The fact that it is the only PS2 chess game available, has online support, and is only $20 makes this a no-brainer for anyone with the slightest interest in chess and doesn’t already have another recent chess game lying around.

DOOM is by far one of the better XBLA titles available on the 360.

It’s rare that we see this level of sophisticated squad-based tactical gameplay in a console title.

The staggering system requirements are a point of concern, though, and I feel I can't give the title a universal stamp of approval without a word of caution. But if you've got the hardware, it's an electrifying experience you can't pass up.

Epic Mickey is an animated love letter to all things Disney. It captures all of our favorite characters plis some we had forgotten about, or some we never even knew. Kids will certainly love the game, even if they need help getting past difficult parts.

Gameplay hasn’t really evolved that much from the super-hero games we were playing last year, but the presentation sure has.

It’s not exactly a sequel, but more of a standalone expansion pack with improved gameplay. Get it!

I was expecting so much more from this title, but the most Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones can manage to deliver is a few new acrobatic and combat moves and a Dark Prince that looks cool but that's about it.

Ignition caters to the gamer who quests for perfection and values a stylish performance. In fact, you’ll start to find yourself flowing into a subconscious rhythm with this game as you learn the environments and master the art of blending in your own stunts with the required ones.

As far as puzzle games go, Rinth Island is in a class of its own, not only by putting a new 3D spin on the stacking puzzle genre, but by giving gamers the tools to build their own levels and extend their enjoyment well beyond the scope of this already quite substantial game. And it's only $1, so you might be tempted to buy a few of those in-app treats.

The story mode is a fairly weak and linear 12-15 hour experience, but the online co-op will keep you and your friends entertained for weeks and months to come. I can see this game having a nice long life as long as they can keep the DLC coming.

Pool Paradise is the definitive pool simulation for next-gen consoles. While nothing will ever replace the actual art of playing “real” pool, this is as close as it has ever come. The controls are intuitive and the interface is fun and accessible to young and old alike.

As with most of these dancing games you either “get” it or you don’t. For those that do, you won’t find a more comprehensive or fun dancing game out there.

An absolute pleasure to play. It’s the most strategically fun game I’ve played since "Command & Conquer: Red Alert" and I found it to be as engaging as "Command & Conquer Generals."

If you like taking notes on graph paper, then this game is for you. If you have more than 2 teams in fantasy soccer leagues on the Internet, then this game is for you too.

Missing: Since January is so innovative it almost seems that the designers are testing the waters for a new genre of games.

The lack of many big name legends is a shortcoming, but the massive amount of customization options and user created content will keep any fan playing for months.

With a great story, cool time-loop premise, interesting characters and exciting survival combat, I loved every minute I was trapped in Alan Wake's American Nightmare and look forward to more of this style of episodic content, and hopefully a full-fledged sequel sometime soon.

If you're a fan of the Warhammer 40k machine or just looking for some good old fashioned action then look no further than Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine for PC.

If you are a sucker for pretty graphics and a rich narrative then you had better stick with the console versions of Grand Theft Auto, but anyone looking for an excellent handheld version of the game will delight in the complexity this title has to offer.

If you're looking for ultimate detail and resolution and perfect framerate then stick with your PC version of Crysis, but if you don't play PC games, or your PC was never able to play Crysis in the first place then the 360 version of Crysis is a fantastic port that uses their latest engine to deliver great graphics and sound and superior controls, all for only $20 in the On-Demand store.

The Movies: Stunts and Effects is a great addition to an already stellar title. The new features only add to the immense fun-factor and “sandbox” feel you reap from this game.

An artistic, immersive, and fun diversion, with plenty of nostalgia thrown in for the series’ fans.

Formula One Championship Edition is easily the best F1 racing game console gamers have had the privilege of playing. Thanks to the power of the PS3 and Sony’s painstaking attention to every last detail, the console is now capable of delivering a sim experience that was previously reserved for high-end PC’s.

