It's up there on the podium with "Ridge Racer Type 4" and "Daytona USA 2," contending for the title of very best ever.

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.

The core of the game is based on this frenetic, nonstop action that propels you from one area to the next, and it is this same sense of mayhem-driven progress that can allow a non-fan like myself to have such a good time.

On any platform, though, this is the best 3D fighter of the year (and the best urban fashion simulator of any year, if that means anything).

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

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

Missions are much shorter and less complicated than you saw in "San Andreas"...It makes the whole thing more handheld friendly, without losing the GTA-ness of it all.

Flat out, this is an amazing shooter. You can fight through over 50 levels, upgrade your weapons, take control of enemies, recruit enemies to help you fight, drive different types of tanks, and a lot more -- think "Ratchet & Clank" fused with "Halo."

Simply put, this is one of the most original and entertaining games we've come across in ages.

Rare has certainly recaptured its former glory itself here, and in producing one of the most misunderstood games of the year, it has also produced on one of the finest in its history, and certainly one of the most intriguing on 360.

Even though genuinely new content doesn't exactly abound, Sigma remains such a solid, expansive, challenging, and well-paced thrill ride that you truly won't care.

The big new addition is Tokyo. Fortunately, the developers have made the city available by default right on the menu screen, so for those of you worried that you might have to play through the original three cities to get to the new stuff, worry not.

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

Exceptionally satisfying handheld tennis action. It bottles the lightning of the bigger versions while losing nothing in the transition.

Downloadable content gives the 360 version a potential ace in the hole, but the first wave released comes as a mixed blessing.

The game looks more beautiful than ever, with structures that feel weighty and solid and little visual touches throughout. The flash-bangs look fantastic.

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.

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.

This is exactly how a sequel should be done, and if there's anything wrong with it, it's only that it makes you wonder how Sucker Punch can possibly make as big a leap with the next game as they did with Sly 2.

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

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.

Built around utterly convincing physics and animation systems and a unique control scheme that's equal parts challenge and reward, it manages to be realistic without being discouraging and feels completely different from not only the competition, but from anything else out there.

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.

This is the best arcade racer on the market today. It's the best one in years.

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.

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

It's the closest thing to karaoke perfection I've seen yet.

It's certainly very enjoyable, it's incredibly slick, and packed with features, but it still loses out a little to Konami's game on that difficult-to-quantify quality; feel.

What makes Brothers in Arms such a compelling combat simulator is its ability to completely suck you into its hell, kick your heart rate into overdrive, and make you feel like you're not fighting to save the world, but fighting just to save your own ass.

Almost a perfect strategy game. It has strategic scope and splendor nearly matching that of "Civilization" and a tactical game unlike anything else on the market.

It's a great example of a movie tie-in that is easy to play, it's a successful combination of a first-person adventure and a third-person beat-'em-up, and at times it even feels like a dungeon crawler. But at its core, it's an extremely good (and extremely simple) survival horror game.

It's a shame Rockstar chose not to fix obvious flaws that have been called out repeatedly, but the weight of the total experience more than counterbalances this disappointment, making PSP owners, however briefly, the envy of those in the portable war.

Minor camera issues aside, Return of the King is a refreshing example of competent licensing melded with the hack'n'slashery we all know and love.

Thanks to the thoughtfully designed courses, tight control, and -- thank goodness -- a battery backup and autosave feature, Racing Gears Advance is a pleasure to play from start to finish line.

A superb and strikingly polished game.

Difficulty and the occasional glitch not withstanding, it's a phenomenal game with more modding and expansion potential than we've seen in years.

Comprehensive and complete, this is the rare retro collection worth the price of entry, and it's one that should grace the shelf of every fighting library out there. It's also a great reminder of what Capcom was once best at, and what they could conjure once again if only they'd put their minds to it.

It's an amazing technical feat that Nomura's team have pulled off here, and an impressive first foray into the alien world of movie making. Coming from a team that's used to making CG cinemas less than five minutes long, Advent Children is a surprisingly auspicious debut. Here's hoping they do it again.

