It's Terry Cavanagh's best game to date, and one of the best platformers I've ever played. If you have any interest in challenging platformers whatsoever, you'd be doing yourself a disservice not to pick up VVVVVV.

Double D isn't the most tightly produced of shooters, but it's a laugh. With genuinely amusing, self-deprecating humor peppered throughout, and increasingly ridiculous opponents to tackle, Mommy's Best Games has produced something that is sure to entertain, even if it doesn't inspire.

he games really just have not aged well at all, and the terrible up-and-down of the matches to get you to pump tokens into the game still remain, making it an incredibly frustrating fight.

There's a lot to like here, and I think the game could be great in a year or two, but the quality level simply varies too much. If you're a Franchise nut who's been aching for a broadcast look and better visuals, you're in luck this year. Those seeking a significantly improved on-the-field experience, well, hey... be thankful that you can watch the NFL on Sundays.

If you're looking for something more complex or serious, you need to look elsewhere. There is no score, no leaderboards, no achievements to be found here. Just music-making fun.

Awful design, a counter-intuitive art style, and an obscenely cheap approach to difficulty makes BloodRayne: Betrayal a game that should be avoided by all but the most masochistic and deranged of gamers. The deep revulsion that this game inspires within me cannot accurately be described, but it is measured only by the intense, burning disappointment I feel as a fan of the series.

It lacks the scale and scope of Nintendo's other big N64 remake, but it's arguably a more compelling experience for shmup junkies like myself. The game is constant action with no filler; just constant dog fighting and high-flying arial maneuvers, with a bit of jaw-flapping, Muppet-y fun layered on top.

A wonderfully tight production that brings an authenticity and intensity befitting Games Workshop's beloved universe. While there are some vexing design decisions and the campaign is disappointingly brief, there's nevertheless plenty of content to get stuck into and exquisitely savage combat on offer.

I really can't think of any other games that I'd recommend more. The originals are both so lovingly crafted and inspiring that I think gamers 50 years for now will still be talking about them. No, they're not perfect, but they're both fine examples of brilliant game design, and they both put forth an experience you won't soon forget. Please, play these games.

Bodycount might have gotten more attention five years ago, but even compared to Black, it's unexceptional. The word "generic" has become quite overused in recent years, but if ever a game truly deserved it, Bodycount would definitely be a top contender.

While it could definitely have used more meat on its bones, Crimson Alliance is a fine little game that does just enough to provide a few hours of solid fun. It's got a bright and fun visual style, an encouraging level of challenge, and should be the perfect way to keep one's sword sharp while waiting for Diablo III to turn up.

Regardless of whether or not you desire innovation in Tropico 4, it remains one of the most enjoyable and charming city building games of current times.

It's inspired, but turgid. Brilliant, but flawed. Fun, but infuriating. Like the living dead itself, Dead Island is a contradiction from beginning to end. However, I feel you need to play it, because despite copying so much from infinitely smoother games, there's nothing quite like it on the market. That, itself, is yet another contradiction in the confused, conflicted, often completely beautiful mess that is Dead Island.

Rock of Ages is good for a few deep laughs, has tremendous art design, and is worth experiencing by most everyone given the price and ridiculous premise.

In its current state, No Time To Explain is in serious need of polish. One day, this might be a solid platformer, because the concept is fun and worth iterating upon. For now, though, the annoyances aren't worth putting up with.

Between responsive controls, colorful sprites that are easy on the eyes, and a clever rewards system that will keep players coming back for more, Jetpack Joyride is comfortably the best in its class.

As the Wii version is pretty easy to find for around $10, it's hard to recommend this mixed bag of an update, knowing that the less buggy original is $30 cheaper.

This is a game that feels like it was developed in a bubble, oblivious to elements that have shaped the best RTS games of the past 15 years or to how an outsider will adjust to the game's rules.

With its flowing, open approach to mission structure, thoroughly engrossing story and gorgeous visuals, this is the kind of game that all others should strive to be. While there are some elements that don't feel quite as developed as they should have been, and augmentation is more Hobson's choice than true choice, Human Revolution provides a level of quality that only the most adamant cynic could fail to be impressed by. More importantly, it is everything a fan of Deus Ex could want in a game.

If I weren't such a 2D sprite-based graphics whore, I might give my experience with the game a 10/10, but that pixel distortion hurt me bad, so I have to go with a 9.

With its flowing, open approach to mission structure, thoroughly engrossing story and gorgeous visuals, this is the kind of game that all others should strive to be. While there are some elements that don't feel quite as developed as they should have been, and augmentation is more Hobson's choice than true choice, Human Revolution provides a level of quality that only the most adamant cynic could fail to be impressed by. More importantly, it is everything a fan of Deus Ex could want in a game.

El Shaddai isn't perfect, but it has more than enough breathtaking moments to make the journey worthwhile.

It's tough, it's overwhelming, and it'll break your brain, but E.Y.E is also one of the most creatively successful, conceptually lavish, mentally arresting games released in a long, long time.

A great pick-up-and-play title; the controls are simple and levels can be completed in a couple of minutes, but the desire to improve my ranking kept me coming back for more.

While it may be lacking in raw content for some players, it more than makes up for it with layers of cooperative and competitive elements that make it one of the best strategy games on Xbox Live Arcade.

A humble game for a humble premise.

Does little to elevate itself over the antiquated genre it spawned from. The hand-drawn 2D art is nice, and the real-world caricatures that act as bosses after each stage might elicit a smirk, but the game is short, shallow, and unable to properly execute the simple, tried-and-true beat 'em up gameplay style, let alone advance it.

Kickin Momma isn't as tightly refined as Peggle, but it's a cheap, fun distraction that's put together very well. Not the mention, the concept alone is entertaining in its own right.