If you're still playing Dawn of War II, or if you're a fan of the Imperial Guard, Retribution is practically a no-brainer. If you're a fan of Warhammer 40,000 or the real-time strategy genre, now's a great time to get started, since Retribution is a standalone game with access to everything from the first two Dawn of War II games, save for their campaigns. Either way, it's a return for one of real time strategy's great names, and certainly worth your time and dollar if you've got any interest in following more of the story of Subsector Aurelia.

The gameplay and graphics are really very good and the value is through the roof here.

If you like setting up, planning, and figuring out unique, interesting ways to go about doing things, and watching as your best-laid plans come to fruition in front of your eyes, you’ll love planning intricate, devious, dastardly ways of killing your targets while keeping your anonymity and walking away in the confusion, no one the wiser to your actions.

A wonderful achievement in storytelling, an experiment in horror if you will, that no “scary movie” fan or gamer should miss.

Pursuit Force is just the game the PSP has needed; a fast-paced car/boat/helicopter chase with plenty of gameplay and intense vehicle-to-vehicle jumping. There are plenty of missions to keep you challenged, a scoring system to keep you coming back, and loads of bonus material to quest for.

Any racing fan who likes old muscle cars, or classic exotics, will drool over the chance to get as close as you may actually ever get to sitting behind the wheel of these beautiful cars.

The lack of many big name legends is a shortcoming, but the massive amount of customization options and user created content will keep any fan playing for months.

I love this game, and despite a few forgivable flaws Homefront is easily one of the most immersive and emotional campaigns that come to mind in my 30 years of gaming. Sure, the campaign is short. Deal with it. With that ending there is either going to be a sequel or some killer DLC. Meanwhile, you can reap the rewards and satisfaction of some of the best multiplayer combat we've seen so far in 2011.

At it’s core, Northern Strike is essentially the same game battlefield fans have come to know and love, but gives players the opportunity for an enriched experience, by adding more of the near-future technology and awesome environments that made the original 2142 such a blast to play.

The menus are slick, the tables are colorful and cool, and the presentation is fun and flashy.

Fans of previous NHL Hitz games will still enjoy the easily accessible gameplay and hopefully respect the move into a more serious variation of the sport.

Scrapland creates a stunning new world, a setting of unique architecture and character design and hopefully marks the birth of a new franchise.

The best thing about Contracts is the highly polished gameplay.

There is a whole lot going on in this game and New York is a massive playground full of possibilities for an enterprising young “family” man. Whether you have seen the movie or not, it’s easy to immerse yourself in the world of The Godfather, a world where intimidation and negotiation are your tickets to the top.

I enjoyed this new vision of Mortal Kombat more than any previous edition in the franchise. It has some issues, mostly in the single-player game, but all the hardcore fighters are here for the human-on-human interactions so it probably isn't a deal-breaker. If you love Mortal Kombat or just want to play an uber-violent and bloody fighting game then Mortal Kombat is the reigning champ and definitely worth adding to your collection.

Spellforce 2: Shadow Wars combines the best features of the fantasy RPG and RTS worlds, from strong character development, to massive, resource driven battles-all strewn across gorgeous landscapes. Throw in a wealth of online options-most notably cooperative play-and you have sleeper hit in the making.

I truly never expected Sony to drop a baseball game of this caliber in my lap, especially after the endless string of duds that have rolled out of 989 Studios of late. In fact, MLB 06 alone very nearly makes up for the seven years of bunk since, well... darn, let’s see..."Coolboarders 2."

I loved the small hidden references throughout the title that made be just laugh to myself or in one case tell by friends about.

The puzzles were challenging, the story mode was comical and reminded me a bit of Sonic, and I had a blast playing with friends in the Survival mode.

MDK2 HD is a prime example of how a game can be challenging and a lot of fun at the same time. This is still one of the weirdest (in a good way) titles that I've ever played in my life, but the experience is totally worth it.

The “best of the best” of the PS2 games out for the holidays. Featuring a kick-ass storyline, signature Splinter Cell gameplay and some of the best graphics on the console; it really does not get any better than this.

