The new locations, characters, items, and monsters are nothing short of awesome. The voice acting is perfect, the sound effects spot-on, and the score at times both ominous and uplifting.

The graphics are among the best to ever grace the Game Boy screen, a vibrant canvas decorated in brilliant crayon and eye-popping pastels-Yoshi's Island is a veritable work of art.

With a ton of tricks, parks, and game modes, and the included park editor, THPS2 provides a great gaming experience with tons of replay value.

It's got great graphics, superb dialogue, and unforgettable characters, but the genre-bending story will keep graphic adventure fans glued to the screen.

A masterful effort. It literally redefines itself within the span of one videogame football season and is a worthy preseason Pro Bowl pick.

The three versions of NCAA are virtually identical... The GameCube version doesn’t control quite as comfortably, but that’s mainly because the controller layout isn’t as suitable for sports games.

It took a long time for Killzone 2 to finally come out, but after diving head first into the game, there's no doubt in my mind that it lives up to the hype and is a must-play for FPS fans. [Mar 2009, p.70]

The only thing missing from this impressive entry is a number "4" in the title, because for all intents and purposes, Reach feels like the next big thing in the Halo franchise.

The title's greatest strength is the way it completely wraps you in the main protagonist's skin, which is something more RPG games should strive to do. The game's staggering depth and complexity is also impressive, as is its accessibility.

Awesome single player game is held back by a mediocre multiplayer experience.

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The ultimate automotive playground. A place where car buffs can come together and enjoy virtually every aspect of car culture you can think of – and engage in fierce, beautifully articulated competition.

Long the lord of Street Fighter, Capcom's clearly taking a new tack with this killer game, and the results are outstanding. Resident Evil stands tall as a topnotch second-generation PlayStation game that's well worth the green.

While Battlefield 2 definitely shines as the most impressive in the series, the lack of advancement to gameplay may give it a shorter lifespan than the original.

The fact that we get access to two classic games in one package is also a win for us, but again, the ability to take a long look back at Kratos' journey is the true reward of this amazing collection.

Madden remains the best in the business at presenting football plays. The playbook and playcalling interface in this year's game are clean, easy to read, and snap to use. [Sept 2004, p.96]

It delivers all the clever, addictive gameplay that a THPS game should, and in higher resolution than ever before.

It's tough to sum up everything that makes Arkham City work as well as it does. If Arkham Asylum was a fun-house chock-full of Batman's most famous foes with a decent dose of fanservice for Dark Knight die-hards, this is a sprawling theme park that plumbs the depths of his case files.

Torment's graphics and sound are paradise. Gorgeous, hand-drawn backgrounds look sumptuous, even if they're overcome with dark, moody, colors.

The most polished and satisfying entry in the series, and it presents enough fresh ideas to make it worth seeing through to its gripping conclusion.

Offers more multiplayer options than you’ll likely ever use combined with a single-player experience that’s wonderful but somewhat typical. Still, it’s the best PC D&D game ever, bar none.

It's a triumph of mood and psychological tension, and devoted fans will find a great deal to excite them. But they're also bound to be disappointed by its reliance on repetitive combat and a shortage of villains worth the big man's attention.

Nearly flawless visuals and truly immersive sound make sure you’re having fun even when you’re not shooting.

A superior GBA adventure in every respect and a marked improvement on "Harmony of Dissonance." Still, it is another "Symphony of the Night" clone—if you’re feeling a little sick of the same ol’ thing, this game may be the breaking point.

A spectacular experience from beginning to end, and with an enormous amount of choices to make, cities to visit, dungeons to crawl, NPCs to interact with, treasure to find, quests to complete and crafts to master, I feel pretty confident in saying that Dragon Age: Origins is, without a doubt, one of the most enjoyable and immersive RPG experiences I've had since my Infinity Engine days.

A huge, fantastic, creative, and wickedly fun RPG that doesn't seem to care that it's "just" on a GBA. It's easily the best RPG available for the GBA-and may just be the best RPG for any console system this year.

It's still a winner - but this time by a very narrow margin.

I especially appreciate the numerous calibration option that the game offers -- finally, I have a game that I can play while attempting to accomplish a full 360 degree orbit on a swing set.

Set against a myriad of beautifully rendered 2D environments, the detailed visuals convey a feeling of dread.

Packs the power to astonish with its next-level A.I., absorbing mission design, and mesmerizing presentation.

With a veritable buffet of racers, courses, modes, and multiplayer options, Mario Kart DS is a must play for any Nintendo fan and a requisite for any DS owner.

A very strong contender for PlayStation game of the year. Its "rowdy rowdy" gameplay will keep your head spinning for days.

Enormously fun golfing with a variety of modes to satisfy everyone from the weekend golfer to the maniacal miniature-putthead. You couldn't ask for a better tee time than Mario Golf.

Few games so deftly balance the contrasting qualities achieved here. It's at once both epic and intimate, earnest and lighthearted. The scale of it is truly magnificent, but often its largest and most moving moments come from the smallest and most carefully composed scenes.

