There was never a moment when I was playing this game where I was annoyed or frustrated, even as I crashed back to the desktop. I just wanted more and more.

Truly a different game, and it’s different enough to warrant a spot in your collection.

Resurrection of Evil ultimately fails on innovation but perhaps just as importantly succeeds with expansion. It’s more of the same, for better or for worse.

What you get out of Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks depends on your familiarity with the series. The more you know, the more you’ll like.

It gives you immediate fun; the 6-minute challenge is perfect for when you are waiting for someone. The return of old school scoreboard gives it replay value. It's just pure and simple, unadulterated fun.

If you are new to the genre and looking for a good entry level game then Sacred Plus is definitely a great game to start with and its available at budget price.

The type of game the PSP needs. Its light, fast-paced gameplay is great for just picking up and playing. With over forty levels, it’s got just the right amount of depth to be a top-shelf PSP game.

If you’ve never played a Tony Hawk game before, this is the most complete out of all of them and it’s worth a purchase.

I was literally crying with laughter when I pulled this out of the post bag at the office, waiting to rip it to pieces and label it as a glorified sex toy. Well it is, but there’s some damn fine gameplay there too.

Something of a classic.

A four-player wireless multiplayer mode is just icing on the cake for this game. Loading up the game with some friends and fighting scores of foes is even more fun than the single-player mode, but even without a group of buddies this is still a game worth owning.

It might be a little stiff, but the game is just plain fun to play thanks to some outstanding writing that’s just plain lacking in many other games.

It adds a wealth of new content to the game, not just around the water theme but in other areas as well. RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 feels more complete and polished with the expansion.

The lack of any classic game mode will likely deflate many a player’s determination to persevere over an extended time period, which means this is one for the purists. Even in light of all all its shortcomings it’s all so easy to fall in love again.

The story might be lacking a bit and there are a few irritating objectives, but the whole game feels like it was cleaned up and rethought.

It’s an old-fashioned beat ‘em up done right. The co-op play is excellent and even going solo can make for an entertaining time.

Is it still one of the greatest games on the DS, and one of the best handheld puzzlers currently out? Absolutely. This game takes everything we love about puzzle games, tweaks it, and serves it to us on a silver platter.

Maybe I was a victim of my own expectations, but I really think it comes down to the fact that this game is essentially Call of Duty with a few bells-and-whistles.

I’m not talking about overcomplicated leveling systems, highly technical handling, hardware connectivity, or any of that other crap that’s being pushed on us. We already have everything we need: Our ears, creativity and sense of rhythm. Case in point: Electroplankton.

It’s not the best racing game on the system (a title I still contend is held by "Ridge Racer"), but it is probably the one that’s going to keep you entertained the longest.

Takes the well-trodden city-based 'sandbox' path, adds plenty of it's own style and originality and comes out with a pleasing, well-rounded and well-developed game.

I encourage you to pick this up, even with the load time issue. Really, it’s because they tried to fit too much game in this one. It’s simply too big for the tiny PSP to handle.

The dark, gritty atmosphere is captured perfectly. I can’t get over how great texturing looks on the Xbox 360. Tile looks dirty. Graffiti on walls looks genuine. The texturing effects in this game are beyond awesome. The lighting is also incredibly detailed.

There are numerous moments of creative genius, which are all too rare in today’s cookie cutter games. The moving music, clever character designs and topnotch production values overshadow some of the gameplay elements, but it never stops the game from being fun.

The Finnish developers have built a believable universe surrounded by a strong narrative, impressive storytelling techniques and enjoyable combat with a unique twist. It has its flaws with repetition, linearity and some poor presentational issues, but this is a world ripe for a sequel to improve upon every single aspect.

Even though it isn't a direct adaptation of a film, Stranglehold is probably the best example of a movie-based game to date.

The chronic lack of depth in the middle stages is an injustice to a brilliant start and finish which should have been the crowning moments but instead serve only to hold the game up above water.

Nintendogs is more like one of those squishy stress balls than an actual game. Both are tools to ease some of the strain of everyday life, and both are at peak effectiveness when used in short bursts.

Nintendogs is more like one of those squishy stress balls than an actual game. Both are tools to ease some of the strain of everyday life, and both are at peak effectiveness when used in short bursts.

Nintendogs is more like one of those squishy stress balls than an actual game. Both are tools to ease some of the strain of everyday life, and both are at peak effectiveness when used in short bursts.

