The single-player Bad Fur Day is platforming genius, although it still slightly suffers from a few of the same issues that plagued it on the N64. The multiplayer modes are incredibly fun once you get passed frustrating learning curve.

An almost perfect blend of great control and deep gameplay that will meet any college hoop fan’s criteria.

Undertow is one of those rare surprises that at some times feels like a casual game—not because it’s easy to win, but because it’s easy to play—yet still delivers solid gameplay across its scope. And with Chair promising to support the game with new maps for players to download after its premiere, you have to expect that there’ll be reasons to dive into the Undertow ocean now and again.

The ability to play versus, mix-matched style with characters from various coin-ops is a great twist to a classic compilation, and the chance to do all of this online makes the pie that much sweeter.

If you love anything with four wheels and an internal combustion engine, then you can't afford to miss out on ToCA Race Driver 3.

Some great gameplay innovations and the standard offering of online play are hampered only by a few AI missteps and some problematic animation sets. The 24/7 and Association modes join together to offer a solid amount of gameplay for fans of any brand of basketball.

Pitfall snagged me like a trophy bass. The gameplay is simple enough for any gamer to pick up, yet challenging for even seasoned gamers. The storyline and dialogue keeps things light-hearted while keeping the focus on the game’s addictive gameplay.

Every so often a rare title comes along that is so exceptional, so impressive that it’s nearly impossible to find a flaw. ESPN NBA Basketball is one of those games. For b-ball fans there is simply no other game with this level of depth, and for non-basketball fans it’s an excellent opportunity to learn the game, become acquainted with the players and experience the most realistic simulation of the NBA experience.

While its visuals are astounding and the fighting action nearly as impressive, Blazblue is special because it feels complete. Aside from its paltry online functionality, Calamity Trigger will constantly remind you that a smart investment was made in a title sporting a high degree of luster. In other words, you’ll get the sense that you got your money’s worth…even if you just got your butt kicked.

Bow to the artists that worked on Metal Slug 3: This is gaming art at some of its finest. The gameplay is up there among the better coin-op action games of all time, too, and it translates well to the Xbox 360 controller to boot.

Rock-solid gameplay engine artfully recreates the college hoop experience.

Short, short, short. The game can be completed in less than 10 hours and there is little reason to play through again even with the additional gameplay modes. There are a few tough levels, but overall Max Payne 2 isn’t too difficult.

While there are some issues with subtly repetitive gameplay modes, the difficulty level problem, and the occasional cheap computer AI, the overall game is an extremely solid first effort by Microsoft Game Studios.

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.

The easy controls and deep season/CAW modes revived my love of wrestling videogames. The multiplayer aspects of Raw 2 really make this game able to go the distance, and single-player modes and options are a plenty.

I think the old-school gameplay shines through in its new packaging. And for about a quarter of the price of a regular retail release, it’s still a good deal in a trying economy.

A likeable mixture of wheel-to-wheel racing and extreme racing modes is sure to satisfy the Alpha-male motorsports fan. The A.I. is a bit suspect, however.

Hoops stronger in presentation, graphics, and management but "Madness" being better in gameplay.

Like Saints Row II, but bigger. The game concentrates on giving you fun, which helps mask some of the flaws. Saints Row: The Third may not have a huge improvement in terms of mechanics over its predecessors, but it is far more fun.

Guys and gals that got off on "T.H.U.G." will also find a lot of gameplay value here since they will be able to dig deep into the lengthy Career Mode. Gamers jonesing for the return of the motocross track editor, a la "Excitebike," will want to check it out as well.

The multiplayer maps are gorgeous but tend to be too large for small team battles. Ghost Recon 2 is one of the best shooters of 2004 and a worthy successor to the previous games in the series.

This is a better overall game than the "Underground" series, with more depth on the pavement and in the garage. The presentation factor has also gone up tenfold, along with a serious improvement in graphical quality.

