The Riff-Rocker is a portable, personal USB guitar game that can be plugged in and played anytime, anywhere. The pocket-sized guitar functions like the widely popular, interactive guitar game but costs a fraction of the price. The Riff-Rocker is portable and designed to be easy to use. It requires a one-time, free software download. The software comes with an assortment of preprogrammed songs and allows players to import their own purchased music from the Web or their MP3player. The Riff-Rocker’s frets are used to play notes that appear on the computer screen. Players earn points by hitting the notes, and additional points are awarded when the fret keys are held down for long notes. It includes easy, medium and hard levels of play, as well as a multiplayer option. "The Riff-Rocker was designed as an inexpensive gaming alternative to all the accessories, games and consoles required to play other musical video games," Karlie,in marketing at Buztronics, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2009.

Designed for use with traditional drum sets or with drum console gaming systems, Rock Stix LED drumsticks pulse with every beat. The user taps the Rock Stix to activate the ultra-bright LED, which illuminates the entire stick to create incredible lighting effects in low-light conditions. Batteries are included and replaceable. Rock Stix are constructed with Lexan professional-grade plastic for superior durability and optical clarity. There are no switches, wires or controls to get in the way. They are available with red, blue or rainbow LEDs. The packaging features a "try me" option so customers can see the functionality of the product and LED brightness and color before they buy. Launch date: July 2009.

This game boasts a huge roster of playable characters among the heroic Autobots and evil Decepticons as they battle across the globe. Players can transform from robot to vehicle in an instant and run, drive or fly around the enemy. It features multiplayer online modes and is available on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Playstation Portable, PC, Nintendo DS, and Wii.  Launch date: June 15, 2009.

This game follows the plot of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” as Harry and his pals prepare for dark sorcery from without (the rise of Voldemort) and from within (just who is “the Half-Blood Prince?”) Players duel with wizards, mix potions, fly on a broom in a Quidditch match, and even take a detour into romantic subplots. It is available on Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC and Macintosh. Launch date: Sept. 30, 2009.

Attempting to make players feel they are the future X-Man, everything about Wolverine is right there: the razor-sharp claws, his healing factor, and his moves. Supported by a big screen release and countless comic books, the game is available on Wii, Nintendo DS, PC, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable. Launch date: Late Spring 2009.

Game Vault is the second generation from the original Game Chamber. The Game Vault is a storage organizer designed to prevent the loss of games. "The Game Vault makes the child put back the game they are playing before another game will come out. This prevents the game finding [its] way under the car seat, couch or on the plane ... sav[ing] parent hundreds of dollars," Michael Rosenberg, CEO of Daze Products, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2009.

Classic games you can play on the go. The Techno Source LCD Video Games line has a game for everyone: whether you want the fast-paced action and bold graphics of the handheld games or the portable playability of the keychain and mini games.

Instead of watching a story unfold in a game, players write the story. Decisions they make in the game affect the game world, and how people in towns view you as your reputation starts to grow. During the sword and sorcery tale, the adventurers can even choose to marry and start a family. The Xbox 360 game is a sequel to Fable, which sold more than 3 million copies. Additional quests are downloadable, adding extra chapters to the story. Launch date: October 21, 2008.

A prequel to the classic Halo games, “Halo Wars” is a strategy game where players command armies against the alien Covenant which is threatening to obliterate mankind. In story mode, players join the crew aboard the “Spirit of Fire” starship, guided by Serina, an artificial intelligence. Various troops and vehicles all have their own strengths to be pitted against the alien menace or against other online players in skirmish mode. The game was crafted by Ensemble Studios, known for its “Age of Empires” game franchise. According to Microsoft, “Since inception, 'Halo Wars' was explicitly designed to cater to console gamers and bring to the Xbox 360 a genre that has typically been played on the PC.” Launch date: March 3, 2009.

"'Gears of War 2' is the highly anticipated sequel to the 5.5 million-selling blockbuster action game and one of the most popular Xbox games in history,” according to Microsoft. The sequel continues the original story, where humanity is threatened, and troops must gear up to save the world. Developed by Epic Games, the third-person shooter boasts extreme action against a backdrop of an engaging and personal story. Eight different mulitplayer modes allow players all over the world to duel with each other or team up. Launch date: November 7, 2009.

The year is 2064, and World War III has left Earth in tatters. The future looks bleak, unless, of course, you're a star-spanning adventurer like Edge Maverick, who is fighting to save humanity from the brink of extinction, with a little help from his friends. This latest installment in the "Star Ocean" franchise is actually a prequel to the series of games. It is available for the Xbox 360. Launch date: February 24, 2009.