Fortunately, Sin Episodes: Emergence does a better job at closing the first episode than "Half-Life 2: Episode One."

The side missions are exciting, and the brawls and precision aiming are superior to most of the gameplay mechanics in "GTA." It’s just too bad the whole game feels unpolished and the slowdown is so annoying.

There’s a nice online feature which, after you’ve navigated through the terrible menu’s, is quite a blast, even for someone who doesn’t have a clue about ice hockey.

A wonderfully fun and addicting experience, offering tons of characters, modes, and everything else you could want in an anime-based video game. Just as its television forefather, this game has the makings for something great.

It could have been disastrous, but Metroid Prime Pinball is a fantastic example of a series spin-off executed extremely well.

It has a story chock full of hilarity, the right balance between fast-paced combat and multitasking puzzles, tons of items and a handful of memorable characters, and presents it to use in a psychedelic blend of 2D animation and a wide array of colors.

It obviously looks and sounds great being a 360 title, with subtle differences in audio over the different courts most obvious, but you’ll also notice that a little more effort has been made to make the courts more animated than in previous titles.

But behind the cheery presentation and cartoonish graphics, there’s a quality puzzle game that is second to none in the DS’s game library.

A great showpiece for the PSP. It has action, impressive visuals, a solid muliplayer component, and above all, a workable set of controls.

While the pseudo-sand box nature of this game does give it more than a passing resemblance to some of the best bits of the three GTA titles we all know and love, it has enough original content to save it from being accused of too much plagiarism.

It’s retro comebacks at its finest.

Despite my few complaints, Airborne is still an excellent game. From start to finish, I was absolutely hooked and couldn’t stop playing.

A fantastic shooter that combines strategic combat, excellent level design and some genuinely (and maybe too much so) challenging gameplay.

An awesome game. It’ll remind older gamers of the games they used to enjoy.

For 800 points, this is near essential.

The story is uninspired, but the actual game is a stunner.

It is ideal for those looking to further develop their mental alertness, or wanting to take a break from gaming-overdose, or simply anyone who feels like a quick, productive coffee break.

All jokes aside, RF Online is a stable and an entertaining game once you progress through the earlier portions of the game.

This game should prove fairly easy to those of us who have grown up with previous Mario titles; the levels are incredibly short, the difficulty is fair at best, and the whole thing seems to need a bit more fleshing out.

Whilst the tediously poor storyline, rather linear levels and repetitive gameplay stop this latest release from reaching triple-A status, it’s certainly something you should see the year in with as despite the glaring faults, hanging from a grapple hook whilst blasting away with a machine gun is something every gamer should sample.

A great example of how licenses can work in videogames when given time and devotion, something that you can give in return for this brilliant piece of video gaming.

This game is truly as happy as I make it out to be, and the peppy musical gibberish serves as a perfect audio backdrop to the joyful scene.

It should appeal to anyone who enjoyed the "Burnout" games, or people who want the closest thing to a 'spiritual' update of "Destruction Derby."

If you’re looking for a new FPS to play through, there’s not much that can compete with Half-Life 2: Episode One, even if it is essentially an incomplete experience.

There’s nothing spectacular about what Virtua Tennis 3 has to offer, it’s very much a case of déjà vu throughout but the game is so accessible and so much fun to play that it doesn’t matter.

Army Of Two adds a lot to the coop shooter genre, and I hope future games take note of some of the additions made, especially something like the aggro meter.

For those of you looking for that one great RPG for your DS collection, this game might be your answer. While the game slows down at certain points and has a fair amount of difficulty, it’s still a force to be reckoned with.

The minds behind this game took what was arguably the best puzzle game on the DS, modified it to fit with a Disney theme, and managed to not screw it up.

Anyone with an appreciation for old school arcade games will have a blast with The Club. Just remember to leave your brain with the doorman.

Turok may not be original, or genre-bending, but it is a great deal of fun. It's the classic summer movie syndrome: sure, it won't win the Oscar, but it's still a movie worth seeing.

While it lacks the graphical finesse and multiplayer modes of its peers, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway outshines them with a brutally honest portrayal of war and one that you won't forget.

It has a much better sense of itself than previous entries, and instead of shoving touted features in your face, it simply presents them to the player and lets them loose.

The turn-based and map-scouring gameplay is a fresh take on the series, even if the timed missions aren’t nearly as epic as the battles of the previous games.

