking about the content of the game while you are working, it’s an addictive game and definitely recommended to those who have enjoyed the franchise up to this point.

While it’s not perfect, this game is pretty close and I dare you to find better value for your money.

Enough modernization to upgrade the old-school point & click adventure experience evenly mixed with the same amazing storytelling, humor and problem-solving challenges that the genre was known for make this a triumphant return for both point & click adventures and the zany duo of Sam & Max.

Metal Slug Anthology is already a tremendous deal for your money, and it's definitely worth checking out for anyone into chaotic old school mayhem. The Playstation 2 version is also the best one for your money, since it isn't hampered by the control or loading issues of the other ports.

Even with that raised expectation, C&C 3: Tiberium Wars more than meets my stringent standards for the franchise, and Electronic Arts’ EA Los Angeles team proves once again their skill at designing an excellent RTS title for the Xbox 360.

SSX Blur is a icy blast of refreshingly cool gaming, as you shred down snowy slopes with a Wii Nunchuk in one hand and a Wiimote in the other, watching the wintry scenery blur right by at an extreme speed.

Vastly improved is the sometimes-schizophrenic camera from Sam & Max: Culture Shock that would block the goings-on, especially cut-scene interactions. I didn’t notice one instance of that particular issue at all in Situation: Comedy.

If you’ve never played Ninja Gaiden before, you definitely need to give this game a chance. If you’ve played through the original and are looking for a reminder of why this game is great, it’s definitely worth picking up.

Pokémon Diamond or Pearl will satisfy any fan of the previous games: it’s accessible, it’s fun, it features online play and trading, and the battles are more involved than ever, and you’ll get hours of enjoyment out of it – as long as you play against people your own age.

Pokémon Diamond or Pearl will satisfy any fan of the previous games: it’s accessible, it’s fun, it features online play and trading, and the battles are more involved than ever, and you’ll get hours of enjoyment out of it – as long as you play against people your own age.

This is simply amazing writing with some of the best satirical political commentary without even mentioning specifics about either Democrats or Republicans along with longer and tougher gameplay.

The band playing the classic school fight songs, the cheering of the crowd and realistically rendered stadiums combine with the smooth animations that the 60 frames-per second NCAA Football 08 delivers for a magnificent gaming experience, including a perfect balance of solid running and passing controls.

Just as before, gameplay isn’t much of an hour-eating affair, clocking in around two hours to complete, which goes back to the norm for the first three episodes while disappointingly straying from the longer gaming session to be had in Abe Lincoln Must Die!

With apologies to the Combat Mission franchise, Opposing Fronts has started to encroach on the "pure sim" functions of "dice rolling" strategy games, but wrapping it all up in good looking, frenetic action make it accessible to a much wider audience.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village looks a lot like old time adventure games – like The Adventures of Willy Beamish – with great hand drawn backgrounds and the occasional stretch of animation, complete with sound.

Despite a somewhat-less-satisfying replacement for previous crash modes, fans of the franchise will find this Burnout to be their idea of paradise, with red-hot racing in a large environment that provides plenty of asphalt-burning events to keep gamers putting the pedal to the metal for mile after scorching mile.

The PSP is finally getting some solid original content and this one is among its finest. I highly recommend you give this one a spin.

Geometry Wars Galaxies is good for long and short play sessions, but it’s the latter of these that make it perfect for times when you don’t really want an extended play session.

Equal parts fun and gripping game play (and possibly geopolitical commentary, depending on how you look at it), Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare stands as stunning example of a scripted first-person shooter done right that equals or exceeds the other big first-person shooters on the market today like BioShock, Halo 3, and Half-Life 2.

Overall great stuff and it makes you wonder how EA will improve upon this… maybe they should start with improving the corner kicks.

Competition has brought out the best in the Madden franchise with Madden NFL 08, an all-around excellent football game that more than atones for its somewhat uneven Xbox 360 showing in Madden NFL 07.

Combined with an excellent soundtrack and the same stylish look that SNK is know for, this somehow manages to beat even Neo Geo Battle Coliseum as one of the best 2D fighters they’ve put out in a long, long time.

