It's all been done before one way or another, but the new style and story helped this score.

Run, jump, zap and boost. The game plays out in quite a simple fashion and you'll find yourself rearing to beat your friends' high scores.

X-Men Arcade doesn't innovate on its original design very much. While Konami could have just given us just the North American release they did instead included the Japanese version for hard core players or those looking to change things around.

Sonic Free Riders offers a decent amount of content with an intriguing control premise.

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is an extraordinary package that appeals to nostalgic arcade dwellers and newcomers alike. Namco has done an excellent job preserving the essence of Pac-Man while adding in new features such as bombs and ghost chains to spice things up.

While some graphical blandness and frustrating gameplay elements chip away at the game's overall experience, in the end this is going to be a game that appeals mainly to the flight simulator audience anyway.

The look and features of the four new tables in the Marvel Pinball pack are awesome works that must been seen by anyone with a pulse, and a penchant for Pinball.

I'd put it ahead of World at War but behind Modern Warfare 1 & 2, to talk recent history.

The real game changer is the Multiplayer experience which brings a tense battle of paranoia to the forefront and rewards stealth over open-attacks. There are subtle techniques to be learned and to succeed you need to play smart.

Kinect Sports is a robust package that offers a lot of variety on one disc.

It is the kind of title that can be enjoyed by a room full of people with just one person playing.

It's a blast when you have people over, because everybody knows how to play Pinball, and Pinball FX 2 is bar none, the best I've played without a coin-slot.

All of the immersion in the world can't stop players from being pulled away by the show stopping bugs. These issues should not detract from those interested in New Vegas from checking it out. New players and Fallout veterans alike will appreciate the long length and amount of lore present.

DJ Hero 2's gameplay is better, the mixes are fantastic and getting the ability to creatively control your own freestyles make it an experience worth exploring. It's extremely gratifying to cut back and forth between two songs at your own discretion and create something that sounds simply awesome.

While some elements are fantastically executed and the main campaign is quite compelling, there just isn't enough innovation or diversity in the multiplayer or beyond the story to pry people away from its behemoth of a competitor.

There are very few games that showcase this kind of creativity combined with a protagonist with a believable reason behind their cause.

The gameplay is exceedingly simple.

Sega has taken the classic Sonic formula and finally repeated it with success. In this case "less is more". Once you add in some small additions that were developed during the 3D era you get a solid entry in the sonic franchise.

The minor passing difficulty, negligible graphical stumbles and tough learning curve don't detract from the sheer quality of this basketball simulator.

Overall Front Mission Evolved is an enjoyable entry in to the series that takes on a new direction. Veteran action fans might want to skip this title if they are looking for a story to rope them in.

It's an absolute must-buy from Xbox Live Arcade and should be found on every hard drive of every Xbox in existence. While this all sounds like high praise, Super Meat Boy earns every word of it.

While the early difficulty and repetition made it seem like the fully-formed experience would be a grueling affair, Comic Jumper really grew on me as the levels passed. By the time I was dancing to get Pling-Pling the unicorn to heaven with Star laughing at me, the smile on my face was wide enough to forget any elements that may have detracted from the full experience.

And when a downloadable game makes you keep thinking its a full retail release, it's definitely doing something right.

Even the most hardcore shooter fans should skip Quantum Theory. Even excusing the barren online community and confusing story this game has too many issues with core gameplay to make the experience worth the $70 investment.

So if you've been pleased with the series so far and love the latest set list, you're going to have a blast with Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. But for everyone else who hasn't been completely sold on the Guitar Hero franchise, there's nothing going on here that's going to change your mind.

In conclusion Halo: Reach is one of the most feature rich packages available on the Xbox 360 to date. Bungie has taken the time to ensure that every included mode, option and feature has been polished to perfection.

Drawing from such a huge universe of content, Shattered Dimensions does a great job at doing something new for the comic genre. While the normal fights are familiar, the tailored feel of each level to each boss is a nice touch.

While the game world is a beautiful testament to a bygone era, the full experience just needs...more. You're all but guaranteed to enjoy many parts of this game, but the full experience just isn't there.

