Madden NFL Arcade provides a nice break from the more serious Madden NFL 10, and even though it’s not without its share of minor issues, none of them are detrimental to the overall experience.

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

Assassin’s Creed II isn’t just a step forward for the series, it’s a leap. The improvements are immediately obvious, and it isn’t a stretch to say that Assassin’s Creed II feels like a game two or three sequels away instead of one that was just two years from the original.

Just about every issue from the first game has not only been addressed, but almost entirely eliminated.

Even though there’s no online play, only leaderboards, this game is a great way to spend a night or weekend with a friend.

Tony Hawk: Ride was a knee-jerk reaction by a publisher who pushed gimmick over gameplay, and the result feels like the most manufactured, soulless gaming experience to ever be released.

Activision panicked, all right, and they fired on all cylinders back at Skate, ready to prove that their series had what it takes to get back on top. Sadly, for fans of Tony Hawk, every shot missed its target. Tony Hawk: Ride was a knee-jerk reaction by a publisher who pushed gimmick over gameplay, and the result feels like the most manufactured, soulless gaming experience to ever be released.

With five campaigns, more enemies, better weapons, and plenty of challenges, you will probably still be playing this game well into 2010. There are a few issues, but these are easy to overlook when the gameplay is so fun and satisfying. Once again, Valve has made the zombie apocalypse one of the best experiences of the year.

What once was an incredibly fun set of games has become a monotonous experience that’s more about going through the motions than it is about having a good time.

LittleBigPlanet PSP may have taken the ambitious title and scaled it down, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have just as much fun playing it. It may not look as gorgeous as the PS3 version, and you might miss playing with your friends, but before long you will find yourself replaying level after level, trying to collect every last item.

Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines isn’t a great game. There are better platformers on the handheld, like Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters, and there are better action games to choose from, like God of War: Chains of Olympus. Bloodlines combines aspects of both of those games into something a little less impressive and coherent, but somehow still entertaining.

It will absolutely help you become a healthier person, but you need to put in the work. There is no easy way out, and you're not going to lose weight or burn calories if you don't make the effort to actually exercise.

With five campaigns, more enemies, better weapons, and plenty of challenges, you will probably still be playing this game well into 2010. There are a few issues, but these are easy to overlook when the gameplay is so fun and satisfying. Once again, Valve has made the zombie apocalypse one of the best experiences of the year.

NCAA Basketball 10 is a satisfactory college basketball game, but its AI and gameplay issues keep it from being a standout, the lack of game modes keep it from being a great value for the money, and the absence of any “hook” to catch fans’ attention may make it a financial failure.

NCAA Basketball 10 is a satisfactory college basketball game, but its AI and gameplay issues keep it from being a standout, the lack of game modes keep it from being a great value for the money, and the absence of any “hook” to catch fans’ attention may make it a financial failure.

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, World Adventures adds an almost overwhelming amount of new content, which justifies the $40 price tag, though that still seems a tad high for an expansion pack.

Other than the lack of online multiplayer, New Super Mario Bros. Wii is exactly what you want it to be. It’s a great mix of new and old, and though it’s not exactly innovative, playing though the game is just sheer fun.

It's an experience every gamer should enjoy, and is a game cut from the same cloth as BioShock and Portal, erasing videogame norms and reimagining the way we look at the medium. It does things with gaming that are usually reserved for novels and films, while also adding elements that would be impossible in any other form. It’s is a game that makes you think about your own life as much as it does about gaming.

The story is compelling, the multiplayer is addictive, and Special Ops mode comes out of the gate swinging, prepared to shock gamers with a feature most likely didn’t know existed. The package, on the whole, is spectacular, there’s no two ways about it.

Infinity Ward has managed to outdo themselves with this sequel, a tremendous feat in its own right. If the games of 2009 were stacked up against each other, there’s no question that Modern Warfare 2 would be incredibly close to the apex, fighting viciously for the top spot and, for many people, getting there and continuing upward. This is what gaming is supposed to feel like.

Infinity Ward has managed to outdo themselves with this sequel, a tremendous feat in its own right. If the games of 2009 were stacked up against each other, there’s no question that Modern Warfare 2 would be incredibly close to the apex, fighting viciously for the top spot and, for many people, getting there and continuing upward. This is what gaming is supposed to feel like.

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.

If nothing else, Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble is a quirky, unique experience that is certainly entertaining in small doses. I wish there had been more direction, and despite the new game plus, I’m not sure if a second playthrough is a compelling enough reason to buy it.

Absolute bliss for fans of the genre.

Sadly, due to the lack of a compelling narrative, the frustratingly boring gameplay, and the poor camera, Lost Frontier becomes a forgettable experience almost immediately after playing it.

It’s a fun game, and a good option if you’re in dire need of an all-ages music title, but longtime fans of the series probably won’t find this as satisfying as any of the other Rock Band games.

Lego Rock Band, while not a bad game, is easily the weakest in the series.

Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron is certainly a victim of its platform’s shortcomings, but it’s also not a very good game to begin with.