Good, well-priced DLC support can help extend the game’s life and appeal, so Shatter is a good leaderboard competition game with friends for now much like Super Stardust HD and Geometry Wars before it.

It is a great example of what this genre can offer.

There are two good reasons why you might need to ignore our “rent it” recommendation and go buy Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock right now. One, you’re absolutely sure you’ll have a blast playing with and against people online and moving up the leaderboards for a very, very long time to come (again, this isn’t an option on the PS2 version). Two, you can’t wait another minute to have your fingers tied in knots by the three-note chord and wiggly solo onslaughts this maniacally challenging game throws your way.

If you have a solid internet connection and have the time to dedicate to the game’s impressive franchise mode, Madden NFL 10 is a must-buy. But if you’re a more casual gamer just wanting to play this game for a bit, you might be better pressed to get last year’s version of the game.

Bethesda Softworks wisely followed the “if it ain’t broke” axiom and left much of the core gameplay unchanged, opting instead to toss on oodles of new content and leaving no stone unturned as to how to make the game that much better.

As complicated as the ideas and premises may be, Radiant Historia is simply a good game. Players who are into Japanese RPGs or simply miss the golden age of the Super NES definitely owe it to themselves to give Radiant Historia a try.

Personally, we can’t deny our thirst for some unique touch-screen play, a deeper storyline, and a less-linear experience all around.

An exciting campaign, sweet Revenge kills, bad-ass interrogation sequences and an incredibly addicting co-op mode make Conviction one of the best Splinter Cell titles to date.

Project Gotham Racing 4 is truly a great racer. With solid gameplay both online and offline, PGR4 is sure to keep fans of racing games busy for months.

The team behind this year’s Madden certainly has the right ideas for where this franchise should be heading, as Madden 09 clearly shows.

There are two good reasons why you might need to ignore our “rent it” recommendation and go buy Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock right now. One, you’re absolutely sure you’ll have a blast playing with and against people online and moving up the leaderboards for a very, very long time to come (again, this isn’t an option on the PS2 version). Two, you can’t wait another minute to have your fingers tied in knots by the three-note chord and wiggly solo onslaughts this maniacally challenging game throws your way.

This is the spiritual successor to Marvel vs. Capcom 2, and you owe it to yourself to pick this one up—maybe it’ll influence more third parties to actually put some effort into the Wii.

With the non-existent load times and simple, but rewarding controls, this game feels like it’s been made with the idea of what handheld games need while not ignoring the presentation that the console-like power can provide

With a dearth of features and tweaks that make this experience the best out there, gamers will have plenty to do before and after the first pitch of the season.

For those who zip through Pokémon games, you can become the League Champion in a little more than 30 hours, but it should take everybody maybe 40 or more hours to complete. Rest assured, the game isn’t anywhere close to over after the credits roll.

Splinter Cell Double Agent is a solid game with an excellent multiplayer component. Fans of a gripping storyline which includes intense action and “stealthy stealth” will no doubt enjoy this game.

It's tough, it's grueling, but it's so damn worth it that you'll never really have much of a problem getting into the game from the minute you load the disc into your Xbox.

It’s a near-perfect concoction of speed, style, nostalgia, and fun.

If you have a solid internet connection and have the time to dedicate to the game’s impressive franchise mode, Madden NFL 10 is a must-buy. But if you’re a more casual gamer just wanting to play this game for a bit, you might be better pressed to get last year’s version of the game.

While Guitar Hero World Tour might be a little rough around the edges, it is still a solid Guitar Hero game.

If you want to be visually impressed, Itagaki and his Team Ninja have knocked another one out of the park with this game.

It has an excellent game system that's been honed considerably for this release. It offers plenty of game modes, online play for those that want it, and it also looks and sounds great. Whatever system you get it for, you won’t be disappointed.

It has an excellent game system that's been honed considerably for this release. It offers plenty of game modes, online play for those that want it, and it also looks and sounds great. Whatever system you get it for, you won’t be disappointed.

Treyarch has made vast improvements from their COD 3 work and delivered a solid product.

Indigo Prophecy may not have the technical backings of a winner with its dated graphics and strange control scheme, but everything else screams classic.

Because of the game's tried and true gameplay, solid visuals, and timeless soundtrack, this is a game that newcomers and veterans will cherish for generations to come.

It’s unfortunate that the game ruins the nice sense of pacing in the gameplay with an overemphasis on story that makes you want to skip it, despite knowing that it’s not wise to do so. Luckily, the game is fun and creative enough to overlook these issues and it’s easy to get drawn into the game for hours at a time.

With the sheer quality of these puzzles alone, Level 5 could've just released the game as another brain teaser compilation, but they went the extra mile by relating every single puzzle to an event during the adventure which makes the game that much more interesting.