At first I was ready to send my controller sailing out my front window, but patience prevailed and I found myself immersed in the feel of the game.

Each WSoP game has more for the player to do, but there’s not much to label as innovative. Hey, it’s poker...how innovative can it be?

Darkwatch may have a few things that keep it from breaking new ground, but it does have key ingredients such as aggressive AI, tight controls and an interesting storyline that go hand in hand with the deep multiplayer experience that should lead to the game's appeal with its audience.

Story and presentation are arguably two of the most important parts of a role playing game besides the combat system, and Lost Odyssey, most of the time, handles both with grace.

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.

This is one game that makes you "feel" like part of the conflict rather than just a spectator. Hardcore FPS fans will probably have a few complaints about the simplistic squad command system, the short length, and the standard multiplayer modes, but there is no doubt that this is an adrenaline rush from beginning to end.

The new mechanics that it adds to the first-person shooter genre will be remembered for a long time to come, and they certainly help differentiate it from the rest of the pack; something that isn’t so easy to do these days.

The on-ice gameplay is some of the best hockey you’ll ever play in a videogame; the control is unmatched. Then, the game lays an egg when it comes to all around game modes and extras.

I really enjoyed the time I spent with Pinball FX, because it does have a similar feel to other real tables.

Revamped risk shots pay dividends. Revamped character movements backfire.

The blocks are appropriately vibrant, the launching effect is cool, the backgrounds sci-fi-ish, and the momentum-driving music never grows too repetitive—a significant achievement for a puzzle game.

With the addition of rivals mode, gamebreaker, and the advent of the shape stick there's enough to keep players occupied at least until the release of the Xbox 360 despite some of the visual shortcomings of the game.

With a bit more attention to in-game fluidity and detail, and the inclusion of core extras such as online leagues and co-op, Madden NFL 07 could have been stellar. It’s good for sure, but Madden NFL 07 isn’t a lock in this gamer’s Hall of Fame.

Very clever puzzles and fun action sequences will take you through the course of the Original Trilogy. The vehicular battles, especially with two people, are a real highlight.

It's a ton of fun watching your gangster progress through the ranks. Some of the gameplay mechanics come off better than others but for the most it's a fun package that stays enjoyable throughout the saga.

As the series' last hoorah on the Xbox Tiger Woods 07 succeeds with flying colors. For the first time in sports gaming history, it's actually acceptable to bring gamers what they've had before.

The various battlegrounds of Virtual On are just as well modeled as the Virtuaroids and are pretty expansive for a mid-’90s video game.

Where the game really separates itself from the pack is the armory functionality, its visual style, and the super weapons that it gives to players. The gameplay feels wonderful, even new in parts, the visuals bring a new flair to a classic style game, and the multiplayer trimmings are just icing.

New hitting and pitching systems add more intuitiveness to the two most important aspects of any baseball game.

Smooth moves like this are paramount for a platformer, which probably explains why Banjo-Kazooie, even ten years after its release, is still a solid player for both the pick-up-and-play crowd as well as the serious jumpers out there. There’s enough comic relief and clever level design surrounding the slick team-up moves and animations of Banjo-Kazooie’s leading animals to pull it all together into one of the better classic console platformers to grace Xbox Live Arcade.

A lovely game engine featuring independent player and ball physics. Card game campaign mode jazzes up offline play.

It feels a lot like what the Wallace & Gromit short films do: compact movies that make up for in quality what they lack in run time.

For a quick-hit classic gaming experience via XBLA, you really can’t go wrong with Ms. Pac-Man. Sure, the game is way simple, but 1981 was a simple time; maybe not in terms of synth pop, but definitely in terms of video games.

A classic example of not being the best looking or sounding game around but still delivers what gamers are really after, fun factor both on and offline.

In C&C 3’s world of the future, you expect the units to be faster-moving craft that crackle, zoom and jet from spot to spot—they are and they do. That speed is part of what makes the game look great, but which causes headaches in the gameplay, because the AI foe doesn’t seem to have any problem throwing units at you. Meanwhile, you’ll be pulling triggers, moving sticks and pushing buttons at a much less-efficient rate...and therefore need to scramble more to keep up.

Responsive, realistic and loads of fun to play. The variety of events and challenges will keep you busy for hours and the police pursuits give players more than enough reasons to check it out. Lack of more creative online modes chips away at a higher score.

It is very evident, however, that the BloodRayne series has come along way, flexing much better visuals, deeper gameplay, and a smoother overall look and feel thanks to the Infernal engine.

While there were definitely some changes to the game that I didn't care much for, such as the lack of radio/flashlight combo, perhaps the alterations were a good thing for the series overall.