Very fun and very funny; it deftly satirizes "Grand Theft Auto" while being almost as entertaining, and even improves on several gameplay aspects of GTA (instant mission restarts, a superior guidance system, and an easily accessible collection of vehicles).

Of the three versions, this is clearly the sharpest.

Since just about every trail is unlocked from the beginning, you won't get to feel the satisfaction of making your way to a new mountain (one of the best parts of "SSX 3") and exploring it for the first time. Still, there's no denying that this is yet another stellar entry one of the most consistently excellent series around today.

It's just that compared to the original, it's nowhere near as polished.

Not only did it need to live up to the standards put forth in the first game, but also the standards of the U.S. Navy. Thankfully, it's safe to say that the frogmen of Fireteam Bravo have excelled in this, creating a new must-have for Sony's handheld.

The qualifications -- short length, lack of replay value, and control issues -- knock the game down value-wise, even though I think anyone who's attracted to quick, violent squad play will have a good time.

Online or offline, GoldenEye is easily one of the better first-person shooters on the Wii, and its online experience is great by any console's standards.

Unless you want a mega-dose of pink cotton candy, you'll likely be bored stiff.

It's got an entertaining story that skewers our reality show-obsessed culture, equal-opportunity offensive humor that could make a Marine blush, and a dazzling visual style. It evokes the better elements of early '90s brawlers and updates them with a sensibility tailor-made for the Wii.

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

A surprising number of serious bugs damage what is otherwise a highly addictive game.

The very soul of an annual update, this Tiger is all tweaks -- but none of these are new to the PS3 version, 360 fans. This was one title that really could have shown the power of the Sixaxis and the PS3, but fails. Instead, it's arguably worse than its current-gen versions and is no better than the competition on the 360.

As a complete package, then, Sims 2 University delivers in a big way. There's a staggering number of new things to do and new ways to interact with your Sims. While bugs occasionally crop up, they're not quite enough to spoil to party.

Instead of a true stealth engine, you have awkward "hide spots" to accommodate the free roaming. Combat is either too easy or too hard, lacking the brilliance of a dedicated action title. And the free-roaming, bound as it is to mission objectives that would be fine in a more linear game, is just unsatisfying. Each element of the game is individually interesting, but as a whole the package feels incomplete and patchwork more than innovative.

On its own merits, Madden 07 for the Wii is as exciting a development in sports games as I've seen in a long time, and should be experienced by anyone with even a passing interest in a good game of football.

It's so faithful to the PS2 version that it's almost terrifying. On second thought, the terror comes from the load times, which are abysmally long. Between that, the sync issues in multiplayer, and the mediocre Arcade Mode, keep this game from nearing perfection.

Though it has a few blemishes, Revenant Wings still manages to be a good deal of fun. The way combat is handled is logical and enjoyable, making up for the missteps.

An excellent macro-insight into running a railroad empire. Simple to learn, completely absorbing, ultimately challenging.

While not offering much for players below level 46, The Planes of Power, with its smorgasbord of content, is a very good expansion pack for higher-level players as well as veterans who have been around since the beginning.

A much worse persistent problem is the A.I., which is still so bad that at times it's hard to recommend Combat Mission as anything other than a multiplayer game.

A quirky and sometimes frustrating puzzle action title that fails to do its two famous mascots justice.

Despite how oddly compelling I found many of the diversions found herein, I couldn't get too into this game's dated fighting mechanic.

Muramasa is frustrating because it's a game that should be great, but its compounded faults result in it merely being good. If you can overlook the repetitive combat and boring backtracking, then you'll get a kick out of slicing up ninjas and monsters for a few hours -- and you'll certainly like ogling one of the best looking titles on the Wii.

Elegantly designed, challenging, beautiful, and one of the best games released this year.

While the majority of the game holds its own, presentation-wise it definitely plays the part of little brother when compared to 2K's NBA game.

It does manage to be a solid RPG, but to get there, you have to grind through some monotonous stuff that really detracts from the game.

If you invest the time in tricking out your ride and mastering the more challenging difficulty levels, you'll be rewarded with an adrenaline rush that you won't find anywhere else.

The PlayStation 3 version is feature complete by comparison, but it doesn't run at the silky smooth frame rate of the 360 version. It's a no-brainer decision if you own both systems, but early adopters of the PlayStation 3 should still have a good time with this one.