Instantly engaging and packed with an awesome four-player mode, F-Zero X delivers high-powered racing with that immaculate Nintendo touch.

For all its frustrations, Professor Layton does have its merits. The overall vibe of the game is charming and immensely likeable and the basic game mechanic is solid. There is also a ton of things to do: aside from the puzzles, there are other neat extras that I'll let you discover on your own.

If you're really into your music collection and want to do something with it besides listen to it, you'll love AudioSurf.

You can never get enough of a classic. Super Mario 64 is essentially here with enough DS goodies to make a compelling dual-screen package.

The expansive environments are divided by too-frequent load screens, the story elements fall limp more often than not, and corralling idiotic survivors can try your patience, but the visceral thrill of taking zombies apart is so varied and enjoyable that such disappointments are forgiven. Dead Rising isn't game of the year, but it is a whole lot of mindless fun.

Make no mistake; this is the definitive version of KOTOR II.

Approximately as big as Metroid Prime on the GameCube, it's hard to imagine how Nintendo squeezed Hunters into a tiny DS cartridge. Metroid Prime: Hunters is a very polished game, suffering more from small quirks than actual flaws.

It is the quintessential Nintendo party game, and a recommended purchase if you happen to have a friend or two with a 3DS, which should be a bit more likely now that Black Friday is over.

To say that Sonic Team has added a lot of new stuff to PSO would be the understatement of the century.

Unlike a lot of the shovelware on the App Store, Gesundheit! feels like its developers were very passionate about their idea, which, married with its overall level of polish make it a must own title.

Still, what Fire Emblem may hack off of your gaming ego in difficulty, it makes up for with good ol' fashioned beauty.

For many, Final Fantasy XI will be the Holy Grail of nonlinearity: a wide-open RPG universe with Final Fantasy flair, defined by its players as much as its developers, beloved for all its flaws. Love it or hate it, there’s nothing like it on your PS2.

Edges out "NASCAR Heat" as this season’s top stock-car racer. Slick A.I. and a great Career mode make this game addictively playable.

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.

Delivers in modes what it lacks in next-gen flash.

If you're the kind of hardcore NASCAR fans that will revel in the challenge of Career mode, you'll have an absolute blast with Thunder, particularly now that Tiburon has included a ton of in-game help and redesigned the interface to be massively more usable.

You'll either immerse yourself in truly mastering one of the world's most powerful sports cars, or you'll find this about as much fun as taking your driver's test.

Boom Blox offers a great gaming experience with a ton replayability; you'll have to excuse the pun but this is one title that truly does qualify as a "summer blockbuster."

The definitive football game to buy this season.

Finally, it is possible for trainers to meet friends online and battle others around the world via the DS' Wi-Fi. There are also competitions that incorporate acting, singing, and dressing up the little critters in costumes.

"Virtua Fighter 4" was easily the best in the series, and also one of the best hardcore fighting games ever released. While it doesn't represent as huge a step up as say, "VF4" did over "VF3," it can still claim the crown as the best Virtua Fighter to date. It's a rousing success on all fronts.

It's for that rare breed of gamer who isn't afraid of inhuman challenge, who spends days practicing their routines, who will do anything to beat his last high score.

The true wonder of the game isn’t in normal mapping or Havok physics, but rather in the low-tech ways in which the game turns skulking in the dark into tons of fun. There’s still room in this business for loving craftsmanship and intelligent design, and Deadly Shadows has both.

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

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.

As for the overall gameplay, it’s challenging and realistic with a sim-style feel much like Gran Turismo’s.

Twin Snakes isn't a bad game by any stretch, but as an opportunity to enhance an already awesome gaming experience, it misses the mark. [April 2004, p.64]

The PC version is still preferable if you have the choice, but The Sims is an insanely addictive game no matter what platform it’s on.