The key is that the game supports people playing together, which is the definition of a party game. If you pull Rock Band out among a gathering of friends, you can be sure that almost everything else will become secondary to the “I’m up next” chant and the sweaty smell that’ll permeate through your place.

Similar to a race car in its design. It was made to do a job and do it better than anything else out there. There's no waste, yet the technology has been used to its fullest in order to squeeze maximum performance out of the hardware.

The only gripe I have is the lack of a fully customizable control scheme. With playing all the various available football games, it becomes a nuisance to get used to each game's specific control scheme.

ESPN NFL 2K5 has the best graphics that I have witnessed in a sports game to date... The V.I.P system is the coolest thing since controllers with shoulder buttons.

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.

Between the Story Mode, Challenge Rooms and myriad hidden items (that are more compelling than in most games), there’s a lot of entertainment in Arkham Asylum.

This game has exceeded my expectations far beyond my belief.

The perfection it consists of is almost unmatched by any game to date. The blend of weapons, gameplay, control, graphics, and sound is downright superb. Fighting styles are different from character to character and the sheer amount of replay value this game has is remarkable.

The new modes (Battle of the Bands, for instance), expanded online functionality and large song library offer a lot for players to do. Otherwise, nothing in the fundamental gameplay has changed.

Personally, I really enjoy the authenticity and realism involved with Madden's superior AI and gameplay feel. The hardcore Madden fans will love the subtle tweaks, fixes and upgrades throughout the entire game.

There aren't many titles that become increasingly satisfying as a gamer goes on, but Ninja Gaiden is one of them. By combining gameplay elements from almost every genre, and doing each one well, Tomonobu Itagaki and Team Ninja should be applauded.

Just what the fans of the 2K series have been waiting for; an updated version with more polished controls, better computer AI and the best presentation possible...This game has the perfect blend of arcade and simulation football that should make it fun for every type of sports gamer.

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.

One of the most cinematic games of all-time, something that's definitely helped by a fantastic story, great writing, movie-quality direction, and strong voiceover work.

The visual finery, combined with the faithfulness of the driving experience and Forza's trademark attention to detail make this game the finest simulation racer available, in our opinion.

Gears of War 3 is a must own and chances are once it gets a hold of you it will be hard for you to let go.

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.

The best racing game ever, period. The gameplay with the kudos system along with the ability to race eight at a time on Live AND receive rank updates via the scoreboard makes it unique and somewhat revolutionary as of right now.

I can easily say that I had just as much fun playing through the game on the Xbox as I first did on the PC, and probably even more so due to my personal preference of the controller over the keyboard.

Arguably the best football game on the market.

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?)

Some of the best modern combat scenarios you’ll have ever taken part in. Ubisoft is not only kicking the door in with Advanced Warfighter, they are taking the whole damn building down along with it!

Sets an amazing standard for what downloadable content can do. It doesn’t just extend the GTA IV experience, but actually builds upon it while feeling fresh and different. If you’re a GTA fan it’s a must-play.

It's hard to imagine what EA can do to improve this series even more for next year's offering.

Updated controls and gameplay give this year's entry to series some real sense of change, instead of just getting that feeling of déjà vu all over again.

Quite possibly, one of the best games available on any console. THIS is what happens when games are Xbox-exclusive.

I can’t imagine the emptiness your life has been up to this point without having experienced the joys of the Companion Cube or the awesome song over the end credits. Portal: Still Alive is your chance to set your life right.

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.