It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but great co-op gameplay and solid action keep this title on point.

Even for hardcore fans there are too many small issues in the gameplay, control and sound departments that detract from the overall experience. The repeating music and one-liners can be over looked given the source material but repetitive game design and controls that do not give you a full range of motion are deal breakers.

But the experience of playing Perfect Dark for XBLA definitely feels behind the times.

At two-thirds the price of Origins with about two-fifths the content, a return trip to the land of Ferelden doesn’t feel like the deal it seemed it would be.

There’s much worse out there, and even though Scrap Metal may not rise too far above the heap, but it’s definitely up there, on pure fun alone.

Final Fantasy XIII shoves a handful of protagonists in your face that look like they were designed at a cosplay convention and asks you to care about them simply because they’re wearing a beanie, have a cool nickname or speak with a mysterious Australian accent.

This XBLA game signals a shift into something more hardcore video gamers could get behind: an action game that requires an itchy trigger finger to complement an itchy brain. With some exciting shooter action, solid strategy gameplay and a uniquely satisfying art style for the overall presentation, Toy Soldiers is proof of what XBLA was meant to do: bring us casual games in a hardcore games package.

Bad Company 2 is the best FPS I've played in longer than I can remember. While the presentation could be stronger in spots and DICE hasn't quite gotten the hang of checkpointing systems outside of the PC space, I don't see myself shutting up about how good Bad Company 2 is for quite some time.

Over on the PS3, MLB 10: The Show has just launched, and it likely still claims the crown in the video baseball showdown. But it clearly hasn’t experienced the same sudden improvement as the 2K line, which, now, can be considered a true competitor.

Without doubt, Fret Nice has some good ideas, some cool presentation and is a unique concept, though it tries to force too many things that make the player less (rather than more) comfortable.

A thoughtful and intriguing game.

Win or lose, though, you're guaranteed to have a good time with the experience. Who knew that an XBLA game would ultimate prove ol' Gordon Gekko right? Greed, at least in this case, is definitely good.

Though familiar, it's still really addictive, and with all the character, track and mode options, it stays fresh for a very long time.

And if this were just a pen-and-paper experience, it would be almost perfect. The problem is, this isn’t a pen-and-paper adventure—it’s a video game. That means the action doesn’t take place in your mind’s eye. It happens right in front of you on the screen.

Smart games should be championed, not feared, and the mental challenges contained within this game are only more impressive once you solve them. Upon completing them, I felt as if I had truly conquered something. Of course, I also felt like I could really go for a nice piece of warm pie. Preferably a la mode.

A failure to tread any new ground thematically or even current ground mechanically dooms Aliens vs. Predator to a place in the collections of only the most die-hard fans of the universe, who will play through the game once and relegate it to the same shelf of shame occupied by their AVP Requiem DVDs.

One of the better Dynasty Warriors games to come along in a while. Unfortunately, these extra elements added to the fairly stale DW formula aren’t quite enough to overlook its shortcomings.

The original BioShock is a hard game to top, and BioShock 2 doesn’t quite do it. That doesn’t mean it isn’t one of the best games of this still early year, or that it won’t still be considered to be one of the best come year’s end.

It locks you into a gameplay hell of sorts, giving you a devil of a time just to try and survive, though rarely making you feel like the reward is worth the incredible effort. Instead of bringing the poem to life, the gamemakers slammed the book on your fingers.

It manages to take inspiration from known quantities in the puzzle and rhythm genres to create something that feels distinctive and, more importantly, is a lot of fun. That the bulk of your money is going to charity is a feel-good bonus for a game that deserves your time regardless.

KrissX has a nice concept behind it, and a gentle presentation style that can be really soothing. But I fear serious word freaks will find it a little too simplistic.

It misrepresents itself, it isn't particularly pretty, it alienates newcomers because it's so difficult to comprehend, and it may not even appeal to Blood Bowl aficionados because it's so pricey. And that leaves it as an extreme niche product.

