It almost angers me at times that publishers have the gall to demand a fee of £35 - £40 for simply applying a lick of paint to something that in essence people have played many times before.

It's simply a solid addition to the inaugural batch of WiiWare launch titles that tries a few new things with some uninspiring results.

Unlike Tiger Woods, a simulation of a sport that I like just about as much as snooker, WSC 07 doesn't offer casual players any neat features that would change us into snooker fanatics.

I feel bad for railing on Jackass: the Game this much, as from a purely gaming perspective, it is not only playable, but at times mildly amusing and wholly enjoyable. But at the same time, as a Jackass game, it fails at replicating the experience of even just watching an episode of the show, let alone interacting with it.

I know I keep coming back to the two Brain Training games but it's difficult not to; they test more areas of your brain, have more variety and are generally more interesting to play.

The only reason to get Delta Force: Black Hawk Down is for the online mode and I wouldn't bother getting the PS2 version for online thrills if you have an Xbox, or Killzone for that matter.

It is just a bit more of the same, but lacks much of what made the original compelling. It is also too short in length and drab in appearance, providing little incentive to get from battle to battle.

A long way off from living up to previous titles in the series.

We can see what the developers had in mind when they designed the concept, and on paper it was a glorious scheme. But in practise it does start to tear at the seams, and soon becomes a rather forgettable experience.

It's too easy, it looks and sounds merely adequate and the combat sections are painful to experience.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3 will go down in the history of the Nintendo DS that's worthy of mention as the first game to push the system to a new presentational level developers that will be working to equal for some time to come.

The biggest problem with Prince of Persia: Revelations is that it has no longevity once you've completed the admittedly lengthy adventure through once.

If Fatal Inertia came with local four-player gaming then I'd recommend it for split screen play alone, because there's nothing like it on the Xbox 360 at the moment.

Control, although not debilitating, ruins what could have been a very slick title and its similarity to Splinter Cell is brazen, even down to the tutorial, which is straight out of the Sam Fisher handbook.

Star Wars: Battlefront Renegade Squadron is one third an excellent game, one third a terrible game and one third a passable game… shaky and not stirring!

It isn't worth buying Sonic Gems Collection unless you simply can't live without "Sonic CD".

To both its benefit and its detriment it's an unrefined concoction of so many volatile parts that you're never sure whether it's going to blow your mind or blow your head clean off.

There is plenty to criticize about The Chosen: Well of Souls, but I want to reinforce that it's important to look at it as a budget release. Taking that perspective as a basis for your assumptions will put you into the correct mindset - limited game, fun gameplay, nothing revolutionary.

As a departure for the series, the idea of a tactical SOCOM game is a great one and is executed mildly well. I say mildly, as without the annoying camera, cheap deaths, lack of story and lukewarm audio, the game would be a lot of fun to play.

It does everything its competitors do, plus a little more on the side, with a decent amount of polish and enough charm to keep those who want to coming back for more, day after day after day.

Control issues, far too many pointless fall-to-your-death moments and a general lack of purpose or incentive to explore make the fun fleeting and the frustration lasting.

XG Blast! is an entertaining and addictive shooter but Geometry Wars does it better.

Nothing about MX vs. ATV Untamed really sets it apart from other off-road racers.

Sadly, positives such as the great audio are counterbalanced and often outweighed by missed opportunities and poorly executed gameplay mechanics. This leaves a game with a great concept and a few innovative ideas that sadly leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

A solid yet uninspiring 2D beat 'em up with a surprisingly in-depth and lag free online mode.

A sloppy, unimaginative title that on the Gamecube was barely passable and on a next generation console is just not acceptable!

If you're a puzzle game fan then Geon is close to an essential purchase for those looking for something new on the PlayStation Network.

You do have a reasonable game in Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires, especially given that it's come out at a budget price compare to most of the other 360 titles. However, it really does lack that next generation touch, besides some spit and polish on the visuals and the cracking frame rate.

It may be slightly too slow and easy for some, but it still has more than enough variety to keep most fans happy.

I'm just supremely disappointed that it failed to capitalize on its intriguing premise.

