I feel as though I should be warning you that it's not just retro but positively a step backwards, and as we all know backwards steps are not good ones.

Whilst this is definitely a fun game, it is certainly not justified if you own the original. This is simply a very cheap trick by the developers to get twice the cash for what is essentially one purchase.

It's when the day/night cycle kicks in while you're amid a minefield of anomalies in the Red Forest and you realise that that the next hour of playtime will be by an impotent beam of torchlight; the monsters are still waiting for you and now they can see you coming.

The longevity is abysmal and the content is woefully limited, while the controls and overall gameplay are fine for a weekend rental.

The longevity is abysmal and the content is woefully limited, while the controls and overall gameplay are fine for a weekend rental.

If you can overcome the daunting task of getting into Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI, as well as ingesting all the finer points, then you could really grow to love it.

There is a great story and a fine game in Yakuza 2, let down mainly by old technology and some stylistic choices that wouldn't have mattered half as much when it was first released in the East.

Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise is anything but a loveless port. If you loved the 360 version then you'll love this, despite the drop in graphical quality.

If you're looking for a full on sim of the sport then you might be better off with EA's latest iteration but if you're looking for a fast-paced, pick-up-and-play hockey game then this is right up your rink.

It has enough depth to satisfy staunch fans of the sport but doesn't quite deliver the depth and fluidity needed to have NHL fans salivating.

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.

FaceBreaker is probably one of the worst games I've ever had the misfortune to play; childlike not only in style but also in design, it definitely isn't worth full price.

Although not quite stuck in the shallow depths of mediocrity, Infinite Undiscovery barely surpasses the mark of decent.

PictoImage isn't a bad game, but neither is the version that you can play with only a pen and paper.

Rapala Fishing Frenzy 2009 is a truly abysmal example of a game. It's broken, heartless and about as fun as attaching fishing hooks to the most sensitive areas of your person.

Off Road doesn't redefine bad games or make the genre worse - all it does is make you hate the whole concept of the shovelware title. Why are games like this made and, more importantly, why do people keep buying them?

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.

Let down but not ruined by quirky AI, dodgy physics and some bland design, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames still manages to deliver childish fun for grown-ups - and if you don't regard it with too critical an eye then you'll see that there really is a hidden gem beneath the buggy mud.

It won't keep you playing after the forty levels are completed and, to be honest, by level fifteen there's no real impetus to carry on playing.

Penumbra: Requiem is by far the worst game in the series.

Spore: Galactic Adventures is, like the original game, a qualified success.

This is no Final Fantasy but so long as you approach it with reasonable expectations, Tales of Vesperia should have no trouble finding a place to call its own in the affections of every discerning JRPG fan.

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.

While Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 still suffers from a few of the glitches and lazy development that plagued its predecessors, the hugely innovative and perfectly implemented additions to the tried and tested Tiger Woods framework makes Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 very easy to recommend.

If you're interested in a solid tactical RPG then Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice is certainly worth a look.

If you're willing to put in the effort and push past the unforgiving difficulty and slightly rough edges, you will find an extremely deep racing experience that few other games can match.

It's not so much art design and premise that ultimately brings Murder in the Abbey down; the gaffe rests on the gameplay.

Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty is a wonderfully enjoyable bite-sized helping of game goodness that will keep fans ticking over until the full release next year.

With lacklustre visuals, tedious training exercises, an unforgiving difficulty curve and gameplay that fails to offer anything new or, indeed, much in the way of enjoyment, this is one tennis game that you're best off avoiding, because it's likely that if you do pick it up, you'll be lobbing it into your local game store's bargain bin pretty soon.

It does have that 'just once more go' addictive quality to it, buried somewhere deep beneath its many flaws - a trait that all hack and slash action games seem to have regardless of their quality - but beyond that there's very little here to recommend.

The refinements and tweaks made to the already exceptional game engine have resulted in the best Madden game to date, while the new additions of My Skill, Play Style and Rewind make it a surprisingly accessible introduction to the series for newcomers.

Yes, the Madden IQ is a miscue, and they've fumbled the online leagues, but Madden 09 is a much more rounded and refined game than 08. It has all the basic components for perfection but can't quite bring them together so, in this respect, it's much more like the 2004 Steelers than the '72 Dolphins.

A game that's every bit as original as Super Mario Galaxy and Portal, Braid is a short-lived gem.

Monster Madness: Grave Danger would have been one of the weaker PSN games, even at a price of £10 or less, but as a retail game that costs more than three times that amount, it simply can't be recommended.

If you're ready to step up to the challenge and spend the hours needed to get good at this, or if you're a fan of the culture, then this may well be the game for you - but for the rest of us, there are definitely better urban sports sims out there.

