Based on the computer-animated television series airing on the Cartoon Network, Republic Heroes has you engaged in a war between a battle droid army and the Jedi. Set between seasons one and two of the series, the game has you tracking down a bounty hunter named Cad Bane and the villainous Kul Teska across more than 30 missions. Playable characters include Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Commander Cody, Captain Rex, Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, and Ahsoka Tano. Fight as either a Jedi or a clone trooper across 3D environments overflowing with enemies to shoot, slice, and shatter. Lightsaber-equipped Jedis can use Force powers and perform acrobatic maneuvers, while clone troopers use jetpacks and wield high-powered weapons like rocket launchers and thermal detonators. Team up with a friend at any point with the game's drop-in cooperative system. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Guitar Hero 5 continues Activision's music rhythm series with an expanded lineup of 85 songs from 83 artists. While the basic format is identical to 2008's Guitar Hero: World Tour, with each song supporting a singer, drummer, lead guitar, and bass, a number of changes have been added to enhance its pick-up-and-play appeal. The "Party Play" option lets would-be musicians create a set list and drop in or out at any time while it plays, without having to restart a song. Friends and onlookers can also join in at any point, simply by pressing a button on one of the peripherals, and none of the songs can be failed.

You'll also be able to use any combination of instruments, allowing you to play a song as four drummers, four lead singers, and so forth. In a first for the series, the game's entire song lineup is immediately available to drum, hum, or strum from the start. Career Mode now includes bonus challenges for each song, such as scoring a specific number of points while in Star Power. Each challenge offers three levels of progression, which will unlock bonuses such as characters, outfits, venues, and instruments.

Guitar Hero 5's diverse selection of artists includes Tom Petty, Sonic Youth, Duran Duran, Iron Maiden, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Coldplay, the White Stripes, Stevie Wonder, Nirvana, Peter Frampton, Johnny Cash, Public Enemy, Wolfmother, and Elton John. Among the songs featured are "All Along the Watchtower," "Runnin' Down a Dream," "No One to Depend On," "Ring of Fire," "Sympathy for the Devil," "All the Pretty Faces," and "A-Punk." ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

With the World at War, Activision's veteran military first-person shooter series heeds a call to return to its WWII roots. Built on the Call of Duty 4 engine, World at War aims to bring Modern Warfare's sharp graphics, chaotic battlefield environments, and tense shooter action back to the World War II setting in which the series earned its stripes.

As (at least) the fourth original console and home computer Call of Duty title set during World War II, World at War offers an expanded selection of era-authentic infantry and vehicle weapons, as well as the tactics that go with them, such as using flamethrowers to burn away camouflaging cover and expose hidden enemies. The Final Fronts PS2 version of the game features its own storyline and mission progression.

Call of Duty: World at War -- Final Fronts players take the role of a United States Marine in the Pacific, a British Airborne officer on the Rhine, and an 80th Infantry soldier in Bastogne, to face an onslaught of deadly new techniques, including brutal guerrilla warfare, deadly booby traps, and unrelenting Banzai Charge attacks. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

The 2009 edition of World Wrestling Entertainment's reigning interactive entertainment title has players entering the sold-out arenas with a partner. More than before, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 is about teamwork -- tag-teamwork, to be precise. Two players can work together toward a Wrestlemania victory in an expanded co-op campaign. Working together, a good team can build momentum and become stronger as it progresses, gaining powerful moves. The game allows for team tactics, such as matching strengths and weaknesses and budgeting stamina, and players can perform the classic babyface beat-down turnaround: a hot tag to a raw and rested teammate who ready to smack both unready opponents down to the canvas. The 2009 edition's "Create-a-Finisher" feature allows players to create not only the look and attributes of their custom WWE superstars, but their finishing moves as well. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

The "King of Iron Fist Tournament 3" is over, but the fighting is far from finished. The combatants from Tekkens past are itching to rumble, so much so that they're pairing off and traveling the world to take each other on, all in an insatiable quest for knuckle sandwiches, Wind Godfists, and proof of kung-fu superiority in the Tekken Tag Tournament.

