Still it’s a good solid package but don’t be expecting anything too new.

Sega may have tried to bring something new to the sporting genre but they fallen foul of the same problems and clichés that blight many releases for the Wii.

It really is a shame, because the time spent inbetween battles completely ruins the fun and entertainment that the battles themselves produced. It leaves you with no interest in the story, characters, or perfecting your squad.

SHIFT is an odd beast. Happy to straddle that middle ground between simulation and arcade, it doesn’t necessarily master either.

All in all the improvements make this game a very enjoyable all round experience. Whether you want to pick up and play, or get into the nitty gritty, this game has something for every gaming sports fan out there.

Scribblenauts is a great idea, with some questionable execution, and some laughable design decisions.

It’s not only the best of the Mario and Luigi series (in fact, we’d be perfectly happy if the series ended on such a high note), but it also ranks as one of our games of the year.

If anyone deserved the standalone game treatment, it's them. And if this is the sort of standard we can expect from any future band-exclusive Rock Band titles, then we say bring it on.

All in all Dirt 2 is a marked improvement on Dirt and a solid entry into the McRae series.

It may only be fans of the series who will take advantage of everything the game has to offer, but the excellent job Namco have done in bringing Soulcalibur to the PSP is clear for everyone to see.

Simply put, you have to play Batman: Arkham Asylum to be reminded why you love games in the first place.

It’s really quite amazing the amount of content you get for 1200 points.

The game could be tightened up in a few places and we'd rather not have the stealth level at all, but if you're after a game that successfully marries old-school platforming with contemporary physics and interface, you could do a lot worse than NyxQuest.

Turtles in Time Re-Shelled isn’t trying to redefine scrolling beat-em-ups on XBLA; it's merely trying to offer a bite-sized nugget of updated retro fun, and that's exactly what Ubi-Soft have given us with this.

At the increasingly regular price point of 1200 points it’s hard to recommend Marvel Vs Capcom 2 to everyone. People who live, sleep and breathe fighting games will snap it straight up, others should be a bit more cautious. This isn’t the friendliest fighter around.

Wii Sports Resort is a fantastic showpiece for MotionPlus, and the one thing that Gamestyle takes away from its time with the game is the possibility of what it could lead to.

Twisted Pixel showed that it had promise with The Maw, but with ‘Splosion Man it’s definitely cemented its place as one of the top developers for the XBLA.

Despite a decent opening it soon descends into mediocrity that so many licensed games fall into.

With a tight release schedule, developing a game based on a movie will inevitably involve a degree of compromise, but creating a game that feels unfinished and distinctly rushed isn't acceptable.

Bound in Blood is certainly an improvement on the first Call of Juarez. Its impressive visuals and smooth gameplay are let down by repetitive levels and an uninspiring story, however, and the online multiplayer just isn’t good enough to compensate.

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger is an excellent fighter that deserves attention.

The Conduit has the best controls of any First Person Shooter on the Wii by far. It would be unfair to say that this is not supported by a decent single-player campaign or online multiplayer, but The Conduit is certainly lacking in these areas.

If destruction and mayhem are your thing then there is enough here to warrant a purchase. But with a few tweaks here and there, Overlord II could have been something a little more special.

While it may not be the return of a golden genre so many people fondly remember, Sam & Max: Save The World is still a game that should be supported.

If you're a fan of the Ghostbusters (who isn't?), there's enough here for you to really sink your teeth into.

While not a bad game, Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits just feels like an easy cash-in among the other music games flooding the market.

Hysteria Hospital is a game with a good idea, but one that is poorly executed.

With trophy support and some decent game modes, Heavy Weapon is entertaining and fun.

For 400 Microsoft points, Sonic 3 is not just a pleasant trip down memory lane, but a welcome return to a series that has gone awry.

There maybe some minor issues with regard to slow-down and lagging, but overall Virtua Tennis 2009 is a well-presented, and exceptionally playable tennis game.

We're not completely humourless, and the whimsical silliness of game, particularly the guitar duels, still raise a smile; but the first On Tour did that too, and it was considerably more fun.

