What Nintendo has really done with this game is set the bar extremely high for any future portable FPS title that even wants to be considered above average.

Atmospherically the game is without rival and the sense of community is absolutely charming.

Madden NFL 08 is not a perfect game, but it's damn close.

Far Cry 2 has greatly impressed me. With gorgeous visuals, high quality sound and extremely well conceived gameplay mechanics, it's a near essential title.

As much as I love Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, it alarms me to see how little the core game has evolved over the years.

Virtua Fighter 5 is exceptional. It's just a shame that with a few extra modes (Sega, please get an online mode running for the 360 version!) this could have been a masterpiece of pure gaming gold.

Ikaruga successfully blends nostalgia with new and modern twists in a usually very rigid genre, while providing a challenge that few other games come near to presenting, without ever feeling unfair to the player.

With more meat than the last game, 100 levels of fun, unmatched co-op gameplay, the feature to make your own characters, the superb visuals and the funky Star Wars tunes, I simply cannot fault what's on offer.

The Warriors is near perfection. It offers a compelling single player action adventure game that can become a two-player affair at the push of a button.

The single player is fun enough for a while in short bursts, but it feels all too familiar, even with the destruction elements in place; the setting and story are well thought out and entertaining, but the repetitive missions will likely wear thin long before you reach the end.

Final Fantasy IV is just as good as it was seventeen years ago. It still has one of the most memorable RPG stories, excelling with both its aesthetics and value for money. But despite all of this, the thing that makes this the best RPG on DS - and arguably the best game - is the gameplay.

F.E.A.R. really is a shooter with everything - exceptional enemy AI, amazingly detailed graphics with truly entertaining rag doll physics and proper reactions when you land a hit on an enemy, a fantastic range of weapons and an online mode that's tremendously addictive.

In a world full of murky shooters and visceral realism, Prince of Persia is a breath of fresh air. There's vibrancy wherever you look and no game has had such amazing artistic design all year.

It presents a solid, fairly streamlined experience that's accessible to console players while still providing an engaging layer of depth.

There are many features here to keep you entertained while going solo but if you're looking for a multiplayer friendly game, ESPN doesn't really deliver.

The perfect example of just what an expansion pack should be. Not only does it add a completely new race to the game (one which is admittedly perhaps a touch less interesting than the original set) but a pair of brand new single player campaigns, new units to the existing factions and an abundance of other tweaks to the gameplay to keep Dawn of War fans happy.

It's everything you ever wanted from the last couple of Hawk incarnations but these are things that were never included; a unique bobby dazzler of a story and loads of depth that promises to wow us all.

With a strong storyline, a stunning and expansive world, inspired level and mission design and a hefty amount of time required to see it through to completion, inFAMOUS is an essential PS3 release.

If old school blasting is your bag then you'll find more than enough here to keep you entertained.

In a funny way it may turn out that the Tony Hawk's games needed the arrival of skate as much as skate needed the existence of Tony Hawk's to make it what it is - the new home of skateboarding, at least for the time being.

A must have title - no exceptions and no buts. This game features in my all time top ten and has the depth and nuance of play to keep anyone enthralled for some time.

The imagination present in the levels is striking and the game is crammed with charming details, from the likeable characters and the exceptionally pretty cut scenes that bookend the gameplay to the satisfying swing of Ratchet's ratchet and the atmospheric music.

Although still not quite as refined or smooth as Pro Evo, FIFA 07 is certainly kicking at the heels of its great competitor.

As a multiplayer, it's truly fantastic, despite having only one game type available at the moment.

Its fairly brief but dramatic and adrenaline-fuelled campaign has been greatly enhanced by the excellent co-op mode and XP incentives, while its multiplayer is every bit as good as CoD 4, making this arguably the definitive Call of Duty experience thus far.

It looks great, it sounds good and it plays like a real dream, the simplistic gameplay revealing hidden depths and strategies the more you play, with plenty of hilarious moments of death or glory in every game you can play. Blowing up your friends really has never been so much fun!