The Tekken storyline is vast and complicated, with a focus on the soap-opera tribulations of the profoundly screwed-up Mishima family (which makes the plot a little like Dallas with martial arts). Tekken Tag Tournament exists outside of the true "Tekken canon," however. Rather, it is a conglomeration of the previous games, with every fighter that has appeared in the Tekken series (though Gon and Dr. B, present in the PlayStation's Tekken 3, are absent here), regardless of whether they are alive, dead, or far too old to compete according to previously establishedTekken legends.

But who needs a storyline, anyway? This is a fighting game, first and foremost. The Tekken series was one of the first 3D polygonal fighters, second only to Sega's Virtua Fighter, and although its gameplay has been refined, it remains operationally consistent. Tekken Tag is built on a modified version of the Tekken 3 engine, with the most noticeable difference being the aforementioned tag feature, which was clearly inspired by the Capcom "Vs." series. Players select two characters from a cast of 34, and then fight it out in various exotic locales, be it on the beach, by a Buddhist temple, or even in the dark, grimy streets of a modern metropolis.

Tekken Tag Tournament was a U.S. launch title for the PS2, and received a considerable facelift from the arcade version, which was created using Namco's System 12 board, the same architecture from the four-year-old Tekken 3. Characters and stages have been re-rendered and updated, to take advantage of the PS2's abilities. The game even received extra tweaking between the Japanese and U.S. markets, as Namco responded to claims that the game was too "jaggy" by implementing anti-aliasing features. The music has also been remixed and altered from its arcade counterpart.

Gameplay is similar in function to Tekken 3, and there are still a wide variety of moves and fighting styles available. One of Tekken's strengths is in giving new players enough simplicity to enjoy the game, while still providing enough depth to satisfy practiced "Tekken Masters." Control is based on a four-button scheme, in which each of the buttons works as one of the fighter's limbs (now a fifth button, for tagging, has been added to the mix). Successful fighting demands speed, combos, and the art of "juggles" -- attacks made while the opponent is in the air, rendering the ability to block or reverse them impossible. Add to that chain throws, side-stepping, reversals (some universal, some limb-specific), and even reverse-reversals (known as "chickens"), and you have the Tekken fighting engine.

The tag feature has been implemented with the hopes of giving the game more depth while still remaining true to its frenetic pacing. Players tap on the tag button to bring fighters in or out and, unlike the "Vs." series, once either player loses an entire life bar, the round is over. Characters sitting on the sideline slowly gain back energy, however, and if they're kept out long enough they'll come back into the fight with the ability to inflict a bit more damage, for a limited amount of time.

As is its tradition, Namco adds a heap of additional modes for this home conversion of Tekken Tag. There's "Arcade Mode," a straight-up, eight-match game; "Vs. Battle Mode," suited for two to four players fighting amongst themselves; "Survival Mode," where players must run through as many matches as they can until their life expires; "Time Attack Mode," a race to get through the Arcade Mode in the shortest amount of time; "Team Battle Mode," where players pick from four to eight characters and duke it out; and "1 on 1 Mode," another U.S.-exclusive, which returns the traditional (non-tag) style of the previous Tekken games.

Add in a "Practice Mode," where players can hone their skills; a "Pair Play Mode," where players can use a Multitap to get a little four-way brawling on; and "Tekken Bowl," a bowling mini-game, and it becomes clear Tekken Tag's cup runneth, over in terms of game modes and option. There are also "Theater" and "Gallery Modes," where one can view the rendered endings, or save and view gameplay screenshots. ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide

Lord Nobunaga, the shogun who would be remembered by history as one of the most powerful and fiercest of warlords in Japan, has fallen in battle after taking an arrow through the throat. He would not, however, remain dead for very long. Demons have come to bring the wicked lord back to life, and it is up to a young ronin named Samanosuke Akechi to face them -- all while saving a separated lover for whom his heart still burns.

