Unless you’re locked into buying a bundle when you purchase your Xbox 360 this holiday, it’s probably best to rent Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland.

It's also fun to explore gambling at the casino, shopping at the stores, and giving gifts.

With light platforming, simple controls, bright color pallet, basic game design, and ease of use, MySims Agent is probably the best game in the MySims series. Although best suited for younger players, adult gamers can still get some entertainment out of this title.

A faithful compilation that remains true to its roots and won't disappoint videogame archeologists.

Its clear that the franchise is on its way from breaking out from the shadow of its older, more popular sibling, Madden.

The game is a nice summary of the band, but only true fans will get the get the most out of this title.

The learning curve can be an obstacle to enjoying it fully, but give it a little time and play it on easy first as the tutorials gradually teach you everything you need to know.

What's not to love about games where you play as a robotic savior who must navigate his way through an augmented, mechanized, futuristic Earth filled with bottomless pits and ditches of conical metal honed to sharp points that threaten your success, all played to rocking and memorable tunes?

Rubik’s World is probably one of the only games to come out last year with vastly different game types that almost never connect to the greater whole and still managed to be very playable.

Worms is not a bad game, not by a long shot. In fact, it is quite entertaining, especially for new comers to the series. But do I need to spend another $10 or $15 on a Worms game when a previous version is already owned? No, not really.

I was very surprised with Squad Command. The Action Point system is deep, well balanced, and always keeps the game entertaining.

Upgrades, short cuts, environmental driving conditions, and real-life vehicles force this game above the rest.

I'm not going to say that Ultimate Ninja 3 has the best gameplay of any of the Naruto games. But what I will say is that Ultimate Ninja 3 is the best all around Naruto game to date.

For RPG fans craving a more Zelda-like adventure, Oath in Felghana is a really good bet. Just don't be a hero and shoot for Nightmare mode on your first play-through. Save your sanity and start with normal.

Field Commander is nothing more Advance Wars with a fresh coat of paint. But while Nintendo players will hark that Sony stole their coveted stragety game, you can’t ignore the fact Sony’s multiplayer mode one-ups the GBA and DS versions.

You will be hard pressed to find a better pool experience on the Wii, especially with an $8 price tag.

Not only addresses the problems of the previous game, but also makes extra advancements in the gameplay. But even those advancements have their problems, mainly the maps and motorcycle.

In the end, if you are a fan of the characters, the game has enough to keep you entertained for at least one run through.

Cooking Mama is not a bad game. In fact, it is perfectly suited for the DS as the mini games are fun, entertaining, and short.

Ultimately, the game holds only a moderate amount of appeal for those outside the series' existing fans. The game is fairly unique, in its focus on story and interaction over combat. However, at its core Yakuza 4 stands alongside Grand Theft Auto, Mafia II and Red Dead Redemption. It's a game where you can do bad things and watch a story unfold in a unique game world. If what I've described sounds great…then you'll enjoy Yakuza 4. If not…check out any of the other games I've mentioned.

So if you can look past Neverwinter Nights’ monotonous single-player campaign to its much more stimulating multiplayer mode, it is a worthy buy for any fan of D&D.

If you really want to get into the KoF series, but can't deal with the low grade graphics, then pick up "KoF: Maximum Impact," but if you want a solid, fun, high-quality fighting game that delivers masses of playtime, then King of Fighters 2002/2003 is well worth the investment.

But because the developers took the extra time to develop an excellent online mode, this is a game that should be played by all PSP players. And where else can you blow up zombies with a viral chainsaw dressed in a Santa suit?

If you really want to get into the KoF series, but can’t deal with the low grade graphics, then pick up "KoF: Maximum Impact," but if you want a solid, fun, high-quality fighting game that delivers masses of playtime, then King of Fighters 2002/2003 is well worth the investment.

Everyone is scrambling to say that Guitar Hero 5 is the best game in the series. I’m not sure that I’d go that far, but it’s up there. Unfortunately, the Guitar Hero series is now playing backup for Rock Band in terms of both value and quality.

While I really enjoyed the look and feel of the graphics and controls, there is still a nagging feeling that the game is just too much of a clone.

Taking into account that the story doesn't really go anywhere until you're about 4 hours in, it could turn some people away. However, the fun boss battles, wide variety of skills, and the everlasting charm of playing a Vampire Hunter is there, and kept me coming back for more.

Despite the limited appeal of Arc Arena and personal hang-ups with the story and lack of character depth in Arc II, when combined into one package, this series shines as a high-watermark for the RPG genre.

Where it falls down is in originality: for all its polish, in the end it's really just more of the same as I've played countless hours before.

Real Soccer 2009 is a surprisingly good game considering the stiff competition.

