While not every one of Retro's experimental ideas panned out (I'll never quite forgive Corruption for its embarrassing final battle), Trilogy is a welcome reminder that all three episodes are worth experiencing. Or, as the case may be, experiencing again.

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 online multiplayer would be worth the purchase by itself. It's a perfect hybrid between platforming and first-person deathmatch -- in fact, you have the option to play both the single-player and multiplayer using a first-person view -- and works perfectly online.

In a way, the main reason I'm somewhat disappointed is that developer EA Canada has the tough part down: the gameplay and controls. But soccer is about so much more than that -- it's about patriotism, atmosphere, and passion. For the inevitable World Cup follow-up, I'd really like to see those elements shine through -- and it wouldn't hurt to not ship with so many bugs, either.

AC2 is everything a sequel ought to be: An improvement on the original in nearly every way. Perhaps more impressively, it actually has me interested to see where the series goes from here -- something I wouldn't have expected after I slogged my way through the original. Anyone who enjoyed the first game will definitely like AC2, but the real accomplishment is that people who didn't enjoy it will likely have a good time, too.

If Kojima had you and lost you with 2, then all will be forgiven here; if you don't yet know the joy of the best-executed stealth game in town, then put on your facepaint and get set for a mission that's truly unstinting in its virtues.

If you've never played this game before, you should first ask yourself, "Why not?" But if you haven't, there are better and cheaper options than this still-good-but-not-as-good-as-the-others version for Wii.

It's a game that dares you to exhilarate while hammering you with consequence. In short, Shadow of the Colossus breaks storytelling barriers none of us knew existed. It's the rare game for which the often overused words "ground-breaking" were truly reserved for, and it's enough to make you regret every stupid coin you ever collected.

Fast forward through scraps of miserable story and melodramatic dialogue, along with a "boss battle" inherited from the coin-op class of '88 (see: "Contra"), and the ordeal is done -- beautiful throughout, mostly amazing, but vegetative by the end.

It's just unfortunate, though, that the camera mars a game that is so brilliant and tops everything else in the action/beat 'em up genre in so many ways. Ninja Gaiden is a landmark title that's better than anything similar you'll find, but it also serves as a reminder that even the best isn't necessarily perfect.

As a God of War game, Chains of Olympus is slightly lacking, but as a PSP game it's fantastic, and as a technological achievement it's off-the-charts phenomenal. If this game had shipped a couple of years ago, I think people would perceive the PSP a lot differently today.

The Burning Crusade is more of a resurrection than an expansion, a vast and munificent span of content that both refines and totally invalidates what came before it.

Sony still offers the superior baseball experience, but I actually enjoyed certain aspects of 2K10 a little bit more; unlike last year, this is no Yankees-Royals mismatch.

With its unparalleled graphics, incredibly well-paced single-player campaign and in-depth multiplayer offerings, Killzone 2 has established its place among top-tier console shooters. Expectations on Killzone 2 had reached ridiculous proportions; here's one of those cases where the game actually lived up to them.

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.

Dark Avatar does what a good expansion pack should -- it makes it tough to imagine ever playing the base game without it. It makes a great game greater, even if its achievements are measured in pinky widths instead of leaps and bounds.

I suppose the brilliance is that, however many times I watched a scene or fought a battle, Mass Effect never truly lost its magic.

The game succeeds at bringing the bar down so everyone can feel a sense of accomplishment. And that level of accessibility is something more hardcore simulators should aspire to be.

Battlefield 2 absolutely sets a new standard for multiplayer combat on a grand scale, but the final result is evolutionary, not revolutionary, so the the proposition is a little bit tricky.

It's not a comprehensive museum-style release with tons of improvements, new bonus features, Chains of Olympus, Betrayal, etc., but instead a great rerelease of two of the best games of all time in high definition. Here's hoping Sony continues the trend with another critical darling pair of games soon.

Their new defensive tactics coupled with fluid gameplay make for a superb football experience.

Faults be damned, though; this is the kind of hugely ambitious game that doesn't come around very often, and when it does, you'd be a fool not to play it and enjoy the hell out of it and look forward to the day (next-next-gen?) when the fidelity of open-world RPGs takes another big step closer to the uncanny valley's far side.

Gears of War 3 is an amazing game, jam packed with things to do. It's designed from the top down to ensure that you never stop playing it.