Forget the other versions exist and enjoy this one for the boss battles, great multiplayer and all around good rockin’ time.

There’ some new golfers, courses and a few new features, but Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 isn’t much different than its predecessor.

Its gameplay isn’t any more innovative than the average action title, and the camera is as ridiculously dysfunctional as the Simpsons family, but the stellar story more than atones for it, as The Simpsons Game is the best Simpsons game to date, bringing Springfield and its denizens to life as never before.

There are plenty of hijinks and hilarity to be found during Ice Station Santa in the unraveling of the Santa legend, Sam and Max style.

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin comes with the highest recommendation – the only thing preventing wider appeal for the series, is its difficulty level which is high even for experienced players.

While there’s only two or three hours, tops, of gameplay in Moai Better Blues, it turns out to be a less is more situation: it’s always fun, always funny, always teasing the brain for solutions to puzzles in a short, single-sitting burst.

Once more, gamers won’t be able to find a more smartly and funnily crafted story along with the usual Sam & Max hijinks to enjoy.

Sandbox destruction at its finest, Red Faction: Guerrilla will surely satisfy action gamers because many of the constrictions we’ve all become used to – that waist-high wall that stops you dead – are blown up.

Chariots of the Dogs is impressive in its story’s complexity while still retaining a good amount of the trademark Sam & Max humor (although because of the intricacy of tying so many plots neatly together, Chariots of the Dogs isn’t quite as rib-tickling funny as most previous episodes).

A perfectly enjoyable and satisfying finale, that seems to eliminate the aggravatingly grating Soda Poppers once and for all, along with a grand wrap-up of all of the season's storylines, make "What's New, Beelzebub?" a must-play for all Sam & Max fans until the as-of-yet-unannounced-but-highly-likely-coming-soon Season Three makes its debut soon.

For both the young (who were either too youthful or not even born to have been around for the point & click adventure gaming rage of the early 1990s) and old (those who were lucky enough to have experienced the golden age of LucasArts point & click adventuring, including the classic Sam & Max Hit the Road), the Wii version of Sam & Max Season One is sure to bring more than a few rib-tickling chuckles and guffaws along with the superbly written story for a hilarious gaming journey.

Final Fantasy IV is not just a re-release of something that has been done a thousand times before, it is worthy of being called a remake as they added a lot of new stuff to the game as well as did a serious touch-up of many of the games aspects.

All in all, Fight Night Round 4 is an excellent game, that will appeal to the boxing fans amongst us. Not perfect yet, but getting pretty darn close with each version.

Though Fallout 3 is a good game and it lived up to all my expectations, it is certainly not for anyone wanting a quick game.

At this point in time, EA Canada has the NHL franchise down to a science. But this year, rather than just spit out another instalment, they took the time to do some really interesting things while refining things like hitting and getting the control aspects almost perfect. NHL 09 is highly recommended.

inFamous is a type of game that doesn’t come around often enough and is easily one of this year’s strongest titles.

It’s definitely shorter than the first episode, but more than makes up for it with way more witty banter and thoroughly enjoyable gameplay with more satisfying puzzles than in the first episode.

Despite the flaws that it has, Eternal Sonata is still a visually stunning game with a charming story.

Four turns out to be the funniest episode yet, with a great spy-spoof story serving as the gameplay background.

With diverse stories and settings, great animations and overall visuals, and strong point & click gameplay along with hilariously smart-ass ribaldry that’s becoming the developer’s trademark, 8-Bit Is Enough is a satisfying series conclusion.

There are plenty of characters and each with their own unique storyline. Dissidia will surely last many hours before a FF fan will get bored of it. I highly suggest a purchase.

Although the story gets lost on its trip down the highway of quality with plot holes along with a sometimes too-unlikable cast of Harley-loving ruffians, druggies, murderers and criminals, the first DLC content for GTA IV is still a solid game that gives full-price gameplay for a discount price.

Visceral could have gone the easy route and slapped them on the disc as a digitized graphic novel but they went the extra mile with some great audio and subtle animations that make them worth flipping through.