The development team has added tons of excellent new features, from the new trick system to the improved Gamebreaker mechanic, without taking away any of the stuff that made the previous titles so great.

The helmet-cam is a revelation of exciting perspective in a genre who's main innovations come in the form of physics-tweaking or creative power-ups on the arcade side of things.

A great game engine plus a web slinger equals a damn fine game. Venom and Carnage need their own games.

Hexic 2’s addition of other pieces will make it a bit more playable, though Black Pearls are still going to be a challenge if you don’t already know how to get them. As well, the inclusion of Battle Mode adds a great platform for competitive gamers.

Even though FF2 could be stronger, it does come equipped, like the rest of the PopCap Arcade Volume 2 compilation, with co-op action and multiplayer party games.

The coolest offering is a Metallifacts overlay for all Metallica songs: When you play one, you get the in-game Metallica characters playing the song, but text comes up every few seconds to give you some trivia about the particular song, such as reminiscences from the band or inspirations for that tune or the lyrics. I’m not a big Metallica fan, but I was fascinated by some of what I read.

While it's hard to fully judge GRID compared to other racing games that feature heavy vehicle modification, the on-road manners of Codies' affair can hang with the best of ’em.

Rez HD is a real blast, but more so for those who aren’t familiar with the original game.

Part puzzle game, part platformer, and part competitive multiplayer action title, Marble Blast Ultra is a good value for players wanting a quick dosage of fun without getting tied up into a marathon gaming session.

Nothing Crysis 2 has to offer will revolutionize the genre but the customizability of the nanosuit and multiple ways to play the game make it a unique experience for every person who plays.

The online and offline integration is well done, the car lineup is solid, and the graphics are above average. There’s also a good amount of gameplay jammed onto the disc.

If you’re into strategy games, you might find A Kingdom for Keflings a bit light on your abilities. Just the same, even the best strategist could enjoy a fun workout like this, which is often more like a Rube Goldberg machine that needs constantly changing parts to be integrated in for it to work correctly.

HOUND building is borderline therapeutic. Slow in areas, but never for trivial reasons.

The astounding level of variety that is packed into the game is wonderful to see.

If you've played one Call of Duty game, you know exactly what to expect from this one. Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

EA has proven that they still believe in the original Xbox, as Fight Night Round 3 is a solid, full-featured title that is worth the money.

If you're looking for an intense shooter that will occasionally scare the living crap out of you, F.E.A.R. is exactly what the doctor ordered. Thanks to some excellent visuals and sound design, this is one game that will have you peeking around corners and stopping in your tracks every time your flashlight's battery dies.

It’s not a great game, and the presentation is definitely secondary to the gameplay, but it’ll keep you occupied for hours.

There’s no question that Activision and Neversoft aren’t content to sit back and just release new songs—or release new major titles in the GH franchise that have trivial or negligible feature offerings.

If you're looking for a competitive tower defence/strategy hybrid game, Toy Soldiers: Cold War is tough to put down.

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.

MVP 2004 mixes both player control and stats in a way that makes the gamer feel in control of the finer points of a player that already has a rated ability; in control of an X factor if you will...The unique gameplay feel along with the crater-deep Dynasty Mode makes MVP 2004 the best baseball game to date on any system.

Silky smooth graphics accompany spot-on controls.

While it’s easy to find other fighting games that do a portion of their action better than Undisputed, not many games are as technically solid across the board, while still delivering some type of feeling or visceral dynamic. Hmmm…sounds like a UFC contender to me: Strong in many disciplines, weak in few areas and filled with a burning desire to be the best.

The story may not make total sense, but the action is fresh and furious. Gamers well versed in the ways of the Flawless Victory should get a kick out of Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks as well.

The core gameplay elements of this SKU are down-pat, which makes the extra features such as Superstar mode that much more enjoyable. I can overlook the lack of online leagues or dazzling graphics for a stout basic foundation, which this title certainly has.

