Despite having a host of different attacks at your disposal, DMC4’s controls are surprisingly fluid and easy to pick up. The only major flaw comes from the game’s sometimes screwy camera, which can throw the player off his game.

If you’re looking for a great warm-up before Street Fighter IV is unleashed, look no further than Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.

The kind of logical thinking it requires of you in the forensic mode is unheard of in action games.

Truly innovative in the areas of user interface, art direction, online integration and vehicle damage, Need for Speed ProStreet is the most complete hardcore tuner-style game ever conceived, and is only a framerate fix away from being the best street racer ever for the Xbox 360.

Simple, easy-to-use controls are marred only by the game’s sometimes atrocious handling of the camera.

While Madden NFL 08 certainly isn’t perfect, it’s damn near close. The on-field action is stellar, thanks largely to a buttery smooth framerate and one of the best animation systems seen in a sports game to date. You’ll stay busy with the Franchise and Superstar mode for a good deal of time, and the impeccable online netcode will ensure that you’ll have an excellent experience on Xbox Live.

Finishing Darksiders was one of those great reliefs quickly followed by a refreshed desire to play it again.

More precise skate speed control and a revised skill stick make NHL 08 an icy-hot dream.

My immersion in the gameplay experience is a good part of why this review is going up a bit later than planned. I often had a tough time pulling myself away from the playing to write this up.

Borderlands is one of the year’s most enjoyable games, and I highly recommend it—even to those who may not like shooters or RPGs, because there’s a lot to like from this interesting hybrid.

SNK’s long line of fighting games are classics for a reason. With Fatal Fury Special pretty much being the benchmark of the early fighters (not to mention the harbinger for the modern-day 3D fighters) it’s no surprise that this game rocks.

Thanks to Dead Space, the horror/survival genre is brimming with excitement. Dead Space’s release also marks the first time the RE series has looked vulnerable within its genre. Hmmm, maybe the term “extinction” is more than just some movie’s subtitle.

Don’t let the blood and internal organs fool you: Ninja Gaiden II takes even greater skill to play efficiently than its predecessors.

Every once in a while, a game comes along that really stands out in its genre, and Poker Smash is one of those games. By taking a generic formula and giving it a Vegas-like spin, Void Star Creations has put together a truly unique and entertaining experience that earns it a spot right next to the big boys in the puzzle genre.

It’s hard to imagine a gamer not getting at least a few jollies form zipping around in Pure; and I don’t mean just racing genre gamers. That’s ‘E’ for Everyone– just like Pure’s ESRB rating. Moto-heads and racing nuts should be all over this one, as should fans of all games extreme in nature.

Blowing stuff up is one of the cornerstones of this game, and it’s made especially more enjoyable by the advanced physics engine Volition uses. You’ve read about it in every single preview of the game to date, but in actual practice, the Geo-mod engine is quite impressive.

The game’s unique spin on a classic formula, coupled with a difficulty level sure to challenge even the most hardcore gamers, make the game an experience just waiting to scratch your itchy trigger finger.

TiP is a unique, genre-bending title that may not be for everyone, but it pulls off what it intends to do masterfully. Its combination of creativity-encouraging gameplay, irresistible characters, and the addiction of crafting the absolute coolest garden—all complemented by candy-colored visuals—serve up hours of piñata-fueled fun.

Beating all twenty levels of Sequence will give you an immense sense of accomplishment. Or at least I assume it will, I haven’t been able to do it yet.

As challenges go, it’s brutal, so be prepared what you’re in for. Of course, what you’re in for is a brilliantly realized XBLA game, with scads of replayability, a hot look and a commitment to its arcade roots—if the MIDI-based soundtrack doesn’t pump your heart rate up to 120 BPM, then maybe you should double check that you’re even alive—that deserves our deepest respect.

Regardless of how many join your fight, you’ll find Castle Crashers a content-packed offering, brimming with replayability, buoyed by unlockable characters and just-one-more-level addiction. Plan on crashing plenty castles before the holiday rush.

If map modding, PC-worthy tech and the ability to make your own magic happen in a game (rather than waiting for the game to reveal its tricks) sound like you, then Far Cry 2 is the only way to hang-glide this holiday season.

Those that cringe at the site of the arcade or 8-bit style of games on XBLA need to stay far, far away from Mega Man 9; the difficulty and overall replay value will not sit well with you. But for those that are simply in love with the Mega Man IP, or those that continually pull out the NES for old time’s sake, Mega Man 9 is one is a rare treat– a tasty morsel likened to the decades-later discovery of a previously unreleased recording from Zeppelin, or similar rock gods.

The visual style and animations, brilliant level design and well thought out puzzles equate to an overall gem of an Xbox Live Arcade game.

EA Bright Light did about as good a job as a team can do when working with the classic games of many of our childhoods. It’s a delicate job, but HFGN pulls off classic-board gaming with aplomb, while at the same time adding more video game-centric modes to each title.

Yes, Flock comes with an intricate and powerful level editor for easily building new challenges and sharing them with others, which makes for easily building of the 50-level library that comes with the game.

The best golf game that an MS console has ever seen. Could still use a few engine tweak, however.

EA Bright Light did about as good a job as a team can do when working with the classic games of many of our childhoods. It’s a delicate job, but HFGN pulls off classic-board gaming with aplomb, while at the same time adding more video game-centric modes to each title.