But despite the short length and difficulty, Klonoa’s classic strengths far outweigh its long forgotten weaknesses. Whether you were a fan of the original or a curious newcomer, Door to Phantomile is a wonderful experience that deserves to reach the reception it has long deserved.

As much as I was pummelled by the higher echelon of boxers, it was (and continues to be) fun. It’s also open enough to be kid-friendly and punishing enough to offer the kind of experience many of us from the NES era remember so fondly.

Lots of fun, there’s really no reason not to get Wii Sports Resort because you get a lot of fun games to play and you get the Wii Motion Plus, which will no doubt come into use with a lot of future Wii games.

BioShock 2 is a stellar first-person shooter adventure with plenty of boogey men scares and thrills around every black corner.

All in all, NHL 10 is a lot of fun, as I can attest to the 50+ and rising hours that I've put into the game so far. People who purchased the previous year's version may want to hold off for another season for more additions to propagate in the franchise before re-upping.

Heavy Rain is an essential title for an adventure game fan but I don't think I can limit the recommendation to "fans of the genre." It's involving in a way that most games don't even aspire to.

Following excellent Sam Max, Strongbad and Wallace & Gromit episodic series, Telltale Games has done it once again. Tales of Monkey Island's first episode, Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, is a "yo-ho-ho and a barrel of laughs" P&C adventure game.

Despite clocking in with noticeably less gameplay than in Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, the Siege of Spinner Cay episode has a more involved storyline to submerge gamers in.

The presentation and some spoken dialogue really do a lot to hold everything else together. Any puzzle/adventure games can be distilled into a collection of puzzles but the lines holding The Diabolical Box together make for a great challenge and an entertaining experience.

With lots of hours to spend exploring and a great combat system this purchase is money well spent.

Lair of the Leviathan is the best-written episode so far (and as always, extremely hilarious) that not only shines a lost treasure's golden glow in its storytelling but through the completely new gaming environments, including the love-starved male manatee's innards and Guybrush's bottom-of-the-sea "love connection" excursion.

In the end, Torchlight is a very solid dungeon exploring action RPG.

The God of War Collection is the equivalent of Disney releasing a remastered version of Snow White: you know precisely what you're getting (because you've probably already seen it) but it looks and sounds so good you can't help but pull out your wallet to buy it again.

Spirit Tracks is a solid experience in a familiar world. Fans of Zelda can really do no wrong by getting this game.

I think it's great that Nintendo is offering an incentive to kids to get them moving with the Pokéwalker. That's pretty much the only thing new happening with HeartGold, everything else is typically addicting of the Pokémon series.

But with a great new graphical presentation and the immensely upgraded gameplay interface that really improves the gameplay, the first episode of the third Sam & Max season is an entirely unexpected gaming treat.

Dragon Quest IX doesn't do much to break new ground in the genre, but adheres quite closely to elements that have helped define the series over the years. Thankfully it does this very well, providing an entertaining experience well worth spending some time with.

But LIMBO is easily among the best XBLA titles of the year that anybody who plays it won't soon forget for its magnificent art design, tough puzzles and dismally sad story.

Ending with a patented twisted ending with a twist, The Tomb of Sammun-Mak is yet another great point & click adventure of the hilarious and bizarre lives of the Freelance Police, to be continued in episode three, They Stole Max's Brain!

As the only game franchise that my wife actually wants to play, I have no problem giving the Unwound Future a massive stamp of approval.

If you're looking for a lengthy portable game that will take you around 35+ hours with a lot of customization, then Valkyria Chronicles II will not disappoint. You will not regret a purchase and hopefully this series starts to pick-up a larger fan base.

No lying, with all the new multiplayer modes packed into it along with everything else it includes, RDR gamers definitely will not feel cheated in the least if they download this DLC.

Despite some schizophrenic and disagreeable at times controls, with a few new console-centric additions to the already excellent life simulation gameplay, The Sims 3 does a great job of retaining the awesome aura of the PC game while appealing to the console gaming crowd.

Simply put, this is one of the best titles of the year, and marks not only a proper return of the Castlevania series for consoles, but a starting point that future games would do well to follow.

