Not only did the game offer the same turn-based battles and strategies that I love, it even sports the same 2D sprites that I remember playing while slurping down HI-C juice boxes and eating Dunkaroos. Needless to say, I was instantly hooked.

God of War is that rare game that manages to reinvent itself while still maintaining what made its predecessors such delights to play...A triumph, and well worth your time. Now grab your axe and get chopping.

Shadow of the Colossus for the PS4 is every bit as gorgeous, memorable and tremendous as it was when it debuted for the PS2 more than a decade ago. It’s a graphically stunning piece of art with a narrative that drives you forward with a sense of wonder despite its vagueness.

Mario’s big debut on the Switch is a joy to experience. Its beautifully realized worlds, excellent platforming, admiration for series’ past and new gameplay mechanics make Super Mario Odyssey worthy of the portly plumber’s legacy.

The Fractured But Whole hits all the right notes from the show’s best episodes. The writing is some of the best you’ll find in a game, and it improves on “The Stick of Truth’s” combat and mechanics enough to make it well worth picking up.

Cuphead is a love letter to not just the decades-old cartoons it apes, but also gaming’s classic boss battles that have fallen to the wayside, as well. It’s far from easy, but don’t let that spook you out of playing this wonderful work of art. You’ll need patience and a steady hand, but you’ll absolutely be able to win out in the end.

While it's not without its own small issues, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle should be on the short-list of Switch games every player should own.

Where Prey succeeds is with its backstory and the fear you feel trying to decide if that coffee cup in front of you is really a coffee cup. If you’re looking for a shooter with a beautiful environment, decent story and open-world-style gameplay, pick up Prey.

And at least until Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite steps into the fight, you’ll want to come back to Injustice 2. It’s the complete package — beautiful, nuanced, and inviting — and though it trips up a little with its short, uninspired Story, it more than makes up for it with the most rewarding superhero power fantasy this side of Batkid.

With Breath of the Wild, Nintendo has built a living, breathing world that you never want to leave. If you’re a newcomer to the series, a longtime fan or just want to see what all the hype is about, you won’t be disappointed.

It successfully marries open-world shenanigans with a great story, a “Witcher”-sized challenge, and keeps it humming with smart, addictive combat against a tide of brilliant enemies. Our species might lack good judgment from time to time, but “Horizon” proves we’re still worth saving.

Despite its few flaws, though, Resident Evil 7 is a terrific, terrifying experience with sickening visuals and wonderful gunplay. It’s the best entry in the series in more than a decade and a must-play for anyone who’s ever loved the franchise. No matter how scared the game made me while playing alone at 2 a.m., I always wanted to keep moving forward, which is exactly what you want from a survival-horror game.

Pokémon Sun and Moon are the best “Pokémon” games in years. “Alpha Sapphire” and “Omega Ruby” were great entries in the series, but they were largely re-skinned versions of “X” and “Y.” For the first time in ages (or at last since I uninstalled “Pokémon Go”), “Pokémon” feels like a new, exciting experience. If you’re a fan of the series, you’re going to love “Sun” and “Moon,” and if you’ve been gone for a while, you’ll be happy to come home.

Pokémon Sun and Moon are the best “Pokémon” games in years. “Alpha Sapphire” and “Omega Ruby” were great entries in the series, but they were largely re-skinned versions of “X” and “Y.” For the first time in ages (or at last since I uninstalled “Pokémon Go”), “Pokémon” feels like a new, exciting experience. If you’re a fan of the series, you’re going to love “Sun” and “Moon,” and if you’ve been gone for a while, you’ll be happy to come home.

Dishonored 2 puts its money in the right places, offering finely-tuned gameplay that’s as challenging as it is thrilling. For a game all about choice, the decision to add this sneaky genius to your collection is a no-brainer.

Respawn went all out with this sequel, patching up its biggest hole, tightening its loose screws, and delivering the game I think we all hoped for when we first caught wind of the original back at E3 2013.

For all its frustrations, though, Civilization VI remains incredibly addictive.

DICE has done a praiseworthy job giving The War to End All Wars and the soldiers who bravely fought in it the kind of respect they deserve, while also delivering an amazing multiplayer game. If you’re a fan of shooters, or games in general, you’ll want to enlist.

It’s hard to come up with nice new things to say about this series every year, so I’ll just say that yes, they’ve done it again, and yes, it’s worth a buy. Just be ready to put in the time if you want to turn pro.

