None of the modes - Arcade, Time Attack, Versus - scream innovation, and confusing anime-style cut scenes had us scratching our heads, but the wealth of hidden content, online play and addictive combat make Street Fighter IV one of 2009's most exciting video games.

Now for the big bummer -- there's no Wi-Fi multiplayer for Peggle: Dual Shot.

Shadow Complex is still 1200 Microsoft Points well spent for a simple shoot-em-up that will keep trigger-happy gamers blasting bad guys for days on end.

Company of Heroes should be described as a work of RTS art.

Supreme Commander makes everything as big as possible, from base-ending nuclear weapons, to larger-than-life experimental units destroying everything in their path.

Its graphics don't look nearly as good as they did two years ago, but that shouldn't stop players from plunking down the $29.99 to experience the series' best game.

Oblivion for PS3 still contains a few annoying visual glitches and the occasional slowdown, but these problems seem negligible compared to the game's grand scale and mesmerizing storyline.

Its length is shorter than we prefer (there are only five stages), but the unlockable bonuses, including the Boss Rush mode, Score Attack stages and additional scenarios justify the meager 800-point price tag. This could very well be 2008's downloadable game to beat.

A beautiful and bloodthirsty representation of boxing, as well as a superb visual showpiece for either console.

The dunks are emphatic, the court chatter is cool, the sound of the ball striking the rim is excellent, and the action is fast-paced, realistic, and just a hell of a lot of fun. And thankfully, the rest of the modes are also quite entertaining. The franchise mode, dubbed Association, is deep and rewarding.

The Beatles are worth every penny, especially for fans of the Fab Four. This game delivers one of the most phenomenal music experiences, outside of hopping into a time machine and watching them perform live, we're likely to see during this phase of our digital age.

DJ Hero is without question Activision's coolest rhythm game. The turntable has its drawbacks (it's a bit small for larger folks), but that soundtrack will give you a new appreciation for music and perhaps satisfy your DJ fantasy. Just don't pass this off as another game with a useless peripheral. It's one of the sweetest, most original games we've played in a long time.

We also have mixed feelings about the Spirit Flute, a musical instrument that, when played, reveals secrets. To do this, you'll blow into the DS microphone. While a novel idea, you look ridiculous doing it, on par with playing a game on Wii. We get what Nintendo wanted to do, but there was probably a better way to accomplish that, instead of having players spit all over their systems.

A game that features numerous upgrades guaranteed to please hoops fans who love rainbow threes and rim rattling dunks. On top of that, it has one of the most impressive sounding crowds this side of FIFA 10, and those 20,000 screaming maniacs make all the difference.

With short but sweet game play, easy puzzles and jokes that had the staff hurting from laughter, this episode needs to be played.

The attractive graphic novel cut scenes, devastating electrical attacks, a moody soundtrack and a sprawling post apocalyptic metropolis make inFAMOUS a welcome addition to the PlayStation 3 library.

All of this combines to form a wonderful racing experience that Colin McRae would be proud of, so pick up Dirt 2, rev some engines and enjoy one of 2009's best.

Thanks to a scorching set list (over 45 songs to choose from), the inclusion of a new Expert Plus mode and a bass drum track that's so difficult that two drum pedals are nearly required, players can skip their Wii Fit regime for a real rock workout that will mak 'em sweat.

The gameplay works great, although gamers will be more comfortable with the traditional control scheme rather than using the stylus. Everyone needs to join this League.

The game's intensity grows overwhelming sometimes, especially when timed secondary objectives get piled on top of trying to hold ground against unending waves of Soviet armor. But the amazing graphics and engaging single-player campaign, which deals with the brutality of war, will keep players coming back to keep up the fight.

The inability to die and the glowing trail that points us to the next objective makes the game easier than we'd like, but Fable II is one of the best adventure games you'll play this year.

If you rarely play online or have a slow Internet connection and hate micro-managing, stop reading now and go buy last year's game instead. If you don't fit into either of those molds, then this will be the most satisfying experience playing virtual sports ever.

While there are a few things we could've done without (frustrating recharging, camera issues, worn-out voices), No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is incredibly entertaining.

Seeing as how most military first-person shooters take themselves dead seriously, it's refreshing to see Battlefield: Bad Company's dark sense of humor.