If the rest of the game was half as well thought out and interesting as the crafting and combat systems, then Blade Dance: Linage of Light would easily be the best role-playing game for the PSP - but after a while it gets tedious, and neither the crafting nor the combat can save the experience from sinking into mediocrity.

Strictly a game for fans of the series, although even these people might be put off with the slow-sailing pace of the game.

If I've come off as very sarcastic in this review, it's simply because, compared to Brain Training, the game is mostly boring and I was amusing myself at its expense to keep myself sane.

The amount of cumbersome game elements, flaws and omissions I've experienced while playing, plus some ridiculously hard missions and repeat ad nauseum trial and error gameplay, bog down what could have been a much more streamlined and user-friendly experience.

Commandos: Strike Force does have some unusual ideas that it brings to the war first person shooter, such as peeking through keyholes and sneaking around strangling Nazis while dressed as one of them, but it's simply not enough to earn it a promotion through the ranks, not with so many great shooters out there.

It's above average and makes a change to the rest of the fighters, with its massive monsters destroying cities as they fight, but its bound to get lost amongst the more appealing games in the genre.

It's a great outlet for fans of Backgammon to go and play their favorite game with other people, without the need to wander around with a small briefcase looking for other players.

Players with infinite patience and the strength of will to complete the game will be well rewarded, but those expecting the same level of intuitiveness and accessibility as other Wii or SSX games will be more than a little frustrated.

It kept my sisters entertained for a while - they enjoyed how it looked and they appreciated the voiceovers, plus little spontaneous things, such as receiving text messages, but after a while I'd imagine they'd get bored.

As an introduction into the world of shipping and sailing it's not a bad effort, but as an in-depth and richly detailed simulator, it's something better left alone until Ship Simulator 2007 comes along and adds the much needed features that are sorely lacking here.

Unlike Open Season, which kept me thoroughly entertained from start to finish, I found "Ice Age 2" to be something of a repetitive chore at times.

Section 8 lies paradoxically somewhere between innovation and mundanity: it has its moments (zipping around the battlefield in overdrive mode is a good laugh and the orbital drops are simply awesome) but for all its good intentions, it simply can't overcome its eventually-boring gunplay.

Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires likes to think that's it's a massive, deep game - there's even an encyclopaedia of historical events included in the start menu, so you can brush up on the background to your mindless slaughter - but the problem is, whilst it is certainly massive, it's a long, long way from being deep.

A very disappointing release and to only marginally improve on a title that was already a huge disappointment is almost criminal.

Urban Jungle fails in providing enough replay value to justify a definite purchase, its finely tuned fast-paced shooter gameplay at least makes it a worthy tie-in for fans of the show to take a gander at in anticipation of the debut airing of the like-titled special episode.

Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai 2 is a game that's geared towards fans of the TV series, rather than a wider audience.

The concept of splitting up the gameplay into a myriad of mini-games and separate just doesn't work and just about all of it is inexplicably boring.

Despite the lack of depth and bullfighting, all of the action is pretty fun - this won't be the most fun you have playing a game this year, but the set ups and environments work pretty well at delivering tense moments and engaging gun battles.

The "evolved" angle isn't worth much, unless you really want the ultimate Warlords experience (which is admittedly awesome).

Be it frustration at the difficulty level or just boredom at the lack of variety, your Urban Reign is pretty much guaranteed to be a short-lived one.

A bit of a disappointing first attempt at a shooter, considering the power of the PSP. The sound is reasonable and the graphics vary between good and excellent, but the gameplay lacks somewhat.

I'd suggest a weekend rental rather than picking it up full price. And while it might be short-lived, there's nothing quite like leading a horde of zombies around to convert every last citizen you can lay your decomposing hands on! Say it with me folks - "BRAINS!"

It pains me to say this, being such an adoring fan of the Call of Duty franchise and all, but Call of Duty 3 is probably the weakest game I've played on the Wii so far, and I've played nearly the entire launch window line-up.

Unfortunately, playing the game leaves you with this constant feeling that you're watching a film while occasionally tapping at one of the buttons on your controller to continue the story.

