1: Patapon 3

All of the Patapon games have been surprising hits and a staple of the PSP platform. Patapon 3 is no exception. As a direct sequel, following Patapon 2, the game play is essentially the same, marching your armies to the beat of a drum; however, new elements, such as Hero Patapons and expanded multiplayer modes, breathe extra excitement into the series.

2: Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy

With success of the original Dissidia, it comes as no surprise that there would be a second. It’s your typical fighting game but with all of the most loved characters of the Final Fantasy franchise. Unlike the original, Dissidia 012 also includes a single-player story mode, giving it some much needed depth.

3: Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection

Just as it was done with Final Fantasy: Tactics as well as the previous Final Fantasy installments, Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection is a direct remake of the original, sporting much of the same game play of the 1991 classic but with high-detail CGI cut scenes to emphasize the story.

4: Phantom Brave

Phantom Brave was originally published on the PlayStation 2 game in 2004 and has now been remade for the Wii and PSP. As a tactical RPG with a fun storyline that is still simple enough to put down and pick back up, it lends itself nicely to the portable environment of the PSP.

5: Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together

As a recreation of the Super Nintendo classic, Tactics Ogre, this new version gives you the same great tactics-based game play with a rather detailed game world and storyline. If you’re looking for a bit of nostalgia, this is the game for you.

The PSP really does have loads of great titles, and you can view them all in our PSP Games Section. Tell us some of your favorites in the comments below.

1: Pokémon Black & White

Pokémon is one of those games that makes up part of Nintendo’s heart(gold) and soul(silver). Many people bought the DS solely so that they could play Pokémon, and Black & White lives up to the reputation. It’s the same Pokémon experience we should all be used to, but with an exciting graphics overhaul, and of course, all new Pokémon!

2: ­­­Okamiden

As a sequel to the much loved Okami, the DS exclusive Okamiden pairs the colorful brush-based game play with the DS’ touch screen interface. The two truly make a great match, but if you loved Okami, don’t be surprised if a bit of the story is repeated in Okamiden.

3: Radiant Historia

Radiant Historia is a time traveling, tactics-style, RPG offering game play experience reminiscent of Super Mario RPG and Legend of Mana, along with elements from the Chrono Series. It’s hands-down the best RPG on the DS this year.

4: Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation

The Dragon Quest (also known as Dragon Warrior) series has been around for a couple decades now. This version is actually a DS remake of the 1995 original (for Super Nintendo). If you’re looking for an epic RPG that will give you, literally, days worth of game play, Dragon Quest is where it’s at.

5: de Blob 2

As much fun as de Blob 2 is for the Wii, it really finds its calling on the DS. As a light game with fairly uninvolved game play, it really is best suited for handhelds, and paired with the DS, it doesn’t disappoint.

If you would like to see reviews for all DS games, from this year and the past, head on over to our Nintendo DS Games Section. Be sure to sort by alaScore to see which rank the best.

1: Portal 2

You’ve probably already noticed the trend that Portal 2 is among the top games for every platform that it’s available on. It’s really that great of a game. If you don’t already have it, buy it (though the PC version should be your first choice).

2: L.A. Noire

L.A. Noire is one of the most popular games this year, on both PS3 and Xbox 360 (and likely PC when that version is released later this year). As a stylistic third-person shooter with A LOT of cinematic qualities, the PS3’s hardware is better configured to make the most out of the game, making it a slightly better experience over the Xbox 360 version.

3: inFAMOUS 2

As a direct sequel to its 2009 counterpart, the just released inFAMOUS 2 is basically a direct continuation in the storyline. The game play remains much the same as the original, running around, completing missions, and gaining power; however, inFAMOUS 2 includes a new features that allows players to create their own missions and share them with other real players around the globe. Critics give the game relatively high scores, and as more user-generated content is populated, they game will only get better.

4: Killzone 3

Killzone 3 is extremely similar to its predecessor. Its new features are primarily cosmetic but bring a much more encompassing environment to the first-person shooter. Optional use of the Playstation Move controller also contributes greatly to the game play. The multiplayer mode is hailed as rivaling that of Call of Duty: Black Ops, one of the best in the genre. Where Killzone 3 falters in comparison with its predecessor is the storyline, which doesn’t quite deliver as strongly as Killzone 2.

