Certainly the ability to punch a hole through the wall of a building to get access to the Ruski vermin camping inside is a great step forward for the acclaimed series as it looks to motor its dominance from PCs onto consoles. The world destruction on show is suitably ‘next-geny’ and thoroughly enjoyable, there’s no doubt. But despite developer Digital Illusions spirited attempts, Bad Company doesn’t quite reach the rarely tapped heights of dual-radness, and is just a really good game.

We’d usually advise waiting a month or two with MMO titles, for major patches to fix any foibles, but WAR actually feels very stable and polished at launch.

The game has three game modes and 50 levels, so even when you’ve beaten the ever-increasing-in-difficulty Inventor Mode (basic puzzles and mechanics) you can take them all on again in Time Challenge Mode (30 second time limit) and Move Challenge Mode (ten moves only).

It hides its flaws gracefully.

At this point in time, we’re confident in recommending Age of Conan if you love MMOs and are looking for something completely different to what’s out there. It admirably manages to present a massively multiplayer experience while at the same time forging its own path with an added emphasis on single player story and real time combat.

By incorporating gameplay mechanics not because they’re new, but because they work, they have created a game that is different enough to warrant taking notice, and familiar enough that anyone who’s played an RTS in the past 5 years can jump in and play without worrying about the learning curve.

So no, Ninja Gaiden II hasn’t remedied some of the oddities that plagued the Xbox original. It has, however, completely refined, waxed, polished, and shined its peerless combat engine. Along with its trademark difficulty and balls-to-the-wall ninja action, it’s an essential buy for fans of the original and anyone else willing to put their hands up for a stiff challenge.

A thoroughly entertaining game that has a wide appeal for young and old. The low level of violence and simplicity of challenge makes it easy to play. A good solid family game that we highly recommend.

Nintendo has put on the DJ Phones and taken a firm hold of MS Paint and somehow managed to create pure madness on your NDS. If you previously didn't find it enjoyable to have shaolin monks hit you in the face with different dishes, all to the rhythm of techno beats, then you definitely will love it now!

A decent addition to your collection, but it hasn’t evolved.

The game is also a visual feast with striking environments, meticulous vehicle models, and adrenaline enhancing post-production effects. While its true the series hasn’t made a massive evolutionary leap forward in terms of gameplay, it still offers up plenty of unforgettable racing moments where you’ll get P.I.T. maneuvered by an opponent on the last corner but manage to desperately slipstream turbo your way back to win by the span of a diamond encrusted hood ornament. In other words; it’s got fun factor out the chrome-plated wazoo.

The graphics in Multiwinia have a certain retro functional aesthetic that fits in perfectly with both the theme of the game and the style of play – simple and elegant, with very little to distract you from the gameplay at hand. Little has changed from Darwinia and system specs are kept comfortably low as a result. The game is quick to load and quick to play, which is all that a game like this should be.

Not quite as special as the original, but still impossible to ignore.

SC: IV has seen some much needed tweaks to the fighting mechanics, the game looks as beautiful as ever, and the customization options available for of your characters opens up a lot of avenues strategy-wise.

A brilliant shooter.

If you want a 2D fighting game for your DS, then it would be tough to think of a better example than this.

There’s a staggering array of moves to be done here, many of which you’ll apparently discover quite by accident while waggling sticks with a dim optimism.

As it stands, Space Invaders Extreme is a well priced, solid game that is a shining example of how the classics should be remade.

BAJA is a real wolf in sheep’s clothing – a robust, addictive and unique racer that handles better than DiRT and sounds better than Forza disguised as unassuming release schedule filler. It even supports up to four-player split-screen, which is great considering split-screen of any type is a real rarity these days. It’ll probably vanish without a trace, but right now we’re turning off the driving aids and screaming off into the sunset.

Though it does have its flaws, Saints 2 still manages to feel like a Van Damme action movie - a very, very guilty pleasure. Sure, the production values aren’t up to scratch, and the over-the-top action scenes are a bit seedy - but it can make up for most of these shortcomings by being chock full of big dopey fun.

It’s a simple pick-up-and-play style of game, but there are 20 deceptively involving stages to draw out the experience. The hand-drawn graphics are charming, and the management of your economy and overlapping fields of fire is engrossingly complex. You can lose yourself in this world for hours.

This may seem like a dumbing-down, but if memory serves the ninjas in Naruto’s world never had to use seals to perform those feats in the first place. Authenticity wins the day.

The beauty of Civilization Revolution DS is that it’s just so damn addictive.

A must-own Wii racer that pays multiplayer dividends.

When the gameplay is playing to its strengths – three faction combat, survival-hunting element, spooky jungle terrain – it is thoroughly enjoyable. Only occasionally does it slip into the old-school generic FPS territory which should, like the game’s reptilian protagonists, be well and truly extinct by now.

It isn’t yet the game it will become, but it’s still damn fine.

Beyond those minor disappointments, Tiger Woods 09 has proven itself to be a very decent sequel that manages to bring some meaningful upgrades to the table – most notably the performance coach, the Club Tuner, and the faster multiplayer.

The gameplay is refreshing and addictive, the strategic elements have you constantly assessing the situation and working the angles, and it has a decidedly non-Japanese, JRPG feel to it. Slick, fun, intelligent and rewarding, let’s hope this is the direction turn based affairs take in the future.