Developer SCEE Cambridge has struck the finest of balances between determining what the port platform is capable of and what the game is all about – before creating new content to make up the difference.

Left 4 Dead 2 is a perfect example of what happens when a competent developer takes an existing game and adds just enough to make it better, without subtracting from its initial appeal.

The Sims 3: World Adventures is simply one of the best expansions for a Sims title to date, providing an excellent experience for you and your Sims, and really reinvigorating the title.

Suitable for all ages, it's a winning combination of that ‘old school’ charm and the Wii’s versatility. An absolute must for the Mario fan, and a recommended addition to the casual gamer's Christmas wish list.

Possibly the best Buzz! title yet - certainly the best we've seen for PS3.

A tedious and somewhat repetitive brain training game. Interesting and exciting GUI but the content really feels like a let down.

Everything a great sequel should be, and fans of the series will love the additions Infinity Ward have included this time around. Easily one of the best games this year, and a contender for the best shooter currently available for next-gen consoles.

Matchmaking is as woeful as you would expect, and the campaign mode is too short and plays like it was designed by a committee. The Special Ops mode fails to lift the uniform score of this game to anything worthy of remembrance.

Expert storytellers BioWare have made no effort to disguise the fact they consider Dragon Age: Origins to be the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, but the game also owes much to sister title Knights of the Old Republic. The graphics may be a little vanilla, but by and large: Masterful.

An amazing RPG that sets some new heights with very little to criticise. An great story coupled with fantastic characters and lots of replay value make Dragon Age: Origins easily the best RPG of the last few years.

Simply put, Band Hero is a more family-focused, pop-orientated version of Guitar Hero 5, with a new drum kit. It's just as much fun as you would expect, but we recommend you check the track listing carefully before you considering purchasing it.

A pared down, stylised version of previous NFS titles with a few new gimmicks. Best suited to younger gamers.

Blend the arcade style gameplay of the classics, some new and improved features and superior visuals - the result; Tekken 6. The hours of entertainment that can be had with the Tekken series is fantastic and Tekken 6 by all means does not fall short.

DJ Hero is simple to pick up and learn, but also difficult to master. I am yet to get a 100% score on Medium Difficulty, and I think I’m doing quite well.

Simply put, it's the best console racing experience you're going to have this year.

A Crack in Time is an engaging conclusion to a trilogy that has been thoroughly enjoyed by millions and now seems like a fitting place to say our fond farewells to a larger series and let nostalgia take over.

After wave upon wave of bad console to PC ports recently, it's nice to see Gearbox have taken their time with Borderlands. It's a highly capable title that lends itself well to mouse & keyboard control, and has enough depth to keep players keen for months.

Addictive.

An excellent update to FIFA 09. Small refinements across the board for a much more precise and controlled soccer experience, that really plays like it should. EA has done it again, the improved AI and ball handling really helps to immerse the player, providing us with one of the most realistic and detailed soccer titles to date.

Rockstar's epic franchise gets another round on the PSP, arguably the portable platform it was best suited for in the first place. There are a number of enhancements over the DS release, but it's not all good news as some of the minigames have been lost in translation. Overall though, a stand-out title filled with the type of quality you've come to expect from Rockstar.

The digital realization of this popular game is equally impressive, as the developers have done an amazing job of retaining the essence of the card game.

A powerful storyline with a great open world environment that truly is exciting, exhilarating and, well, pretty musical really. You will be awed as you tear through the landscape in your hotrod, throwing flames into the night as you listen to heavy metal over the Deuce's tape deck.

Uncharted 2 improves on the original in almost every way. A solid gaming experience, and one that will rate among the very best PS3 games ever made.

Cities XL may appear at the outset to be a detailed and engaging new Sim title, however scratch the surface and you'll discover that it lacks the type of addictive gameplay so necessary in this genre. It might be wise to wait for a content patch before investing too much time in this one.

A solid squad based war simulator, with an amazing open world and stunning draw distance.

An astoundingly realistic basketball game with some of the greatest environments and graphics seen to date.

This game will steal your soul, and comes highly recommended.