Mass Effect 2 delivers the best experience of its kind in this generation-and considering I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I finished my initial 39-hour playthrough a few days ago, a lower score would feel disingenuous. From its mechanics to its writing to its presentation, Mass Effect 2 is the kind of game that justifies gushing clichés and superlatives. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Death by Cube is such a simple game, yet so much fun and so satisfying once you dig in to the upgrade systems.

Flames of Judgment is not a bad game. Visually, it’s got a distinct style, foregoing the usual anime style for a slightly more modern animated style that’s closer to some of the CGI cartoons you see on Saturday mornings.

As a complete experience, Dark Void has moments of intense action, broken up by abject foolishness.

Some people won’t get what’s so fun about Serious Sam, preferring the more advanced graphics and realistic action of more modern shooters. But you don’t have to be an old fart to enjoy this classic gaming throwback. Sometimes just shooting stuff without having to solve puzzles or tactically engage an enemy is what we want to do, and for that we will always have Serious Sam.

While the gameplay and level design is improved and it's a good looking game, the unsatisfying narrative, boring characters, and overly gimmicky morality system combine with forgettable multiplayer and strange mechanics decisions to deliver a sequel that succeeds more than its forebear, but fails to be more than a pretty good third person shooter during a lean time for the sub-genre.

Someone behind the scenes worked really hard on Vancouver 2010, and it shows in some of the individual events. But the overall product gives so little of a damn that one wonders about the condition of the heart of the people that signed off on this being released.

Something that could have otherwise been a surprise hit ends up beings a problematic mess.

Despite these problems, Matt Hazard: Blood, Bath, and Beyond still manages to do a good job at being what a video game should be … entertaining.

Finishing Darksiders was one of those great reliefs quickly followed by a refreshed desire to play it again.

Should I judge it for the hours of fun I had and its frequent brilliance, ignoring the commensurate hours I sat through some of the most self-indulgent pseudo-intellectual mumbling masquerading as a cutscene since Metal Gear Solid 4 (and the fact that the game drags on approximately five hours longer than it should?)

It’s visually appealing, but too busy to follow, and while it has lots of fast-paced action, it’s over way too quickly.

The Survival and Puzzle modes are plenty of fun and provide two very different experiences. Offering your mind and reflexes equal workouts, these two options save Polar Panic from being an entirely flawed experience, and one that should give fans of the genre at least a weekend’s worth of fun for 800 Microsoft Points (or about $10).

Compelling enough to drop your points on. It’s action-packed and looks great, and fans of top-down shooters like that, of which there aren’t enough on XBLA, should find the game highly satisfying. Just one more notch in the belt of XBLA’s great year.

It’s not going to rival a Modern Warfare 2 or Assassin’s Creed II with its depth, but for what it does, it’s worth the 800 Microsoft Points (or about $10) that’s the price of admission.

Qix++ is fun, but may not be worth the investment to a lot of folks unless they’re willing to splurge for the DLC.

There’s an abundance of things to see and do, and some great moments are present; however, they’re too few and the sense of missed opportunity too strong to make a convincing recommendation.

Call of Duty, while still a very primitive version of what the story would become, flashes some of the brilliance that the series is known for. If you’ve never played it, then you should—if for nothing else than to see just how far we’ve come in games in such a short, short time.

A vocabulary that would make the bluest comic blush and a few interesting-looking kill moves might give you a few laughs for an hour or so. But after that, the game just becomes a tedious and repetitive chore.

Ubisoft Montreal has crafted one of the better licensed efforts we’ve seen in a while, but a weak story, poor pacing and a few minor gameplay flaws keep Avatar from competing with the likes of far superior, recent third-person efforts such as Assassin’s Creed II and Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Reflex isn’t quite where it should be, but it’s getting better. Here’s hoping that the next one is a more polished, cherry ride, because fans deserve that—and the franchise will certainly garner a much bigger user base if that can be accomplished.

It’s both interesting and sad to see how the Karaoke Revolution franchise has paved the way for these other games to thrive, but now the Karaoke Revolution titles are being heavily overmatched by what its successors are doing.

