It is the most impressive game to use to show off the PSP's power, but it is also very, very fast and fun.

Without peer in Flight Simulators. If you only have one flight sim, this is the one!

The one major nuisance in the game is that very few of the cars in the pack provide much of a challenge. Only the cars in second and first place put up much of a fight, while the rest behave like placeholders.

A great sports game and a betterment of its previous installments. If you're a fan, this is a no-brainer purchase.

While I didn't appreciate the sudden difficulty of the racing mission, it doesn't wreck the game as a whole.

Easily the best WWII first person shooter on the Xbox.

This is definitely a great football game, even though it could reach a hall-of-fame level of excellence with better presentation values (particularly in the announcing booth and by possibly using the ESPN license it confiscated from 2K Sports and replicating the ESPN studio analysis that was part of ESPN 2K5).

Dishonored is put together so well and executes its ideas in such an expert way that it would be difficult to not recommend the game to the highest degree possible.

Graphically, Tekken 5 is one of the smoothest games I have ever played. Almost every movement looks believable and the stages, the lighting, the character models, it all looks amazing.

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.

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

It’s got some very good features (voice communication, integrated community options, good team action), making it a game I can recommend if you’re willing to suffer through the growing pains.

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.

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.

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.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is a gorgeous game. But it's heartening to realize that they seem to have spent just as much time making sure Uncharted is fun.

The multiplayer portion of the game is practically a game unto itself. Most matches quickly develop into fragfests – gone is any semblance of tactical approach.

With so many hours of new gameplay just in the single-player mode, not to mention the multiplayer and customization upgrades, it's shocking to realize that this is really only an expansion pack.

Golf videogaming has never been so fun.

Online, Project Gotham Racing 3 is practically an addiction.

DICE also has a long history of supporting their games and there are already plans in place to offer DLC in the coming months. This has all the markings of a long-term investment in fun.

The gameplay issues really stunt an otherwise solid game. The complaints are really nitpicking, but if I had to pick a golf game to sit down and play, it would still be "Hot Shots Golf 3."

The game is successful in combining elements from four or five different genres.

The best hockey game out today is ESPN NHL Hockey.

Gamers who already bought the game when it came out in 2011, though, won't find enough in the "komplete" edition to justify purchasing it. However, any fighting-game fan that missed it last year shouldn't pass it by the second time around. With smooth graphics and gameplay, great controls, and excellent online multiplayer and spectacular single-player gameplay, Mortal Kombat has reclaimed its crown as the best fighting game.

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.

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.

The depth of Morrowind's gameplay and overall design is matched by the audio-visual presentation. Hands down, Morrowind's soundtrack should be released on CD – once you've heard the opening chords you'll be humming it for hours after first booting it up.

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.

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

It isn't quite (Serious) Sam and Max's (Payne) level, but it definitely should be regarded right up there as one of the superlative FPS games to hit the PC scene this year.

Online play, new features, and completely perfect gameplay once again show everybody why NCAA Football 07 is always considered one of the best sports video games year in and year out.

Witcher 2 is a throwback in a lot of ways to old PC games, which certainly appeals to me. The delivery method is modern, no doubt, but the fact there's a lot of poking and prodding (and death) that happens even early on has me anxious for another instalment.

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

Doom 3 stumbles a bit in its online play, but it still offers a great alternative to Halo 2 for FPS online gaming, although it won't exactly make anybody forget about Halo 2's much better online package.

It has tons of replayability and lots of fun, even if it might take a while to grasp the control and get used to the speed issue.

Simply put, Advance Wars + Golden Sun + anabolic steroids = Fire Emblem.

There is absolutely no denying that Diablo III continues to maintain the high artistic standards that it has kept over the years. But the dumbed character and inventory systems, coupled to the ridiculous always-on connection and the breathtaking arrogance of the"you'll play how we tell you to play" attitude makes playing this title a damned shame instead of a hell of a good time.

The visual and storytelling satisfaction in gaming today across any platform doesn't get much better than OSW.

While the gameplay experience is now more varied and focused, it remains largely unchanged from the original game.

Some will be disappointed by the fact that MW3 is not a drastic departure from previous iterations of the series and that is a very valid criticism. MW3 still offers so much content and still proves to be one of the best online experiences around. MW3 is a game that will certainly keep you busy until next year's release.