5: Mortal Kombat

Mortal Kombat returns! Keeping true to its roots, this 2011 edition of Mortal Kombat delivers a story driven 2D fighting experience, but with enhanced 3D graphics. Praised for its balanced characters and classic look, Mortal Kombat is sure to take you back to your younger gaming days. Chief complaints revolve around the difficulty of some levels forcing you to take less than honorable approaches to win, though this, too, remains true to the original titles of the series.

Check out more  PS3 gaming reviews in our PS3 Games Category. Remember to sort by alaScore to find the top rated.

On top of product reviews and ratings, we have the possibility to use our homegrown data. We are then able to see what the major trends of the year are in terms of products and brands. This is precisely what this post is about. This time, we decided to focus on cell phones.

Throughout the year, the top rated cell phones were:

(results based on 1050 expert reviews from Nov 30^th 2009 through Nov 30^th 2010)

• #1: HTC Desire

The HTC Desire features a sleek design with a sharp and responsive touch screen. The 1GHz Snapdragon processor keeps things running smoothly, and call quality is good

HTC Desire Reviews

• #2: Motorola Droid X

The Motorola Droid X makes another fine addition to Verizon’s Android family, bringing with it a rich multimedia experience and more connectivity features.

Motorola Droid X Reviews

• #3: HTC Desire HD

Powered by the latest Android 2.2 Froyo hand in hand with the latest HTC Sense. HTC might just have a natural bestseller on their hands

HTC Desire HD Reviews

• #4: Apple iPhone 4

Apple shows again with their new iPhone 4 that they are undoubtly a top player in the smartphone game

Apple iPhone 4 Reviews

• #5: Samsung Galaxy S GT-I9000

The Galaxy S is a pleasure to use thanks to the smooth, bright and colourful screen. Packed with tons of features, it’s the best Android hardware we’ve seen so far.

Samsung Galaxy S GT-I9000 Reviews

Throughout the year, the top rated phone brands were:

(results based on 616 expert reviews from Nov 30^th 2009 through Nov 30^th 2010)

• #1: Apple

Apple released one of the top-rated phone of the year in June with the iPhone 4.

• #2: Samsung

Samsung released seven of the 50 best-rated cell phones of the year, including the Samsung Galaxy S GT-I9000 or the Samsung Epic 4G.

• #3: HTC

HTC released eight of the top 50 cell phones of 2010, including the HTC Desire, HTC Desire HD or HTC Legend.

• #4: Motorola

Motorola released five of the top 50 cell phones of 2010, including the Motorola Droid X, Motorola Droid 2 or the Motorola Milestone.

• #5: Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson released seven of the top 50 cell phones of 2010, including the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, X10 Mini and X10 Mini Pro.

alaScore™ is a simple rating scale, ranging from 0 to 100. It provides you with a quick and simple method to compare similar products on alaTest websites. The higher the alaTest™ score, the higher the overall quality of the product. As you can imagine, universal rating scale has to be as consistent and objective as possible, something impossible to achieve based on just one review of a product. This is why alaScore™ is calculated based on hundreds (sometimes even thousands) of reviews from across the entire internet.

alaTest collects both expert and end-user ratings for every product. These ratings are then weighted appropriately, based on four factors:

Factor 1: Degrees of Deviation – this is calculated by comparing each individual rating to the relative (essentially an average) rating of all the others.

Factor 2: Reliability of the Source – because alaTest collects its reviews from all over the internet, it’s important to consider where each rating is coming from.

Factor 3: Level of Expertise – this is simply a distinction between professional reviews and end user reviews. It is necessary partly because professional reviews tend to be much more accurate and thorough, but also because end-user reviews greatly outnumber the professional ones.

Factor 4: Age of the Product – since technology is constantly improving, it is important to consider the age of a product.

Additional information

It’s important to remember that a low alaScore™ does not necessarily mean the product is a poor value or not recommended. A low score simply means that the product did not perform as well as its competitors; however, at the right price, it can still be a phenomenal deal.

If you want to read more about alaScore, click here.