I loved every single challenging, compelling, atmosphere-laden moment of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. It's just so different from everything else that's out there.

Compared to the first game, Space Invaders Extreme 2 is not a huge development. This is no bad thing however, as the Space Invaders magic is still present here.

Despite its shortcomings, Condemned 2: Bloodshot is a good game by all accounts.

Brutal Legend is a conundrum, a game I wanted to love with all of my heart, that starts off on one path at an exhilarating pace, but then jumps off, and gets bogged down in ideas and concepts that it didn't need to trouble itself with.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is a great game. It has a few bumps and is a bit rough round the edges in terms of visually uninspiring environments and a ropey multiplayer mode, but its stealthy single player gameplay and combat are both wonderfully well executed.

It's fun for a bit, and fans of Lara will welcome this new addition as a breath of fresh air.

It looks and sounds better than ever, with a host of real and fantasy modes and characters, a mix that offers a lot of variety for both casual and hardcore gamers. As always, it's a game that's easy to pick up and very difficult to put down.

Sonic Rush is not only a great Sonic game that takes you back and shows you what made him great, and it's not just a great evolution for the series either - it's simply a great DS game that will last you a good while.

This has quickly become my favourite and most often played game - and considering my statement a few months back that "I don't play driving games," that alone should tell you all you need to know about this outstanding racer.

It is hard to complain about what is easily the best looking Xbox Live Arcade game yet and quite possibly the most well rounded one too. Whether you care about saving princesses or not, Prince of Persia is a game of royal calibre.

Some players might find themselves a bit miffed that the end of the game was essentially changed - or removed, rather, considering it now has no definite ending - but the fairly large amount of extra content added, as well as the overall change of mood throughout the Wasteland and the replay value presented, should be enough to keep gamers satisfied after dropping a mere 800 points.

With a single player campaign that lasts a good eight hours, with loads of replay value in the form of higher difficulty levels and places to explore or do differently, plus the multiplayer mode that supports 24 players online and a thriving community that love war games as much as you should, Call of Duty 3 is one hell of an experience.

To be frank, Tekken 6 features the most complete and rewarding fighting experience on PSP, and is a must buy for any fan of the genre.

Mario Kart Wii has more variety, more to do, and ultimately more to keep you coming back than any Mario Kart before it (and as a hardcore advocate of the SNES original, I never thought I would find myself saying that); but more than that, it is a flagship title for the Nintendo Wii. Not only is Mario Kart Wii the most important title that will be released on the format this year, but it will stand the test of time as one of the best games the Wii has to offer.

All told, the Sega Genesis Collection is the cream of the crop when it comes to old-school game compilations, rising above every other entry in the crowded genre to date.

It's intriguing and fun, the combat and mantra systems are not so overly complicated that beginners feel out of their depth, yet they have enough flexibility to keep the attention of the experienced RPGer. The story may be a little confusing, but the basic gist of trying to find a lost friend is easy enough to understand and working out what the rest of it means only adds to the puzzle elements.

Hilarious, well structured, brilliantly acted and lovingly constructed. It's also easily the longest episode in the series so far.

The hugely substantial team based multiplayer, coupled with the headset support, is easily enough to warrant a purchase.

Offline players have an exceptional story mode to look forward to that, though short, is one of the best FPS single players I've played in a long time.

Those who love Kingdom Hearts will get a kick out of the combat and story arcs leading to the original games. As for everyone else, they'll find a fun RPG designed with the PSP in mind which ultimately lacks the certain je ne sais quoi that would make it something truly memorable.

A lightweight storyline is balanced out by a hardcore car creation mode (at least on the visuals front) and all this is backed up by the delectable Brooke Burke. It's fair to say that it beats neither Midnight Club or Burnout, but it comes a pretty close second.

What makes Sid Meier's Pirates! a game that every PSP owner should at least seriously consider purchasing is its sheer depth and replay value.

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.

