Great gameplay, great graphics, great levels, great lead character, great amount of gaming-time hours: you name it this game does it GREAT.

A decent title, but if you already own NHL 2004 you’re probably wasting your time and money for updated player stats, a token number of additions, and some new animations.

All round AI is lacking. Enemy AI is laughable at times – walking toward you backwards or standing still while you spray them with the flamethrower.

Once one gets past the controls and somewhat cold, distant storytelling, what remains makes for a pretty good time.

NHL 07 isn't much of an upgrade, save for the updated NHL roster, over its predecessor. And it does still commit a few unforgivable penalties for gamers, particularly the maddening A.I., which at times can be brilliant while at the same time being frustratingly dumb (especially the goalies), allowing ridiculously easy goals from far distances to find their way into the back of the net twine.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star sure isn't like the Paper Mario games that have come before it. So much so, that's it's hard to think of Sticker Star as a role-playing game. If role-playing is defined as collecting and using stickers, then it would fit, but it doesn't.

While it doesn’t quite hold up to the sports titles found in more powerful consoles, the quick-placed play and the easy-to-use controls make FIFA a fun distraction for the casual crowd, and even for gamers who hear the name “Zidane” and think of the main character from Final Fantasy IX, instead of the guy who considers head-butts as compliments.

The one area that may frustrate some comes in how difficult this year's edition can be. At higher difficulty settings, the opponent's goalie can be almost god-like, and the game can become very unforgiving to mistakes.

The music may be the best feature of this game (And this is a pretty decent game.) The developers did a fantastic job of recreating the series compositions for the small speakers of the GBA.

Disney is a powerhouse when it comes to licensing their products but even these prices seem a little overboard. If it weren't for the fact the campaigns are fun and suitable for the pre-teen crowd and the Toy Box modes offers a lot options, I'd probably be steering parents away.

Some features could still definitely use some refining, but basketball gamers will still find plenty of hoops dreams fulfilled with the overall quality of NCAA Basketball 10.

Resident Evil: Revelations is less of a "fans of the genre" title than it is a "fans of the series" title. For everyone else, it's like that B-movie that does just enough things right to be entertaining.

Value for the buck-wise, Baten Kaitos is awesome. The main game takes between 35 and 40 hours to play through and side quests could add maybe five to eight hours to that.

A ridiculous variety of games coupled with hundreds of Easter eggs and other bells and whistles. It is easily the best such collection to come along yet.

I’m a fan of the Red Alert series, warts and all. It’s just too much fun for me, whether playing with people through the co-op campaign of Red Alert 3 or the single-player aspects of Uprising, it’s all goofy fun. And that’s mainly what I want from my games: fun.

The camera and the linear fashion of the levels didn’t make me a Rayman convert but I did have fun – especially with those drug-inspired transition sections. Far out, man!

If you've been away from the Tony Hawk franchise for a few games and just dropped a bunch of cash for a 360, it's time to get re-acquainted with the King of Extreme Sports Games.

The real downside, other than a relatively steep learning curve for newcomers to the genre, to Blitzkrieg 2 is the poor choice of music.

Barrels explode, smoke, environmental damage (i.e. bullet holes), flying bodies… it’s all good. Provided you have the hardware that can handle it.

There’s some trial and error early on that could have sunk the whole game, but the depth and style overcome that stumbling block.

But with a strong story (a hallmark of all three episodes) a refreshing setting change to the carnival grounds, and a starring role for Gromit, a few stumbles (especially at the end of the game) aren’t enough to trip up Muzzled! as the best of the three episodes yet.

This genre is notably absent from the console world. A number of real-time strategy games have made in-roads in establishing this almost PC-exclusive genre on consoles but until mouse and keyboard get the nod, it has hit a wall. I'm just glad it has done so with a steel drum beat.

NPC reaction isn’t all that diverse, as it would be in a real MMORPG. The visuals, aside from the character designs, aren’t all that impressive.

It does provide a short bit of fun, but that quickly ends as the repetition sinks in its claws.

It’s the perfect melding of classic old-school gaming on the newest generation of video gaming consoles.

Only the lack of a rich multi-player section and some odd design decisions keep Unreal 2 from being one of the best FPS’s in recent memory.

With a good assortment of modes and wrestlers to unlock (and hopefully some DLC wrestlers as well) the hardcore fan should be appeased, and with the focus on movement rather than grappling less hardcore fans will find something to love.

More like a puzzle game interspersed with fighting than anything else.

While Savage may not be supremely addicting, it is still an excellent game and I can see it quickly becoming a favorite among online gamers.

One facet worth mentioning is that although I was using the same exact machine as I had for the previous Sims games, I actually had a crisper performance on my system compared to when "Hot Date" had last been played.

