It's been a long time coming, but Nintendo finally delivers a worthy sequel to Super Mario 64. From the moment you jump onto your first planetoid, Super Mario Galaxy is pure magic.The first Mario game set in the vastness of space, Galaxy feels different from its predecessors, and at the same time immensely familiar. You'll find the same Goomba-stomping platforming gameplay, but with an ...

Pretty much anybody who is at all familiar with Square-Enix knows that they love to remake things. I have lost track of the number of ports and re-releases they have put out over the years, but it would be a shame for Final Fantasy V: Advance to get lost in the shuffle.  As an “updated” port, FFV: Advance is, at its core, the same game included in the Playstation release of Fi...

Almost from the second your plane crashes into the decaying undersea city of Rapture, BioShock will suck you in and will not let go. You would be hard-pressed to find a darker, more atmospheric game on the Xbox 360, chock full of breathtaking imagery and sound, and a wonderfully mature storyline. At the beginning of the game your plane crashes outside the lighthouse of the crumbling, dysto...

Brought to you by the creators of Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire, Mass Effect is the spiritual successor to those games. Which is a very good thing, as its precursors were both excellent. Mass Effect continues the trend.Assuming the role of Commander Shephard, the first human Spectre (a kind of galactic superspy with a license to do whatever they want in the name of galactic securi...

The Orange Box is one of the best gaming deals currently available on the market. For your $60, you receive Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode 1, Half-Life 2: Episode 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2. Seldom do you get as much bang (ha!) for your buck.Half-Life 2 should need no introduction. It is one of the finest first-person shooters in recent memory. Despite being several years old, the visual...

Persona 3 is a game with style. The latest PS2 entry in Atlus's long-running Shin Megami Tensei franchise, every aspect of Persona 3 shows an exquisite level of polish and attention to detail, the end result being one of the finest role-playing games in recent memory.In Persona 3, you play as a Japanese high school student (who you name at the beginning of the game) who has recently transfe...

After the disappointment that was Blue Dragon, Eternal Sonata was the next game I pinned my hopes on for a superlative JRPG experience on the Xbox 360. Unfortunately, after playing it, I am left still waiting for that experience. Eternal Sonata is only suited for a novice RPG gamer, and will leave veterans craving a lot more.Of course, the game does have redeeming features. Its cel shaded grap...

The latest Final Fantasy on the Playstation 2, Final Fantasy XII manages to free itself from the increasingly formulaic trend of the series and stand out. It tries to do something different, and it pays off in a big way.FFXII is quite unusual compared to more "traditional" entries in the series. Namely, it plays more like a massively multiplayer online RPG. The world is one massive, c...

Resistance: Fall of Man, is one of the most polished and solid games currently available on the playstation 3. For being a launch title, this feat is even more remarkable.In the world of Resistance, World War II never took place. Instead, Russia withdrew into itself after World War I, and several years later a technologically advanced race known as the Chimera boiled out and conquered most of E...

Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters is, in my opinion, the best platformer on the PSP. Size Matters packs all the fun, humor, and ridiculous weaponry of its PS2 counterparts into a portable package.  Developed by High Impact Games, chiefly composed of former Insomniac employees, its pedigree shows.Once again thrust into the fuzzy role of Lombax protagonist Ratchet, you find him and robotic s...

Mega Man X, the first Mega Man for the Super Nintendo, is one of the finest 2D platformers ever made. Maverick Hunter X, an updated port for the Sony PSP, does not necessarily improve upon the original, but it does present a fresh take and is an excellent game in its own right.Maverick Hunter X uses the superb original as a starting point and builds on that foundation. You will find the same ch...

Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception places you into the role of an ace pilot, tasked with single-handedly (totally ineffectual AI wingmen aside) ending a war using high-tech real-world and fantasy aircraft. Unfortunately, X feels more like a watered down version of Ace Combat rather than a true entry in the series.Graphically, Skies of Deception is a very pretty game. The jets are accurately repro...

The third entry in Nintendo's Metroid Prime trilogy, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption offers one of the best gameplay experiences on the Wii and illustrates the right way to implement first-person controls on the little white box.As in previous games in the series, you step into the armormed powersuit of Samus Aran, intergalactic bounty hunter. Where Prime 3 differs from previous games is that r...

Meteos is a simple and addicting puzzler from the makers of Lumines. Jam-packed with content and fun, and playable in short bursts, Meteos is a great game to bring on the go.Produced by Masahiro Sakurai, Director of the Super Smash Bros. series, Meteos has an epic feel. The evil planet Meteos has launched pieces of itself (also called Meteos) at other planets in an attempt to destroy them. Play...

The long-awaited sequel to the Gamecube's Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass is a testament to just how powerful Nintendo's little handheld can be.At the end of Wind Waker, Link sets sail with Tetra and her pirate crew on a journey to discover new lands. At the beginning of Phantom Hourglass, while in unfamiliar waters, a mysterious fog descends and a seemingly abandoned shi...

Originally slated to appear only on the Gamecube, Twilight Princess was instead ported to the Wii in time for launch, bringing with it slightly improved graphics and a different control scheme. Whichever system it is on, Twilight Princess is a fine entry to the Zelda series and a must-play for any Wii-owner.Taking place in a newer, more mature Hyrule, Twilight Princess is darker than its predec...

The Logitech VX Revolution is an excellent, though somewhat pricey, cordless laser mouse. Upon first trying it out in the store, the ergonomic design was a perfect fit for my hand. After using it extensively for several days, there is no discomfort whatsoever.The mouse has the standard left and right buttons, as well as a center scroll wheel that allows you to determine whether it scrolls smoot...

Gears of War is the Xbox 360's first killer app. Amazing graphics and sound, stellar gameplay, addicting multiplayer, and a tight, focused story make this a must own.In Gears, you play as ex-soldier turned convict turned soldier again Marcus Phenix, busted out of jail by long-time buddy Dom because the government needs every able-bodied fighter they can get their hands on. Several years ago...

From the makers of Killer 7, No More Heroes is a game that tries to be stylized and edgy, and succeeds in that endeavor. Unfortunately, it ultimately fails to be a compelling game because every other aspect suffers from neglect.In No More Heroes you play as the anime-obsessed Travis Touchdown, living in the fictional town of Santa Destroy, who has just won a beam katana off an internet auction....

Ratchet & Clank, Insomniac's first foray onto the Playstation 2, is a charming and whimsical 3D action game with a great sense of humor. Despite being several years old, Ratchet holds up remarkably well and remains as fun to play as when it was first released.You play, of course, as Ratchet, the fuzzy Lombax protagonist of the series. Sick of being stuck on the backwater planet of Veldi...