EA continues to raise the bar year after year with its sports simulations, and MVP Baseball 2005 is no exception.

A well-done racing title that strikes a good balance between realism and accessibility.

The story is tight, the gameplay and flow of the game is familiar, but still an improvement over past offerings, and there is more goodies than you can shake a stick at this time too.

Amazingly engrossing online play, near-flawless visuals and sound, strong overall gameplay, and lightning-quick control responsiveness.

A must have game for shooter fans! It’s got a large assortment of weapons, tons of action, excellent multiplayer, and lots of replay value.

Hell-bent on destruction psycho drivers finally get a game to meet their rubbernecking tendencies full throttle.

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.

With its impressive graphic and new Nitrous boost feature, RR positions itself as the best game in the series and it provides a great example of the quality of games we can expect from the PSP.

This compilation pack may not be a recommended title for beginners because it is so complex.

Comes close to Pure Gaming Joy.

That said, Plants vs. Zombies remains a triumph for PopCap. The game joins their Peggle at the top of the addictive, just-one-more-level-and-I'm-off-to-bed, list.

The cliché of key collecting to open doors has been replaced by the completely and utterly new convention of PDA collecting to open doors.

All in all, Grid is a lot like candy, delicious in small doses, but too much could leave you feeling sick.

After playing through the single-player on Normal difficulty, I'd be more inclined to attempt the campaign on a higher difficulty if I wanted to experience the story. Maybe there's some dramatic linchpin that I missed! But I was unsuccessful in keeping my brain from thinking about the problems and inconsistencies I see with the story and the relationship between Cortana and Master Chief the first time around, why would the second time be any different? Halo 4 has its moments, but not enough of them to make me forget about this stuff.

Completely overshadows its predecessor in every single way.

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.

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.

There's no doubt that NCAA Football 06 lives up to the pre-release hype and keeps the dynasty going by staying on top and garnering yet another title as the best college football game around.

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.

If the first two games left you in the dark with the heavy emphasis on stealth, then Chaos Theory will certainly intrigue you as there’s the option to play it like an action game.

It doesn't go above and beyond, but the expansion pack gets the job done and that's just fine as it is still a very entertaining little romp.

You get your money’s worth.

A good solid driving pick-up.

The sound is phenomenal, just like the graphics.

After "finishing" Morrowind, I'm left wordless to describe the experience...This game is about as linear as a bowl of spaghetti.

So despite being an excellent sequel to a solid first installment, I believe Silent Assassin to be a better game than "Codename 47," but I think many fans will always love the first game best, as I do.

It tries to to do too much at once, and while it generally succeeds, there's still some room for a bit of spit and polish.

There's no doubt that NCAA Football 06 lives up to the pre-release hype and keeps the dynasty going by staying on top and garnering yet another title as the best college football game around.

Undead Nightmare, as a single-player upgrade, is an exceptional bargain for the amount of new gameplay that it provides. But including the highly entertaining Undead Overrun multiplayer mayhem makes this a cannot-miss DLC purchase for Red Dead Redemption gamers.

What you should take away from everything above is that Max Payne 3 is a worthy sequel to the Remedy Games originals. Max's monologues aren't quite as faux-serious (and are instead depressingly serious) and the cover mechanic will certainly be an adjustment for fans of the first two games, but there's a lot of action, challenge, twists in the story, and plenty to do after the credits roll that Max Payne 3 gets high marks indeed.

The Wii may be more focused in hooking in a new generation of easy-going players, but for Nintendo fans from the early days, this game was made for you.

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

Flaws are in short supply. It's easy to save, the control is great, the presentation awesome, and the gameplay deep and addictive.

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.

Double-Dash doesn't stray far from what gamers have come to love about the series -- if it aint' broke, don't fix it -- but the added refinements make it a must-play title, particularly with friends.

If you’re looking for a quick dungeon crawling, hack-and-slash trek through the frozen north with a peppy little story and some great combat then this is definitely a title to get.

If you totally enjoyed MGS2, this definitive version is certainly worth a look, delivering all of the extras and the original game in one package.

If Sega can fix some of the problems and totally do away with the worthless batting cursor (batting cursors, like crying, don’t belong in baseball), next year could crown yet another new PS2 baseball champion.

