Gamecube owners, you are unfortunately left in the dark for online play this year. This can become a horrible burden, as it is a hassle to try and manually complete all the trades for each team so your rosters are correct with the times.

The game packs plenty of playability, with easily 30 hours of gameplay under the hood, along with the expected mass hysteria whenever a gaggle of players shows up at your doorstep.

Madden NFL 06 ultimately turns out to be a mixed bag of tricks, and your impression of it will likely depend on a few different things - not the least of which will be your previous experience with the series.

When the end of the 2004 year of gaming comes, Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy may end up being the sleeper hit of the year.

The artificial intelligence is brutal in this game. The first few levels are okay but once you get deeper into battle, they learn your strategies and adapt to the way you play.

The second installment of the Soul Calibur franchise simply bursts with greatness. The sequel to the already great fighting game is, quite simply, bigger and better.

The depth and detail in this game is unbelievable and Disney and Square have thought of absolutely everything, down to every last detail in all the worlds and the appearances of the Disney and Final Fantasy characters.

Midway brings one of the most unique games to hit the market this summer.

The combat system really shines in Sudeki. This is not another slow turn-based RPG.

Tecmo looks to have once again put together a quality product, while offering something old and new at the same time.

Hunter: The Reckoning is a fun game. The single player mode is enjoyable on its own, but this was made to be a party game.

Prey has a great storyline, although it seems basic at first. It’s innovative, looks gorgeous, and is extremely fun to play.

The fact that it's the first PS2 game to actually use two DVD discs shows that it's a much larger game than any before it, but it still doesn't live up to what it could have been.

The strength of this game is in its replay value. You can lose hours upon hours of your life simply checking your CD/DVD collection for monsters to add to your encyclopedia.

With Rockstar's solid reputation for developing games that sell well and are fun to play, it's no surprise that this game is easy to play right out of the box.

Most of the game is presented in the standard 3-D platformer presentation. However, when players must rely on the talents of little Sunny, the game shifts its perspective to that of an old-school 2-D side scroller.

This year, the presentation has been upgraded very little, but the little changes made it look so much better.

I do not recommend trying to drink anything while conversations are going on. The laughs come fast and furious, usually when you least expect them.

The Mortal Kombat series has had its ups and downs in the past. Whether you’re a long time fan or not, however, there is no denying that Midway has put together an impressive piece of work in Deadly Alliance.

The gameplay is smoother than ever, the presentation has increased and the brand new Owner's Mode is a real delight to play.

It is an arcade racer at heart but a frantic, action packed, total-your-car racer in every other light and it makes its way to Xbox owners sporting improved crash physics, improved AI, more speed, new game modes and custom soundtracks.

Primal is one of the best action adventure games I've played.

What will immediately stand out for you when playing this game is the humor. The game loves to make fun of other games in its genre and does so in a variety of different ways.

The robotic army better watch themselves because it is all about your arsenal. There are plenty of unique weapons to obliterate the opposition.

Somewhat reminiscent of a cross between James Bond and Mr. Clean, Agent 47 doesn't bring much that's new to this latest addition in the series.

I learned early that when Namco puts a racing game together, you need to treat it as if E. F. Hutton had just given financial tips; pay attention and rush out to experience it for yourself.

This just goes to show you what the GameCube is really capable of achieving.

The realism and authenticity of the game is amazing.