The best fighter ever gets even better with a huge roster of some of gaming's most iconic characters.

Nintendo beat their previous best yet again with a masterclass in imagination, game design and sheer fun.

A perfectly judged makeover for what remains possibly the best arcade adventure ever made.

Revolutionary on at least two counts, with the best motion controls ever seen in a video game and an inspired reinvention and improvement of the Zelda formula.

Superbly successful action role-player that allows you to live a full fantasy life of your choosing.

Describing it as an online community arts program is possibly not the most enticing of descriptions, but it's nevertheless the most accurate.

An almost total success and one of the best ever strategy games, with amazing scope and accessibility.

This generation's best arcade racer in an extra value compendium that really is a slice of driving heaven.

A startlingly well realised iteration of GTA that even does some things better than the home consoles.

One of the best third person actioners of all time manages to make Dante and Kratos look like amateurs.

Possibly the best Grand Theft Auto game never made and one of the most atmospheric video games ever.

The best exclusive on the PS3 is also one of this gen's greatest (and most attractive) action adventures.

A milestone game for BioWare, where character-driven drama proves just as engrossing as the combat.

It's not the originality of the design, but the workmanship, that makes this one of the best FPS ever.

There's no gain without pain in this unusual and atmospheric, but incredibly punishing, action RPG.

As usual the new play controls add little, but this is still a good deal for such classic games.

The new 2D fighter from the creators of Guilty Gear trails a blaze of innovative and accessible glory.

It is just more of the same, but however minor the improvement this is still co-op gaming at its best.

A host of new refinements makes this the best FIFA yet and probably the best football game ever.

A re-release of the GameCube remake, which remains a masterclass in atmosphere after all these years.

The landmark script and puzzles override the bland artwork as the classic graphic adventure returns.

The best Mario role-player yet is sharply funny, surprisingly deep and endlessly inventive.

Treasure are at the top of their game in this endlessly inventive master class in on-the-rails shooting.

The landmark script and puzzles override the bland artwork as the classic graphic adventure returns.

The lack of innovation is a shame, but the attention to detail and superb multiplayer is beyond criticism.

The best non-Tomb Raider game ever, as well as being one of the best value Xbox Live Arcade games of the year and a superbly designed co-op game.

It's not really a sequel but this is certainly a superior version of what is already the best new fighting game franchise of the current generation.

The most significant sequel in Civilization history maintains all of the series' most intriguing features while greatly improving the accessibility and combat.

Ask not what Rock Band 3 can do for you, but whether you have the commitment (and a large enough wallet) to make the most out of it.

The best Call Of Duty Treayarch has ever made, with several set pieces that are amongst gaming's very best. The multiplayer is usefully enhanced too.

The best arcade racer of not just this year but this whole generation of consoles, with an unrivalled sense of speed and the sheer joy of competition.

It offers little progress from the PC version, but then none is really needed in what is a masterclass in minimalist video game design.

A perfect mix of retro and modern sensibilities that loses none of the charm or accessibility of the originals, but adds a great deal more variety.

Not quite the definitive version that some would've been expecting, but still the best Western style action role-player of the generation.

WayForward's best work yet and more than just a love letter to 2D art and gameplay, but a hint of how it can continue in the future.

A satisfying ending to one of WiiWare's few success stories and an inspired mix of retro and modern presentation and gameplay.

A great remake of an overlooked classic, and one of the few games that can survive close comparison with The Legend Of Zelda and retain a style all of its own.

A brilliant reinvention of the series that maintains the epic of scale of battles and yet increases the accessibility and focus.

It might not gain anything from being on the 3DS, but the mere fact that Capcom's fighter also loses nothing is a hugely impressive achievement.

Not as perfectly formed as the original, but close enough - with some of the best story-telling and voiceover work in all gaming.

A superb action puzzle hybrid that works much better on the Xbox 360 than it did on the DS, making it one of Treasure's best ever games.

A stunning technical achievement but also an evolutionarily leap in adult storytelling and intelligent action gameplay.

A near perfect combination of rallying old and new, that gives precedence to neither and remains accessible to all.

Euphoric mix of interactive gameplay, visuals and music that proves not only the wider potential for Kinect but for video games in general.

Turn-based tactical combat has never seemed so accessible and exciting, in this ground-breaking new indie classic.

The best Japanese role-player of the current generation and a big step forwards for the genre in terms of accessibility and ambition.

A serious game for serious minds or a fun and surprisingly accessible stealth shooter. Just as it should be, the choice is always yours.

A great version of one of the best fighting games, and therefore one of the best multiplayer games, of all time - assuming you have the dedication for it.

One of the best and most original driving experiences on the iPhone, especially given the price and the instantly addictive multiplayer.

Few games warrant the HD treatment as much as these two – on both a technical and artistic level – in what remain towering examples of the art of interactive entertainment.

As far as we're concerned this is easily the best Gears Of War game, but it's also one that refines and exhausts every gameplay element to such a degree that it seems like a far more final end to the trilogy than Epic probably intended. If there are more games, and we assume there will be, they're going to have to be significantly different to seem worthwhile.

A hugely imaginative take on a deeply conservative genre, which shows one of 2D gaming's best developers at the very height of their talents.

The risk taken with the new defensive system has paid off and all the changes add up to make this the most realistic football experience to date.

The same euphoric mix of interactive gameplay, visuals and music as the Xbox 360, but while it loses the immersion of Kinect it gains a gorgeous new 3D mode.

