I defy there to be a better football game this year.

This is absolutely my favorite Final Fantasy title, a claim I probably would have laughed at two years ago when rumors about the game’s battle system began to circulate.

It trounces "Madden" in nearly every in-game and out-of-game aspect. And since "Madden" is a newbie to the Xbox Live arena, ESPN's Live support, replete with fully customizable leagues and comprehensive player profiles, it is simply unmatched.

It’s the kind of game that can be played indefinitely and a player’s performance will continually improve. The tasks ahead look daunting at first, but the depth of the game quickly becomes a player’s best friend as each new play session introduces new surprises.

The controls in Soul Calibur II are nearly flawlessly executed, and considering the Xbox and Gamecube controller configurations, just making a fighting game playable, let alone as fluid as Soul Calibur II, is a miracle unto itself.

We've seen the Final Fantasy epic take us on a memorable journey, but now it all seems like it's been done before. 10 is good, great at times, but it is no longer original.

Guitar Hero II is what being a sequel is all about. Taking the core gameplay from a solid game and making improvements and sharpening until it can cut through steel like a hot knife through butter.

Despite the multiplayer faux pax, and the odd dispersion of items throughout the game, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes still comes out on top as one of the premier titles to experience not only this holiday season, but rather throughout this entire console generation.

The effects used in the game are as good, if not better, than Super Metroid on the SNES. The sound effects are also excellent, boasting superb music and clear voice effects during much of the game, along with the normal bleeps and booms from constant enemy killing.

Its principal accomplishment is the fact that it allows complete guitar idiots to play legendary rock classics without a lick of practice and come away looking like a real pro. At the same time, it packs enough depth—with higher difficulties that require an insane amount of speed and precision—that very skillful players will be able to impress in their own right.

A fantastic example of what fun games should be like. Never mind that it makes some of the most gorgeous scenes you're likely to find on the PS2, the game itself is so good the eye and ear candy is just extra.

It has all of the elements of a blockbuster movie mixed with the interactivity of a video game, resulting in an experience that is both invigorating and intriguing. In other words, this is game is a work of art, and needs to be experienced.

Nothing like this has ever been played before, and like a true classic will probably never be reproduced. Even if a player finds the gameplay uninteresting, or if the lack of anything other then sixteen boss fights makes them uncomfortable, this game can still be enjoyed for the art direction alone.

Ninja Gaiden, despite one of the year's worst camera systems, still manages to be one of the year's best action games.

Burning Crusade's most grievous crime is that it totally invalidates the years of work you've put into pimping out your toons, but if you can handle looking like you can't dress yourself in the morning, the new equipment you'll be earning will be a salve on the wound.

There are only two things that keep Battlefield 2 from online perfection. The first and most formidable of the two is the terrible browser used to navigate the game’s servers. It’s slow, inaccurate, and downright frustrating at times.

An excellent game. If you don’t own 2004, it is a fantastic purchase, however, if you do, you may find too much of the same thing again. It’s time for EA to rehash this series, as each year’s offering is getting more and more stale.

Another facet of this title that makes it something of a catalyst for online euphoria is the ability to create your own modules through which you can play by yourself, as well as others.

With all of its unique features and amounts of item/soul collection, Aria could be considered second to only one other game in the Castlevania series – the masterpiece, "Symphony of the Night."

Golden Sun has a ton of potential, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes.

Soccer nuts will have hundreds of hours of gameplay at their fingertips when they jump into Master League, which easily matches any other sports game on the market in depth, sheer fun, and balls to the wall realism.

Reason alone to own the DS platform. All of the fun that has been intrinsic to the series is intact, and the much-anticipated online component simply seals the deal. This is best game in the series by far, and perhaps the best kart-style racing game ever to come along.

You know what, man? I really like this game. Maybe it's cause I been drinking, but now that I think about it, this is a damn fine racing game. It might even be the best racing game I ever played.

Despite all the whiz-bang innovations however, the core gameplay remains the same. The interface in general has changed little, and you'll find that the game from minute to minute is played in the same manner. The schticky retro charm also carries through from the original.

It is easily the best squad combat game ever released, and the fact that it serves as such a great showcase for the software-hungry 360 is just icing on the cake.

CPU management is unbelievably horrid. The CPU controlled teams all have 15 pitchers and 10 batters, which only leaves them with one or two backup fielders. The stats are questionable at best.

The game doesn't stray much from the original formula, but it certainly improves upon it in every imaginable way.

Revenge really fumbles the ball with the addition of traffic checking, and its overt attempts at aggression are ultimately ironic counterpoints to a system that has lost many of its teeth. On its own, it's still one of the best racers available, but it is also a spectacular step backward for the series.