That's Batman's general theme: so many of the mechanics turn Batman: Arkham Asylum into a bona fide "Batman Simulator," that the feeling of being Batman compensates for its flaws.

The folks at BioWare have shown that they're always looking for ways to make their games better -- each of their RPGs builds upon the previous title. Dragon Age displays this refinement, and while the story may not be completely original, it's told in a way that enthralls and enchants the player. It's the best RPG of the year -- and maybe the best of the HD era.

WE8 just feels real. The tempo and feel of the game show a deep understanding of soccer. The A.I. is spot-on, especially that of your own teammates, who continually move around and make runs for your benefit. Control is smooth and rock solid.

As close to artery clearing, frantic action movie warfare as we've yet come.

Everything about MKDS comes together into a surprisingly compelling package, a portable racing game on par with anything ever to appear on a console.

AC2 is everything a sequel ought to be: An improvement on the original in nearly every way. Perhaps more impressively, it actually has me interested to see where the series goes from here -- something I wouldn't have expected after I slogged my way through the original. Anyone who enjoyed the first game will definitely like AC2, but the real accomplishment is that people who didn't enjoy it will likely have a good time, too.

It feels like the final, nearly perfect evolution of the Kudos formula, one which got annoying in the previous PGR for beginners.

NBA 2K12 will have to settle for being the closest thing to perfect I've ever seen in an offline sports video game. But it could have done much more -- it could have saved our season.

The Sim generator alone can provide hours upon hours of amusement, especially once players discover the power to recreate in the game almost any friend, relative or celebrity they can think of. This becomes even more fun when those creations begin developing relationships and interbreeding.

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.

This is as good as action games get. It controls like a dream, is extremely well balanced (not terribly difficult on Normal and incredibly challenging on Hard), has tons of variety, features great retro game references, contains tons of unlockables and challenges to keep you busy after you finish the story, and when it comes down to it, is the best game Sega has published in years.

Against a mountain of expectations, GRAW has delivered such a complete experience that it isn't just a great 360 game, but something special you'll remember for a long time to come.

A remarkable achievement. EA could have easily rested on its laurels, but instead decided to be ballsy and went about overhauling some fundamental gameplay mechanics in a game that was already garnering universal praised.

Gamers seeking a hardcore RPG experience would admittedly be better off with something like "Golden Sun" or "Fire Emblem." But if you're after some lighthearted, lightweight gaming, or if you're simply a Mario fan, you'll have a hard time finding a better buy than Mario & Luigi.

This is the best extreme sports game ever made, which makes four times I've said that in one Tony Hawk review or another. I really mean it this time, though.

All the elements gel perfectly here: The characters, the combat, the game flow, the dialogue. More than that, this is a game that revels in simply being a game. It celebrates the best parts of both role-playing and Mario games while mercilessly lampooning their worst habits. It's absolutely brimming with exuberance.

Even if most of the modes are just variations of existing ones, they're still a hell of a lot of fun to play. Chopper versus Chopper mode and the Road Rash-style races breathe new life into GTA4's multiplayer, and additional apparel gives you new options for customizing your online persona.

A remarkable achievement. EA could have easily rested on its laurels, but instead decided to be ballsy and went about overhauling some fundamental gameplay mechanics in a game that was already garnering universal praised.

Everything that "Ratchet & Clank" did, Going Commando does better, and the tweaks and additions just push it further over the top.

In a way, the main reason I'm somewhat disappointed is that developer EA Canada has the tough part down: the gameplay and controls. But soccer is about so much more than that -- it's about patriotism, atmosphere, and passion. For the inevitable World Cup follow-up, I'd really like to see those elements shine through -- and it wouldn't hurt to not ship with so many bugs, either.

This is the kind of hugely ambitious game that doesn't come around very often, and when it does, you'd be a fool not to play it and enjoy the hell out of it and look forward to the day (next-next-gen?) when the fidelity of open-world RPGs takes another big step closer to the uncanny valley's far side.

Despite all these improvements, I can't help but feel that last year's "Madden" still has the edge over this year's ESPN, thanks to fundamental pacing and controls. ESPN has great visuals, has tons of new features, all kinds of new animations, ... but the same gooey controls - they're just not as responsive as "Madden"'s.

The biggest problem, if it can be called one, with Phantom Hourglass is that it's too beholden to what's come before it. Innovation arrives in tiny steps, touch screen controls be damned.

Nearly everything about the new MVP, from basic gameplay to the advanced Dynasty mode, oozes quality.

