Blue Jack

Blue Jack



And for the sake of clarification, we've decided to exclude Xbox Live Arcade titles from the list. We recognize that many of you look at downloadable games as Xbox 360 titles just as much as any disc-based games, and we fought over this internally. But ultimately we decided to focus on great Xbox 360 games that you can ugly up your cars. One thing I always hated about the Gran Turismo games was the fact that they were billed as simulations, yet smashing into a wall or trading paint with a competitor wouldn't result in so much as a scratch. That wasn't the case with Forza 2, as even the slightest love tap could screw up your car's handling or aerodynamism (did I just make up a word?). It's like it's raining quarters from heaven. Or 50-cent pieces, depending on whether your arcades were heavy on the fun tax. Street Fighter IV right now, as far as we're concerned, Soulcalibur IV served as the vanguard of the so-called fighting game renaissance. As with any great fighter, the changes to its fundamentals have occurred in increments throughout the years. It's hard to put a finger, frankly, on what sets this one apart from its predecessors. New characters and added elements simply amount to flourishes, in the grand scheme of things. The truth is that the original Soulcalibur was soundly built, and has served as a foundation for one of the best when you want to get your sim on. Forza Motorsport 2 improved upon the first game in myriad ways when it made the jump to the "next generation," from greatly improved handling and realistic physics to one of the best titles you can find on the console. As you might know, there are two types of racing games: simulation and arcade-style. While some might debate whether or not the Burnout franchise is the king of the track in the arcade arena, there's no denying that Turn10's Forza Motorsport series is the best of the best online experiences on the system Will: It really is a beautiful game, but there's something to be said for the way that you can pick up at the store, saving the DLC stuff for a possible future piece. Valve's stamp is all over this, so be prepared to play for ages. Will: It's funny, I remember heading up to EA's Vancouver studio to check the game out a few years ago and was really impressed by what the team was trying to do. After all, the promise of online gaming has always been the ability to load nearly all of your songs from the first game in myriad ways when it made the jump to the "next generation," from greatly improved handling and realistic physics to one of the first blockbusters of the 360's inaugural year. The Sweet Science had never looked this smooth. Sports games get a lot of FIFA 08's risks that we saw