game journalist seldom has the opportunity to award a game the elusive "Perfect 10." This is one of those rare moments. In the case of Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, it simply couldn’t be avoided. After a long and successful history, Insomniac Games has finally created its masterpiece, a tour de force that is the zenith of a trio of titles that I feel should be held up in action/platform history alongside the original Super Mario Bros. trilogy on the NES.

The word that keeps coming to mind when I think about Up Your Arsenal is "craftsmanship." I don’t mean to make such an outrageously fun and fast-paced adventure sound like a piece of antique furniture, but it really is Insomniac’s keen attention to detail that makes this such an amazing experience. I thought the team would have difficulty topping the excellent Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, but they have gone about making improvements in every area. Some are obvious, like creating a new flight-mission control scheme to correct the previous entry’s frustrating space combat. But what really impressed me was the way they fixed things that I didn’t even perceive as flaws. Little touches like being able hit one button at vendors to max out the ammo on all your weapons instantly or the fact that there are now two quick-select circles for inventory management might seem trivial to some. However, it’s small things like these that I think best illustrate the care that Insomniac puts into every inch of this product.

Humor has also been a trademark of Ratchet & Clank, and Up Your Arsenal succeeds in delivering its best storyline to date. Many of the fans’ most-loved characters from the past are back, helping our duo defend the universe from Dr. Nefarious and the Tyrannoids. Some of my favorite sequences include a deadly accurate parody of a robotic Britney Spears video, finding a delusional Captain Qwark in the jungles of Florana, and the dry wit of Nefarious’s butler, Lawrence. Qwark’s adventures also provide one of the new gameplay mechanics introduced, in the form of some nicely done "Vidcomics" that tell the Captain’s backstory through excellent 2D platforming levels.

Of course, the main meat of Up Your Arsenal is the intense, combat-oriented Ratchet missions. The galaxy’s most heavily armed furry creature does not disappoint in this area, with a host of awesome new weapons, all of which can be upgraded five times. Of course, the enemies are tougher than ever, reacting intelligently and attacking in unrelenting fashion. In addition, new modes of play like the Gauntlet (platforming-intensive sequences that lead to new Arena Battles), Battle Missions, and the improved Clank solo levels (especially the hilarious Secret Agent Clank tapings) add diversity and depth to the experience.

I would have given this game a ten even if it had no multiplayer, but Up Your Arsenal excels in that area as well, becoming the world’s first platformer with an online battle mode. The online contests are well designed and very fun, although they probably won’t make anyone forget about Unreal Tournament or MechAssault. Still, online adds an infinite amount of replay to a title whose single-player experience is unparalleled on the PlayStation 2. Game of the Month? Without a doubt. Game of the Year? I wouldn’t be surprised.