As ever, there are some issues with the combat system -- but this doesn't outweigh the overall quality, or the fact that you are getting one hell of a lot of game for a penny shy of 20 bucks.

The Takedown system is what makes the already pretty good Burnout series amazing... Burnout 3 delivers the purest hit of <I>awesome</I> so far this year.

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

An exciting exercise in completely rethinking old strategies. And this, after all, is what the best expansion packs do: not just add, but entirely revise.

Not only is the pacing much more deliberate -- and therefore very intense -- but the awesome selection of different mecha and other war machines give this game a feel all its own.

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.

The racing and deathmatch modes, multiplayer online or offline, are both very well done and lend themselves surprisingly well to racing controls that don't seem built with racing in mind.

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.

What Neversoft has built in Tony Hawk's Project 8 is, without a doubt, its masterpiece. The series has evolved into a sort of "evens are groundbreaking, and the odds are great" formula, but not only is this the greatest of the series, it's the best entry since "THPS4," which has long been the series' crowning achievement.

Minor camera issues aside, Return of the King is a refreshing example of competent licensing melded with the hack'n'slashery we all know and love. It's even got me psyched for a movie I couldn't have cared less about a week ago, and I think that's saying something.

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

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.

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.

There isn't much to complain about in NBA Live 2005. And with the addition of the Slam Dunk Contest, the replay value is huge.

Even a middling game comes alive when you play with other people. But when a game is built as carefully as Quake Wars -- for play online and offline, for new players and veterans, for quick thrills and long learning curves, for hyper action and careful tactics -- this is as good as it gets.

From a purely technical standpoint, the frame-rate is rock solid, and the lighting effects are lavish as well, and while not as polished, overall, as the technical achievements of "Dead or Alive Ultimate," come a close second. Matching the visual largesse is a comprehensive features list that does for PS2 what "Dead or Alive Ultimate" did for Xbox.

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.

Invested Phoenix fans get five well-written, twist-filled cases to end a trilogy that unquestionably deserves a seat right next to titans like Maniac Mansion and the Space Quest series. Just make sure you play the first two Ace Attorneys first -- this is one courtroom you shouldn't enter unprepared.

Whether you're careening through desolate urban alleys or rocketing across a rickety railroad trestle, the game looks nearly flawless and runs at a buttery-smooth clip.

It's far more than just a really, really good-looking boxing game; it's a little glimpse into the future, and a remarkably good yardstick for ongoing reference.

It's great fun, a fantastic example of substance and style, and provides depth at nearly every turn. What better way to combat the armies of darkness?

It's a great showcase of what the PlayStation 3 can do, and it's a much deeper -- and more tactical game -- than you might expect.

The most realistic basketball game on the market. It's an accurate representation of the sport and captures a lot of the intangibles extremely well. It's got enough gameplay available to keep both the arcade and simulation contingents happy.

The most enjoyable aspect of this game is actually playing basketball. As such, the in-game animations are jaw-droppingly entertaining!

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 a great example of a movie tie-in that is easy to play, it's a successful combination of a first-person adventure and a third-person beat-'em-up, and at times it even feels like a dungeon crawler. But at its core, it's an extremely good (and extremely simple) survival horror game.

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

Outside of being a great showcase for the DS itself, Meteos is also a fantastic, dizzyingly fast puzzle game that leaves an addictive aftertaste not seen since the likes of "Tetris Attack."

This game is the first to go beyond the major leagues and include all the AAA and AA minor-league clubs, adding a level of detail to the Dynasty franchise mode unrivaled by other games.

The core of the game is based on this frenetic, nonstop action that propels you from one area to the next, and it is this same sense of mayhem-driven progress that can allow a non-fan like myself to have such a good time.

It's pretty, it's accessible, it has a nicely-balanced difficulty level (hard, and frequently quite hard, but practically never unfairly so), and it doesn't hurt that Konami's asking only 30 bucks.