If you bought "DOA Beach Volleyball," do yourself a favor and redeem yourself by exchanging it for Outlaw Volleyball. For the rest of you out there that consider yourselves sports fans, ad this one to your collection for a few laughs and some fierce competitive spirit with lots of trash talking good fun.

The multitude of careers and social interactions provide plenty of longevity, and the new format of the two player split-screen play is a nice touch.

It is essentially the same game as last year operating with a few notable tweaks, but still delivers a rock-solid college basketball experience. Gamers who want to take their skills online will definitely need to snatch this one up.

The emphasis in Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is on the complete experience, which just so happens to include a more scripted, movie-like gameplay experience. If you don't like the more "on rails" M.O. in your war game, then you may want to look elsewhere.

Gives me that feeling when my favorite college team wins the game with a last second three-pointer, every single time I play it.

Hands down, this is one of the best Star Wars titles to date.

Creatively, it’s all good. And you couldn’t have asked for more things to do in a game. It’s like a ginormous buffet of junk food. So bad but so good. I think I’ve found this year’s ultimate guilty pleasure. Funny thing is, I’m not feeling that guilty about it.

The series is turning towards the likes of "Madden," with realism being added into every nook and cranny of the game. The greatest strength NHL 2004 holds is that it brings back the game of hockey the way it was meant to be played...physical and tight scoring.

It comes with endless options and modes that are sure to keep you busy for hours and hours. With the Franchise mode alone, you could still be playing it in ten years with an unbelievable winning streak and setting new all-time records.

A much better title than its original, and even though we got through it, we have already begun our second round to build up our characters and unlock all the goodies the game has to offer.

Solid, and worth a look by both the experienced fighting game fan as well as those brawling neophytes.

Just when you thought the third-person action/shooter genre was running thin on style, Wet has come along and shaken things up for the better.

Varying levels of seriousness in the users that gather to play 3 on 3 NHL Arcade in ranked or unranked online matches creates a fresh, party-style atmosphere that works within the confines of XBLA.

This title does a great job of adding familiar elements of platforming and first-person shooter titles to an intense fast-paced action game.

A must have for fans of the films and a great multiplayer game for shooter fans as well. Battlefront does suffer a few design flaws that include a weak single-player section, poor AI at times, and a lack of an underlying continuity between battles.

Flows like silk. The action is fast paced and high scoring.

Worthwhile additions such as Trick Stick control, enhanced Gamebreakers, and a Dunk Contest show that EA wasn't resting on their laurels in the offseason.

So, yes, the future does indeed looks bright for FIFA 09, but with UEFA EURO 2008 currently on the shelves, the future also happens to be right now.

One of the best reasons for buying a game like Catan on XBLA—which comes with a cost of 800 Microsoft Points or about $10—is that you don’t have to know the rules and procedures that well.

While the developers definitely misfired with the Lock-on D mechanics, the new animation system changes the gameplay quite a bit, as does the ability to learn how to run plays on the fly. The game's lasting legacy may be the introduction of an emotional element to the Association mode.

A little sluggish in the graphical department. While in no way is this game painful to look at there are just some minor things that kept it from being a visually stunning title.

It’s nice to see a classic remade instead of simply repackaged, especially when a great deal of respect has been paid to the original game in the reconstruction.

OutRun raises the bar for the series, with better visuals and more functionality than its disc-based predecessors. While OutRun may be more like “drag” racing than road racing for those who have experienced its cars and roads before, it’s easily worth the asking price to new fans of the series and to those who plan on exploring its multiplayer modes.

The contrasting abilities of Sphinx and the Mummy make this a true two character game and not simply the same character with a different model and textures.

With gads of planes and missions, a moving story mode, and total multiplayer functionality, Heroes of the Pacific sets it apart from the competition and puts this into the "worth owning" category.

Has enough great looking textures to knit a quilt. You will be able to make out the grass, and even the line paint on the grass. The turf looks like turf, not just a brighter shade of grass.

