Of all the enhancements made in NBA Street V3, it would be remiss of us not to mention the visuals, which have moved away from exaggerated, cartoon-like players to a grittier, realistic look that better suits the game's urban theme.

The type of game that makes you want to dust off that green felt cloak and curl up with a sack of dice.

One potential complaint with PGR2 -- the only one, really -- is the competing AI. While other drivers' performance is well scaled based on skill level, you'll find that these aren't the most imaginative bunch on the road.

It's dark, tense, and occasionally scary. The levels also have an inordinate number of secret hiding places that spit out demons when you walk over some invisible trigger. It's a cheap design tactic that completely pulls you out of the realistic setting.

If you’re a Ninja Gaiden fan, or even just someone who loves action games, don’t let the camera woes scare you off. This is still one of the most expertly designed combat systems around, and gamers looking for a true challenge in this era of games designed to be beaten by anyone with enough time on their hands will appreciate Ninja Gaiden II for what it is – One of the last games around that values skill over perseverance.

The first Age of Empires on the DS was a near miss. A good game sunk by a flawed visual interface. The developers of Mythologies clearly did their homework. This is a solid strategy game with the visual chops to back up a deep, playable design.

With some weapons, like the sniper rifle, you can't move at all if it's equipped. This is all the more frustrating after playing games like "Splinter Cell" where it's pulled off with aplomb.

While there isn’t enough in the Wii version to warrant a buy if you’ve played the game before, Blackhand Edition provides a much needed M-rated action game for the system.

It’s almost a perfect game. Severe online connection bugs and freezing problems hamper the experience enough that we can’t give it a full five out of five.

The animations are flawless and delightfully colored. Certain scenes, like a silhouetted battle in a mountaintop monastery, shone through the silliness of the game and offered something stunning to look at. If you have a brother, a sister, a roommate or a significant other . . . you absolutely must buy this game.

And perhaps even more than "DDR" or "Samba De Amigo," Karaoke Revolution is a game that will be embraced by non-gamers, since it requires no physical dexterity or interaction with a controller.

Despite the recycled enemies and the never-ending labyrinth of steel grates, catwalks, desks, and elevators, F.E.A.R. delivers some of the best action this side of Paris Hilton's cell phone.

LEGO Indiana Jones may not be quite as engaging as LEGO Star Wars, but it’s still a lot of fun to play through. That’s doubly true with a friend. The quest isn’t particularly long, but there’s plenty of incentive for a second run-through (or a third …), and Indy fans will definitely have a blast re-living the original films -- LEGO-style.

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

An extremely refreshing puzzler that should find a huge audience on Nintendo DS. It may not have the legacy of Lemmings or the multiplayer gaming of Worms, but its stages are brilliantly crafted and the creator can't be beat.

A solid and extremely fun game that will probably be overlooked by many in favor of more high-profile titles. It's a shame really, because Moonbase Commander's simple focus and gameplay is an excellent example of substance over style.

Keeps a tight formation between fun and realism and is a great start to the year's run of PS2 air-combat games.

Two words for Eurocom and THQ, though, concerning the next installment in the franchise: more Tutankhamen.

What this title does, it does well. But to introverted Yanks like us, it makes about as much sense as putting mayonnaise on french fries.

Such a vast amount of data has been squeezed into this tiny cartridge that it is nothing short of technical wizardry.

Places its emphasis on subtle refinements over sweeping changes, which is what tends to happen when the gameplay is seasoned enough to already be considered a class act.

You don't need to be a golf fanatic to get hooked on this game, which is really the only thing that matters. Not only is it a showpiece for the system, but it's one of the best games available for Sony's portable.

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.

This is undoubtedly the best Puyo title yet, giving you both old-school gameplay and new, along with well-rounded multiplayer and challenging difficulty.

The limited units and resources make for tight, intricate matchups, and there are few models of the RTS that can claim to be as accessible.

Really a nice game that continues to surprise and delight the more you play.

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.

One thing 2K Sports continually proves, however, is that it can bring the game even when it doesn't look as sharp as the competition.