Perhaps the greatest praise I can heap upon Point Lookout is that it doesn't feel tacked-on but more like a natural extension of everything that makes the new Fallout what it is.

A faithful re-creation of a stellar PS2 game, but considering the beefier hardware and a year of development time, it should have been more.

One of the most gleefully "WTF" experiences you'll have in gaming this year. How many games offer you shadowy agency figures named after porn stars, obsessions with masked pro wrestlers, and a violent weapon that borders on copyright infringement, all while "Heavenly Star" from Lumines II plays sporadically throughout the game's shopping locales?

The gameplay is far more balanced than the previous two games, and the graphics are excellent for current-gen and have more detail than their predecessors.

The upgraded engine looks amazing.

Though Homeworld2 may technically be a sequel, it too doesn't distance itself very far from the original, and in some ways feels like a mission pack itself. However, that doesn't stop it from being a completely addictive -- if sometimes incredibly difficult -- addition to the Homeworld universe.

The game's enemy AI is very good, a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that it apparently doesn't cheat -- it plays the same game you do.

It also does a great job of channeling the spirit of the game it's based on, unlike the recent remake of "Shinobi."

With its cleverly designed levels, sweet controls, and challenging gameplay, Wakeboarding Unleashed is an excellent game that action-sports fans will love.

The addition of the specialized generals, however, pushes this expansion set over the top. If you've already got Generals, you cannot go wrong with getting Zero Hour.

It's got the core gameplay to be one of the best strategy titles ever made, but failures in execution means that Silent Storm ends up being nothing more than a good game.

The combination of highly accurate aircraft reproduction, flight model and the rigorous aircraft management system should appeal to those armchair pilots anxious to take their turn around the pylons.

Through a couple of years and multiple revisions, Sonic Team has taken a game that was incredibly solid and enjoyable at its outset and polished and added to it; there is so much to do (although there's still not enough to see, a common complaint with PSO) that you'll have no difficulty signing on for marathon sessions.

The best FIFA game so far, but it's still a few problems away from being a soccer utopia. EA really needs to perfect FIFA's control as much as it needed to make a better career mode. The old developmental mantra is gameplay first, options second.

Gamers looking for a more traditional arcade racer might need to approach NFSU with the following in mind -- it's tons of fun, it looks amazing, and it's best on PS2 due to the online portions, but be prepared to witness a perceptive lack of variety, and one huge-ass single-player challenge in order to get the most out of the game.

The story is more interesting and coherent than Halo's narrative has ever been, and the environments make the game feel slightly different at times, in an exciting, challenging way. That said, I wish Bungie had taken it even further; playing as the titular ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, essentially the Halo universe's version of a special forces unit) made me feel like they missed some opportunities.

As the name would imply, Pure wins because it sticks with only the most important facets of ATV racing: crazy handling and absurd, gravity-defying stunts. Its stellar visuals (exemplified by the glittering glacier track set in New Zealand) are simply icing on a cake of solid gameplay that rarely falters in providing the basic racing game essentials.

MLB Power Pros is a lot of fun, and quite accessible. That the game has just enough depth to satisfy a baseball fan's need for stats and realism is just icing on the cake.

The game's many layers reveal themselves in a steady, satisfying progression that keep the game fresh, interesting, and most of all, flat-out-fun.

The best skating game ever made, and while it isn't nearly as groundbreaking as the previous game, it takes everything that made it great and adds some new tricks and a dash of juvenile potty humor, leaving you with the best time you'll have at a skate park this year.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of DiRT is the poorly implemented multiplayer portion of the game. Instead of allowing you to try some of the head-to-head events that are included in the single-player game, like the Rally Raids or CORR events, you're limited to single-car hill climbs and rally events against times being uploaded by other players in your session.

It's one game that's worth the price of admission. Not only is it a great action title, it may very well be the best superhero game for current-gen consoles.

If you already played the original version on Xbox, it's tough to recommend padding Microsoft's pockets again, but noobs will probably get their dollar's worth.

It's hardly the dramatic revamp that RE4 was for the series, but it marks the first time that co-op play has been implemented. As a result, the overhaul makes it a good single-player game, but a great multiplayer one. Thanks to its persistent approach to weapon upgrades, it's well-suited to replay. It's a visually splendid game with gorgeous cinematics that evoke the same awe as previous games did in their time.

It's a better version of a game that was already quite good, now made great with extra unlockables, refined presentation, and mostly excellent online play. For fans of 3D fighters, there won't be a better title released in the genre this year.

Its kiddy facade hides some terrifically fun gameplay with a lot of meat on its bones.

But I do know that, unlike most years, I really feel the improvements instead of just reading about them in a press release or seeing them on the back of the box. And when it comes to Madden, that's as big a difference as I've felt in half a decade.

If you're a longtime Unreal Tournament, fan, you'll find plenty to like in UT3 -- just keep in mind it's not the instant classic its predecessor was. With any luck, that will be remedied with the next UT release -- hopefully we won't have to wait another three years for it.