A hard core, straight up, turn-based strategy game that's got a lot of depth. The story is surprisingly entertaining.

Much like the wholesome Kix breakfast cereal, Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure has seemingly been "kid-tested, mother-approved" for quality. It’s not just kid stuff, mind you.

MySims Agents is one of the best games to come out on the Wii yet this year – at least for the pre-teen gamers out there. Agents does a fantastic job of introducing young gamers to the concepts of open world and resource management gaming genres – and helps stimulate their inquisitive nature all while having a blast.

The premise of Etherlords II can be diluted down to a simple card game concept; one person plays their cards and then the other until somebody wins. By nature, it is a repetitive game and I think the game designers overestimated the fun factor.

It's a high-octane racing game with great graphics and energetic soundrack that is fun and captivating to play for as long as it lasts. If there were more ways to play or a possible way to add in app purchases for different weapon sets, more tracks, or better vehicles, you'd have a classic.

Ace Combat has finally returned and it's awesome.

SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is a solid release for wrestling fans to enjoy, but for the casual gamer thinking about purchasing a new copy, it would probably be better advised to wait to find a used copy or to save the extra dough and get a cheap copy of 2008.

Yet hope for new patches springs eternal, and Garriott's crew promise to release player housing, new planets to explore, vehicles, and a more robust PVP system in the near future. How the developers capitalize on those promises will determine whether Tabula Rasa becomes a true sensation, or just a cult classic.

Probably one of the best Nancy Drew game installments that I’ve played to date, given its higher challenge level and large variety of puzzles.

With Grand Slam Tennis EA has set a new standard for motion control input, tennis games, and Wii games in general.

Ultimately, this is a great game and easily worth the $10 you have to sacrifice to land a copy of it.

The squad-based gameplay is here but its execution has been greatly simplified making the game much more accessible to the casual gamer and probably a bit insulting to Clancy veterans.

For any fan of strategy looking for something outside of the norm, R.U.S.E. breathes new life into an old war.

Konami has added in more depth, weapons, environments, and upgraded the multiplayer mode. The gameplay is fun, innovative, and unique.

The player is barely involved in the game at all, which effectively makes it little more than a snazzy light show.

All told, Tropico 4 is a good game. While it might not have revolutionized the series, it does a good job of fleshing out some of the options that Tropico 3 lacked.

The Total Team control opens a whole new set of doors for the tired franchise and will definitely have old school NASCAR gamers frothing at the mouth for its new, deeper play mechanic.

Again, I’m just a casual tennis player and not a sim-enthusiast, but as a game, a tennis game, Top Spin 3 is one of the worst I’ve played. Sorry 2K…better luck next year.

While Titan Quest definitely scores points for presentation, stunning visuals, and powerful sound and music, there is just too many gameplay oddities lurking below the surface to make this a solid recommendation.

Shadow Wars is hands-down the best game available for the Nintendo 3DS among the launch titles. The plot is nothing to write about, but the turn-based tactical gameplay is engaging, and a full run of the game will last about 40 hours.

Sadly, for as great a game as Web of Shadows is on the DS, it is over far too quickly and leaves you with no immediate reason to revisit anytime soon.

As addictive as crack and as hallucinogenic as LSD, you might need some rehab after a few weeks of Mutant Storm Reloaded.

Sure, the game hasn't aged as gracefully as I would have liked, but there are some remarkable visual enhancements and a nice stash of new bonus content that fans are sure to love. Plus, the new Achievements are a powerful inducement for possibly playing through all three titles again.

I walked into my experience of Mafia II with no real expectations other than hearing my colleague's praise. What I walked away with after playing through the story was a sense of awe and amazement that I haven't had since Alan Wake.

I had high hopes for Rally Revo. By all technical standards the game is a success, but it just wasn’t fun to play after getting beat up and down by the flawless AI and sadistic championship design.

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. The new camera-based game modes add greatly to an already fantastic DDR package and sets the bar just that much higher for the next installment.

College Hoops 2K6 combines solid graphics/controls, with a deep Legacy mode, that should keep your attention far past this NCCA season.

As an adventure game, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth manages to live up to the genre expectations.