Gran Turismo for the PlayStation Portable is a faithful reproduction of the original PSX game that achieved so much success in the 90's. Although missing online functionality, it's still the best racer you'll find for the platform.

Beaterator represents a challenging diversification for Rockstar, who perhaps know more about beating people up. Having said that, this pint-sized music creation title sure packs a punch.

Like Dead Space before it, this one’s a class act, through and through. Heed the censor's warning though... this is no kiddies' title.

Arctic Edge for the PSP is a capable racer with plenty of spills and thrills for those well versed in the genre.

Ion Assault is one of the most enjoyable Xbox Live Arcade games that you can find. With impressive and completely original particle-based game play, there is never a dull moment. A must have for anybody who owns an Xbox 360.

The lack of variation unfortunately keeps Zombie Apocalypse from being the great game that it could have been. It feels extremely repetitive and doesn’t offer anything that makes you want to replay it again. Otherwise, it isn’t all terrible.

Jaded by the current crop of MMORPG's? Tired of the endless band aids in the form of patches designed to disguise the boredom? Sick of the grind? Come over to the all new world of Aion and experience the art of MMORPG at a new level.

After 18 months, have developers Bungie managed to create a title that can live up to the expectations of millions of Halo 3 fans, as well as carve out its own legacy? Quite possibly, but it's not all smooth sailing for Microsoft's darling.

The game plays just like a movie as you hack, slash and wall-run your way through the game in control of Rubi, a sexy female assassin. Over-the-top acrobatics and slow motion moves allow for some pretty high levels of gore. Unfortunately it's all been done before, and WET doesn't really seem to do much of it overly well.

The transition to PC hasn't been without problems, but Red Faction: Guerrilla still represents an enjoyable experience for those looking to expand their shooter library.

Forget what you have come to expect from an NFS game, because SHIFT takes the series away from the street scene and into the grown-up world of motorsport. It makes a few mistakes along the way, but with great looks, solid handling and some unique features, there is plenty of fun to be had behind the wheel.

More than six months after the fact, PC gamers can get their hands on Capcom's latest instalment in the Resident Evil series. Significantly optimised graphics, improved aiming, better inventory management and new extras arguably make this the finest version of the title but if you've already played it on a console, there's not enough here to warrant another investment.

If you enjoyed previous Marvel games, you'll find more of the same here. Graphics are improved, there's a great roster of superheroes to play with and their powers can combine to produce new 'Fusion' attacks. But crashing bugs, simple repetitive gameplay and a lack of polish are its kryptonite, preventing this from being a super game.

Scribblenauts is an example of what can be achieved when you put aside HD, Hollywood effects and cinematic cut scenes to concentrate on innovative gameplay instead. An instant classic, and new contender for Game of the Year.

Simply put, it's the best Rock Band experience to date.

The extra time and effort placed on redeveloping the party play mode has made an enormous difference to the latest Guitar Hero release. If you've been waiting for an excuse to revisit the series, this is it.

It's the 'Simple Life' personified, with all the benefits of running a successful lifestyle block - minus the muss 'n' fuss (not to mention backbreaking labour). Allow yourself a good hour for the learning curve, though.

The stealth portions are somewhat simple in execution but satisfying when you get it right. When you are high above the enemy scoping them out in order to plan your attacks you really do feel like Batman.

As far as adventure shooters on the console go, this has it all, but stack it up against similar games on other consoles and you cannot help feeling it's a runner-up rather than a leader. A good game though, and one that we recommend.

The singleplayer is an enjoyable run-and-gun through Wolfenstein’s Nazi-occult premise but the multiplayer is something of a disappointment.

It’s hard to believe that EA’s Madden NFL 2010 is the 5th Madden release on the Xbox 360. Each incarnation has built upon and improved on the previous. Madden 2009 made the series and the sport itself accessible to the masses – so how much room has the latest release got to move?

It may be all a bit familiar for seasoned Pokémon gamers, but there's enough content in Fossil Fighters to keep even a cynic entertained.