The original Need for Speed Underground is still better than its sequel, which speaks for the great quality of the first game or the lack of it in the sequel.

None of the puzzle modes are individually at the pinnacle of the genre, however, and the trial-and-error-based gameplay might only appeal to enthusiasts.

For $20, I can't complain, as it was a fun diversion and I appreciated the fact that I didn't HAVE to play the game for 20 hours just to unlock a slightly steeper slope.

Cutting to the chase, Fatal Fury Battle Archives vol. 2 is not a bad purchase by any means. At the bargain price of $20, there's a lot of fun to be had.

Overall, if you missed this on the GBA and like a challenge in your RPGs, then Yggdra Union will be right up your alley.

If there was some slight fine tuning, this would have been a killer game. Unfortunately, the isometric view can be more annoying than welcomed, but the graphics and sound track are stellar enough to bring the presentation levels sky high.

Overall, the game seems to exhibit a good simulation of a volleyball game, with an emphasis on many different statistics, and real-life strategies.

Should you buy Ninja Gaiden II? If you loved the first one, yes…but make sure you do so for the right reasons, namely the weapons and new additions to the system.

If you ever wanted to play Monopoly with a new twist, have a passion for board games, and like a slower paced game, the Culdcept Saga will definitely fill your plate.

As nice as it was to return to the space-combat genre, particularly seeing as how this was a Trek game, I was, in the end, left a bit flat by Legacy's final presentation.

Everyone who has bought every Tony Hawk game thus far knows what they’re getting; a game about skateboarding, and that’s all. And when it comes to that, it is pretty good.

This isn't a bad game, but it just ends up as "yet another Guitar Hero" with the set list being the only important difference between Warriors of Rock and World Tour or GH5 or Band Hero.

A lot like other quirky Sega titles like "Space Channel Five" and "Samba de Amigo" in that it’s a lot of fun to play and has an outlandish charm to it, but once you’re done, there isn’t much left to do with the game.

If you like fast paced racers that are more on the arcadey side, then there is no reason why you shouldn’t give Midnight Club LA a try.

In the heavily saturated strategy game market it is nice to see that someone can get back to the basics and make a game that is more about planning a strategy than memorizing hotkeys and map details.

It is an all right start if Nintendo decides to make this into a series, but they simply need to add more content to make this worthwhile.

When Yuke's broke onto the faltering wrestling scene a few years back, they reinvigorated it with simple but elegant controls, solid animations, and added impact to the fights. They've done it again with Rumble Roses, though it seems to be more of a decent first effort [for a new franchise] than the game that will redefine the genre.

There aren't many unique mini-games after the first few stages.

It looks good, it sounds good, yet, while it has a few interesting moments, it doesn’t impress or break new ground the way the original did.

Even the audio is a bit underdone, and gunfire doesn’t sound different in enclosed spaces from how it sounds out in the open and helicopters may become nearly inaudible depending on which direction Sterling faces.

But, why does the PSP version of World Championship Poker 2 cost more than the PS2 version of World Championship Poker 2?

Wallace and Gromit’s second adventure is a success in my book. It was a short book though, only taking a few hours to complete…which is ok because it only makes the player want to check out the other episodes.

Sure, Kao the Kangaroo: Round 2 does absolutely nothing to push the genre forward; but it's hard to deny that the game is a very fun distraction while it lasts.

Pipe Mania is an entertaining game, but it is sure to push your patience.

For even a huge fan of the series like myself, you can't consider Dynasty Warriors 5 anything more than a letdown.

Rango is definitely not a bad game and is much more entertaining than previous movie titles such as How To Train Your Dragon and Monsters Vs Aliens. For $50, the price is a little high but could make for a great weekend rental for your young one (and a free child's movie ticket to see the movie comes with purchase of the game).

FF1 & 2 had potential with its classical turn-based fighting, but Square-Enix just left it a mediocre "enhanced" port.

You want to take this game seriously, you can do that. You want to goof around and draw naked stick figures, you can do that.

As fun as it was to team up Marvel greats and take down evil, the game feels like it wasn't quite up to snuff with its predecessors.

Outbreak commits the great sin of being worse than its previous installment. The plot continues, but the mission setup makes it impossible to enjoy as much as you (should have) enjoyed Mutation.

Overall, while The Punisher is not a nice game—it’s bloody, violent and certainly not for the kids—and it’s not exceptionally designed, as licenses go, it’s one of the best.

If the developers could have found some way to incorporate all the aspects of the Playboy franchise, the possibilities for this game could have been endless. Instead, you get a game chocked full of mediocrity and in this genre of video game, mediocrity does not cut it.