I am truly amazed at the range of scores Scarface: The World is Yours has been getting. I'm guessing the low scores are coming from people who are either rushing through the game or have no prior knowledge of Tony Montana and the movie that inspired the game.

While it isn’t anywhere near the improvement of the 360, it still packs quite a punch.

The 3D action and well-done graphics as well as the ease of control and use of both the above and below ground experiences make for a great adventure and real-time strategy experience.

You would be crazy not to at least give this a try.

With a great premise and a visionary artistic style to match, Coded Arms delivers a solid action-packed shooter for both single and multiplayer gamers.

A fantastic game that offers dual play modes, challenging puzzles, a progressive character development system, and balanced gameplay that is great for gamers of all skills and ages.

Robokill kicks some serious shooter butt on the iPad. It is my new addiction and guilty pleasure, and the way it's designed you can pick up and play one or two rooms or a few dozen.

Easily equals the quality of "Ace Combat 4" and in some ways it may even surpass the competition.

If you must play the game on the old Xbox you'll still have a good time; albeit a lonely time. Just don't play it on the 360 or you might never be satisfied with your classic system again. Tony has definitely made the jump to next-gen and you might want to do the same.

If you’re a meticulous type who likes to see and do everything a game has to offer then you’re going to enjoy this. If you enjoy 3D action/shooters, you’ll find this title fits like a glove.

After Burner: Black Falcon is much more exciting, colorful, and just plain fun. It delivers addictive arcade aerial combat requiring almost instinctive reflexes, all at the speed of sound.

This game blew away any expectations that I had. Every second something caught me off guard and really brought me into the game even more.

Ape Escape 3 is arguably more of the same, but there is nothing wrong with that when the original games have already achieved cult-classic status.

Sadly, The Gunstringer is rather short, clocking in at around 5-8 hours depending on your skill and dedication. There are plenty of reasons to replay the game, chapter modifiers, optional commentary tracks, and a host of unlockable bonuses, so you won't stop playing even after you've won.

Metal Slug games tend to disappear fast and never return, so snag this one fast and don’t be sluggish. If you see a sale, bite and don’t hesitate.

I absolutely hated the game at first, but after three missions I was definitely feeling the love. This is the perfect example of not judging a book by its cover.

So if you like to shoot fancy lasers, beam, and pulse weapons, explore strange planets, bounce around the outer hull of the Enterprise, wade through murky swamps, jump across lakes of bubbling lava, or sneak through the gutted remains of a drifting Starship then look no further.

I haven’t truly enjoyed a baseball game this much since the MVP 2005. Sony now has the baseball game to beat, not EA.

GTR Evolution is a great racing simulator that is very realistic and a great game with all the right features and realism you could ask for. GTR Evolution has tracks made from real world sites and plenty of real cars for an overall well made game.

Buzz! Quiz TV is going to provide countless hours of educational fun for you, your entire family, and a group of friends that will surely increase in size once they learn you have this game.

The opening movies hooks you and the training missions make the game seem innocent enough. Once you start playing however, the true nature of just how difficult this game really is become quickly apparent. This is not a game to be approached by the casual action gamer.

It's fun, it's challenging, and it's breathtaking to look at, even if you are watching somebody else play it.

I-Ninja just oozes with a perfect blend of charm, humor, and visual quality that has been long overdue in a platform game. A definite must-own title.

It has a solid and compelling single-player mode that only gets better when you play it cooperatively, and with a huge fan base, numerous multiplayer maps and games modes, and perfectly balanced gameplay for teams and individuals.

This is one of the best new multiplayer games and its exclusive to the Xbox, so you even get some system bragging rights to go along with your hack and slash adventures.

As for Achievements, there are 29 objectives required to earn those 1000 points.

Take a really funny cartoon with all kinds of pop culture references and interesting characters. Add in several jokes that adults will understand and get a belly laugh from but is not too risqué for the kiddies. Throw in some really entertaining scenes like a camel getting the scrub through a car type wash or watching Assil rappel out the nose of a sphinx and you have Ankh.

With a style that is one part Gears and one part Rainbow, Army of Two is without a doubt one of the coolest titles I’ve played in some time.

