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.