Vertical shooting at its best. A must-buy for fans of the dying shoot-'em-up genre but only if you can handle extreme difficulty levels.

A classic slice of arcade action. While it's a crying shame the first and fourth games are absent, Return is still a brilliant Zapper title with plenty to offer.

The polygon boost isn't enough to stop Bully looking dated. But there's still plenty of fun to be had here if you didn't play the original.

DMC4 kicks DW's face off all night long. But, for strategy fans, this could be worth a night's rental.

New Zealand Story Revolution is a hard unforgiving platform game dressed up like a child's game. Think very carefully before splashing out. We used to love it but playing it again only brings back all the frustrations we thought we'd forgot about.

Turn the speakers up for a shortlived but standout shooter full of genuinely awesome gaming moments. Unplug the sub and the magic's lost to the silence.

A short but challenging and surprisingly addictive score-based bash. It's great for the price, but proper multiplayer and online scoreboards would have made all the difference.

Questionable stealth elements and repetition prevent Assassin's from achieving greatness, but the free-running system and beautiful playgrounds mean Creed is still worth your attention.

Galaxy's real success is in its ability to surprise, which it does consistently from start to finish. Just when you think Nintendo's out of ideas you're blasted off to another world that's even crazier and more creative than the last.

Not a massive improvement on the PS2 games, but Beautiful retains all the humour and joy you'd expect. For 360 owners, especially, Beautiful Katamari is a refreshing change of pace.

A fantastic test of skill and patience and a huge package that'll keep you going for ages. Essentially the same as the PS2 game, and no multiplayer is a shocker.

More great story blended with improved AI and better firefights. It's starting to retread old ground though.

A classic-style Sega arcade racer - no complications, just the open road and a fast car. The AI can be a bit too tough, but master the handling and there's loads of fun to be had with Sega Rally.

Any tedium is overcome by the beauty of the game. It seems like PlayStation 3 has its first gem.

Exciting, carnage-fueled, arcade racer with great track design. But wonky difficulty balancing and N64-era rubber-band AI hold it back from greatness.

Not without its issues, but they're so minor they don't stop it from being the best racing experience on Xbox 360. Or of the current generation.

There are many excellent games on the DS but few masterpieces. This one, though, is a masterpiece. And worth every penny you'll pay for it. [JPN Import]

Halo 3 is the gaming equivalent of a Hollywood blockbuster. It's not going to revolutionise the genre - it's not meant to - it's meant to be great fun, which it is. Never lose sight of that. The visuals, guns, vehicles, enemies, set-pieces, musical score... they've all been cranked up to 11 to create an experience up there with the best sci-fi properties.

Single-player lacks the original's polish, but two diverse faction additions mean multiplayer's even more addictive than before.

SingStar '80s is a natural progression for the series and a more light-hearted alternative to the aggressive post-pub fare of Pro Evo and the like. If you've always yearned for an excuse to dig out those pink leg-warmers, then this is for you. [PSW]

Blue Dragon finds the perfect balance between linearity and excessive freedom - it doesn't embarrass you by holding your hand, and yet it doesn't just leave you alone crying in the supermarket. Hironobu Sakaguchi (the FF creator and Blue Dragon mastermind) is as good a parent as Shigeru Miyamoto.

The most immersive Metroid yet with the best console FPS setup we've ever used. But maybe the formula's been tinkered too much.

Engaging, immersive, repulsive, beautiful and challenging on every level, all at the same time. The bar has been raised...An experience of this calibre only comes around every few years and should be played by as many people as possible.

Shallow and frequently frustrating but the fast-paced gameplay makes for a fun multiplayer experience.

The full Bomberman experience with a ton of options and addictive online mode. XBL Silver members approach with caution.

The Darkness is all about the story and that's what you'll be buying this for. It does a great job of pulling you in to what's going on in the world. It's not often a game genuinely shocks you when something major happens but this will.

Brothers In Arms DS is a good little action-shooter that makes great use of the DS's unique interface. With the tactical aspect of its gameplay removed in favour of a linear action approach, it loses some of its style and identity, but it's nevertheless the first war shooter for DS, and sets a high standard to beat.

Not the rally sim fans will expect, but despite a more arcade-like take, its huge selection of races and high-speed thrills, DiRT is fantastic fun.