Yes, FIFA is the superior offering this year -- but it's a lot closer than you might initially think. If Takatsuka's team tackles the animation issues and online hiccups next year like they addressed the graphics, presentation, and Master League this year, we could have a 2010 videogame footballing derby worthy of Premier League titans Liverpool and Man United.

Hotel Dusk is in a class of its own, with a vastly more interesting story and setting than its predecessor. It's stylish, intriguing, and unique -- definitely worth tracking down.

On a theoretical level it achieves a significant design accomplishment in pulling everything together into a cohesive package. As the person holding the controller, though, it stumbles too often on its inability to turn its potential into a consistently fun game.

Most notably, the game does its best to reward creative pathfinding. Do a little searching in each level and you'll find myriad vents, air ducts, and the like, which, when utilized, help give you the jump on your opponents and let you avoid head-on fights.

There's a bit more quest variety, but that's really about it in terms of changes. So, if you're itching to get your hands on more DeathSpank, Thongs of Virtue is more of the same, in the best way possible. It's just as well written and silly as its predecessor with just as much charm.

There's not much in the way of new content in single-player, nor is much of it different or even "uncut," and the multiplayer segment suffers from a lack of play balancing. Still, it looks really, really good and the gameplay mostly holds up, which is probably enough for most people.

If nothing else, this is the best game ever to carry the title Castlevania: The Adventure. And that alone is worth the asking price.

Ultimate Alliance is more than enough fun to last through the main story -- especially if you bring a couple friends -- but whether you'll be returning to it again and again over the course of months is dependent largely on your superhero obsession and tolerance for repetition.

What it lacks in sophistication it manages to make up for in being longer and more difficult, which should be more than enough to please ardent fans, if not more casual RPG enthusiasts.

A solid tactics title, and while it follows the beaten path, at least it takes you along the scenic route.

The biggest change to the formula, however, is the persistence of your player as a "Summoner," not to be confused with the 30-odd in-game characters, which get a clean slate at the start of every match.

Everything from the soundtrack (which features licensed tracks like "Somebody to Love" and "Me and Mrs. Jones") to the customization features to the virtual pet-style Rabbid-inside-your-Wii Remote bonus mode adds enough personality to the relatively simple platforming to make this worth playing.

Is it worth 30 bucks? If you're heavily invested in its movie-making tech, or didn't struggle with the late game busywork, the answer is probably, though a 10-dollar shave seems more appropriate since stunt antics add relatively little to the sim game.

Shaun White will probably draw comparisons to the Wii's other snow-topped mountain experience, We Ski, but Road Trip throws out that title's kiddy aesthetic for a cool anime look with a great licensed soundtrack. The game does so many things right, it's almost hard to believe that the same company developed both this and its PS3/360 counterpart.

The localization team at Capcom should be commended for writing dialogue that is genuinely funny. Basically, if you're a fan of the earlier Phoenix Wright games, you will laugh...a lot. Couple the comedy with Justice's engrossing story and you have a case that would be criminal not to take.

If anything, Sing and Dance is a good idea on paper, but absolutely flawed in its execution. Arrows are laid side-by-side, making the more difficult patterns a pain to read correctly, and having to focus on scrolling arrows while watching your singing pattern (to make sure the game is recognizing it correctly) is incredibly counter-intuitive.

A Wii game combining a clever shoot-em-up with a surprisingly rich (if reasonably limited) object editor that lets you create your own levels and scenes. If you've ever had the itch to make your own shooter but don't know a lick about programming, this is one of the best ways to go about it.

Though it has some hiccups, unexciting party modes, and a questionable difficulty curve, All-Stars Racing is a respectable effort that makes a good kart racer at its core (and is at least much more cohesive than Sega Superstars Tennis).

Honestly, the level of enjoyment you'll get out of the game will largely depend on which character you play. If the character you play is now one of the stronger fighters on the roster, then you'll most likely have a blast steamrolling the competition.

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.

Stands out in a sea of competitors not because of an enormous budget, years of hype or an expensive movie license, but because it's simply unique and fun.

If you're looking for some stealth gameplay in a sandbox environment, this is a great beginner's course into the world of Agent 47. If, however, you're expecting something as revolutionary as the multiplayer in "Pandora Tomorrow," or the high polish of "Snake Eater," this isn't for you.

It's safe to say it's an above-average game and is certainly playable, but remains some way short of the best the genre has to offer.

A port that doesn't have anything new or interesting for PC gamers. Sure, it's Devil May Cry 4, and by golly, its enhanced high-res visuals sure look swell. But if you're going to port a game to the PC, you should take advantage of the most versatile platform out there. DMC4 fails to do so.

Outside of challenging you to find that lone collectible item, the game doesn't hold much incentive for repeat play. No other modes are in the game at all -- no challenge levels, no minigames, nothing. With minimal replay value, repetitive levels, and little of LocoRoco's charm, it's hard to get too excited about a game that, while serviceable, is ultimately rather forgettable.

The most obvious addition was the addition of dual screens and polygonal graphical elements. But the "tension meter," which built as players performed one-button aerial tricks and allowed bursts of even greater speed, is what really made the game so exhilarating.

Rise of a Ninja, if nothing else, is undoubtedly a good foundation for something better the next time around. The graphics are fantastic, and running and jumping around the Naruto world is as convincing as it is compelling. If only the activities of this world were made of sterner stuff than rote replication of the source material's events or mind-numbing coin-collecting chores.

In every way, this is a perfect example of how to remake a great game -- graphics notwithstanding -- and this release makes a brilliant game feel fresh and relevant again.