"Wii Sports Resort is a new collection of fun sports games anyone can pick up and play,” Nintendo proudly proclaims. The sequel to Wii Sports will come bundled with the MotionPlus adapter, which enhances the receptivity of the Wii Remotes. This promises to add great depth and accuracy to movement in games involving sword play, cruising on a water scooter, and throwing a Frisbee-like disk to a dog. Launch date: Spring 2009.

Just as the Nintendo Wii redefined game control, the upcoming Wii MotionPlus accessory will push it even further. The accessory attaches to the end of the Wii Remote and tracks players' arm position and orientation. Every slight movement made with the wrist or arm is rendered identically in real time on the screen.

What begins as a political search for terrorists in Washington, D.C. quickly escalates into a search for a threat of a distinctly alien nature. But players are not alone, as they can build a team of up to 16 players in this first-person shooter. Participants choose from a variety of weapons and gadgets that are literally at their fingertips with the use of the Nintendo Wii's Remote. Launch date: May 2009.

Every kid has said to friends “Let's start a band.” This game delivers on that, even if there isn't a garage to play in. From AC/DC to The Who, players take turns on guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals, covering 84 favorite songs. Online features enable people to form bands from across the globe. The game has broadened since its initial release with downloadable songs and a thriving Internet community. Launch date: December 18, 2008.

As Sony proudly proclaims: “If you can think of it, you can create it; if you can create it, you can share it; if you can share it, you can play it — and watch our colorful LittleBigPlanet grow and diversify!” Players can run their characters through 50 levels created by Sony, and can also create their own levels and customize the main character. A unique online feature allows players to share their creations with others in this award-winning game for the PlayStation 3. Launch date: October 2008.

This is the fourth installment of the gritty game known for its violence and flagrant disregard for the law. This time, players take control of Niko Bellic, a recent emigrant to Liberty City, who quickly gets embroiled in the danger-and the rewards-of a lethal life. Players can take a lot of liberties in Liberty City. There is a lot to see and do in town, and it's not for the faint of heart. It is available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Launch date:  April 29, 2008.

Yet again the alien Covenant strikes. This time, players hit the ground running. As one of the Orbital Drop Shot Troopers, they are the front lines of combat, looking for clues behind the destruction of an entire city. The events take place prior to Halo 3, and serve as a new way for players to be immersed in the best-selling Halo series. The game is for Xbox 360, and is supported by a thriving Internet community where people can play online together and customize their game. Launch date: September 30, 2009.

When a game states that it is playable by up to 32 players, you know it's going to be big. This game continues the story of interplanetary conflict fought in the trenches by well-armed troops. For much of the game, your character fights alongside other troops controlled by the computer. In several multiplayer modes, battle alongside — or against — your friends in various missions. This first person shooter is available on the PlayStation 3. Launch date:  Feb. 27, 2009.

Recurring character Chris Redfield returns to the lead role in the latest chapter of this survival horror franchise that has spawned big-budget film treatments. In a multiplayer mode, friends can join in, taking over other characters to help in the fight. Redfield must voyage to Africa, where a bioterrorism threat has turned people and animals into mindless monsters. It's for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Launch date:  March 13, 2009.

This exclusive release for the handheld Nintendo DS continues a line of epic role-playing games that has moved more than 46 million units worldwide since it debuted on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986. The "Dragon Quest" line has defined role-playing games, and features all the classic elements, like leveling up and battling monsters for experience and money. The portable sword and sorcery game features interactive play with up to four players. Launch date: July 11, 2009 (Japan); December 11, 2009 (U.S.).

This first-person shooter pits the player against Nazis in World War II, in an alternate history where the Nazis experimented with the supernatural and futuristic technology. “Wolfenstein” has had a following since the first game appeared as “Wolfenstein 3-D” in 1992.

At this doggie daycare center, kids will get to take care of the most adorable puppies and dogs, teaching them cool tricks and rewarding them with toys and yummy treats. Launch date: October 2008.

It's up to kids to shelter and nurse their little animal friends back to health. In "Happy Tails: Animal Shelter," they'll get to care for and love hamsters, puppies, kittens, bunnies and more in their very own animal shelter. They can learn the animals' stories and give them a happy ending by finding them perfect new homes. Launch date: October 2008.

Crazy Machines 2 is packed with all-new features to help kids create their wackiest "Rube Goldberg-style" contraptions. A 3-D physics engine lets them craft even more complex gadgets and effects. Builders can kick the brain into high gear with mind-bending puzzles and tinker with wrecking balls, lightening rods, lasers, pulleys, springs, gears and more to create the chain reaction they need. Launch date: April 15, 2008.