Warhawk is an excellent example of a multiplayer-centric game that almost anyone can get into. There is nothing complicated or revolutionary in the design, but the mix of combat styles, large maps, great controls, and a ready supply of players more than make up for the lack of originality.

New Super Mario Bros. U is a solid game, but one whose core experience is as conservative as can be and the level design, graphics, and sound are nearly identical to previous entries. The co-op features, however, are excellent, as are the new challenge modes.

The added scenarios, especially the alternate history ones are just icing on an already sweet, sweet cake.

We would have liked more maps and a solid fix for the sound problems.

Where its online options are concerned, Ghost Recon is simply one of the best reasons to get Xbox Live.

Its sense of speed, tight controls, and terribly addictive career mode will appeal to just about anyone.

Pure strategy in a shiny candy shell. It takes the brains of a strategy game and stuffs them into the buffed-out body of an action game. The result is a tense, nail-biting experience that rarely fails to amaze.

PGA Tour 09 does not reinvent golf in the same way as "NHL 08" completely reinvigorated EA's hockey series, but it is nonetheless an extremely polished and surprisingly addictive title.

The visuals are simple yet strikingly effective. The core gameplay is manageable, yet effectively complex. A game like this isn’t produced by huge teams with tons of money. Those kinds of games (god bless ‘em) are pure craft. Darwinia is art.

Looking at the list of options and features, WWE Smackdown Versus Raw 2006 seems to have everything. With a better wrestling engine, it would.

With the lack of an online death match mode, playing cooperative missions via EA Online (only in the PlayStation 2 version) turns out to be the jewel in EoN's crown. For gamers and Bond fans, this is infinitely superior to nothing.

Paradigm has managed to give the series a true upgrade while retaining the excitement of the original right down to some pretty snazzy remakes of the Peter Gunn theme.

Anyone looking for a great hack-and-slash adventure will be more than satisfied with Onimusha 2. You still have to put up with funky camera angles, but the overall control is more than sufficient to get you though this 10-hour-plus trek.

The one down side is that the shooting still feels pretty basic. The game is a little shorter than you might expect, but goes well over 10 hours and it wraps up the series' story nicely with a pretty crazy twist.

This console version makes enough changes to the original game that even hard-core "Sims" purists will want to give it a spin.

Once again, it exemplifies the very definition of a boundary-pushing video game.

The same formula that was once termed as ground-breaking now become tired and old.

While the game soars when it comes to charm and presentation, the uneven mix favors the weaker half of the gameplay formula and can't offer up a single well-rounded control option.

An amazing accomplishment, especially considering the fact that Sly 2 was just released last year.

A damn good game of hockey, and one that shows tremendous promise for the next few years.

Those allergic to whimsy may react violently to the saccharine soundtrack and rosy world-view. But they'd be missing out on a rare experience – a game that honors classic game play while forging new ground in style.

The single player, as compelling as it is, isn't a very good reason to buy this game. Even four-player split screen isn't a good-enough reason. But for multiplayer on your Xbox, Unreal Championship can't be beat.

Even though it lacks the cooperative multiplayer feature, Halo: Combat Evolved retains the sharp graphics, heated action, and vehicle-based exploration that made the original such an awesome game.

The mix of ideas at play in Darksiders 2 could have turned out to be a disaster, but Vigil stitches it all together expertly. From the corrupted idyll of The Forge Lands, to the twilit expanses of The Land of the Dead, to the thin, broken line between Heaven and Hell, Death's grand adventure ranks among the best we've seen or will see in 2012.

The real triumph of Suda 51’s surreal, occasionally obscene romp is that behind all the cynicism, satire, and gory ultraviolence lies a true joy of creation that is too rarely seen in gaming. In playing No More Heroes, one gets the impression that the development team truly enjoyed making it, that no idea was thrown out for being too ridiculous or far-fetched, and that it is intensely aware of its own absurdity at all times. The excellent fourth-wall shattering ending is proof enough of that.

It offers up some solid improvement but doesn't stray too far from what made it so loved to begin with. It's not the groundbreaking title that the original was, but it's an excellent follow-up that delivers as promised.

If you can get past the terrible documentation and very steep learning curve, Galactic Civilizations will be not only enjoyable but also addictive.

Though it only takes five hours to beat, the overall package is so focused and addictive that most will want to play it more than once.