As impressive as some of Nintendogs + Cats is on a technological level, I failed miserably to really get anything out of it. However, I'm not the target market in this case and my daughter had no problem awarding the game a very good score.

In the end, Torchlight is a very solid dungeon exploring action RPG.

As impressive as some of Nintendogs + Cats is on a technological level, I failed miserably to really get anything out of it. However, I'm not the target market in this case and my daughter had no problem awarding the game a very good score.

It’s clear that Sega used the learning experience of the Dreamcast’s SegaNet online gaming to its utmost advantage, because the seamless and lag-free gameplay provided by NHL 2K3 is simply fire-on-ice marvelous.

Regardless of whether one is playing the game alone, or online with a few other people there is a ton of fun to be had with this game, and it should be in every DS owner’s library.

With apologies to the Combat Mission franchise, Opposing Fronts has started to encroach on the "pure sim" functions of "dice rolling" strategy games, but wrapping it all up in good looking, frenetic action make it accessible to a much wider audience.

Overall great stuff and it makes you wonder how EA will improve upon this… maybe they should start with improving the corner kicks.

Forget the other versions exist and enjoy this one for the boss battles, great multiplayer and all around good rockin’ time.

The only reason SSBM doesn't achieve gaming nirvana is for two reasons: the variety of arenas isn't extensive and sometimes the camera pans so far out it reduces your character to the size of an ant. Otherwise, you're looking at great game.

Enough modernization to upgrade the old-school point & click adventure experience evenly mixed with the same amazing storytelling, humor and problem-solving challenges that the genre was known for make this a triumphant return for both point & click adventures and the zany duo of Sam & Max.

A classic no matter the platform.

Just as before, gameplay isn’t much of an hour-eating affair, clocking in around two hours to complete, which goes back to the norm for the first three episodes while disappointingly straying from the longer gaming session to be had in Abe Lincoln Must Die!

This reboot of the series not only surpassed my expectations, but it is easily one of the best games I have played in a long time. If you're like me and love story driven games that offer a great gaming experience then Tomb Raider is definitely for you.

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

Drastically improves on its predecessor’s shortcomings and turned out to be one the better games that I’ve played in a while – the presence of the in-game saves that were missing from the previous version alone nearly makes the game 5 times better.

Batten down the hatches, let the answering machine do its thing, and keep some snack food on standby, because Planescape Torment is one of those RPGs with such a deep, rich story that it demands every ounce of the players attention.

While it’s not perfect, this game is pretty close and I dare you to find better value for your money.

From the pure amount of massive content available, I'm sure that most gamers will not run out of things to do with Underground 2.

The adventure is decently long (15-20 hours) and has a unique feel and tone when set beside the earlier official offerings and the mod community stuff.

Clubhouse Games is not as cheap as a deck of playing cards, but it's more versatile -- it's worth it for the multiplayer options alone (if card games are your thing).

This is the best online shooting experience available today, including the recently-released Xbox translation of the PC sensation "Counter-Strike."

This is Okami's third appearance. It began on Playstation 2, was ported to Wii, and now we have the high-definition version. If you missed out previously, there's really no reason why you couldn't drop $20 on Okami now. It was originally released back in 2006, but it's one of those games that is standing the test of time extremely well.

The DS isn’t lacking when it comes to puzzle games but if you were disappointed with the puzzling of Mr. Driller Drill Spirits or Yoshi Touch & Go, Meteos firmly supplants both as the premier puzzle game available on the DS.

This game has it all: a solid story, good graphics, sound, level designs, and the ability to choose different paths to complete your mission.

Vastly improved is the sometimes-schizophrenic camera from Sam & Max: Culture Shock that would block the goings-on, especially cut-scene interactions. I didn’t notice one instance of that particular issue at all in Situation: Comedy.

Lair of the Leviathan is the best-written episode so far (and as always, extremely hilarious) that not only shines a lost treasure's golden glow in its storytelling but through the completely new gaming environments, including the love-starved male manatee's innards and Guybrush's bottom-of-the-sea "love connection" excursion.

Spirit Tracks is a solid experience in a familiar world. Fans of Zelda can really do no wrong by getting this game.

Though all of the vehicles, especially the Warthog, are given odd control mechanics, playing with the vehicles adds quite a bit of enjoyment to the otherwise standard FPS game mechanics.

The atmosphere is great, the control awesome, the challenge solid, and the eye-candy sweet.

All in all, those new to the franchise would be better served to pick up the Mass Effect Trilogy releases that came out at the same time and would get all 3 games for the same price. However, if you don't have access to an Xbox, PS3 or a gaming PC, this isn't the worst way to go.

Skyrim's pretty damn awesome.

Hitman: Aboslution is as close to being a gritty Roger Moore era James Bond reboot as you can get without infringing copyright. It has just the right amount of "whackadoodle" nonsense to qualify as a "Spy Who Loved Me" spin-off adventure.

The gyro may seem like a gimmick – and it probably is – but that doesn't make Twisted any less worthy of the WarioWare moniker – it's fun, challenging, and ever so twisted.