A wonderful game, yet it lacks the kind of attention that other DS titles enjoy. The story is awful mishmash of a coming-of-age plot blended with science fiction and utterly generic characters.

Few poorly-implemented gimmicks aside, the game is a solid enough title for DS owners to look into. The game is far from perfect, but it works.

God Hand is one of those games that will either leave you shaking your head in disappointment or practically drooling for more. It functions superbly as a beat’em up game, and it possesses the some of the charm that games like "Final Fight" and "River City Ransom" used to enjoy.

An awesome game. It just could have been better.

If there has to be a game that epitomizes the phrase “substance over style,” Break’em All clinches it. The design of this game is based upon some of the most addicting arcade and console games ever conceived.

Having played both the 2K and EA hockey titles extensively this year, there is no doubt in my mind that 2K7 pips NHL'07 to the post as the title of choice again.

Throne of Agony is arguably the best Action-RPG available on the PSP at the moment, and if you're a fan of the genre it'd be a criminal to skip this in favour of some of the more derivative fair that clutters the Sony release schedule from time to time.

Retro gaming is obviously an acquired taste, but with Sega Mega Drive Collection the legendary Japanese platform-holder-come-publisher have granted us a generous and varied journey into their almost unrivalled back-catalogue.

A game that vastly improves upon its predecessor. The King of Fighters 2006 features a huge roster of playable characters and a fairly detailed storyline to back it up.

As a console exclusive, it delivers a great campaign with unique features that set it apart from the majority of first-person shooters on the platform.

Without much competition right now, Bad Company is a surprisingly fun and well designed effort.

Creeping around in the dark with only a flashlight to hand whilst the wind whistles through a passageway and footsteps can be heard around every corner can be extremely disconcerting, and it's a testament to good game design that it manages to unsettle right from the start.

This unpredictable tale will have players engaged until the excellent finale.

A brilliant game. It combines the classic sci-fi cliché of giant robot battles with the obsessive tinkering of real world mechanics. Anyone who enjoys computers, cars, or other machinery will get a kick out of the customization aspect (from body parts to paint jobs) and mecha enthusiasts, will, well... love blowing the crap out of everything.

Despite the lumbering campaign mode, Halo Wars is a brilliant addition to the series and, more importantly, to the RTS genre.

All of the games retain their arcade-based charm, sans the small fortune of quarters you’d have to spend after getting killed for the twentieth time.

Its depth and flexibility are great for letting a player define their own experience but are also part of a laundry list of features that will discourage the new strategy player from exploring this universe.

The shoddy script will annoy and disappoint everyone, but luckily, the rest of the game is solid, and even impressive.

For Pirates! on the go, it's a very good effort and brings to the masses a franchise that was once only available to a select few with a decent spec PC, however the limits of the handheld market may annoy some.

Burnout: Dominator marks a true return to form for the series, and whilst the removal of features in any game is usually a lamentable decision, I'm happy to be proved wrong on this occasion.

It's a perfect game for handhelds, combining the simplicity of puzzles with the addictive nature of RPGs. Even though it sounds like the result of an executive meeting gone horribly awry, Puzzle Quest is actually a great piece of synergy.

Shooting yourself in the head never looked better.

A quirky puzzler with an extremely intuitive control scheme that clicks from the minute the game loads.

It’s not nearly as methodical, subtle or intelligent as their other IPs, but Left 4 Dead dives head first into the abyss covered in blood, guts, bile – every horrible bodily fluid you can possibly think of, and comes out of the other end smelling like roses.

Although the game has minor flaws, it is largely an exciting racer that offers huge thrills and spills.

An entertaining romp.

It’s just a real shame that the PC port was subjected to a half-arsed effort, because on consoles Resident Evil 4 has revitalised a stagnating series.

Umbrella Chronicles is a must-purchase for Wii owners. While it isn't a killer app on the level of Mario Galaxy, it's probably the best multiplayer game on the system.

Perhaps the only disappointment that comes with Calling All Cars! is the lack of content. With only basic offerings online and offline, it feels sort of empty.

If Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure leaves any lasting legacy once the dust has well and truly settled, it’s that there is a need for something different. That simplicity and charm go a very long way in this industry clouded by games boasting hyperrealism.

Advent is clearly a step backwards in this regard and this only serves to prolong the stagnating circumstances that the series is currently in. That said, the game is still as much of a blast as the first one was with more forms to assimilate, plenty of crazy boss fights (those who complete Expert Mode deserve much respect), better production values, and an overall smoother ride.

