Difficulties on defense and an overpowering “icing” technique aside, NCAA Football 09 has put itself in contention for a championship season. With the addition of the online dynasty and the always-outstanding college football atmosphere, all the talent is here to make this a memorable year.

Battlefront II is also a great way to recreate those childhood fantasies of being smack in the middle of Hoth, Mos Eisley, Dagobah and the like, but in order to really experience the fun the game can offer you will need either a bunch of friends to play with or an Xbox LIVE account.

While the game does address previous game issues and is a worthy successor to the previous title in its own way, it does make you wonder what the game could’ve been if it’d straddled the line between light and dark.

Just like the original game, Ms. 'Splosion Man is well worth not only your time, but also your money.

My pick for most original GBA game of 2003. The built-in light sensor coupled with a world full of dynamic environments that actually change depending on the amount of sunlight the game pak detects ensures that the game's most interesting bullet-point feature is more than just a gimmick.

For those of you who have already played Metal Gear Solid on the Playstation, you don't need to pick this up, because it's the same thing.

The real-time strategy of MechCommander and the action of MechAssault are merely two examples of how the Inner Sphere and Clan battles in the 31st century can still engage gamers.

It’s simply held back from greatness because of its lack of replay value.

This one just feels right in all the places that the console version felt old.

Odin Sphere ends up being an unforgettable game due to its graphics and unique gameplay, but ends up being riddled with some major problems and puzzling game design issues that greatly reduce the amount of fun that can be had with it.

Defense Grid takes about five minutes to learn, then slowly gives you more tools over the course of campaign mode.

This game does enough to qualify as a remake rather than a remaster, so if the slew of HD re-releases we’ve seen since the new consoles launched has turned you off to the concept of remasters, you may want to reconsider checking this one out.

I wouldn't complain if they'd given us a little more, though, but this is definitely a stellar start.

That being said, the story mode is just as long as the original and brings a satisfying conclusion to the plot, some of the new features like the sprint button and bullet penetration add a new dimension to gameplay, and the multiplayer suite is as robust as ever.

Legends II more than pays for its fifty-dollar price tag by delivering hours of mutant melee mania.

But overall, BOUT is a pleasant and enjoyable adventure game. It's funny and well written, it's colorful both in tone and appearance, and its voice acting is about as good as you're going to hear in a game. On the downside, the puzzles aren't especially complicated, and there are perhaps too many of them, but these aren't serious detractions, and I don't have any reservations recommending the game, especially at its $20 price point.

Overall, I’m a lot more positive on Watch Dogs 2 than I expected to be. It doesn’t feel like it’s entirely finished (the multiplayer’s still pretty broken, for one thing), but it’s a huge step forward compared to the first game.

An excellent game. Is it completely new? No. Is it revolutionary in some way? No. But EA has taken the core FIFA game and improved it to create the best FIFA footballer to date.

If you’ve been impressed by just the visual style, you’ll be glad to know that it’s worth buying for that at first, and then turns into an RPG you won’t be able to turn away from.

Overall, the Xbox 360 version of Minecraft is an excellent port. It lacks many of the features its PC sibling has, but those are expected to be implemented in the game's free updates. If you're looking for a fun, highly addictive way to relax and let your creativity run free, or if you want an entertaining game to play with some friends, this won't disappoint.

As far as mature-rated games are concerned, Dead Space: Extraction is one of the best you’ll play on the Wii this year.

Ultimately, the frame rate and online issues transform what could have been an incredible game into a very good game.

Minor gripes aside, welcome to basketball in the new millennium. Ballers is the title for basketball fanatics and sports fiends alike.

I'm not sure I'd buy a 3DS just for Revelations. It's not a system seller, but it's a good, solid third-party title. As an installment in the larger series, it's an interesting and hopeful glimpse of where Resident Evil is going now.

Superhot almost seems like the teaser for a Kickstarter campaign, one that I think I would support, but as a standalone game it is just too thin.

The idea of including duets in Karaoke Revolution seems like a natural one given the scope of the title itself. Hell, some of the most emotionally engaging or memorable songs are duets. However, the poor execution of the feature, along with the lack of innovation for the title, makes Volume 3 much less appealing than the previous games in the series.

Saints Row: The Third does deliver what players are looking for when they purchase the title. It can be said that the developers poured over the game design and completely removed anything that would be considered boring or tedious, and replaced it with pure amoral mayhem.

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is a great bundle. It’s rare that we get a collection that offers such a gargantuan amount of content, so it’s in our best interest to support them when we do. If the goal was to give fans something to keep them busy up until the minute Borderlands 3 arrives, this collection accomplishes that.