The horribly short lifespan and the bad controls of Kong degrades this title from a must-have to a must-rent.

Its main selling point is realism, not in all aspects but enough to make the game more unique than it would first seem. It's flawed, but if you give it a chance you'll discover a reasonable game wrapped up in an excellent story.

I don't care how much it hurts to say it, but I'm dropping out of this 'bonus' tour. There is no way I can stand up on stage and pretend to have fun playing Shakin', Radar Love and all the other bogus songs you put in front of a sold-out crowd who had no idea just what they were buying into.

If you must bring elegance into your neighbourhood, or you must own every Sims release, or you have a partner who is crazy for Sims and you'd like to purchase them a reasonably priced gift, then The Sims 2 Glamour Life Stuff might fit the bill - but with so many snobs in real life, surely you'd be glad to escape them in the virtual life?

It's a fun experience that I played for a few hours and will probably never touch again.

There is plenty of replayability, if you like the basic game, but that's where we get back to the duality - some will love Deep Labyrinth and others will hate it.

Ducati Moto DS is more of a triumph for the industry than the consumer, because while it's great to see third party developers trying something a little risky, Ducati Moto just isn't strong enough to ward off the competition.

At the end of the day, a very basic beat em' up. It's just kick, punch, shoot, with the odd focus moves here and there to break up the action.

If you can get by the issues caused by the limitations of the GBA, Need For Speed: Underground offers a solid racing experience for any GBA owner and features more replayability than its direct competition, thanks to the highly customisable cars and varied races.

In the end then, Hot Pixel is undoubtedly fun, especially in the short term and in quick bursts, but it isn't the non-stop party that Atari probably hoped it would be.

Of course, the odd SpongeBob appearance and the odd wisecrack from Mr. Krabs makes up for the otherwise abysmal tasting Krabby Patty of a game, but unless you really have an itch for a Sponge game, this probably should be avoided.

If you are a complete bike racing fanatic I've got no doubt in my mind that the sheer excitement of racing around the track will be reason enough to warrant the price tag of TT Superbikes. For everybody else, this just isn't good enough to keep you interested.

All of these games are fun to spend some time with, to a lesser or greater degree, but none of them will keep you entertained for very long, making this a nice filler for an hour between the other games you're currently playing.

The main draw to Charlotte's Web is clearly its decently sized story mode and it absolutely delivers a fine family-friendly platforming romp for you and your kids to play and enjoy while it lasts. But once the story is long over it's the arcade mini-games that will keep you coming back for more.

The lasting appeal is great, the graphics aren't half bad, the sound is pretty good, yet the gameplay falls far below par to my golfing expectations.

The best advice i can give is to trust your own instincts: even after reading this, if the concept and setting still appeal to you, definitely give it a chance. Just don't expect to feel the same way when it's over.

While Insomniac have embraced their PS2 series, retaining what made those games so enjoyable while bulding upon them twofold, Jak and Daxter have been left to suffer on the PSP. With so many great PSP games this Christmas, it’s hard to recommend this.

Dark Fall: Lost Souls is aimed squarely at the Myst crowd: if you like taking your time pondering over clues, taking meticulous notes and solving some brain-bending puzzles, then you’ll render a considerable degree of enjoyment from the game. If not, then its tension and suspense will be lost on you thanks to the snail’s pace it takes and the distinct lack of anything remotely exciting happening.

An unfortunate miss-fire from what appears to be a genuinely bright and talented new developer.

Having said that, if you’ve played every other racer and are just gagging for more speed, you can’t go terribly wrong with Anarchy. Just be sure not to aim your expectations too high for a game that implements every other feature from every other racer to a slightly lesser degree.

The shooting elements have been watered down to accomodate MMO players, and the persistance has been watered down to accomodate FPS gamers. High Rez have attempted to make so many compromises, they just seem to have fallen short accross the board.

The mini-games are what holds this title together and you do get you focused for a short time because of them, but the rest of the game lacks options/choices in game play and rewards are poor for putting the time in to see your results.

As a third-person-shooter on the PSP, Ghostbusters The Video Game is a distinctly average offering.

