While games like "Medieval II" have tried to marry the tenets of Civilization and StarCraft, Sins is the first game to successfully do so without storing them in separate compartments.

Crystal-clear graphics and Achievements are certainly appealing, but the bigger draws are online multiplayer with the leaderboards and downloadable replays. At the very least, it will likely refresh your interest in the game (and subsequent determination to finish it off).

One of the most emotional experiences I've ever had playing a videogame.

Without question, the finest classic remake I've ever played. It helps that the source material is so strong, of course, but what really makes this PSP rendition stand out is the way its creators have addressed every single sticking point that frustrated me all those years ago.

Every item that was shiny on the Xbox looks dull on the PS2. Still, relative to other PS2 games, it looks great.

[Alyx's] addition brings a massive injection of personality to what would otherwise be a solid, but rather ordinary, continuation of the Half-Life saga.

Director's cuts rarely come as fleshed-out, exciting or generous as this one.

Better than any PSP shooter yet, Dark Mirror functions without a second analog stick. The extraordinary grace of the remaining controls is enough to almost forget how nice dual-stick control would be.

But it's a refined experience, and HeartGold/SoulSilver is easily the best Pokémon game yet.

It's not perfect, but overlooking some repetitive play and the occasional frame rate hiccup, Infinity Blade is a huge step towards real core gaming on Apple's platform.

Our other issue with the game is that the city where the game takes place, despite having hundreds-if-not-thousands of people, feels very empty.

A few in-game glitches and some questionable exploits slow down the game's momentum and keep it from becoming the true football fanatic's obsession.

For every developer or publisher who's ever dreamed of pushing beyond the demographic limitations of "hardcore" or "casual" gamers, here is how you do it. And were that universal appeal NSMB Wii's sole achievement, it would be one of the most important games in recent memory. But, no: It's also ridiculously fun. [Grade = A+]

Very few games can truly claim to be for all players of all ages, and this is one of them. With a delirious mix of slapstick humor, comic storytelling, infectious music, and tons of replayability, Elite Beat Agents is one of the best music-oriented games to date and stands among the cream of the DS's impressive library. Don't miss it.

It's a testament to the diversity of the medium that in a season marked by realistic, violent and often grim video games like "GTA," "Halo 2" and "Def Jam: FFNY," a game like Paper Mario can be so willfully charming, harmless and child-friendly in appearance and still make for a compelling, sophisticated experience.

A joy to play, a frantically manic experience with enough depth to satisfy veterans without turning off newcomers and a multiplayer favourite.

Donkey Kong Country Returns hits all the right spots; it's filled with childhood nostalgia, stunning visuals, and mentally taxing challenges.

The best games -- games like Bully -- don't concern themselves with technical perfection. They just push headlong into new places and new ideas, leaving behind the ranks of unimaginative, spit-polished safe bets. Bully takes chances, and the gamble pays off big.

It's easy to say that this is Treyarch's best game...when it's not just trying to imitate Infinity Ward.

A game that essentially pushes the PSP in all of its features: graphics, portability, Internet, extra hardware doohickeys, and multiplayer. Sure, it might have hiccups (occasional ghosting, quirky A.I., the one analog nub), but Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is not only a fine MGS title -- it's also a damn good showcase for the PSP.

It's a huge world of wonderful puzzles to solve, with creative approaches to even the most mundane solutions; it's also a big game, and it goes on far longer than even the story would imply (though some people may never beat the last couple stages without assistance).

Continuum Shift provides a seamless fighting game experience by offering excellent Tutorial and Training Modes to help you learn your character before testing their skills in the game's near-flawless online mode.

Like New Super Mario Bros. Wii, it's a direct follow-up to a recent release that exceeds its predecessor in every way. And while it may not hit the soaring heights of Mario's latest, it's a fine game in its own right.

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.

If anything, DiRT 2 plays it a little too safe, offering only minor improvements over GRiD.

Basically, half of what makes Disgaea unique would seem like cheating in any other game.

But it's a refined experience, and HeartGold/SoulSilver is easily the best Pokémon game yet.

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.

