The interface needs to be reworked from the version received, but when it comes to the gameplay, this is a stand-out title.

Aside from some AI problems, FIFA Soccer 09 is a fine representation of the sport, and the new features keep the series fresh and competitive.

A handheld tactical RPG that is visually wonderful and does a great job in terms of gameplay. Give Level 5 credit for taking some of the best elements of the genre, combining them with a few new ideas and dropping them into a solid gaming backdrop.

Even though the single-player campaign still isn’t where it needs to be, Bad Company 2 is definitely a great sequel that builds on its predecessor in every way, making for one that no shooter fan will want to miss, especially if you go online for your gaming.

This game has some great moments as well as some that are not so great. It is still, though, a first-rate soccer game that dazzles at times. The new features really give the game a boost, but there is still work to do. This is a great game and fun to play with others.

Gridiron greatness – your name is NCAA Football 06.

Graphically, the game is stunning, and while there are a few stumbles along the way, nothing truly detracts from the strategic enjoyment one gets from this game. This is a wonderful step-up for the franchise.

Even though there have been many space-combat strategy games, Sins of a Solar Empire does a really good job of mixing various 4X and RTS games, and gives players a game with deep strategy that will keep them busy for a while.

There are some flaws, but taken as a package Heavy Rain is a remarkable achievement in gaming that creates an interactive experience that goes beyond the pages of a good novel or film noir. This is a game that needs to be experienced.

Intriguing, delightful, spooky and thoroughly enjoyable.

The mini-games are deep and complex, and require strategy, not endless button-mashing. So to me, this is much more than a party game.

The story for Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory feels like it was taken directly out of one of Tom Clancy’s novels.

Lord of Destruction’s improvements make replaying Diablo II seem like playing a new game...This program is a blast.

Episode One is a lot of fun, and it leads right into an even better looking episode.

New modes such as Turbo Mode and Bloody Palace, are definitely something that should attract hardcore gamers to try out. Using Vergil is great but he’s overpowered quite a bit.

Reminiscent of the classic PlayStation originals while adding a healthy dose of fresh stealth and action moments throughout, this game will hook you from start to finish.

If there is one word that best describes this game, it would be depth. Morrowind has a terrific storyline, enough quests to keep players busy for a long, long time, and exceptional environments.

There is not a doubt in my mind: Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver are the pinnacle of the entire series. If you are no longer interested in Pokemon, you should still give it a shot for nostalgic purposes. If you enjoy Pokemon, the $40 price tag is chump change.

Whether you're playing on a Touch, iPhone, or iPad, Infinity Blade marks the unequivocal next generation of iOS games.

Every mission is a blast to play, with its incredible freedom, and the fact that no matter what you do, you’re going to have fun doing it. The game is stunningly realistic and stylish, and polished to a T.

Yes, I found shortcomings and annoyance, but overall it was a lot of fun and easy to pick up. Once new games are learned, you find yourself unable to put it down.

Believe it or not, the water in DoA3 is more realistic than the water in "Wave Race: Blue Storm."

Plays like a dream! It feels like the controller melds with your hands and you become one with it! The game is really that smooth for two main reasons: Jak responds to the slightest touch of a button and the frame rate is at a steady 60 fps and never drops.

It not only brings the fun of Final Fantasy Tactics to the GBA, complete with the 40 or so gameplay hours, but manages to improve on the original in many aspects as well in the process.

Playing with the Xbox controller is just as responsive and tight as the PS2 one. The gameplay in this is extremely tight, and the game overall goes by with more speed emphasized.

Undead Nightmare may sound gimmicky at first, but it quickly becomes clear that Rockstar spared no expense creating what is arguably one of the best DLCs of all time. It's not just the sheer amount of content that's included, but also the method in which said content drastically renovates the Red Dead experience in an exciting and meaningful way.

NEW Super Mario Bros. Wii is surely a classic – it just isn't as big of a classic as it could have been. You'll love it and play it to death, but don't be surprised if those painful feelings of déja vu and disappointment take over every now and then.

There were a lot of times I was laughing out loud while playing this game. The cut scenes truly are great, and the gameplay itself keeps getting better and better as you progress.

The game plays like a dream. The mixture of all the different gameplay elements into this game is perfect!

Side-scrolling, Goomba-stomping, RPG adventuring. Paper Mario isn't among the best GameCube RPGs; it is the best.

Its replay value is impervious to boredom – you will never, ever want to part with this game. It is a classic that will go down in gaming history as one of Nintendo's best offerings.

A great game, but true hockey fans that buy the latest and greatest that EA gives us each year will not see a whole lot of changes.

On a slower machine, frustration sets in. But when played on a machine that allows the total scope of this game to shine through, it is a fantastic journey. Tough, you bet – but a lot of fun.

