Midnight Club: Los Angeles has the right concepts in place with plenty of realized potential, but much still untapped.

A superb addition to anyone’s library. Its accessibility and user-friendliness will allow people of all skill types to have a blast. Even if this wasn’t your type of game in the past, Catan may just make you a believer.

From the fantastic gameplay to the gorgeous graphics to the incredible amount of replay value, every gamer should experience this game. It features every multiplayer option you could want, and the feature list reads like a multiplayer gamer's wet dream.

For only $30, you get one of the most content rich games of recent memory. There are 300 missions in the story mode, 12 very addictive mini-games for up to four players and countless hours of gameplay here.

However, if you’re not a fan of video game storylines or don’t really care about video games as a medium, Prince of Persia is still a great game. There’s plenty of fun to be had with the platforming.

If you missed Bully the first time around, scholarship edition is a great game to pick up.

Overall this game provides a swashbucklingly good time through fun mini-games and a great theme.

Everything we hoped 06 to be and more.

All things told Condemned 2 is a good sequel that does manage to do the first game justice on most counts.

The expository sections of Kong really do feel like a playable movie, and there are scenes in King Kong that will make you stop in your tracks and stare at the utter beauty the developers have crafted.

It features a revamped Manger Mode that will provide many hours of fun, and it is the only game to offer the FIFA leagues and teams.

It delivers excellent multiplayer, compelling mini-games, and a career mode that’s second to none. Flaws include a less-than-astonishing create-a-player mode, poor audio and lackluster environments. However, the good far outweighs the bad.

It packs itself chock-full of gaming ecstasy – and when you throw in some superlative production values and a restrained yet delightful soundtrack, you’re looking at a very well-formed package that should be in just about everyone’s collection.

The audio is fantastic, and most importantly, its gameplay is superb. HotSwapping is a distinctive new feature, and makes the single-player campaign worth playing.

It has the graphics and soundtrack of a AAA title, but the gameplay just doesn't mesh with the rest of the game to form a game you will be coming back to again.

NHL 07 takes hockey videogames in an entirely new direction. After years of only minor changes, EA has changed everything for the better.

Poor dialogue may occasionally shatter this otherwise remarkable backdrop, but the rest of the story is more than adequate enough to convey a story of love, struggle, life, and death; at times in captivating ways.

The main problem with GUN is its lack of multiplayer. The campaign is a fun-filled occurrence, but after you finish it in a few hours you'll be wishing you didn't drop fifty down for it.

Live 06 delivers with its incredible new gameplay feature, Freestyle Superstars. The game focuses on showing a difference between player types aside from merely what position they play.

A solid game when viewed by itself, but the fact that "NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup" is identical except for a few new features is really disappointing.

This title is easily the best RTS game seen on consoles. The control scheme allows anyone to jump into the game fairly quickly, although you cannot get as detailed with your strategies and forces.

If you're a fan of the Street Fighter series or 2D fighters in general, then this is a must-have.

Mirror’s Edge has an excellent but short singleplayer campaign with a few added whistles.

While I feel that Prey is a better game than "Quake 4" and "Doom 3," Prey is a next-gen game, which is held to higher standards and it’s a letdown in a few categories, namely the pathetic multiplayer.

The story is weak but it's easily overlooked when playing a game that plays this great.

Although Carcassonne may not have the depth of strategy that you see in Catan, it still holds its own as a stable addition to the Live Arcade.

A solid game that is lacking in a few departments. The in-game additions are fantastic, but changes need to be made to 'Franchise Mode'. Additionally, I really wanted to see Free4All available on Xbox Live, because it makes no sense to have this mode of play only offline.

An absolutely incredible value. For just ten dollars you get sixty stages of marble rolling fun, plus a full Xbox Live multiplayer mode playable with up to eight players. The graphics are outstanding, the soundtrack is good. Everything controls exceedingly well, and the controls are solid.

All in all, Blue Dragon is the type of game that would have made much more of an impression about a decade ago. Unfortunately, a forgettable story, cast, score, and battle system make for something that feels more akin to the eager ambitions of novices as opposed to the calculated work of seasoned veterans.

After some time spent on DDR Ultramix 2, I came to the conclusion that if I was a dance freak, I would keep playing this non-stop.

Lost Odyssey may not rewrite the rules of the genre, but it performs a wonderful job improvising with what’s on the table.

Both single-player and multiplayer sections of this game play great. The control layout could have been a bit better in the multiplayer portion though. But once you get used to the setup, you should be just fine.

