A deeply rewarding simulation experience... Once again, the Xbox version has the best overall effects and looks the sexiest.

The controls are dead-on perfect, but somewhere along the way, someone forgot to take advantage of the PlayStation 2’s processing power—something that’s readily apparent in the sights and sounds.

Has it all—Spider-Man not only looks, sounds, and plays remarkably well, but it also places you firmly in the comic-book world of its hero.

The bar for online gaming has not so much been raised as obliterated. For once, a game lives up to its expectations.

The overall attention in the Secret Armory is impressive, and the quirks that made the main game so memorable are definitely present here.

It's all about presentation, and Jak 3 presents the action in an engaging, meaningful way that keeps you glued to the very end. [Dec 2004, p.100]

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]

This is the breakout, must-buy hit that WiiWare needed to justify its existence. LostWinds is a beautiful and unique exploration-based platformer that takes full and natural advantage of the Wii's control setup.

Unmatched in its field thanks to major improvements in every category combined with a deeply rewarding simulation experience.

This is Grand Theft Auto the way you love it: all of the innovation, charm and thrills from its past installations neatly tied together in a creative package worthy of any DS owner.

Intensively addictive. The battles are lightning-fast, the controls are completely stress-free, and there’s still something primordially fun about filling up those Pokédex pages.

Whether you’re a hyperactive kid, an inebriated adult, or just someone who doesn’t have any hangups about looking a little goofy to have a good time, the EyeToy will make you smile for the camera.

The key to Twilight Princess' genius lies in its ability to evoke, and fulfill, a feeling of nostalgia, to return you to the bygone days when you first played a Zelda game.

Other baseball games might have a more unique feature or two, and several absolutely have better graphics, but only High Heat delivers such consistently riveting gameplay.

Boktai couldn't have been done on any other system; it is uniquely Game Boy Advance, yet not at all like any of its other titles. A paradox, a conundrum, and creativity incarnate.

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

If looks could kill, DOA4 would be called Murderer's Row. This game is beautiful; even while you're beating the tar out of your opponent, you'll notice that your surroundings are among the finest you've seen in any fighting game... Hands down the best installment in the series. [Jan 2006, p.38]

A must-have for all fighting-game fans, but its easy-going control is also ideal for the casual gamer who just wants to get a bit of aggression out and look good doing it.

Without a doubt the best looking fighting game ever, with nuances like muscle rippling, facial expressions of pain, fear, and anger, and caustic lighting effects that dazzle the eyes.

Sparkle might be a copycat, but it's also a fantastic game.

A prime lesson on simple yet addictive gameplay with awe-inspiring visuals—a blend that no gamer should miss.

Visually, the game is just beautiful—the eye-popping lighting in particular is remarkable. The audio also shines.

Visually, MP 2's dazzling, organic-looking environments represent a quantum leap for console-based shooters.

A freakin' work of art. It is, without a doubt, the best-looking console game to date, and the most psychotically intense World War II shooter to boot.

WarCraft III doesn’t revolutionize the RTS genre, but a well-executed story, drum-tight gameplay and a long shelf life as a multi-player title make WarCraft III a must for and PC owning strategy fans.

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.

This immersive sci-fi epic delivers both an expansive story and electrifying first-person combat, making it one of 2001's best games.

The gameplay in March Madness is nearly identical to that of its big brother "NBA Live 2004," which is a big plus. The frantic pace, the tighter defense, and the importance of set plays is actually a much better fit for the college game than it is for Live.

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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.

Other baseball games might have a more unique feature or two, and several absolutely have better graphics, but only High Heat delivers such consistently riveting gameplay.

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. [Jan 2010, p.62]

This is a beautiful puzzle game with loads of challenge and plenty of variety. Each level will force you to think differently and develop new tactics solve them.

There has been some criticism levied against the PS3 version of Orange Box for daunting load times and framerate issues and while they are present, it's easy to forgive these technical issues given the quality of the game itself. If you have a PS3, you can't afford not to own it.

In short, it's everything I could have hoped for in a (spiritual) successor to Demon's Souls. I'm pleased to recommend it to anyone who wants to see the medium pushed to its limits and beyond.

The uniqueness of the game, the sound, graphics and the ability to control a little Sim life hooked me almost immediately.

In short, it's everything I could have hoped for in a (spiritual) successor to Demon's Souls. I'm pleased to recommend it to anyone who wants to see the medium pushed to its limits and beyond.

