Developers have been consistently improving upon touch-based platformer controls on the iPhone and Pizza Boy offers a wonderful continuation of that trend with a large, yet unobtrusive control panel forming the bottom of the screen.

Throughout the action, the controls handle sweetly, combining the depth of a large number of moves with smooth playability.

Admittedly, critiquing Minecraft's ready-made dungeons and NPC villages is a bit like complaining about the beans served alongside an immaculate five-star steak. Sure, the side-servings might be mediocre, but at its core Minecraft is one of the most forward-thinking games ever created. It spits in the face of the conventional games industry, and it's raked in millions of dollars while doing so

Silverfish is an expertly crafted arcade-style "shooter," and I expect to find myself playing it regularly for a long time to come.

Excellent controls, AI, and graphics make this hockey game a must have.

Everyday Shooter is one of the most compulsively re-playable games we've ever played and a terrific value. PS3 owners bemoaning the lack of quality titles should stop whining and get their hands on this budget-priced masterpiece immediately.

Brotherhood is the best showcase yet for the series' formidable quality and range, with an excellent campaign and an equally intriguing online approach, and while I hope the next one actually answers some questions, I can't begrudge Ubisoft in the slightest for giving us one more memorable voyage with Ezio.

With some of the best graphics the PS2 is likely to see in a sports game this year, Madden NFL 2001 also has the gameplay to back up the window dressing and a fat selection of options to tweak the game to your liking.

It's now been four years of exceptional releases since the introduction of the skill-stick and every year has been made steadily better, adding more and more features and refining them to such a degree that it should come as no surprise that NHL 10 is by far the best hockey game put out, a clear cut game of the year contender, and possibly the best sports game ever released.

It's incredible how much this feels like an actual Castlevania game. Everything from the weapon/armor customization and spells to the 32-bit art style makes this essentially a complete Castlevania game that just happens to have have a surprisingly fun puzzle-based battle system.

And that's what makes Undisputed 2010 such a success: it addresses the problems of the past while making subtle improvements that make the product better. The graphics are crisper, the animations are better, and several new tweaks make the actual fighting more enjoyable. Even the menu system and user interface is cleaner and easier to navigate.

Extraordinary.

Another masterpiece from DreamWorks and EA. Captivating graphics and sound combine with relentless, addictive action to deliver one of the year's best games.

Morrowind effortlessly grabs the other PC RPGs by the throat, swings them around, and leaves them in a heap on the side of the road.

MGS2 delivers everything it was teased, touted, hyped, and, in some circles, feared to be. It's easily one of the most memorable gaming experiences you're likely to have.

A truly dazzling, inspired game that mixes a riveting story with a stylish look and absorbing gameplay.

A rock ‘n’ rollin’, wrist-snapping slug of adrenaline on four-wheels that challenges you at every turn.

It's an instant classic and one that will occupy you for a long time to come. [Dec 2008, p.86]

For a game with such a heavy emphasis on medieval combat, Mount & Blade is just shy of perfection.

If you've ever had dreams of being a wartime tank commander, you just absolutely have to try it out.

At the end of the day, that's really what this Street Fighter is: it's a title that's built for newcomers, yet tweaked for old school vets from the arcade and console days. [Mar 2009, p.75]

On a visual level, the game looks simply awesome. It's not quite as detailed as "Vice City" or "San Andreas," but it absolutely destroys the original "GTA 3."

There's no doubt that Bioshock is one of the finest FPS games ever made and the PS3 port is stellar through and through. [Nov 2008, p.103]

The kind of high-quality game that's worth buying the day it's released.

Take Diddy for a test drive and you'll be hooked. It's the smoothest ride you can buy this holiday season.

A platformer only by heritage, Naughty Dog’s latest is an enormously entertaining, surprisingly dark, and enduring shrine to what makes games fun.

Thrilling, addictive gameplay loaded with tough battles and jaw-dropping moves that’ll lure even the most jaded b-ballers back to the court.

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.