Uncomplicated, nimble, and feature-rich. Xbox Live even enables you to challenge other Gotham racers and promises to deliver tracks and cars for future downloads.

It's dedicated to the spirit of the game, both in the present and in the past, in ways that so many other sports games, even some of the great ones, have never really been able to do. NBA 2K12 is essential for any fan of video game sports.

Far more than the original, this truly is a game that can be enjoyed by anyone, and should be tried by everyone.

Will only get better. And while it might not be the best WoW expansion, what it has done is helped make World of Warcraft a much better experience for beginners, while providing more than enough to keep its hardcore fans happy.

Aside from a few tiny changes, Half-Life 2 on the Xbox is the PC game, right down to the last spattered droplets of alien blood. Half-Life 2's graphics set new standards for the Xbox, blowing right past heavyweights like "Doom 3" and "Halo 2."

The three versions of NCAA are virtually identical... The main points involve graphics, and the Xbox version clearly looks the best, sporting the crispest details, richest colors, and best lighting.

Regardless of whether Rayman is climbing, swinging, or hovering like a helicopter, the control never once loses its smooth, seamless feel. Rayman 2 brings the same kind of fun that you will find in other great games of the genre, while at the same time creating its own identity and following.

Even after suffering through the grueling battles, the repeated deaths, the campy dialogue and the head-numbingly bad plot, I still had a hell of time thanks to the immensely satisfying combat, the inspired level design and the memorable boss encounters.

Unique and engaging in every respect—and for highbrow types who crave a challenge, this is as good as it gets.

The visuals may be on target, but Advance Warfighter's controls in the single-player campaign bites the bullet. It's been an unfortunate and ongoing theme in the Ghost Recon series, yet the wonky control scheme still hasn't been fixed.

A landmark sports game. Not only is it the greatest football game we've yet seen, it's a masterclass in how to capture the essence of a sport. From they way it looks to the way it makes you think about how you play the game, FIFA 12 is brilliant, through and through.

A wacky, wonderful meditation on the Mario phenomenon. As for the game itself: The combat system is clever, nicely varied, and wickedly fun, but a little more depth to the adventure would have sealed the deal.

The satisfying story mode is a big improvement on THPS’s structure. The story ramps up the difficulty gradually, so you build skills as you go, but there are now four difficulty levels, making THUG totally accessible to newbies.

An action-packed espionage thriller, Syphon Filter’s intense gameplay combines with tight control and a slick style to deliver the PlayStation’s best third-person action game.

With insane amounts of selectable characters and play options, what can possibly be done to top it?

A game that will have you laughing one moment and cursing the next but you'll enjoy doing both. The cutscenes and challenges are equally entertaining, if in very different ways. Bowser's Inside Story works hard to make sure it's never boring or mindlessly repetitive and quite nearly succeeds.

While it may start slow, its got enough action and new content to make it well worth the wait.

The best thing that I can say about Chaos Rings is that, unlike other ports of RPGs that have been brought to the iPhone, (like the original Final Fantasy remakes or Korean cell phone games like Zenonia and Across Age) this is a game that was made for the platform, and it shows.

A landmark sports game. Not only is it the greatest football game we've yet seen, it's a masterclass in how to capture the essence of a sport. From they way it looks to the way it makes you think about how you play the game, FIFA 12 is brilliant, through and through.

Essentially the same game with a slew of slick improvements, and gamers will have an absolute blast throwing down dunks while exploring its new features.

Black & White miraculously pulls you in and doesn't let go until you've sacrificed many hours.

A magnificent example of fine-tuning, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando sculpts the successes of the first one to near-perfection...but too many similarities to the original make it all seem just a teensy bit stale.

The intuitive controls have been retained, but to enhance the original's sim-like feel, a slice button has been added and the serves are a little more difficult to perfect.

It's an instant classic and one that will occupy you for a long time to come. [Dec 2008, p.86]

This year, the design guys as Visual Concepts have turned ESPN NFL 2K5 into the most entertaining show in video-game football. [Sept 2004, p.98]

All in all, Phantom Hourglass is a successful sequel that improves on everything that its predecessor did right. [Nov 2007, p.92]

Excellent controls, AI, and graphics make this hockey game a must have.

Never before has a sports game improved so much and added so many new features in a single season. It may not be the league-leader in every category, but excellent performances across the board make it the best baseball game of the year. [May 2004, p.86]

Translates very well to the home. Boogie down!

The complex environments from the console games are here, but the small size kills the visual detail, and the 3/4-overhead perspective makes those levels much harder to navigate.

Yesterday I drained my iPod's battery completely while playing online deathmatch games, and the only thing I wanted to do was stick it on the charger so I could hop back in. I just hope you readers are willing to take the $6.99 hit to your wallets and join me.

The new real-time battle mode seems abortive at best, and the AI can sometimes seem a little too easy to manipulate, but the core turn-based gameplay can't be beat.

