The graphics are stunning, the gameplay is top notch, and the presentation is just shy of perfect.

This sequel magnifies everything the original did right, and corrects nearly everything it did wrong.

The single player game alone doesn't really warrant a purchase-a rental is easily sufficient to see all it has to offer. However, players who are blessed with a broadband connection, network adapter and USB headset should have no qualms about buying this game.

It is the story, with its endearing characters, epic confrontations, and masterful dialog that make the experience work.

Where the game shines is control. Not to say the other features contained in Guilty Gear X2 are not spectacular, because indeed they are, but I have not in recent memory played a fighting game with such fluid control.

The great single player gameplay should help to alleviate any pain that the lack of multiplayer may have caused. In typical Kirby fashion, this is a wonderful title that is fun, addicting, and exudes a kind of charm not found in many games today.

The interesting bit is that it builds on such a well-designed franchise tweaked to near-perfection that its rehash status matters very little. New or not, this is the best that racing experience that the PSP currently has to offer.

It may not really innovate or move the genre into a new direction, but it offers everything most players want from the genre and it does it with certifiable mastery.

Probably the finest first-person shooter to ever grace a console, Resistance: Fall of Man is easily worth your $50, and may be considered by some to even be enough to justify the $650 investment alone.

Let me just conclude by defending this game against those that would say it is a Grand Theft Auto clone. While the free-form functionality and mission hierarchy are similar (as well as the ability to steal any vehicle or man any weapon or turret in the game), Mercenaries is its own, unique title and offers quite a few things that Grand Theft Auto doesn't – like the ability to devastate your surroundings.

Epic in scale, grandiose in presentation, and fun to play. This kind of game comes along so rarely, and when it does it shows off what a RPG can be.

With all the things that "GGXX" had that made it such a great game to play, Guilty Gear X2 #Reload somehow expands that amount of game play even more.

Meatbags should be pleased with the continued storyline, but might find the amount of bugs, loading and framerate issues overshadowing the limited improvements offered.

While not quite as epic as something like "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker," it’s a true charmer. Minor gripes aside (as a recap these are repetitive combat, short length and small scope), this is one of those can’t miss titles that I’m sure most will overlook.

Anyone else with a heartbeat, a DS and forty bucks should pick this game up immediately.

For prior fans of the series, or just fans of fighting games in general, it doesn't get much better than Soul Calibur III.

GalCiv 2 features all of the accessibility and addiction of the higher profile Civ IV, but it also boasts an arguably superior A.I. and a killer theme. Even non-fans would be well served to check this title out—it’s that good.

Animal Crossing is simple and that is its strength. It is also engrossing, addictive, and really, really fun.

Someday, a philosopher will write a dissertation on how rolling things up is as natural to humanity as being in a mother’s womb. All hail.

The responsivness of the controls, as well as the forgiving nature of the action button make this game very intuitive.

The visuals are beyond amazing, doubly so for the Xbox 360 version, and the presentation alone makes this game worth playing, if only to watch a devastating knockout in slow motion. However, the lack of solid A.I. can lead to the game growing boring quickly.

It is most definitely not to be missed, but do yourself a favor and bring a friend, or two or three. Doing so upgrades the experience from the sublime to the superlative.

From a technical perspective Tales does the genre proud, and from an aesthetic viewpoint there are few who could stand side by side and not be dwarfed by its majesty.

Despite long load times and somewhat questionable AI, Rainbow Six: 3 sparkles with the freshness of a newly scrubbed kitchen floor.

The game is pure joy right from the start with its bizarre opening sequence (imagine Monty Python doing the intro for a quirky Japanese game) and continues to be a blast all the way to the delightful interactive end credits.

Stands out by the sheer amount of detail put into each and every unit and action. The opening cut scene is simply stunning in the amount of force and power it portrays and watching the battles is a treat.

With all of the additions Viewtiful Joe 2 introduces, the game is still very similar to the first game, right down to a final showdown prefixed with having to fight all of the previously defeated bosses. Not that I mind terribly, as this is a functional formula that proves it still can deliver in spades.

If the handheld Castlevania games are part of a long-running machine, it's well-oiled and in no danger of breaking down just yet.