With an involved and engaging RPG element, it sticks out above titles like "Final Fantasy Tactics" as being the best around.

It's as playable, entertaining and creative as was expected both from the hype and from the type of game we know that only Lionhead Studios could produce.

Portable gaming is all about pick up and play - short bursts of fun action. Virtua Tennis: World Tour captures that spirit with style - games last a few minutes and practice sessions are under a minute, yet it never feels lacking or rushed.

The replay value of this game is huge, with hundreds of things to find, do and complete. Since all the contracts can be beaten in dozens of different ways, the fun factor in replaying the game just goes up and up, plus there are more than three different characters to do it with.

If you also enjoy a bit of multiplayer combat then you should seriously consider drafting GRAW 2 into your PS3 game collection as quickly as possible.

No other place offers this kind of strategy, brimming with one of a kind characters and creatures, and the actual work you'll be doing is so different that we should get it patented!

A game that should be played with all the lights out, on your own, with the sound turned up loud. It really is a scary, atmospheric game and a definite "Silent Hill" beater.

Blast Off isn’t a fully-fledged game, but it never aimed to be one in the first place – it is mini, after all. Small, cute, cheap, addictive, and great fun. At this kind of price tag, deprive yourself of your portion of fries at McDonalds this week and Blast Off into the unknown instead.

Action-packed and so fast-paced that you won't have time to sweat, this title should definitely get a ride in your PS2, filling your screen with blaster shots, explosions and entertainment at a high level.

The times when we were able to get good online games going without any problems were absolutely fantastic, a real reminder of great blazing fast arcade shooters from years past like Quake and the classic "Unreal."

A perfect blend of arcade style action, mixing the best of Midnight Club 2, Midtown Madness, Need for Speed Underground and Burnout 3. With a combination like that, you really can't go wrong.

Taken as a whole, F1 2010 is a maddening experience as, in spite of the numerous flaws it undoubtedly has, it is capable of throwing up some of the most intense, exciting racing moments you are likely to find in a game.

The game simply rocks and in my opinion this is the best puzzle game money can currently buy.

It will ruin Bejeweled for you forever, because you will be longing for some consequences beyond just getting points! You will also quickly descend into 'just one more turn' territory until you make your way to the end, which will take dozens of hours.

DiRT offers many hours of rallying gameplay, beautiful graphics and a true definition of speed that will keep die hard fans and newcomers alike engaged for a long time.

Although not a huge amount has been changed from NBA 2K6, when a game is this good it's hard to care, especially when almost everything added works so well.

It's hard to think of anything else the guys at Codemasters could have crammed into the game, and the way they've managed to retain such a high level of quality throughout the whole experience really is extraordinary.

If you're a big basketball fan, go out and buy NBA 2K6, because it's a must and officially it's extremely accurate.

Devil May Cry 4 is a stunning triumph of an action game that easily competes with greats like "God of War II" and "Ninja Gaiden Sigma."

The missions are varied enough to keep you going and take advantage of what makes the game fun; if you like classic beat 'em up games like "Final Fight" or "Streets of Rage 2," then Ultimate Destruction is a game you can't pass up; mindless, destructive fun that has never been done better than this.

If this experience taught me anything, it's that Guitar Hero: Metallica is one for the fans.

Once more they've created not only a mesmerisingly beautiful world but also an infinitely playable one to boot.

With more meat than the last game, 100 levels of fun, unmatched co-op gameplay, the feature to make your own characters, the superb visuals and the funky Star Wars tunes, I simply cannot fault what's on offer.

It presents a solid, fairly streamlined experience that's accessible to console players while still providing an engaging layer of depth.

Spore will most likely appeal to those who don't expect much from it. It's a curious step in the evolution of games artistry that will take its place amongst games like Black & White that, although interesting and innovative, never quite live up to their potential and promise.