All in all, NHL 11 is a excellent upgrade over NHL 10 fixing a lot of those issues that we've had with the previous games. Perfect? No, but getting pretty darn close.

Black Ops is a must have for any fan of first person shooters.

It's fun and non-threatening, and anyone watching it will be entertained.

At it's core Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is an arcade racer. It smacks all the right targets, my personal preferences regarding power-ups notwithstanding.

Unlike the Wii version, the fully functional online component means you (almost) always have access to some stiff human competition over Xbox Live. And it definitely looks much sharper.

Too much of a good thing doesn't seem to apply to the Sly Cooper Collection. I went through all three games back-to-back and it just left me wanting to get hold of another Sly game rather than stick the collection on the shelf and forget about the series.

Dead Space 2 is enjoyable. It's a great action title but it's the deeper, complicated facets of the game that firmly puts it in the running for Game of Year, even this early in 2011.

With its emphasis on the merriment of nightlife, Late Night is the most electrifying jolt to Sims 3 everyday sameness that can be found.

No matter if you are a fan of the old-school classic GoldenEye or playing for the very first time, the Wii has its best FPS to date in GoldenEye 007.

The whole game manages a great balance between action and more traditional role-playing elements. It's very good. I like the action parts and the stats/upgrading parts weren't deep enough to lose me.

Unlike the later games, Final Fantasy II showcases the most involved learning and experience system of the series - all weapons, shields, and spells have some associated skill level in using them.

Fortunately, although the naming scheme has strayed from tradition, the gameplay is exactly what you expect of Mario Kart.

Gorgeous graphics, dazzling audio, a charming storyline and overall appealing game play -- and it all fits neatly inside your pocket!

The graphics and animation are first rate.

Though modes are limited and there's no two-player connectivity, the one player season experience defeats any console game to date.

A classic no matter the platform.

It's one of those titles that is equal parts nostalgia, new content, and addictive play that is the hallmark of so many "instant" classic games nowadays.

GBA owners and Zelda fans won't be disappointed.

The gyro may seem like a gimmick – and it probably is – but that doesn't make Twisted any less worthy of the WarioWare moniker – it's fun, challenging, and ever so twisted.

Though all of the vehicles, especially the Warthog, are given odd control mechanics, playing with the vehicles adds quite a bit of enjoyment to the otherwise standard FPS game mechanics.

Despite lacking some of the customizable features, sheer amount of cars and complexity of GT3: A-Spec, PGR is a well-balanced racer.

Comes close to Pure Gaming Joy.

This is the best online shooting experience available today, including the recently-released Xbox translation of the PC sensation "Counter-Strike."

It’s clear that Sega used the learning experience of the Dreamcast’s SegaNet online gaming to its utmost advantage, because the seamless and lag-free gameplay provided by NHL 2K3 is simply fire-on-ice marvelous.

This game has it all: a solid story, good graphics, sound, level designs, and the ability to choose different paths to complete your mission.

It looks great, plays great, and with the addition of a franchise and season mode, gives you plenty of incentive to keep playing.

Psychonauts marries platforming, adventure games, stellar art, fun dialogue and a great gaming experience – it's a polygamous experience that I definitely recommend to all gamers.

Golf videogaming has never been so fun.

Nothing is better then running over a vulnerable pedestrian, drive under an 18-wheeler while going over 100, speed across red lights inching past others, and use your NAS booster, without being pulled over by a cop.

An amazing game, it can single-handedly rekindle the love of the pure sport of baseball that many fans lost (including myself) that fateful lost 1994 strike season.

"Madden 2004" may include more realistic gameplay and statistics, but ESPN is a much more satisfying experience when breaking down the purpose of games in the first place. To be fun.

Improves on its predecessor's already-impressive showing, with the real clincher of its racing game greatness being the Xbox Live support, especially adding the ability to utilize XSN tournaments.

Great fun, high replayability, good control, attention to detail, interesting story, high production values, and a great gameplay experience – Jade Empire comes recommended.

Even more impressive than the game's graphics is Battlefield 2: modern Combat's amazing sound.