A goldmine of tactical riches. The gameplay is fast (once you've dribbled past the Teen Beat dialogue) and the game looks sharp.

The more intricate the rat maze, the more necessary the reward -- part of Portal's sinister genius lies in the cheese-crumb trail it leaves. Puzzle solving is an end in itself, and the game's Skinner boxes (note that, like the computer intelligence pulling our strings, Valve remotely tracks player progress, indirectly seeing what stumps us) are supremely entertaining to crack in on-again-off-again sessions.

New control schemes that work this well have been long overdue in baseball games, especially when you consider that we've been hanging onto the standard pitch meter for the past eight years. It's time to move on and analog controls are the first step in the right direction.

When a game is able to make grown adults throw their shoulders into turns or wave their controller in the air as if it's actually going to help avoid that oncoming tour bus (sorry, it won't), then you know somebody's doing something right.

By making the game available to a broader audience and including several excellent challenges (along with all-new Achievements), Portal isn't merely alive -- it's stronger than ever.

I've selected these examples at near-random to avoid spoiling truly standout showpieces. Episode Two's entire five-hour experience -- vivid, emotionally engaging, and virtually unsurpassed -- is full of them.

What really sets Persona 4 apart, though, is its endearing, relatable cast.

There is something here for everyone who has a connection to the sport, and I get giddy with anticipation to see what Sony can deliver for next year's iteration.

Still, while it stumbles to pull everything together, Limbo is short and certainly worth experiencing, if for nothing else, than to see this beautiful, two-tone world yourself.

The multiplayer aspects aren't that engaging for me -- there's just not enough to do to balance out the frustration of not being able to defend myself in a fight. However, I love how deep the team has managed to make the single-player portion of the game (again).

For younger Twilight Princess fans, this is your true coming-of-age adventure...and for older gamers free of nostalgia's shackles, Okami provides a far more refreshing, creatively stimulating journey.

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.

As a PSP game, it's still a well-done portable GTA; not necessarily a better one than before. But that's fine; it's still worth playing Chinatown Wars for those bite-size bits of the GTA formula, and if you're still warm to it, then definitely give it a go.

Take away the interface tweaks and improved mechanics behind how Isaac moves and feels, and examine the overall structure, you don't have a "good game and then a better game," you have two different games: a creepy sci-fi horror game with some damn good action versus a damn good sci-fi shooter with some creepy parts.

As a sequel, Pikmin 2 is very nearly perfect; it refines the shortcomings of the first game while adding a ton of new elements, yet feels both balanced and polished. The attention to detail is phenomenal.

Devotees will immediately recognize Retro Evolved 2's myriad improvements.

No matter which version is "best," Chinatown Wars is still a fun game on whatever you're playing it on; a game that scratches the itch for GTA's particular blend of action, done up in a nifty hybrid of the old 2D editions and the well-familiar 3D sequels.

Unfortunately, it also features some questionable design decisions, an A.I. that can't play the game Firaxis has designed, and the need for a couple of patches.

Super Mario 3D Land's playful reverence for (and references to) the 8-bit days reminds us that Super Mario Bros. 3 truly was an amazing game, but it does so at the expense of its own identity. I have a hard time imagining that, 20 years from now, Nintendo's designers will be looking back at 3D Land as a template for a new game the way 3D Land builds on Mario 3's iconography. Ultimately, that's the difference between a good Mario game and a great one.

On the whole, Corruption takes advantage of the Wii's biggest strength (with its unique controls), and minimizes its greatest weakness (through astounding art direction), while otherwise maintaining or improving upon the high standards and overall polish the series is known for.

WE8 just feels real. The tempo and feel of the game show a deep understanding of soccer. The A.I. is spot-on, especially that of your own teammates, who continually move around and make runs for your benefit. Control is smooth and rock solid.

Forza 2 is the best sim racer out there right now, no question, and it continues to lead the way online. But aside from the cool online auction and community stuff, it's pretty much Forza 1 with updated graphics -- which is great, but I was hoping for a slightly larger step forward.

It's one of the 3DS's most outstanding offerings to date -- not because it pushes the hardware in any way, but because it embodies the polish and craftsmanship that elevates the best Nintendo games from "good" to "great."

The sheer immensity of this collection continues to astound me, and while price should by no means be the ultimate deciding factor in a review, with the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, it's impossible to ignore. Simply put, this single disc will keep you highly entertained for several staycations to come.

