NeverDead is a prime example of a game that conjures an excellent premise, but then destroys it with poor design choices. We don't play games to be exhausted, we play them to have fun, and there are just too many moments in this game that feel like a chore.

Soul Calibur V represents a strong return for the series, with battles more hard-hitting and free-flowing than ever before. Long-term fans might bemoan changes to the core mechanics, such as the removal of Critical Finishes and Guard Impact, but it's hard not to view most of its additions as progress.

While the side-quests can underwhelm and frustrate, the sheer amount of extra content is a welcome addition, making for a more well-rounded role-playing experience and one that well lives up to the Final Fantasy name.

Sporting three all-time classics and two retro gems - all for the price of an average new release - the compilation represents unbelievable value for money.

Soul Calibur for iOS looks sleek and plays reasonably well, but too many of the original's best qualities have been jettisoned to justify its high price tag. The absence of multiplayer is particularly disappointing, and the exclusion of Mission Mode is another missed opportunity. This might be one to revisit post DLC, but as it stands there's more bang for buck value to be found elsewhere.

Despite the five-year gap between releases, Crush 3D takes a few steps backwards in terms of visual style and presentation. Other than a rather limited and lacklustre selection of new levels and StreetPass features, it also offers very little in the way of brand new bonus content, making it difficult to recommend to anybody familiar with its PSP counterpart. Despite its shortcomings, however, Crush 3D gets it right where it counts.

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD is unlikely to earn the same level of acclaim the original garnered in 2005, but it's a welcome addition to PSN. While you'll find better platforming and first-person shooting elsewhere, the way this one merges the two still makes it feel fresh seven years down the line.

A viable alternative to the mighty World of Warcraft and a seamless marriage of reliable MMO mechanics and components from BioWare RPGs. While there are a few issues to iron out, the character-driven story focus ensures that the game offers something different than its genre counterparts.

Thankfully, porting the game to Xbox Live Arcade has lost none of its magic. Offering a more accessible and (dare we say it) fun alternative to Trials HD, the game still musters an addictive and testing challenge for the more hardcore players.

While the game is starting to show its age and display a slight lack of imagination, it's safe to say that there aren't too many Nintendo 3DS games that can match the enjoyment derived from Mario Kart 7.

A mixed bag. On the one hand, it's capable of stirring up nostalgia like few other remakes, and looks fresh and vibrant on the surface. On the other, it's in need of a patch and has had all of the challenge sapped out of it.

Sumo Digital should be commended for its attempts to pack as much as humanely possible into a Nintendo 3DS game. However, despite its wealth of options, game modes and extras, F1 2011 fails where it counts most, on the race track.

Infinity Blade II continues to be a step forward for iOS gaming. Chair has delivered a visual masterpiece with satisfying combat that rectifies many of the issues of its predecessor. We aren't quite at that point where smartphones and tablets have made handheld gaming systems obsolete, but after this release, the gap between them is certainly narrower.

Not only does it play great, but the fact that Rayman Origins packs one hell of a challenge and boasts some of the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous visuals we've ever seen, cements its place as the new king of 2D platformers.

WWE 12 is an excellent wrestling game with an enormous amount of depth. Matches are exciting, the presentation is great and there are enough extras and customisation tools to keep fans continually entertained. It's remarkable that even with the poorly-executed Road To Wrestlemania mode, WWE 12 still has enough about it to see us through to next year.

It comes as no surprise that Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is another colourful, fun and accessible package offering plenty of family-friendly kicks. While it hardly deserves a gold medal for design and presentation, Wii owners will get some festive thrills out of this one.

Need for Speed: The Run is a case of a good premise not quite realized.

Has its selling points if you're a fan of the series. The storyline fits into the bigger picture nicely and Telltale has handled the licence well. Unfortunately, its simplistic puzzles and action segments mean that it's unlikely to find favor among the adventure demographic.

Neither the combat, the puzzle solving or the presentation is overly brilliant on its own, but put it all together and you have a winning package that perfectly suits its target audience.

If you spend Saturday nights singing Black Eyed Peas songs into an old hairbrush, not only do you need to get out more, but you won't regret picking up The Black Eyed Peas Experience. Everybody else, however, might be better suited rocking that body to any one of Kinect's alternative rhythm action releases.

Mario's best handheld game in years, and even when put up against his acclaimed console offerings, it's yet another sublime adventure crammed with surprises and smiles every few minutes. It's also perhaps the first 3DS title that makes the screen an integral part of the game rather than an eye-catching afterthought.

With the Wii showing its age more than ever, Nintendo's strategy is to compensate with an immersive interface, mesmerising world and engaging story. It's an approach that pays off, proving that gameplay should be valued above all else.

Features one of the most iconic and wonderfully-realized gaming locations of all time. With so much to see and do, it's a fantastic gaming experience for all of the family and so much more than a minigame compilation.

It reaches highs that some Halo recent entries still haven't reached, and due to some unfortunate pacing, some of its biggest lows, too. All in all, its timeless combat ensures that old fans can soundly enjoy it once again, while newcomers can fully appreciate why it's always been so highly regarded.

Overall, NCIS feels like another procedural tie-in, attaching a well known property - this time a hit US TV show - to a procession of rather dreary mini-games that becomes a long advert for the show.

Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is an enormously enjoyable tag-team fighting game, let down by Capcom's poor sense of timing. Releasing the game so soon after the original leaves a sour taste, especially considering that the 12 new characters - the main attraction - could have been added as DLC.

The time is definitely right to reboot the Assassin's Creed franchise with new characters and settings, but Revelations marks a fitting finale to this magnificent franchise to date.

If a deep combat system, an engaging plot, a wonderful cast of characters and a stunning, open-ended game world sounds like something you might be interested in, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim should be at the top of your list.