DJ Hero is without question Activision's coolest rhythm game. The turntable has its drawbacks (it's a bit small for larger folks), but that soundtrack will give you a new appreciation for music and perhaps satisfy your DJ fantasy. Just don't pass this off as another game with a useless peripheral. It's one of the sweetest, most original games we've played in a long time.

Despite Halo 3's overall greatness, we can't help but feel somewhat let down by the narrative's lackluster conclusion (but stay tuned after the credits roll for a coda that hits just the right note).

Need for Speed: Shift is a wonderful re-imaging of Electronic Arts' classic series and one of 2009's best racing games. The combination of exquisite graphics and hardcore crashing delivers an adrenaline shot to players who drool over squealing tires, burnt rubber and exotic muscle machines.

It also has some of the best graphics and audio on PlayStation 3. All of the textures, from a sun drenched African landscape to Sackboy's realistic looking burlap skin look amazing, as do the various special effects.

It's tough to choose between this and NBA Live 10, but in this reviewer's opinion, NBA 2K10 wins at the buzzer.

Gorgeous and horrifying visuals, combined with spine-tingling audio, immerse you in an interstellar nightmare of blood and bone. While it leaves a lot of unanswered questions, an obvious ploy to get you to read the enjoyable comics and watch the animated film, Dead Space is still a terrifying game, whether you're bathed in darkness or playing in sunlight.

This jaunt away from the Capitol Wasteland is a welcome addition to the three adventure add-ons that build on Fallout 3's awesome adventure.

An innovative traits and title system, unique social-networking -- like an in-game music system and player-driven Wiki -- and the rich storylines and subplots that stay true to the source material easily make this name-brand role-player a hot contender for PC game of the year.

An immensely entertaining shooter that demands your attention. Single player doesn't measure up to multiplayer (a potential deal breaker for the loners of the world), but taken as a whole, this is a gun firing, tank crushing good time.

We could nitpick the small things (returning courses, the developers force players to repeatedly race on the same tracks), but none of those issues affect an otherwise incredible racing experience. Forza Motorsport 3 is without question one of the best racers and a surefire contender for 2009 game of the year.

The puzzle design is fantastic, though it leans a bit on trial-and-error. The graphics are vibrant, even if the heroes don't have a memorable spark. The game has long-term replayability too, with a neat little co-op game and hidden treasures to uncover. No Wii owner should miss this.

Twilight Princess stands out as one of Nintendo's more attractive games, thanks to its fabulous draw distances, breath-taking imagery, life-like animations, imaginative character designs and dramatic action sequences.

The online mode could use some work, and we wish the controllers were wireless, but even that new tangle of wires in our living room can't keep us from living this virtual rock 'n' roll fantasy.

Full of creative weapons, the uneasy chaos of battle and some scary moments, this part-military, part-sci-fi shooter's single player campaign will keep discerning gamers busy with multiple difficulty levels and unlockable weaponry.

Dragon Age: Origins is a fulfilling, involving adventure that is worth picking up. The choices you make for your character, along with the twists and turns that follow, will keep you engaged. Furthermore, the controls are well done, even without the standard PC and mouse combination. This is one adventure you'll keep coming back to for months to come.

Some of the missions prove incredibly difficult, especially when players need to defend a position against overwhelming odds, but the fast-paced battles and great multiplayer features make it all worthwhile.

With expansive lands and quests, the Shivering Isles brings forth a landscape that adds further dimension to the already impressive world of Oblivion. Players can find much sadistic joy in going mad.

It looks gorgeous, with wonderfully drawn levels and a captivating soundtrack. It ends sooner than expected, but the ride Braid takes you on is worth it.

The at-times awkward Wii-mote controls and a tacked-on co-op mode keep the game from reaching perfection, but gravity-bending levels still manage to keep the game fresh from start to finish, while familiar characters and soundtrack hit all the right nostalgic notes.

Even though the PC version runs faster, Unreal Tournament III for the PlayStation 3 is an outstanding first-person shooter. All of Tournament's frenetic action stays intact, both in the jam-packed single player campaign and numerous multiplayer modes. The graphics explode onto the screen with little loss in detail.

For the third year in a row, 2K Sports has the best basketball game available. NBA 2K8 has vast improvements, tweaking an already capable engine with fresh animations and change-ups.

