It’s still vastly better than 99.9% of the other games out there today, and with properly calibrated expectations, you’ll find that Invisible War is a brilliant game that will captivate you like few others can.

On the field, player controls are as smooth as a 6-4-3 double play.

Totally revamped from the ground up, and it shows. Great graphics and the best gameplay the series has seen in years.

Between the hot cars and tracks, in-depth Tournament mode, and thrilling cop chases, this excellent racer's got depth and style to spare. It's worth every cent.

There are so many courses, cars and race types in DiRT 2 that it's almost overwhelming to look at your world map. At one point I had almost 30 unlocked, un-played events just waiting to be tackled. It's a dense game with a lot to do, and you'll want to do it all.

Incredibly difficult and insanely enjoyable, Gradius V is one of those magical games that you can pick up and play instantly, but spend weeks mastering. [Nov 2004, p.104]

Granted, Gears 2 isn't the smartest shooter on the market, but for now, it is probably the must-own title of this holiday season for Xbox 360 gamers.

If you want a game that's more tailored to individual play rather than team cooperation, then NBA Live is a great choice.

It's the best version of one of the best 3D platform games ever made.

An emotionally engaging thrill-ride from start to finish, Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain is a superbly crafted interactive experience, told expertly through it's stunning visuals and believable characters.

The satisfying story mode is a big improvement on THPS’s structure. The story ramps up the difficulty gradually, so you build skills as you go, but there are now four difficulty levels, making THUG totally accessible to newbies.

One of the best basketball games ever on any console…period.

The game is sweet music to all of your senses, combining visual and audio splendor to a degree that few adventures have achieved. This is one classic for the Dreamcast library that no one will forget.

Simultaneously increasing the realism of the experience of big mountain boarding and tearing the throat out of board-physics as we know it, SSX 3 completely revolutionizes the snowboardercross concept.

Excellent controls deliver a highly responsive feel and a huge roster of cool moves, including a new defensive ball swat.

Quite simply the best arcade racing game ever made. Everything that you loved about the last game is still here and kicking, but with added modes, more action, a faster sense of speed, and some truly addictive multiplayer modes, this game will undoubtedly go down in history as being the epitome of action racing this generation and possibly even the next.

Dead Space is the most pleasantly surprising iOS release in a long time, and it's a game-changer as far as 3D action games go on iOS platforms.

Why Sam has stepped out of the shadows and is on full out attack makes complete sense in context with the story, so if you can accept it for what it is and not dwell on the fact that it isn't what you've come to expect in a Splinter Cell title, you'll no doubt agree that Conviction rivals Chaos Theory as the best title in the franchise's history. [Jun 2010, p.78]

Kudos to EA Sports for not being afraid to juice the complexity factor of an already complex game. Rookies will have to pay their dues, but veterans get treated to a brand-new challenge. [Sept 2005, p.82]

With improvements made over the already incredible "NFL 2K," this year's NFL game on the Dreamcast is all a football fan could wish for.

While the PS2's levels are noticeably shorter than those of the Xbox version, their design hasn't changed and the overall gameplay remains completely intact, making this game a wonderful adventure within the Tom Clancy universe.

With an onslaught of brawlers, multiple play modes, and a solid create-a-wrestler feature, No Mercy will have you grappling for days on end. It's a definite must-have for wrestling fans.

It has the modes, the weapons, and the attitude to have hardcore FPS maniacs swimming in puddles of their own drool.

Far more than the original, this truly is a game that can be enjoyed by anyone, and should be tried by everyone.

With all the gadgets and alternative goals thrown in, "Perfect Dark" is more than just a straight-up blastfest; It's a futuristic spy-thriller that also happens to be the best multiplayer shooter on the console market.

An action-packed espionage thriller, Syphon Filter’s intense gameplay combines with tight control and a slick style to deliver the PlayStation’s best third-person action game.

For fighting enthusiasts, DOA2 Hardcore is the first must have game for the PlayStation 2. End of story.

It's hard to put the sheer size and brilliance of Assassin's Creed into words. It is an epic game that you have to experience for yourself. I will caution that the game is not for the impatient or the faint of heart. While you can plow through the main storyline in under 20 hours, to truly get every single last shred of gaming goodness, you will probably have to put in twice that number.