Since Harvest Moon first sprouted up in '96, the series hasn't gone for many wild innovations. You still start out as a generic-looking youth with a destiny to fulfill -- and that destiny boils down to growing vegetables, selling vegetables, and getting a ring on the finger of an eligible local lady. It might sound like the most mundane plot in the history of video games, but Harvest Moon games creep up on you like a kudzu vine. One minute you're snickering at sappy romantic dialogue, and five days later you're waking up in a cold sweat, wondering if you watered your cucumbers.

The trouble with puzzle games is that it's really difficult to explain to anyone who hasn't played them exactly how brilliant they are. Take Tetris for example -- it could accurately be described as a game where the goal is to fit different shapes together in lines as they fall towards the bottom of the screen, but that would in no way get across the sheer simple addictive genius of it all.

Dana returns to World of Goo, spends an evening with Lara Croft, and discusses her potential addiction to Civilization Revolution. Amanda downloads No Doubt for Rock Band, returns to her summer fling, Final Fantasy, and relaxes before bed with Zenses: Rainforest Edition.

I tend to forget how utterly addicting a puzzle game can be. It's like a relationship -- it might be tempting to believe it's possible to dabble with little effort or time commitment, but that's an utterly deceptive idea. Puzzle games will suck up every second of time you can give them…and then some.

Green Pixels and IGN's ModCenter site hooked up to bring you an exclusive interview with WeirdBeard Games, the people who made 99 Bricks -- an addictive Tetris-like stacking game. They'll share where they got the idea for the game and what they plan to do with this game in the future. iPhone anyone? You may even get some tips from the developers for how you can build bigger and better towers. And if you haven't seen the Green Pixels write-up, check that out too.

A video game that's actually supposed to teach you how to drive. We sure hope it isn't anything like Grand Theft Auto: IV! This week also welcomes a new Sonic game as well as sequels for Winter Sports and Left Brain Right Brain.

Scrabble Might Swear at Your Kids
Mother Tonya Carrington bought her son Scrabble (rated for ages 3 and up) to help him boost his vocabulary. She was shocked to see some of the words that his virtual opponent used to win the game. You probably will be too.

It may not be blindingly obvious to casual observers, but the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises take somewhat different approaches to the music-game experience. Continuing the philosophy that developer Harmonix has followed since the studio's inception, Rock Band is about allowing non-musicians to experience the making of music. They're luring reluctant players up off the couch and turning them into virtual rock stars.

Years ago I got a CD-ROM Monopoly game from a cereal box. The two most important things I can tell you about this game, the General Mills edition of Monopoly Junior to be precise, are that it was fun and it was free. I had a good time with this little game, so when they decide to release Monopoly on the next generation consoles at $40, I expect them to deliver a rich Monopoly experience. Sadly, EA's most recent iteration for the next generation consoles doesn't make it to the Boardwalk. In fact, it falls a couple dozen spaces short -- petering out somewhere around the hot pink Virginia Avenue.

There are few things more frustrating than getting a present on Christmas Day, but not being able to use it because of a missing accessory, battery, or any other component on that thing you've been so eagerly awaiting. That's why I've assembled a feature called Wii Wanna Play -- your guide to all the different things you might want to do right away now that you and your family/significant other/roommates finally have a Wii. Whether you want to host a rock concert, celebrate the good old days with some retro favorites, chisel in some rock hard abs, or throw a great party without all the plastic peripherals, this guide will tell you exactly what you need and how much it's going to cost.