Apparently unable to find any fitting opponents for the new-and-sure-to-dominate Miami Heat, 2K Games decided to shake things up by bringing back one of the game's icons for a stroll down memory lane. NBA 2K11 ($50-$60) lets you play as any of Jordan's title-winning Bulls teams, reenact 10 legendary games from MJ's career, take control of a newly-drafted rookie Jordan... [More]

Screw the shopping mall — if we're going to survive a zombie outbreak, why not do it in Vegas? Dead Rising 2 ($60) brings all the brains-eating action and dark hilarity of the original to a new setting — fictional Fortune City — while adding new characters, two-player coop and online multiplayer modes, and combo weapons, which let you duct... [More]

It might be missing Master Chief, but that really doesn't matter. Halo Reach ($60-$150) is the final chapter — as far as Bungie's concerned — in the Halo saga, serving as a prequel to the existing games, and building upon the franchise's legendary FPS gameplay with grittier visuals, new abilities, and, of course, unbelievable online multiplayer that will keep the... [More]

Games don't have to be full-price blockbusters to have artistic impact. Take Limbo ($15) for example. Dark, contrasty, and reminiscent of Film Noir, this short but surprisingly great puzzle platformer forces you to explore the darkness that is the land of Limbo, facing gruesome deaths and nasty bad guys around every shadow. Check it out for yourself, or just take... [More]

Sure, there's a new play calling system that lets you play full games in half the time, but that might not be the most noticeable new feature of Madden NFL 11 ($50-$60). Instead of piling on new, sometimes confusing gameplay features — the aforementioned play calling system and dual stick running back control are pretty much it — EA focused... [More]

It sure as hell took them long enough, but Gran Turismo 5 is really, finally coming to the PS3 — and you can celebrate the occasion with the Gran Turismo 5 Collector's Edition ($100). It includes a copy of the 3D-capable game, a 1:43 scale diecast 2009 Nissan GT-R Spec V, a GT keychain, a voucher for five downloadable high-end... [More]

Grand Theft Auto-style gameplay meets an old west storyline in Red Dead Redemption ($60). Developed by Rockstar San Diego, this followup to 2004's Red Dead Revolver places you in the shoes of a former outlaw as he travels across the frontier in search of honor, fame, and a former associate he's sworn to track down. Filled with period-specific weapons, dialogue,... [More]

If you don't already have your flight, hotel, and tickets booked, odds are 2010 FIFA World Cup ($50-$57) for the PS3, 360, and Wii is as close as you're going to come to the real thing. Loaded to the gills with features for the football-loving fan, this latest Cup game offers the ability to compete as any of the 199... [More]

Put on your night vision goggles, body armor, and stealth shoes, and get ready for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction ($50). The fifth installment in the Sam Fisher-led Splinter Cell series, Conviction joins Fisher as he continues to search for clues about his past, uncovering both betrayal and a terrorist plot that would make Jack Bauer quiver. Apart from the... [More]

You know all the crap we've been fed over the years about this game or that game offering a "cinematic experience?" Well, Heavy Rain ($55) actually delivers the goods — and then some. Defying conventional game design, this interactive thriller has you step into the shoes of four main characters who are involved in a search for a murderer called... [More]

In a few months, Tecmo Bowl Throwback ($TBA) will let you relive your gridiron glory days of the late 80's. Available as a download this spring on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, the old school omnipotent features online multiplayer (find your old nemesis on Facebook and finally beat his ass), customizable teams and rosters, and the ability to... [More]

Prepare for the upcoming Major League season — and for the Reds' inevitable collapse — with MLB 10 The Show ($30-$60). Available for the PS3, PSP, and even the venerable old PS2, MLB 10 The Show hails the return of the Home Run Derby, along with the ability to call the game as a catcher, new defensive training options, full... [More]

Return to the underwater city of Rapture in Bioshock 2 ($60). Set eight years after the events of the original, Bioshock 2 keeps the first-person shooter mixed with RPG elements design of the original, but has players fill the shoes of an amnesia-suffering Big Daddy as he searches the city for his lost Little Sister. As thought-provoking as it is... [More]

Intrigued by — or even engrossed in — Need For Speed: Shift, but missing your favorite prancing horse chariot? Need For Speed Shift: Ferrari Racing Series ($10) is a new downloadable add-on for Shift that brings with it ten different Ferrari models, California, F430 GTC, and the FXX, as well as 46 new challenges, and a shot at 125 additional... [More]

While we love downloading old games from the Wii's Virtual Console store, we miss the days of value-packed arcade collections. Luckily, not every publisher has given up hope on the ol' multi-game discs, as evidenced by the release of Data East Arcade Classics ($20; February 9). This bargain-priced compilation includes 15 arcade games, some well known — Bad Dudes vs.... [More]

Continuing the storyline from the original sci-fi Role Playing hit Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 ($57) is bigger, better, and all-new. Improved features include a new damage system, an improved dialogue mechanic that gives you more options when dealing with computer-controlled characters, 19 different weapons, and integration with the original game, letting you import game saves so you can continue... [More]

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars ($18 Nintendo DS; $10 iPhone) places players in the shoes of young Triad member Huang Lee as he navigates Liberty City in search of vengeance for his father's killing, as well as a large cash inheritance. Featuring rampages, an in-game economic system, wi-fi connectivity for stat tracking, and more, it's a must-have title for anyone... [More]

Get off the couch and give your thumbs a rest. Tony Hawk: Ride ($120) is a new video game starring the godfather of grinds that utilizes a new hands-free skateboard-like controller. The hoverboard-esque controller packs in accelerometers and motion sensors that get you physically involved in the game, letting you skate around, propel yourself, and trick out just as you... [More]

Get ready for the first 2D home console Mario Bros. adventure since the SNES. New Super Mario Bros. Wii ($47; November 15) brings up to four-player co-op to the familiar side-scrolling world of Mario and Luigi, with classic gameplay augmented by new items like the propeller suit and Penguin Mario, and motion-based controls made possible by the Wii Remote. We... [More]

If the idea of Jack Black playing "the world's greatest roadie" who gets sent back in time to save an "ancient world of heavy metal" from destruction sounds silly, well, that's because it is. But don't let that stop you from enjoying Brutal Legend ($57). Despite its wacky premise, Legend impresses with a mix of classic hack and slash and... [More]