The best arcade-style action / party game to come around in ages.

Although its campaign has some plot twists that are mind-boggling, and there's no pretense that the ending is a bonafide cliffhanger, it's engaging, even if the narrative fails to explain some of the big story hooks. Competitive multiplayer is bigger and more brutal than its predecessor. Most importantly, co-op multiplayer is an absolute joy to play. Ultimately, however, it's the role-playing elements, such as experience points, that really enrich the experience.

Delivers a much more authentic representation of the fastest game on ice and this is reflected in its tight checking action (low-scoring games are now the norm) and truer-to-life gameplay mechanics.

Even if you've played the original, SSX Tricky is a fantastic game of fast paced action and tons of surprises.

While it's still shy of perfect, Round 2 is an outstanding title and clearly the best boxing game ever made.

Wonderfully imaginative, and, most importantly, a heck of a lot of fun.

After playing PJS to completion -- about three hours, altogether -- I feel like I've completed half of an awesome puzzle game.

The new races and game balance changes have revitalized the multiplayer game, and the new campaign gives plenty of gameplay for single-player fans to sink their teeth into.

It's a lot like going to your favorite restaurant, ordering your favorite dish, taking a bite and finding a hair in it.

This hybrid of sim and arcade racing may take some getting used to -- its learning curve is steeper than your average Burnout or Need for Speed -- but the time investment is worth it.

While it's got a few problems, particularly with the load times and frequent checkpoints, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow is still a great game. It looks nice, offers enough challenges to keep you engaged, and has the best multiplayer action around.

A living, breathing fairy tale in the purest sense. In this tale, the magic and wonder from Disney's pantheon of worlds and characters are merged with the interactivity and excitement of an epic Square Enix role-playing adventure. The result, in theory, may seem contrived or overly convoluted. But it works.

Xbox owners may be enjoying the new high watermark in first-person shooting, but PlayStation owners now have the gripping classic that laid the way for all future action title to play through with the lights turned way down.

Groundbreaking and triumphant. Lesser words just don't do justice to the superior graphics and general aesthetics of Guilty Gear X2.

Shines as one of the most addictive and compelling strategy titles of 2001.

It's all about balance, you see. And pacing. And A Crack in Time does as good a job of maintaining both as any Ratchet game we've seen in years.

Everything that a side-scrolling platform loving fan could ask for. It's got all the great, tried and true, fast-paced Sonic action of the old Genesis series, looks fine, plays excellently, and offers some fun multiplayer action.

Upgraded visuals, spot-on handling, and Xbox Live support make MotoGP 2 a must have racer.

I rarely start off a review talking about how a game looks or sounds, but the presentation of this game can't be understated. It looks and sounds spectacular.

We can't recommend Persona 3 highly enough, although a lack of even an option for controlling your whole party directly is a real shame.

Kirby's Epic Yarn is, at its quilted heart, an enjoyable 2D platformer that anyone who understands the language of fun can pick up and play, and it has an aesthetic that you can marvel at -- stress-free -- from beginning to end.

Although Oblivion's playability hasn't been improved, Shivering Isles storytelling and artistry simply soar beyond anything else the Elder Scrolls team has done.

Let's not mince words. Supreme Commander is "Total Annihilation" on steroids...An incredibly fun RTS. The massive tactical scale, the zoom function, the mega units and even the nostalgic resemblance to "Total Annihilation" make this game a must-have for RTS fans.

With its diversity, engaging style, and sly sense of humor, Startopia has plenty to offer.

What makes a good sim? Three words--Suspension of Disbelief. The same words of advice you'll hear in an entry-level writing course. Make the participant in your dream believe in your vision more than reality itself. Enemy Engaged achieves that lofty goal in so many ways and so much more powerfully than any other simulator I have every played.

Fall of the Samurai isn't just a new Shogun experience, it's a new Total War experience, and one that every fan of the series should check out.

Not a port of an older game or a collection of mini-games or a glorified tech demo -- an actual game with actual depth. Kirby: Canvas Curse is that game. It's simple, to be sure, but it's also remarkably fun.

In the end, Crash Mode really saves the game. The problems with translating the fast nature of racing to a small screen are nullified by the high fun factor involved with Crash Mode.

While it's not without its flaws, Fight Night Round 4 is still one of the most entertaining games of the year, no matter what gaming category you think it belongs in.

In my opinion, "Major League Baseball 2K5" is the better game. It's a close one, to be sure -- as each area that one game has a weakness in is a strength for the other title -- but I enjoyed the pitching and batting in MLB more, and fielding, one of its weak points, isn't as big of a deal to me.

Instead of feeling like a stale retread or losing steam halfway through, it manages to be a blast from start to finish.

It's still not the prettiest game on the block, and frankly, the lack of the German league is a huge peeve, but the core gameplay is very much intact, and razor sharp as ever.

If you are a fan of action, strategy, RTS, or just like to see beautiful battles rendered in 3D, this one's for you.

Fans of the "Resident Evil" series will love Onimusha, as the player has long overcome the small "nit-picky" problems inherent in the genre.

