Thanks to careful balancing, rewarding pacing, and an excellent translation, Dragon Quest VIII is one of those rare games that's more than the sum of its parts.

Sadly, true quality storytelling is extremely rare in this age of overblown and pretentious stories so commonly found in the "Final Fantasy" series and its imitators. Suikoden 3 is a welcome and finely-crafted exception.

A showcase of a game. There is so much to do and unlock, both in the single-player and multiplayer modes, that the title can easily eat up dozens of hours of your time.

A long, challenging quest that holds up well to repeated play. Younger players who never had a SNES will find this game an excellent warm-up for the soon-to-be-released "Legend of Zelda: The Wind Walker" for the GameCube.

It’s so satisfying to finally have a game that not only lives up to the hype but exceeds it so many ways it’s almost unfair.

A model for realistic sports across the board, with physics, player behavior, and animations that raise the bar. Seriously hard-core sport is rarely this accessible and fun.

Public Quests are some of the most fun I've had in PvE, and, as I mentioned, crafting feels a lot more like an alternate activity than just something else to grind.

The maps are all well-designed, the equipment adds strategic elements to matches, and the creative powers granted to players are unrivaled, at least for a console game. Add to the recipe that unmistakable Bungie polish, and you have a Multiplayer experience that will be enjoyed for thousands of gamers for years to come.

The best console multiplayer component ever. This game is going to douse Xbox Live in gasoline and toss it a match...With 16 players busting each other's chops at a time and all the clan support you can handle, this game will still be played five years from now.

Many will balk at the game because it doesn’t offer a million different models of car. Those who do are missing the point. Grid is all about the fun and excitement of the race. It’s racing with a capital ‘R’ minus the frustration. You won’t find a more fun racing game this year.

Stunning. "Oddworld" is better than it's ever been, and everything about "Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee" is refined, polished, and utterly playable.

Journey stands head and shoulders above all other artistic games. It's truly avant-garde and pushes the boundaries of what a video game can mean to its audience.

Exquisitely designed levels...Every moment seems fresh and new and deliberately designed to be fun.

A great basketball engine with improved physics and new moves, finely detailed and rich graphics, and modes both diverse and immersive all combine to make NBA 2K3 the best true representation of basketball out there.

Mario Galaxy is one of those charming, perfect achievements that remind you why Nintendo saved our pastime in 1985 and has reinvigorated it in 2007 with the Wii and the best game made yet for the system. Hell, this is better than "Super Mario 64," not as revolutionary, but a better game. Do yourself a favor, play it and smile.

In many ways, Twilight Princess is a love letter to "Ocarina of Time." There are tons of subtle nods that a watchful gamer will spot. It’s the glorious world the N64 wanted to show us, but couldn’t.

Hitman: Absolution is a triumph, top to bottom. Fans of the series can look forward to the best entry yet, without question.

Although the automatic save system makes it a great handheld title, it's perhaps even better suited to relaxing marathon sessions on your couch. Fire Emblem is well-crafted, and unless you have an aversion to turn-based strategy, it's highly recommend.

Deep, fun, incredibly addictive, and perfect in short bursts, Meteos is about as good as handheld games get. Multiple difficulty settings, an engrossing multiplayer experience, and plenty of depth ensure this one won't be wearing out its welcome anytime soon.

An exceptional example of what makes good games good, the synthesis of several well developed elements into one seamless whole that never distracts you from the action and excitement and doesn’t use up it’s bag of tricks early to just stick you with slight alteration for the remainder of playing.

Games rarely have things this interesting to say or approach them from this outlandish a vector. Listen up.

What is so unique in this game is how the presence of its conclusion feels like the existential dread that infuses the characters that make up its universe. The paradox of the game becomes painfully prescient as it draws inexorably towards its conclusion.

It caps the mini-trilogy with a flourish and makes us very, very eager to see what the next proper release in the franchise will have to offer.

An excellent, sophisticated, and mature game that will appeal to sci-fi and action fans, and currently represents the best of what Xbox has to offer.

Resistance 2 is a major improvement over the original in every way. It is an awesome experience of seeing a team of developers at the top of their game and pulling out all the stops. There’s something magnificent in the campaign’s execution, a wholesale devotion to having a lot of fun.

It’s a great comfort to know that Rockstar Games not only makes great games, but understands what makes them great. Chinatown Wars is the culmination of years of work as well as the spirit of ingenuity to bring one of the biggest series to the smallest screen. Nothing in the game feels half done or forced. If anything, the game feels like a development team having fun with a concept.

A true gem. It's a breezy, easy-to-play game that will leave you wondering where the hours went. With such a beautifully refined title now under its belt, it's hard to see how Sunflower will top it.

The series has always been strong, but never as good as it is this year. In fact it's all but perfect, needing only a few tweaks, a few polishing strokes, and Microsoft's promised Xbox Live! service to make it ideal.