Substance is well designed, tremendous graphically and in the audio department, and a great, addictive ride.

Clearly the top of its class, World Series Baseball 2K3 manages to take everything we love about the sport as well as the fun of physically <I>playing</I> the game itself and compressed it all into a PS2 disc.

The Gran Turismo of off-road racing...This is as close to perfection as the rally racing genre is every going to get.

Retro Studios may have instilled a higher difficulty that many gamers may not be used to, but that shouldn't scare them away from the joys of nostalgia and charm that DKCR brings to the table.

One of those rare treats that ignores the hype to bring us a truly entertaining adventure game that immerses players into its detailed world. It is a fresh and inventive game that, much like its main protagonist, is outright charming.

This year's iteration is one step forward, three steps back, and an awkward shuffle to the side, but there is still a great deal of familiar content included in Call of Duty: Black Ops that should satiate trigger-happy fans.

An action game worthy of Snake’s name, and one of the best games yet on the PSP.

The point-and-click system may not attract all gamers, but in all seriousness, I fell in love with the controls. As of right now, the gameplay stands out above everything else on the Wii.

It may not be the best game on the market in either the civilization or strategic warfare genre, but it is a terrific combination of both.

Unfortunately, with the limited MP games and buggy code, this game could still use some fine tuning.

If you like just calling plays and watching the action play out on the screen, you may enjoy this game.

I cannot stress to how awesome this game is... It is just breath taking, and a great game to demonstrate the power of Microsoft's console, and their new online service.

A beautifully designed game that will appeal to all ages, and offer great opportunities for cooperative play between family and friends.

The control scheme is simple to understand and getting into the racing is easy.

Though not as hilarious as its PS2 sequel, Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness is the best, most expansive and most addictive strategy/RPG available for PSP.

There is not a doubt in my mind: Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver are the pinnacle of the entire series. If you are no longer interested in Pokemon, you should still give it a shot for nostalgic purposes. If you enjoy Pokemon, the $40 price tag is chump change.

With a bevy of options, some tweaking to the kicking mechanics (almost to the point where you think you are playing golf with the kicker’s leg), and all the other accoutrements in the game modes, EA’s NCAA Football 07 is a joyful gridiron game.

Rarely does a game so innovative and so uniquely fresh come along to grab a gamer's complete interest the way Beyond Good & Evil does. It is, by far, one of the most original games to come along for the Xbox and will certainly be enjoyed by those gamers who crave something completely new and downright fun.

I challenge anyone to find a more amusing, engrossing, delightful, captivating, or just plain fun game than Little King’s Story on the Wii or any other system.

Entrancing.

Nice to see a game that gets back to the basics of FPS genre with puzzles, storyline, TONS of killing bad guys, and end-of-level bosses.

Intense racing with hair-trigger controls and the option to adjust them to your personal setting. The game also allows you to play online with other racers in a full field of cars in each of the four NASCAR series.

The audio of NBA 2K3 is exceptional.

Tactical stealth action at its most gratifying and if you are a fan of the series, this is the definitive version to own.

The most solid and wonderfully addictive ballgame on the PS2. With various improvements and some very neat additions to the game, there’s just no denying the fact that this is the closest to baseball gaming heaven we’ll come this year.

The new levels are intense and filled with action, giving you lots to shoot at (and lots to shoot at you). The scope of these missions is epic, throwing you into the mix against tons of enemy units at once. The new weapons, particularly the flamethrower, are a nice touch.

What more can I say, the game plays great, looks great, sounds great and has great online capabilities. Quit reading and go download it!

Gears of War on the PC is still the same ground breaking game it was a year ago just now on the PC. The same innovative gameplay and breathtaking events are included along with five new campaign levels exclusive to the PC.

The limited color-palette and massive levels make the journey less enticing for shmup score-hounds, but there is no denying that Sin & Punishment: Star Successor is one of the Wii's finest action games to date.

For those that love the game, enjoy the behind-the-scenes management, embrace the mental challenge, like the statistical bombardment, and thrive on situational strategy, this is the game for you.

A tense thriller that will immerse players into that sense of desperation as the remains of the human race fight for survival against increasingly overwhelming odds. The pacing is frenetic, the sense of urgency comes through loud and clear. Resistance 2 is a solid game, that looks stunning, but the game’s length and the linearity of the levels might prove to be a little much for some players.

This is a beautiful game that is easy to pick up and play and should be accessible to anyone in the family. The game may falter in terms of replayability, but the levels have been designed to bring a true emotional feeling to the game through the use of lighting and music.

Its total package is made up of great game play, great graphics, great sound . . . just an overall great experience.

I am truly amazed at how well the GameCube controller performs with SSX Tricky.