This game will manage to frustrate players within a relatively short amount of time. Repetition and some really difficult operations will be more than enough to push any gamer away.

Once the learning curve has been overcome, players will want to spend time with this game. And adding the tons of unlockables only increases the replay value.

Mutant Nightmare is simply a fun game. It doesn't bring anything revolutionary to the table, but it is very entertaining.

The sound of a leather boot impacting a chicken, and the resulting squawks and flapping that result, must be heard first hand to be truly appreciated.

Pinball games are usually hit or miss, and Pinball Hall of Fame is a hit… but only if you are into pinball as these games are usually only played by long time fans.

One of those games that will definitely get better as sequels are created.

I was attracted to SAC for its style and potential, but with flawed controls and lackluster graphics, I was sorely disappointed. GITS never comes out its shell and remains just another shooter.

If you can look past the remarkably unbalanced multiplayer mode and the “put on some type of 3D glasses to fully understand the visually appalling 2D red Virtual Boy boxes” that the player must fly through in order to complete every other mission, the Star Fox Command will bring a smile to your face.

Fans of the magazine will appreciate this pack of goodies dating from the magazine’s inception up until about a year ago. From covers to centerfolds, it’s all good and adds a little extra incentive to achieve all the goals set before you.

If you and three of your Live friends are looking for a game to pickup that allows you to blow a lot of stuff up with fun weapons you can’t go wrong with this purchase.

Still Life doesn't start with a bang; rather, it consistently builds towards an interesting and eventful finale, only to let the player down in the end.

All in all, Lord of the Rings: The Third Age is steeped in high (if utterly borrowed) production values and serves as a perfectly solid RPG.

This is a pity, as Digimon: Dusk has really taken the genre in new directions and done things I only wish Pokemon and other games like it would do. Some call Digimon an imitation. I call it an evolution of the genre.

Despite all this, Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution is still just a simple, mediocre fighting game that doesn’t adequately fall back on its source material enough for it to warrant a purchase for anybody expecting an experience like the one offered by the show.

Line Rider 2 has something for everyone, but the game’s main story mode is quite demanding.

It’s an average DS game which is populated by a long list of games worth buying ahead of it.

As a whole, The Hardy Boys: Treasure on the Tracks is a pleasant adventure game with an interesting, if not always plausible, story.

While normally, this game wouldn’t be anything of particular interest, on an action-starved, multiplayer-deprived handheld, for some this may just be worth buying for anyone who is somewhat interested.

For fans of aerial combat games or the anime on which The Sky Crawlers was based, however, the game offers an excess of value, with an Achievements-esque medal system, multiple difficulty levels, and dozens of things to unlock.

It was like the developers couldn’t decide whether they wanted to make a killer single player mode or a killer multiplayer mode. So instead, players have to settle for average in both departments.

Cautiously buy the game for pure laugh value. Don’t get it expecting a fun gameplay experience.

If you have a respectable gaming level PC, the frame-rate hiccups and certain bland textures may make the PC version more desirable.

At its core, the game is almost solid. Good graphics, fun combat sequences, and the slowly rewarding element of research and development have potential for a real winner. However, the game is just simply too long and repetitive for its own good.

Thanks to the three modes of play, Drakengard remains fairly fresh because the actions always seems to sway right when it should.

Nancy Drew: Resorting to Danger isn’t a perfect game.

So while Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 has a slick battle system with a great character roster…that’s it.

No, it’s not perfect and isn’t innovative, but it doesn’t pretend to be. It is a good romp of a FPS, quick and dirty, with a good blend of play styles and game elements.

Still, with the lack of a traditional approach to RPG direction and narrative, some RPG gamers might feel abandoned without a sense of accomplishment or purpose.

It's a shame that this port isn't more ambitious, because there's a downloadable, deluxe and for-pay version of Bookworm for the PC that a faster mode of play, with burning blocks appearing in real-time.

While most of SNK's compilations have been fighting game-exclusive, this one brings everyone else into the fold. Check it out, people. It’s worth picking up.

The ten extra levels and two new weapons do seem to just barely justify the expansion’s price tag in the end.

For what it is, Castle Shikigami 2 is decent and can be fun. It’s just a standard shooter and will most likely appeal to fans of this type of game. In other words, it won’t be winning people over to the genre.

The game is addictive enough that I’d find myself seeing angry guests with red thought bubbles above their heads when I closed my eyes.

With the wealth of tweaking options, the high learning curve, and the dominating AI, Baja: Edge of Control is a game that only hardcore fans can truly sink their teeth into.

Horse Life has basically taken Nintendogs and removed the best parts – the ones that required the most work to make.

Alien Breed 2: Assault is a decent game and a fun co-op experience but there are some flaws.