Really the only place Forza Horizon 3 skids out is in its lack of ingenuity. It’s packed, over delivering on what was already plenty of content in the previous game, but it comes up a little short in terms of innovation. Racing through a gorgeous field, foliage crumpling under your tires, the sun gleaming off your dented roof – it’s a sight, but one that I recall seeing countless times in Forza Horizon 2. Much of what you do in Forza Horizon 3, you have likely done before. Still, it’s never looked this good, been this big or done its job with as much confidence.

If Franchise mode is your bag, then yes, you’ll want the new model. The upgraded run mechanics and countless small improvements certainly keep it a step ahead of Madden 16. But those looking for a game-changing, highlight-reel play should hold off. EA has moved the needle again, but not the final score.

Despite its initial problems, Pokémon Go is an absurdly addictive and approachable game. Chances are you can go out on your lunch break and see people playing at this very moment. After staying out of the smartphone game market for years, Nintendo has finally jumped in headfirst and scored an absolute hit.

Inside is an artistic triumph. Video games, at their best, fold their various components into a whole that is far greater than the sum of their parts. Inside does exactly that, and more so does exactly what its name implies: it gets in your head, in your system, and stays there.

Kudos to id and Bethesda for managing to make an old game feel new again. That’s not easy to do, and while its multiplayer stumbles, Doom will leave you exhausted from its intensity, sick from its brutality, and yearning for more when you complete its 13-hour campaign. If you like your shooters fast and deadly, Hell is pretty heavenly.

Where Naughty Dog shines brightest, however, is in its ability to make you feel like you’re discovering your way through what is essentially a linear adventure game. The path is predetermined, the outcome singular, but when you find that one handhold or fling yourself through that one open window, you own it. Uncharted 4’s level design is remarkable, simultaneously holding your hand and letting it go.

Firewatch is a fine way to spend a weekend. It’s one of those rare games that can be enjoyed with a friend or loved one simply spectating; it’s marathoning a few episodes of Lost. Terrific writing and voice work along with a gorgeous world outshine the game’s flaws and make for a game that sticks with you long after you’ve watched its closing credits.

It’s clear that XCOM 2 is an ambitious effort, with just about every mechanic from Enemy Unknown going under the knife in some way. Most of the changes are for the best, leading to another genuinely fun, tense romp through an embattled world desperate for your strategic brilliance. It stumbles a bit, however, and a handful of issues make the experience clumsy and overcomplicated, forcing players to pay an exorbitant price for their own ignorance. But hey, isn’t saving the human race worth a little saving and reloading?

Although Darkest Dungeon becomes fiercely addictive, that feeling eventually wears thin. You tick off quests one by one, but it’s a long way to completion, and few will have the patience to get there. There’s not much variety in enemy types, and the dungeons themselves are just abstracted strings of encounters. But while it’s got its hooks into you, Darkest Dungeon exerts a powerful pull.

The staggering amount of real estate, the intricate combat system, the engaging narrative, and the sheer number of things to do makes it a real JRPG standout. It’s water in a desert for Wii U owners, and a smashing success that will likely be remembered as one of the system’s finest.

Just Cause 3 is an over-the-top blast that embraces the term “sandbox” more literally — and un-apologetically — than any other game in the genre. If you’re seeking substance and depth, wandering Fallout 4's RPG wasteland might be more your speed. If you want to ride a weapon of mass destruction like a hobby horse, however, you'll want to consider joining Just Cause 3's rebellion.

Tearaway Unfolded, like its mobile forebear, is an enchanting adventure. A bedrock of strong platforming mechanics supports a world that recalls The Wizard of Oz’s wide-eyed whimsy. Children will absolutely adore it, but even grown-up gamers with a taste for handcrafted, homespun style should follow the fold.

If you’re just in it for the solo games — and let’s face it, Uncharted is at its best when it’s just you and Mr. Drake clinging to things together — the Collection is a fine choice.

Great narrative experiences don't come around often, and while SOMA lacks the gameplay oomph to keep you glued to the screen, it handily accomplishes what it sets out to do: freak you out.

Despite its lack of big upgrades and unsatisfying track list, this is still a blast to play with friends. If video games intend, in part, to deliver fantasy, then Rock Band is, once again, a resounding success. You play this game, you feel like a rock star. It’s that simple.