If they would have combined the violence with good gameplay, decent playbooks, and maybe some more modes, Blitz: The League would have been one heck of an arcade-style football game.

Even with all the quirks, Call of Duty 2 for the Xbox would have been a hit just a few years ago, but I just can't figure out who the market is today.

I like the cheesy characters and the cartoon-like blood and gore thing. I can understand now why I wasn't allowed to play it as a teenager, but as an adult it sure is goofy fun.

Despite the dull design and terrible frame rate, I found myself playing KFK for five hours straight. The entire game I personally had a feeling offelt “This isn’t very fun, I wish I wasn’t playing this” but continued to do so anyway.

An incredible arcade sports game that goes far beyond what NFL Blitz offered.

All in all, this is a nice addition to the XBLA collection. When you’re ready for some “down” time from the hectic fraggin’, Switchball is a good change of pace.

Every Extend Extra Extreme shows that big things do indeed come in small packages. While its core gameplay may not appeal to everyone, this is definitely one of the best values you’ll find on the Xbox Live Arcade.

The puzzles are challenging without becoming stressful.

It adds something that should have been here from the beginning of its time on Xbox -- online play.

Bound in Blood greatly exults over its predecessor and proves to be one of the finer single player experiences you’ll get to play through for your Xbox 360.

The storyline fits in to the movie well, and refrains from changing the plot in any way.

The gameplay is still fun and the graphics have been drastically improved. The only problem is that we’ve seen almost the exact same game on the original Xbox.

The presentation is superb on all fronts, and the gameplay is unique and intuitive. For ten bones, this is without question a must-have.

Lumines is a great puzzler that puts the other old and tired puzzle games on XBL Arcade to shame.

Dull side missions that the player must complete to progress combine with chasing down almost every boss just doesn't appeal to me.

You will love pumping round after round into your generic foes, and the visuals enhance the experience. While Black gets this aspect right, it just doesn't offer enough.

If you're short on cash and waiting for the big blockbuster games this Holiday Season, you may want to skip over this game. Stranglehold probably best serves as a rental unless you're really into action games.

It’s without doubt a unique experience. My only true complaint is the ten dollar price tag, which may be a bit steep for the subtle amount of content provided with the purchase.

The gameplay is relatively simple, but is entertaining and challenging at the same time.

Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 includes many elements that can make real time strategy games successful on consoles.

All things considered, Mutant Storm Empire is a pretty good game. The unique, creative and colorful level designs and variety impress. The combat is intense and satisfying for an arcade shooter but it’s all over in a flash

There is nothing remarkable about it, but Carbon will provide some good fun with its Career Mode and great online options.

The Godfather on the Xbox 360 isn’t a bad title; it’s just too similar to the Xbox version. There are a few new features and tweaks in the game, but nothing that has you wanting to play the game all over again.

For a game that's supposed to be a horror game, the formula it relies on is so repetitive that after 20 minutes you've seen all the scares, not to mention all the environments you need to see.

The sound is solid as well, with the only hiccups involving the commentating. The control scheme is excellent and the game will offer an acceptable amount of replay value.

Instead of yesterday’s news, it’d be nice to see a high resolution, high definition 2D fighter on XBLA instead of ancient blocky sprites.

A fun experience that should be loved by many.

There are plenty of battles to fight through, collectibles to discover, and techniques to perfect in Hell’s Highway, and I fully recommend purchasing.

Undertow stands tall above all other Xbox Live Arcade games as the best of the bunch and accomplishes this by being pure fun in a ten-dollar package.

It really is a breath of fresh air because of its creativity and non-linear gameplay.

A genuine attempt to deliver something fresh and different. Controlling an army of minions was both fun and rewarding. The evil humor and richly detailed world keep me fastened to my chair for hours at a time totally immersed within the game.

I really wanted to love this game, I truly did, but it was just way too repetitive for me. Walking around slowly and eating brains is only fun for so long.

Panzer General hits it where it counts – in the gameplay department. If you can get past the weak visuals, you will find a surprisingly good game.

The great idea used in telling the story, and the solid gameplay make the game a potential big hit, but certain elements of the game needed a lot more polish.

In the end, Stuntman Ignition may be frustrating, difficult, and require a large amount of patience, but it’s undeniably fun.

What’s heartbreaking is that it didn’t gain any knowledge when migrating from console to console. Sure, it has a new coat of fur, a full belly, and a smile on its face, but it’s the same bird you knew many moons ago.

The new gameplay elements and controls are great innovations, and they really force players to develop some skill.

