The premier choice for fans of the game behind the game.

It's clogged up with new features and ideas that simply seem gratuitous. The emphasis on driving skill seems to have been diminished, and in its place the Tiburon team appears to have spent the last year asking "what more can we do to add something new to this thing?"

The point of Play 2 was simply to take what made the original resonate with gamers and non-gamers alike so well and bring it up a few notches. That's certainly happened here.

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.

It's a bit of an awkward comparison, but I see shades of "Ninja Gaiden" here: It's unassailably gratifying when the mechanics finally click and you start slicing and volleying your way to victory, but at the same time, it's prohibitive to folks who don't want to spend hours in the school of hard knocks, pursuing what should be a relatively uncomplicated act of learning the game's basic rules and logic.

Let me just get this out the way: Fire Pro Wrestling Returns is the best wrestling game ever. That's not an exaggerated statement -- you will not find a better mat simulator on the market.

The mechanics may not seem as new, and you're always several steps ahead of the story, but the eccentric cast of characters in Ace Attorney is always fun to meet again.

While it may not break, or even dent, any new ground, Titan Quest features a beautifully realized game world based on a tried-and-true core mechanic, with tons of replayability. What's not to like?

You don't have to already be a fan, though, to appreciate the game, and that's a big part of its appeal. It's pretty easy to jump in, grab a gun and start starring in your own WWII movie mowing down Nazis.

Overall, the general feel of Shadow Wars is a solid turn-based strategy game -- even if its story backdrop, limited multiplayer, and character archetypes are short on originality.

Even though it won't wow you with its inventiveness, ExciteBots succeeds on the st[r]ength of its fun racing that keeps challenging you to one more go without ever getting frustrating.

The Superstar control sets will ensure that each game has a lengthy highlight reel while keeping the gameplay fast and fun. Fundamental issues with the game and its key features keep it out of the upper echelon of basketball titles.

At its heart, the game's mechanics have a lot of potential, and at their best remind me of puzzle-platforming greats like Klonoa. But in overestimating what the Wiimote can do, developer Ubisoft has made a game that eventually collapses under its own weight.

It's this carefully guarded lack of realism that keeps the game fresh. While the multitude of moves are clearly wacky, they're never too over-the-top, and it all fits together in this surprising, tight package.

Still, it's a damn good crime game that delivers satisfying combat, an entertaining glimpse into the Japanese criminal underworld, decent fan service for players who dug the first game, and a pretty awesome tiger-fight scene.

Brain Age 2 fixes some old problems (you'll no longer shout words over and over to be understood), but introduces new hiccups as well -- good luck learning to write Dr. Kawashima's way without a couple dumb screwups. And a couple words on Dr. Kawashima: The guy is as condescending as ever; clearly, success has gone to his big, fat, disembodied head.

MM9 is an unapologetic nod to one of gaming's greatest eras. It might've been made especially for nostalgia-crazed dorks like me, but it's something that any challenge-seeking gamer can dig.

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).

When the strength of the game lies solely on the shoulders of an inconsistent narrative in a limited yet gorgeous environment, I can't help but feel robbed of an experience that should be greater than the sum of its parts.

The big problem is durability. With a fun but shallow physics model, a dearth of tracks, no vehicular upgradeability/downgradeability, and so few options, Revo simply isn't set up for a long run. But it's a hell of a good arcade ride in the meantime.

Live 09's made significant strides, particularly in terms of innovation, but like the Houston Rockets exiting in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, it's the same old story here. NBA 2K9 continues to be the dominant basketball title, hands down.

The combat and visuals -- which are what Shank has always been about -- have taken big steps forward to the point that I'm not sure the original Shank even needs to exist at this point. Except for historical value, perhaps.

While the factions aspect could have been fleshed out a bit more, the title still stands as a solid update to the game and a worthwhile purchase for strategy fans.

SCV reinvents the series again, and implements a number of changes that add layers of complexity and depth to a winning formula. The new Street Fighter-centric direction is surprising, but one that still works within the general framework without being overpowering. While plenty of single-player content can keep you busy for months -- much like the original -- in the end playing with friends and real opponents is the best way to experience Soulcalibur.

FFIV is great! But it's also well-trodden territory at this point, presented in a technologically unambitious and aesthetically questionable package. The problem with this collection isn't that it lacks anything new, but rather that the new content feels like a pale imitation of the masterpiece it follows.

While it doesn't reach the status of a great Western, it's still a marked improvement over its mediocre predecessor (I likely would have given Call of Juarez a C+).

As a two-player game it excels, and as a single player experience it certainly seems compatible with the way most people spend time with their PSPs. It's the ideal commuting partner.

The controls hold up better than in most platformers, the levels are well-designed, and your character has a good repertoire of attacks. There's a lot of variety, too.