One of the rather useless parts they have added to the game was the clothes, accessories and being able to change your character. I found this to be something that seemed like an addition thrown in to try and add value to the game, but who wants to spend time picking out a new outfit when you could be racing.

But Rare has once again pulled the rabbit from the hat and proved that intelligent game design, charming characters, a grand story, and a next-gen audio and visual presentation is the foundation for an enduring title that should be part of every Xbox 360 game library.

With plenty of trophies to quest after and multiple ways to play the game, including a very lengthy career mode and a functional 2-player online game, FIFA Soccer certainly offers a potential bang for your buck, but I can only imagine how much better next year's game will be when EA isn't being rushed to meet a hardware launch date.

Ultimately the game is a real blast, especially if you remember the original, and double super especially if you have someone to play with or against. I

Rock Band Unplugged may look and sound like Rock Band but without instruments to hold and friends to join in the fun, all that’s left is a solitary and miserable experience with intolerable load times that had me rushing back to my console version of Rock Band 2 to wash the bitter taste from my mouth.

The ultimate tribute to nearly 20 years of platform shooters. The action if fierce, the graphics dazzling, and the difficulty is guaranteed to challenge even the most skilled veterans.

Once Upon a Monster is the finest Sesame Street game on the market, and one of the best Kinect games to date. This perfect blend of entertainment and enrichment fills a void on the home console, and provides a wonderful experience for the whole family.

Brother’s in Arms Hell’s Highway is a beautiful and engrossing cinematic experience that is as much fun to watch, as it is to play. Games rarely are this enjoyable and I can't remember the last time I started up a game and couldn't stop playing it.

For me, this was like having the world’s biggest Star Wars play set and getting to play ‘army”, only with cool special effects and explosions and authentic sounds.

While it might not have the UFC stars that bring some fans to the table, any dedicated fan of mixed martial arts should take a look at EA SPORTS MMA to see the face of the future.

Honestly, after playing this for several weeks, I was bored. I tried to like this game, and the graphics sure are enticing, but in the end it’s just not as satisfying as "2K7."

Sonic Color's is a short game, but it is a fun one, and it feels close enough to classic Sonic to merit a recommendation for those looking to relive the Genesis classic.

For Dead or Alive fans, Dimensions is a sort of collected archive, with lots of characters and stages that have all appeared in previous titles. There isn't a whole of new stuff technically, but it is all so expertly executed on the 3DS, that you really don't mind. And the way newcomers are eased into the combat, it really makes it a Dead or Alive for everyone. This is one of the strongest releases yet for the 3DS yet, and definitely one worth picking up for any fighting fan. And if that didn't sell you on it, there may or may not be an unlockable stage featuring Ridley from Metroid, which is just plain cool.

The combat and diplomacy features work well and are involved enough to be interesting but does not dominate over other areas of the game. Overall 1701 A.D. is a very good city building simulation game and very fun to play.

This is a hard puzzle game that’s extremely fun and rewarding. A game that you can really get into and play for hours on end (or straight through to completion).

Puzzle Dimension is a highly enjoyable experience that is remarkably beautiful and totally engaging with its challenging puzzles. The puzzle designs are ingenious and sometimes frustrating, but once you solve them its instant gratification. This is Doctor Entertainment's first release and if their next one is as stunning as Puzzle Dimension I will definitely be on the bandwagon. I highly recommend picking up Puzzle Dimension for some pure fun in a dimension all its own.

EA has more than a year to polish this game and it came out pretty bad, or at least below expectations. For every nice touch, there was something far worse to overshadow it, for every new feature, we lost three, and I have never seen such a waste of the ESPN license.

Merges an epic, and oft-times emotional story with challenging gameplay and realistic horseback riding and mounted combat.

Simply put Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection may not be the ultimate or perfect collection but its damn near close.

Taking equal parts of their two past franchises, they have come up with one great motocross game.

It combines the storytelling techniques and character designs of a quality anime with a deceptively simple combat system and a plot that can be quite captivating at times.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters is definitely taking the focus from the man and placing it on the event. While Tiger does still enjoy more than his fair share of attention, Augusta is the true star of this year's installment. Every hole is legendary, rich in tradition and history. There is a sense of awe as you make your way around the Amen Corner holes – almost like walking on sacred ground. Gameplay is refined, the career mode is polished, the caddie assist is seamless and cool, and the multiplayer modes and DLC will keep you playing until next year's inevitable sequel.

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.

I received the game via PSN download, so I cannot vouch for loading times on UMD purchases. However, I will say that on the Sony forums, series veterans are complaining that the PSP’s MLB 10: The Show actually offers fewer features than MLB 09 The Show – but as a first time visitor, I came with no expectations and I absolutely love the game.

Regardless of Street Fighter Alpha Anthology’s gaming value, it does a wonderful job of showing how a fighting series evolves from a slow and skitchy brawler, to a fast and fluid fighter.

All gripes aside, handheld racing games do not get much more impressive than Midnight Club: L.A. Remix. If our major complaint is that a racing game is too fast – well, that’s something most hardcore gamers are willing to live with.

In the end Ys Seven is a surprisingly good Japanese RPG. If you like JRPG's, then this one will not disappoint. If you don't like JRPG's, then this one will probably surprise you.

The best way I could describe Prototype is a mix of GTA meets Wolverine with a dash of Spider-Man thrown in. I haven’t had this much visceral fun and carnal bloodletting since Wolverine, and Prototype is on an entirely different level when it comes to scale, scope of story, and total originality.