More un-lockable features, multi-player modes, and car upgrade options would be very welcome here.

Donkey Kong Country Returns starts strong and offers a great gaming experience to players of any age. That's no small feat but it seems Nintendo has been doing it a lot lately.

For all of the claims by the mainstream media that this game is just like GTA, and will be a great harm to society’s moral fabric, the truth is far from it.

For a true PC RTS to surpass the lazy day couch and button mash of a console classic, it must be fun! Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns is.

The controls of MechAssault are its biggest asset. I could not believe how responsive the controls are and how easy they are to master.

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.

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.

Just firing this beast up, and blasting some bad guys without a care in the world feels very refreshing.

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.

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.

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

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.

For those who have sinned in calling the Wii a casual console, this game is your punishment. But boy does it hurt so good.

As a lifelong fan of both text-based and table-top baseball games, I can honestly say that OOTP4 is the best baseball game I have ever played. The recent releases of its two biggest competitors, "Baseball Mogu"l and "PureSim Baseball," are both top-notch, but, in the end, OOTP4 out options them and certainly provides a smoother, more compelling re-creation of America’s pastime.

Three tables, all with different aspects of gameplay and a variety of characters from the Star Wars universe, will delight the army of Star Wars fans. But as always, regardless of the subject matter, the real supernova star of any FX 2 pinball game is the stellar ball physics and authentic pinball sounds.

Hockey enthusiasts will absolutely love NHL 2004.

The Gamecube controller butchers the game.

It remains to be seen if LittleBigPlanet’s portable community will be as dedicated or creative enough to continually pump out user-made levels, which has allowed the original PS3 version to enjoy repeated success even years after its launch, but regardless of whether you own both consoles or not, Sackboy’s portable world tour isn’t one you want to miss.

Visually the game is absolutely stunning with its use of cel shading in comparison to the presentation used in the first game.

From an aural standpoint GGX2 is equally impressive.

Be that as it may, the strengths of A Crack in Time overcome its weaknesses and on the whole is a fun experience.

Aimed toward the more "casual" sport gamer. If you just want to pick up the controller occasionally and play some basketball, ESPN is your game.

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

Each game and each expansion is always just better than their last mind-blowing accomplishment, and here, the camera work and scene integration is the new star.

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

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

Overall, The Witcher was a game which strived for the peaks of the highest mountains, but only reached the base camp.

There are many great World War II games but in my mind Call of Duty 2 is the best of the bunch.

The single-player is great and the multi-player is even better.

Superior controls and artificial intellect go a long way to making this a quality simulation of NFL football on the field.

All in all, Need for Speed: Most Wanted U is the standout game on the Wii U for racing, and probably one of the better games available on the console right now. It does have some faults, but is still an excellent example of the Need for Speed universe.

And that's what Mercenaries is all about. No, not democracy to a downtrodden people. Cash. And plenty of it!

The Sims 3 is pure simulation gaming fun, and the ultimate God game today.

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 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.

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.

At $20US Guilty Gear X2 #Reload is a steal for those that are passionate about their fighting games. Snatch it up!

The more advanced lightsaber customization was another one of those things that made me think that the developers really did have a good grip on what being a Jedi is about.

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm offers a challenging campaign, plenty of story and character to consider, and much in the way of production value that few other games can match.

It’s still pleasant, lighthearted fun and legions better than the embarrassing "Lunar: Dragon Song," making it the uncontested champion of DS RPGs.

An extremely good fighter; just don’t expect it to reinvent the wheel.

The main focus here was to improve the AI and even though some of the additions like the ones I mentioned above are welcomed, overall it just feels more like some tweaks to the veterans of the series rather than something that's completely new and improved.

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

It’s a game that fatigues quickly. There’s nothing wrong with the gameplay, per se; it just feels a little bit empty. Try playing through the game without using the bullet time feature, and you’ll see how bland it really is.

For those that want a more relaxed game experience devoid of that “Go! Go! Go!” mentality, you’ll feel quite at home in Animal Crossing: Wild World.

All in all, DMC was a fun surprise to review and one of the best games released this year.

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

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.

It's not really a better game than the original, as the controls are still a little bit wonky, but it is more creative, and you have to give props to the developers for giving us some humorous reasons to play the same (excellent) game again.