It's not the best-looking of the football titles out there, but it's the most fun to play and compete with. Maybe next year they'll nail the visual category as well, but as long as the game keeps playing as well as it does, there's no reason to really trip over it.

It's a stunning bit of work...Though not a blanket revision, this is a solid upgrade that assuredly fortifies SimBin's position atop the race-sim podium.

The game design is often thoughtless and shortsighted. Rockstar treats Liberty City as a backdrop...when it should have been the stage itself.

A polished, smart, generous, elegant, and bold strategy game.

It would be easy to be just bowled over by how glorious Empire: Total War looks. Creative Assembly's signature series has always been big on spectacle, and Empire is no different. The battles are bigger and bloodier, only now you have the smoke of muskets and crack of 12-pounders to accompany your march across the known world. Don't let the color of charging Cossacks blind you to everything else going on here though, Empire is a major step forward for the entire Total War franchise.

NBA 2K12 will have to settle for being the closest thing to perfect I've ever seen in an offline sports video game. But it could have done much more -- it could have saved our season.

It may be a while before Persona fans get that next big release in the series -- this year's E3 was frustratingly absent of any info on a potential Persona 5 -- so we need to latch on to any morsels Atlus throws our way in the meantime.

The comfortable 360 controller is actually better for this game than the trusty old mouse and keyboard. Movement with the analog sticks is natural, intuitively transitioning from walk to run without having to hold down a special key.

When a game is able to make grown adults throw their shoulders into turns or wave their controller in the air as if it's actually going to help avoid that oncoming tour bus (sorry, it won't), then you know somebody's doing something right.

The reason I know Dragon Quest VIII is 90 hours long is because that was my time when I finished it. It's that good.

It is quite possibly the most ambitious, comprehensive and successful remake ever attempted for a game of this type. Far more than a mere graphical upgrade, MZM expands on its source material with refined control, gameplay ideas retrofitted from its sequels, new plot hooks for subsequent chapters of the saga, and some jaw-droppingly cool innovations which add new layers of complexity to the series.

While I'd still point to the touch-enabled iPad edition as the definitive version of the game (thus far), Plants vs. Zombies makes a very impressive transition to Xbox Live Arcade.

The PS2 version has the most ideal control scheme, offering the best palette of buttons and shoulder buttons to perform ballhandling tricks with. On the flipside, the PS2 version also suffers from the most irritating load times.

In HD, true synaesthesia has been achieved. Rez HD is one of the best games ever made, it costs around $10, and you don't even need to leave the house to get it. In over a decade of critiquing games I've never felt the need to say these words in a review until now: Just buy it.

If you like RPGs in general, though, you'll find one of the better, most challenging quests of your life -- one well worth picking up. But you may want to clear off any games in your backlog beforehand.

Fable 2 is filled with more great ideas than the last 10 years of "Final Fantasy" combined.

The multiplayer aspects aren't that engaging for me -- there's just not enough to do to balance out the frustration of not being able to defend myself in a fight. However, I love how deep the team has managed to make the single-player portion of the game (again).

L4D2 delivers multiple improvements over its predecessor, and I get to keep all my fingers and toes.

Simply put, every time the Director brings down a swath of Infected, who then pound me into hamburger, and every time my team and I manage to survive against incredible odds until the end, and we hoot and holler about besting the Director, I do the same thing: I jump into another lobby and wait for a match to start. I love this damn game.

L4D2 delivers multiple improvements over its predecessor, and I get to keep all my fingers and toes.

For a company whose fans frequently call them a "god" of the genre, Cave is quickly lording over the iPhone's shooter selection.

A linear, abbreviated experience that, while ambitious and gorgeous to behold, is not Bioware's finest hour.

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.

By all counts, Mass Effect for the PC is essentially the "definitive" version of the game; it runs much smoother on decent machines and just generally plays better...even if it still suffers from some of the original's fundamental flaws (along with a few new ones).

It's tragic that not all of us have the time or temperament to play through Dark Souls, but one truth remains clear: if you're ready for it, it's ready for you.

If what you're looking for is a rip-snortin', metal-bending slamfest where dunkers prosper and long-ranger shooters make weak defenses pay, then this is your game. Nothing else is this specific, arcade basketball arena comes close.

GTA IV's final expansion sends itself off in style in some of the most ridiculous ways possible; I think that's why I like it so much.