It's easily one of the best looking games we've played this year, but thankfully there's plenty of strategic depth and engrossing gameplay to back it up.

This title feels like well-executed design by committee. It's got visuals that scream next-gen, and some cool weapons, but the overall lack of extensive environmental interactivity makes the title feel a bit like a "PS2.5" game more than a PS3 game.

Although it's true that the QB Vision system changes the game dramatically, it's not always for the better, especially when you're still trying to learn how to use it properly. If you can get over the steep learning curve (and trust me, it's a doozy), you'll probably learn to love it, as it makes the game feel much more realistic.

It's at once entirely expected and a crying shame that this game won't catch on in the same way that, say, Street Fighter IV did, as BlazBlue packs what may be the best online play ever seen in a 2D fighting game (it is -- at worst -- neck-and-neck with the amazing Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix in this category, though the option to replay ranked matches certainly gives it a tantalizing edge).

I can't remember the last time I played a game in which I wondered whether something could be done, and nine times out of ten it actually could be, whether it's calling in an airstrike on a lone soldier or jacking a helicopter from the sky. Blowing stuff has never been this fun, or this satisfying.

If you're up to its challenges, Steel Beasts offers an accurate, involving, and rewarding simulation of modern tank warfare.

It's every bit as stellar as the original, though it's best played and appreciated by those that have gone through its predecessor.

Patapon is like a cleverly designed trojan horse, built to sucker you in with cute graphics and then beat you down with its primal, rhythmic challenge. It's great fun, but you may find it tough to actually play the game on the go considering the amount of attention it requires.

That these additions make the experience deeper and richer and way more fun can be considered nothing less than a "Wonder."

After logging over a hundred hours on Dragon Age: Origins, I still want to continue playing. I want to unearth more of its secrets, to better know its characters, to see how the decisions I make can impact its world, and yes, to see more of its endings. I can't think of a better recommendation than that.

Sims 3 is exceedingly adaptable to any character you'd ever dream of making.

There are very few games, though, that manage to take great gameplay and merge it with the kind of sheer exuberant style that brings a big goofy grin to your face that never leaves you while you're playing.

Capture and Hold and Raindance are strong additions to an already-strong free shooter, and it makes Tribes: Ascend an even more addictive "just one more match" FPS that's unlike any other shooter on the market. In the age of me-too shooters, that's not just a good thing, that's a great thing.

From the main story mode to the arcade mode to the multiplay, there's not a weak spot to be found.

The biggest change in 2003 is how the ball handles... The ball feels much more separated from the players now, and the control even reflects this.

In lesser hands, the art design might have overwhelmed everything, leaving the levels to feel like an overly cluttered and repetitive mess. Instead, it's a wonderful platformer with its own unique style that's most definitely worth experiencing, and especially shared.

If you buy one PSP title this year, Ghost of Sparta is a safe bet for the best game you're going to get.

If you love physics puzzlers -- and, more importantly, don't mind one helluva challenge -- I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better option on XBLA.

Punch-Out!! is destined to become one of this generation's top classics, right up there with Super Mario Galaxy. It's one heckuva peace offering for Nintendo's jilted lifers, an elaborate brainteaser for everyone who picks it up, and absolutely the best Punch-Out!! to date. If you're still fishing for a reason to own a Wii, this is it.

Suikoden fans will immediately "hate" the new battle system, while they will probably just "dislike" the world map and the move to 3D graphics with no camera control.

The graphics are well polished and the game so addictive that it will keep you hacking, slashing, and casting for a good long while.

A prettier, tighter game on Xbox, making it the number one racer on the system -- at least in my eyes.

It has more of what made the first game so outstanding and contains several improvements over its predecessor. For fans of the first game, this is a nearly perfect sequel.

Crysis 2's shiny graphics are nice and all, but the Nanosuit is the true star of the show. Offering a true sense of power rarely seen in modern shooters, it helps to make this one of the most exciting games of the year.

A tour-de-force of imagination, an electronic window into a fantastic world that exists in only our consoles and a creative French guy's mind. I greatly enjoyed my time in that world, and my only real regret is that it was over so soon.

There's enough action so that it doesn't really feel like an RPG, and the humor makes it all the sweeter.

With its combination of an engaging single-player campaign, addictive adversarial multiplayer modes, and enjoyable cooperative Spec Ops action, there's no denying that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is one of the year's finest games.

Of course, if you're like the vast majority of the folks who wandered by my desk during the weeks that I played Mortal Kombat, you want to see one thing, and one thing only: utter carnage. And hey -- it's here in spades. Just try to remember that for once, Mortal Kombat is more than the sum of a few flying body parts.

The Soul Calibur fighting system is back, and it's the best it's ever been.

If you cut your teeth on, say, Telltale's various Sam & Max or Strong Bad series, you're about to find out exactly what a hardcore adventure game plays like.

The action in Max Payne 2 is as adrenaline-pumping as anything you'd see on the silver screen, and you're in control. Or dangerously close to spiraling out of control, as Max often is. Despite the length, this is top-quality entertainment.