Perhaps one of the coolest parts of this game is that after every level is completed, Sly learns a new stealth move, which helps him get by enemies and dodge traps and ambushes.

It’s nice to see that Harmonix decided not to rest on their laurels and instead try some new things with Amplitude, and the diversity in the available music tracks is commendable.

This is the best four-player game since the original "Gauntlet" and the resulting fun is worth the effort.

After installing SE4G my addiction has gotten worse.

With bigger guns and even bigger levels, Unreal Tournament 2003 seems to say: size does matter.

There’s a big list of spells, many details to track, loads of different units to recruit, train, and summon, a good level of challenge, an interface that doesn’t get in the way of playing the game, and a very intriguing end-game sequence.

One of my favorite features is the tutorial called "Offensive Driving 101" where you are taken through a list of all of the best techniques for getting ahead. (Where else can you drive like a maniac in a Student Driver car?)

A very good rally racer. It looks good and plays even better. For those interested in this style of racing, this title is one worth looking into.

FT is also a perfect example of how music can make half the experience. The Gone Jackals, a biker band, provided much of the music and it’s situated so perfectly that it’s almost as if it was written especially for FT. Add to that a very good cast of voice actors, some very funny lines, and you’ve got a nearly flawless game.

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

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.

Although the single-player is a roller coaster ride, complete with "on rails" vehicle sections that are over all too soon the multiplayer will ensure that you stick around.

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.

What seemed like a worthless waste of effort by the EA Black Box development team in daring to take on the mighty Tony Hawk skating franchise turns out to be completely worthwhile as the new kid skating around the block is anything but a wannabe poseur.

As a Warhammer table top player, all I can say is this game has been a long time in coming. If you are tired of the PvE grind in WoW or simply prefer a more tactically oriented PvP game, I heartily recommend WAR.

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.

This is what an adventure game should be: easy to look at, great puzzles and sound, simple interaction, humour, solid writing and the power to transport the player somewhere else for some fun.

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.

A trip through his cerebral mass would be an interesting journey, just to see where Schafer comes up with his characters and their quirky realms.

It almost seemed as if the music game genre was starting to fade, however GH5 still manages to incorporate some interesting features and bring new things to the table, even if to does not have the same level of polish as the Rock Band games.

Simple gameplay that can stay entertaining for a long period of time. You can't really ask for much more from it.

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.

Though there are minor improvements over the original, Viewtiful Joe 2 is a rip-roaring ride with plenty of fun packed into the experience.

Fisher never wanted to come back to Washington, D.C., and resume his Splinter Cell lifestyle, but with a very good (although short-lived) and very good-looking single-player story along with another strong co-op mode (both offline and online) gamers will be more than pleased with Fisher’s stealthy combat return.

The good news is that there’s a lot of environmental interaction, which affects AI’s gameplay.

Metroid has been taken into first-person shooter territory and has done so with a rock-solid multiplayer experience.

Last year the clear winner was NHL 2K7 when it came to online play. This year the playing field is definitely more even – it didn’t matter what game I put in I always had fun while playing over Live. However, having some friends over to play, the choice was always NHL 08.

Despite the delayed journey to the West, Ni No Kuni is definitely a title you should at least give a chance. There is a demo up on PSN that you can go ahead and download, and once you get used to the combat system and mechanics of the game, you’ll be treated to an adventure like no other.

Drastically improves on its predecessor’s shortcomings and turned out to be one the better games that I’ve played in a while – the presence of the in-game saves that were missing from the previous version alone nearly makes the game 5 times better.

An extremely good hockey game but has one major failing in my eyes: lack of fun.

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.

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.

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

After some effort is put into actually learning it, the flow of the game actually feels pretty good, even to me.

A stunning and beautiful game.

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.

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

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.

A different sort of game, one where story dominates the action, but in this case to a fault.

Whether you're miles ahead of your opponents, in the heat of it or straggling behind, it provides you with an adrenaline filled rush.

It has tons of replayability and lots of fun, even if it might take a while to grasp the control and get used to the speed issue.

In this reviewers opinion it meets or exceeds Halo 2 in every category.

It’s refined battle system, the use of a job system, and a much more palatable story make it well worth checking out for fans of console RPGs.