Vancouver 2010 isn’t a bad game, what little it does, it does very well, but what we have here is a skeletal frame, lacking even the slightest morsel of gristle with which to fill up our fun bellies.

I’m saddened by this game as after being an avid lover of the DS version this just didn’t come close.

Given the wealth of cheap games on the go currently it’s difficult to see how Magnetis is supposed to stand out amongst the giants of the field. Rather it’s simply a poor second runner that might provide a few minutes of entertainment better spent elsewhere.

It’s really hard to criticise a game that is actually very good. But the principle stands. It is frankly immoral to demand money for something that has simply been regurgitated. Thus Serious Sam HD is a reprehensible example of commercial greed, and for that deserves our eternal scorn.

Overall Free Running has done something right in regards to ensuring you know what Le Parkour is all about. Unfortunately as an enjoyable experience Free Running hasn’t quite successfully transferred from the real world to the confines of the Wii.

If you are looking for something more - if you already have chess for a PDA or GBA and are hoping for solid play over the Internet or a great story mode then look elsewhere, because as anything other than a decent chess engine, Online Chess Kingdoms fails to deliver a compelling experience.

Feeling heavier than the ring bearer, I can barely lift my digits to tell you that with clunky gameplay, poor graphics and badly paced sound, The Lord of the Rings: Tactics is only really going to be enjoyed by the most hardened of Lord of the Rings fans.

My advice is to stick to a console version unless you really want an SNK game for the road, as there are several better choices for a fighting title on GBA than this.

Fans of the series will probably find something to like in Growlanser: Heritage of War's forty or more hours of gameplay and selection of extras that include a battle arena and fairy contest; for the rest of us though, there is little to be found here other than an extremely average RPG that seems to do its best to exasperate its already lengthy list of shortcomings.

A very mixed experience, showcasing some pretty impressive ideas with a largely woeful follow through.

The lack of attack options makes the game a chore to play after a while too, but luckily it's so short that you'll be able to at least finish one campaign before you decide you've had enough.

The major problem with this entry in the farming series however is that it's a sloppy conversion. From the controls to the fact that some people in the game refer to the R button on the Gamecube controller, there are too many things wrong with this version to recommend it to a Harvest Moon fan over the Gamecube and PS2 titles.

In the end, the storyline and memorable moments will push most players towards finishing the eight to twelve hour storyline but this will be despite the majority of the gameplay rather than because of it.

I have always loved well-executed kids' games and hated games that pander to kids to make a quick buck. This is neither - it is a very mediocre and forgettable little budget game that isn't something I would recommend for any child or adult.

Beatdown is a choppy, shallow and tedious experience, despite a few cool features being thrown into the mix.

Unless you're a huge Fantastic Four nut I would recommend you play a different beat 'em up game, as this one is feels absolutely ancient and offers nothing new that we haven't seen before and many things we shouldn't see anymore.

Fans of the series will appreciate the fan service and authenticity, while Battlefront fans will enjoy the stopgap that Conquest provides until Battlefront III is finally released. For everyone else, the buggy gameplay, mixed presentation and repetitive action will be more than enough to turn your attention towards greener pastures, especially given the huge array of triple-A classics you still need to catch up on from last year's glut of winter releases.

Juiced: Eliminator should be fun to play, but it isn't. Maybe it's the fact that you can't corner without crashing, maybe it's the fact you can't bang your car more than twice without causing serious damage and thus rendering your car useless, maybe it's the fact that once you are overtaken you will never ever catch up again, or maybe, just maybe, it's the fact that if you lose more than three races in career mode, you might as well just restart.

Whether you find any pleasure in Tao's Adventure: Curse of the Demon Seal will depend on your tolerance of the controls and the slow-paced dungeon crawling. This isn't a spectacular game from any standpoint, but it will connect with some gamers as a charming pleasure.

Barrow Hill: Curse of the Ancient Circle seems to be generally lacking in polish, leaving a rather unprofessional and rushed out for Halloween feel.

The pictures will likely be too off-putting for this to be enjoyable for fans of Sudoku, and considering it actually makes the game a little trickier to play, I question how suitable this is for children.