For anyone wanting a portable Rock Band, this might be a bit abstract, but it mostly ticks all the right boxes.

Volition could have stuck with the same tired first person shooter format, as seen recently in the disappointing Killzone 2. Instead by taking a risk, the resulting dividend is a massive success.

Undoubtedly a good game, Infamous can be a very frustrating experience at times, mostly thanks to the overly-precise aim of the enemies and Cole feeling far too weak and vulnerable at times.

It may be difficult to get to grips with, but once you do so it becomes one of the best fighting experiences around. It’s going to be hard for a sequel to top this.

Simply put there just isn’t enough game here to justify paying full price.

Punch-Out is a welcome return for an old favourite that has spent far too long in the sidelines.

In truth Wolverine could have scored higher simply due to more time being allowed for bug testing, and possibly having no association with the terrible film. But that doesn’t prevent it from being a good solid, and ultimately, fun game.

Banjo-Tooie is far from being a bad platformer, though instead of taking what made Banjo-Kazooie great and improving on it, the Rare philosophy seems to be throw everything into the mixing pot and see what comes out.

Godfather II stands out in the sandbox genre because of the Don’s View but it’s the only thing that really does. Everything else can be discarded, but if EA can take the Don’s View and put that in a game with more technical proficiency, we’ll be buying.

Wanted: Weapons of Fate with more care and attention would have made for a decent video game.

Overall, Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure is a real surprise.

It's an astonishing achievement for a handheld that nobody thought could hold this much content, or present it in such an effective way.

Underneath the layers, there is some semblance of a good game here. It's very ambitious and we applaud that. But ambition doesn't always equal a good game, and while RE5 is nowhere near a disaster, the disappointment we felt is made worse due to our lofty expectations.

Zubo is an interesting gem from EA that is neither tied to a recognizable license or a sequel of an existing game.

What MadWorld has in style it lacks in substance.

Halo Wars proves that an RTS can be done on a console, as long as it's built around the pad and not forced to fit it.

It may take a while to click, but once it does H.A.W.X is certainly an entertaining ride. It may not have the variety required for multiple playthroughs, it will however entertain you through to the conclusion.

This is an average, generic experience. For all its lofty ambitions and hype it is an unbelievable failure, a real disappointment for all PlayStation 3 owners.

Eat Lead wants to be recognised as this post-modern mockery of all those big budget and casual games that sell rather well. But it’s not, it’s just some guy who thinks he’s rather clever, telling obvious jokes that everyone gets that got old two years ago.

Noby Noby Boy is a title that will really divide gamers. With a little more work and tangible elements this could have been a really fun and unique experience.

Street Fighter IV is everything we could have hoped for and more, and we haven’t even mentioned the glorious visuals and excellent music.

What you take out of Flower is really your own choice, as an experience it is highly recommended if you have become bored with the majority of releases today. If you prefer your gaming to be a little left of centre than the latest chart topping release then this is for you.

It is great that Overkill has turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year, completely reinventing the series in the process.

Rygar: The Battle of Argus should have been a challenging and thrilling Wii experience, if only more care and attention was put into the final package.

There are reasons why some of the gameplay features here have thankfully become extinct. Being linked so closely to the story of the anime may have been a hindrance, but we feel with a better developer this could’ve been something much, much better.

Once again, the developers have provided an excellent game, thoroughly deserving of your time and attention.

The actual game play is practically bullet proof, as one would expect. It’s the lack of themes or even additional modes that holds back Magic Orbz from being a must have purchase.

If you’re looking for a good FPS game on the DS, it’s a recommended purchase.

Despite this criticism for only £8.99 you’ve got a title that will continue to challenge and entertain long after many other purchases have been deleted. Lumines Supernova also looks and sounds great.

Overall Dash of Destruction is a pleasant enough detor that for younger gamers may prove to be more entertaining.

In Persona 4, Atlus have achieved the summit of what an RPG should deliver, confirming the series as one of the finest exponents of the genre on any system.

On a console starved of the genre, Banjo-Kazooie really stands above all the others and for a ten year old N64 game, that’s some achievement.

If you want a truly great 3D Prince of Persia experience, however, we’d recommend tracking down a copy of The Sands of Time instead.