All but the hardest kernel of strategy fans may be overwhelmed by the micromanagement required and jaded by the long hours of meticulous planning that precede any action, but Hearts of Iron III isn’t designed with casual players in mind. Fans of the series and the genre will find much to be excited about.

A good revamp of an old classic.

It's difficult to say anything positive about the single-player, but there's a bit of fun to be had with the co-op. Overall however, Rise of Cobra is yet another disappointing movie tie-in.

A very short game with a fairly original visual approach. Foreign Legion is a fun-ish third-person shooter but unfortunately lacks enough content to get you hooked.

Fat Princess is hugely entertaining, however communication problems may prevent the game from retaining a large fanbase.

Marvel Vs Capcom 2 delivers the retro arcade fighting style that many adore and successfully integrates modern features through XBLA. If you are a fan of the classics, and love a good ol’ button mash, you are in for a treat.

With its broad appeal and simple, intuitive controls, Wii Sports Resort will have everyone up off the couch having fun… Wii guarantee you’ll love it.

Little King’s Story is a little beauty; fans of Nintendo’s classic ‘cutesy’ titles such as Animal Crossing and Pikmin will truly love it. We may be finished with the reviewing side of things but are still playing Little King’s Story... which is probably the best endorsement we can give any game.

An excellent remake that does total justice to the original. A joy to play with the fantastic humour and characters lovingly recreated as we can only imagine they were originally intended.

Battlefield 1943 not only delivers an excellent game but impresses on just about every level. If you have ever wondered what World War II was really like, this is about as close to the experience as you’re going to get.

This Worms release is by far one of the best in recent memory and does an excellent job of providing fresh graphics that remain true to the original style.

Recommended only for serious Harry Potter fans, or seriously bored kids.

It's what the pack shot suggests - an honest paint-by-numbers shooter set in the Old West. The story might be over too soon, but the multiplayer will hold your attention for much longer. A definite improvement over the original Call of Juarez.

A children's game that for once delivers the movie experience to the console. Its initial slow pace soon delivers a lot of fun and humour that you would expect from a game of the movie.

A meticulously detailed World War One flight and combat simulator that will entertain and enthral devotees with its period accuracy.

Blood Bowl seems to be the result of a fiendish coupling between extremely inflexible Warhammer lore and a studio hamstrung by licensing requirements. It's not exactly intuitive, and requires significant investment and patience to see rewards.

With Fight Night Round 4, next-gen consoles are once again graced by a highly polished, well implemented and enjoyable boxing title. With a focus on realism and simulation, Fight Night Round 4 provides a stunning view of boxing.

The Conduit proves that the Wii can produce FPS play mechanics that are easy to control, however the lack of a cohesive story coupled with bland environments ultimately lets it down.

A linear, mission-based action game which is best suited for Transformers fans – although not necessarily younger ones. As far as movie tie-ins go it’s not too shabby.

A solid sequel which expands on the previous title. It's not perfect, but it is a huge amount of fun, and the added minion abilities really help, as well as the new gameplay elements which break up the monotony.

Monster hunter Freedom Unite lays the foundations for more small-scale MMORPG games and proves that they can be done successfully with handheld consoles while still remaining action orientated to appeal to hack & slash fans.

The massive game world and highly detailed units provide hours and hours of entertainment for anyone who can appreciate a slower paced and highly cerebral RTS.

The potential was there, but Ghostbusters The Video Game is not as good as it might have been. It's fun when it is a ghost-capturing game, but the addition of third-person shooter elements spoils it.

Ripped straight from the movie, you warm up your Proton Pack and do battle with some of the film icons, plus a few new ones. A heap of ectoplasmatic fun for anyone who still smiles at the siren sound and the iconic “who you gonna call” theme song.

Probably best to consider this game as a track pack for Guitar Hero World Tour, with looser timing and an arguably better choice of songs. It does seem like money grab however, and we can't help but think offering it as a DLC pack may have been a wiser move.

Prototype is a carefully constructed action title with one of the best stories we've seen this year. Despite a couple of minor faults, the gameplay is fast and fluid, and the characters presented are compelling enough to make you care.