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

Following excellent Sam Max, Strongbad and Wallace & Gromit episodic series, Telltale Games has done it once again. Tales of Monkey Island's first episode, Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, is a "yo-ho-ho and a barrel of laughs" P&C adventure game.

Psychonauts marries platforming, adventure games, stellar art, fun dialogue and a great gaming experience – it's a polygamous experience that I definitely recommend to all gamers.

No matter if you are a fan of the old-school classic GoldenEye or playing for the very first time, the Wii has its best FPS to date in GoldenEye 007.

While I do not feel it takes the accepted throne of stealth action games, Splinter Cell is highly polished, and extremely solid as a game.

"Madden 2004" may include more realistic gameplay and statistics, but ESPN is a much more satisfying experience when breaking down the purpose of games in the first place. To be fun.

All in all, FIFA 12 is another spectacular game in the series. The differences between this game and the real thing continue to be chipped away at, and with the depth of material available in this title you can really submerge yourself into beautiful game.

While there’s plenty of new items that fit into the consumer demographics of the college-age Sims such as mp3 players and cell phones, and chances to experience full-blown Animal House-style college days, it’s hard to take advantage of those chances because if you’re serious about getting a Sim college degree, you really have to focus on schoolwork.

All in all, Fight Night Round 4 is an excellent game, that will appeal to the boxing fans amongst us. Not perfect yet, but getting pretty darn close with each version.

There is absolutely no reason why this product should be entertaining, much less insanely addictive - but, goodness is it ever.

No lying, with all the new multiplayer modes packed into it along with everything else it includes, RDR gamers definitely will not feel cheated in the least if they download this DLC.

The sound is phenomenal, just like the graphics.

But with a great new graphical presentation and the immensely upgraded gameplay interface that really improves the gameplay, the first episode of the third Sam & Max season is an entirely unexpected gaming treat.

Chariots of the Dogs is impressive in its story’s complexity while still retaining a good amount of the trademark Sam & Max humor (although because of the intricacy of tying so many plots neatly together, Chariots of the Dogs isn’t quite as rib-tickling funny as most previous episodes).

This is simply amazing writing with some of the best satirical political commentary without even mentioning specifics about either Democrats or Republicans along with longer and tougher gameplay.

More than just the typical tower defense game, CastleStorm packs a thunder and lighting one-two punch with a stellar single-player campaign that has plenty of strategy and old-school hack & slashing along with a solid online mode when it's time to test the tower defending mettle against human adversaries.

As the only game franchise that my wife actually wants to play, I have no problem giving the Unwound Future a massive stamp of approval.

A game that gets everything right; the puzzles are just hard enough to be a challenge without being too frustrating, the presentation pleasing and the control spot-on.

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin comes with the highest recommendation – the only thing preventing wider appeal for the series, is its difficulty level which is high even for experienced players.

Heavy Rain is an essential title for an adventure game fan but I don't think I can limit the recommendation to "fans of the genre." It's involving in a way that most games don't even aspire to.

Despite the games high difficulty at times, it's a "must have" title for the 3DS, especially if you are a fan of Strategy games. Fire Emblem won’t disappoint, and goes on step further in making it memorable with a well-rounded cast of characters, great music and a bevy of customization options.

Improves on its predecessor's already-impressive showing, with the real clincher of its racing game greatness being the Xbox Live support, especially adding the ability to utilize XSN tournaments.

Interestingly, it’s the game’s inability to escape certain problems of previous games, like cameras and finding hotspots, as well as clinging onto the standard Zelda formula of traveling from dungeon to dungeon on a grandiose collectation that holds the game back. Despite this, it is still a must-have for anyone who owns, or is thinking of picking up a Wii.

Despite the flaws that it has, Eternal Sonata is still a visually stunning game with a charming story.

From the amazingly vast landscape to the equally impressive NPC interaction to the first-rate story to the many, many choices and gameplay freedom it presents to gamers, to the co-op that will have gamers coming back for return visits to Albion long after the revenge on Lucien has been satisfyingly taken, Fable II is a stellar and engrossing RPG of the highest order.

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.

Sandbox destruction at its finest, Red Faction: Guerrilla will surely satisfy action gamers because many of the constrictions we’ve all become used to – that waist-high wall that stops you dead – are blown up.

There are plenty of hijinks and hilarity to be found during Ice Station Santa in the unraveling of the Santa legend, Sam and Max style.

Navigating the environments with a controller isn't as intuitive as a mouse and keyboard setup, but with a bit of patience and some experimentation… well, Bungie has seen to it that Halo 3 will probably be the most played Xbox 360 game for at least the next year.

Despite clocking in with noticeably less gameplay than in Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, the Siege of Spinner Cay episode has a more involved storyline to submerge gamers in.

But despite the short length and difficulty, Klonoa’s classic strengths far outweigh its long forgotten weaknesses. Whether you were a fan of the original or a curious newcomer, Door to Phantomile is a wonderful experience that deserves to reach the reception it has long deserved.

Everyone gets a chance to play and interact and have fun. Really, that’s what Nintendo excels at, getting everyone involved and allowing childish enthusiasm to file down the sharp corners of the vexation of adulthood and life experience. New Super Mario Bros. U does that very thing.

