After years of being told to play this adventure game from a friend, I finally took the plunge. I should have learnt that graphics do not limit a game from when I played Monkey Island only recently. The game is simply outstanding. Without a doubt one of the most beautiful and charasismatic games that I have ever played, bringing a rich array of characters to life in a world filled with fantasy and mystery. Play this game now!

- Simply rich and beautiful	- The graphics are dated

When I was young and magazine game demos were actually used, I saw a demo that took up an entire CD all on its own (madness at the time). Playing that demo four times over I soon realised that Baldur's Gate will be remembered as one of my favourite games of all time, whilst probably one of the hardest and longest too. The game paved the way for RPG titles to come featuring amazing depth, length, dialogue, stratergy and whit.

- The ultimate and original RPG	- Very very very long lasting

Monkey Island worried me to begin as I was going from games with massive, advanced technology and years more development time. However I had a fantastic time playing this game and will now take the step to retro gaming easier. I cannot recommend this game more, especially to fans of the adventure genre. Everything from the rich characters, fantastic story and hilarious scripts makes this one of my favourite games ever.

- An experience that is hard to find	- Unfortunate sound compatability problems

Portal is one of the quintisential titles of the year. Such an amazing concept has been pulled off beautifully with fantastic puzzles that challenge and entertain till the end. Whilst the game is extremely short the fantastic gameplay and constant humor achieved by nothing more than a voice over is of a higher quality than any game previously. Most importantly always remember whilst playing that the cake is not a lie.

- Fantastic and hilarious narrative	- The fun is over too soon

N+ will make you want to smash your control pad into the wall more times than any other Xbox Live game, however, when you finally manage to conquer the mind numbing platform stages, N+ will fill you with glee! Overall if you like a challenge or simply enjoy addictive platform gameplay, N+ is one of the best experiences you will find on Xbox Live. Its pick up and play nature is a reminder of why Geometry Wars was adored.

- Simple, clean, basic and beautiful!	- Not many gamers can stomach the difficulty

Baldur's Gate II followed in the footsteps of the original but pushed the engine a lot further and proved to be just as enjoyable as the first. It is often discussed which is the best of the series. Whilst I beleive it to be the original, the sequel is still fantastic and the improved scripting does a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life. Once again any fan of RPG titles will not find much better than this.

- Fantastic new engine improvements	- Extremely long like the original

Eets: Chowdown! features unique gameplay that can best be described as a frantic platform puzzle adventure. From your start location, you must travel to an exit point using a large range of items. Whilst this may seem simple, you will soon find that the puzzle design is truly brilliant and requires a mastermind to survive. Everything from the graphics, gameplay, sound and value are top notch!

- Simply one of the best XBL titles	- Can become frustratingly difficult

Monkey Island 2 continues the fantastic tale of ones adventure to become a pirate. The game is as enjoyable as the last, scripting is just as hilarious and entertaining and the background music is perfection. Unfortunately the game can be rather difficult as the scale of the world has been tripled since the original and the sheer possibilities can be daunting. The ending is amazing and it is a shame we will never know the secret.

- The story and characters are fantastic again	- Puzzles can become frustrating

I started playing Curse of Monkey Island wanting to hate it but I generally believe the new development team have done a fantastic job at continuing the series without the original creator, I would recommend this to any fan of the series and adventure games in general. This title however is only truly enjoyable when the history of the story and characters are known, so make sure you play the previous two titles first.

- Unique take on the running storyline	- You must play the previous titles first

World of Warcraft is vast, detailed, beautiful and extremely deadly. It is without a doubt that weeks and weeks of enjoyment can be had from this ever popular MMO, however you will likely find weeks and weeks of time wasting and simple addiction to take place too. I have put more hours into this game than any other, and whilst it has been extremely enjoyable at times, I have taken little away from the experience.

- Hard to compare competing with millions	- And nothing compares to the timesink of it

Continuing in the footsteps of the original, Burning Crusade shows other MMO titles how to create a true expansion. Featuring a large array of new areas, items, enemies, raids and fresh content such as Arenas and Daily Quests; the expansion was the perfect incentive to continue playing the same style of content, at a few levels higher. Whilst the format is the same, the quality and polish cannot be questioned.