There is a place for games that are simply very, very well-executed, and BG&E fills that role with panache. But every time a cutscene pops up, it reminds you that it could have been so much more.

A few poor design choices keep this game from being easily recommendable to all. Everything but the unforgiving boss fights get repetitive quickly; the game can be light on explanations, leaving a lot to your own deduction; and the pathfinding is terrible.

The soundtrack to Bionic Commando: Rearmed is a fantastic piece of work, a deft contemporary reworking of classic 8-bit NES tunes. In fact, it's so good that Capcom put it up for sale on the iTunes Store months ago to build hype for the game.

Origins' brilliance is it keeps that simplicity on the surface, but ends up feeling incredibly varied thanks to its level design.

It sure wouldn't hurt to shake things up a bit.

The multiplayer is a generous force with new modes, and significantly more depth allows the game to stand next to first-person shooters designed explicitly for multiplayer.

That it's available to anyone with a broadband connection for an extremely reasonable price point instantly places Wipeout HD in the must-buy/must-have category for anyone who considers themselves a fan of high-quality, high-speed, white-knuckle racing.

COH's year-old Essence Engine is still the most beautiful, realistic RTS powerhouse on the market.

It's a brilliant debut for Double Fine, and here's hoping it's just the start of what we can expect to see from them.

If anything, DiRT 2 plays it a little too safe, offering only minor improvements over GRiD.

Gears is most likely to appeal to console gamers already in love with the game, who can now see it in glorious high-res detail and at superfast framerates -- with a muscular enough PC, that is.

Origins' brilliance is it keeps that simplicity on the surface, but ends up feeling incredibly varied thanks to its level design.

But it's fun, and that's not just because Treasure has made another challenging, robust shooter that makes grown men weep -- at times it's certainly able -- but because they've turned Sin and Punishment into a supremely natural Wii action game.

If you're really picky, you can quibble about certain aspects -- not as many cool visual effects as you'd hope for in a modern shooter (depth-of-field, motion blur, etc.) or occasional slowdown (mostly when respawning after an active firefight), to name two. But, overall, Resistance 2 is an extremely well-assembled FPS, with an improved campaign, fun competitive multiplayer, and a damn neat take on co-op. I wouldn't go as far as to say this is the definitive PS3 game, but it's certainly one of the best PS3 exclusives I've played.

The game's short -- the seven areas only take about two to three hours to finish on the first try (if you don't play it obsessively like I do). But it's a joy to revisit each stage -- the freedom of movement makes the game feel as relaxing as a gently wafting breeze. The challenge is there for those who seek it, but Flower is something everyone can enjoy.

Significantly better than its predecessor, but like most EA Sports releases, sequels feel more like baby steps rather than giant leaps.

Like a vine bursting with ripe fruit, TOAU may be in need of some balancing, in addition to some major feature tweaking (Besieged), but for all intents and purposes, it's like an injection of the lifeblood that once made this MMO so addictive in the first place.

Regardless of how insane it sounds, it's not the making and sharing of your own levels that makes Little Big Planet special this time. You still get an excellent platformer with an unmistakable style, but the nearly-identical look and feel makes this PSP edition feel like an expansion pack.

Among the already-unique PixelJunk games, Shooter manages to stand out.

An outstanding RTS in its own right, and Relic is currently making the best RTS games in the business. For those already addicted to Dawn of War, this a must-have.

Think of it as a racing fling, not asking you for any long-term commitment, and letting you walk away once you're finished so you can pursue something with more depth. Still, it's fun while it lasts.

It successfully integrates stealth gameplay into a multiplayer setting by pitting spies against mercenaries in a four-player, two-team competitive game, and we love it.

One of those sorts of games where nearly everything goes right. And despite some annoying load times, Kingdom Hearts II eventually becomes so involving, so enthralling, you'll find yourself propelled from world to world as if by some magnetic invisible force.

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.

I'm a casual fan of the series and I still found myself excited to get home and play the game each night the past week. It may be a lot of more of the same, but more of the same has never been so darn addicting.