It's damn near impossible, but you'll feel a great sense of accomplishment if you manage to beat the final boss. The replay value is high, thanks to additional challenge and time attack stages, along with promising downloadable content.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has more than enough guns, modes and "oh-my-god" moments to propel it to the very top of your must have list, with astounding visuals, crystal-clear (and at times, frightening) audio and enough plot twists to make you second guess everything, so gear up, hop onto your snowmobile and haul ass to the nearest store.

Bottom line, The Bigs 2 is everything a sequel should be, a game that adds to the previous edition while retaining its magic. Unless you despise unrealistic and arcade style sports, we highly recommend it.

A fast-paced game that will keep you glued to your screen as you purge the planet of alien invaders.

The high system requirements might turn some people off, but something has to power the jaw-dropping graphics and highly detailed environments. The new version of Unreal Tournament has a few things that long time players will need to get used to, but the one thing that hasn't changed is incredibly fast-paced and addictive action.

MadWorld is what you'd get if you stuck Pink Floyd's "The Wall" video into the mouth of Quentin Tarantino and pushed play.

The presentation hasn't changed much and the gameplay still revolves around the same note hitting formula, but if you love music (and who doesn't), you can't afford to miss this latest jam.

The system of ducking behind cover and maneuvering to shoot above or around it works perfectly, delivering non-stop action and excitement.

It's a convoluted story, but with intriguing characters, inspiring visuals and a stellar soundtrack, it's a journey worth your time.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars has problems, but we're still giving it a hefty thumbs up. The brutal nature of the series remains intact, the new top-down perspective rocks on PSP and there's plenty to do, both on your own and with a friend. Unless the violence offends you, it's a must have game.

Any level 60 player has no reason not to achieve level 70, and anyone who bought their epic mount has no reason not to have a flying mount as well. Basically, if World of Warcraft feels right, so will Burning Crusade.

This jaunt away from the Capitol Wasteland is a welcome addition to the three adventure add-ons that build on Fallout 3's awesome adventure.

Bayonetta sort of resembles Devil May Cry, and the PlayStation 3 version isn't up to par with the superior Xbox 360 edition. Nevertheless, Platinum Games and Hideki Kamiya built an inventive, stylish and wild action game that gets 2010 off on the right foot. Sequel, please.

The graphics look terrific, and the GLaDOS computer system has plenty of insane banter. You owe it to yourself to check this out, even if you beat the original.

This well-rounded, gorgeous game delivers on all fronts with scarcely a problem in sight. With superb and precise controls, Logan's Shadow provides gamers with an intriguing story, a variety of environments and all the tactical gunplay they can handle.

With superb graphics, excellent characters and superb multiplayer options, there's very little that Modern Warfare doesn't deliver.

If you're a hardcore player, you owe it to yourself to pick it up and dominate it. If you're a rookie, this is a fine place to start earning your stripes.

A beautiful and bloodthirsty representation of boxing, as well as a superb visual showpiece for either console.

It's damn near impossible, but you'll feel a great sense of accomplishment if you manage to beat the final boss. The replay value is high, thanks to additional challenge and time attack stages, along with promising downloadable content.

Whether or not Wii Fit Plus will help you get in tip top condition remains to be seen, but this is an incredibly enjoyable video game for a budget price.

Its career mode, Road to the Show 2.0 will keep you busy for months, while additions to offline and online modes greatly enhance the game's replay value. It's so good, you'll play it right up to next year's edition.

The new Challenge and Battle of the Bands modes and tweaks to the World Tour mode will keep you playing for months.

If you rarely play online or have a slow Internet connection and hate micro-managing, stop reading now and go buy last year's game instead. If you don't fit into either of those molds, then this will be the most satisfying experience playing virtual sports ever.

The Beatles are worth every penny, especially for fans of the Fab Four. This game delivers one of the most phenomenal music experiences, outside of hopping into a time machine and watching them perform live, we're likely to see during this phase of our digital age.

The result is so good that we're declaring it an easy 'Best of' contender for 2009.

The adventure ends sooner than expected (10-12 hours), but it's worth every breathtaking moment. This is one of 2008's best.

With expansive lands and quests, the Shivering Isles brings forth a landscape that adds further dimension to the already impressive world of Oblivion. Players can find much sadistic joy in going mad.

Bottom line, The Bigs 2 is everything a sequel should be, a game that adds to the previous edition while retaining its magic. Unless you despise unrealistic and arcade style sports, we highly recommend it.

With Split/Second, Black Rock Studio has clearly blown the doors off. This is fast-paced racing at its finest, the best of its kind since Burnout 3: Takedown hit the open road years ago. It'll take a lot to top this one.

For the third year in a row, 2K Sports has the best basketball game available. NBA 2K8 has vast improvements, tweaking an already capable engine with fresh animations and change-ups.

The online mode could use some work, and we wish the controllers were wireless, but even that new tangle of wires in our living room can't keep us from living this virtual rock 'n' roll fantasy.

If you grew tired of these games years ago, then move along. But if you love Metroid and want to experience the first two adventures with more user friendly controls, happily indulge in this creature blasting, planet hopping trilogy.

Skilled players will portal their way through the nineteen levels in just a few hours, but this little puzzle game / tech demo provides plenty of entertainment and makes a great addition to The Orange Box.

If any game in 2009 deserves a purchase, it is undoubtedly Uncharted 2. But taking a very close look, it isn't perfect.

Last year's race between 2K Sports and EA Sports' hockey franchises was almost a dead heat. This year, EA's NHL 09 takes Lord Stanley's Cup, thanks to a combination of what worked well last year and some sweet new features.

The Sims 3 faced an daunting task to live up to the franchise's legacy and yet still deliver a new kind of experience to satiate the desires of any Sims fan.

This is the best puzzle game of the year thus far, a perfectly blended mix of Tetris Attack-ish strategy and poker.

Electronic Arts applies the control scheme from its previous PC to console real time strategy game, "The Lord of the Rings: The Battle of Middle-earth II" with excellent results, offering gamers a user-friendly scheme that makes controlling units and building structures simple.

Gorgeous and feature packed, it's the new benchmark of open world adventures and a must play for gamers with itchy trigger fingers.

While it lacks large amount of modes and options, the ones provided will keep you punching for hours. In addition, online play is excellent, with very little lag.

It's damn near impossible, but you'll feel a great sense of accomplishment if you manage to beat the final boss. The replay value is high, thanks to additional challenge and time attack stages, along with promising downloadable content.

Despite a few corny audio samples, Virtua Fighter 5 offers hard-hitting fighting perfection that no one should miss.

The combination of a loaded single player campaign with an entertaining multiplayer mode makes Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters an excellent addition to the PSP library.

The tilting gameplay is both surprisingly simple yet elegant, letting you achieve goals at your own pace without frustration.

The best part about Muramasa, though, is the presentation. This Wii effort sports vivid hand-drawn animation, breathtaking locales and a memorable soundtrack. It's without question one of the better games you'll find on the Wii.

An immensely entertaining shooter that demands your attention. Single player doesn't measure up to multiplayer (a potential deal breaker for the loners of the world), but taken as a whole, this is a gun firing, tank crushing good time.

While not a true sequel (Sony pulled its eight tracks, modes and vehicles from its WipEout Pure and Pulse PSP games), it feels fresh and exciting because of the gorgeous high-definition graphics, which run in 1080p and at a blazing 60 frames per second.

With slick graphics, beautiful level design and of course, the puzzles and action that first captivated us completely, Anniversary lives up to the name of Lara Croft.

Gorgeous and horrifying visuals, combined with spine-tingling audio, immerse you in an interstellar nightmare of blood and bone. While it leaves a lot of unanswered questions, an obvious ploy to get you to read the enjoyable comics and watch the animated film, Dead Space is still a terrifying game, whether you're bathed in darkness or playing in sunlight.

Its visuals, gameplay and intricacy make it the best downloadable shooter available since "Geometry Wars: Evolved" – end of story.

Occasionally sloppy visuals and dialogue can't derail a fantastic, involving role-playing experience. Baldur's Gate veterans should definitely apply.

The whole thing comes off like something Pixar would produce if it chose to add game development to their filmaking. The lack of an online multiplayer/co-op option keeps it from being perfect, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying this undeniable thrill ride.

Hilarious and addictive.