Mixing a great single-player game and a variety of multiplayer events, Karaoke Revolution is a cool, original, and distinctive party game.

It does drag on in a few spots, and its sci-fi bent may betray the original premise, but it brings gamers a deep, compelling story told in a clever way -- both in terms of narrative and gameplay execution.

It takes everything that made the original game so compelling and makes it feel fresh and relevant all over again. It’s simple. It’s elegant. It is Pac-Man reborn.

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

The action is unique, the world and characters are well crafted, and the game is generally well made. That said, the action does get a bit repetitive, the story is generic, the dungeons are incredibly dull, and the upgrade system is kind of weird.

If you're not heartless, Nintendogs will be one of the most innovative, inimitable, and impressive games you've come across.

My time with Tekken Tag Tournament 2 truly felt like an arcade without the frustration of losing my allowance in quarters.

Battlefield: Bad Company is the most console-feeling Battlefield ever produced.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves can’t quite conceal its lowly portable origins, but that doesn’t stop it from being a truly fun and innovative game.

Despite the knocks against rivals mode and the fact that the new controls are mostly borrowed from what many consider to be a more simple golf franchise, Tiger Woods 06 is still a solid game. Where rivals fails, the more realistic PGA Tour mode is still fun, as is skills 18, a set of target-based minigames.

With a couple tweaks to the gameplay here and there, Sega could have a perennial powerhouse on its hands.

Sonic fans will be in heaven, as will anyone who enjoys a good healthy adrenaline rush.

Not only is it an immersive and convincing gameplay experience, but it will undoubtedly be a bit of collector's item.

If you're not heartless, Nintendogs will be one of the most innovative, inimitable, and impressive games you've come across.

Despite the struggles of the combat system, the story of Kat and overall atmosphere of the game are extremely well executed and make up for the small misstep. Sure, Gravity Rush isn't the Vita's savior, but it doesn't really need to be. It's a competent action game with a unique mechanic that works well on a handheld.

It will also leave a vague air of dissatisfaction with Ninja Gaiden vets. It’s short, parts of it are sweet, but it never really gets firing on all cylinders, even though the hint of a promise for that level of intensity is present the whole time.

Rocket Slime’s charm and variety of gameplay make it one of the absolute best for the DS, even if you’ve never played a Dragon Quest before.

Between the wonderfully acted story and the tight car and gunplay, Sleeping Dogs is an exceptional open-world crime drama that ups the ante for cinematic story presentations -- and execution moves -- in games.

Die-hard console gamers may or may not appreciate the offbeat gameplay style, but there's no denying it'll grow the franchise's reputation as one of the most unusual series currently available for any platform.

If the online game had been at least as good as its’ predecessors, this title would have received top marks. Now all Tribes: Vengeance can boast is one of the best single-player story modes currently available on the PC.

The Wii version is a genuine improvement over the PS2 one. The extra content is solid, the controls are good, and the game itself holds up really well.

An incredibly fun game born of a fascinating concept that follows through on its potential in almost every way. If you’re a fan of hip-hop, or of solid grapplers with a huge does of the old ultra-violence, you’ll find plenty here to keep you bouncing in your seat.

Inconsistent, though the good tends to outweigh the bad. Missteps aside, the game is genuinely fun, and at the very least worth a try via demo. If nothing else, Dust offers an intriguing promise of things to come: if Mr. Dodrill could craft a game like this on his own, what could he accomplish with more?

The onscreen heads-up display is a miracle of design, everything is easy to read, and a foldout cardboard keyboard layout makes sure everything is easy to do. Still, the game is extremely challenging, perhaps too difficult too fast.

Colonization adds a great layer onto the Civilization IV gameplay. If you like Civ-style games but also enjoy the trading and exploring aspects of games like Pirates! or, erm, Pirates of the Burning Sea, this is a game for you. However, if your strategic tendencies lean more toward building large armies than building thriving economies, just keep on sailing past this one.

If you're not heartless, Nintendogs will be one of the most innovative, inimitable, and impressive games you've come across.

Go ahead and rewrite history if you can. It’s fascinating stuff that’s reason enough to play this game. Good thing, too. Because there’s little else in this package that will probably entice you to play.

You're not paying for a full game when you purchase this title, and for $15 you're getting a lot of bang (literally) for your buck. The online matches are still just as addictive, and the new modes are very welcome and hopefully a precursor of more to come.