The main problems are more accurately missed opportunities, and much of the time playing the game will be spent wondering what could have been created if Monolith would have taken more creative risks instead of allowing themselves to craft a game too deeply within their comfort zone.

Even so, Timegate’s shooter is a well-put together experience that should make Tribes fans giddy, and remind the rest of us a time, for better or worse, when shooters were a little bit bigger.

Big Bang Mini is a tremendous success. It isn’t an incredibly deep game, but the mechanics work on a number of levels, and set a bar for what gamers should grow to expect from budget titles.

Introversion put a massive amount of heart into the Xbox Live port of their beloved RTS, and it shows.

NBA 2K11 is, without a doubt, the best basketball simulator ever made. It offers more options on offense and defense than any basketball game ever made, and does it with an incredible sense of style and polish.

Brothers in Arms continues the tradition of bringing realistic warfare combat to gaming, honoring the war without sugar coating the truth.

It has been a while since I have really enjoyed a new Guitar Hero game, and after the lackluster release of Smash Hits a few months ago, I didn’t exactly have the highest hopes for Guitar Hero 5. However, I was happy to be proven wrong, and found GH5 to be a significant improvement and Neversoft’s best full band game yet.

The point-and-click genre isn’t for everyone, and a port of an episodic PC sequel to a 1993 computer game may not be as exciting for most gamers as it was for me. However, if you’ve ever been a fan of Sam & Max, or point-and-click games in general, then you should play this game.

When compared to the Xbox and PS3 version it feels incredibly gimped, but when put up against other Wii shooters, Modern Warfare: Reflex stands out, and proves that the Wii can, indeed, keep up with the high-def generation. It just can't look as good while it does it.

There’s so much to do that it feels overwhelming at first, with so many missions, classes, students begging you for favors, and ladies looking for romance. Once you’ve spent a little time at Bullworth, though, you’ll learn how to manage your time wisely and get things done the way you want to.

Even though the game has its flaws, Tom Clancy’s EndWar ends up being a fairly impressive effort.

Borderlands is a fantastic beginning to what will hopefully become a great franchise. While it lacks certain elements that would have made it more memorable, the sleek gameplay and beautiful graphics represent a stellar example of genres melting together, something which too often fails in execution.

The puzzles are all fun and can become quite difficult as the game progresses. More th[a]n one time I found myself clueless as to how to get out of a room or to defeat an enemy, having to try every available option before finally finding a solution.

Firefight mode, in particular, more than justifies the $60 price point, providing some of the best multi-player thrills of the generation. It might not win any Game of the Year awards, but Halo 3: ODST is a fine game in its own right, and the single-player campaign should hold over fans for Halo Reach releases at some point next year.

Popcap and Square-Enix's first joint effort isn't perfect, but damn if it isn't enjoyable.

Ninja Gaiden II is essentially a much prettier version of Ninja Gaiden with a few tweaks and a slightly less punishing challenge level (at least on the normal difficulty levels – there are two unlockable difficulties that give me nightmares). For fans of the original, there’s nothing here to prevent you from loving this one as well.

If you love Green Day and have followed their career from the beginning, you won't be disappointed. If you're a fan of Rock Band with only a passing interest in Green Day, there's some enjoyment to be had here, but it doesn't have the same lasting value as The Beatles: Rock Band.

All in all, it feels like the beginning of what might be a fantastic franchise.

For the price, it can't be beat, and is likely one of the best games available for DSiWare.

I’d rather be playing this than sitting through another boring half-time show on a Sunday, or while waiting for a few friends to come online to play Left 4 Dead 2, and I’m looking forward to hitting the gridiron again.

Hardcore enthusiasts who are looking for a serious challenge will not be disappointed in the least.

It may not offer quite as big an initial thrill as Spider-Man 2 did, but Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is probably the best web-swinging adventure so far. With a swing mechanic that rivals the one found in SM2, a combat system that easily trumps any in the series, and solid presentation throughout, fans of the series and the character won’t be disappointed.

A major improvement of its predecessor, and is well worth the price of admission, considering the amount of bloody fun to be had.

It’s fast, original, and beautiful – everything you should expect from a holiday blockbuster. If you’re easily frustrated by difficult games it might be wise to rent it first, but be warned; the beauty and addictive race modes might pull you in.

it's a shock that Puzzlegeddon isn't already on the Xbox Live Marketplace or PlayStation Network. It's a far better game than most of the competitive puzzlers on the systems, and most of the PC version's faults would likely be resolved when moved to the active online communities of the console market.

While there is a lot to like in Aliens vs. Predators, it's far from a great game. There's usually something to complain about at every turn, and every great element is flawed in some small way. Despite these faults, mistakes, and missteps, it's still an utterly enjoyable and unique experience, making the game more than the sum of its parts.

Sadly, due to Sony's refusal to ship the PlayStation 3 with headsets, just about every game has problems with communication.

The series remains the only true blending of the two genres, and Galactrix, if nothing else, proves that the Puzzle Quest definitely has room to grow. Hopefully inevitable sequels will be able to refine the tutorials, learning from PC strategy games in easing players into mechanics, instead of piling them on from the outset.