Where King of Clubs really excels is in its humour and lifespan.

Evidently, there's potential left to wring out of the old twin-stick shooter yet.

Soulcalibur is appearing increasingly stale, with each sequel becoming a reluctant carbon copy of its prior - but whilst we await the next step forward for the fighter, Soulcalibur IV manages to keep the key elements of the genre surprisingly fresh and, more importantly, fun.

The fighting is fluid and well-paced, the characters are all interesting and the game wields an eccentric style that sets it apart from all other 3D fighters.

A decent, if not wonderful, city management game - there are some elements that really shine and the most impressive is the management of subcultures within the one city - adding a wonderful real city feel and a welcome innovative twist to the genre. Not as outstanding - but still high quality - are the graphics and level of detail.

Art of Murder: FBI Confidential is a decent point and click adventure, with good longevity and an engrossing story to match.

Code of Honor 2: Conspiracy Island is a game that simply won't appeal to anyone who knows what a real first person shooter experience is like. It isn't over the top or realistic, it isn't exciting or interesting, the story is awful and none of the technical details are even close to being up to scratch either. All it really has going for it is that it installs, you can play it, and, as far as I know, it won't plant a virus on your computer.

Siren: Blood Curse is a triumphant remake of a sublimely brilliant survival horror game.

Overall the atmosphere here is electric with a great looking and sounding game that plays well for the most part, though some events can be frustrating but ultimately beatable.

Order Up! is an inexplicably fun affair and gamers with an uncalloused heart will find it difficult to resist its addictive nature and endearing charm.

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.

An acceptable Wii golf game. It's better than the Wii Sports version and it does offer a few hours of decent gameplay. However, the lack of courses, limited character choice and annoying audio does little to elevate it beyond a novelty game, and while the swing system, once mastered, provides an interesting way to play, it is something of an obstacle to overcome initially, after which the multiplayer captures the friendly rival nature of the Wii perfectly.

The problem is that for every tentative, stumbling step that Golden Horde makes towards originality, it fails on something crucial.

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

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

Civilization Revolution is great fun on the DS. It's quite refreshing to see that the developers weren't overly ambitious with trying to push the limited hardware too hard, and it's even better to see it all come together so well.

If you enjoy mini-games with a focus upon beating previous high scores and unlocking mostly pointless extras for your character then you can't go far wrong with this.

The single player is very limited in terms of enjoyment, but open the game up to multiplayer, either online or with up to four players locally, and you will have a good time.

The most compelling reason to play Unreal Tournament III is its rarity, as such games are a dying breed. Regardless of your feelings toward this vein of game, you can't deny that they're something a little different than what born and bred console players are used to and Unreal still proudly flies the flag for old school shooters with great success.

AMF Bowling: Pinbusters is a great bowling game that delivers an effective control scheme with lots of options.

Sure, it's not a long game, the graphics aren't great and there are problems with the AI, but the game is so much fun to play that none of this really matters, especially not for the price tag.

The absence of the Missions Mode is disappointing and online play would have been a blast, but the weapon-based fighting system is still a lot of fun. The characters and levels are all there, the game looks great in HD and let's not forget this is a Live Arcade release; it sure isn't a bad way to spend $10.

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.

It's fun and bright, easy to pick up and play and has some moments of real humour in it. At the same time it's tacky and hackneyed, annoying to anyone not involved and lacks any real backbone of gameplay or narrative to support its weight.

Samurai Warriors 2 is a bottle of Saki that's well past its sell-by date.

For the sheer amount of fun that strategy fans will have with this XBLA offering, it's very easy to overlook its few imperfections.

A game that lacks anything even remotely compelling, a short, repetitive, bland, dull mess of a game, the only redeeming feature of which is that Perlman's Hellboy is effortlessly likeable.

When Big Beach Sports first arrived I smelled mediocrity a mile off - the worst trait for a reviewer.

Aside from being visually beautiful in a perfect, picture book way, it has one of the smartest combat mechanics around for any RPG, managing to balance the pace of combat with the patient thought of a strategy game effortlessly.

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.

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

A lot of work has gone into this title to make it challenging, rewarding and a lot of fun for the casual player (if a bit tough in places).

A lot of work has gone into this title to make it challenging, rewarding and a lot of fun for the casual player (if a bit tough in places).

Top Spin 3 is a great example of how to make a serious sports game. It has all the facts, figures and strenuous exercise but presents them in a way that's accessible and entertaining for all.

The graphics are poor and feel dated, the gameplay isn't really all that fun, the controls are awful, and the number of mechs and the size of the maps have been scaled down, resulting in a game that has lost the epic feel that everyone loves about RTS games.

