Phantom Hourglass is the direct successor to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, picking up the narrative where Wind Waker left off with the same characters, art style, music, and many gameplay elements. While it sometimes feels like the apple falls so near the tree as to be overshadowed, the game provides a classic Zelda experience with the occasional novel twist.

With the degree of buzz surrounding the release of Valve’s Orange Box, it seems almost redundant to introduce one of its components: Portal. Nevertheless, amidst the hubbub about 5 high-profile games for $50, it’s easy to overlook the fact that these games can be purchased separately. Each game merits independent evaluation.