Like all Backyard sports games, Backyard Skateboarding is made expressly for kids, and it therefore has adorable animation and easy controls.

Basically, if you like Scrabble, this is a great version to have. The options are endless and it's possible that, while having fun, you might actually learn something.

A fantastic game not only because it makes excellent use of the DS's special features, but also because of its unique visual style.

Unfortunately, this game still isn't as good as Super Mario 64 due to the fact that there is no substitute for the controller built around that classic. It is the best game Nintendo DS has to offer, though, and hints at the possibilities for the future of the system.

2002/2003 will please the hardcore brawler in you.

It's got a unique blend of gameplay quirks between its stealth, telekinesis, and shooting, and the presentation is well done, even by the standards of Free Radical Design. Sigh...but if only they fixed the game's general difficulty and replayability.

A great look, a compelling historical storyline and an emphasis on in-depth strategy and tactics contribute to a fun gaming experience.

Those thirsty for a deep simulation game with lots of sweet gameplay and modes that fans will appreciate will want to make it this year's contender.

A real crowd-pleaser of a game, offering tons of uncontrollable chaos and nifty, evolving gameplay to keep comic book fans and action gamers thoroughly involved. It's not a perfect superhero opus, but Ultimate Destruction is still ultimately fun.

It runs into setbacks with its graphics and controls that make it a distant second-place choice behind the superior competition.

It's the bracelet-wearing champ of the current crop, at least as over the counter titles are concerned.

A must have for the PSP, simply for its gameplay and number of items that you can get as you make your way to Golfing God or Goddess.

It's fast, it's fun, and full of quirky dark humor, over-the-top violence, and honest-to-goodness car-rending amusement.

The interactivity is a joy, and the amount of content included in this expansion is amazing.

It has everything you cold possibly want in expansion, including a great storyline.

The joy that comes from dual wielding two shotguns cannot be easily replaced.

AI flaws and a couple of other things here and there keep it from being a must-have campaign. Still, fans will definitely want to invest.

The gameplay picks up right where "Phantom Brave" left off with a few new additions that change the gameplay from leveling up to strategy.

The controls have been well adapted to the PC and the graphics have been upgraded, so it doesn't even feel like a port.

Unless you've harbored a fantasy all your life to be a Captain of your very own submarine, you probably won't derive too much enjoyment from this exceptionally hardcore simulation.

It's not the most sophisticated puzzle game on the planet, but it's definitely one of the most addictive, in part because it has a solid gameplay foundation, but also because its numerous modes and extras are all worth checking out.

Still, regardless of what might be missing, or the overall lack of anything incredibly new and unexpected, Heroes of Might and Magic V is still a very addictive game that easily sucks players in with its strategic gameplay. When you get right down to it, this is still HOMM, and it's still great.

The AI has been fixed up a little bit so that they react and take cover quite often, and will even act aggressively to encourage you to push forward.

The multiplayer offerings are still on a level beyond belief, and the ability to use fellow bots to lend a hand and upgrade your weapons to nuclear capability is a nice touch. This game is seriously Deadlocked for glory.

It's safe to say that Sly 3 doesn't expand on the series like Sly 2 did, as it feels more like an add-on adventure than a completely whole game in itself.

I still like the original slightly better, but I'll gladly take a second helping.

In the end, game progression is gratifying, and it looks and sounds great enough along the way to make the entire experience an amazingly enjoyable one.

Anyone with either an interest in a refreshing take on the classic platform genre or simply looking for something different will definitely find complete satisfaction in this one. Truly a must-play.