The premise may seem downright ridiculous and this is reinforced by the witty, pun-filled dialogue bursting with enough memorable and laugh-out-loud quotes to inflame one's haemorrhoids. The actual cases themselves can, however, be quite sombre and very touching at times – sure, you will laugh, but you may also shed a tear.

Paradise is a success because of it's originality within the Burnout series. Innovation isn't always EA's strong suit, but much like "skate," Paradise is an all-new concept that pays off, big time.

There’s just something hypnotic seeing where the ball will go next, the bright colors and the hope that a high score will be broken.

For the short time that the game does last it is an example of how Live Arcade titles should be done and how an old game can be refurbished, yet still retain a nostalgic edge to please all types of players.

There are no truly wrong instances in this game that jump out, and many of the problems are just minor enough that they can be easily forgotten about after you actually get into the game and begin to enjoy it.

Essentially its predecessor with more characters, more challenging content, minor gameplay tweaks, and better controls.

If you can stomach a little two-dimensional West coast gangster arrogance, Midnight Club: Los Angeles is the ride for you.

Despite a lopsided difficulty Midnight Club L.A. is quite enjoyable, especially if the previous installments hit home.

In the end, it’s a little disappointing that Butcher Bay is the better game included in the package. Dark Athena is by no means bad, but it’s a bit like coming on after Bill Hicks at an open mic; no matter how good your set was, the performance in front of you set the standard.

The floodgates have finally been opened and we are starting to see what the console is good for.

All in all SingStar is a great game, instantly accessible with nothing to unlock, but plenty of downloadable content available online.

It's shockingly pretty, and has the gameplay to back it up - especially when gaming with friends.

With the story mode, Tails of Swords, create a character and online modes, there are plenty of reasons to keep playing if you have no friends locally to play.

If you’ve played the first Brain Age title (and according to statistics, if you own a DS you’re about 90% likely to have done so), enjoyed it, but have since grown bored of it, then it’s a no-brainer that Brain Age 2 is the perfect solution to get your prefrontal cortex running smoothly once more.

It's rare to see a movie game that is enjoyable in its own right. Even without the Bourne license, Conspiracy would be a great action game. It blends two totally different gameplay styles together and delivers them in quick, intense bursts.

It’s not perfect and there are a few things which could do with a bit more care for the next game - largely the lack of co-op and fairly dull story and characters - but nonetheless, this is one of the most beautiful, explosive and entertaining shooters of the console generation so far. Bring on Killzone 3.

Vigil Games has created a superb protagonist here, as Darksiders proves that its brawn isn’t a world away from the excellence of Bayonetta.

Bottom line: If you have a Wii, but lack a PS2, get this game. But if you happen to have both systems and trying to figure out which version to get, stick with the PS2 version.

Switchball is an innovative new take on the traditional marble game, with a plethora of interesting additions to spice up the old formula, and stunning graphics to please the eyes.

Perhaps the series peaked with 2K7, after-all, there can only be so many variations on Pong before someone runs out of ideas, or the waters become over saturated.

To PC gamers this will feel like a tutorial for the “real” thing, but for everyone else Sid Meier has breathed fresh air into the console market with a title that lets you kill and maim in a completely different way.

Building zoos is a piece cake and there are enough options to satisfy most players. Serviceable graphics detract from the experience, as do technical limitations, but those can be forgiven.

It’s rarely frustrating, always fun, and a total blast when it comes to multiplayer. While the story won’t change anyone’s life, the presentation and gameplay are more than enough reason to journey to Pandora.

Borderlands is the bastard child of Mad Max, Halo and Phantasy Star Online; and yes, I’m aware that’s three participants.

People may turn their back on this thanks to its 2D visuals and oddball soundtrack, but not sampling this small nugget of gold for yourself, for those reasons alone, would be not be sensible at all.

What limited time you do have with Garfield is actually surprisingly entertaining, and though it doesn’t really use the source material very well, this is still a good 2D platformer that platforming fans should check out, whether they like Garfield or not.

Regardless of any latent, potentially ethically inquiring core, however, this is a strategy title that triumphantly captures the essence of oppressive and authoritarian leadership in conflict, in the process achieving - on the surface and indeed for most players - exactly what it sets out to do.

