A stunning achievement.

Has it where it counts - fast action and plenty of it. Highly polished and loads of fun, if you want an example of platforming paradise, Insomniac has delivered.

With unparalleled visuals, a deep franchise mode, and tons of new and improved features, "Madden" is facing a 4th and very, very long this year.

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

If there's one department in which MVP can't be beat, it's player animations. From the plate to the mound and out into center, these guys move with a jaw-dropping grace and fluidity.

Despite only having six main stages, THPS 3 is a game that will last for a surprisingly long time.

The endless combat may smack of War Machines Week on The History Channel, but the contentious, jaunty chatter between friendly (and enemy) characters is pure Cartoon Network. Move out!

One of the most thrilling games to hit PS2 since its launch.

Many of the missions in the game are just re-hashed from Star Wars games of the past, and though they are epic, they're not very exciting anymore.

The PC can support insanely high resolutions that put even the Xbox to shame. The frame rate is better on the PC, as well.

And most importantly, the mixture of blistering speed, edge-of-the-seat thrills and explosive crashes works just as well as it ever did. The Burnout series gets better and better every time.

If you want to feel like you have control over the game, can overlook some dated graphics and a poor viewing angle, then NBA 2K2 is just about the best basketball game on the market.

Often the game throws ten or twenty enemies on screen at once, together with goodness knows how many bullets, but the framerate is pretty much solid throughout.

With excellent visuals, varied and entertaining gameplay, quality acting, and a compelling mix of action and stealth -- not to mention the catalogue of extras -- it would be great value at $50, let alone the budget price of $30 that it's retailing for.

The progress made in this installment is a little disappointing, but that said, Civ III does continue the franchise's tradition of delivering the very best that the genre has to offer.

If there's one department in which MVP can't be beat, it's player animations. From the plate to the mound and out into center, these guys move with a jaw-dropping grace and fluidity.

The effect of these changes is hard to overstate. The gameplay is much more laid back, and without having to restart levels over and over, it flows better.

With simple, yet bright and beautiful graphics, enveloping sound effects, a suite of new areas to explore, and the same addicting gameplay as its predecessor, Pikmin 2 is brilliant.

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 combination of vastly improved graphics and working air traffic control have added a depth to Flight Simulator 2002 that it's been lacking in its last couple of incarnations and has certainly rekindled my interest in the title.

"FIFA" may continue to entice football fans who live in action-adventure mode, but for the purist and realist, there's no better footie than this.

The multiplayer is a stroke of genius, destined to keep players coming back for more, long after the single-player has faded away from memory. Only the best type of gaming experience can do this.

It's great on your own, it's great online, it's packed with vehicles and tracks, and it plays like a dream. In short, Forza Motorsport 2 is everything fans of its outstanding predecessor have been hoping for.

The game is a romp through 60s superhero cliches, mixed with excellent gameplay and a flexible character development system. Fantastic stuff.

Madden 2005 is a benchmark in football simulations, because for the first time, it implements a realistic, versatile, hard-hitting defensive game that will pin you to the chair like a 300lb tackle.

A stunning game. Graphics, sound and online play benefit the most from the treatment, but there isn't an aspect of gameplay that hasn't received attention, making this the most comprehensive slapshot sim available.

It not only completely satisfies the wants of any eager strategy player, it also covers those who like more action in their games, and then appeals to practically everyone in between. If you don't have Command & Conquer, buy this immediately.

If you own the Dreamcast version, then there's far too much overlap to warrant owning this as well.