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.

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.

Contact is one of the most imaginative game concepts yet on the DS and fortunately for us all there is a deep and satisfying role-playing gameplay system to back up that concept and make it a thoroughly enjoyable and long-lasting adventure.

If you're looking for a brilliant party game that's also great to play alone then look no further, because your search ends with Boom Blox Bash Party.

A superb sequel that takes the great gameplay of the original and, while stripping out some of those party options, updates the presentation so that everything looks and sounds wonderful.

I've been playing it for a few weeks now and can definitely report that it's the most accurate golf sim on the market to date.

Looks and sounds amazing, fantastic gameplay whether you're after a quick match or a long session... Like games? You'll love this.

With a fantastic main quest that will keep you hooked to the end, extra tough puzzles to keep you thinking after the main story is complete and weekly downloadable content to be made available in the future, Professor Layton and the Curious Village is a very strong package indeed.

With the PS2 final whistle in sight, FIFA 08 brings it right back to the touch line.

By staying true to the already exceptional foundation of the series and adding meaningful changes that enhance the player's experience even further, Valve have demonstrated yet again that in this ever-competitive genre they still have the ability to impress and excel.

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

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.

A charming game with a riveting plot and, most of all, a fun and challenging engine at heart.

Aside from the lack of new music and some minor crashes, if you have played through Oblivion and are looking for a fresh new experience then you can't go wrong with The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles.

A groundbreaking PC game that supremely talented developers Ion Storm somehow managed to squeeze onto the PS2, all the more amazing considering that there's no hard drive to work with.

A Vampyre Story isn't perfect but it's a strong entry into the point and click world, with much more charm and character than many other recent releases.

It doesn't do anything particularly new, but it builds on the greatest aspects of the previous C&C games and moulds it all together to create the best C&C game yet.

The hardcore will love its every moment, but casual gamers looking for a gateway drug into the role-playing genre won't give it a second look; like an arthouse favourite or a good long book, it's slow to pick up but impossible to put down.

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.

Pro Evo 2010 delivers as exciting a game of football as you are likely to find anywhere, it just happens to be wrapped in the finest looking packaging that the series has ever had to offer.

The best party title on the PS2 and has a superb likeness to The Muppet Show, making it a fine purchase for anyone with a thing for cuddly comedy.

If you like lots of guns that feel the business, lots of demons who look the business, lots of tension, lots of suspense, a great plot that keeps you guessing and interested, and buckets and buckets of blood, then you'll probably love this.

Top Spin 2 takes everything that was great about the original and enhances it with some simply fantastic next generation visuals, adds even more depth to the gameplay and controls, delivers a comprehensive Career mode complete with sponsorship, trainers and even fully customisable bling and new rackets to buy, and provides a lag free and highly enjoyable (when you're winning!) online experience.

For all the ups and downs Twilight Princess takes in terms of presentation, there's simply no denying the wondrous, deep adventure and revolutionizing gameplay that takes the edge off of the lack of graphical power.

Everything is new again, it's exciting to discover new areas and exhilarating to conquer new dungeons, and given that Blizzard have already confirmed an expansion every year (quite a lofty goal to set after the delays for this one) there's already an excitement about what they'll include in future updates.

The best in its genre - period. There's something on offer for everybody, it's great for the serious hockey fan, it's fantastic if you have a few mates around to play in party mode or even buzz in on the trivia games and it's even soothingly, surprisingly good fun for the casual gamer.

Gradius Collection ranks high in the upper echelon of classic game compilations, featuring five exceptional shooters that will have you hooked from beginning to end and beyond, all for less than a standalone full-priced PSP title. If you love shooters in any shape, form or fashion, you'll be hard pressed to find anything better than this.

Graphically it looks wonderful and plays just as well, but next year Yukes really needs to scrap a lot of the built-in aspects and redesign from the ground up, such as the CAW and Season modes.