Galactrix does have a decent game underneath the Sci-Fi veneer, and actually the introduction of some new themes and tactics into the puzzles has been done well. However, the implementation fails to live up to the original and never really feels as satisfying to play.

At the very least it is worthy of a rental, if only to see how storytelling should be done in a game.

A complete and detailed chess package.

All in all Kinect Sesame Street TV is a good experience for kids.

Twisted Metal isn't perfect, but most gamers will enjoy this game regardless of genre-loyalty. Twisted Metal is one of the most rewarding multiplayer experiences a gamer can have.

Fantastic story, genuinely funny, great comic feel.

Singularity is definitely not mindblowing. The story is very B-Movie like (although the multiple endings are pretty interesting), it borrows a lot from other games but there's just enough here, especially with the time manipulation, to set it apart.

It's certainly a worthwhile investment for the intended audience, particularly in co-op, but one to trial before a purchase for the more hardcore audience.

The Club is a fresh change from all the serious games out there and brings you back to the good old days where points mean prizes... I mean everything.

MAG certainly tries to raise the bar over the competition, and in some senses it succeeds. Unfortunately it has numerous faults that simply shouldn’t be there considering the game is lacking a campaign mode, and should have an emphasis on refining online play to perfection.

Overall, The Sims 3 is a thoroughly enjoyable video game that has received a successful conversion to the Xbox 360. The game's features are to the same level as those of the PC and the control system works perfectly for the console. Whilst the control system may be best suited to the PC, this is definitely one to consider.

The risk-reward nature of the gameplay in Burn Zombie Burn is enough to make the player return for more, if not the adrenaline inducing intensity. Whilst the task may, on the face of it, look repetitive, it never feels tired or boring to play.

Toy Story 3: The Video Game is, quite simply, one of the best movie-licensed video games to be released. The game truly captures the elements of the film everyone knows and loves – providing enjoyable gameplay for gamers of all ages.

One of my favourite Xbox LIVE Arcade titles to date and one I will be playing for a while to come.

Overall, American Nightmare is a great follow-up to Alan Wake. While the script lacks real depth and tension, the gameplay makes up for it and there is enjoyment to be taken fcrom it. If you're an Alan Wake fan, this will certainly tickle your fancy until a full sequel releases.

In the audio department the sound effects and music are passable, but not really anything worth paying much attention to. They get the job done, but never really push the boundaries, with most of the sound effects feeling very generic.

Brilliant music.

A very enjoyable strategic shooter, with plenty of depth and some hugely enjoyable moments.

Although Sports Champions houses only a handful of events, with the type of events on offer, teamed with the number of modes and challenges easily makes this game a wholeheartedly recommended instant purchase along with your Move Motion controller.

While the camera is still iffy at times and puzzles not as challenging as I would have expected, the fascinating storyline provides enough twists and turns to keep you engaged.

The increased rider control really makes it feel like you are an MX pro, skidding round the tracks like you know what you're doing. However, the improved physics can make bikes and, especially, ATVs feel like you're riding a squirrel with a sugar high as opposed to a finely tuned vehicle – a lot of fun but ultimately out of control.

A title that very few people would enjoy. The game’s slow speed and historical context will only appeal to strategic and war enthusiasts, rather than the typical average gamer.

A worthy sequel which almost definitely improves on its predecessor. The game’s very long, yet enjoyable campaign overcomes the rather weak multiplayer.

Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space takes the right steps to improve upon the original, whilst still keeping everything that worked the first time around intact.

The environments themselves seem to be their own joke and each have their own additional personality, which really makes them fun to explore.

NBA Live 09 is probably everything you’d expect from EA and the Live series, but it fails to live up to the enormous hype it can generate from year to year.

Gyromancer is an interesting game and puts a slightly different twist on the puzzle-matching-RPG spliced game play. The trouble here is Puzzle Quest can now be had for 400 MSP pummelling the 1200 asked for by Square-Enix, particularly given just how much entertainment can be had in the alternate game.

Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing may not be perfect, however it shines in all the right places offering hours of endless next generation entertainment and adrenaline pumping racing that even the mighty Mario Kart would be envious of.

If you can get this game on the cheap or rental you’d be damned not to check this game out - even if it is for stunning CGI sequences, epic bosses, the odd boob shot and the brainless bashing of the undead.