While Final Fantasy XIII is ultimately an enjoyable experience, the change in pace will throw off fans of turn-based battles or those who enjoyed the immediate grandeur of the twelfth installment.

Konami have done a great job of making Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 on the PS2 a game that stands firm against the competition of its next-generation versions, and indeed is a cut above the rest in certain respects like the number of stadiums on offer.

Imaginative graphics and superb sound, a sprawling adventure packed full of neat touches and cool weapons, great humour and an accomplished multiplayer; Glitch embodies what games are really all about - challenge, entertainment and fun.

The differences from last year might only sound incremental on paper, but FIFA 08 provides all the polish of last year with some excellent new features with some additional flair and panache.

Although home to some of the longest load times since the Commodore 64, ModNation Racers is nevertheless a hugely entertaining kart racer and certainly the first major threat to the Mario Kart throne since Diddy Kong racing way back on the N64.

Halo Wars is an absolute triumph, every bit as well designed and beautifully implemented as the Halo trilogy; the only real downside is that it's so addictive that you'll find it hard to tear yourself away. Finished the fight? Time to start another one!

MotorStorm: Pacific Rift feels more like a refinement than a revolution, although given the success and quality of the original, this is hardly a bad thing.

Whether you're a fan of the genre or just curious, B-17 deserves your attention.

Stands on its own as a weird hybrid between RPG and puzzle games. Although the morphing process is not without its flaws, the final result is highly interesting.

It's going to last with its multiplayer online options, its diverse modes and course splitting gameplay - and all of these elements combined make the gameplay as fun as releasing a really bad fart in a really crowded area.

de Blob is fantastic fun that provides hours of enjoyable gameplay and will leave you tapping your foot and humming the soundtrack for weeks to come.

While perhaps lacking in real variety, base and resource management are at least handled in a way that prevents dragging the game down into tedium.

It's an epic experience from beginning to end, filled with dark humour, lots of action and most importantly the perfect blend of engrossing story and engaging gameplay. Throw in some sumptuous visuals and atmospheric sounds and you've got one of the best games of 2006 so far.

Bleach: Dark Souls is a great 2D beat 'em up for hardcore fighting fans but I can't see it bringing in many new converts to the genre.

The graphics are the best of any racing game bar none. The world is open in its architecture and you can drive anywhere, so you make your own destiny!

Technical shortcomings aside, Saints Row 2's diverse cityscape, incredibly versatile customisation, varied missions, endless activities and solid core mechanics combine to deliver an experience that's funny, fast-paced and highly entertaining - so visit Stilwater today, you'll come for the carnage and stay for, erm, even more carnage!

With a huge 36 characters to choose from and 15+ levels to duel upon, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection features more than enough for fighting game enthusiasts.

Sony Bend has done it again and created a superb handheld action game.

This is without doubt the best representation of golf of recent times and anyone with even a mild interest in the sport will love it.

Although at times the gameplay is monotonous and it doesn't feel like there's much to the game, Condemned makes up for all of this by being one of the scariest and atmospheric games ever made.

A strong follow up to American Wasteland and the series has managed to stay fresh, even after all this time, with new additions to satisfy hardcore fans and enough changes to warrant old school skaters coming back, wanting to get the most out of this part-reinvented genre.

Far and away that best game of basketball you are going to find.

It is undeniably the best of the series and it has more than enough content to offer. However, the problem is that the difference in price between the 06 and the 07 edition of the game does not correspond favourably with the number of improvements that have been made.

NBA 2K8 is still far and away that best game of basketball you are going to find. EA might have got their act together this year, but they are still a way off challenging the almighty 2K series.

An incredibly addictive and surprisingly fun FPS that concentrates more on mindless button bashing than in tactics, exploration or anything else than many modern shooters now live by.

Even when you start to get bored of playing it in long bursts, the game makes an absolutely fantastic time killer or a great distraction for those long visits to the toilet.

The game looks fantastic, and sounds impressive to a degree that we have come to expect from 2K Games.

