Xbox 360

CHICAGO – With echoes of “Bioshock,” “Resistance,” and a number of shooter hits as diverse as “F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin” and “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,” “Singularity” embraces its derivative nature but transcends it to become one of the more surprisingly enjoyable single-player campaigns of the year.

CHICAGO – On paper, “Naughty Bear” sounded like a great summer video game alternative. Where most games fit into a pretty definable niche like shooter, sports game, RPG, etc., how do you categorize a game about a maniacal teddy bear killing off his teddy bear friends in unique and blood-curdling ways? Sadly, “Naughty Bear” merely proves that originality only gets you so far. You still need to make a good game.

CHICAGO – With only a few tweaks to last year’s very successful edition, “NCAA Football 11” maintains the franchise’s pole position as the best sports title available. “Madden NFL” is a great game. So are “MLB The Show,” “NBA 2K,” “FIFA,” and “Tiger Woods PGA Tour.” “NCAA Football” wins by a field goal.

CHICAGO – The highly-anticipated “Crackdown 2” has sucked in many Microsoft Xbox 360 players this month with its promise of controlled chaos, but does it live up to the expectations? With echoes of far-superior games “InFAMOUS” and “Just Cause 2” ringing in players’ ears, even hardcore fans will have to admit some disappointment but there’s still something oddly addictive about this relatively simple game.

Video Game Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – If you’ve ever played a solitaire matching game online like “Bejeweled Blitz” or “Chuzzle” then you’ll be familiar with the basic structure of D3’s remarkably addictive “Puzzle Quest 2,” now available on Xbox Live Arcade and for the Nintendo DS. And if you’ve ever been addicted to one of those popular solitaire matching games, clear your schedule and tell your friends that you’re going to be busy for a while. This is the best game of its kind in a long time.

Video Game Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Just as every gamer thinks of John Madden when it comes to football, Tiger Woods has long been synonymous with the pinnacle of golf gaming. Electronic Arts hopes that buyers can overlook his drama off the green and continue to think of Tiger Woods every time they want to play a round of golf without an actual 5 iron.

Video Game Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Being hopelessly addicted to the great “Zen Pinball” and a fan of golf games from the realistic (“Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11”) to the cartoonish (“Hot Shots Golf”), I was more than a little excited for Zen Studios’ “Planet Mini-Golf.” If they could capture the creative fun of an old-fashioned game as they did with “Zen Pinball,” I figured my new summer obsession had arrived. Sadly, it turned into my summer frustration.

CHICAGO – After seeing the amazing “Toy Story 3” (read our review here) this past weekend, you may be inclined to participate in the adventures of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of the gang in one of the many incarnations of the video game tie-in available on Sony Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, and Sony PSP.

CHICAGO – Harmonix and MTV Games took something of a surprising turn after the massive success of last year’s best music game, “The Beatles: Rock Band,” by choosing the follow-up band from a very different arena of radio rock and announcing “Green Day: Rock Band.” With dozens of bands on player’s wish lists of who they would love to get the “Beatles Treatment,” many were surprised that Green Day was chosen as the follow-up group.

Video Game Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – May 2010 has seen a trio of racing games that might blur together for casual players but that all come with their own unique identities. Sony’s “ModNation Racers” (which we will review later this week) is about the customizable experience and plays closer to something like “Super Mario Kart” meets “Little Big Planet”. Disney’s “Split/Second” is a car chase scene from a Michael Bay movie brought to life. The most traditional and arguably most addictive is Activision’s “Blur,” a thrill ride that moves at such a high rate of speed that decisions need to made in the blink of an eye.