A perfect blend of arcade style action, mixing the best of Midnight Club 2, Midtown Madness, Need for Speed Underground and Burnout 3. With a combination like that, you really can't go wrong.

A delicious mix of the best aspects of the first two games, with more innovation and a cockier, funnier Dante. The action is truly flawless.

A few technical glitches aside, it's a pretty great turn out from EA, and were Fight Night Round 3 to be a boxer itself, it wouldn't win by total knockout, but would definitely go the twelve rounds and come out on top.

Devil May Cry 4 is a stunning triumph of an action game that easily competes with greats like "God of War II" and "Ninja Gaiden Sigma."

The new multiplayer modes are extremely good fun and highly addictive, the maps are much bigger and Xbox Live 3.0 is in full force with clan matches, voice and text messaging and even team lobbies with level maps to plan attacks.

If you're a big basketball fan, go out and buy NBA 2K6, because it's a must and officially it's extremely accurate.

Skate 2 isn't a bad game, it's just inconsistent.

The missions are varied enough to keep you going and take advantage of what makes the game fun; if you like classic beat 'em up games like "Final Fight" or "Streets of Rage 2," then Ultimate Destruction is a game you can't pass up; mindless, destructive fun that has never been done better than this.

In every sense Split/Second brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "prime time".

While not perfect, DJ Hero is still a worthy addition to the rhythm-action genre, bringing many fresh ideas to the table, but still not realizing its full potential through the absence of creation and freestyle elements.

It's hard to think of anything else the guys at Codemasters could have crammed into the game, and the way they've managed to retain such a high level of quality throughout the whole experience really is extraordinary.

Apparently clocking in at around 60 hours and with DLC promised, this is a gargantuan slice of epic adventure that will keep you well and truly immersed for weeks to come – you can bet your bottom bottle-cap on it.

When compared to other Square-Enix remakes of late, such as Final Fantasy IV and Star Ocean: First Departure, Dragon Quest: The Hand of the Heavenly Bride just feels far too archaic.

The intensity the radio chatter brings, matched with amazing music, exciting missions and fantastic storytelling makes one game that every gamer looking for a great action game should not miss, despite the short nature of the main story.

The only real issue I have with Defcon is that there's no way to do a quick rematch; you need to head back to the lobby and set up the same match if you want to get payback against the folks who out-nuked you.

They haven't attempted to evolve the genre too much further, but the amount of polish, style and thought that has gone into the gameplay design and dynamics really shines through and this is a classily executed game that borrows from the elite of the modern industry and does everything with real panache.

In the end then, rather than being an exceptional driving game, NfS: Shift is a good one with one exceptional feature - driver-cam, and one interesting idea where the implementation is slight awry - driver profile.

The Warriors is near perfection. It offers a compelling single player action adventure game that can become a two-player affair at the push of a button.

If you're a Marvel Comics fan then it's an absolute must. But even if you're unaware of the story behind this oh-so-famous band of mutants, it's still worth adding to your collection and again a must for RPG fans on the go.

With more meat than the last game, 100 levels of fun, unmatched co-op gameplay, the feature to make your own characters, the superb visuals and the funky Star Wars tunes, I simply cannot fault what's on offer.

One of the most fresh, exiting and original games to come out for a long time; it's well presented, sounds great and offers something completely new. There are even a few sex scenes!

Half-Minute Hero is the most entertaining pixelated panic attack you’ll find on your PSP, and a game where time is very much of the essence.

While bits of the game are predictable, such as fighting a boss whose only weakness is fire immediately after you obtain pyrokinesis, any flaws are insignificant thanks to the amazingly addictive and fun gameplay.

Ultimately, playing games should always be about fun and that's why I absolutely loved playing this game.

Whilst it isn't as good as the other traditional Zelda games and lacks many of their features, this is the one that started it all and it is indeed a very enjoyable game. The graphics hold up well but are not incredible, of course.