The blurb on the back of the Virtua Tennis 2009 cover states “The World’s No.1 Tennis Series Returns” – but the big question is: Does it return with anything new? The answer is no, nothing worth making a song and dance about anyway.

Virtua Tennis 2009 is a solid, enjoyable game however lacks the finesse of other Wii tennis titles in the market.

EA's Grand Slam Tennis packs in everything you would expect from a well made tennis title.

How time flies… it’s hard to believe that EA Sports’ Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is the fifth release of the series on current generation consoles. Forget any other golfing games out there, if there are any – Tiger Woods is where it’s at.

A worthy sequel to the original Red Faction titles, Guerrilla sports a tremendous physics engine that is capable of producing some outstanding effects. It may be lacking in story, but don't let that put you off - there's plenty of fun to be had with both singleplayer and multiplayer modes.

The Sims 3 is a serious advancement of the series, however underneath it's still the same Sims, and if you couldn't stand it in the past chances are you still won't be able to. Some of the micro-management tasks have been made a bit easier, and the addition of a whole town to physically explore is fantastic.

FUEL is Codemasters’ and Asobo Studio’s post-apocalyptic sandbox racer. The immense game world, replete with a dynamic weather engine, is a stunning achievement. But FUEL appears to forget it’s a racer and consequently loses sight of what counts.

inFamous is an all-encompassing superhero tale told with care and attention. Sucker Punch Productions have created a fantastic title that will push your superhuman skills to the limit.

This game is what the Wii is all about. Making the most of the unique Wii control system, it delivers wholesome fun with a bit of puzzling thrown in for good measure. Great game, great fun, and definitely one for your collection.

We've come to expect mediocre games derived from motion pictures, but Terminator Salvation is about as bad as it gets.

We were well impressed with this one; it offers great value for money, with plenty of variety and flexibility, plus the option to workout with a friend… EA have well and truly nailed it.

Tripwire Interactives Killing Floor is what you would expect of a polished mod, but doesn't exceed expectations as a retail game. It's good, but unfortunately far from perfect. A nice addition to the survival-horror genre though, and it has an attractively cheap price tag.

The original PAIN was a moderately successful PSN release that simply lacked depth. Developers Idol Minds have now rectified that with the Sore Spots addition, but it appears to be a case of too little, too late.

A brief excursion back into the Fable II world. Not nearly as long as we would have hoped, though the low price tag makes up for that somewhat. The quests are more diverse than in the last DLC. Gives another reason to have a look back into Fable II, even if it is only for a few hours.

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat on the Wii is a fantastic reappearance of a fantastic original.

Although it fails to provide any real competition to the bigger action titles out there, Wolverine is fast, fun, and definitely angled at fans of the comics. It might not have the longevity required to be considered epic, but if you can ignore the repetitive nature of the combat you'll have a blast.

The 80's return in style with this fantastic remake. Lode Runner strikes back with new graphics and fluid controls. The game is beefy enough to warrant the price tag, and polished enough to warrant our praise.

A great remake of a timeless classic. The pure arcade gameplay that was loved by so many, in a new revamped package that will appeal to modern gamers the world over.

Another excellent addition to the host of downloadable games available today. A great puzzle title that is innovative and different, as well as cute and entertaining. A host of levels, and an in-depth level editor mean you will have hours and hours of puzzle fun herding barnyard animals.

Despite being an average FPS game, Dark Athena manages to provide solid entertainment, mainly due to the inclusion of Escape from Butcher Bay.

Despite being an average FPS game, Dark Athena manages to provide solid entertainment, mainly due to the inclusion of Escape from Butcher Bay.

Despite some serious gameplay issues, The Godfather II is actually quite fun, in a morbid kind of way. Unfortunately, repetition and poor AI routines damage gameplay and ultimately sap the life out of what should have been a tremendous sequel.

Despite some serious gameplay issues, The Godfather II is actually quite fun, in a morbid kind of way. Unfortunately, repetition and poor AI routines damage gameplay and ultimately sap the life out of what should have been a tremendous sequel.