Samanosuke won't be able to take on the sickening horde by himself. An ancient supernatural clan called the Ogres has been suppressed long enough by the demons, so they have enlisted the master-less samurai to help, giving him a powerful gauntlet that will allow him to steal the souls from fallen enemies.

Samanosuke can use the raw ethereal power from these captured souls to strengthen his weapon thanks to the elemental orbs which fuel the gauntlet's power. It will be a long and difficult journey through the nightmare landscape of Japan, but Samanosuke is the only hope against the demons that have plagued mankind far too long.

So begins Onimusha: Warlords, Capcom's second game on the PlayStation 2. As with titles in the company's Resident Evil series, Onimusha features polygonal characters placed over pre-rendered backgrounds with fixed camera perspectives. The locations that Samanosuke will travel through include forts and castles, designed to match the setting of feudal Japan, as well as caves, forests, and even the demons' lair itself.

The controls are also similar to those of the Resident Evil series, although there have been some additions to meet the game's more action-oriented needs. There is a strafe button included that will allow Samanosuke to move forward, backwards, and to the sides without having to turn around, and a guard button allows the character to block weaker attacks with his katana.

Unlike most titles in the genre, Onimusha features fast-paced swordplay and a large number of enemies to confront. Players will need to fight these enemies, however, instead of avoiding them because they'll need their souls to power-up the gauntlet. Onimusha allows characters to exchange the power given by the souls for more powers in Samanosuke's sword, which takes on attributes of whichever elemental orb he currently has equipped in the gauntlet.

In addition, players must power-up the orbs so they can break the various elemental seals scattered around the game world. Other role-playing aspects of the game include powerful magical attacks and upgrades to both Samanosuke's arsenal and his armor. There are also puzzles that must be overcome to progress through the game.

Onimusha is a strictly single-player experience, and there is only one character to choose from in the beginning. Some players, especially parents, will want to pay attention to the "Mature" rating for Onimusha, as it contains explicit scenes of violence and gore. ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide

The 2001 edition of 989's well established hockey series features all of the team and roster updates that fans have come to expect from a first-rate line of annual sports titles. Expansion teams from Columbus and Minnesota are available, as are eight international clubs. This version of the game also offers new modes of play, including a practice mode and a shootout mode. The game keeps track of more lines and the line change AI has been improved. Players also have more control over their shots in NHL FaceOff 2001. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Rockstar Games once again invites players to "explore their inner criminal" with this release of Grand Theft Auto III for the PlayStation 2 console. This violent, mission-based driving game has the player resuming the role of a cold-hearted street thug making his way up the ladder of underworld gangs and organized crime. With over 50 different types of vehicles on the busy city streets, sports cars to SUVs, taxi cabs to 18-wheelers, and even ambulances and cop cars all there for the taking, a wide variety of outlaw adventures awaits.

The setting of Liberty City is made up of three districts and in all, Grand Theft Auto III offers 72 different missions, many of which can be played in any order. As the player's character completes jobs available in one part of the city, other areas and assignments open up to him. Along with this purposeful design of a non-linear storyline, many other features popular in earlier versions of the game return in this release as well, including a diverse variety of deadly weapons, busy streets full of self-involved pedestrians, and eight different radio station soundtracks to listen to while inside the vehicles. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

In Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2's main mode, known as the Pro-Quest, players pick their riders and bikes and then assault eight different stages with all the tricks and spins they can crank out. Each level has five ranks for players to conquer: Rookie, Amateur, Pro, Hardcore, and Insane. The Rookie challenge is always a score test, and the next three levels each contain four challenges of increasing difficulty. Within the levels are other pro riders, and you will have to seek out a different rider for every level to receive his challenge. The Insane challenge is always a single trick with a very high degree of difficulty.