MLB 11: The Show is so full of the heart and soul of baseball that even jaded baseball video gamers have to admit how close it is to the real thing.

Its premise is straightforward, yet there’s so much to do and see, along with some sizeable challenges that will test even the brightest adventure veterans.

Exciting missions, unbelievable visuals and sound, and, like the first Rogue and Naboo, a replay factor through the roof.

Its outstanding looks and stellar controls make it a heavy favorite to win the championship.

Cheesy voice-acting by minor characters is the only real flaw here.

Quite simply the best arcade racing game ever made. Everything that you loved about the last game is still here and kicking, but with added modes, more action, a faster sense of speed, and some truly addictive multiplayer modes, this game will undoubtedly go down in history as being the epitome of action racing this generation and possibly even the next.

Button spacing on the GameCube controller is the only real liability as it takes some time to learn not to hit X and A at the same time.

Donkey Kong stands tall over other similar-minded action titles. It's one of those Rare games that makes you remember why you liked video games so much in the first place.

Throw in some wild game-rule-altering "mutators" and pleasantly brief loading times, and Unreal Tournament delivers a high-speed, high-adrenaline package that never even has the chance to be boring. It packs more personality than "Quake III Arena."

Like taking a trip through a modern art museum…except all of the paintings are moving, all the sculptures are breathing, and every display is shooting swarms of genetically enhanced laser missiles at the thoughts inside your head.

If you've never played Portal before all you need to know is that it's a must buy, plain and simple. Quit reading right now and download it.

I can't recommend this innovative experience highly enough, and from first time visitors to the Velvet Room to jaded MegaTen fanatics, Persona 4 is an absolute must buy.

When it comes to video game destruction for brains and brawn, Blast is definitely the master.

It’s hard to knock one of the best, most addictive strategy games ever made—but Civ II owners may wonder why they’re paying fifty bucks for what's essentially a decent facelift and a gameplay balance patch.

A huge arsenal of moves and a ridiculous number options - some great, some not so great - add tons of replay value and make Smackdown 2, making it a virtual no-brainer for wrestling fans.

Never before has a sports game improved so much and added so many new features in a single season. It may not be the league-leader in every category, but excellent performances across the board make it the best baseball game of the year. [May 2004, p.86]

The speed has also been cranked, so that skaters fly through the levels at an insane velocity. [Nov 2002, p.50]

Continues to deliver well-balanced pigskin fun with awesome graphics, intuitive controls, numerous options, and lightning-fast onscreen action.

As a gaming experience, LIMBO succeeds by combining cerebral puzzles with physical 'twitch' actions, but what makes it more than just a cool, artsy indie title is the incredible world that PlayDead Studios has created.

But the best of all may be Advanced Wanted mode, which ditches many of the indicators and forces you to rely almost entirely on your observation skills to detect your targets. It's super tough, but incredibly rewarding.

If you missed the game the first time around, this is the perfect opportunity to experience an innovative and expertly designed title. [May 2008, p.83]

Super Meat Boy is a thank-you card addressed to great game design. It recognizes and embraces everything we've come to love about the indie scene, even going so far as to include it – Braid's Tim and Gish's Gish, for instance, show up as playable characters.

An absolute blast from start to finish with plenty of trademark Liberty City locales ripe for exploration, not to mention a cast of incredibly memory characters (Chan Jaoming, I hardly knew ya.) If you're looking for a good action adventure experience that harkens back to the more cartoony Grand Theft Auto days, then Chinatown Wars is certainly worth the investment.

The fact that Visceral boldly ignored the fan fervor and pulled the franchise forward in a logical and thrilling direction is commendable, and even though they'll get their fair share of close-minded bitching that the game fails to live up to the gory heights of the original, it's still a worthy follow-up to the tense opening chapter.

While Pikmin 2 may be more of a hybrid remake/expansion pack than a sequel, it's still funny, fun, brilliant, and more daringly weird than what comes out of 95 percent of most major game studios. It's two of a kind. [Oct 2004, p.76]

If anything, character visuals look slightly sharper with brighter colors than the PS2 game's, and the post-play highlights are still cool.

There are no branching pathways or mulitiple endings, but if you're looking for a rip-roaring adventure, you can't go wrong.

This sequel does not reinvent itself but even at double the price point of its predecessor, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 manages to offer enough new modes and graphic enhancements to make it a must buy for fans of the original.

If you own an iPhone, DS, or PSP, those are probably better platforms to play this on, but this iPad version is still a great game that perfectly captures the console GTA experience.

The tired, princess-saving formula never seems to change, but somehow Nintendo makes every visit to the Mushroom Kingdom feel like the first time.

While the game isn't littered with NPCs, there's a lot of interaction with fellow bounty hunters and objectives given from outside sources. It seems like this and the multi-planet settings were both added to make the game feel more like an action-adventure than an adventure-action title, which is a shame since it flies in the face of what made Metroid one of the best franchises in gaming.

There's an awesome amount of gameplay packed into this cart. The landscapes are so huge it's a challenge to remember everything you need to do.