The core of the problem is that MGS4 tries to be everything to everyone and ends up falling just ever so slightly short of succeeding-- still managing to be a very good game in its own right.

The on-foot controls are an improvement but still have a long way to go before I would consider them even remotely good, and I can’t help but miss the huge world of San Andreas. That all being said, GTA IV offers up probably the most cohesive and mature story in the series to date.

Mario Kart Wii is fairly fun, although I do have to wonder how much play it will get in single-player mode. In multiplayer, you just have a blast with your friends.

Overall, The World Ends With You is a shining example of what could be done on the DS.

Overall, Super Smash Bros. Melee is still a frantic fighting game that's easy to pick up, has tons for you to do even in single-player mode, and it's still one of the best fighting games to pull out with company – with four players and intuitive controls, anyone can pick it up easily.

Download the demo, see for yourself. Once you get a taste of synaesthesia, you're hooked.

It seems at long last, Suda 51 was finally able to take his vision for video gaming and put it in a form that's actually unquestionably fun to play.

There is just no way around it. Rock Band is, to date, the single best music game on the market, and not merely because it's the four best instrument simulation games available, either.

With a lack of worthwhile online capabilities and bonuses for various in-game performances, Geometry Wars Galaxies isn't a perfect evolution of a truly old-school game. However, to make up for it, it packs in plenty of excellent action that is easy to grasp and has something for all skill levels.

Ice Station Santa is a huge step in the right direction for the Sam and Max franchise.

Despite it's flaws, Guitar Hero 3 has it where it counts, which is a quality-and-quantity song list, tons of unlockables, challenge, and online play. It seems that every other day I am discovering a new "OMG, this is my favorite song!" track.

Tools of Destruction gives Sony something it desperately needs, a solid reason to actually own a PS3.

The best thing I can say is that if you never really cared about the single player game in the first place, you can expect to have a great time with Halo 3 for years to come. If however, you are looking to “Finish the Fight”, and don’t plan on paying for Xbox Live Gold, you would be best served to wait for a price drop or two… or three.

Let us get this straight; multiplayer will never excuse a short single player experience, no matter how exciting those short hours are. It is especially insulting when the game is just so well balanced, so well designed and so fun to play.

To my surprise, skate. ended up being a surprisingly good game... perhaps the most enjoyable game I have played thus far on my 360.

Going over this title as a whole, Stranglehold surely delivers in what it promises to bring; non-stop popcorn action. While some may see its length as inexcusable, I must give it credit for being a fun romp for the short time you’ll play it. I strongly suggest going the route I did by renting it and returning it when you beat it a few days later.

This is a must-own, must-experience title for the Wii, a hardcore offering that sets the bar for first-person shooters on the console high and should be looked to as the new standard.

Overall, BioShock is definitely worth a purchase. There simply isn’t a better experience to be had on the PC.

Make no mistake, this is a dyed-in-the-wool mid-generation PS1 RPG with no aspirations to being anything more. But it does what it does astonishingly well, so much so that it becomes much greater than the sum of its parts.

On that note, this is a great game for children. There is absolutely no objectionable content, and the games are all educational. This is definitely a great family title. I highly recommend Big Brain Academy.

Don’t let the Championship Edition name fool you; this is very much the first true sequel to the series and features fresh and exciting gameplay to reset your retro Pac-Man fatigue.

If you can get past all this, it’s a magnificent game and easily the most solid Pokémon game yet.

If you can get past all this, it’s a magnificent game and easily the most solid Pokémon game yet.

All things considered - the cheesiness of the story, the somewhat dim-witted AI in minigames, and the fact that there's only two or three original musical pieces in the whole game - this is one of the better ways to do a minigame collection on the DS.

The game isn't pretty and can be frustrating when the A.I. decides there's no bleeping way you're winning a fight, but an addictive battle system and surprisingly in-depth RPG elements will keep most players interested for a long time.

Worms HD has it’s moments that dazzle on screen and in gameplay. Namely the online component is really where you’ll want to play; but it ends up as a great local multiplayer with your real-life friends (if you have any).

Final Fantasy VI Advance immediately joins the short list of best games available for any portable system. Unparalleled graphics and epic music draw you into the world, and well-developed characters and a sweeping plot keep you interested from start to finish.

Truth be told, the presentation is awful, but this replay value is built to last with the right audience. And hey, with an easy 1000 points in achievements to be had (I unlocked them all within a few sessions), it's at least worth a rental for those on the fence.