With an outrageous plethora of fantasy league-style features, nobody comes close to capturing the authenticity of fantasy leaguing better than EA.

Despite just slightly tweaking last year's game, Madden NFL 07 proves to have enough Pro-Bowl caliber features to prove its dominance as the best football and one of the best sports video games around.

No matter how you tee it up, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 is simply the best golfing game available today.

What accounts for the less-than-perfect score is the extreme amount of tweaking it takes to get everything just the way you like it.

The only reason SSBM doesn't achieve gaming nirvana is for two reasons: the variety of arenas isn't extensive and sometimes the camera pans so far out it reduces your character to the size of an ant. Otherwise, you're looking at great game.

Although I lament the camera a bit, the Mario-less voice acting, and the linear stages there's too much to like, too much to enjoy about Mario Sunshine to really bash it.

There's a surprising amount of strategy involved in fighting the zombies, especially when dealing with more than one.

As in-depth as you need or as simple as you want. And with the multiple modes, great course selection, and unlockables, you'll be playing for a while.

The atmosphere is great, the control awesome, the challenge solid, and the eye-candy sweet.

It’s accessible, it’s fun, the graphics and sound are well done, has the crowd is the best out there, and has enough options and stats to mollify even the most rabid fan of “real” hockey.

Talk about a game that’s firing on all cylinders, Viewtiful Joe is one high-octane ride.

A game that gets everything right; the puzzles are just hard enough to be a challenge without being too frustrating, the presentation pleasing and the control spot-on.

Find out what Fun is again.

Being able to snap the lid closed after a round and pick it up again hours later while I'm standing in line at the bank makes Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition the ultimate version of the title. The portability factor and ease of use, even without the production values of the console version, just made it easier for me to get into.

Regardless of Marvel's heroes and villains, Pinball FX 2's realistic and engaging pinball gameplay is as close to bringing back the glory of pinball's Golden Age as it gets.

As impressive as some of Nintendogs + Cats is on a technological level, I failed miserably to really get anything out of it. However, I'm not the target market in this case and my daughter had no problem awarding the game a very good score.

As impressive as some of Nintendogs + Cats is on a technological level, I failed miserably to really get anything out of it. However, I'm not the target market in this case and my daughter had no problem awarding the game a very good score.

With a great new single-player mode, the addictive and engrossing Legacy gameplay, online Xbox Live matches, the usual collection of boxing's best fighters in history and the further enhancement of great gameplay and boxing physics, Fight Night Champion packs a punch of excellence as an undisputed champion of gaming greatness.

It may not be a WoW-killer, but it certainly gives the Blizzard juggernaut serious competition.

Beautiful and bountifully bloody, The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile is thoroughly enjoyable hack & slash entertainment at its finest, with plenty of crimson-colored co-op craziness to extend the gameplay hours even more.

Without the creative destruction elements that Volition's Geo Mod 2.5 engine allows, Red Faction: Armageddon would be an average shooter, but because it revels in twisting and snapping almost every object throughout and integrating it into the overall strategy of the game, Armageddon is not to be missed.

While a few missing extras and features might keep Third Strike: Online Edition from being the ultimate edition of Street Fighter III, the amount of care put into the core game as well as its online multiplayer easily elevates this release as the definitive version. The

For all the myriad ways that Human Revolution comes up short, it excels in a single point: you are immersed in the setting.

To sum it up, Dark Souls and its predecessor may be the most definitive example of what makes a videogame "Hardcore." There will be many deaths and many flaring tempers that may require a day or two of meditation to attempt jumping back in, but like an abusive lover, Dark Souls wins you back every time just before it delivers another bitch-slap to your face…and you just may learn to love it.

Skyrim's pretty damn awesome.

Main story missions traipse from one outlandish setup to the next. Blowing stuff up with a helicopter or getting your game show on with Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax, which felt a little more more like a realized version of Smash TV, or just clearing out rival gangs, it's a good assortment provided you stay on the story path.

It seems strange to say it, but I wish Super Mario 3D Land was more difficult. That's it's biggest fault at the end of the day. More than half the game is a cakewalk, an entertaining cakewalk, but a cakewalk nonetheless.

