Wow! Steet Fighter Alpha 3 looks and plays great on the GBA with very few compromises made for the handheld. [Oct 2002, p.76]

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.

The game wisely fights the urge to simply build upon the thick feature set of its predecessor, and by focusing on striking a fresh tone and delivering some of the most intensely memorable encounters in recent memory, it's transformed a pretty great system exclusive into an essential genre experience.

Beneath Land-a Panda's adorable exterior is a surprisingly solid physics-based puzzler that's an absolute steal at it's bottom-shelf price of $0.99.

It shows depth, talent, and imagination. Everything any winning team needs.

Braid may seem like the closest contemporary to Winterbottom, as time manipulation is key to each game's platform challenges, but World of Goo is a near-equal counterpart in my mind. Both offer devious challenges complemented by fantastically clever aesthetics, but regardless of which game makes the most sense as an existing touchstone, simply mentioning The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom in their company should say a lot about how worthwhile and refined a game The Odd Gentlemen have created.

The feel of the controls takes some getting used to and there are several levels that will try your patience, but the excellent atmosphere and clever challenges make 6th Planet a space trip worth embarking on.

Its unique modern-day setting along with terrific characters and a dark story make Persona 2 an engaging game from start to finish. It's truly a must for serious RPG fans.

The game that "Doom 3" and "Quake 4" wished they could be. It's ruthlessly violent and action-packed, yet consistently subversive and innovative -- not unlike "Duke Nukem 3D," another 3D Realms-produced game. It's also one of the least frustrating games we've ever played.

The Story Mode is decidedly different in that it doesn't feel like a rehash of THUG and the inclusion of Classic Mode is brilliant-that's without accounting for the expansive customizable and multiplayer options. Simply put, this game is skating nirvana.

That said, Lords of Shadow, when weighed against both the Castlevania legacy and the games it tries so hard to emulate, doesn't add up.

It's so hard not to like Crisis Core because it does so many things right. [Apr 2008, p.76]

The idea behind the franchise has enough merit that it deserves a better effort and it's lamentable that they didn't realize that from the very beginning.

Sim fans will be disappointed with the under-powered defense, but for twitch players, NBA Live 2003 is a dream come true.

The game's voice recognition works great and enables you to switch from a low baritone to high falsetto without confusing the judging. Unfortunately, it doesn't distinguish whether you’re actually singing the correct lyrics, so you can get by with just "na, na, na'ing" it when you’re in trouble.

If it weren’t for the low frame rate—evident especially in the outdoor environments—and the really dumb A.I., the action would have been more pleasant. Even the sounds of weapon fire and panicking victims should have been refined.

While Indigo Prophecy is an intense gaming experience, it's easier to compare the title to a film affair. If you can get past the minimalist game interface Prophecy can be an awesome entertaining play.

Combining the old-school feel with new-gen intensity, Pac-Man World Championship is the best Xbox Live Arcade game since Geometry Wars.

Rogue Galaxy is what every RPG should strive to be: an immersive experience that places you in a new world populated by intriguing characters. It's backed by an engaging and accessible story, possesses an intuitive control scheme and maintains a sense of depth will have you gladly coming back for more.

The missions are unimaginative (even compared to the original), navigation issues prevent you from ever attaining a movement rhythm, and the various narratives are a mess. But worse still, the combat isn't as tight as it could be and the world itself just seems less polished than its predecessor. Yet, for those moments when the game shines, it shines brightly.

Despite some screen layout flaws, Nintendogs is infectiously cute, and pretty addictive. It's really easy to form an emotional bond with your puppies--they're so life like. Who knew rubbing a pixilated sprite could be so enjoyable.

DiRT is by no means for everyone. Most racing games are difficult at first, but you eventually master them. In DiRT, you are always on the verge of totaling your car. There's never a moment to screw around, because you will crash.

It's admittedly pretty satisfying to watch a team you've slaved over perform well, but what's even more fun is making the worst team imaginable.

Dynamic action, tons of features, and highly-detailed visuals come together for the first significant step forward of console first-person shooters since "Halo: Combat Evolved." While there are a few minor quibbles, you're assured to become addicted to Bad Company's twitch gameplay.

With beautiful graphics, well designed maps, and user-friendly features like the ability to speed up the flow of time to minimize downtime make this an easy contender for the honor of best TD game on both the iPad and iPhone.

A certifiably insane party game that is a must buy for any Wii owner and just further proves that the Wii is the must-have console for when you have friends over.

It is still far from revolutionary, but Tiger Woods PGA Tour '06 is the virtual golfer's best bet for a realistic round out on the links.

The single-player isn't as compelling as Modern Warfare but it's still worth playing nonetheless; the best part though is that there's a deep and satisfying multiplayer component waiting for you when you're done.