NBA 2K16 is the first time in quite a while I’ve seen the franchise make a serious misstep. Though there’s more than enough NBA goodness here to justify another courtside seat, the disappointing MyCareer mode is impossible to ignore.

Not every level in Yoshi’s Woolly World is a winner, and the game suffers in comparison to the absolutely magical Super Mario 3D World, which still easily ranks as the Wii U’s best platformer. But it deftly pulls off the trick of being both stupendously cute and technically well-crafted, appealing to youngsters drawn in by the sweet plush Yoshis and to more skilled gamers looking to challenge their reflexes and item-hunting skills.

Pleasantly enough, Syndicate also takes a big step away from last year’s troubled Assassin’s Creed Unity by removing every whiff of online connected hooey. You’ll no longer be noodged to spend extra money, visit websites, or invite friends to activate missions. This is a solo game, and it’s perfectly content to be one.

The narrative missteps and overly complicated lore intrude on what should have been another shining moment for Master Chief; while it sets up an intriguing future, the campaign is an unqualified disappointment. But even the greatest of heroes stumbles, and Halo 5’s stellar online play is certainly strong enough to pick up the Chief and keep him moving.

Black Ops III deserves credit for delivering a wider game than Advanced Warfare (or Black Ops II, for that matter), but it’s not necessarily a deeper one. More meaningful, fundamental changes to how we experience the game were passed over in favor of a maelstrom of strange new ideas. It’s just plain weird...I happen to like weird, though, and Black Ops III does enough to carve out its own identity.

It’s massive and compelling and at times boneheaded, but usually brilliant. Stylish, deep, story-driven, tactical, action-packed: Few if any games manage to be so many things at once, and despite some hiccups, Fallout 4 turns the end of the world into a real blast.

Rise of the Tomb Raider’s only real flaw is that it follows the template of the first game a tad too cautiously, right down to the tough-to-kill supernatural foes that populate its final act. It also completely jettisons the notion that Lara is reluctant to take human life, a decision that makes for grittier action at the cost of some heart and soul. But as only the second installment in Lara Croft’s reinvigorated career, there’s still plenty of time to explore new territory. The tomb raider has risen. Let’s see where she goes next.

Prince of Persia's stunning delivery yields quite a few breathtaking moments. Flaws aside, credit this prince for breaking many of the rules his ancestor set forth some two decades ago. He's just not quite ready to wear the crown.

By and large, Shaun White Snowboarding is a fresh take on the genre. By adding a welcome dose of exploration to the tough-love simulation aspects of Amped, it presents a vision of the sport that is much closer to reality than the sparkly fantasies that have characterized snowboarding games since SSX.

Seeing the innumerable changes and tune-ups to the game engine and the rules, you get the sense that World of Warcraft is a finely-tuned machine that its makers just can't stop tinkering with in an obsessive effort to keep it fresh, relevant, and above all, fun. For now, mission accomplished.

Call of Duty: World at War is clearly one of the top games of this year, and a must have for any action gamer.

From the integrated, Ghost Recon-style info on your HUD to the third-person camera and voice command system, everything is designed to keep you right in the game with the squads on the front line. The strategy pays off, making EndWar a unique and challenging new weapon in the Tom Clancy arsenal.

Cap that off with a tournament-style four-player option that runs through competitive versions of a selection of the mini-games, and you're looking at a package that's an easy recommendation for gaming families.

Not only will you be glued to the game right up to the end, you'll go right back and play it through again just to see what consequences different choices will produce. Fallout 3 is a technical triumph, but more importantly, it's a beautiful piece of design, exploring the well-trodden video game ground of good vs. evil better than any other game to date.

We played with hardcore and casual rockers alike, all of which had loads of fun regardless of what songs we were playing. Whether you want a good time with friends or a tense battle of the bands, Guitar Hero: World Tour offers an unparalleled experience. Just check your ego at the door.

It's a lot like its hero: packed with character, impressively capable, and never puts a foot wrong. What higher praise for a licensed game is there than that?

The objective of Far Cry 2 as a game is to get out of the way and let you experience the game world. And there is no other game world quite like this one: haunting, spectacular, meditative, explosive, violent, and serene, all at once, and all in a mere shooter.

Whether or not you grab the new hardware, there is no question that the stand-alone Rock Band 2 game is worth its $60 price tag. Heck, you'd pay twice that just to download the 84 new songs; toss in the new online functionality, Battle of the Bands and the Drum Trainer and you get another desert island classic.