Keita Takahashi should be saluted for releasing something that could have so easily fallen flat on its face. Adventurous and inventive software such as this, definitely deserves a look.

It's complicated enough playing on PC with so many menus to navigate and things to keep check on. However, Tropico 3 does a good job of having things accessible despite having a terrible tutorial.

Supreme Commander 2 is like the simple younger brother of Supreme Commander. It's more accessible to people but, as such, misses out a number of vital points that it's Oxford graduating older brother holds so high.

Sadly, for non-wrestling fans this game will be very short lived, but I'm sure dedicated fans will find hours of enjoyment if they can look past the horrific loading times. The arcade feel is a nice change from the usual simulation and aside from playing online, which suffers from some lag, local multiplayer would provide the most fun from this over the top edition to the world of wrestling games.

For fans of the series, I am sure this will be an enjoyable romp, going back to the universe and reliving some great memories of the past, but for new players I would recommend looking at one of the more modern masterpieces than picking this up.

Overall, despite the poor AI in single player, lack of game modes in multiplayer, weak audio and poor graphics, We Love Golf! is more like We Like Golf! and is a major improvement on the golf game within Wii Sports.

The game doesn’t feel like it was made for the Nintendo Wii as at no point in the game do players require to point the Wii Remote towards the sensor bar.

There is enough in the short story mode that hooks you in and keeps you entertained, even if it may only be for an afternoon or so. Let’s hope we see maw from The Maw, in the future.

To conclude, Raskulls is a fantastic Xbox Live Arcade title. The unique twist on the puzzle genre and its great multiplayer makes this a title to certainly consider purchasing, despite the lack of replayability after completion of the title's main quest.

Overall SDvR11 is an excellent game with fabulous offline features. If the online wasn't broken I'd most definitely be scoring this game higher, nevertheless if you're a wrestling fan or even a closet wrestling fan, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 is the game you should be purchasing or requesting at Christmas.

One of the better card games on XBLA. For those new to the world of Magic, I would suggest checking out the demo first, just to see if you're into this sort of game.

Whilst the game is certainly not a must-purchase due to its length, it is definitely a must rent for younger and casual gamers.

Looks great, Plays great, Music sounds great.

I enjoyed it a fair bit and, for any Green Day fan, it's an essential purchase but I don't feel it is worth the money.

If you’re a lover of card battle games, then this title is an absolute must – especially if you have mates to play it with.

Chances are that if you liked the movie you will love the game, and if not, by all means rent the game for a week as it’s definitely worth it.

Despite its flaws, the addictive gameplay and enjoyable game modes make this a must for puzzle fans.

All-in-all Double Fine's Costume Quest is rather straightforward on paper, but it's the excellence of the game's design that brings it to life and gives the world around you character.

Overall, Prototype 2 is an enjoyable title that is plagued with a number of problems. The repetitiveness and the easiness of the title are big factors in preventing it from being a truly great game. Nevertheless, this is a must purchase for fans of the original.

For fans of adventure gaming, episodic content and murderous-rabbit-without-a-conscience adventures, Sam & Max is right up your street and unfortunately one of the few such titles available.

In many ways, Majin and the Foresaken Kingdom feels very much like Enslaved to me. It's a fantastic, gorgeous game that is pretty flawed but is still a joy to play.

Unfortunately Capcom have once again spent too much time fixing what didn't need to be fixed and not enough time addressing the real issues of this series. The game is long because it's drawn out or challenging because of a flawed control system rather than displaying these positive attributes through balanced game design. Resident Evil 6 is not a bad game, but it's not a great game either and this is a real shame. Despite this however, it still has many amazing elements that should not be overlooked and at its core is a decent horror experience.

Whilst the steampunk atmosphere is really enthralling, the soundtrack delightful, the cut-scenes interesting, and complete with a level of sense of humour to the whole thing, the battle system really does have a massive and infuriating learning curve.

Mercury Hg is a nice little game that is easy to play but hard to master for some of the later levels. Although it has some frame rate issues, for 400 Microsoft Points you will happily find yourself with enough play time to justify your purchase and some easy achievements if that's what you are going for.