Delivers a refreshingly new take on the MegaTen concept while staying true to its roots. It's daring and innovative, yet not too unapproachable for roleplaying fans weaned on more traditional fare.

If you've already beat the previous two islands, trying to gain medals for each challenge will give you a whole other goal to obsess over, but if you've never played PixelJunk Monsters before, well, there's no better time than now!

One of the highlights of the year for Net-connected PS3 owners. For many, this will be a fresh experience, lessening the impact of the modest mode options and lack of some fan favorites from prior versions. At the same time, the lessons learned over the years of iteration and the sparkling new graphics engine make this the latest and greatest version for fans of the series.

Even with the deviations from what you might expect from the plucky pink puff, Epic Yarn most assuredly feels like a Kirby game; you have solid platforming, off-the-charts cuteness, and even throwbacks to familiar Dream Land characters and settings.

Catchy mixes, impressive visuals, and a much improved career mode make DJ Hero 2 worth checking out.

OK, so Shivering Isles doesn't reinvent the fireball. But the impeccable design and construction of the original game breathes life into this expansion -- not, as you might assume, the other way around.

If you think "Total Annihilation's" still the cat's pajamas, look no further than Supreme Commander. It's the "ID4" of videogames -- a little sleepy early on, occasionally a little baffling, but incontrovertibly epic...and you're here as much for the light show anyway, right?

A genuinely excellent game. It impresses on many levels, perhaps most of all for the simple fact that it's the first example of a traditional 2D platformer that genuinely works with no input besides a stylus.

Burnout Legends is certainly the best racing game on PSP, and let's face it, it's up against plenty of competition. Its structure is perfect for a handheld experience, as none of the challenges it presents last more than a few minutes.

Developed by an all-new team and re-built from the ground up Fight Night Round 4 is in good hands with the team at EA Canada; not only have they matched the quality of the original title, but in many ways they dramatically exceeded it.

The most fun you'll have with the game isn't in a nine inning affair, but rather with the new mini-games. The new hitting mini-game is interesting, but the pitching distraction is certifiably addictive.

The main adventure still has serious pacing problems, combat's still too easy for the most part, and load times -- though reduced -- continue to get in the way of the action.

Pulling its trigger condenses everything that's right about Call of Duty 2 into a single moment. Online or off it is the epitome of visceral thrill seeking.

When you compare Winning Eleven to "FIFA 07's" PS2 effort, it wins by a large margin -- particularly as it's the best-playing sports game on the system.

This is so innovative and so polished a game that if you pass it up, the real moron is you.

Resistance falls a little short of being the hoped-for "Halo-killer," but with a package that would be considered complete by any standards, it delivers a launch classic, and it lives up to its billing as the PS3's killer app.

But online level sharing is definitely Bash Party's biggest strength -- it lets me pick and choose the levels I like most: The ones where destruction is the signature element.

It is far and away the most cerebral sports title ever released, forcing both the offensive and defensive coordination to methodically attack each other in order to achieve their respective goals. Careful and well thought out strategy is the name of the game, much more so than relying on frantic, on the field playmaking.

Their work deserves attention -- and praise -- because it exceeds expectations and delivers a thoroughly well-thought out, pragmatic, and enjoyable online experience. I can say without hesitation that BlazBlue raises the barometer on which all fighters should be judged.

Pandemic's packed the game full of well-coded smoke and explosion effects, and seeing a bomb sortie work its way across an enemy compound is almost a thing of majesty. Bring a tear to your eye, it will. It's this unwavering feeling of exhilaration that separates Mercenaries from the other "free-roaming" ripoffs and lets the game stand on its own merits.

There's a level of creativity, ambition, and polish here that's unusually high for an iPad game, and even in spite of that, the developers have created a modern artistic game that challenges a lot of ideas about what a game can be while feeling retro at the same time.

It atones for its faults with understated strategic depth, an astounding sense of reward (both literal and whimsical), and an inspired difficulty curve that sticks with you to the end. Along with a beat you'll take to your grave.

Apart from a few quibbles (large maps still load at a glacial pace and the A.I. still builds cities right on top of yours), BTS takes a strong game with some serious flaws and turns it into a fantastic game with a couple of minor flaws. No small feat, that.