The Simpsons Game for the DS may not be innovative nor appealing to worldwide mainstream audiences - you really do need to be a fan of the show to appreciate what’s been done here – but it’s a highly creative production nonetheless.

For sheer, adrenaline-fuelled entertainment, this game is hard to beat. So, whether you love or hate GTA IV, whether you previously dismissed Saints Row as a tired wannabe, or if you simply long for the “glory days” of Vice City, Saints Row 2 is well worth your entertainment dollar.

No More Heroes joins the ranks of other video games that were too smart and/or bizarre for their own good. Gamers who enjoyed the head trips that were "Metal Gear Solid," "Katamari Damacy," and "Persona" will feel right at home with No More Heroes.

Brutal Legend’s multiple gameplay styles are competent enough on their own, although I feel the RTS elements could have been explored more during the single player.

Ninja Gaiden II does have its faults, but the combat is good enough to keep the game entertaining and engaging, providing one of the best action titles on the 360.

Nintendo's draconian online service isn't a reason to dislike Mario Kart Wii in the same way that it's wrong to dislike a really beautiful woman because her husband is a complete tosser...As a Wii owner, we've got the definitive racing game on the console.

There are some presentational issues that let it down, some of the weapons are a little underused, there are large chunks of inactivity and it’s relatively short at just over five hours, but that isn’t quite enough to stop this from being one of the best movie tie-ins in recent memory. They came, they saw, they kicked its ass!

Ghostbusters old and new, rejoice. Your time has come.

It's a great MMORPG, and while it begins as a fairly overwhelming experience, it soon evolves into an almost casual game.

But at the end of the day, taking down a handful of terrorists through meticulous planning with the snake cam and order issuing is as rewarding as ever.

If you’re ready for some fun multiplayer action and don’t mind a single-player side not as robust as some other puzzlers, Poker Smash is ready for you.

So do yourself a favor and pick this up. It’s time to throw something.

Everything feels crafted with care, and it's a fun and stylish strategy game.

If you're a fan of 2D fighting games then you will definitely enjoy this game.

Though Citadel Action News rarely provides an editorial stance, we believe that all citizens across the galaxy should support Commander Shepard and his mission.

Red Alert 3 doesn’t do anything particularly innovative in the RTS genre, but its familiar and addictive gameplay shines through, aided with a ridiculous plot and colourful cast.

GRID isn't a hugely deep game, but it has an impressive array of small features and presentation pieces that serve to make it feel bigger than it really is.

A good game, and executed well in terms of in graphics technology, system implementation, and gameplay. If only the main quest was a bit longer and the difficulty balanced throughout, this game would be a classic.

Surprisingly, it has a lot of life to it. For a game built largely around the “blow sh.t up” gimmick, you’d expect it to lose steam after a few hours, but Guerrilla stays entertaining through most of the game, only tapering slightly toward the conclusion.

When it plays a game of football so streamlined, so natural - so real, it’s hard to not feel justified in handing over more hard earned money to a company who seem to be learning from past mistakes.

The gameplay’s been tightened up, graphically it looks great, the Captain Your Country mode is great fun and most club and international teams are omitted.

It is a great time killer but the mental challenge of the game makes me feel like I’m actually doing something, a feeling I don’t get from many other games.

It’s a punishing game but rewarding in equal measures, and will draw you in like no other racing game quite has managed so far this generation - bring on BAJA 2: World Tour.

It’s a punishing game but rewarding in equal measures, and will draw you in like no other racing game quite has managed so far this generation - bring on BAJA 2: World Tour.

It’s one of the best single-player games on the DS. Though the story and characters are terrible, it’ll take you several hours to complete the main quest. That aside, you’ll have hundreds of secondary quests, tons of jobs to master, and massive collection of items and abilities to acquire.

The great presentation - especially the audio effects - makes superb use of the handheld’s capabilities.

Big Bang Mini retails for $20, and it’s truly a lot of “bang” for your buck. There’s a ton of fun and a ton of style crammed into this card, and ultimately, the game lives up to its name – it’s a big bang of enjoyment on your tiny DS screens.

Persona 3 FES is a very good JRPG which stands out from the crowd by having a unique setting and lots of sass and style.

It’s still one of the best fighting games on the DS. While that might not be saying much in that context, it’s still got plenty going for it.

DoWII is so unique that it could just as well co-exist with the other traditional RTS games, as it has a focus in places that the others don’t. That said, there still needs to be some new additions and fixes to the multiplayer, as sooner or later the same 6 or so maps will get boring and stale.

