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.

I loved, loved TF2's cosmetic makeover. "Cartoon come to life" isn't compliment enough. Some cartoons are better animated, more distinctively stylized than others -- and, by analogy, this is among the best.

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.

OW2 looks and sounds great, and offers more content than any Worms before it. It's an excellent value and a wonderful addition to the PSP's action-strategy lineup.

The stealth-based gameplay that MGS introduced has rarely been equaled, and it's as perfect here as it ever was. If I seem disappointed, it's only because there are signs everywhere that this could have been a remake of epic proportions, but the extraordinarily talented creators settled on a port.

It's the first game where I've actually felt a sense of attachment to my customized car, and it's one of the most entertaining racing games around.

The entire production is treated with reverence and class, and this goes to show that you definitely do not always need the latest and greatest hardware for great gaming experiences. What you need is a dedicated development team, a distinct sense of style independent of processing power, and polished execution and interpretations of proven ideas.

It <I>is</I> a full-fledged GTA experience, and it <I>is</I> only $20 (even cheaper if you shop around), which means it's an incredibly good value for money at a time when the PS2 is absolutely starved for great new games. Don't buy it if you've played the PSP version, but if you haven't -- it's great.

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.

OW2 still looks and sounds great though, and offers more content than any Worms before it. It might have scored even higher if it had been $10 cheaper (it would have truly been a must-buy for all DS owners at $20), but it's still an excellent value and a wonderful addition to the portable action-strategy lineup.

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.

A no-brainer for Flight Simulator X owners. And with the slipstreamed service release boosting performance dramatically (and the original down to $30), it's also a perfect reason for Flight Simulator X standbys to climb on board.

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.

FFVIA is a mostly great port of a mostly great game, and that makes it entirely worth having. If this has to be the end of the GBA's lifespan, we can't think of a better way to go.

Though the sometimes frustrating difficulty and occasional pacing misstep taint the experience slightly (it would be nice to have longer moments of respite between the busier levels), Everyday Shooter succeeds wildly as an engaging shooter for the art-house crowd, and a creative change of pace for the hardcore-shooter crowd.

A terrific action-RPG that serves as an example of what a sequel ought to be. It's better than the original, absorbing and well balanced with enough challenge and variety to keep you busy for the 20-plus hours you'll need to get through it.

Take the solid gameplay of Toadstool Tour, add in Camelot's talent for top-class GBA visuals and music, and throw in a story mode that beats the pants off many "real" RPGs, and you've got the best GBA game you'll see all this summer.

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.

A huge, involving quest full of secrets, challenge and bonuses. The intensely difficult Second Quest remains one of the greatest unlockable extras in the history of the medium. And it's all captured beautifully on this GBA cart.

A terrific action-RPG that serves as an example of what a sequel ought to be. It's better than the original, absorbing and well balanced with enough challenge and variety to keep you busy for the 20-plus hours you'll need to get through it.

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."