A game that successfully blends the action, survival-horror, and role-playing genres into a single outstanding product.

It's totally first-rate from a technical standpoint, and it's an all-around fun game to play on top of that, with excellent pacing, great explosions, clever strategic twists, a variety of units, and a fair amount of humor.

Couples a compelling, character-driven epic tale with strategic gameplay that is accessible and still manages to be challenging and satisfying.

Its fast, furious action and brilliant visual style will appeal to any side-scrolling action fan.

The gameplay has an ultrarealistic feel to it, thanks to an accurate physics model that not only shows the car lean from the stress of a turn, but also totally lets you stay in control with tight responsive controls.

Because of its airtight gameplay, awesome visuals, and great soundtrack, Klonoa 2 is an almost perfect platform game--almost.

Partners in Time might not have as strong of a script as the previous Mario & Luigi, but it's still another charming, high quality RPG worth any DS owner's while.

A huge improvement over the first title, RE2 succeeds in making you feel as though you're in the middle of a horror film - one in which you'll jump many, many times. If you've already played the PlayStation or PC versions of RE2, there's really no reason to buy this game, but for N64 owners who haven't tried yet, it's an absolute must-have.

A unique gameplay mode called 24/7... is so addictive, it's likely that many players will spend more time in 24/7 than playing standard games. If you are planning on buying only one basketball game this year, ESPN NBA Basketball is the one to get.

Easily the best space sim since "FreeSpace 2," and in several ways it exceeds that game. Particle Systems has successfully created the type of game that fans of the genre have been waiting for years to play.

Though it suffers from a curious lack of evolution in terms of some of its central aspects, most notably its racing AI, when GT4 works to its strengths, it delivers like few games of this console generation.

One of the most entertaining games I've ever played. With its unique camera angles, storyline, graphics, sound effects, and music, RE 2 seems more like a product out of Hollywood than the video game industry.

You won't find a stranger and more addictive rhythm game on a handheld system than Elite Beat Agents.

Combining a great premise with an excellent physics engine, this may be the most realistically exciting vehicular violence since Steve McQueen blazed through the streets of San Francisco as Frank Bullitt.

There's no doubt that this is EA Sports' best soccer game to date on the pitch, but it's really unfortunate that the career mode isn't more user-friendly.

FIFA 06 is particularly unusual in that it ditches some of the series' recent innovations in favor of tried-and-tested gameplay mechanics. However, it also adds plenty of new features that help make it the most realistic and accessible (and best) FIFA game to date.

One part dark struggle for survival and one part cute fairy tale, Pikmin is an engaging game with the twisted charm found in a good Tim Burton movie.

Offers a lengthy, rewarding, thought-provoking experience that truly makes you feel as though the decisions you make, waging one exciting battle after the next, carry serious consequences.

Rallisport Challenge for the PC even has a few key bonuses that weren't in the Xbox version, including noticeably sharper graphics and the ability to play online.

The gameplay is hectic, the new trick system adds substantial depth, and the overall production is top-notch...But if you have a choice, the PS2 version is recommended.

It's really to New World Computing's credit that the developer was able to incorporate so many new and interesting features into this sequel while still making sure it kept all the core elements that made all the previous games so great.

As you explore the new continent of Kunark, it'll become increasingly clear to you that the expansion's value is as immense as that of the original game.

The bottom line is that if you're looking for a realistic and feature-rich baseball video game, you can't go wrong with MVP Baseball 2005.

It combines both simulation and wargaming elements to produce a superb gaming experience.

By once again capturing that electric atmosphere in NCAA 07, and combining it with an ever-evolving set of control tweaks and gameplay modes, EA Sports has created a game that no fan of football video games--be they college or pro--will want to be without.

Its innovations with regard to timed-run and in-level goal designs are sure to become trends used in the next generation of alternative sports games.

Super Paper Mario's humorous story, accessible gameplay, inventive design, cool visual style, and impressive amount of content give it an undeniable charm. Anyone with a Wii should check it out.

While Warrior Within's new combat and satisfyingly long campaign improve on last year's game, the now darker tone falls somewhat flat compared to the storybook atmosphere in "The Sands of Time."