If you have a Wii, then get this game. It‘s that simple. Blast Works is an amazing demonstration of how you can take an old concept and take it in directions that are limited only by your imagination.

It’s not the top fighting game out there, but it’s certainly the best Mortal Kombat game in some time, and the use of DC characters only adds to the fun, even if the whole thing is absurd.

While it doesn’t really change the genre, even on the PSP, Midnight Club L.A. Remix is a worthy racer for fans of the street racing genre. With all the different options in the arcade mode and the unlockables, it has a lot of replay value, though the lack of online multiplayer is a downside, especially for a game in 2008.

After the final battle has been fought, the fact remains that this is one excellently polished and solid fighting experience.

While it comes off as a tad bare-bones, Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit is definitely worth getting if you're a fan, or if you just like fighting games without a great deal of depth, and the newly added online mode will keep the replay value high for quite some time.

It’s a supernova of colour, particularly on a HD setup.

As a first episode, Rain Slick succeeds in leaving you wanting more, and anxious to drag your party and stats on into Episode 2. Sure at its core, it’s an extremely light weight JRPG, but if you’re playing this game for ingenious game design then you’re missing the point.

Most definitely one of the most inventive games on the PS3. It blends a number of genres into a great package topped off with some great humor.

It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and I feel like it could be forgotten in the winter rush, but Nuts & Bolts is an excellent game - and original as well, even for a sequel.

Despite the disappointment of the online mode, Aces of the Galaxy is a brilliantly crafted montage of many of gaming histories most successful titles.

Roogoo is one of those games you need to be either on drugs or a zen master to truly appreciate, but regardless, many will find it addictive and possibly infuriating in a cute kind of way.

It’s a game that rewards you if you stick with it, and one that you’ll have a hard time leaving.

It packs enough scares to warrant having an extra set of underpants on standby; and the mixture of stealth and action keeps things interesting throughout.

Despite Buzz! Quiz TV’s shortcomings it is a very competent game. It’s not often that a title can appeal to everybody and for it to be easily played by everybody.

The impressive sounding music studio is a bit of a disappointment - being overly complicated and only producing ringtone-type songs - but a decent set list, enjoyable, and improved, guitar duels and a wealth of celebrity appearances make this a complete package.

But even when you huff and puff and bemoan its wrongdoings, Little King’s Story bounces along with an insatiable charm and letting it get the best of you then seems pointless, because it has such confidence in what it does right.

Apparently The Last Hope will be the last Star Ocean game to be released - if that’s the case then it’s a fitting swansong.

Disgaea 3 is a fantastic addition to both the PS3’s consistently improving catalogue and the strategy JRPG genre. With a lengthy story mode and a near enough endless number of abilities and characters to level up this game may just about take over your gaming life altogether.

It’s too much like its predecessor. For a lot of people this will be a great thing, whilst others may find the formula wearing a bit thin. It’s an enjoyable experience but may leave you wanting something more.

Having created an excellent Russian campaign, it’ll be interesting to see where the development team heads from here.

Chrono Trigger is worth travelling back in time for again and again.

Everything that made the original Super Star has, for the most part, survived the journey, and luckily, most of the additions truly add to the game, rather than bloat it.

For players who don’t mind the overzealous translation, this game is a gem; for longtime fans of the series, it could be a bitter disappointment. What you get out of this game depends on what your expectations are going in.

With a greater sense of brutality, speed, and gut-wrenching track design, the franchise is really beginning to take off.

Surprisingly for a game with such a strong comic book feel, it sometimes feels like the world and characters lack personality, but if in future installments the developers can address these few flaws and perhaps develop the narrative in a more evocative environment, they could easily have one of the best games in the genre on their hands.

It’s a bit formulaic in its design, but levels are a nice slice of gaming on the go that require almost no level grinding.

The camera and targeting mechanics are bad, almost game-ruining awful. What really kills this game’s appeal is its brevity; since you can beat this in only a few hours, the high price tag might not be justified. However, it’s still one of the most fun, entertaining, and unique titles on the Wii. Who says violence in video games is a bad thing?

The match engine is a return to form and it feels somewhat relieving knowing I’ll have a football game to enjoy this year, but the entire thing looks thrown together and basic when compared to what a certain other developer is getting out of the same development kit.

Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure may have seemed a puzzling combination of gameplay elements, but it came together with wonderful grace.

This title does all the right things in terms of challenge, weapons, character options, and level designs. The problem is that it rarely goes beyond what’s been previously established; aside from a few insanely awesome boss fights and a handful of fancy new throwaway underlings to ravage, nearly all of your foes have been plucked from the older titles.

Some practical design choices, along with a host of inspired gameplay ideas, make this a title well worth checking out. There are a ton of missions and a local multiplayer option for when the single-player journey comes to an end.

Strong Badia the Free takes the episodic series from a shaky opening and brings it onto solid ground. I still think that there's a lot more that they can do with the series, but I feel like the game is now a serious part of the Homestar Runner universe, which will lead to hopefully some really great stuff.

Skate 2 is still a blast. If you’ve done all you can in Skate, then it’s worth picking up to extend your adventure.

While it’s lacking in singleplayer content, Multiwinia is fun, simple, and addictive.

I would have really liked a level editor, but the game is still just as addictive as the original. It is difficult to understand why it's so fun and engrossing, but I suggest that you don't worry about the "whys" and just start playing. That's what I'm going to do.

This game is as good as it gets for most RPG fans on the PC, and The Witcher is sure to give you an enjoyable experience despite the pacing issue.

If there was ever a game that deserved to be played, Muramasa is it.

Even with Scenario Mode taking up far too much time and effort, Tekken 6 is a pleasurable gaming experience and the fighting mechanics are as polished as you could hope.

The overall approach is fairly simple, but the level design is well thought out and offers a substantial challenge for gamers of all ages. It’s also a meaty package, presenting players with a sizeable single-player experience and both single and multi-card, multiplayer gameplay. Ninjatown weighs in as: highly recommended.

One of the best gaming compilations on the PS2. Period.

It’s got the first five titles of SNK’s best series. It showcases the best and worst of them all; two of the games aren’t even worth playing because the other three trump them in every conceivable way.

Many won’t like having to put the hours in to nail down a good strategy and have a chance of putting themselves on the leader-board and as such Tetris Party is only likely to be played by those who know what’s involved.

It’s just pure puzzling with some excellent modes and few other frills. Sometimes that’s all you need.

Still when all is said and done, I’d rather pull this out in a tea break or in the evening than try to make sense of a sudoku puzzle.

Once the excitement of the 3-D match engine dies down, and it will, the reality that you’re playing the exact same game that you played two years ago, albeit at a slower pace, ruins the experience. As stated in last years review, Si Games have rarely deviated from the successful formula, and if it ain’t broke then by all means don’t fix it, but Football Manager needs rejuvenating as well as a rocket up its backside.

Cute, charming, and an utterly magical joy to play from start to finish, LocoRoco 2 is your new best friend.

It certainly isn’t greatly superior to its predecessor, but it is an overall better experience and is easily one of the best RPGs on the PS3. I wait patiently for the inevitable third demolition of my home.

A gem of a game. In the current racing landscape littered with big-budget and hugely hyped titles, this is a refreshing sunbeam which stands out by trimming all the unnecessary fat.

A charming little tower defence title with a decent story and challenging gameplay.

It may not stand out massively in the RPG world, but Star Ocean: Second Evolution deserves a lot of recognition for simply being an enjoyable, well scripted and interesting RPG.

But what it lacks in style and depth it makes up for in sheer replayability and nostalgia. It takes you back to a time before there were meaningful stories, fancy leveling systems or any of that other stuff you might take for granted.

Any Final Fantasy fan will feel right at home here, and those who are somehow unfamiliar with the series will find an amazing title on their hands when they emerge from cryogenic freezing.

It certainly won’t grab your eye like the aesthetic found in echochrome, but it’s far more content to play things safe and be a ton more fun.

Even though many of these titles can be hunted down for free online or downloaded for a small wedge of cash, Sega have rounded up their proudest moments and presented them to a willing audience who can now appreciate the glory days of the mega-company.

With two characters and a fairly lengthy story, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is a great game for fans of westerns and fans of shooters alike.

Atlus seem to be masters of creating brilliant sequels without changing more than a few textures and a new script. Persona 4 was an example of this, and Devil Summoner 2 seems to continue that tradition.

The gameplay is some of the most impressive and slickest action on the console. With so many attacks, crazy summons, multiple weapons, and some amazing controls, it’s easy to come up with tons of intricate combos.