If you've already paid your full subscription, get to downloading Dangeresque 3 right now and enjoy the best episode yet. If, for some strange reason, you are on the fence about committing to this series, this is the episode that will hook you.

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. [Jan 2010, p.66]

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.

Aside from an unresponsive touchscreen issue every now and then, Tetris DS is an amazing puzzle package, and is easily one of the best DS games to date - a perfect partner for the upcoming DS Lite.

Never has a game gripped my attention so completely, it was able to throw me from my chair while trying to dodge an attack, lean forward to be one inch from the screen, or throw my mouse off the table in an effort to get away from an enemy.

A phenomenal addition to the Wii's library and will rival GoldenEye 64 in terms of the exhilarating multiplayer experiences that it offers up. Don't turn your nose up at it just because you don't like soccer or you'll be missing out on one of the best gaming experiences around. Now, bring on Super Smash Bros. Brawl!

It's easily the Mario Kart of soccer games and that should tell you a lot. Even if you think you're a confirmed soccer hater, Super Mario Strikers just might rock your world.

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.

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

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

Fight Night's Career mode should be the model that other boxing games should follow...Hands down, Fight Night 2004 is the victor in all weight classes this year. [May 2004, p.84]

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.

When playing in a loud stadium, visiting teams face a rowdily vibrating controller, shaking screen, and players whose lack of composure causes bad plays. If you think you can handle it, you're in for a surpise - the overall effect is huge, really adding to the challenge in key moments like kicking a field goal. [Aug 2004, p.90]

As far as the three main game systems go, the Xbox graphics—as usual—look the sharpest...NFL 2K3 is a straight-ahead, hard-as-knuckles football game.

This 2004 edition maintains the traditional love affair with the NFL that football gamers have come to expect from the series while adding some dynamite new features.

If you already own the first game and all the instruments, this is a must-own title; if you haven't experienced the magic, this is a great place to start.

This is a full-scale RPG adventure, and at the moment there isn't anything on the App Store that can compare to it. Zelda is what they aimed for, and Zelda is what they did.

Although this is said of almost every single new Rockstar product, Red Dead Redemption is arguably their best effort to date, if only because it distills all of the lessons they've learned from their previous titles into an engaging, expansive, and enthralling world. But the best part of Rockstar's open-world oater is its honest and open appreciation for the iconic Western genre.

With its high production value, smart level design, and impressive story, STVEF is simply one of the finest first-person shooters to come out this year.

Lives up to EA Sports' tagline by re-creating soccer completely.

Spawn's struggles with the forces of good and evil in the comic actually make him the best fit, story wise, of the exclusive console characters. His powerful strikes and air-based attacks also make him an extremely tough character to beat.

Play GoldenEye one time and you’ll be jonesin’ for James harder than Grace Jones on a lonely night. It’s one of the best movie-to-game translations ever.

The A.I. is a little suspect, the camera can be stubborn, and you will die your fair share of cheap deaths. But it's still a fantastic effort and Naughty Dog deserves full credit for building upon the momentum of the first installment. PS3 owners should definitely experience it, especially if they liked the original.

For first-person shooter fans, it doesn't get much better than this. What's even better is that each individual game runs amazingly well on the Xbox 360. The graphics are amazing as is the presentation. The interface that Valve created for navigating through the content is also wonderful.

Tremendous depth, great story, original gameplay-Deus Ex is the kind of game that almost shocks you with how good it is.

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 provides more game modes, off and online, than you could shake a stick at. There are so many ways to play and/or compete online, an ample character creator, cool venues and ready-to-release downloadable content that makes the whole package worthwhile even if you shell out for the all-in-one bundle. But regardless, you will have fun with Rock Band. We guarantee it.

All told, this is a great debut for the Prince of Persia series on the PS3 and Xbox 360. [Jan 2009, p.74]

Extraction is one hell of ride. It isn't pants-wettingly scary but it's a well-told story full of believable characters and situations. It does a great job of delving deeper into the Dead Space universe and offers up some genuinely engaging moments of run-and-gun action.

A sports gamer's dream come true. The potent combination of smooth fast graphics, excellent gameplay options, and a tough as nails AI, makes this hockey game king of the rink.

Greatly improved in GTAIII is the stunning visual and sound package.

Minor audio issues aside, DoA3 nails its Xbox debut and firmly establishes itself as the best home console fighting game of 2001.

