Nintendogs is good, but after the novelty of the voice recognition wears off, there's just not a lot to do.

While last year's effort truly took my breath away, I can't shake the feeling that this year's effort is more of an engine tune up than a complete rebuild. It still remains the number one F1 game on the market, but that's more about the lack of any competition than the game pushing the boundaries of last year's winning entrant.

Warrior Within proves that it takes more than just good combat and platforming to make a great game. Bottom line: The Warrior Within simply didn't have enough "Prince of Persia."

Playing CS:GO reminded me just how much many of the new shooter features out there -- the Air Strikes, the perks, the tanks -- can help make up for a lack of core FPS skills. There's no faking it here, and if you really want to get right down to it and find out just how good of an online gunslinger you are, the crucible of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a great place to do it.

Throw away every pre-conceived notion you may have about games involving music mixing, as Frequency is not only strong in its fun factor, but intensely addictive as well.

The enhancements on the pitching side and the even funkier Career mode show that development isn't simply in cruise control.

While Boktai is a solid game in its own right, the game itself has been done before and whole sun thing (read: "The Point") undermines the game experience more than it enhances it.

It's certainly the best Harvest Moon game in recent years, and it really comes close to greatness -- if only it had been paced a little better, then everyone would be able to enjoy it.

But really, apart from the wooden voiceovers and the somewhat-blocky graphics, VC2 has everything going for it.

Not flashy, but it more than gets the job done -- the Jim Thome of baseball games.

This is the definitive version of Metal Gear Solid and it's only available on the PC. Go tell your console owning buddies and watch 'em cringe.

There's not much new in MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries, but what's here works reasonably well.

The plotline is simple, the characters are instantly likeable, but more importantly, from start to finish, the action never lets up.

While the additions might not be enough for longtime Tony Hawk fans and gamers that played the hell out of "THUG2," there's no denying that this is the best action-sports game ever seen on a handheld system.

It's not perfect, but it's got enough unique style to create thirst for a follow-up.

Add to this equation a staggering variety of weapons (with accompanying cryptic icons) all capable of reducing your fellow competitors to fused hunks of flaming track detritus, a masterfully produced techno soundtrack and some clever online features and you've got a game that has essentially taken up permanent residence in our PSPs.

Sega Genesis Collection is a pile of awesome with whipped cream and a cherry on top. You have got to get it for your PSP and that's all there is to it.

It took me just under 8 hours to complete 90% of the game, and it's not a terrible stretch to imagine someone rushing through it in 5 or 6. It's a good sign for a game when players want more, and it's further proof that the Tomb Raider series is back in a big way.

Suffice it to say that if you enjoyed the first Rainbow Six: Vegas, then you will undoubtedly find considerable value in Vegas 2.

Despite its lackluster storytelling, Red Faction: Guerrilla is a whole lot of fun to play, thanks to its meaty campaign and well-rounded multiplayer offerings.

If you're a fan on the comics -- or the movies -- you'll be sucked in from the first frame of the visually stunning opening clip.

Even though design decisions like these can be frustrating, it's not enough to really detract from just how damn charming Unwritten Tales is most of the time, especially when it has a cast of such likeable characters carrying the load. And for only $20 it's a good value for those looking to scratch their classic-adventure-game itch.

A massive improvement over the original in pretty much every way imaginable: music, graphics, interface, customization options, and difficulty level. It's also a fantastic strategy game, and probably one of the last great GBA titles that will be released in the West.

If your dream garage has side-by-side parking spaces for an off-road K500 Pro Baja Duneracer, a Williams BMW FW27 F-1 machine, and a vintage Corvette L88 Sunray DX, this is the game for you.

I've never played anything quite like it, and I think I'm ready to retire my DDR dance pads permanently, because this is the real revolution.

Hands down the best overall simulation of real-world business economy around.

The more you play, the more techniques become available to help deal with the more challenging courses. The wide variety of unlockables is also a great incentive to keep playing.

Like Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Moriarty or He-Man and Skeletor, though, City of Heroes and City of Villains need each other in order to be complete. Having the whole package makes the City of... games what they were always meant to be -- one of the best massively multiplayer online games available today.