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.