Ultimately Hoplite is not a game based to any great extent about discovering new content or unlocking secrets; while some abilities are added to the roster for completing achievements, it does not have the complexity of hidden mechanics that its close comparator 868-Hack does. Instead it is, bluntly, the more “accessible” game and perhaps as a result the truer evocation of retro gaming. Its rules can be learned very quickly, as any good short-playing game should, and yet it still has elements of deep strategy, choice and randomisation to provide a motivation for chasing high scores.

Licensed games are difficult, comedy games even moreso, but the Stick of Truth makes it look easy, and that’s maybe the biggest surprise of all.

While it’s not pushing the boat and the game’s selling point of a ‘moral choices’ system isn’t half as deep as it wishes it was, it’s still an enjoyable 8-hour romp that improves upon the original in every department

Super Paper Mario on the Wii showed that Nintendo is unafraid of experimenting with the franchise, and although Paper Mario: Sticker Star has a few minor missteps and a few missed opportunities (where is the sticker collection StreetPass mini-game?) it is still an adventure of considerable charm and intelligence and is hugely entertaining throughout. It also does more than most to vindicate the 3DS's now much maligned 3D screen, proving that – if used correctly– it still has the ability to wow. Its hero may be flat, but Paper Mario: Sticker Star will leave you feeling anything but.

For anyone already enjoying Shadows of Angmar, Mines of Moria is a near-essential purchase. Not only in regard to progressing further through the Lord of the Rings storyline, but in offering a fresh style of play through the new character classes and presenting a lengthy boost to the game's lifespan.

Capcom has delivered on the potential of the cross-over template admirably and created a game that's hugely engaging, always entertaining and feels like an easily justifiable extension to both Street Fighter and Tekken brands. It is disappointing that the online element isn't yet up to scratch, but when this issue is resolved Street Fighter x Tekken should have no problems standing on its own two feet.

It’s a fascinating experience and one of the stranger topics for a video game.

Playing Thomas Was Alone brought to mind a lyric from the song 'Darky' by Californian Nu-metallers (hed)PE; in which singer Jared Gomes growls 'One foot on the moon, one foot in the cave' – a sentiment that perfectly encapsulated the duality of the experience on show here; Thomas Was Alone embraces the new while keeping one foot firmly rooted in the past.

The series might have been written off by many gamers after the lacklustre Driv3r, but in embracing the fantastic and relocating the series to San Francisco – arguably the spiritual home of the car chase – Ubisoft Reflections have re-acquired John Tanner's mojo, and his tires are well and truly smoking again.

Nuts & Bolts is a country mile away from being the instant classic that the original was, even though it can often be hugely charming, tremendously entertaining and filled with a bucket-load of humour. But it strikes us as having hit a brick wall midway through development, with its lack of ideas resulting in a clever concept falling somewhat short of the level it deserves.

Despite its unquestionable quality however, the praise we can lavish on Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is tempered slightly by a sense that the template might be reaching its breaking point and that even more treasure could be found with a little more diversity to accompany the astonishing moments of technical and cinematic wizardry.

Tied in with the absorbing and unique practice of continually upgrading your ship by collecting enhancements (after all, there can’t be many Breakout-clones which afford the paddle their own inventory screen?!) and AlphaBounce is an excellent advertisment for what can be done with ancient concepts given a fresh aesthetic (or: how creating a surface impression of depth can hide innate repetition).

Snoopy: Flying Ace is an enjoyable, well designed and great looking title – in fact, selling as it does for a measly 800 MS points, its production values are nothing short of astonishing.

Every now and then, a videogame genre can get shaken up by the arrival of a title that pushes it in new or interesting directions, and Ridge Racer: Unbounded is one such title; through its inspired drift mechanic, weighty physics and ingenious level creation tool, it pushes the genre to new heights of challenge and is all the more rewarding for it.

Epic Yarn is a title for the player looking to be reminded what it's like to have the emotion of curiosity triggered by a videogame. A game cut from the finest Nintendo cloth.

If you’re a fan of the WWE, or even better the original WWF, then you won’t be disappointed.

That Big BIg Studios have managed to squeeze an experience previously only available on the Playstation 3 into your pocket is a genuine marvel – Motorstorm: Arctic Edge is feature rich, beautifully polished, graphically ambitious and, above all else, retains the oil, smoke and tears that fans know and love.

If you've already been won over by last year's instalment though, THQ and Yukes have delivered a solid sequel that serves a strong warning to any would-be competitors – two rounds are down and they have no intention of giving up the fight.

Overall, I have to confess that I wasn't expecting a huge amount from Playstation All-Stars, but it surprised me. The Supers system provides a good twist on the Super Smash Brothers formula, it's obviously been lovingly put together and it's simply a great deal of fun. It's definitely a game that's worth playing.

The glorious visual style in which the world is rendered is a long way from the bloody realities of war, yet the game still manages to present a challenging and believable conflict. Underneath its polished (and undoubtedly quirky) presentation is a confidently delivered and engaging experience that doesn't hold itself a prisoner to convention. It's tempting to think that SEGA may very well have delivered a cult classic.

It is seems a shame the game didn’t launch before Christmas – on this evidence, with its kid-friendly content and rock-solid gameplay, it had the potential to have cleaned up, and help Microsoft move a bunch of additional Ones off the shelves in the process.

It’s arguable that the PSP version is still the definitive PAL release, but the DS version doesn’t lag far behind. Such a niche title is a rare treasure on Nintendo’s handheld, serving as a meticulously hardcore game on a device where such games are becoming increasingly scarce.

For now though this is the definitive Forumla 1 videogame, and pretty damn essential for fans of the sport.

Skate 2 highlights the premise of evolution excellently with its minor, yet impressive changes reinforcing its position as the best skateboarding game on the market today.

Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge is everything fans of the series would expect from a high-definition remake.

The Secret Of The Unicorn is an extremely successful tie-in to what is a controversial film.

If you can see past its shortfalls, can embrace the teeth-gnashing frustration that comes with winning everything but still coming last and if you can gather a group of like-minded people to join you, Wii Party can be a real party-popper.

As a free-roaming title intent on affording gamers the experience of a supercharged, structure-hopping badass, Infamous 2 succeeds in a variety of ways.