It's even superior to the larger-than-life franchise in a lot of ways, but many redeeming qualities are lost because of the short and completely un-involving storyline, boring lead character (you can combine customization with an actual character, just look at San Andreas), and lack of features found as standard in the later incarnations of the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance takes everything that was great about the original and makes it better; it also takes all of the issues with the original game and does some amount of work on them.

The gameplay does have a tendency to get slightly repetitive at times, but almost as soon as the experience shows signs of getting to the point of redundancy, a new gameplay mechanic, challenge or boss battle is introduced, thus keeping your interest level from start to finish.

The real jewel in the crown is the assortment of multiplayer modes. The biggest surprise is an excellent co-op mode, where you and another player (taking the role of Clank in a robotic gladiator suit) can work through the whole game as a team.

The amount of variety and options in and out of battle will keep you playing far longer than the typical game, while there are enough differences in the combat system to make it feel fresh and new.

LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy goes out on a charm offensive and delivers on almost every level - you could argue that the gameplay is overly simplistic and repetitive, but with this much charisma and so much to explore and collect, it's hard not to be seduced.

One of the best graphical aspects is the biggest new game feature - that of being able to move out of your current house at any time or visit a number of different locations.

Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy is an enjoyable adventure game in the classic mold.

Of the 22 titles that this collection boasts, only a handful of them are worth shelling out your hard earned cash for.

If you can pull yourself to look past its clunky interface and occasionally sporadic dialogue, there really is quite a lot to love here.

Huge fans of the sport will either really love the idea of football on the street with no rules but plenty of depth, or they'll hate the funny arcade style of the game with over-the-top moves and gamebreakers.

Succeeds in creating an engaging story full of equally engaging characters that will push you to complete the game just to see where it goes and what kind of sadistic surgery you'll have to perform next.

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour takes the adorable charm of Mario and the world of the Mushroom Kingdom and mixes it in with a solid and surprisingly comprehensive game of golf.

An epic experience from beginning to end, filled with dark humour, lots of action and most importantly the perfect blend of engrossing story and engaging gameplay. Throw in some sumptuous visuals and atmospheric sounds and you've got one of the best games of 2006 so far.

It is not often I would judge a game on what it doesn't do, as opposed to what it does do, but RACE: The Official WTCC Game just does not provide anything new from "GTR 2," apart from the setting.

In the end, there’s nothing particularly remarkable about the last of the Tales of Monkey Island, but, like the finest of the four chapters before it, Rise of the Pirate God stands as a faithful recreation of a world and a cast of characters many players have longed to return to.

Assassin's Creed had the potential to be something amazing but falls short due to a lack of direction in terms of game design. I get the feeling that with another six months of development this game could have lived up to its hype, but as it is, it's lacking.

Such a refreshing game. The cases are really well thought out and will get you thinking, the sound effects and graphics are top notch for a 2D image-based handheld adventure.

UNO is fast, pretty, and incredibly user-friendly.

Fans of the series will lap it up whilst those that find The Sims to be boring and pointless will not be in any way swayed.

It looks and sounds better than ever, with a host of real and fantasy modes and characters, a mix that offers a lot of variety for both casual and hardcore gamers. As always, it's a game that's easy to pick up and very difficult to put down.

It’s a shame that that fun really isn’t enough to cover some of the kinks, but Borderlands is still a really fun game. With a bit of polish though, it could have been great, and that’s a shame.

Just Cause 2 isn’t a bad game, but it’s not brave enough to see its expansive vision come to fruition. The next gen freedom it offers is scuppered in favour of strictly linear progression once you’ve chosen which of the missions you’d like to do next.

Except for the mildly annoying audio elements and certain segments of the story mode getting bogged down with too much uninteresting dialogue, Mario Tennis: Power Tour really is a game you have to nitpick at in order to find any weaknesses.

Open a fine wine, break out the stinky cheese, and dig deep into this rewarding and challenging game.