Flat out, this is an amazing shooter. You can fight through over 50 levels, upgrade your weapons, take control of enemies, recruit enemies to help you fight, drive different types of tanks, and a lot more -- think "Ratchet & Clank" fused with "Halo."

EA did their homework and pulled together a solid basketball game this year. There isn't much to complain about in NBA Live 2005. And with the addition of the Slam Dunk Contest, the replay value is huge.

At $20, this just may be the finest piece of "budgetware" ever produced, with every bit as much to offer strategywise as RTS games three times its cost. Like the greatest board games, its entry curve is small, its interface elementary, and its potential for strategic depth enormous.

Frankly, it seems like much of the game's technological potential is being squandered on a 3D game whose actual road to progress is every bit as two-dimensional as an 8-bit platformer.

A superb and strikingly polished game.

As a package, it's an incredibly complete product of flabbergasting quality; more than any other game, GRAW puts the player in the nerve-snapping tension of pauses between engagements. It thrusts you into the terror of modern, quicksilver-fluid combat.

Few games of this nature began their life so smoothly, as even the massive influx of players on launch date and beyond did little to disrupt the enjoyment of the game.

The most enjoyable aspect of this game is actually playing basketball. As such, the in-game animations are jaw-droppingly entertaining!

A lackluster story, unlikable characters, frustrating level designs, lack of more mid-mission checkpoints, all stick out like sore thumbs in an otherwise superfluous package. And we, like lovers scorned, are only bitter because we care.

My only real complaints are that some single-player missions feel a little too simple and the game engine occasionally stutters even when you're not playing online.

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).

The game is fun for those looking for a quick diversion, and it's realistic enough to keep sim players happy.

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.

For all its subtleties, C&C3 might as well be subtitled "speed trumps tactics," something that's especially obvious if you've seen the videos of C&C3's BattleCast feature.

It's the Tetris factor -- the minimalist design and the addictive, score-chasing nature keep you mesmerized for what can stretch to hours at a time. It's when you reach hour no. three of a marathon session -- having entered a Zen-like state as you attempt to send your high score into seven-digit territory -- that you realize the simple truth at work here: In a world of interactive stories and photo-realism, Geometry Wars is just a really fun game.

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.

The fidelity to the source material is such that you can literally navigate the world using those maps printed in your dog-eared paperback copy of "The Fellowship of the Ring."

Actually feeling like a rock star -- for most people under 40, the next best thing to a superhero or a T-Rex -- is transcendently entertaining. Guitar Hero is still the way to go for lone wolves, but if you have the space, the manpower, and the means, Rock Band unquestionably, unequivocally rocks.

The Wii version has online play as well.

It's still "just" a fighting game, albeit an incredibly polished and finessed fighting game, but it won't open your eyes to things you've never seen before. It will bring the fighting game community together, however, thanks to its online functionality, and that's a good thing.

A consequence of this darker approach is that that game loses part of what made The Sands of Time unique. Instead of a charming and almost silly character like we saw previously, the Prince here is more one-dimensional.

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.

The humor will make you laugh, not smile: the writers tend not to go for the obvious joke, and the uniformly spot-on voice acting -- not just for Raz or his immediate supporting cast, but for virtually every character in the game, which number in the hundreds -- gives each out-of-left-field payoff the impact it deserves.

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.

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.

But at heart, it's simply Tetris, on the go, with online multiplayer and a highly polished presentation. And that makes it a must-have for anyone with a DS.

The most realistic basketball game on the market. It's an accurate representation of the sport and captures a lot of the intangibles extremely well. It's got enough gameplay available to keep both the arcade and simulation contingents happy.

Not quite as good as The Sands of Time. Elements like the combat and bosses are inarguably better, but lack of evolution in the Prince and the action-oriented slant are not as good as the basic platforming mechanics that were the star of the show in last year's game.

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.