With forebodingly scary levels, huge end bosses and plenty of enjoyably hellacious, gory FPS gameplay, Painkiller: Hell Wars has enough quality features to blaze a fiery path into the Xbox library of shooter aficionados as it is one of the most devilishly pleasurable FPS titles on the Xbox.

Will satisfy multiplayer junkies’ needs but will leave single player fanatics wanting more.

A significant improvement from the first iteration of the game on the PS2 -- it features an exciting and intense single player campaign, even if it is on the short side, while the multiplayer is mediocre at best.

For the money, Super Collapse 3 is a good purchase, with many potential hours of time wasting during your commute.

But as far as action games go, Stranglehold is about as flashy as they come, with enough slick gunplay to keep fans of the genre glued to their seats and having fun, even if they skip multiplayer altogether.

Though I’m sure Activision would never go for it, I propose that Guitar Hero undergo a name change. Rather than “Guitar Hero: Metallica” it should be labelled “Guitar Hero for Metallica Fans!” because that’s a more apt description of what you get with each of these showcase titles.

Picking up both and playing straight through all the campaigns is what I would prescribe for RTS gamers unimpressed by the current offerings from other studios.

It offers some decent old-shool action and the web stats but the old-school passwords kick it in the teeth.

There are legions of kids out there that want to be firefighters and this game offers a little look into that career.

If you only had to do one thing at a time, it would be easy, but most of the time you’re dealing with three things and planning for the forth.

Assassin's Creed II is a fun game and I recommend it.

Combined with the incredible sense of speed offered by the game, Midnight Club 2 will leave you craving more, and you will likely be up until the early hours of the morning trying to beat those pesky French sisters in Paris.

There are collectibles scattered throughout, like VR missions, but the main draw for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is the entertaining whackiness of the whole thing, including the so-far-over-the-top-it-hits-the-moon violence. For that alone, you get your money's worth.

Overall, I was quite pleased with this title and you won’t go wrong picking it up. It’s not quite a slam dunk but it’s certainly no foul.

The randomness of some of the board effects can be frustrating; it's akin to Nintendo grabbing the chess board mid-match and throwing it across the room. It doesn't seem fair and there's nothing you can do about it except enjoy the experience while it lasts. And the kids liked it.

After some initial frustration, which I'll admit was high, it's really a game worth playing for the epic feel and chaos of open-field warfare.

An overall solid entry into a crowded platformer market. I would have scored KDL a lot higher if it wasn’t hindered by annoyances such as the camera and having to trek across the land to get to shops.

I'm not convinced that anyone who hasn't already played the original game -- which is available on Xbox 360 for $20US most places, and just launched on PC with the DLC episodes -- would be able to even marginally follow what the hell is going on in American Nightmare. No doubt it would up the bizarreness of the game for those players but the main draw is more or less for fans only. And, really, this writer is okay with that.

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.

The overall gameplay for the NBA Live uninitiated still clanks heavy off the backboard compared to its main competitor on the virtual hardwood.

Despite the insanely difficult and nearly impossible Challenge mode and the sometimes-unfair violent behavior on the part of the A.I.-controlled racers, a good visual presentation, great trick system and tough races make ATV: Quad Power Racing 2 a good addition to the Xbox racing library.

Perfect for people that enjoy a low-impact game. It’ll score many points for being easy to get into and a leisurely way to pass the time, but people that like things to happen should steer clear.

It’s not exactly The Sims, being toned down to appeal to a much younger audience. In fact, it’s hard to believe anybody except females under the age of 14 will find the MySims’ pastel-colored universe and sugarcoated characters a charming gaming adventure.

For action fans, Dark Sector is definitely a game worth checking out because it hits all the right notes.

It may not have an official Olympics license, but it truly makes you feel like you are a part of something special.

Overall, this game makes you want to get to the next tier, pushes you to get to the next level so you are invited to international events, and rewards you regardless of your driving style. That makes it accessible to just about any gamer out there and is definitely worth your time to give the cars in here a spin.

A 3D fighter for people who hate 3D fighters.

While the presentation, gameplay and character selection is a bit better in KoF XI, NeoGeo Battle Coliseum is still a fantastic game, especially for the low budget price (usually between $15 - $20 US.)