The new control feature and somewhat simplified gameplay is geared towards the mainstream console gamer that may not have played The Sims for PC. The console-exclusive additions, on the other hand, allow for a fresh gameplay experience for those who may have gotten bored with the PC version of the game.

It's not that Quake 4 is necessarily bad. It isn't. It's just so unoriginal, cliché, and average that it almost hurts.

The solid gameplay combined with the bloodcurdling theme makes for a wonderful gaming experience.

If you're a fan of dual-stick shooters, or want a game that accurately represents the genre, there’s no better choice than Assault Heroes 2.

A must-rent because of its enjoyable campaign, but I’m afraid that’s all, due to its major deficiency in replay value.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a decent movie-tie-in game, but that doesn’t make it the greatest game of all time. It’s certainly miles better than the other crap you can find on the market, but at the same time there are plenty of other better games you could also be playing.

The first season of Sam and Max is one of the funniest and most enjoyable experiences I've had playing games, and having it available on Xbox Live Arcade for just twenty bucks is an incredible steal.

A slightly above average shooter with plenty in the way of multiplayer options and a forgettable single player campaign.

The basic summary of the Xbox 360’s Madden 06 is the Xbox version with amazing graphics and a ton of cut out features.

Jetpac Refuelled sports some of the best 2D graphics on XBLA. There’s something about Rare’s art style that really stands out. The colors, backdrops, and character design all blend perfectly together.

The problem is, World War II games are a dime a dozen these days and aside from the increased freedom and highly entertaining multiplayer modes, there isn’t much to make this stand out in the crowded first person shooter genre. It’s certainly a good game, just not as good as it could’ve been.

One last thing I have to touch upon is the ending of the game, which happens right after you play the final battle in the movie, it's just so completely ludicrous, I'm at a loss for words trying to describe it.

There is nothing like this game currently offered in its genre and Small Arms’ online portion may be even offer more replay than "Dead or Alive 4."

If you want to play an average Star Wars experience, The Force Unleashed is par for the course. Those of you looking to have an engaging video game experience, may want to invest time looking elsewhere, or rather, replay God of War, since this is practically the same game.

Those who have lost interest in the katamari series may feel disappointed as no advancements on the formula have been made since the inception of the series.

Adrenaline mode is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen in a game. The very idea of an invincible soldier in a WWII game just does not make any sort of sense. The same goes for the revive feature. I know what the intent behind this was, but I would much rather use the good old-fashioned checkpoint method.

Despite a mediocre story and familiar gameplay aspects, Commanders: Attack of the Genos isn't afraid of showing a goofy side of an enjoyable experience. At eight hundred points, it's more than a welcome addition to the Xbox Live Arcade.

It’s odd that a game with so much new content could feel so familiar, but such is the case with Proving Ground. I think it’s time for Neversoft to go back to the drawing board and seriously attempt to innovate if they ever expect this Hawk to fly as high as it once did.

Despite my complaints, GripShift isn’t a bad game, it’s just flawed in all the wrong places and at the end of the day, it’s completely unremarkable.

The arcade style shooting mixed in with the Hollywood blockbuster epicness delivers one of the more satisfying action games in recent years. If you’re a skeptic you should at least give Mercenaries 2 a shot.

The title’s strongest aspect is the way it captures the World Cup event. Like most other World Cup titles, there isn’t a whole lot of replay value here, but the time you spend playing this title will be enjoyable.

Despite some minor issues in certain categories, there’s a decent story that helps push Army of Two’s extremely solid co-op features to be an entertaining experience; whether you have a wannabe mercenary friend to tag along or not.

If you’re in the market for a third person shooter that involves a little more than just shooting, this will make a worthy acquisition for your Xbox 360 library.

Unless you're a huge fan of on-rail space shooters, and also enjoy being a completionist then you'll be disappointed with the lack of content in Aces of the Galaxy.

Getting Up is incredibly easy. There are plenty of health power ups scattered throughout the game and I only died one time (due to a cheap move I didn't expect) during the final boss fight.

NHL 2K8 reminds me of a hockey team that looks unbeatable on paper but fails to perform in a big game.

A sub-par survival horror game, plain and simple. Everything about it is appalling. The gameplay, the audio, the camera... the only thing remotely good about this game is the graphics, and they're not even that good. This is a horror game, but it's not even the least bit scary.

While the general gameplay is fun, the aiming system needs to offer a bit more manual control. Additionally, the AI should have received an upgrade this time around.

While the game isn't ground breaking with any new technologies, the flexibility of the game play will keep you interested.