Dead Space 3 is a very solid action shooter that still delivers plenty of scary, survivor-horror frightening moments.

No, it doesn’t tread new territory that hasn’t been explored in a previous expansion, but nonetheless The Sims 2 Pets turns out to surprisingly be the most engaging and addictive expansion yet for The Sims 2.

A quality title by a quality developer who has shown that you can actually fix a game that ain’t broken, and introduce fresh possibilities into an already intriguing genre.

SSX Blur is a icy blast of refreshingly cool gaming, as you shred down snowy slopes with a Wii Nunchuk in one hand and a Wiimote in the other, watching the wintry scenery blur right by at an extreme speed.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village looks a lot like old time adventure games – like The Adventures of Willy Beamish – with great hand drawn backgrounds and the occasional stretch of animation, complete with sound.

To sum it up, Dark Souls and its predecessor may be the most definitive example of what makes a videogame "Hardcore." There will be many deaths and many flaring tempers that may require a day or two of meditation to attempt jumping back in, but like an abusive lover, Dark Souls wins you back every time just before it delivers another bitch-slap to your face…and you just may learn to love it.

Without the creative destruction elements that Volition's Geo Mod 2.5 engine allows, Red Faction: Armageddon would be an average shooter, but because it revels in twisting and snapping almost every object throughout and integrating it into the overall strategy of the game, Armageddon is not to be missed.

Four turns out to be the funniest episode yet, with a great spy-spoof story serving as the gameplay background.

Beautiful and bountifully bloody, The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile is thoroughly enjoyable hack & slash entertainment at its finest, with plenty of crimson-colored co-op craziness to extend the gameplay hours even more.

High Heat, like Michelle [from "American Pie 2"], isn't the most glamorous choice, but once you get over the visual technicality what remains is a sports gaming masterpiece.

I hate to use a cliché, but the number of game modes in Madden 2003 are mind-boggling.

If you totally enjoyed MGS2, this definitive version is certainly worth a look, delivering all of the extras and the original game in one package.

Darksiders II is full of enormous environments and dungeons to traverse to and explore, even more fantastical enemies and large-scale bosses to battle, and plenty of challenging hacking, slashing and loot collecting.

Main story missions traipse from one outlandish setup to the next. Blowing stuff up with a helicopter or getting your game show on with Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax, which felt a little more more like a realized version of Smash TV, or just clearing out rival gangs, it's a good assortment provided you stay on the story path.

If you let it, Nintendogs will warm your gaming heart. Nintendo put more than enough content into Nintendogs to keep your kids and, lets face it, you engrossed for many hours.

This game is magic. Occasionally offensive and funny magic, but magic nonetheless.

All in all, I'd say that Y's: Memories of Celceta enters the "Must Have" area for RPG fans. It shows it's age in some places and isn't the prettiest game ever, but the depth of game to be explored here is well worth the price of admission.

Gorgeous graphics, dazzling audio, a charming storyline and overall appealing game play -- and it all fits neatly inside your pocket!

inFamous is a type of game that doesn’t come around often enough and is easily one of this year’s strongest titles.

Golf videogaming has never been so fun.

The PSP is finally getting some solid original content and this one is among its finest. I highly recommend you give this one a spin.

At this point in time, EA Canada has the NHL franchise down to a science. But this year, rather than just spit out another instalment, they took the time to do some really interesting things while refining things like hitting and getting the control aspects almost perfect. NHL 09 is highly recommended.

Visceral could have gone the easy route and slapped them on the disc as a digitized graphic novel but they went the extra mile with some great audio and subtle animations that make them worth flipping through.

There’ some new golfers, courses and a few new features, but Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 isn’t much different than its predecessor.

It’s accessible, it’s fun, the graphics and sound are well done, has the crowd is the best out there, and has enough options and stats to mollify even the most rabid fan of “real” hockey.

No matter how you tee it up, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 is simply the best golfing game available today.

A technical masterpiece...One of the most impressive aspects of the game is the sheer massive geographical completeness of the environment combined with the overall sense of freedom and open-ended goodness.

The cliché of key collecting to open doors has been replaced by the completely and utterly new convention of PDA collecting to open doors.

Being able to snap the lid closed after a round and pick it up again hours later while I'm standing in line at the bank makes Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition the ultimate version of the title. The portability factor and ease of use, even without the production values of the console version, just made it easier for me to get into.

Its gameplay isn’t any more innovative than the average action title, and the camera is as ridiculously dysfunctional as the Simpsons family, but the stellar story more than atones for it, as The Simpsons Game is the best Simpsons game to date, bringing Springfield and its denizens to life as never before.

It looks great, plays great, and with the addition of a franchise and season mode, gives you plenty of incentive to keep playing.

Once more, gamers won’t be able to find a more smartly and funnily crafted story along with the usual Sam & Max hijinks to enjoy.

Unlike the later games, Final Fantasy II showcases the most involved learning and experience system of the series - all weapons, shields, and spells have some associated skill level in using them.