I think if I had not played GRAW first, BF2 might have fared better in the score department. But with a better modern-combat game already on the shelves, Battlefield 2: Modern Combat has to settle for a just-above-average.

Like "Donkey Konga," Taiko Drum Master ultimately suffers from being a one-trick pony that grows a bit boring after playing the included songs enough times.

Still a solid, fun game and fans of the series are probably going to enjoy this installment too. On the downside we have a game that has not seen much innovation, is not that aesthetically attractive and has fairly annoying camera problems.

Graphics are very good, and sounds are even better. Control is very easy once you get the hang of it, and the game gives you a great tutorial to start things off.

If Sega had spent some more time creating content for the game or giving its mechanics an overhaul, there'd be something here for new players to sink their teeth into. As it is, this is one of those titles that will likely only be appeal to folks looking for a quick drive down Nostalgia Lane.

To all gamers who became dangerously aroused every time a capital ship beam cannon fired in "Freespace 2": this game is meant for you. I really hope the developers plan to add content and expand on the game universe in the future, because this franchise definitely has potential.

The AI could use a little boost, but the design itself is rock solid. Giant robots are cool again.

In the end, Railroads is more like a really neat toy train game with lovely graphics than the deep strategy/business offering many were hoping for, and the comparisons to past games wouldn’t even be as much of an issue if the game’s box didn’t reference the fact that Meier started the entire Tycoon genre.

Knowing the Xbox 360 version looks (and plays) so much better, it’s tough to get excited about this game on a $500 console.

In the last couple of years, Nintendo has absolutely spoiled me (and other platformer fans) with amazing 2D games. While this year's crop cannot compare to Christmas 2010's unbeatable combo of Epic Yarn and Donkey Kong Country Returns, Return to Dreamland more than holds its own in a crowded arena. This is exactly what you look for in a Kirby game – and I know I'll be hopelessly addicted to it well into the new year.

If you can get over the AI and the pop-in of the vehicles (which really aren’t game breakers) you will have an enjoyable time with this game. There is plenty to do and with 30+ missions, the game will keep you busy.

The DS needs more innovative and fun games like Final Fantasy III and Rocket Slime, and Square Enix is doing its part to make that happen.

A fun, solid game that's worth picking up...My one complaint is that the game only has two environments to drive through. As I said, they're huge, but the original had three, and the absence of one is noticeable.

A very decent, albeit short fighting game that brings the spirit of the animated TV show to life and delivers a game system that works very well.

The action-centric gameplay is as intense, over the top, and engaging as any John Woo work should be, and combined with the visuals of the Unreal 3 engine the game is essentially a next-gen Max Payne.

There is a lot of game here for $15. Sure the controls could be a tad tighter (I do love the hoverbikes, though) and the graphics aren't in the same realm of other games in its class, even though this does lower the system requirements quite a bit, but Section 8: Prejudice is an excellent value and hopefully Timegate takes the revenue from this one and develops a new Kohan game.

This is a $20 "budget" game, about as low as retail DS games go, and it's as flawless as any "match three" puzzler as I've played, so it gets my recommendation.

Zuma is another Xbox Live Arcade game that is highly recommended. It’s only $10, and you’ll make that back quickly with the amount of time you spend with it.

If the first two games left you wanting more, more is exactly what the third game in the series offers.

The only real downside to Knights of Honor is that the tech is totally lackluster. The graphics are adequate and certainly not the massive three dimensional scale of the Total Annihilation series.

While the game seems to have lost some of its luster since coming out 3 years ago (cripe...I feel old...), it's still a solid fighting game.

Pikmin virgins and curious Wii owners should definitely take a look at this quirky, satisfying little game, especially if they have a craving for something a bit different. Vets will probably be fine with their dusty GC copies, but this is certainly a game worth experiencing, in its old or waggle-enhanced form.

It does a fabulous job of translating the Harry Potter universe into the LEGO vernacular, with all the frolicsome fun that implies; however, by implementing too many kinds of interactive prompt and by failing to provide enough player feedback, it sets the stage for an interactive experience that's equal parts fun and befuddlement.

What Zero 4 is is a deeper experience with lots of tiny extras tacked onto the classic 2D style gameplay that all Blue Bomber fans enjoy.

There's a whole new story, working multiplayer, thousands of new items, new mini-games and sidequests, new classes to play, and the ability to play evil and good plot paths. On the other side of the coin is gameplay that most of us have seen before, following the same formula, and not taking any real chances in the process.

It’s just now you can really see the difference between FIFA and PES – and FIFA is starting to pull away.

It’s creative, relentless, and low fantasy – and you should play it.

Either way the journey to that ultimate knowledge is paved with a disturbing set of bleak situations, bloodshed, death, dismemberment, gore, depravity, ill-tempered entities and foul-mouthed prisoners that won't let their past go long enough to be redeemed.