Whether you are interested in blowing something or someone up, navigating a challenging adventure or strategizing your next move against an overseas opponent, the Internet offers a single source for any online, computer or video games.

After extensive review of all the major computer gaming sites, I declare GameSpot to be the best and most up-to-date site. GameSpot's is easy to use and very complete.
 
Each game reviewed has a detailed, but easy-to-read "Spot Score." Spot Score is like a USDA nutrition label, it gives the bare facts about the game and ratings in several important areas.

For more information about each game, you can read a GameSpot review or player review. These, usually extensive reviews, analyze the game from different playability angles.

Also from each game page you can download the actual game or at least a demo. Patches, fixes and other related add-ons are also available.

While these features alone would bring any serious gamer to GameSpot, it is the best hints and cheat codes online that keep them coming back for more.

Need to get past a particularly nasty monster or have "unlimited" life or weapons? Most games allow you to cheat by typing in sequences of letter or numbers at certain key points in the game and these codes are available at GameSpot.

VideoGameSpot, a close cousin to GameSpot, is the place to visit for aficionados of Sony PlayStation, Nintendo 64 or Sega Saturn game stations.

On VideoGameSpot, you get detailed reviews, information and, of course, cheat codes for each game. If you are interested, check  for related daily news or editorials.

A less impressive, yet still top gaming site, is Games Domain. At this site you can find information on computer and video games, plus some board and card games.

If you have younger children, you will probably like the "Kid's" link to the not-so-gory and educational games for children ages two to twelve.

For the most current news in the gaming world, including unbiased reports on the hardware and software of the video and computer gaming industry, visit CNET's Gamecenter.Com.

Gamecenter.Com has an excellent step-by-step "beginner's guide to downloading" that should be mandatory for anyone who has never downloaded (transferred) a file from a site. With this simple tutor, you can learn to download any files available on the World Wide Web, not just games.

Other honorably mentioned video and computer gaming sites include the multi-lingual Gamesmania and the light-hearted, but too commercial, HappyPuppy.Com. Similar to Games Domain, HappyPuppy.Com has an dedicated "Kidz" section.

Want to try something different? Maybe play-by-mail games are more to your liking. Play by Mail (PBM) Games Homepage is the simple, but complete source for people interested in playing games by postal or electronic mail (e-mail) and includes the well-known PBM List. With hundreds of PBMs listed here, there is probably a game that interests you.

With all the games available directly off the Internet plus play-by-mail games, you can easily stay busy year-round and, as an added bonus, even find the hints to get you past those seemingly-insurmountable video game hurdles.