- A fantastic package to expand the original	- The additional levels reset years of work

Team Fortress 2 brings the age old concept into a world of crazy cell shaded antics and fantastic class choice. Anyone that has played Team Fortress Classic know exactly what to expect, everyone else... get the game and find out. Every class has been tweaked so that the game is perfectly balanced resulting in an action packed online shooter that is not only challenging but extremely hilarious and enjoyable.

- Fast paced crazy cell shaded antics	- Can become repetative before long

Starting the game you will control a ship which can detonate and destroy all enemies in your close proximity, causing them to explode. Their explosions will cause a chain reaction and explode other enemies around them. Not only is the game challenging and enjoyable by default, but you will also get three additional game modes and a range of stages on all. You also get online multiplayer, some great achievements and leaderboards.

- Stunning visual & audio unique experience	- Can become repetitive after a while

The Rare classic of 1983 is back both in its original state and a new improved fantastic HD counterpart. The game also features a brief history of Jetpac, leaderboards, achievements and full online or offline multiplayer, all of which are of good quality. Rare have done a magnificent job with everything from the sound to the graphics, providing a game that contains hours of classic arcade fun.

- For the price, Jetpac Refuelled is a steal!	- The gameplay can become repetitive quickly

Placed inside a maze, in control of what can best be described as a half eaten cheesecake, you must eat all the dots whilst avoiding four ghosts that are constantly trying to find you. Whilst the game could have been greatly improved with graphical upgrades, additional features and possible online play, Pac-Man still provides an enjoyable experience and frantic situations as the artificial intelligent is still as sharp as ever.

- Still an age old classic that many will enjoy	- A lot more could have been done!

To put it simple, whoever decided to move the Monkey Island series into a 3D environment should be shot. Similar to Monkey Island 3 I went into this game expecting to hate it, and this time it turns out correct. The game tries to cling to old humor by poorly attempting pirate jokes and monkey madness, even to the stage of robotic monkey battles. The series deserved far more and I can only hope that it is now left alone.

- It starts off looking promising	- However it soon turns terrible

The simple task of crossing a busy road and a flowing river becomes one of frustration and annoyance as this age old classic can still outwit the most ‘hardcore’ gamers to date. Trying as you might it is only a matter of time before you face the skull and bones of a crushed frog. Unfortunately there is little depth, few levels and the online lobbies are typically empty.

- Finally a retro title that is not a lazy port	- You are a frog... avoiding pixilated death

Mini Golf Adventures features long single player tournaments, offline and online multiplayer, a good map editor, leaderboards and achievements. Whilst Mini Golf Adventures has fantastic features and presentation, the game is let down by repetitive and frustrating gameplay, spoiling what otherwise could have been a fantastic arcade experience.

- Superb graphics and overall presentation	- A failure at recreating the fun of mini golf!

Tetris Splash is more or less Tetris, but set in water, with a few minor extras and the ability to play with six players online (or four players offline). Playing the game over Xbox Live is where it truly shines, as the skill of an opponent can vary significantly as games can often be a breeze or a constant struggle to win. However you will likely find better titles, of this genre, in the Xbox Live Arcade catalogue.

- The highest selling game of all time, Tetris!	- Little has been done to improve the formula

Now everyone has a chance to enjoy this classic shooter on Xbox Live. Whilst the overall title has been emulated well, this is basically all that the package consists of. You have the addition of leaderboards and achievements but no sign of graphical upgrades, additional features or even online play. Because of this, Galaga XBL is likely to appeal to retro gaming fans only, if that.

- Well emulated, with easy achievements	- Lack of any desire to improve the game

Ah Word Puzzle! You will spend countless hours repeating extremely similar boards, trying to find words that are typically clear to spot. The developers have done a fantastic job at reproducing one of the most boring, easy and repetitive games yet to grace Xbox Live Arcade, however, this is not a welcome feature that will sell many copies. The developers tried to find a niche, and failed misserably.

- Presented with a nice 3D theme	- The paper variety is superiour

Tron features the depth of four different mini-games which each last around 30 seconds in length. When you have completed all four of these mini-games (if you manage it, due to unreasonably low amount of player lives), you will be presented with the same games, only slightly harder. Without a doubt Tron is the pinacle of rubbish and represents how bad free reign can be when developing for Xbox Live. Painful to play.

- They had the cheek to charge for it	- Arcade games are easy to exit from