"Master of Orion" is dead. Long live Galactic Civilizations II!

The gameplay is a snap to pick up, but the player is rewarded for delving deeper into the combo system. Sure, there are those who will say that the original Tetris is the best puzzle game of all time, but if there was ever a game that could top it, it's this one.

It's endlessly addictive, and thanks to its design, it'll be a long time before you run out of things to do in it. Thanks to the brilliant translation, it's also one of the funniest games that I've playing in some time.

Definitely one of the best FPS to come out this year, and certainly is one of the best Star Trek games ever.

Combining a sequel with a backstory fill-in, it's still as weird as ever, but it's just what fans of this cult classic will be looking for.

As polished a platformer as you'll find this year...Its sterling production values accentuate its smooth, sublime gameplay. Heck, even the mini-games are polished.

The superior graphics and flight modeling are unmatched, and game's many solitaire and multiplayer options give it long life on the hard drive.

One of the first absolutely must-own titles for Xbox 360. The controls have been greatly improved over last year's game, with much-abused control schemes getting reined in a bit.

Amplitude's chaff-heavy soundtrack and flavorless gameplay keeps it from reaching the top of the pops.

It's fun while it lasts, and I can't wait to see what other cool narrative ideas Supergiant Games comes up with for future games.

A unique and utterly enjoyable experience; and thankfully, this is true whether or not you've got three friends around to enjoy the adventure with.

While this undoubtedly sounds familiar to RPG veterans, Symphonia manages to distinguish itself through solid and enjoyable gameplay.

The graphics are jaw dropping and simply the best ever in a golf simulation.

It will take players many weeks of gameplay to fully explore all of the twenty new zones, and the new race adds more color to an already rich world.

Underneath all of that polish, at its heart this is the same basic game we've been playing for years -- you'll either love it or hate it for that very reason.

The massive amount of unit and race variety coupled with an aggressive (albeit at times quirky) AI, full editing capabilities, a boatload of spells, engaging combat, and rock-solid game mechanics make for a strategy game that is not only better than the original, but arguably the best turn-based strategy game released this year.

If "Gran Turismo 3" is Dom Perignon, Burnout 2 is Jack Daniels. While Dom may be a great guy, personally I'd rather hang out with Jack.

Only graphical impoverishments, a terrible secret-unlock method, and a lack of features prevent perfection.

Thanks to revolutionary ten-man motion captures, the look of 2004 will impress you. This is the first hoops I've played where everyone on the court acts the way they're supposed to.

A very good single-player game, and a brilliant online game; Ubisoft's streak of Xbox greatness continues.

To be honest, CMR3 can't hold a candle to "Rallisport Challenge" graphically, but betters it with phenomenal collision detection and handling.

It's not the most exciting concept in gaming history, but it's one of the best games that I've played all year...The only thing holding Katamari back from a five star rating is that it's over way too quickly.

That The Lord of the Rings Online could whether the storm of player expectations and its development troubles and still be a decent game is an achievement in itself. That it could go through all that and come out the other side as an exceptional entry into the genre is nothing short of miraculous.

The driving is fine, made just a bit more difficult with the PSP's analog nub, but the shooting is very problematic thanks to the twitchy and unreliable lock-on system the series has become famous for.

While Dawn of War doesn't break any new ground for the RTS genre, it is, nonetheless, a supremely polished and well-balanced example of it, a credit to both the development team, and a laurel wreath for the license it bears.

Beyond the improved AI and riveting plot, the pacing of the missions has been vastly improved as well, and I found myself being introduced to the new features of GRAW 2 on a regular schedule...[GRAW 2] eclipses the first game in every way.

With its organic controls, beautiful visuals and amazing presentation, it quickly becomes an addicting experience that's tough to stop playing, even during some of the most frustrating parts of the game. Though its online modes slightly tarnish on the experience, the rest of the game more than makes up for it.

Warhammer Online has had the smoothest, most complete MMO launch we've ever seen. Game balance and other elements of the game need tweaking but they're all there, they all work and most importantly, they're all fun.

Integrating some nice variety into one game while maintaining its decidedly action-oriented dynamics, Dead Space is appealing across a wide cross-section of gameplay styles. Wrap an engrossing plot that is a veritable warren of intermingling themes around this and you've got a game that is basically a guaranteed experience.

We do wish that the changes that worked so well in Dual Strike hadn't been so casually tossed aside here. In fact, looking at the two out of context, we'd presume that Dual Strike was the later game. But the quality of design here is as phenomenal as ever, and we expect to be playing Days of Ruin for quite some time.

This is what an expansion pack should be ... tons more of everything you enjoyed from the first game with just enough new stuff to keep you guessing.

The biggest change Escape from Monkey Island has undergone is its change to 3D. Far from ruining the game, as many fans feared, this makes EMI the best-looking Monkey Island title yet.

It delivers a portable rush of addictive high-speed action. And you can't really ask for more than that.