Pretty fun. It won’t stop me from occasionally busting out NFL Blitz 2000 for the Dreamcast once in a while, but I know it will be a hit when the friends come over to watch the NFL this weekend.

There's simply not too much new here.

The game’s poorly ported control scheme makes the rich flavor of the original game taste more like day-old leftovers instead of a gourmet gaming treat.

PopCap and Square Enix have managed to find just the right amount to take from each of their strengths to make a game that’s easily accessible and instantly addictive.

A game that takes the free-running and huge cityscapes of its predecessor and adds in a host of action-RPG elements that combine to form a much deeper and more satisfying game, and a surprise frontrunner for the best of 2009.

When it comes down to it, as the old saying goes, the name of the game is the game—and the game in Tony Hawk: Ride is far from what most people would call cutting-edge entertainment, especially when you look at the scope of what this console generation is releasing.

The first one innovated; this one polishes.

There’s a lot of familiar gameplay concepts—but there are some prominent flaws that lessens your enjoyment.

If you just want or need a college basketball game that’s fun for quick one-on-one couch battles in your dorm room, NCAA Basketball 10 is a decent option that’s easy to pick up and play, and it’s authentic enough to feel like a real game. If you’re looking for a deeper experience though, NCAA Basketball 10 isn’t going to take you too far into the post season.

On top of being a ludicrously bad representation of the sport, NBA Unrivaled looks absolutely awful.

In life, you tend to move to the beat of your own drum, and with 0-D Beat Drop, you can play to that beat as well.

There aren’t a ton of other reasons to endorse Encleverment Experiment. The graphics look like mid-’90s educational software, and while there is avatar support, your guy mostly just sits there. Encleverment Experiment is a brain teaser game of only average intelligence.

I was impressed by its presentation, visuals and the wealth of gameplay it offers. I even enjoyed its story—though it’s admittedly fluffy, convoluted and campy in spots, it’s like a interactive war movie on TV that takes liberties with realism for the sake of being entertaining to watch (such as having an amazingly large number of helicopters crash to the ground over the course of the game).

While the game’s got plenty of flaws that will bruise the experience for the average gamer, fans will likely look past the technical issues and enjoy reliving the series again…at least long enough for the next inevitable Dragon Ball game to come along.

It’s a fun family experience, though not so tepid that it’ll be lost on others.

Dragon Age: Origins is not for newbs. It’s not for the RPG-squeamish who could barely handle Mass Effect. It is for serious RPG gamers who will no doubt appreciate BioWare going back to its fantasy RPG roots, and they’ll eat this game up like the greatest all-you-can-eat buffet they’ve ever been to.

There’s no doubt that Band Hero is fun to play, but Activision could have had so much more to show if it had evolved it better in relation to the other Hero games.

The Ballad of Gay Tony is a monumentally satisfying GTA experience, and with a few more missions could have probably stood alone as its own game. It shows that Rockstar really cares about GTA fans and wants to give them more of what they want.

Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, the developers forgot that a pool game is only as good as its controls, and ended up with a scratch before the first break.

The game is virtually bursting at the seams with content, and it’s got near flawless controls for both newcomers and hardcore fighters alike.

Getting the music right was crucial, but so is the gameplay, and the developers really nailed it.

Forza Motorsport 3 may display graphics so beautiful it makes your eyes bleed. It may be so scalable from accessible to hardcore that everyone from your grandma to Michael Schumacher could enjoy it. It may have super-slick presentation values and an unparalleled love for all things car-related, but it somehow falls short of feeling like a classic.

It doesn’t seem like Playlogic dug in to finish the game, which left it to work (or not work) based on its gimmicks. Sadly, those gimmicks aren’t strong enough to maintain the game across its entirety.

Even though you’ll use your mind instead of your trigger finger, you’re still killing Nazis—never a bad thing!

It’s incredibly easy to control, but in addition to the timing of hitting the button to drop the floor, you have the lot-building strategy as well.

Borderlands is one of the year’s most enjoyable games, and I highly recommend it—even to those who may not like shooters or RPGs, because there’s a lot to like from this interesting hybrid.