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.

And while the information overload does come with a steep learning curve, it will smooth out eventually if you stick with the game. What won't smooth out, however, are The Sims 3's problems with stability and performance.

It's fast, deep, and engaging, and the story mode is perfect for laying back with when you've got a free moment on the bus.

Everything is put together so well that, unless you've become truly tired of the franchise, Ghost of Sparta is well worth playing. This portable title, while it may not be the best or most original entry in the series, is more than worthy of the God of War name.

I commend the game's focus on simplicity -- Trials HD doesn't have gratuitous power-up integration and smartly avoids an unnecessary Jump button. And the game is rife with content: the heavily replayable 42-stage campaign complements the Skill Games mode and the easy-to-use level editor.

While Punch Out!! makes for an entertaining enough solitary experience, the back-seat driving aspect makes it positively shine as a party game. There's nothing quite like having a few friends over, passing the controller around, shouting advice, and just generally bonding over some hilarious, bloodless violence.

You play Ikaruga if you want a great example of where the shoot-em-up was going at the start of the century. You play Radiant Silvergun for a great example of where it was at the end of the last.

Like any good sequel, Lego Star Wars II improves on the original in almost every way. But most importantly, it's about the good episodes now. For that reason alone, Lego Star Wars II is one of the most enjoyable games of this fall.

The lack of improvement on some of the fundamentals on "KOTOR I" is a little disheartening. It really is exactly the same shell that covered the first game's story, with the same bugs.. and the same graphics engine that's like watching a car crash.

There's still a little bit of a tired feeling, even when you're having fun. What seems to be at the root of this problem is the game's story. The further in you get, the more plot holes open, until by the end of the game you have the nagging suspicion that none of this makes very much sense.

It's not a pure action game, it's not really an RPG...and it's not even an action-RPG. It's a successful blend of all these elements, proof that Nintendo does have some good ideas for the DS.

The PC version of Modern Warfare 2 is identical to the console versions in almost every way, and that's actually the problem. PC gamers have a certain expectation for online shooters. Removing dedicated server and user mod support from a game that's already $10 more than its predecessor seriously hinders the long term appeal for me.

Mortal Kombat has achieved something that I never thought I'd see in my lifetime: a fighting game that has more than enough single player content to keep casual players involved, with a gameplay system that can satisfy even the most hardcore fighting game fans. NetherRealm Studios' dedication and attention to detail on all fronts shows that they are much more in tune with what gamers look for when purchasing a new game more so than any other fighting game developer out there.

Playing a new Soul Calibur is like embarking on a two year (or however long it takes Namco to release the next game) journey into personal mastery, constantly pushing yourself and your friends to become better players. That's the mark of a transcendent fighting game, and Soul Calibur III has the makings of a classic.

While it's certainly not a perfect game, NCAA Football 11 is a great template for EA's future football offerings to build upon.

I'm confident even the most critical 3rd Strike aficionados will be hard pressed to put down the arcade stick once they hop online and start putting the hurt on all the day-one Chun-Li and Kens out there.

Simply put, this is quite a perfect adventure game that joins a not-as-perfect-but-still-really-damn-good modern adaptation of a perfect adventure game. What we have is a classic game packaged in a way for everyone (PC or console gamer alike) to finally and easily play it, and that's exactly what you should do -- whether you're learning the secret of Monkey Island for the first or 50th time.

The easily defeated final boss and drivel of an ending may not adequately complete a piece of fiction that shouldn't have ever started the way it did, but they are not harmful enough to completely negate the worth of an otherwise stylish and polished action game.

Thanks to the great A.I., there's no question of the game's longevity.

While the fundamental game design is largely similar to the past 15 years of Puzzle League titles, the wealth of DS-specific features introduced here keeps it feeling fresh. It is, in short, a classic puzzle game done right.

It's strangely engrossing, almost therapeutic in its mundanity.

I'm confident even the most critical 3rd Strike aficionados will be hard pressed to put down the arcade stick once they hop online and start putting the hurt on all the day-one Chun-Li and Kens out there.