Dark Crusade is a great entry point into the Dawn of War series for newcomers. It has an incredibly robust single-player experience and you also get a good taste of the online play.

I am more surprised by Dark Cloud 2's disappointments than I am its achievements. I expected it to be great. I assumed I would enjoy it a lot. But I never once dreamed that its story would be so annoying!

A few flaws aside, Pandora Tomorrow on the PS2 is pure stealth-action bliss and if you liked the original Splinter Cell you’ll love this one. It’s beautiful visuals will blow you away and its online multiplayer alone is worth the price of admission.

The smoothest and most seamless action/RPG to grace the PlayStation 2. It’s more addictive than "Grandia III," more charming than "Dragon Quest VII," and as memorable as the granddaddy of them all – "Final Fantasy [insert Roman numeral here]."

One thing I particularly liked on this game, and hope to see more of in future releases is a quick save mode. This allows you to stop where you are and quick save before you do something difficult.

The graphics are nothing short of breathtaking.

Commandos 2 Men Of Courage has literally sucked the hours out of my life. The gameplay is like sheer crack addiction folks.

Bravo, PlatinumGames. You've made a game and created a heroine that gives Dante a reason to cry.

If you are looking for a game that is entertaining to the point of making you laugh out loud, of invoking a childlike sense of fun playing a game, then this is such a title.

Features a fantastic franchise mode and a completely different 24/7 mode, making this game the two best basketball games available in one neat package.

If you like games that step outside the bounds of normality – games that defy reality and present the strangest imagery imaginable – Persona 3 is your RPG. But if you prefer the lighter Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy style of games, stick with those. Persona 3 was not made for that audience.

While it might have called the PS3 its home first, PixelJunk Monsters is a perfect fit on the PSP. With more features, levels, and some of the most fun and addictive strategy gameplay ever, you're doing yourself a real disservice if you miss out on this one.

Long-time fans are essentially playing the same game rebuilt with a new graphics engine. But, do not fret – the gameplay is still whole-heartedly entertaining. For PS3 fans, the large-scale combat is particularly the most intriguing part to experience online.

A lack of challenge has led to the demise of many platformers in the past. Oddly, that's not the case with Kirby's Epic Yarn. It is easy to play and requires no real skill to master, but it's a load of fun regardless.

While it is pricey, the new world you get to explore adds more RPG gaming goodness and enough quests to make this yet another juicy chapter in this already lengthy epic.

Getting to attack from land, air, and sea is great and the biggest thing about getting to zoom in and out the battlefield in a blink of an eye to adjust your strategies is the best thing of all.

There is a bevy of great characters that course throughout the game, making it ever intriguing and solid fun.

Not only the best helicopter sim I've ever played, it's the best flight simulator as well.

Canvas Curse is one of the most unique and innovative games I've played all year, including the games I played at E3.

Not only does it look amazing but it plays just as fluidly and as gorgeously as the big boys do so do yourself a favor and pick this one up right away.

The improvements in the gameplay become obvious the second you’re slammed against the boards or the very instant you perform a snap shot at just the precise moment the other team’s defense drops.

With a solid new counter system, a great Legacy mode, and incredible graphics, Fight Night Round 4 is one game that no boxing fan will want to miss out on.

With great modes, gorgeous graphics and near perfect controls this one will no doubt be the franchise we turn to when we want a baseball game true to the sport itself.

This is a great game for those who love single-player RPGs, now that the story has been re-dubbed and explained better, the game is everything we had hoped it would be a year ago, only now they got it right.

This is a very satisfying and enjoyable game, full of tension, chaos and war’s horror, but with an intelligent AI and terrific visual elements.

While it doesn’t change up the formula too much, Winning Eleven 2007: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 offers plentiful options in replay value. Can someone pass along word that Konami needs to improve the graphics dramatically next time around?

A real-time strategy contest where fast reflexes, faster decisions and military tactics combine to present an intense chess match for control of a planet.

There are a ton of new options that have been added in too, from intimidating to sharing the draft, friendships and rivalries, and overall the game seems much more realistic than any previous version.

It’s games like Valkyria Chronicles that make me glad I’m a game reviewer. This is a game that weaves a deeply moving and powerful story while adding an action-packed strategy twist to the genre. In other words, this is a PlayStation 3 game destined to become a console favorite.

It would have been a remarkable title a year into the life of the PS3, but as it is a launch title, it is even more remarkable. With incredible graphics, an evolving story, great action and weapons, Insomniac and Sony have nailed the launch of the game and system seamlessly.

The list of must-have Wii games with appeal for both the casual and core player is exceedingly short. To make the cut, a game must be immediately approachable and easy to understand, but it must also offer challenge and depth to those who seek them. Boom Blox Bash Party is atop that list.