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.