Spore takes so many risks and introduces so many new concepts, it's far more than the sum of its parts; it's video game history in the making. Join in.

Doing anything that gets you off the couch is going to help, and Wii Fit's more energetic minigames are ample to leave you out of breath. No, it's no shortcut to the perfect physique, but it sure beats another hour on a damn treadmill.

BOOM BLOX is so simple and its appeal so universal that we're hard pressed to think of another Wii game that can so effectively bring a room together... [it's] one of the most gratifying jump-in-and-play games you can get on the Nintendo Wii.

Although the joy of unfettered choice is already familiar to Grand Theft Auto players, GTA IV's realistic, wide-open world offers unprecedented opportunities for delightful mayhem, and a level of polish, detail and quality that's genuinely groundbreaking. What more could you want from the next generation?

The Command & Conquer series has a history of churning out solid expansion packs, and Kane's Wrath is no exception. Each side gets its share of love, the new units are thoroughly welcome, and the $30 price tag won't strain tax-time budgets.

Vegas 2 may be formulaic, but when the formula's still tastes great, it's hard to complain too much. Rainbow Six's action-movie realism and smooth look still make the game every bit as gripping as its illustrious predecessor.

Considering how much content you get before you ever even go online, this is easily one of the most generous, gratifying, and fun games you can get for the Nintendo Wii. Super Smash Brothers Brawl is nothing short of a smashing success.

Dismissing the game out of hand is easy: the plot is silly, the standard enemies don't vary much, and the level design amounts to little more than battle venues linked together with bland, featureless corridors and the occasional crap puzzle. But that'd be missing the point completely, and it only takes one hit to see why. Nail an encounter just right, ripping through your enemies with all the ferocity of a tornado in a knife warehouse, and you'll understand.

Not only is it accessible enough to recommend to the casual RTS player, it's got more than enough depth to please even the most propeller-headed of strategy nerds.

The game is at its best when it is most imaginative, and even after the novelty of the outstanding setting fades, you'll find fathoms of depth in the ship combat and trading systems - especially once you find a regular group of sea-dogs to join.

Like most pure-bred simulations, Rail Sim offers rewards proportional to the amount of effort you're prepared to invest.

Flawed though it is, Mass Effect is a tremendous ride. Sure, it overreaches from time to time, but better that than a game that toes the same, tired old RPG line. Nothing's sufficiently amiss here to prevent you from enjoying Mass Effect's class-leading gameplay, and it deserves to be remembered as the first truly great role-playing game of this generation.

It's light years past any other music game, yet is accessible enough to make anyone feel like a living room superstar. KISS was dead wrong: God didn't give rock 'n' roll to you. Harmonix did.

It's a fast-paced online deathmatch game with few bells and fewer whistles, featuring essentially the same weapon lineup it's had for ten years.

While Project Gotham Racing and Forza Motorsport improved upon their winning formulas in their respective sequels this year, EA completely overhauled the Need for Speed franchise to create what is arguably the best game in the series.

Come for the eye candy, stay for the action: if you have a machine that'll take the strain, there's no better way to show it off.

Assassin's Creed is a solid enough game to overcome its awkward plot device. It doesn't much matter why you're in the situation you're in. What matters are those wonderful moments when you're sitting on a tower overlooking one of the most gorgeous cities you've ever seen in a game, and you know it's all yours to play in.

A solid enough game to overcome its awkward plot device. It doesn't much matter why you're in the situation you're in. What matters are those wonderful moments when you're sitting on a tower overlooking one of the most gorgeous cities you've ever seen in a game, and you know it's all yours to play in.

Super Mario Galaxy is a reminder that games don't have to be ultra-violent, make clever social statements or ride the marketing machine to succeed. They simply have to be fun, and you'd be hard pressed to find one as genuinely enjoyable as Mario's latest.

If you've been watching jealously as your 360-owning friends tackle the Locust, here's your chance to pick up the complete package.

Much like they did in Call of Duty 2, the developers at Infinity Ward have set the new standard for scripted cinematic spectacle.

Guitar Hero III won't disappoint either diehard fans or people new to the series. This is the latest step in the stairway to heaven of home rocking.

Online play is an easy oversight to overlook, though. The single-player game is as tight as any platformer around, and the presentation is so far beyond what we've seen before that you simply can't afford to pass it up. The future is bright, indeed.

