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.