Overall, Def Jam: Rapstar is a one-of-a-kind karaoke game that fans of rap music will appreciate, despite the censoring of the songs. There's just about enough content in the game to justify a full price purchase and with downloadable content on offer, this could be a title that's around for some time to come.

Overall Connect 4 for me isn’t worth the 800MS Points. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed playing it, but if it was priced at 400MS Points I would be telling you to go and rush to buy it, especially if you enjoy playing Connect 4 with the family, but at 800 I just can’t do that.

Overall SDvR11 is an excellent game with fabulous offline features. If the online wasn't broken I'd most definitely be scoring this game higher, nevertheless if you're a wrestling fan or even a closet wrestling fan, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 is the game you should be purchasing or requesting at Christmas.

SBK X is one for the simulation fans, and although there is a substantial arcade mode included, if that's more your racing style, you're probably better off looking at MotoGP. There's a lot to this title and a lot to like; the career mode willl definitely take some dedication to get through, but it just doesn't quite put across the thrill of bike racing the same way its competition does. For that reason, it only gets second place on the podium.

Perhaps Arc System Works need to take their time to rework the engine and bring the game into the new millennium rather than relying on nostalgia. I approach XBLA in hope to find retro classics or inspiring new ideas and while some may consider this a retro classic it just didn't offer me the fond memories I thought it would. Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus may be someone's guilty pleasure but unfortunately it isn't mine.

For 1200 MS Points, the asking price seems too high for what it is. It's definitely more of an intriguing look rather than an instant classic.

Comic Jumper is probably the most unoriginal of Twisted Pixel's titles, with it sticking firmly to its inspirations. But it's not like that's a bad thing. It's still miles ahead of a lot of the XBLA titles being released at the moment.

This is definitely more of a refinement than a reinvention, but everything we loved about the original game is here in spades. If you're willing to look past its occasionally-repetitious gameplay and excessive hand-holding, you'll find de Blob 2 to be one of the wittiest, most intelligent and innovative platformers around. What's more, if you've yet to experience the joys of the timeless original, then you absolutely owe it to yourself to pick up de Blob 2. This comes highly recommended.

Mafia 2 is a well-crafted title that its developers should be proud of, and it is a lot of fun to play despite the many disappointing game decisions and niggles that has tarnished my overall impression of the game.

Playstation All Stars Battle Royal is an amazing fighting game wrapped in an idea we have seen before. When it comes down to it, what makes a great game in any genre is balance and All Stars has it in droves. Although some will never see its brilliance, I would maintain that once played it could change the mind of many a sceptic. Add to this a return for some of Playstation's well missed characters and awesome value for money in Cross Buy and you have one of the most refreshing fighting games in years.

Whilst there doesn't appear to be much to Galaga Legions on the surface, there is a level of tactical skill in placing craft in the right place at the right time, as well as a memory game for the swarm patterns. As a twitch shooter, there's a definite addictive quality that is perfect for the arcade high-score chase.

To conclude, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is a great addition to the series that fans of the predecessors will enjoy.

Greatest of all, this is a game that's easy to relax with, as a wind-down to the more usual murder-death-kill of many modern games. Bejewelled 2 really is a gem of casual gaming.

Overall, Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 shoots but misses the target. The ideas are there but Konami haven’t executed them as well as they could have done.

It’s fair to say that the game is a solid game of basketball that I’d recommend to basketball fans and those who are interested in getting into the game—so long as your expectations are a bit tempered.

Medal of Honor Heroes 2 is far from perfection and is riddled with inadequacies mainly due in part to the drab environments, but as far as first person shooters go, this is actually an eye opening experience.

It isn't quite perfect and has a number of other launch fitness titles to compete with, but as it stands if you feel the pounds are piling on or if you want to complement your gym visits or daily exercise, Your Shape is the perfect way to feel happy and healthy this winter.

Army of Two: The 40th Day is a significant improvement on the first title, developing some of the original’s best techniques and features further. Unfortunately, the lack of anything particularly unique within the gameplay is disappointing, and isn’t helped by the poor EA servers – a crucial factor for a co-operative title.

Even if you rush through the main storyline there is still a ton of Nazi clearing to do, as well as additional perks, achievement and trophies to unlock.

