Professor Layton and the Curious Village is a great game for anyone who enjoys brain-teasers. It can become highly addictive, and is perfect for micro- game sessions. It's a great overall presentation.

Obviously a work of passion, Audiosurf is a game that must not be missed by anyone, especially with an above average interest in music.

In the end, despite a few minor flaws and annoyances, Dead Rising is easily one of the best games of the year, and I haven't had as much fun playing a video game in a long, long time.

NCAA Football 2011 is slowly creeping into elite sports game territory.

A great edition to the Madden series. This is definitely the year to buy if you haven't in a while. Keep in mind if you have to choose, the 360 version is the one to get.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a great amalgamation of the genres and games it combines. It makes sure they all come together effortlessly, but it never really owns the gameplay it borrows. It's a fun game, but not a revolution.

In the end, it's more of the same with some added critters. If you're hankerin' for a batch of Pokemon on the DS, pick it up. If you haven't beaten the other versions, though, you may want to go the cheaper route.

While the barebones gameplay options and lack of flash may make VF5 seem like a stripped title, that couldn't be further from the truth. While we don't get beautiful cinematics, dozens of characters or a bunch of gimmicky modes to keep us busy, we do get the solidest fighter we've had in a very long time, and what may be the best single player mode in any fighter to date.

FFIV DS is a winner. Not only is it the defining iteration of FFIV, it's one of the greatest remakes ever produced and deserves a permanent spot in every DS owner's collection.

Marred by some inconsistent pacing and less-than-engaging action, PoP still manages to deliver a wondrous and open world through which players fight and fly to the game's exciting conclusion.

It may not be as deep or entertaining as the PC counterparts, but it's still one hell of a game, and it will still cause thousands of people to lose out on sleep.

BCR is one of the better remakes of one of the better games of the 8-bit era. If you are looking for a fun platformer with unique and inventive gameplay, I'd recommend picking this one up for 10 bucks.

The controls feel fluid, and show people that you don't need to force gimmicks on us to make it feel real.

The writing is good, the characters are great, and the destructible environment actually plays an integral role in the game, rather than just serving as a claim to place on a sticker to move copies at Wal-Mart.

Bomberman Live is accurately priced at 800 Microsoft Points and is really a must-have for anyone's 360, whether they primarily play online or off.

The Movies takes elements of all our favorite simulation games, most noticeably The Sims and the various Tycoon games, and combines them successfully with simple, user-friendly controls.

Crysis 2 does little to create new material in the genre, though it cobbles together disparate gameplay elements that do create a level of interest that another modern Middle East liberation sim can't.

Viva Piñata is a game that can be enjoyed by children, teenagers or adults. The universal appeal of this game lies with the fact that people generally like animals and nice gardens. What VP does is to combine these elements into an enjoyable experience.

GT Legends outperforms and outclasses other racing titles in almost every way.

Despite shortcomings and trying to fit into impossibly large shoes, RE5 is an undeniably enjoyable game, especially with a friend. RE's age of survival horror is sadly laid to rest, but the 3rd-person action taking its place is still worth playing.

One of the best DS entries you can find in the RPG realm, especially if you enjoy pleasing tactical battles and the charm of the MegaTen series.

Battlefield 3 ships an unbelievable mutliplayer with a short, unoriginal campaign.

Undisputed 2010 builds on the foundation of last year's game, tweaking it where it needed to be and adding other modes and events that re-create the UFC experience to a T. EA has its work cut out for it, because right now there is no better MMA game.

Monster Hunter Tri brings a deep, complex (albeit difficult), single-player game and combines it with a full-featured online component that will keep players engaged for a long time.

Metroidvania. Ikaruga. Shadow of the Colossus. All the influences are there, but don't mistake it for those. Outland is a game all its own. It doesn't oversell.

What NBA 2K7 boils down to is entirely based upon the player's desire for realism. For those dying to see the authentic animations in a basketball title on the Xbox 360, 2K7 will suffice.

Devil May Cry 4 has set the bar for how a combat system should be made. I can't stress enough how fun it is to beat the hell out of every enemy encountered. Fans of the action hack and slash genre have a new champion.

Despite the penalties for dying, and the occasional boring quest or tedious running. Guild Wars is an excellently planned and executed MMORPG. It has the mass appeal of NOT costing you money every month.