Best Racing Games

Forza Motorsport 3

At first glance, Forza 3 may appear heavily tailored to the hardcore car simulator enthusiast, and it surely is, but this is only half true. Forza 3 caters to both the hardcore and the casual alike, thanks to its easily managed difficulty settings. With its high degree of accessibility, impressive physics and graphics engines, deep car customization, and an active community that generates amazing content, it’s no wonder that Forza 3 is easily the Xbox 360’s best racing game. -Larry T. Hinh

Burnout Paradise

Burnout Paradise is only “realistic” in the loosest sense. The cars resemble actual brand-name automobiles, Paradise City is clearly set on the planet Earth, and if you crash head-on into a wall at 100MPH, you car is totaled. Beautifully, gloriously totaled in slow-motion so you can watch the crumple zones collapse and the wheels fly off. If you ram another car into the wall, you get the same effect with the added satisfaction of a job well done.

Burnout Paradise is Grand Theft Auto 3 minus the Theft. Whatever flaws it may have, Burnout Paradise made me reverse a lifelong negative opinion of an entire class of video games. If that’s not enough to qualify for Best Xbox Racing Game, I don’t know what is. -Daniel Feit

Ridge Racer 6

Yes, you read correctly - friggin' Ridge Racer 6. I’m sure most would say Burnout, Forza, or Project Gotham Racing, but this out-of-print, out-of-stock racer is the cat’s pajamas. It’s my go-to game whenever I’m bored, had a few drinks, or just want to get a dose of nostalgia. This arcade racing game is so easy to play yet incredibly difficult to master; a characteristic of any true great game. Hurtling down an airport runway or coastal highway at breakneck speeds gets my heart pumping and blood flowing like nothing else, but don’t even think about touching that brake when a corner comes up. Just give the gas a few taps and you’ll powerslide around so naturally people would swear you came out of your mother’s womb the exact same way. -Matthew Orona
 

Best Fighting Games

Street Fighter/Super Street Fighter 4

Playing this game on Live is a treat. Out of the four modes, the best is Endless Battle -- this is where I have consistently had the most fun. In fact, late last week my brother called me and mentioned that he finally got his own 360 and that he was going to beat me (he didn't). When we got to play, despite the 3000 miles between us, there was no lag, no spikes, no slowdown, no missed anything. It shot me back to when I used to beat him up and down the room as a kid. When more people came into the lobby and the conversation got rowdy, the matches and the viewing stayed smooth. With moments like this, Endless Battle has remained and will probably be my favorite online mode of any game. -Tyrell Stewart

When first playing this game you might ask, where's the depth? These characters only have like three special moves and no obvious combos! Well, sir, this game is filled with depth, in fact -- so much depth I don't even like to think about it because it gives me vertigo. -Camaren Crook

I was browsing through a local GameStop and the Xbox 360 kiosk showcased Street Fighter 4. I'd only seen pictures online -- in motion it looked slick. I stepped up to select my character. Moments later, another person stepped up. "Can I join you?" he asked. I chose an old favorite, Blanka; he picked Balrog. The screen said "Fight!" and I was instantly transported back 20 years, to the first time I saw Street Fighter 2, and stared once again in awe at the action onscreen. -Jon Irwin

With no real weak points except a large gap between the casual and the elite (which is normal in fighting games), Super Street Fighter 4 takes the cake without anyone else even tasting the frosting. -Siri Karri