It's innovate, it's fun and it shows real determination from Nintendo to show exactly what makes the DS stand out from the rest, and for that reason alone you should show your support. DS game of the year? No doubt. Electroplankton is simply an essential DS title.

Ingenious and designed with the sort of wild creative flair that most developers can only dream of possessing, Gamestyle loves Katamari.

The most accomplished racing game on the PSP by a mile, and it might just be the second best game on the system across all the genres.

Undoubtedly a showpiece for the PSP, Virtua Tennis: World Tour offers something for everyone - and, despite the laborious loading times, it's a tried-and-true SEGA title that everyone should have in their collection.

When started, you’ll rarely look at another game for weeks if not months (thanks to the downloadable content) to come and beyond. Oblivion is without question a strong contender for the best game of 2006.

If only more multiplayer modes had been created, Gears of War would be regarded as the perfect Xbox Live game.

Longish load times aside, Project Gotham Racing 3 strikes an excellent balance between arcade and sim gameplay without alienating fans of either, and everyone - from Sunday drivers to Autobahn veterans - will find something to love here.

The game is unpretentious and makes no apologies for being exactly what it wants to be - and that is a game with a beautifully crafted storyline, intriguing characters, plenty of humour, and everything you want from an RPG. Forget the naysayers, this is really a class act.

A solid test of the player's reflexes mixed with eye-melting visuals make this a title worth more than its weight in Marketplace points.

The classic single player and the revolutionary multiplayer makes this a great little package.

Once Viva Pinata grabs you then there is no way you can escape. A bright and vibrant world surrounds a game that is an essential purchase for everyone.

Rainbow Six: Vegas is almost perfect and easily the best iteration in the series. The compelling co-op play, the online multiplayer and everything associated with the single player campaign is completely worth the asking price.

And all this carnage is rendered beautifully through the game's graphics and sound. It's hard to deny that God of War II is one of the greatest looking and most epic games on the Playstation 2, but it wouldn't be much of a stretch to call it one of the best looking games on any console.

Insomniac certainly knows how to deliver a release that caters for all players of differing abilities.

The Twilight Princess is a triumph. Every dungeon reveals something new whether it is weapons, environments, brilliantly designed puzzles or bosses.

There's something here for everyone, presented in a familiar and friendly way, and offering big challenges for those willing to give it their attention.

EBA performs admirably, making improvements where needed and retaining the same charm, humour and enthusiasm as its imported cousin. It's a more accessible entry into the franchise, but there's nothing to stop anyone from picking up both.

The best bits of the best games have been stuck together in one wonderful Castlevania cake.

For all that, though, Guns Of The Patriots is a magnificently entertaining game.

What's important, though, is that Fable is an amazingly well-crafted and polished world that has traded the typical sandbox route of western RPGs for attention to detail and true character development.

DiRT is very much an offline game, so if you're looking for online thrills, look elsewhere, it does not deliver. What it does deliver, however, is a single player treat that is nothing short of fantastic.

Putting an estimate on how many hours you would need to devote to the game to complete everything is both pointless and a little scary to imagine, but we dare say that someone out there in a very dimly lit room will be attempting it. Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories is a joy to behold, you can dip into it for a short time or lose several years of your life.

Control of the players feels very responsive, and every charge and slapshot feels suitably weighty, despite the fact the controller didn’t rumble on Gamestyle‘s first play (even though we thought it did).

As good as this game is, it's tough to recommend it to everyone. It makes little attempt to broaden its appeal outside of simulation fans; but as far as they are concerned, we couldn't recommend it more.

Rapture is a beautifully stylised city that provides plenty of mystery and intrigue. Definitely a game of the year contender.

Simply by moving the controls from the face-buttons to the analogue sticks – an idea so simple it’s amazing no-one though of it before – EA have created the best skateboarding title in years and in doing so have redefined the rules of the entire genre. A joy to play and a game which the inevitable sequel will have to go some way to top.

Casual players will notice very little difference and probably resent the soundtrack, favouring the more varied original. Experts will savour the focus of the new tracks and find the tweaked mechanics to be an absolute godsend, placing this high above the original.

A major factor in the addictive and fun nature of Guitar Hero II is the excellent learning curve.