With its realistic animations, solid controls, and ambitious Association mode, NBA 2K9 makes its title run once again. But the competition is stiffening, and next year needs to bring significant leaps forward with online play and the low-post game if 2K wants to make it 10 in a row.

Awakening enriches the universe with new revelations and characters (two of the new party members are particularly awesome), but only makes half-hearted attempts to improve the basics. [Issue#204, p.95]

Graphically, it's a masterpiece. [Jan 2006, p.136]

Despite the overall fun I had with Superstar mode, it's unfortunate other aspects of the game haven't been fixed. [Oct. 2006, p.92]

While there’s not a whole lot for players to do in the single-player campaign after they punch out the content on normal and heroic difficulty, the cards that can be acquired here will have impact in casual, ranked, and arena play for years to come.

Though the difficulty level is steep, it isn't the type that sends you home with a gauzy head and a fractured spine. It's more of a glove slap to the face - a challenge from a worthy foe that keeps you coming back for more. [Oct 2004, p.136]

The critical path is incredibly long and is joined by bonus comic missions for most of the characters. The teammate AI is very impressive, often getting to baddies before you even see them, but once again, Raven has designed a game that is better through cooperative play.

While it's not a revolution in video game tennis, Top Spin 4 provides both a mastery of the basics and the most comprehensive career mode to date. Throw in a strong roster of real-life professionals, a great online component, and Move functionality for the PS3, and this title is more than ready for center court.

The THPS series shaped my music taste, fashion sense, and more while also delivering an incredibly fun timesink on my PlayStation 2. A perfect remake of these games would do the same all these years later, or at least remind me why they were so impressionable when I was growing up. While Iron Galaxy has excellently modernized the gameplay and graphics of these classics to feel right in 2025, I wish it had done a better job of highlighting the influence these games once had in their heyday.

You're in for one hell of a good time. [Oct 2007, p.108]

NCAA 12 is better than NCAA 11, and yet I feel like we've come to the point in the series' lifecycle where the changes – while all worthwhile – are getting harder to notice.

Interactive storytelling is rarely this good, and there are few game endings that make you sit back and think, “Man, what if I did this instead?” like this one does. For its amazing narrative and believability of characters, and the twisted joys that come from being a slave of a demon, The Darkness will keep you enthralled, even when the gameplay lags a little behind.

Sky expands on the successful gameplay ideas of the developer’s previous games, but with a greater sense of progression, replayability, and a far more involved social component. Conceptually, this new project is a deeply felt meditation on empathy and the connections between people, couched in the same unpretentious and thoughtful presentation we’ve come to expect from the studio. Sky is a refreshingly moving and robust game on the iOS platform, and one best shared with others – especially folks who might not normally pick up a video game.

Stray is, more than anything, a charming game. Its gimmick – you are a cat, do cat things – never gets old; I constantly found it clever for the few hours it took to complete. But more than gimmicks, exploring a world this dense and detailed is a joy, amplified by the unique gameplay being a cat offers. It's a solid, brief ride through a strange world and one well worth taking.

While the combat isn’t anything special and the puzzles wear out their welcome, Eastward’s characters, setting, and sounds craft an unforgettable experience. If you’re looking for something quirky, captivating, and somewhat surreal, you’ve found it.

That being said, after numerous Etrian Odyssey entries, the formula hasn't changed much. It's still fun, but without any large leaps, Etrian is starting to get stale. I feel playing one entry is like playing them all.

This is a slightly inferior version of an awesome game, which makes it a pretty good offering on Nintendo's handheld. [Oct 2008, p.115]

Sure, leveling up and collecting new items requires nothing more than going through the motions for seasoned gamers. But any title that can throw in as many new systems and nail the core gameplay as well as Lunar Knights does has a spot waiting for it in my library.

Overall, there's a lot to like in Test Drive Unlimited, and its positive aspects far outweigh the few issues I had. I definitely recommend taking it for a spin. [Nov. 2006, p.136]

Blur is the thinking person’s death race – if there is such a thing – where your mind is racing just as fast as your motor.

Playing it makes me believe I can do just about anything with the ball at my feet, and this self-assurance is powerful. If you have the desire, FIFA 15 meets the challenge. It does not disappoint.

Mask of the Betrayer delivers on all fronts: tactical battles, exceptional story, and great characters. It’s truly remarkable how far NWN 2 has come. It’s not perfect, but as far as I’m concerned the smooth execution and excellent new content in this expansion make this the best electronic D&D experience since "Baldur’s Gate II."

While I yearned for a little more in a few areas (difficulty curve and graphical polish in particular), the overall experience lies somewhere between the first "Underground" and the second...meaning it's easy fun, but not genre-defining. [Dec 2005, p.148]

Rebellion isn't a massive departure for Sins of a Solar Empire, but it's a good enough reason to get back into the game or to discover for the first time one of the more interesting evolutions of the strategy genre in recent memory.

I didn't feel very invested in this game, or its story, but I sat there pouring in the hours just the same. [May 2002, p.93]

The gameplay truly is a work of art, and now that it has depth on its side, ATV is nothing short of a force to be reckoned with. [Jan 2003, p.92]

Then there's the online mode which I have to say is quite luscious. [Sept 2002, p.76]

The story is actually somewhat interesting, and the difficulty level is finally on par with the ancient precursors. Not bad, but again, nothing new. [Aug 2002, p.90]