LittleBigPlanet Karting is the epitome of a missed opportunity. All the right ingredients (LBP's grounding in customization, United Front's history with making good kart racers) were right but have all come together to make a wrong. Whether you are a fan of the franchise or not I would stay away from LittleBigPlanet Karting and gravitate more towards the plethora of better options out there (Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed, Mario Kart etc.). This poor use of a good license is unfortunately destined to finish in last place.

Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game is a worthy addition to the franchise and perhaps one of the best movie video games you'll ever find, if you want to classify it as such. It's just a shame that it can be frustratingly difficult and it chose to put itself in a genre which is somewhat tired in this modern age.

The campaign could be a little longer and as said above more tracks is a must if they make a sequel, but for right now if you do buy this game you’ll walk away knowing that it’s been 800 points well spent.

With a new storyline and Connor’s new ability, this DLC still feels like the main game in its sense but with a few tweaks here and there.

The entire development team seems to have just tried too hard to make a decent title, and changed key areas of their previous titles which simply shouldn’t have been changed. Sadly, this Need for Speed title is the first one for a long time that needs to be left on the shelf.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 definitely feels like the ultimate fan service to the Marvel fans.

Despite its fairly short length, it’s a brilliantly developed title with a script full of the typical Wallace and Gromit humour.

Despite its fairly short length, it’s a significant improvement upon Fright of the Bumblebees, mostly because of its more believable storyline and, once again, the typical Wallace and Gromit humour displayed throughout.

What it lacks in features, it makes up for in gameplay and presentation.

Aside from these nit-picks, Hybrid is a brilliant game and deserves its place in the Summer of Arcade. While there are better squad-based games available out there, Hybrid offers a very different style of gameplay and has a decent levelling system that will have you fighting for your side for quite some time. If you have the spare MSP it might be worth giving this one a go.

It is great to see the franchise is back on form once again.

With no major update to the visuals or sound and a lack of online players, you really have to ask the question; is it worth it for a few mechs? If you are a cult fan of the series, then yes it is. But for the new players and the guys sitting on the fence, there are far better things to spend a tenner on.

Time definitely has not been kind to Banjo Tooie, but it is still as fun as it ever was.

Overall, Zumba Fitness Rush is a great fitness tool. Even in small sessions, players will burn a considerable amount of calories and there's great satisfaction in doing a workout. While more tracks would have added more replay value to the game, this will inevitably be solved through the release of downloadable content. This is a great way to keep fit in the comfort of your own home.

If you can get this game on the cheap or rental you’d be damned not to check this game out - even if it is for stunning CGI sequences, epic bosses, the odd boob shot and the brainless bashing of the undead.

Gravity Crash stands fairly well on its own, however it was a wise move to have gotten off the blocks first before the more refined and far more enjoyable PixelJunk Shooter arrived.

Arena brawlers are underrepresented within the fighting genre, and Anarchy Reigns is a welcome nostalgic trip back to simpler days.

Even with its simple cartoon Wii-esque visuals and simple child-like gameplay, Mini Ninjas still holds its own, no matter what age you may be.

H.A.W.X. has a lot of potential, and some nice ideas. Unfortunately it falls short off the mark in a few areas, which is a real shame.

Overall, if Certain Affinity had pushed their ideas further, Crimson Alliance could have been a truly fantastic title. Nevertheless, despite its repetitiveness and generic story, the game is great fun, especially in multiplayer.

The AI is so bad it seriously takes 25% off the final review score. If only they allowed you to have a more challenging AI without making the cars slide all over the place with no traction control.

A breath of fresh air for Xbox LIVE Arcade providing a fun turn based strategy game well worth your 800 MS points.

What we have here is the definitive edition of Overlord. It is however, kind of annoying that it has been released at a full retail price, especially when you consider the time the game has been out on the 360 already.

Overall Proving Ground has enough content and challenges to keep any Tony Hawk enthusiast busy, with an impressive online mode, and plenty of ways to complete the game, but for others it may just come across as the same tired game in another guise.

If you’re looking for a racing title on the Arcade, Gripshift does a passable job doing it.

Overall, Cars 2 is surprisingly enjoyable. While there's a distinct lack of storytelling, this isn't a particularly bad thing for a racing title. The campaign could have done with being a bit longer and there's little replayability after it has been completed but, other than that, this is a great title that shouldn't be overlooked for being a kid's game.