After taking the tutorial and discovering the nuances of submission wins, I found myself addicted to the career mode.

This is a great game to test your brain and your dexterity, and with improved load times and a great design where levels only last a minute, Mercury Meltdown is a great title for the gamer on the go.

If you enjoy slow, strategic, stealth gameplay, if you hacked your way through "Tenchu" and wanted more blood and violence then look no further. You won’t find a more stylish or disturbing game than this.

Puzzle games have always been on the boring side to me. Most puzzle games follow a certain standard. Crush starts its own standard, and I have a hunch that many games will try and replicate it.

Bring back my Hit, Run, and Stunt challenges and you would have had a flawless game.

Just Dance 3 manages to edge past Dance Central 2 in overall accessibility and definitely in fun factor.

The steep cost of admissions is the only real downside to this entire package.

ASB 2005 is for serious baseball enthusiasts only. Those looking for a casual day at the ballpark should probably check out the titles from EA, 989, or ESPN.

The fun, inventive style of play is downright addictive and the variety is excellent – just enough combat to keep things exciting and enough puzzles to flex your IQ without slowing you down.

A surprisingly deep dungeon crawler that makes ample and ingenious use of the DS’s touch-screen. The game plays well, sounds awesome, and looks absolutely stunning on Nintendo’s handheld wonder, and if it were not for a handful of nagging annoyances, it would be getting top honors.

This is a breath of fresh air that will hopefully inspire others to start creating some original works for this struggling system.

MLB 12: The Show offers a massive amount of gameplay wrapped up in a simple brown cardboard box. This is like the slightly less-attractive sister who is really smart, so while her hot sibling (MLB 2K12) is getting all the superficial action, those seeking a more permanent and richer baseball relationship should probably overlook these surface flaws and stick with the REAL DEAL – MLB 12: The Show. From a purely gameplay standpoint - it doesn't get any better or more complete than this.

The bottom line is you won’t find a more fun-filled multiplayer party game for the Xbox; one that rivals "Dungeons and Dragons Hereos," not in sophistication, but in pure enjoyment for the entire family.

If you’re a wrestling or a Smackdown fan, you’ll go nuts over this year’s Smackdown! vs. RAW. However, if you’re looking for an in-depth, stat-tracking online wrestling title, you’ll want to hold off for future installments and simply rent this one.

In my opinion, this is by far the best Mario game currently available.

The steep cost of admission is the only real downside to this entire package.

Very few Star Wars games are this good.

With a compelling story, complex puzzles and great voice acting, I couldn’t ask for more. The controls were a bit frustrating at time but all in all a great experience.

If however you are looking to play an exciting and intense action-strategy combat game with a bit of historical significance, there is a whole lot of quality gameplay to be found here despite a few flaws and oversights – none of which a good patch couldn’t fix.

While this new version still lacks a lot of the content (courses) you can still get playing on last-gen systems, it certainly is a huge improvement from last year’s “golf sampler”, and with the integrated ESPN, amazing GameFace features for your characters and UCAP technology for the pros, and an enhanced True Swing and True Aiming system, this is by far the best and most advanced professional golf simulation available.

If you are looking for a slightly darker and edgier version of God of War then look no further than Dante’s Inferno. What it lacks in gameplay originality it more than makes up for with style and substance, painting a dark and sinister portrait of a literary classic and creating a gameplay experience that you won’t soon forget.

Hits the nail on the head in every aspect of game design. While not a perfect title, it’s hard to fault a developer who packs so much variety and intensity into a single game.

Despite the lack of intelligent AI that ruined any team-tactical strategy, the game is redeemed by its original gameplay and ongoing humor that is interwoven into every aspect of the game whether it be movies, gameplay, or even the weapons.

The improved defense, especially at the net, the new momentum feature, manual goalie option, and the long-overdue icon passing interface all combine to make this game the closest thing to the actual sport of hockey without putting on all the padding and a pair of skates.

One of the most visionary XBLA titles since "Alien Hominid."