So yes, Tactics Ogre, I'm very, very sorry I've ignored you until now. You really are a classic that every fan of this genre should play and love.

The controls for all versions do a masterful job of managing the fierce action. Even in battle so pitched that you literally lose sight of your character amid the multitudinous combatants, you still feel you’re the master of your fate.

If you were disenfranchised by the first Galaga Legions, definitely give DX a try. What was once a questionable reboot of Galaga is now one of the franchise's best installments. And if you liked it before, you're sure to love it now.

A remarkable game: immersive, challenging, beautifully designed. Unlike a lot of the other eye-candy out there, it has both steak and sizzle. The level designs contain some of the most breathtaking sights ever seen in a computer game and they are filled with cunning enemies just waiting to sink their steel claws into your smoking carcass.

The most striking change is in the innovative control scheme--where you use the right analog stick to throw jabs, hooks, and uppercuts--which has now been slightly altered to enable you to fight more like a professional pug in the ring.

It proves that you don’t need hyper detailed, synapse-sizzling graphics to deliver a great game when ingenuity and solid mechanics will do.

The graphics might not be the mind-blowing spectacle some were expecting, and the damage model sometimes seems to vary between subtle and extreme with no middle ground, but between the pleasurable addiction of the long career mode, and the undeniable pull of bottomless online play, Forza Motorsport 2 isn't just money well-spent, it's the best Xbox 360 racer you can buy.

The Story mode also has one of the best golf tutorials around as characters in the Practice Area give you challenges in exchange for experience points. [July 2004, p.86]

Contra ReBirth is no doubt one of the best, if not the best, titles to hit WiiWare this year.

There is likely no other game with this combination of strategy, competition, planning, and fast-paced action out there.

The inconsistent camera (that destroyer of other games) takes its toll as it makes seemingly simple tasks like navigating lengthy catwalks more perilous than it should be, and some of the puzzles rely excessively on split-second timing and result in repetitive trial-and-error.

The best version yet of a game that doesn't redefine the genre but surely reinvigorates it.

It's amazing what a little touch up in graphics and sound can do for a tower defense gameplay-based title. And Hidden Path Entertainment's Defense Grid: The Awakening is a prime example of that sudden transformation of taking a unoriginal. well-known style of video game and turning it into a masterpiece for your PC.

And even in its diminutive form, the game feels exactly the same as it always has—pros, cons, and all.

A nicely executed adventure worth fighting for, just be prepared to suffer inglorious defeats until you get used to the game cam.

Developer Treyarch did a fantastic job of not reinventing the wheel with World at War. Rather, they took the best elements of Modern Warfare and expanded upon them. The end product is a thrilling experience that injects some of the visceral punch back into World War II.

That said, this entry is more challenging than previous Guitar Hero efforts, so newcomers should hone their plastic guitar-playing skills on World Tour before braving this one. Once you've learned to shred with the big boys, though, feel free to stage-dive into one of Guitar Hero's best encores yet.

Among the most addictive, frantic, and fun of the latter-day Tetris/Puyo Pop/Dr. Mario clones, but the true insanity is reserved for two people.

Filled with enough chaos and wicked humor to forgive the slight reliance on platform clichés, Whiplash really is a hell of a game. With a little more polish before release, this game could have been a true masterpiece.

Add in the ingenious PokeWalker, and it's clear that this is a perfect experience for both old-school trainers and the newest generation of Pokemon fans.

You know this gameplay: There’s been a lot of excellent tuning but no mammoth overhauls.

Half-Minute Hero may be "JRPG-lite," but even if you're not a fan of the genre there's plenty of great gameplay to be had. A clever game with plenty of humor and personality, Half-Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax is certainly worth your time.

I've generally been pretty fond of the "Mr." games, and this is by far the best one yet. Ponos knocked it out of the park with this simple game, and the extra modes round off the package and elevate it from a merely good game to a great collection of addictive, quickie minigames.

All in all, MvC3 is undeniably a fine product, the result of a labor of love from its creators, and, indirectly, the fanbase that supports them. I'm sure some will be dissatisfied -- if you're expecting to play MvC3 like tournament MvC2, you'll likely wind up disappointed

Start with an intense action/strategy game, add a remarkably easy-to-use interface, and wrap it in one of the most impressive 3D engines ever seen in a computer game, and you've got "Ground Control."

This is a Triple-A game, but it's also a difficult and stubbornly old-fashioned one that may be great unto itself, but does nothing really to reinvent the genre it now dominates.

Visually, Tony and friends have never looked better. The frame rate runs super fast, even when you're busting out multiple combos.

I love that owners of both the iPad and iPhone version can play together regardless of which device they're using, and I think that the game's mix of old and new will make this a game that plenty of people will be able to get into.