As an apology for Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 7 gets high marks indeed, and it definitely has the depth and longevity to remain in constant rotation on my 3DS.

This game is magic. Occasionally offensive and funny magic, but magic nonetheless.

It warms my heart that SSX has finally made a full-on next-gen appearance and warmer still that it's so much fun to play. There's definitely some nostalgia playing into my opinion of SSX -- the original was one of the first games that The Armchair Empire received for review -- but even taking that out, I'd still say SSX is a damn fine title and definitely worth your time and attention.

All in all, FIFA 12 is another spectacular game in the series. The differences between this game and the real thing continue to be chipped away at, and with the depth of material available in this title you can really submerge yourself into beautiful game.

Despite a learning curve, gameplay is very smooth, with a first-class presentation, from the fighter introductions, to the actual UFC announcers and referees, to the good audio features of the crowd and impact of punches and kicks onto each fighter.

Radical Entertainment has delivered on their promise of improving the foundation laid by the original Prototype.

Playing this collection on the big screen TV has left me wanting for more.

Fans of both The Walking Dead comic book and TV series will be impressed with the great story and gameplay that is another excellent extension of the walker lore. And the scintillating second the episode ends, gamers will be anxiously awaiting the second episode, which if the teaser trailer at the end of the first one is any indication, will be even more tension-filled and exciting.

As an opening act, A New Day did what it was supposed to: get me interested in the next episode even if the overall universe of Walking Dead completely depresses me. It's not that there's no happy ending; it's that there's not even real respite from the horror of what's going on. And that's exactly what happens at the end of the first episode.

Max Payne 3 has an action-packed and long-lasting single-player campaign driven by an expectedly solid single-player story that is a Rockstar trademark. That combines with very entertaining multiplayer that will have gamers playing long after the single-player campaign is complete.

No doubt in my mind, 3DS owners should have Kid Icarus: Uprising in their library of games, especially if action games are a favorite.

On PC, Prototype 2 hums along nicely in the presentation department, but playing a game a game like this with a keyboard and mouse is ridiculous. It's not as accurate as playing with a controller, which this reviewer switched to after about 20 minutes fidgeting with the keyboard and mouse and finding them completely impractical at best and frustrating at worst.

It's a side-scrolling platformer where goombas are flattened, blocks smashed, turtle shells hurled, and tricky platforms navigated by, what else, jumping. And the coins... so many coins.

From Episode 1 to Episode 3, only three characters I started with are still part of Lee's struggling cadre of survivors. New characters are added to fill the character void but how those voids were created... It's not a "fun" experience in the usual sense, but it certainly is gripping to the point where there's only one thing left to say. Mama?

Darksiders II is full of enormous environments and dungeons to traverse to and explore, even more fantastical enemies and large-scale bosses to battle, and plenty of challenging hacking, slashing and loot collecting.

Around Every Corner is about 3 hours long and it definitely felt like the longest episode yet. And I can't wait until the next one. As terrible as things get, I can't wait to see how it all ends.

Training Pokémon and battling trainers (earning badges) and Pokémon alike is still bulletproof and as addicting as ever. The ever-increasing challenge over the course of so many hours, broken up by a bit of exploring and insipid story beats, is great.

All in all, those new to the franchise would be better served to pick up the Mass Effect Trilogy releases that came out at the same time and would get all 3 games for the same price. However, if you don't have access to an Xbox, PS3 or a gaming PC, this isn't the worst way to go.

Hitman: Aboslution is as close to being a gritty Roger Moore era James Bond reboot as you can get without infringing copyright. It has just the right amount of "whackadoodle" nonsense to qualify as a "Spy Who Loved Me" spin-off adventure.

This is Okami's third appearance. It began on Playstation 2, was ported to Wii, and now we have the high-definition version. If you missed out previously, there's really no reason why you couldn't drop $20 on Okami now. It was originally released back in 2006, but it's one of those games that is standing the test of time extremely well.

While the campaign length is fairly standard of past iterations of the series, it's worth multiple playthroughs and the multiplayer offers endless hours of fun and enjoyment; whether it's slaying zombies or facing off against other players in a wide range of multiplayer modes with an endless number of loadout combinations.