Save for a few minor issues, Guitar Hero: On Tour is right on target and suits the handheld format wonderfully.

Tamagotchi Connexion: Corner Shop 3 is a charming little mini-game collection with a range of simple activities that vary in challenge and depth but are all pretty accessible and easy to get the hang of for young children.

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

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

It's simple - the good parts are really very good, and worthy of a decent score. In fact, they are probably worth more. Unfortunately, though, the broken bits really are broken - both in terms of this game and the series as a whole.

A one of a kind masterpiece. I doubt that any game series will ever build up to such a culmination as this one has, with so much thought, effort, and passion put into it. Hideo Kojima set out to move and excite people, to truly make a work of art, and not just a fun videogame. Metal Gear Solid 4 is an accomplishment like no other.

As the fight draws to a close, Prizefighter's poor early rounds have taken the wind out of its sails and the end result is inevitable.

Quite how they've managed to take such a nice, concept-limited sport such as NASCAR and transformed it into a highly immersing videogame is unimaginable, but while this year's handling models and Sprint Driver Challenge mode will open its doors to newcomers and veterans alike, it's safe to say that NASCAR 09 remains a NASCAR fan favourite due to the nature of the sport.

In spite of cries that the series has grown too large (and in all honesty, the franchise is at risk of making greedy plumber Mario jealous), Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit is a fine example of a fighter with exciting graphics, fantastic sound and enough innovation to keep things interesting.

The Incredible Hulk is the kind of game that you play for the hell of it but never really manages to blow your mind. Fun, flawed, clumsy, and effortlessly violent, Hulk does exactly what you'd expect and if wanton destruction is what you're looking for then give it a whirl.

The story is average at best, the presentation is poor and the game is rife with glitches. Despite these problems though, the fact remains that it's still an extremely fun game, largely thanks to Edge of Reality's skill at successfully putting you in the shoes of the destructive whirlwind that is the Incredible Hulk.

With its monotonous combat, unimaginative level design and difficulty spikes that'd make even Cliff Richard curse with unbridled fury, it's hard to recommend The Incredible Hulk to the younger audience it's supposedly aimed at.

Roogoo won't tax your brain with its puzzles, but it's certainly satisfying to play and offers a good, reaction-based challenge.

The Bourne Conspiracy isn't a bad game. It's massively, abominably flawed, but there are points where it does play well, points where I was both entertained and excited. The problem is that these points are few and far between with an awful lot of trudging needed to get to them.

This is the game of the summer and if you can look past its Achilles heel then you can change the overall score to the 10 that Race it really deserves.

The game may be over before you know it, but for as long as it lasts, it serves up an enjoyable, extremely polished adventure that younger gamers will simply adore.

If you've got kids of a gaming age then they'll enjoy playing this and, thanks to the excellent two-player mode, you'll still get to join in.

There are a handful of games for the DS that you must own: Mario Kart DS, WarioWare: Touched, nintendogs, New Super Mario Bros., and a few others. LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures is up there with all of these, with its stylish and appealing graphics, great sense of humour, superb playability and amazing lifespan. Plus, there are very few games where you can discover Santa on a level and then, erm, break him into bits. Nice.

Stronghold has always been a series that was pleasingly enjoyable to play and has always had bags of potential, but this recent rehash does nothing other than highlight just how out of date it has become.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars isn't a bad game, it just fails to do anything to make you stand up and pay attention.

Compared to the plethora of games that came after it, and indeed some that came before, Lost Planet: extreme Condition - Colonies Edition feels dated. But, at its bleak and frozen heart lies a rewarding experience.

It won't appeal to everyone, but those who like adventure games and vampire mythology should feel right at home here.

Funcom has done something quite dangerous by consciously releasing a less than feature complete offering into the market. Unfortunately, it's this incompleteness and the sheer number of deep-rooted problems that ultimately defines your Hyborian Adventure.

While Haze may be dumb, it's also fun, and if you like your first person shooters - and especially if you can find it for under £30 - it's worth picking up Haze so that you can shake off the blurred vision for yourself and make up your own mind.

If you need a party, and you own a PS3, then SingStar is a great choice and, thanks to the ever-growing online library of tracks, will be even better a year from now.

When judging Wii Fit overall, you're very conscious of the fact that it doesn't achieve anything for its users that couldn't be managed with a little willpower. Worse still, the most entertaining 'games' in the package are the ones that improve balance rather than promote weight loss or muscle tone, which potentially damage its 'good for you' fun credentials further. With that said, it's true that any exercise is better than nothing.

Putting aside the grumbles with price and the frustrating licensing issue, UEFA Euro 2008 is a slightly better game of football than FIFA 08, which bodes well for the next release - but that is a problem in itself.

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