Even more so than playing the N.Sane Trilogy, which literally remade the original Crash games from my youth, playing Crash 4 felt like getting back in touch with the series. It's an injection of new ideas into now-classic gameplay that surprises and delights, even as it feels like a homecoming. Truly, games like this are why we come running back to long-dormant franchises with open arms.

DAoC is still one of the best online role-playing games on the market, and by extension, one of the best such games to date. And Shrouded Isles succeeds at making it even bigger and better.

While it's still extremely complicated, Shadowlands adds a tremendous amount of intriguing new content that helps make Anarchy Online much more worthwhile.

Fight Night 2004 reinvigorates the boxing genre. It also offers the most realistic control, gameplay, and graphics that the genre has ever seen.

From beginning to end, Obsidian is an entertaining, surreal romp.

Ratchet & Clank's signature gameplay travels to the PSP almost completely intact in Size Matters, which packs in a good-size single-player adventure.

In all areas--gameplay, graphics, sound, and overall longevity--Full-Fat and Acclaim have literally created a handheld miracle.

Not all of the changes that have been implemented since last year's game have been for the better, but there are more than enough improvements here to make FIFA 07 worth a look.

One of the most robust career modes of any driving game to date.

"NFL Blitz 2000" still has a firm lock on the arcade football business.

428 is a truly rare beast, a special and unique experience that would have once been completely passed over for a Western release. While it's not without its flaws, it's hard to think of many other games that blend text-driven storytelling and well-constructed visuals and sound this well. From the first hour of the in-game day, you'll be riveted by this story's unexpected twists and turns. If you want a story- and character-driven game with a presentation you won’t see anywhere else, 428 is a game not to be missed.

Battlefield Bad Company is the most fun, addictive shooter released so far this year.

The addition of light role-playing elements to the otherwise standard golf gameplay doesn't always mesh particularly well, but the game is otherwise put together well enough that such minor design peculiarities are easy to overlook.

World at War brings proven Call of Duty mechanics back to WWII with great success.

Chaos Rising is just about everything you'd expect from a Dawn of War expansion, boasting terrific gameplay, visuals, and effects, and adding a great new campaign, a well-developed new faction, and new war gear, heroes, and multiplayer options.

Starved for Help is a disgusting and disturbing look at the realities of life after the zombie apocalypse in the world of The Walking Dead.

Fantastic missions, outrageous weapons, and awesome vehicles make the open-world mayhem of Saints Row: The Third an absolute blast.

This game has a short offline fuse, but is a blast to play online or with friends.

It's chock full of excellent battles and surprising moments that make for a far more memorable experience than you initially expect and leaves you impressed by your own accomplishments. If you didn't play the first game, don't let this one pass you by too.

Tactics Ogre's intense tactical combat, in-depth character-building, and excellent storytelling makes it a must-play for strategy-RPG fans. It's wonderful that this game is much more widely available now, and most of the updates and upgrades make the package even better. While some might balk at the $50 price tag for a remake with an iffy graphical and sound overhaul, the superb strategy gameplay and branching story paths will keep your attention for a very long time. While it might not be a perfect remake, it's a damn good one.

A few technical problems aren't enough to sully this enjoyable and sophisticated adventure through the western wastes.

F1 2018 is brilliant, and the most complete Formula One game to date. The changes to career mode make it the strongest and most appealing it’s ever been thanks to the revamped upgrade system, while the simulation-like additions to the driving model bring you closer than ever to the feeling of sitting on the grid with 1000+ horsepower at your feet, without overwhelming those who just want to jump in and drive.

Peggle Dual Shot is a faithful translation of the addictive peg-and-ball puzzler.

This is one of those games that could literally last you a couple of hundred hours if you let it, and if that sounds exciting rather than just plain scary, then by all means give the game a shot.

Tiger Woods' latest Wii outing is another great golf sim that adds a number of subtle refinements to its already fantastic swing mechanics.

The Movies proves to be an accessible and good-spirited tycoon game, and its moviemaking tools offer a surprisingly deep amount of control. But the disconnection between these elements is noticeable.

In a sea of me-too shooters, it feels unique and offers an exciting journey that's as much your own making as that of the developer. The wow factor is undercut by a few issues--the bargain-bin AI and some unfortunate bugs among them. But while the lows are inescapable, the highs are intense, and the more you play, the more extraordinary they become.

Taken as a whole, however, P4AU is a great package. The fighting is solid, there's a lot to keep you occupied in both single-player and multiplayer modes, and the new characters and additions refine a game that was already impressive to begin with.