For the poor, deprived Cube owners out there that have been thus far denied the chance to strut their stuff in front of their TV, this is easily the best Dancing Stage title on any platform.

Mostly, this is a relaxing Sunday-afternoon game, and good at either accompanying the digestion of a roast dinner or the slow exorcism of a hangover.

The story, for all its daftness, is a charming one that pulls you in, and this being Level-5 the characters are superbly drawn and animated.

Not quite the new "Geometry Wars" then (or the new anything-older), but a solid effort, and definitely one of the best original Xbox Live Arcade titles since Bizarre's opener.

Evil Genius overcomes its flaws and ultimately satisfies. Building an evil empire is a good idea, and the way Elixir's constructed the game is thoughtful, enterprising and occasionally inspired.

But if you're looking for a Kinect fitness game which provides more motivation than Your Shape and is technically sounder than EA Sports Active, and if you can put up with the relentless cheeriness, Ultimate Loser is a decent choice.

Afrika is one of the most pleasant, enjoyable and gently engrossing games I've played in a while. It's a shame Sony isn't releasing it here, and it's worth importing. [JPN Import]

If you are a fan of "Alone In The Dark," and are longing for some more French-influenced zombie fun, you will probably want to snap this up right away.

While Valiant Hearts struggles to make sense of itself as a game, in its odd, playful innocence and in its focus on four friends (and a dog) it at least offers a fleeting human perspective on a new kind of war that turned out to be far, far worse in its mechanised violence than anybody was quite expecting.

One of the better examples of the early RPG genre, and a game of depth and longevity that really stands out alongside its platform and fighting peers. It's hard to imagine who'd want to grumble about a weighty adventure like this for such a low price.

There's no getting away from the fact that Haunt is a slight experience, but it's also very charming and a game that is carefully crafted to work with both the Kinect controller and its intended young audience. Not a game you'll keep coming back to, but for parents it's still worth the 800 Microsoft Point asking price for the short but sweet entertainment it offers.

Age of Empires, great as it was, doesn't quite stand up against the best in the RTS genre today - and Age of Empires Online doesn't improve on its mighty predecessors in any meaningful way in-game, while adding a lot of bumf around it of questionable value.

Absolution is a slick, responsive and mechanically confident game - and on occasions it's one of the most satisfying stealth games in a year that already includes Dishonored - but a range of compromises to Hitman tradition mean it's still going to rub some people up the wrong way.

Nothing much to look at, and with a premise that has been dulled through repetition, Dead State is a game that requires you to approach it with an open mind and a forgiving nature. Make the effort, and you'll find a game that makes up in charm what it lacks in polish.

While FIFA 11 may be the better, more polished and controllable simulation of football, in many respects PES 2011 is the more charismatic of the two games. If you're only interested in the finished article then you might want to wait another year for further progress, but in the meantime PES fans can hold their heads high, and fans of the beautiful game are on the road to being spoiled for choice again in light of this encouraging instalment.

Survival mode is where it's at in terms of ultra-difficulty - completing all levels without a single death requires a superhuman level of dedication.

Bionic Commando succeeds in resurrecting a good idea lost to the Capcom archives, and giving it a new lease of life, but it falls foul of a few old standards in the process.

It is the best looking space combat sim we've seen so far... Unfortunately it is let down all too often by poor mission scripting and incompetent wingmen, not to mention the occasional random crash.

These three games are worth buying for a tenner on iOS if you have never played them (or if you have a real need to play them again and your DS makes you sad).

It offers more of the great hack and slash gameplay that - for some strange reason - no one has emulated properly since the first Dark Alliance. On the other hand, the magic of the original has definitely been diluted, where it really should have been enhanced.

It's impossible to hold that shallowness against it. This isn't meant to be a game you plug away at for hours on end, trying to beat your high scores or to unlock additional stages. It's supposed to be a daft bit of throwaway entertainment for a gathering of family or friends, a game that anyone can pick up and play and have a good time with.

Sure, the poop gags are a little wearisome, but a sprinkling of the old Gilbert magic makes it a worthwhile ride.

There are some real gems to be had here - just not enough.

Sure, the poop gags are a little wearisome, but a sprinkling of the old Gilbert magic makes it a worthwhile ride.

It's definitely a superior example of turn-based strategy, and certainly the best insect-based example of the genre. And, in a slightly tenuous attempt to tie the end of this review back in to our opening trivia, it's definitely more fun than counting to 10 quintillion.

The expansion is aimed squarely at the high-level ground-based combat players, and is a solid addition of content for them. That only this one group of players is catered to fully though only serves to alienate those left behind and devalues the offering overall.

Limited, but compelling. For a full-price add-on, you'd judge it more harshly, but for £8.50 (Plus an extra couple of quid if you want the "Download Insurance", which frankly sounds a little sinister), for some strategic challenges while we all wait for "Medieval 2" it's entirely acceptable.

Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire isn't without its charm, and for those in it for a cheerful little adventure with little in the way of challenge can't go far wrong. Just don't blame us when you start wondering what all the fuss is about.