Although the violence is a lot harsher, the gameplay and tension has been revamped to give a more intuitive feel without losing the need to improve those button tapping skills.

There's a lot of enjoyment and variety to be found here, and Nightfall certainly adds enough for fans of Guild Wars to make the purchase, while the fact that there's no monthly fee is enough of a plus point to recommend this to MMORPG fans who haven't tried Guild Wars before.

The deepest RPG I've ever played. There's so much going on under the surface, so much to do and find, so many characters to create and train, and so many, many battlefields to conquer, all of which adds up to one of the best value for money games you could ever purchase - that is if you're not put off by the clumsy dialogue, often daft story events and rudimentary presentation, which some will see as charming and others as just plain poor.

Beyond a couple of flaws and the fact that you'll probably be comparing it to Battlefield for the first few days, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is its own game with its own ideas that on occasions actually outshines others in its class.

It's also not a game with much depth unfortunately - some added features would have made a solid enhancement to the already excellent gameplay.

A great example of what an expansion should be - fix problems with the original game, add a lot of features that makes the original game more interesting and sends you back to replay it even more, while also adding new and unique content that challenges you in different ways to the original game. Warlords executes all of this beautifully.

While it's essentially a puzzle game, some of the challenges are very tough and will require a lot of trial and error if you're not careful, but some intense music, good gun sound effects and your squad screaming at the top of their lungs to move make for a fun experience.

Thanks to this edition, the series continues to hold the title of Best Golf Simulator Ever and I really don't foresee any other game causing it undue worry over the next twelve months.

Authentic and graphically lovely reproductions of every significant character and location from all six films, complete with a range of troop classes to choose from, all with their own weapon sets, a host of vehicles to use, spectacular space battles and fully playable Hero characters.

It's a beautiful mix of everything we love in retro gaming and everything we're capable of having with modern technology, truly a match made in virtual heaven!

With multiple single player aspects such as GM Mode, two storyline seasons, PPV creation and Exhibition title-defences, WWE SmackDown vs RAW 2006 is easily the most full-featured SmackDown ever made and the online mode is a simply phenomenal addition that is hard to resist if you're able to connect.

This game will ruin Bejeweled for you forever, because you will be longing for some consequences beyond just getting points. You will also quickly descend into 'just one more turn' territory until you make your way to the end, which will take dozens of hours.

Stunning graphics, an amazing range of highly imaginative and sprawling locations, endless variety, engaging and challenging gameplay, loads of mini-games, cool weapons, super powers, vehicles, races, a grand and exciting storyline, great music, superb voice acting and plenty of humour- did I forget anything?

A brilliant little gem to help while away a sweaty Summer.

There is no other game like Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy out at the moment and it is one of the best action games to blast onto the scene in a long, long time. Do not let this one slip by you.

If you loved the original but found it too easy, then give The Prince of Persia: Warrior Within a go, as it's sure to please. If you loved "Ninja Gaiden" you'll definitely like this.

An ambitious sequel (and possibly conclusion) that refuses to allow you to get bored - so much so that it ends up being more of a bad thing than a good thing.

Beyond Good & Evil is a gaming masterpiece, blending together light combat, stealth, platform action, puzzle solving and racing to form a compelling gameplay mix, tied together with a terrific story and wrapped up in gorgeous visuals and audio.

Rock legends such as Panthera and Jet Black Summer have made contributions to the soundtrack and many Brits will be familiar with the commentary of Bob Cole and Harry Neale.

Loco Roco is a game that PSP owners simply must try; it's the type of unconventional and quirky gameplay that is infectious and addictive beyond rationality, and a game that you will want to keep playing and never stop - you will want to hear those songs again and again, and to see the different levels using different Loco Rocos.

There aren't many multiplayer options either, really, just the quick match and there's no online mode, which could put off those who enjoy the convenience, challenge and socialising that online gaming offers.

A great title that's fantastic value for any hard-headed platforming fan, thanks to its rock-solid game mechanics and a wealth of content and modes.