At the end of the day, I’m looking for fun from my games and NBA 08 has enough options to suite whatever mood I might be in when I start it up. All of that and a decent basketball game? It’s a no-brainer for basketball fans on the go.

If you are a fan of Tetris or Bejeweled and are looking for something a bit meatier, give this one a try.

In terms of Star Wars games it’s probably the most complete Star Wars package the gaming world has ever seen.

Whether you're an oldschool vet of the Hulkamania era or a devout follow of Stone Cold's gospel, you're bound to have fun having both sides smack each other over the head with chairs.

Heck, even I was able to place bets on my single-player experience would heighten the competitiveness of even the most mundane courses and then I might even forgive all those darn menus I have to wade through to get to the racing.

It's not overwhelming in what it offers in addition to what the original game offers already, but it does have enough interesting points to make it worthwhile for fans of the original.

The game is gorgeous, features great depth and affords some neat strategic elements. But as time wore on I couldn’t stop myself from thinking that I’d like to be playing a game that is less boring and includes more in the department of "doing things".

The game sounds just as good as the visuals, except for some voice acting. Voices are a real mixed bag between great or ridiculous. Sound effects are good and the music keeps things tense.

Manhunt is sick, but it deserves both the success, and the revulsion it receives.

The single-player game sticks closely to the tried and true Bomberman action we have come to know while not relying too much on the involvement of the Pokémonesque charabom characters (that were introduced in the original versions last year) to create a surprisingly good handheld title.

While the game clocks in at about 5 - 6 hours from start to finish, I don't know anyone masochistic enough to undertake such a challenge.

If you love story driven games, then I recommend Mafia II, just don't expect to get the same amount of replay value as similar games already out on the market.

Gamers looking to enjoy a new level of Sims revelry should definitely send out an invite to Celebration! Stuff.

Frontlines: Fuel of War was designed with multiplayer junkies in mind. The single player won't hold your attention for very long, but the online play is certainly the main attraction.

Great fighting engine, good graphics, great “hey, I’m Spider-man!” feel, great level design, well-detailed city, and a really bad camera.

A puzzle game that will exercise your brain.

After starting out with some interesting gameplay and moves, including a adventurous amount of big Boss battles, I-Ninja falls back on a few too many standards of the genre that go back to the granddaddy of the modern platformer, "Super Mario 64."

A great game with an accurate stat system, fluid animations, and plenty of depth to last a very long time. Although ASB doesn’t have the glamour and beauty MVP Baseball 2004 may have, the real beauty lies inside.

Graphics and sound are, in a word, wonderful.

All in all, Night of the Rabbit was an extremely enjoyable game, one certainly that most adventure game enthusiasts will have a fun time with.

The best console rendition of the series yet.

A respectable console version of a very good PC game.

For those of you diehard fans who can quote Scarface the same way other people quote Monty Python, Scarface: The World Is Yours is exactly the game you've been waiting for for the last quarter century.

A fairly satisfying gaming experience... that goes for deeper strategy – actual gameplay! – rather than a flashy package.

In comparison to Call of Duty 2, Quake 4 doesn't quite meet the same "exceptional" level but it is a solid game with a strong adherence to the conventions of the genre. It's a must try to Quake and first-person shooter fans but as an outright purchase... rent it first.

Ridiculous fun.

Just pop in one of the old games – or any one of their numerous clones from the past few years – and it’ll probably be more worthwhile.

Has its rough edges but I probably spent more time than was necessary playing it because I was enjoying it!

Despite its few technical faults, Chibi-Robo is a deviously charming little game, with an addicting quality that makes it hard to put down.

Fans will love it, but there's no harm with sticking with previous games in the NHL series.

Combined with an excellent soundtrack and the same stylish look that SNK is know for, this somehow manages to beat even Neo Geo Battle Coliseum as one of the best 2D fighters they’ve put out in a long, long time.

All in all, Alice: Madness Returns delivers a good sequel. Not superlative, but not a cheap knockoff. If topsy-turvy architecture, steampunk menaces, and Victorian psychotherapy tickle your geek itch, this is a title well worth playing.

It’s just unfortunate it’s over all too soon, because there is some good action here – the execution is just a bit off.

All told, X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged Edition is a very playable and satisfying action game.

Unlike the Wii version, the fully functional online component means you (almost) always have access to some stiff human competition over Xbox Live. And it definitely looks much sharper.

The entrancing graphics and addictively bizarre gameplay help define Every Extend Extra as a fantastic game, but the $20 price tag ensures its status as one of the best values on the PSP.

There's definitely some re-tread going on with Batman: Arkham Origins, but the combat, the relatively good story (B-list villain aside), the powerful feeling of being Batman in video game form has only muted my enthusiasm for the franchise by the smallest of margins.

