It's fast, it's addicting, and it's got Live support. You simply cannot go wrong with this title, and this one is truly the best version.

As a puzzle game, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is an excellent offering, however, as a Professor Layton game it is simply extraordinary.

The episode is brimming with pop culture references that range from The Color Purple, Se7en, The Shining, and even Samuel Adams beer.

This is a great, great pinball game and I'm inclined to call it the best of its genre that I've ever played-and I've played a lot of them, going back to ancient historical artifacts such as David's Midnight Magic up through the obscure tables done by Japanese developer Little Wing.

For players with the dedication to succeed and the incomprehensible desire for perfection, Droplitz is one of the most refined puzzle games available.

It amazes me that a game of this caliber – that is to say, a game that is ridiculously good in spite of its missteps – comes just one year after its predecessor. It improves a lot, adds even more, and changes nothing I already adored. It's a shorter game than Assassin's Creed 2, if that matters, but aside from the storyline it's better in almost every way.

The bottom line is that Tidalis is a flexible, smart, refreshingly unique puzzle design, and it's situated neatly into a large generous package. It's far better than any mere puzzle game should be.

Left 4 Dead 2 is the Empire Strikes Back of zombie games. The momentum has clearly swung in favor of the bad guys. But also much like Empire, this is clearly the best of the bunch and is a required purchase for fans of the genre.

Its greatest strength is its ability to rustle up nostalgia and good, old-fashioned Halloween fun.

Fighting fit and ready to rip off your head, it's definitely the best Mortal Kombat game released to date.

Jeanne D'Arc manages to deliver on all fronts, from the presentation to the fast paced and streamlined open-ended battles and skill binding mechanics. Everything in this game is polished, pretty, highly functional and fun. At the end of the day it's hard for me to complain about anything in this game.

The online play and interactive leagues are superb and the thrill of scoring a goal in the 90th minute online was a fist pumping "Heck Yeah!" experience which I haven't felt in a long time playing an online game.

Fighting fit and ready to rip off your head, it's definitely the best Mortal Kombat game released to date.

The improved graphics make all of the environments you visit look lively and beautiful, both in and out of the jungle and in and out of water. Lighting and shadows are done quite well and provide a very noticeable visual improvement over the last few games as is the audio.

It's an epic quest of rejuvenation, elemental and ornate, in the context of an extended action/RPG/platformer. It’s built from artwork that upstages anything you've seen on a next-gen console. Not since Shadow of the Colossus has a game world been presented so lovingly and evocatively.

One of the best dungeon romps I've played this year. The scale of the adventure may not be epic but the overall package is pure unadulterated addiction. If you like role-playing games then you'll love FATE.

It’s not often that a game comes about to justify the purchase, or even the existence of a particular console, but with The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Nintendo has delivered a game that every DS owner should experience.

Wonderfully animated backdrops, inventive enemies, and difficult boss battles set Viewtiful Joe apart from the pack as a truly incredible game and a must have.

The episode is brimming with pop culture references that range from The Color Purple, Se7en, The Shining, and even Samuel Adams beer.

Rockstar has set the bar for what downloadable content can be and I for one can’t wait to see what the next adventure holds in store.

Easily THE Game of 2002 in my book.

It prides itself on being undyingly faithful to its source material; opting to create the ultimate edition of this must-own title with additions that never distract from the innovations that made the game a classic in the first place.

An inspiring emotional work of art and perhaps the best role-playing game this year. Square Enix continues to prove that you can take even the most played out source material in the world (Disney's various franchises) and make something wonderful.

As a complete package Battlefield 3 absolutely delivers and if you don't have some angry agenda against Origin it's a must-play. The PC version in particular ushers in a new era of graphical magnificence and the disparity between the consoles begs Sony and Microsoft to up the ante. Shooters don't come much better than this and it's a great way to kick off this year's holiday game rush.

Pretty much everything you could ask for in a turn based space strategy game: great AI, great diplomacy model, a ship designer, easy to understand techs, multiple races, multiple custom options, good graphics, solid interface, and a replay value that is through the roof.

Truly creative, polished, and incredibly satisfying, this is a title that every DS owner needs to try – even if it's just to see whether an army of vampires or zombies would win in a fight.

Every aspect of the game is virtually flawless, from its movie inspired soundtrack, to the incredibly life-like FMV, to the detailed battle and Materia systems, to the boatload of simplistic and addictive mini-games. This is what RPG fans have been waiting for.

The combination of a great campaign mode along with a goldmine of multiplayer options makes for an unbeatable gaming experience.