Overlord really bucks the trend; if you're the sort of guy who likes seeing the bad guy win then you will love it. The game is immense fun that doesn't take the whole evil thing too seriously; its humorous themes and beautiful graphics are backed up with entertaining and engaging gameplay that make it a worthy purchase.

Without going on about the amazing graphics, the addictive gameplay, and fantastic replayability in the form of unlockable characters and outfits, and of course, the online mode, I'm just going to say two words. Must have.

Everybody's Golf is my favourite PSP game so far and I've played Wipeout Pure, Lumines, Ridge Racer, Burnout Legends, Virtua Tennis, World Snooker Challenge 2005 and Tiger Woods, so that's a pretty high recommendation.

Perseverance is key though, because this is not a game you rush into.

Its career mode is a short experience and the graphics and sound doesn't push the PS3 to its limits; even the gameplay has some frustrating features, but the innovation and entertainment for those who persevere through the learning curve and mundane early matches using rubbish players more than make up for that.

It is an interactive cookbook and a truly excellent one at that.

I love Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders - it's as simple as that. What's the point in pussyfooting around? I plain and simply love it! It melds two of my favourite genres - hack and slash with real time strategy - and delivers something fresh, exciting and compelling.

You'll definitely enjoy the On Tour mode for a good while, but don't expect to love the entire game like you might have loved the previous titles in the series; it feels more like an odd but amusing experiment for the series that won't be back for the next iteration, which will most likely return to the roots that the series was most successful with.

A great game, and more importantly it knows what kind of game it wants to be; it's not trying to be every game for every player - it's a mission-based, moderately-paced, thinly-plotted and multiplayer-focused shooter. And it hits that goal so well that it makes the shooter landscape for the PSP clear.

The controls are a problem, but if you can persevere with them there's an excellent game waiting to be enjoyed - and one where the only minimal thing is the number of degrees you are from reality.

MadWorld is bloodthirstily entertaining, even if it is incredibly short lived. Whether it's a rental or a purchase depends very much on your personality.

Imaginative graphics and superb sound, a sprawling adventure packed full of neat touches and cool weapons, great humour and an accomplished multiplayer; Glitch embodies what games are really all about - challenge, entertainment and fun.

Every bit as addictive, creative and as easy to play as its predecessor but with new looks and additions bringing it bang up to date. And if the Coaster Cam alone doesn't convince you that this is a worthy purchase, then quite frankly nothing ever will!

Coupled with loads of online features, Tiger Woods 07 is a challenge that fans of the game should enjoy rising to, while real golfers should appreciate this for its accurate take on the real thing too.

AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! -- A Reckless Disregard for Gravity's is a game reliant on skill. You'll either have a blast, whooping with delight as you skim buildings and gesture rudely at people, or be majorly fed up, roaring with anger at the constant flurry of failures: it all depends on how lucky you are.

Even if you don't go to university much, the price tag is worth the influence meter alone, as well as the 125+ items it adds to the already rich game.

It pains me to score Assassin's Creed so low, as it is stunning in many respects and I want to convey the message that it definitely deserves to be played, even though it tragically falls short as a complete experience.

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

So feature rich and just so damn entertaining.

The RTS gameplay may be different to the standard RPG found in the most Japanese entry in the series, but the light-hearted nature of the game and the fact that it is so different to the original, while still retaining many key elements, makes them feel identical.

Solid gameplay combined with the fun of Mario's acrobatics, the crazy antics of our favourite giant ape and a rousing score to boot makes Mario Vs. Donkey Kong just one more reason to remind us why Nintendo have always been champions in the field of electronic entertainment.

Whilst Deception is much better than "Deadly Alliance" and the inclusion of online play is done flawlessly and is great fun, the main single player attraction is just so dumbed-down and chore-like that it's not a whole lot of fun and I couldn't imagine ever going through it again.

With the exception of the unbalanced AI, occasionally infuriating difficulty and arguable lack of series progression, Midnight Club: Los Angeles is a triumph in every respect.