Chili Con Carnage occasionally feels like a mess of a game, largely due to the controls, but it's a darned fun mess of a game, and anyone into arcade-style blastathons will find a lot to like.

Radical Entertainment has delivered on their promise of improving the foundation laid by the original Prototype.

With its emphasis on the merriment of nightlife, Late Night is the most electrifying jolt to Sims 3 everyday sameness that can be found.

This could have been a seriously awesome game. Instead, we get a clone that blows its own legs off with a clichéd storyline that ignores the internal logic of it's own world.

As a puzzle game for short and long play sessions Pokémon Trozei! should have offered more modes of play.

It is definitely not for snobby role-playing twits. However, there is still a lot of fun to be found and this game should be given a fair shake.

So dying isn’t quite the frustration it was in the arcade.

The uniqueness of the setting and the Platoon/Full Metal Jacket inspired cut-scenes and soundtrack add a lot to the experience.

The Pro Career mode is the meat of the game. Here, Smash Court 2 is a revelation.

As a Dead Rising fan I appreciate the basics of exploring and messing around with different weapons and just having fun. And while the conclusion isn't really satisfying the enjoyment getting there lets me give Case West a recommendation.

It’s interesting, as the main game is very well suited to the more traditional gaming crowd, while the mini-games are a great distraction for casual gamers.

Runaway is the best adventure game out right now, and my early nominee of the best adventure game this year.

Because like all art, it's subjective – I may not know art, but I know what I like. And I don't like this. For something truly "art wothy" try "Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem."

As a whole, Blitzkrieg does deliver a decent RTS that will last for a very long time; however the game isn’t at the stage to compete with current RTS standards, still sporting the 2D landscapes and scratchy infantry movement.

With wi-fi multiplayer to back-up the generally intense single-player modes, it’s still a good purchase for action puzzle fans. Or more specifically, the kids of those action puzzle fans.

Despite some imbalances in the game's spells, and certain aspects of the game's difficulty being exploitable, there's still a lot to like about Magicka.

The storyline follows the exploits of the pantheon of Batman villains after their escape from Arkham Asylum and the subsequent mayhem that ensues, but you don't need to be familiar with any of that to sit down and play along with your kids.

While Headhunter does well to borrow from games like "Metal Gear Solid 2" and the sort of comically futuristic world found in movies like Robocop, it falls short with it’s blandly typical story and constant cliché rip-offs that cheapen the experience.

Just what the witchdoctor ordered: no matter what supernatural doppelganger – from the scary to the mysterious to the mischievous ‑ gamers choose, there is ample magically macabre monstrous adventures to explore in the eerie enclave of Moonlight Falls.

It's the game any fan could want, but the obstacles involved can turn even the most faithful fan against it.

Has its charms for those with some patience and a thirst for a different take on real-time strategy.

Ridge Racer 6 is recommended for nuance-loving race fans. With the amount of fore-thought and planning required to win, casual fans are likely to frustrated.

It's unfortunate that the simple gameplay hasn't held up well over the years, because most of the fun here is had through shear nostalgia (whipping candles, etc).

With a good story, excellent graphics, varied tracks, and a whole lot of great racing machines that most of us only dream of driving, Apex is one of the better racers to be found on the Xbox.

The camera doesn’t always provide the most beneficial view of your surroundings.

Big, bright, colorful, and a tidal wave quirkiness rolled into a ball, Katamari Forever can be a lot of fun if you just let yourself enjoy it.

For both the young (who were either too youthful or not even born to have been around for the point & click adventure gaming rage of the early 1990s) and old (those who were lucky enough to have experienced the golden age of LucasArts point & click adventuring, including the classic Sam & Max Hit the Road), the Wii version of Sam & Max Season One is sure to bring more than a few rib-tickling chuckles and guffaws along with the superbly written story for a hilarious gaming journey.

GHWOR does little to change the minds of those who thought the series was past its prime. Frankly, GHWOR could have existed as a track pack, but for what it's worth, Neversoft still manages to squeeze out some fun gameplay even if it is to the same old tune.

It’s got a sense of fun, a main character that can be outfitted in a bikini, lots of swordplay, a chance to bend the laws of Nature in really big ships, and playability that’s easy to pick-up.

At this point, 800 MS Points ($10) for Leviathan seems just about right if you liked Mass Effect 3 and want some of the lore explained at greater depth even if some of the fights are a little frustrating.

While neither innovative in its gameplay mechanics or its fright-fests, F.E.A.R. 3's solo outing is still a better-than-average experience that is made all the more entertaining with another player. Its multiplayer offerings are on the opposite side of the spectrum, featuring interesting and fun new gameplay modes that deserve to be imitated by future FPS titles. Unfortunately, the current netcode issues keeps gamers from discovering this for themselves, as if Alma's vengeful spirit lingers as a ghost in the machine.