However, it is hard not to think more could have been done to capitalise on the improvements that have been made and make this year's Madden a milestone title. Instead Madden NFL 2012 is, well, 'just' another Madden title.

If you haven't already delved into the Deathspank universe, The Baconing is definitely worth checking out for its humour and zany cartoony feel. However, those already familiar with Spanktopia should be advised that they have already played this game, it just went by a different name.

The Gunstringer spins a familiar yarn – a double-crossed outlaw is back from the grave and out for revenge – but the conceit that it's all a play (complete with cuts to a live audience whooping and hollering a victory or booing the introduction of a corrupt banker) works brilliantly, and it's impossible to participate without a grin mysteriously emerging where a player's game-face scowl normally resides. Fun and funny, it shows that perhaps Kinect has a use beyond dance and exercise games after all.

There's potential in expanding the Warhammer: 40,000 license beyond the strategy genre – something Relic has done with great success in its Dawn of War series – but there's also clearly a lot of work to be done.

Since its arcade version dropped, Street Fighter: 3rd Strike has been released in various forms on the Playstation 2, Dreamcast and original Xbox over the years. However, this version is the definitive one, and is nicely priced at 20 bucks too.

Resistance 3 gets a whole lot right with a handful of inspired design choices that help it to stand out in the largely predictable first-person shooter market. Even so, some of that first-person shooter unoriginality remains meaning Resistance 3 never quite reaches its true potential.

At the end of the day, it is frustrating enough for New Zealand sports fans and gamers that rugby and cricket titles are so few and far between, and that they will never be made on the sort of budgets that Madden or Pro Evolution Soccer enjoy. To then be presented with such a cynical, half-hearted effort as Rugby World Cup masquerading as a legitimate contender with a full-retail price tag only adds insult to injury.

Ultimately, anyone wanting the next level in rugby titles, or just a fun game with a local flavour, could do a lot worse than Rugby Challenge.

However, Toy Soldiers: Cold War easily shrugs off these complaints and will force a grin onto the mug of even the most sceptical player for the duration of its campaign. There is not a lot of offer beyond that, but for twenty bucks it'll fulfil your hankering for both action and '80s nostalgia with winking enthusiasm.

For gamers who loved the first game, there is much to enjoy and rediscover here. Those new to the series you will find it nothing short of a revelation.

Unfortunately a complete lack of characterisation, derivative gameplay, and a difficulty setting that's clearly meant to make a winner out of even the most incompetent makes Shadow Planet 2011 Xbox Summer of Arcade's first inessential release.

With this release, Supergiant Games has set a new high-water mark for not only for budget-price RPGs, but XBLA games as a whole. Highly recommended.

The Cartel isn't a Call of Juarez title; it's an extremely average paint-by-numbers shooter channelling the Juarez fanbase for a modicum of credibility it simply doesn't deserve.

Both Deathly Hallows titles are a disappointment, and it's abundantly clear that there was never enough quality content to fill two instalments from the outset. Again, the poor collusion between a game studio and official licensing channels has produced a weak platform to support such a vibrant fantasy as Harry Potter.

Perhaps then, the biggest THQ has made is that they have explicitly created a fitness game rather than camouflaging exercise within the game, such as Fighters Uncaged or the plethora of dance titles on the market. Until this happens, and until the social aspects of the game are improved or a punchable man-shaped peripheral is released, gamers are going to find few reasons within UFC Personal Trainer to take their workouts from the gym into their living rooms.

Players who have never taken on the adventure and those who are old masters will find joy in unlocking Hyrule's hidden secrets, and felling its foes.

As much as fans may be hoping for that great Transformers game, and as much as Dark of the Moon offers occasional moments of enjoyment, this is a game that will ultimately frustrate fans with robotic precision as it underutilizes or undermines every defining aspect of the Transformers franchise.

Luckily for Dungeon Siege III, the loot – generally a major in games like these – and the flaws in the multiplayer can be covered for by the many other positives brought to the table. The slick action, the tidy levelling system, and the presentation all create a game well worth playing. Grab a friend, grab a couple of drinks and any problems seem to vanish.

F.E.A.R. 3 has faced numerous challenges to even be noticed in a sea of comparable titles this year. Despite being lumbered with a the dregs of a story even Alan Duff wouldn't accept royalties for, the adaptation and evolution inherent in the wildly challenging co-operative and online multiplayer modes will likely endear this creaky franchise to a whole new spectrum of gamers.

When the wondrous becomes the familiar and we begin to peek behind the warped Victorian-Gothic façade, we discover an action platformer that lacks strong differentiation.

All these things combine to what is arguably the best role-playing game of the year – or at least until Skyrim.

If Red Faction: Armageddon isn't treated like it's going to revolutionize the gaming world, it won't disappoint. It's a solid third-person shooter, there are a bunch of cool weapons and nasty surprises down in those mines. At the same time, there is an immutable sense of repetition at play and things are pretty simplistic in the design department.

DiRT 3 is an extremely flexible and polished racer that – despite some bland circuit design – delivers an extremely satisfying and assured driving experience. Coupled with amusing online modes it's a no-brainer for racing fans, and the racer those who detest such games should investigate at the very least.

Dead or Alive: Dimensions is a solid 3D fighting game. From the lush character animations, to the swift and responsive control scheme, the game shines with polish. Being the first Dead or Alive game to exist on a Nintendo platform, Team Ninja have pulled out all the stops and delivered a comprehensive title. You have access to 25 discrete fighters and the moves and combos that come with them, each with multiple costumes and unique special and sound effects.

Some will be satisfied that merely having Duke's name attached to the box equals a safe punt. Those suitably enamoured in this respect may possibly be content long after the end credits roll. However, casting a critical eye to this title reveals serious fundamental flaws that Duke, by the mere virtue of being Duke, cannot possibly fix.

When it comes down to it, Lego Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the best in the series. The graphics are great and the subject matter lends itself perfectly to the stylistic slapstick of Lego games.

What we are faced with, then, is a port of a game that probably worked on the Wii but which - three years later on a much different console with an asking price of eighty-odd bucks – is as aggressively inessential as its own open-world elements.

Steeldiver is a novel and varied title that should entertain the casual gamer.