This is definitely up there as one of the best versions of Street Fighter 2 available and will most certainly keep you occupied until the true sequel is unleashed next year.

It gets better as it goes, and perhaps even better with age, and still puts most other RPGs to shame.

If you have enjoyed golfing releases previously then this warrants your time, so make it your next purchase and get involved online.

It tries to make the most of a stupid idea, and compared to previous efforts at a 3D Castlevania game it’s quite a triumph.

Tomb Raider Underworld is an enjoyable romp.

While it may not have evolved a great deal Metal Slug 7 still carries on the classic gameplay that made the series popular.

With that said, Biology Battle is certainly in the upper spectrum of Geometry Wars clones, but whether you want to fork out 800 points for it depends on your love for the genre, and the deepness of your virtual wallet.

As a co-operative multiplayer experience, Left 4 Dead is unparalleled on the Xbox 360.

While not a complete success, it is a refreshing change and a step in the right direction, unlike Quantum of Solace.

By merging two franchises Midway is being quite clever. Mortal Kombat and DC fans will lap this up and for the uninitiated it’ll still provide ample enjoyment.

We'd recommend the first On Tour as a better starting point and a slightly better game overall, which relegates this to a worthwhile expansion if you can find it cheap enough.

The perfect word that can really sum up Mirror’s Edge is unfortunately, disappointment.

It's a shame that Nuts & Bolts is so overlooked and undervalued, as it it genuinely brilliant, and shows that Rare does have what it takes to make a classic, even if they misjudge their audiences a little bit.

Hasbro Family Game Night is a solid performer in the party genre. What it lacks in madness and addictive mini-games, it overcomes by providing good, informative, challenging and traditional entertainment.

World at War is for the most part a competently made and solid game.

Gears of War 2 is, simply put, an improvement in every aspect.

An original IP in a genre not associated with consoles during the Christmas rush may not be the best time for its release. Though perhaps it’s managed to carve out a niche and in doing so we’re hopeful this really isn’t the end of this war.

It’s a shame that this could be destined for obscurity because it’s certainly one of the most unique games this year and a series we wouldn’t mind seeing continue.

Quantum of Solace is by no means a poor first person experience, its just rather bland and decidedly average.

Fallout 3 is an incredibly well-accomplished game that lets players explore a rich, diverse and interesting landscape however they see fit.

Yet the final product has been injured by this ambition, by having too many options and locations, the quality is spread thin and the lack of restrictions can daze some players.

Featuring a compilation of near identical games, complete with a poor versus mode and terrible glitches KOF is hardly a celebration the series deserves.

LittleBigPlanet is a must have purchase for a system that needs more AAA titles in its library. As a PlayStation 3 exclusive, it's almost worth buying a system to experience.

Tornado is one of the worst DS games we’ve played in quite a while. An interesting concept ruined by an impenetrable single player and a crippling control scheme. Avoid like the plague.

Simply put, GHWT is the best rhythm action title on the market right now.

What's important, though, is that Fable is an amazingly well-crafted and polished world that has traded the typical sandbox route of western RPGs for attention to detail and true character development.

What it really comes down to is how much of a fan you consider yourself to be. The game is difficult and frustrating to begin with and anyone new to the series may well be put off.

Ultimately though it comes back to crushing disappointment. Nothing here wasn’t possible on the last generation of consoles and after playing other open worlds the city of New York seems bland in comparison.

As far as console versions of Monopoly goes this is one of the better ones.

Rock Band 2 really is the game Rock Band should have been in the first place, but it's nothing more than that.

The first six episodes may not be perfect but they certainly show glimpses of the greatness that could well be on the way as the team get to grips with their new way of producing adventures for the duo.

If you need a Golden Axe fix you can get the original game with co-op on XBLA for 400 points, and we guarantee it’ll be a more enjoyable experience than Beast Rider, which has only served to put another nail in the coffin of one of Sega’s biggest hits.

A fantastic horror experience from beginning to end, leaving you no time to catch your breath.

An impressive variety of modes, great online play and plenty of touches make this a football fans dream.