An old game in new clothing, which, fortunately, is a not a bad thing. Sure, some of the sound effects are recycled from the earliest C&C titles – send out infantry to be slaughtered and tell me I’m wrong – and it does not bring anything significantly new to the genre but is sure is fun.

For a solo player the purchase doesn't make much sense; grab Guitar Hero and some downloadable content. For someone with a lot of friends into music games, this will get a lot of play, especially with the potential endless supply of songs over Xbox Live.

A great game. The humour is consistent right from the start and nearly always borders on ridiculous, which is a nice parry to the action.

If you are a big fan of "The Sims" and are looking for a little vacation from that game, crack out the margarita mix and sun block before heading on over to the exceptionally good Tropico. May your reign be long and your Swiss bank account large!

With it’s own unique cast of characters, it has managed to provide a fun experience without innovating the FPS genre or even its own franchise.

If the GameCube is your only access to gaming bliss and you’re a hockey fan, then there really isn’t a better hockey game for you than NHL 2004. Just be prepared to groan when you have your friend trash talk you when they score a back handed one timer from the point.

While the package is certainly one of the best-looking fighting games ever, the overall gameplay is hit and miss (though it hits more often than it misses) but with human opponents it can be good fun.

Pure is an enjoyable racing game even when an attempt to squeeze in one more stunt results in a pin-wheeling ragdoll rider and dropping a couple of positions. The visceral appeal of driving really fast and performing all manner of impossible gyrations is strong enough to make Pure a gotta play title.

Crysis 2 is an excellent first person shooter and delivers a different experience than what other titles in the genre are currently offering. "Have it your way" is really the name of the game and whether you love frantic shooters or stealth based games, Crysis 2 has a little of everything.

Even with all the positives running for the game, I still felt a little bit underwhelmed by SCIV, it’s definitely still a solid entry to the series and finally being able to play online is worth the buy. If you are new to the series, I do not think you’ll be disappointed.

The music is one of those touches that really remind you that this is a Disney property. All of the musical scores for the worlds are either originals or very strikingly similar ones.

Bandai Namco did a great job with Soul Calibur IV creating an excellent fighting game for both casual players and technical masters.

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

In the end, Fable is a really good game. It doesn't live up to the promise of "Project Ego," but, really, who cares?

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.

Batman: Arkham City is one of the best games ever created, no matter the platform. It’s engaging from beginning to end, the production values are first rate, and on Wii U there’s an extra level of depth to the experience. You can't go wrong with an outright purchase.

It's so good that on a gorgeous, sunny 80-degree afternoon I found myself hitting the virtual links instead of the real thing – and I love real golf.

While it's inexcusable that there's still no Xbox Live support, and the GTA story mode isn't the revolutionary addition it could have been, THUG's overall great features and customary amazing skating action assure that this is again not only a great skateboarding game, but a great game period.

Even though Indigo Prophecy is grim, it’s also engrossing.

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).

For the diving board and fire hose audience, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 drains down to two modes: Arcade and "Story." Plenty of fun there with a live human opponent!

The only really damning thing I have to say has little to do with Norrath and more to do with the license. The world of Everquest is so boring and so derivative that I never got the feeling I was in some amazing fantasy world while playing.

The game is fun, action-packed and polished to a fine sheen. Additionally, the cool multi-player element and the sheer number of missions give the game plenty of replay value.

Super Paper Mario does a nice job of bringing the Paper Mario series to the Wii.

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.

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?

May not be as groundbreaking as the original Super Mario 64 but as a launch title and a full-featured game you absolutely get your money’s worth.

Though Dead Rising pulls its inspiration from the George Romero classic Dawn of the Dead, the expected hokiness of the plot and dialogue is surprisingly absent (same for any obvious social commentary).

While in many ways this is a good thing, the weaker storyline detracts from its overall enjoyability.

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.

The plot is full of fantasy cliches, so you can expect your fair share of dragons and lost princesses and Black Knights.

The clashing of weapons, the whooshing and swooshing of spells, the grunts and roars of monsters, wind passing through a valley, the sound of crashing waves on the shore, they all bring the game to life.

Maybe Bloodmoon could have been down as a free, or low cost, download, but the added value of the werewolf alone make the twenty dollar cost seem like a bargain.

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.

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.