It is short, basic and ferociously hard, and these are just some of the reasons it is assured a place in the schmup hall of fame.

One of the finest examples of bringing the essence of arcade gaming to modern consoles and a game no adrenaline junkie should pass up.

One of the finest examples of bringing the essence of arcade gaming to modern consoles and a game no adrenaline junkie should pass up.

The streamlined, pin-point accurate controls set a new precedent for first-person games on the Wii, and the game itself will keep you busy for more than a few weekends with its excellent achievement-like reward system and lengthy quest that easily took us 20 hours to collect every item, scan every object and obtain the best ending.

I can't see how you won't be wholly satisfied by PH, whether you're a hardened Zelda fan or a newcomer to the series, or even games in general. Yes it's a tad short, and yes it's full of recognisable Zelda moments, but that doesn't stop it from being a fun, refined gem of an adventure game.

A brilliant, near flawless addition to the series and an easy contender for game-of-the-year.

If I was wearing a hat, I'd doff it to the DS development team at Nintendo, who for me can do no wrong... or rather I would, except that I need both hands to control DK, so maybe it's best that I'm not wearing one. This is though, another definite winner from the big N.

For a DS title Elite Beat Agents looks and sounds great. The agents are animated brilliantly (although you might not notice their dance moves due to your level of concentration) and the cutscenes are often hilarious.

Add in the two-player Wi-Fi option and what you've got here is a brilliant game, and one that is an absolute must for all DS owners. Quite simply: if you've got a DS, get this!

In the hands of anyone who's been longing for a true sequel to Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy could well be the game of the year, but for me the latter half struggles to match the creativity and moments of magic experienced during the opening.

Metal Gear Solid 4 had a lot to live up to and it's done so brilliantly.

Visually the game is fantastic. In-game the graphics are among the best on the PSP, and alongside the occasional, highly polished traditional cut-scenes, there are a wealth of comic book style semi-animated cut-scenes that are presented with panache, and in some way explain the creatively inspired Metal Gear Solid Digital Graphic Novel, as a kind of precursor to Portable Ops' styling.

The size and sheer verticality of the environment is key to the experience, and you're simply given the tools to explore and have fun.

With an epic online mode, dozens of unlockable characters and stages and hundreds of collectible trophies, Brawl deserves its place in every Wii-owner's collection.

It's a game that makes you think about what you're doing. It hasn't perfected the RPG, and in truth isn't close to doing so, but it's a massive step in the right direction and a beautiful game to boot.

The familiar soundtrack, environments and fleshing out of back story will delight the game's fanatical army of followers. More importantly, however, is that Crisis Core's overall quality makes it a must buy for all PSP owners, whether you're into your materia or not.

In relation to the other titles on the Live Arcade, it's a high price, but this is a game that you'll be coming back to months down the line, making it an essential download.

After a few races it'll have you hooked like the very best MMOs and you won't be able to remove it from your disc tray. With a sublime racing model, superb AI, tons of content, brilliantly simple car upgrades and tuning, an unbelievable paint shop tool and all the online options you can imagine, Forza 2 is the premier Xbox 360 racer and the new king of the genre.

Online play does pose a few more problems; not just technically, but simply in being able to find a race. Unless you're already involved with an online racing community, you'll probably struggle to find people on open servers to race wheel-to-wheel with.

An amazing game. It could be argued that the appeal is limited, as after all, there is only one map to play on. But due to shifting alliances and perceived threats, the game never fails to feel anything but completely fresh.

Not only are the controls and attributes of the gameplay itself consistently representative of the chosen sport, but everything from the gloriously dynamic soundtrack and the competition commentary through to the selection of legendry skaters and the division of challenges into schools of skating hits the nail on the head with prowess.

Not only are the controls and attributes of the gameplay itself consistently representative of the chosen sport, but everything from the gloriously dynamic soundtrack and the competition commentary through to the selection of legendry skaters and the division of challenges into schools of skating hits the nail on the head with prowess.

By yourself there are a few games that provide as much of a thrill, and when playing with friends Guitar Hero II reaches even greater heights, making it a must own game.

It might be tailored more for experienced players than complete newcomers, but that's not a bad thing, and the new multiplayer modes and practice options are excellent.

Oblivion will consume you. It'll consume your life, your performance at work will suffer and you might not see friends in weeks. With hundreds of hours of gameplay, and an unprecedented amount of quests to be completed, I couldn't possibly recommend Oblivion enough. Great job Bethesda. Sorry social life.

It's not often that I get excited about handheld games, particularly handheld action games, but Chili Con Carnage has completely blown me away and changed my view on what Sony's handheld is capable of...As an action packed shooter it's far and away the best the PSP has to offer.

Thankfully, what we got is new layers of depth that, while not revolutionising the series, have made this year's game a more accurate and more immersive managerial experience.

Given your avatar's snazzy new wardrobe, base of operations, minions and the righteous euphoria associated with being a force for good, The Knights of the Nine is well worth the 800 Microsoft points.