It's instantly familiar but with enough innovation to interest fighting game fanatics willing to dig a little deeper. Yes it's a conservative effort, a safe bet if you will, but it's still the best 2D fighting game since Marvel vs. Capcom 2.

Buying Subsistence should be a no-brainer, even for those of you who have spent countless hours already mastering the original.

It's hard to see the majority of people wanting to play any other multiplayer shooter until the next CoD is released, such is the quality of what's on offer here...Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 takes everything that was great about CoD4 and ramps it up to the next level. With the best multiplayer shooting that money can buy, an incredibly action-packed campaign and plenty of superb two-player co-op levels, this is without a doubt a real contender for game of the year.

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

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.

Company of Heroes reinvigorates the sub-genre of the World War II real-time strategy game, and its confidence in its own excellence is aptly demonstrated in the very first few minutes of play.

Put simply, if you like GTA, you'll like this. It's the core GTA experience condensed, re-purposed, but astonishingly well preserved.

But when the actual game is compared to the finest of its score-hungry contemporaries - Trials HD, Super Stardust HD and Geometry Wars 2 - Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is a titanic event of equal worth.

It's a game like nothing you've ever played before and something we can't recommend highly enough.

God of War pushed the PS2 to breaking point on its release in 2005 and this sequel amazingly outdoes the original in every respect.

StarCraft II is a shot in the arm for the RTS genre, filling a void that's been left dormant for far too long - about 12 years, actually.

The mark of a brilliant fighter, as all fighting game fans know, is a balanced roster. Having one or two characters that are by a country mile better than the rest is what you want to avoid. Capcom has done an admirable job in this respect with Street Fighter IV. No single character seems overpowered.

The world is so lush, visually stunning and complete within itself that you just want to lose yourself in it.

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.

This is a massive game: in a month that's seen the release of five or six of the year's best titles, I reckon this is the absolute peach. It's packed with interesting places, with choices to make, with that nebulous sense of adventure you only find in the best RPGs.

It's not as emotionally deep as other games on the market, it's not a 30 hour + epic and it's not art in video game form, but is arguably the greatest action game ever created. In a year full of incredible games, Gears of War 2 sits triumphantly at the very top.

Here is a package that represents exceptional value. There's little here to convert non-believers, but then this game is not for them. This is one for the fans, and few who buy it will be left unsatisfied by how the story - their story - ends.

Nintendo's most time- and workforce-intensive project yet, and it shows in every hour you spend with it. It's a masterful blend of taut design and boldly non-traditional controls, an adventure liberally studded with memorable moments it would be remiss to spoil. Your favourite Zelda is usually your first. For many, come November 18, that won't be the case any longer.

The unavoidable reality is that, for all Rock Band 3's considerable refinements and intuitive advancements, your current games and equipment will probably suffice if you're just after banging a few plastic keys to the odd tune every now and then.

CoD4 has all the terrorist activity you'd want, evil leaders, dramatic encounters and plenty of stunning scripted moments that will make your jaw hit the floor.

This is a video game developed at the very highest level and takes what I thought was possible to new heights. God of War 3 is easily the best PS3 game I've played and sits comfortably as one of my favourite games of all time.

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.

At its best when being guided by Naughty Dog's meticulous hand. It's a genuine adventure; strap yourself into the single-player campaign and it's a white-knuckle ride with some of gaming's most engaging characters. Uncharted 3's trivial flaws are buried beneath a tidal wave of big-budget spectacle, and a genuine narrative warmth far beyond most blockbuster titles.

Problems are present, such as the inclusion of a few foreign tracks in mystery set lists during the World Tour (not the easiest of songs to jump into without having any prior experience) and we still prefer the guitars included with Guitar Hero, but these aren't enough to hurt what is a unique gaming experience.

Super is a tremendous update to a tremendous game. It addresses many of IV's weaknesses, subtly tweaks old features so that they work better, and introduces some characters that exceed the high quality bar set in February last year. It is a game tailor made for hardcore Street Fighter fans.

A brilliant RPG that delivers on all fronts including quite possibly the most enthralling piece of narrative the series has ever seen.

It is disarmingly addictive, and by far the most original game to hit the App Store in ages. Even if you're a bit rubbish at it, it's impossible not to fall in love with this funky little number.

Never before has there been such a content-packed racing game, playable for people of all skill levels, that feels this good. That's the key. On the track, no matter what car you're in, it feels right. You're not wondering if the controls are too twitchy or if you should tweak some options in the menu. You're 100 per cent focused on nailing every corner, out-breaking an opponent and taking him on the inside and just having a good time.