This is all exciting stuff that breathes exotic new life into Age of Empires III, and it's one of the best real-time strategy expansion packs since "Brood Wars."

The Orange Box can't stop giving. It's a sci-fi masterpiece, a clever puzzler and a multiplayer monster wrapped into one, making this a landmark achievement in gaming value and one of the easiest buying decisions you'll make all year. Color us impressed.

They've taken id's gorgeous Doom 3 engine and used it to create vast intricate playgrounds for fast and frantic battles between humans and cybernetic alien invaders. Quake Wars are on!

The real reason to get Phantom Hourglass is for its charming, DS-centric high-seas adventure.

The game's end sequence, to put it mildly, is an eight-car pileup. Fans of the series will recognize it as a poorly veiled swipe of a sequence in the original Halo, a challenge highlighted by a series of goofy circumstances and improbable level design meant to create an explosive end. The end result, however, is fairly absurd, as the whole shebang reeks of game developers wracking their brains to come up with the cleverest, most exciting finish, and shattering the fourth wall in the process.

Upon playing the original, it was easy to get the sense that this was a complete package, with scarcely any room to squeeze in any innovation. Opposing Fronts clearly proves that isn't the case. Now more than ever, this is the can't-miss real time strategy game of the year.

It's disappointing that the three sides -- the USA, the USSR, and NATO -- are the same except for their accents and artwork. Also, there's a lot of nuance among the tactical powers that will be overwhelming to new players.

Even though Skate is swimming with atmosphere and features, it's the gameplay that stands out in this gem. It's not trying to compete with "Tony Hawk" -- it's trying to do its own thing. As such, old Tony Hawk fans looking for a more authentic challenge will love this game. While some challenges will be frustrating, that's just how skating is, and EA did a wonderful job re-creating the atmosphere and style of the sport in game form.

It is almost unerringly gorgeous and a blast to play, though the combat could have been pushed forward to true "God of War" levels with just a few different options. Even so, this is the best action title going on the PS3 this fall.

EA has excelled in creating its smartest, deepest hockey game to date.

There are just too many buttons in play, and it's terrible when you want to unleash a slap shot from the point but can't remember which triggers and bumpers to use.

Yeah, sure, you've been here before, but you've never seen the view from up here. Fortuantely, the game holds up once your boots are on the ground as well.

If you consider the competition games like "BioShock" and "Gears of War," Metroid is going to feel stilted and oddly paced. But if you're a fan of the long-running series, you'll probably be pleased how well this game fits into the canon, both in terms of gameplay and story.

The most salient fact about BioShock is that it's different. If it doesn't sell well, perhaps it's time to abandon hope and resign ourselves to the eternal recurrence of space dungeons and World War II. Games like BioShock are what we need. They are what we deserve.

It's the perfect counter to the allegation that video games all rot your brain, and a tight, carefully designed experience to boot.

These animations are gorgeous to look at, from Reggie Bush doing his trademark summersault for six, or a Chad Johnson river dance after a score. This is because the game runs at a buttery smooth 60 frames per second...Madden 08 is simply superb. If you could only own one next-gen football, this is it.

In Picross DS, you get a real sense of accomplishment, while still being just as enthralled as with the Tetrises and Meteoses of the world. It rewards intelligence over reflexes, broadening its target audience immensely. Play it for 10 minutes, or five hours; either way, you'll have a smile on your face the entire time.

It's absolutely worth it to breathe new life into Guitar Hero II. Because there's nothing quite so exhilarating as facing down a whole long list of new Guitar Hero songs to unlock, learn, practice, and perfect.

Where Beyond the Sword will really win you over is with the new scenarios and mods. There is some truly wonderful stuff in here.

The package, then, is balls-out fine. It's a bumpy court to play on at times, but one that's ultimately rewarding.

At the end of the day, though, it's the same meal you've eaten before -- albeit with lots of garnish, a prettier server, and some extra helpings of dessert. Those are all great things if you're hungry, but don't do a whole lot of good if you're already feeling a bit full from Ninja Gaiden's cooking.

It's a real pleasure to see Rainbow Six given such royal treatment, particularly if you're a fan of the series. But even if you just like gunplay, this is a great time for shooter fans, whose embarrassment of riches just got even more embarrassing.

But as Wii-makes go, Pets is as solid as the best of them, and in some ways perhaps better, by virtue of presenting loads of open-ended content with a powerful gaming interface.