SKATE
(EA, Xbox 360, PS3)

GENRE: Skateboarding
PLAYS LIKE: A more realistic Tony Hawk.
GAME THEORY: While Hawk’s wheels are getting a little worn out, this more intuitive upstart (which uses analog stick-wiggling for tricks instead of buttons) injects some much-needed new blood. Which you’ll promptly spill on the virtual pavement— “intuitive,” not “easy.”