Far Cry 3 is a terrific and is one of the best games I've played in a long time. Far Cry 3's main draw is the deep and engaging campaign, but the multiplayer modes are also serviceable enough to keep you playing for a long time.

Sleeping Dogs had been in development as the next installment of Activision's "True Crime" franchise but the publisher ceased funding and cancelled it. Square Enix turned up to salvage the project and Sleeping Dogs was the result. The fact it turned out as good as it did -- that it's executed so well, performs as well as it does, sets the bar for open world combat and driving -- made Sleeping Dogs, story stumbles aside, the most surprising game of 2012.

Despite the games high difficulty at times, it's a "must have" title for the 3DS, especially if you are a fan of Strategy games. Fire Emblem won’t disappoint, and goes on step further in making it memorable with a well-rounded cast of characters, great music and a bevy of customization options.

Everyone gets a chance to play and interact and have fun. Really, that’s what Nintendo excels at, getting everyone involved and allowing childish enthusiasm to file down the sharp corners of the vexation of adulthood and life experience. New Super Mario Bros. U does that very thing.

It took long enough for a sequel to arrive but Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon offers a spirited romp, a good level of challenge, and might spur some thought regarding your very existence.

Dead Space 3 is a very solid action shooter that still delivers plenty of scary, survivor-horror frightening moments.

This reboot of the series not only surpassed my expectations, but it is easily one of the best games I have played in a long time. If you're like me and love story driven games that offer a great gaming experience then Tomb Raider is definitely for you.

Simply put, Guacamelee! is a fun game with a great colour palette, excellent combat and plenty of laughs.

There was enough original action and story line to keep me playing right to the end and wanting more missions.

This game has proven to me to be more addictive than cigarettes after all night romps in the hay with my special friend...the most fun I’ve had in playing an RTS since "Dungeon Keeper 2" and "Warcraft 2."

Tron 2.0 reinvigorates the material and delivers an excellent gaming experience. The story is okay, definitely not classic material, but the ending of the game is so anticlimactic that I had to downgrade the score from 9.0 down to a still very respectable 8.9.

Exquisitely detailed, satisfying, immersive, and challenging – worth buying.

It’s easy to say that the graphics are great or that EA delivered another game with impeccable presentation style, but the pitching and batting engines really thrive here and the game is fun to play.

Not only is it an intriguing game, it’s also fun. It’s like a good book – one that you’ll want to return to again and again.

I've experienced "null-time" before - entering that state of pure concentration when everything falls out of your peripheral vision and time no longer exists - but MS consistently put me into that null-time zone.

I’m far from finished with City of Heroes -- I'm still having fun even after so many hours.

The game completely over-delivers and will surprise you at every corner with its diverse mission design.

Hell, it’s even fun at times.

The battles are as intense as ever and the gameplay is still as solid as the original.

Hardcore RPG fanatics might want to try this before a buy solely because the real-time battles may not be as appealing to them.

You cannot go wrong by picking up a copy of this game.

Overall, I couldn't be happier with MVP Baseball 2005. For next year, all I need is more mini-games, more un-lockable content, and a couple of pitchers who don't give up poorly-timed gopher balls.

The defense and prosecuting attorneys aren't merely suits with expensive educations, they're presented as warriors fated to opposing sides due to their professions.

The graphics are great, the soundtracks fit the action, the sense of speed is incredible, the online modes add some depth, and the destruction is awesome.

Open for Business will require you to put aside the leisurely pursuits of your Sims, roll up your sleeves and put in a hard day’s work to succeed. But in gameplay and fun, this is the most rewarding payday you’ll find in any Sims game.

My overall experience with Mario Advance was a good one even though it lacks originality. It’s a blast from the past – the control even feels the same – and it brought back some fond gaming memories.

Big kudos and thumbs-up to Camelot for an excellent save system. Even if you're in the middle of a match you can pick-up later and start playing from there (in any mode).

It’s good, even fantastic at times, walking the line between reality and fantasy in a pleasant mix that’s really hard to put down once you start playing.