The "grudges and alliances" mode alone makes the game above and beyond any racing sim out there in terms of AI.

The multitude of gameplay options also makes this one of the most customizable racing/driving games available.

It’s just a goofy contest with about three dozen puzzling levels to keep you occupied and entertained for a while.

Whether you are looking for some great single player combat, cooperative gameplay or a ton of detailed multiplayer modes, Ghost Recon 2 Summit Strike has something to offer everyone and it will only set you back thirty bucks to join in on the action.

MX Unleashed, however, has a lot more tracks available for those who don’t want to make their own. The nod for gameplay goes to MX Unleashed as the controls are more responsive and the overall play is more fun.

Take every cool martial arts weapon that you wanted as a kid, and add to it many of the killer utensils from medieval times– that pretty much sums up the weapons used by Soulcaliber characters. And, instead of keeping character types of a consistent ilk, Namco went all over the board– from reptile to Asian Elvis– in order to keep us coming back. We’re talking about some of the most highly-regarded fighting game characters of all time.

If you can’t deal with the combat gameplay in the RE series (there’s a demo to save you potential naysayers a few bucks), then there’s a good chance that you won’t be buying what the boxed copy of Resident Evil 5 is selling. But if there’s even the slightest amount of indifference in your brain about the aiming and gunplay of RE, then RE5 is worth your time.

It’s another one of those high-score hypodermic needles – you get addicted on getting a higher score so you keep repeating it over and over, working out new ideas for drone placement each time. It’s like a chess game at 100 mph, challenging and twitchy, all at the same time. On that point, Galaga Legions ranks up there with the best of them.

Eurocom has done a fantastic job of bringing back one of the multiplayer experiences of all time – which was not an easy task. Reloaded has the power to stand on it's own as a engaging first person shooter and play with the big boys. It's just a shame it had to be released right between two of the biggest boys of the year.

The presentation style in Wrath suits the storyline and characters almost perfectly.

And when everything settles, it's clear that Dust is a labor of love that stands out as one of the best downloadable releases of the year.

This is a game that breaks the mold and forces players to think, react, and interact with their environment unlike any other game to date.

This is an incremental update with a lot of fresh paint.

It's a well crafted, story-based experience that goes beyond anything we've seen from Rockstar in terms of storytelling. It sheds some very important light on the events that transpired before the time of the film while still staying true to the original for the sake of the fans.

If you don't mind shelling out about twice as much as most other XBLA games for a fairly short tale, you'll likely find the game to be well worth the price of admission.

There are myriad ways to get your hands on the games that are included on PopCap Arcade Volume 1, including cell phones and XBLA, but it’s nice to have a one disc solution for those that want to stay casual without downloading a single byte.

Unless comical mischief is disallowed in your household, Outpost Kaloki X is a great family game that can teach the kiddies about resource management and making (instead of spending) money at an early age.

Sleeping dogs is a fantastic game that you need to play.

From start to finish, it’s a fun experience and deserves to be drafted into most gamers’ Xbox LIVE Arcade library.

Not only does this latest DOOM title resurrect pure evil, it also resurrects one of the finest FPS Campaign modes you will currently find in the gaming world.

Rock of Ages might not be the most taxing or deep strategy game out there, and with only 23 missions available, it won't take you long to polish off the single player campaign. However what's there is fun, simple and accessible.

Overall, Shrek 2 will surprise many gamers with its fairly advanced combat, delightful, fairy-tale like missions, and light-hearted characters which play differently from one another.

For a small outlay of MS points, Frogger captures that old school feel that will bring many a gamer back to the quarter stacking days. The controls are tight, the updated graphics are snazzy, and the online options are pretty nifty.

The Last Hope is for those that don’t consider waiting a part of battlefield etiquette. If you consider yourself a free-form fighter—a free-form star fighter perhaps—then Star Ocean: The Last Hope is your key to the JRPG universe.