I could go on and on about why Grand Theft Auto IV is one of the best games we've ever seen and why even folks who are easily offended should play it, but that would be pointless. The only thing you need to know is that you have to play this game. Period.

Is it possible to give a game an 11? If so, this would be the game that would merit that score. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is a title that exceeds all of the hype that was attached to the title.

Consider me "wowed." Again. Yes, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is more of what made the original so amazingly good: brilliant gravity platfoming. Incredibly tight and responsive controls. Fantastic musical score. But it's not a "me too" experience -- a significant majority of this sequel is brand new.

Undead Nightmare is what downloadable content should be -- a lot of bang for your buck.

This is a master class in game design: you will understand it instantly, enjoy it instantly, and want to play again and again.

This is a master class in game design: you will understand it instantly, enjoy it instantly, and want to play again and again.

Call us crazy, but when the final version of Zelda 64 arrived in the IGN64 offices, we stopped working, locked ourselves into a room with a big-screen TV and a surround system and played 17 hours straight. After only a few hours of sleep, we were back for more and we couldn't stop until we finished the game. Then, we started over again to find all the secrets.

The number one reason to buy a Dreamcast.

From start to finish, single player to multiplayer, this game sings. The characters, the graphics, the sound, the story – they're all top notch. If you're willing to skip Uncharted 3, be prepared to miss one of gaming's finest moments.

Remarkably, this Zelda game manages to reshape its control scheme, design sensibility and pacing all at once while still telling a brilliantly powerful story featuring some very memorable characters. Increasingly Nintendo refuses to compromise cinematic storytelling for gameplay, finding a balance that seems effortless.

Infinity Blade 2 is a must own - it is the App Store's killer app.

In short, it's a terrific unending masterpiece of a game -- and one that will never fall victim to an over-exaggeration of its lofty status. It's the defining piece of software for Sony's successful sophomore system, and it's almost impossible to imagine a PlayStation 2 library without it.

Incredibly intense and amazingly addictive...especially when you learn every little nuance of the game design.

One of the greatest action RPG's of all-time. Combat is easy to learn but immeasurably deep.

A spectacularly creative, wonderfully satisfying 3D action-platformer that -- ass joke and bloody messes encapsulated -- shines with Nintendo's very best.

Recommended above all other titles this year as the Nintendo 64 game to own.

One of the best games of all time. There, I've said it.

GT3 offers the finest racing, the best cars and the highest-quality automotive audio-visual feast available on any gaming system anywhere, and as far as I'm concerned, it's an absolutely essential purchase for anyone who loves cars and racing.

If you like to kill freaky things with your giant serrated knives, you'll love the s*** out of this... This videogame features sexual situations, bare breasts and excessive brutality. Good with that? Excellent!

Subsistence goes a long way towards remedying the few problems of ["Snake Eater"] with a brand new camera system that literally rejuvenates the gameplay. The online mode adds a ton of replay value as well, and has dozens of options to keep you returning to blow away friends late into the night.

The genius is hidden away under a wall of rather harsh looking pixels until you realize that every one of the 500-plus replicated vehicles races so exactly like the real thing it's shocking.

I'm in awe...From beginning to end, it comes closer to perfection than any other game in PlayStation's action genre. Beautiful, engrossing, and innovative, it excels in every conceivable category.

It's a noble achievement in storytelling, gameplay balance, and multiplayer design. And it's easily the best console-based, online game on Earth. Easily. Like so many people have said thus far: In 2004, Halo 2 will own you.

From the amazingly polished gameplay design to the gorgeous visuals and atmospheric soundtrack, Metroid Prime is unquestionably a must-have masterpiece and a show horse that all forthcoming adventure titles will be judged by.

This is simply the best survival horror game ever created. In fact, had it come out in 2004, it would have been my pick for Game of the Year...You don't own Resident Evil 4. It owns you. An absolute must-have.

Rare's intelligent 3D shooter features amazing graphics, loads of in-game options, a cooperative mode, a counter-operative mode, extensive bot setups, and a the most well-rounded multiplayer mode ever to grace Nintendo 64.

Complete in every way, and the challenging experience of working toward each new level is far greater than the game's minimal flaws. Nintendo's craftsmanship and zeal for creating fantastically enjoyable games has never shown through more than in Super Mario 64.

Simply a masterpiece -- a work of art in the genre. Not only does it engage the mind with mysterious happenings, vagaries, and mostly intelligent dialogue, but also captures the senses with a superb visual style made possible by brilliant technology.