An incredibly assured attempt to rewrite the rules of modern gaming, where even the smallest mistake can cost you dear but the tiniest victory seems like an epic achievement.

Achingly beautiful, tyre-shredding action and enough new features to keep the faithful on board. Occasional frustrations, but is easily the most complete racing experience available today.

It was always the definitive scrolling beat 'em-up but this Xbox Live Arcade release goes the extra mile with a loving revamp of one of gaming's great co-op experiences.

Not just the best superhero game, but one of the greatest action adventures ever made - set in an expansive and engrossing virtual world unlike any other.

No longer just an imitation of cinematic blockbusters but an interactive roller-coaster of outstanding ambition, technical ability, and genuine heart.

As substantial as they are the changes won't silence committed critics, but for accessible, content-rich action this is still the best first person shooter of the year.

Easily Bethesda's best game yet, with an impossibly detailed and beautiful game world and a new gold standard for Western style role-playing.

Giving a purposefully retro 2D platformer a 3D makeover sounds like the worst idea ever, but the end result only reconfirms Cave Story as a modern classic.

Probably the best Mario Kart ever seen, with a careful balance of the new and familiar and the most complete online service ever from Nintendo.

One of the best smartphone games of last year gets the multiplayer mode it's always needed, in this superb mix of Risk and Scrabble.

It's only a very minor extension to the previous games, but if this is your first BlazBlue it's the ideal way to become acquainted with the best new 2D fighter of the generation.

Less is most definitely more in this beautifully understated co-op adventure, that dares you to make sense of its enigmatic voyage.

A great ending to a landmark trilogy. A near perfect mix of action and storytelling, where the personal drama is as engrossing as the galaxy-spanning battles.

Not just a great crossover game but a highly distinctive fighter in its own right, with some of the most innovative - and accessible - ideas to hit the genre in years.

An excellent expansion that focuses on a fascinating period in history, and helps to make the perfect toe-dipping experience for strategy newcomers.

A masterpiece in physics-based destruction and one of the most entertaining ways to fall out with friends ever devised.

Indie gaming sires another 2D classic, with a platformer that offers more freedom and intrigue than almost anything else on Xbox Live Arcade - or beyond.

The best episode yet, that ups the ante in terms of not just the zombie threat but how you interact with some of gaming's most convincing characters.

A superbly effective combination of the very best of Persona's storytelling and character design, with one of the best 2D fighters of the modern era.

One of the best stealth games in years and an accomplished 2D platformer in its own right, with a near perfect balance, of depth, accessibility, and bloodshed.

Some of the best map design DICE has ever come out with and a combat experience no other game can match. Useful range of new vehicles and Tank Superiority is great.

An evolutionary improvement on the original and by consequence one of the best co-operative first person shooters ever made.

Probably the best dungeon crawler in the world, including Diablo III. And what it lacks in storytelling and originality it makes up with pitch perfect design and pacing.

Bravely uncompromising in terms of the freedom it offers the player and its willingness to go against current trends in gaming, Dishonored is adult video-gaming at its best.

Not just one of the best strategy games of all-time but one of the best video games of any kind – and one that excites your emotions just as much as your brain matter.

Wonderfully strange, outrageously violent, and unexpectedly intelligent. Hotline Miami is indie video game design at its very best.

The definitive version of one of the best video games of the last 10 years, as well as a perfect example of downloadable content done right.

A hugely successful sequel, that's as surefooted as its hero when it comes to handling its enormous scale and near endless range of features.

The definitive version of one of the most beautiful video games ever created, not to mention the best Zelda game that never was.

The most significant update for Football Manager since its revival, with a suite of options to suit everyone from dedicated veterans to complete newbies.

Easily the best Far Cry game so far, with a near perfect mix of open world exploration, action, impressively ambitious storytelling, and one of gaming's best villains.

The Wii U adds nothing to the experience, but neither does it take away from what is one of the year's most feature-packed and enthralling epics.

This is not a perfect game, and it never has been, but Persona 4 has always been our favourite Japanese role-player and this is the definitive version of it.

An inspired reinvention of multiplayer brawling, that carves out a whole new action genre for itself and those brave enough to learn its ins and outs.

A superbly judged revamp of Fire Emblem that final elevates the series to classic status and in the process creates one of the most engrossing and accessible strategy games ever.

Exactly as entertaining as you’d expect from a collaboration between two of Japan’s most talented developers, and one of the best action games of the generation.

One of the best iOS games for several months is a wonderfully disturbing horror story that innovates in terms of everything from visuals and interface to its macabre narrative.

The best Bit.Trip game so far and one of the best ever blends of retro and modern aesthetics, in terms of both presentation and gameplay.

Utterly charming and subversively clever in that classic Nintendo way, this is one of the best games on the 3DS and one of the mostly perfectly polished titles on any system this year.

Daringly ambitious in terms of both subject matter and structure, BioShock Infinite is the most successful mix of storytelling and action this generation of gaming has ever seen.

An instantly accessible control system opens the floodgates to satisfying gameplay, hilarious upgrades and highly replayable levels. Ridiculous Fishing rarely makes a misstep.

The Behemoth’s best game yet and a hilarious mix of co-op platforming and absurdly entertaining multiplayer madness.

A truly great portable strategy game that’s original, accessible, and addictive. And for once the microtransactions benefit the player as well as the publisher.

A stunning achievement in both storytelling and third person adventure, with unforgettable characters and tense, brilliantly paced action.