The squad-based combat is handled elegantly, from the simple control scheme to the ability to switch out to a birds-eye view to strategize, and injects some life into a genre we thought had been milked for good.

MLB's fielding model exhibits smooth animations and transitions into secondary animations. Guys throw across their body, take their crow hops, and dig balls out of the dirt. It's all über-realistic looking and complements the pitcher/batter duel perfectly.

At the end of the day, rugby lovers will love how far this franchise has come since last year's version.

Rugby lovers will love how far this franchise has come since last year's version.

An excellent hex-map turn-based strategy title. The disappointment hits when you realize that a really fun strategy core is riddled with bugs and is wrapped in a simply awful presentation.

The multiplayer game is subpar and under populated, but the single-player game is slick, polished, frantic, and exciting.

A superlative action game with an absurdly high difficulty level. That's just the long and short of it, and this may be good or bad depending on your disposition. Personally, I found it equal parts satisfying and frustrating.

A very strong, engaging story set in an interesting world. It's what will keep you playing despite the problems.

Just about every aspect of the production is top-notch, from the stunning graphics to the realistic, graphic dialogue. Although there might end up being better Xbox games this year, you won't find a better WWII shooter anywhere.

All of the irreverent charm and style from before are still packed solidly into this title. The multiplayer is phenomenal, and Xbox Live is probably the best online play that the series has ever seen.

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.

The PlayStation 2 version of the game is my favorite of the three...The Dual Shock 2 has a slight edge over the Xbox Type-S controller and huge edge over the GCN pad. For most gamers, I'd suggest the PS2 version over the others.

Speaking of online, MLB 2K5 is one step closer to what we dreamed about for online sports games. You can play a full 162 game season in an online league, or stick to tournaments or single-game contests.

While the game's single player component is fully realized (though far too short), the multiplayer side of things feels tacked-on. It's almost as if the developers, fearing that a game without Xbox Live play wouldn't sell well, added the bare bones modes as an afterthought.

It's like watching a great fighter that's just starting his career. He's great now, he's surprising you with his progress, and you'll know he'll end up in the hall of fame. Fight Night Round 2 is another fantastic step in this hall-of-fame series.

American McGee has always had talent for crafting some truly original stories, and thankfully, Scrapland is no exception.

The game's fighting mechanic was a little thin to begin with, and without an online version to lend it some legs, it gets old real fast. Playing with the GameCube controller isn't too hot, either.

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

It's mostly tedious, sloppy, and stale, with bugs and crashes adding insult to injury. You could find a better shooter blindfolded.

Think about building up the biggest, most elaborate base you can imagine in an Age of Empires game. Now imagine it takes four times as long as any other RTS game on the market. Then imagine that all this elaborate building leads up to a strategy portion that would have seemed primitive and simple back in 1997 when "Age of Empires" first came out.

The huge, diverse cast and excellent fighting engine guarantee lots of fun fights for a long time into the future, and its pick-up-and-playability make it the best game to pull out for more casual company.

Veterans of "Starfleet Command" or "Homeworld" multiplayer champs should get excited, because as tactical space combat simulators go, this is a pretty good one. The rest of us who would rather keep our micromanagement confined to the realm of Excel, on the other hand, will probably go back to our "simpler" RTS games.

The excellent control and stage design mixed with the clever puzzles make this one of the better (and certainly one of the most thought provoking) platformers available on GBA.

Speaking of online, MLB 2K5 is one step closer to what we dreamed about for online sports games. You can play a full 162 game season in an online league, or stick to tournaments or single-game contests.

Represents the very pinnacle of PS2 racing games and lord only knows how long we'll have to wait for the next installment. Get it, race it and love it... One of the most comprehensive games of the last four years.

The game makes it feel like maybe too much time hasn't passed since the 16-bit days, while somehow still seeming to be a completely competent entry onto the latter-day PS2's stage.

A rare breed of FPS these days, as it's both high in quality and uniqueness. The mechanics of "Deus Ex" work tremendously well in a high-intensity atmosphere.

The AI is shoddy, ball physics are often laughable, and, worst of all, there's no online play for any of the systems.