The Tony Hawk video game franchise was due for an overhaul, but I don't think many expected what Tony Hawk himself announced at this year's E3. The new Tony Hawk, simply known as Ride, would include its own skateboard controller. The idea is marvelous, but how does the final product shape up? I couldn't wait to find out when we got it in for review.

Codemasters returns to its military sim franchise, Operation Flashpoint, with a new installment for the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3. This time around, gamers will be able to control their Marines on the small, oil rich, and hotly contested island of Skira. And while there's a lot to appreciate in Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising (OFDR), a general lack of polish leaves the overall experience feeling a little disappointing -- but still one that is worth a look.  

As a long time Need For Speed fan, I had my concerns when I heard the newest iteration of Need For Speed was going sim, rather than sticking with the familiar arcade racing I had come to know and love from the series. To date my favorite NFS is Most Wanted; the thrill of the police chases and the memories I have of working my way through the Black List are still fond today. There are no police chases in SHIFT, but what you do get is a great racer in the vein of Forza and Gran Turismo. No, it doesn't have hundreds of licensed cars and it's not as hardcore of a sim as those, but can SHIFT, in its first year, compete with these two juggernauts? Well, I'm no expert on the other two nor in technical sim racing, but I can tell you that SHIFT is a hell of a lot of fun and very addictive.

Variety meets simplicity...

After a very successful outing last year with NHL 09, developer EA Canada and publisher EA Sports are back with NHL 10. Instead of just providing an updated roster and a few new animations, EA added a lot of compelling new features and managed to not only match the level of NHL 09, but exceed it. Greatest hockey game ever?

With preseason NHL games on TV and the MLB entering the playoffs, it's that time of year again for 2K Sports and EA to showcase their newest NHL games. Late last month, I participated in a 2K Sports conference call on NHL 2K10 that got me excited about this year's offering after the disappointment that was 2K9. Well, while 2K10 is a step forward from 2K9, it still can't match EA's offering and unless you are looking for an NHL title for the Wii or PS2, you can safely skip this one.

I wonder if Bob Kane knew that his creation, Batman, would reach such heights of pop culture significance and popularity. The Caped Crusader is as popular today as ever, after decades of comics, TV shows, toys, movies, and video games. The Batman video games have been everything from terrible to good over the years, but Rocksteady Studios and Eidos Interactives' newest, Batman: Arkham Asylum, is by far the best. Not only is Arkham Asylum the best Batman game, it's an incredible game all around that you absolutely should not miss.

The Wolfenstein franchise is alive and well. It's been years since Return To Castle Wolfenstein, and many more years since the original Wolfenstein Blitzkrieg'ed gaming and changed it forever. Just recently, two iPhone games based on the exploits of OSA Agent BJ Blazkowicz, including an RPG, were released. Now, Raven,  id, and Activision, one of my favorite trios in gaming, have teamed up to bring Wolfenstein onto a PS3, 360, or PC near you. Does this title deserve your attention going into another busy holiday season? Read on and decide for yourself...mach schnell, schnell!

Racing has never been this SIMulated

Racing has never been this SIMulated

An attempt to blend strategy and action, Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires tries to inject new life into this aging series. This time around, it seems someone may have forgotten that you're supposed to at least try to innovate in sequels. Instead of making at least a little progress, the newest installment falls right on its rear.

In case you weren’t paying attention, Puzzle Quest has tasted success and is now being reiterated. Over…And over.

In case you weren’t paying attention, Puzzle Quest has tasted success and is now being reiterated. Over…And over.