The wild characters are hilarious, the gameplay is incredibly fun, and the graphics are excellent.

If you've already paid your full subscription, get to downloading Dangeresque 3 right now and enjoy the best episode yet. If, for some strange reason, you are on the fence about committing to this series, this is the episode that will hook you.

Three of the finest FPS experiences from the GameCube days gets the port they deserves in this stellar recollection of the Metroid Prime series.

Sure, Far Cry 2 is a bit hardcore, and it's blend of breakneck shooting sequences and more meandering exploration might not be for everyone. However, if you're craving a shooter with a bit more bite than the increasingly casual competition, and one with more substance than the familiar run-and-gun fare, then you'll be hard pressed to beat this content-rich offering.

More structure proves more comfortable for the console environment, and the addition of two-player really opens up the game as something more than just a spectator event.

Payne’s finest feature on the Xbox, however, may be its controls...Every function in the game is perfectly placed for intuitive control.

If you’re looking to play hockey of the NHL variety, to tackle pro challenges and use real-life strategies, NHL 2K3 will thrill you as much as watching your team heroically survive a five-on-three penalty kill.

Forza is easily the best driving game ever made. Loyal "GT4" fans ought to strap into the seat of this hot rod and take it for a spin--you won't look back.

A basketball technician’s dream. Games against the CPU realistically mimic a real game, while scrimmages against friends received a boost of energy thanks to sped-up gameplay and better shot blocking. ESPN NBA Basketball 2K4 retains the top slot by just a hair.

The gameplay remains fast and furious, and the simple controls do a masterful job of literally keeping you on track. The interplay between the characters in two-player mode is particularly impressive.

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]

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.

This game should stand as a shining example to all other developers as to how a board game should be properly structured for the iPhone. Intuitive controls, numerous AI opponents for varying difficulty, online multiplayer, local network play, pass-and-play multiplayer, a comprehensive tutorial, and a top-notch presentation make this a mandatory purchase if you own an iPhone.

Snake Eater revives the spirit of the first Solid, with an intriguing scenario, intense action, and a long adventure that stays riveting almost every step of the way--all wrapped in high-gloss cinematic cut-scenes and voice-overs that could have come from any A-action film.

It sucks you into its weird world and doesn't let you go.

Some gamers will no doubt hate the new direction they've taken but the game is much improved and definitely deserves its fair share of love. While it still early, I wouldn't hesitate to nominate it for PC Game of the Year honors come December.

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.

Graphically, Dino Crisis 2 boasts some of the best work the old PS will ever have to offer, with great CG flowing near seamlessly into the action the player controls.

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.

Bigger, tougher, and funnier, Portal 2 manages to expand on its perfectly succinct predecessor in just about every way. Boasting two excellent campaigns, each rife with satisfying puzzles and even more satisfying "Eureka!" moments, Valve's latest is an absolute must-own, plain and simple.

In this captivating outing, 47 revisits the past while modernizing the nagging flaws of his previous games, making for his best trail of assassinations yet.

The Witcher 2 embodies everything that's good about PC development, and everything that makes it, in my mind, the best platform out there. It tells a mature tale full of intrigue, mystery, and frustrating but satisfying combat, and while it is difficult (remember, there is no shame in playing on easy if you're having trouble; no one's going to take your gamer cred away from you for doing so), it's bound to please any RPG player who gives it a try.

No one's going to beat 2K5 on price, and the game's as tough as nails on the court. [Dec 2004, p.142]

Not as flashy as FIFA, but its overwhelming features and gameplay options have such depth that you could play for several years and still not see or experience everything in the game.

Both a technical and narrative masterpiece, F.E.A.R combines elements of science-fiction and horror with a beautiful aesthetic presentation and incredible enemy A.I.

Overall, the combination of a robust multiplayer, a surprisingly compelling co-op adventure, and a thrilling ten-hour single-player campaign add up to a title that is, quite simply, a must-own

There’s never been a better action RPG for any system. Yes, it's even better than "Diablo."

Like every other game in the series, Skyrim is going to eat hundreds of hours of my gaming time over the next few years. It has that sense of wonder that makes he Elder Scrolls games so great, and with the changes to skills, the Shouts, and dual-wielding, I think any gamer is going to have a lot of fun with Skyrim (and its eventual expansions) as well.

If you’re just looking for the best shooter for the PC—a game that engages your senses, thrills your nerves, and impresses your neighbors—stop reading this right now and go get MoH: Allied Assault.