Jitter 1.5

By Ken Gordon

An acquired taste. Many users just won't get it, while others will be inspired to give up their careers to become multimedia artists.

Trapcode Particular

By Matt Silverman

Anyone needing to do particle effects in Adobe After Effects will find Particular to be their new favorite plug-in.

LightWave 8

By Mark Christiansen

The cons against LightWave are the same as ever; depending on your point of view, it's intuitive or quirky. However, in terms of bang for the buck and quality of output, this version delivers.