The difficulty and overall design of the game could have been altered slightly for the better but when compared to most RPGs of this generation, Eternal Sonata is well worth it.

Pass the Pigs is a terrible premise for a handheld game and the entirely luck-based non-experience is so shallow that it's completely unrewarding.

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.

It's by no means a killer application but Monopoly is a faithful reproduction of a timeless classic.

Back at the Barnyard: Barnyard Games feels somewhat patronising to youthful gamers; corners seem to have been cut to get it onto the shelves in time for Christmas and the main downside is the lack of variety.

This leads me onto the AI, of which I'm not sure there actually is any.

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

The content is still pure gold, you just need to persevere through the presentation issues - besides, they do say that true love is loving the flaws as much as everything else.

My Japanese Coach is a great idea that's well implemented and definitely worth investing in if you're trying to learn Japanese. Instead of carrying around a heavy dictionary or book, all you need is your pocket-sized DS, and of course a book can't pronounce words or record and playback your own speech.

There are a fair few intriguing ideas on offer in SOCOM Confrontation but the series seems to have become stuck in a time warp, as the likes of Call of Duty and Rainbow Six do this kind of game so much better.

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!

Dead Space is a triumph in nearly every department; it may be a bereft of unique ideas in its core mechanics but this really is a brilliantly crafted slice of survival horror that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the finest that the genre, and in many cases, even the industry has to offer.

Blitz: The League II unfortunately never rises above the moniker of a run-of-the-mill arcade game.

Even if you've got every other version of FIFA ever released, I can still recommend FIFA 09; the tweaks and twists that have been applied to the heart of the game make this edition indispensable.

Just like Chelsea circa 2005, all that huge investment is really paying dividends and FIFA's stock just continues to rise.

The Legend of Kage 2 won't be to everyone's liking due to its 16-bit sensibilities and challenging difficulty level, but if you're eager for something more like a traditional game than Yet More Bloody Brain Training* and nintendogs: The Lady and the Tramp Edition*, Taito's return to an era of skilful, fast-paced, unforgiving gameplay will seem like a godsend to many disenchanted gamers this Christmas.

While it gets a fair number of things right, its numerous gameplay failings and technical issues far outweigh them all. Its highly derivative nature is another major turnoff and it's a shame to see this spoil what could have been a great experience.

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.

Crash: Mind Over Mutant is a fun game, colourful and beautifully presented, with an engaging combat system that includes mutants to control, which deliver moments of pure satisfaction. The game is definitely too easy for more experienced gamers, and even younger ones will probably find the whole thing a bit of a doddle, but there's a lot to be said for a game that you can just pick up and play, while the combination of comedic elements that will have kids rolling around in laughter and the co-op mode makes this a winner.

Crash: Mind Over Mutant isn't the best title in the series, but it's the closest that anyone has ever come to matching the amazing games that Naughty Dog developed back in the day.

NBA Live 09 was so close to being almost everything I wanted from a basketball game.

It's not a bad concept, but Line Rider 2: Unbound feels like so much of the shovelware that's infested Nintendo's mega-huge console.

More Game Party's box promises "all your favourite games" - but they aren't. It claims to be "The ultimate party game" - but it isn't.

It's definitely not the best introduction to adventure games but if you're a fan of the genre and you don't mind a slow moving and isolated experience, then you're likely to find the story intriguing and the puzzles logical yet complex enough to bestow a sense of satisfaction when you solve them.

Silent Hill: Homecoming is no queen, then, but there's more than enough about Double Helix's first go-around with the series that I can heartily recommend it to any gamer with an appetite for a genuinely creepy hybrid of survival horror old and new.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood could have been awful, but it's not. It's a joy to play, every bit the Bioware experience but mixed in with the instant arcade style thrills of Sonic's glory days on the Mega Drive.

The story itself is at least well implemented and there is some enjoyment to be had, if you can persevere through the unwieldy control system, reams of irrelevant dialogue and woefully dated graphics.

The lack of truly stellar presentation isn't a big deal though, as you won't be playing Galactic Civilizations II: Endless Universe for its aesthetic qualities, you'll play for the engrossing gameplay.