Finishing the difficulty levels on each stage will open new opportunities by giving you sponsorships, revealing special tricks, and opening up more stages to play. Finishing the Pro level will always open the next stage, and each challenge you complete will not only score you regular points in the level, but also add to something new toDave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2: respect points.

Respect points are entirely different from the regular points, as they are cumulative over the course of the entire game. You can earn up to 50,000 respect points, and there are plenty of different ways you can obtain them. This includes completing challenges, jumping all of the special gaps contained in a given stage, and placing within the Pro-Quest's competitions.

You won't be allowed to enter competitions right away -- you have to score at least 10,000 respect points first to show that you're worthy. After you do so, the first stage will be open to competition, and you'll have two runs to show off your skills. Placing first, second, or third will give you respect points and open the next stage up to competition. The judging becomes tougher as you go, however. To help players out, new bikes that increase a rider's stats are available at certain respect point levels. ~ Jon Thompson, All Game Guide

The creators of the beloved Crash Bandicoot series bring out a new duo of heroes for 3D platforming on the PS2 with this release of Naughty Dog's Jak and Daxter. While Jak is a handsome young hero with big blue eyes and bushy blond hair, his companion Daxter has been transformed into a small weasel-like creature by a strange dark curse. The two heroes set out to seek the forgotten secrets of the Precursors, an ancient race that inhabited the land many ages ago. Only by seeking the wisdom of the ancients can they hope to change Daxter back to his natural form.

The game is designed to provide a large 3D world populated with towns, ruins, and diverse wilderness areas and it does not follow any strict level progression. The storyline is open-ended enough to allow Jak and Daxter to find their own way through the adventure, searching the land, accepting quests, and taking on powerful boss characters in the order the player chooses. By helping local inhabitants Jak and Daxter can earn power cells, which help to open up new areas. The heroes also find new weapons and gain new spell as they journey through the land. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Created with the support of two multimedia entertainment powerhouses, Kingdom Hearts provides a new adventure with some familiar faces. This 3D action-oriented role-playing title from developers at Square features popular Disney characters like Donald Duck and Goofy adventuring alongside more conventional Final Fantasy-styled heroes.

Tetsuya Nomura, who designed several of the characters in earlier Final Fantasy titles, supervised this game's development. In addition to the well-established Donald and Goofy, Kingdom Hearts introduces several new characters to the Disney universe.

The heroes must embark on a long and dangerous quest to rescue lost friends. Players guide thier characters through sleepy city streets and mysterious torch-lit tombs, facing clever enemies and large boss characters. Most of the action is played out in real-time. Though it features characters often associated with children's programs, Kingdom Hearts is designed to offer a thoughtful, serious role-playing adventure for gamers of all ages. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland marks a significant shift in focus for the series, becoming more of a "life simulation" than the "farm simulation" it once was. Unlike previous incarnations where the main objective was to resurrect a dying farm and ultimately turn a profit, this PS2 title presents players with a slightly more desperate predicament: The land upon which the village is built has been earmarked for the development of a new resort complex. Construction begins in exactly one year and in that time you'll have to find a way to save the village. Incidentally, there are nine different ways that this can be achieved, providing nine different game endings.

Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland is also the first title in the series to make use of 3D environments, and has included a user-definable camera that can be manipulated as needed with the aid of the right analog stick. The game also makes use of "cel-shading" -- a technique that has become synonymous with cartoon-style games.

Among the most significant changes are that annual events are no longer celebrated; the axe and hammer have been removed from your inventory; the variety of crops has been reduced, and land no longer needs to be cleared before crops can be planted. Also, the shipping bin has been eradicated, requiring that you take your crops to town yourself. With the emphasis no longer on your farm, relationships now become more important than ever; though, you can now only court the local ladies and not marry them. Cooking and the collection of recipes remain an integral part of the gameplay.

A standard day on the farm still revolves around checking the weather report and then tending to the animals and crops, but days now elapse significantly faster. Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland also features 20 new characters with which to interact, each with their own unique personalities, likes and dislikes, and birthdays which must be remembered at all costs. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide