Nexus: The Jupiter Incident isn't for everybody, since there is just that "little something' missing that would have made this a GREAT game, but so long as you have the system specs to do the game justice it's certainly one for the Space-Based Strategy fan.

Anyone who has a fond memory of the original classic from Microprose will instantly fall in love with the game. Sid Meier’s decision to go back to basics after the over complicated Railroad Tycoon 3 has paid off.

The best Arcade game currently [10/19/06] available for download. It’s still good value; even if it’s one of the highest priced Xbox Live arcade out there, and with the additional content planned, it’ll be a while before you drain all the enjoyment out of this one.

Don’t get us wrong it’s still highly playable but it’s not vastly different enough to warrant another purchase if you already own Most Wanted.

The fine melody upon which Second Sight is structured is, at its core, exquisite, but the accompaniment is less so and can ruin the brilliant ideas on show. To all purposes, Second Sight is a conceptual masterpiece, but the execution is, at times, dreadful.

With language fruiter than a Puccini cocktail, The Godfather is definitely not for the kids. The game will shock, however it should entertain, and if you don’t take it too seriously it’ll probably end up being one of the better releases this year.

Heavy Weapon might seem very basic in design but we guarantee this particular download will have you playing long into the night just to make a dent on that now famous Xbox Live Leaderboard.

Sure it looks good and sounds great, but not ‘the next generation of gaming’, in fact given the current availability and quality of FPS games I’m not sure in terms of gameplay it’s even this generation.

If playing with your balls get’s you off, Mercury Meltdown Revolution is the best way to go about it, at least, on the Wii.

Timing is a very definite requirement of play, perhaps more so than who's got the biggest strike and without practice you'll almost certainly have no idea why what happened just did.

Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? is unique, compelling and in the long run, ultimately rewarding. The end result is a game that whilst graphically inept, deserves to be scooping up awards at the end of the year regardless.

Ultimately It might not give us the same warm feeling as 'Trials of Atlantis' and 'Catacombs', but Darkness Rising will eventually be a must for anyone wanting to take their game to the highest level.

After countless releases Rayman has finally got a foothold in our hearts. It might become largely forgotten once we finally get our teeth into "Wario Ware: Smooth Moves" but for now it’s the party game of choice only slightly bettered by "Wii Sports" and "Super Monkey Ball" for sheer enjoyment on the Wii.

Ghost Recon Advance Warfighter 2 is one of the most visually impressive games we have come across, but it doesn’t end there, it’s also one of the most polished and satisfying games to play online.

My biggest gripe with the game is that the 17 levels aren’t very long. You can whip through them pretty quickly and even though you can move between them once completed, trying to better your comprehensive stats, who really wants to once you know the story?...[But] very much worth your attention.

The game is brutal, yes, but bloody? No. Maybe it's because everything seems to happen so fast you don't need to see it, I don't know.

What it does do is entertain in short bursts. It's an excellent alternative to the usual plethora of action games and certainly makes an interesting party starter.

The fact of different groups and their interaction adds another dimension to an already neat idea. Budding Mayors will love it.

Certainly not a bad game, however it will frustrate the hell out of anyone used to more freedom.

If anything, Destroy all Humans is well presented. All the menus are a joy to navigate and hold some pretty decent bonus material.

Overlord might be a short lived experience but nothing quite like it exists for the Xbox 360 right now. The gameplay is sound, the humour is all too apparent and we doubt you’ll walk away unimpressed. It’s just a shame there wasn’t a little bit more going for it online.

If you come into the game with the right attitude and take it easy instead of hammering the game in one session, Stuntman: Ignition is a pretty cool game to play.

You really do need to care what is going on, and take an active interest in the story, rather than just seeing this as a room clearing zombie fest.

It's repetitive and lacks any kind of real long lasting game play. This is more of a game to play to pass a bit of time.

The game will shock, however it should entertain, and if you don’t take it too seriously it’ll probably end up being one of the better releases this year.

One of the most intense first person shooters to be released this year.

The only real concern, and unfortunately it really brings the whole thing down, is the camera work. It seems inverted (which I couldn't change) and gets caught behind things and tends to face the wrong way in annoying scenarios such as near-death. Certainly not enough of a problem to get me to dissuade you from buying it though.

It’s a shame that some of the backgrounds and voice packs seem to have been limited for that trademarked MSP exploitation later on, but even in its most basic form, Worms is still highly recommended.

A trading game with some aspects of RTS added, so for the armchair empire sim fans it will probably rate at least a look, and probably an outright purchase, but the game probably isn’t for everyone since the steep learning curve could well put some people off, but perseverance will pay off for sure.

Mortal Kombat Armageddon is the box-set of the Mortal Kombat series and just about every character ever digitalized for the series is available to use and of course abuse.

If you come into the game with the right attitude and take it easy instead of hammering the game in one session, Stuntman: Ignition is a pretty cool game to play.

Blitzkrieg II is looking in fine form to lengthen CDV’s reign as World War II real time kings, and if only the pesky problem of units staying where you want them could be solved this would be an essential buy for every armchair strategist.

The humour shines through, the base design and the battle against the agents will keep you occupied for hours and hours on end. Graphics, sounds and the whole gameplay looks smooth and solid.

We found the frantic gameplay, gorgeous graphics and downright scary soundtrack was right up our street and Painkiller, and its newly released expansion pack are more than worthy contenders to that elusive list of brilliant FPS.

The map and radar are easy to read and use, and the environment nicely detailed. Combined with a soundtrack that still gives of a distinctly ocean going whiff, it adds up to quite a quality audio-visual effort, and puts this title into the upper echelons of the fleet.

If you’re into all things Egypt then this one if for you, even if your not there’s still a few hours of your life to be lost to (in our opinion) one of the better city building games currently available.

GTA: Vice City Stories might be more of what we love, but at least love is still the operative word here. And love it you should.

This murder-detective mystery from the Adventure Company is every bit as gruesome as it is enjoyable, and it certainly had us all engrossed until its eventual conclusion.

There is nothing like disembowelling some poor defenceless slave to help calm the nerves after a hard day at the office.

On the other hand you sure are getting a large slice of action for what tends to be a very moderate price tag and there is a place for a good hand to hand combat affair in everybody’s collection.

We weren’t particularly bothered that we had to wait while our health/power gauge increased slowly, but what we didn’t like was the fact that Spartan couldn’t protect himself at all when praying at the statues.

If you are looking for a cooperative first/third person shooter and you fully intend only to use multiplayer, then Army of Two isn't a bad buy at all. But if you are after the single player title, then I'm afraid you are going to be disappointed, the ideas within the game however are very well thought of, and certainly should be applauded.

Tremendous value for money.

F1 fans will enjoy this game without reservation. F1 fanatics will love this game and want to take it to bed, with the profound amount of customizability that may find Fernando Alonso scratching his head in places.

Without a doubt worth the £15 ($19.99) price tag. A perfect gift for retro gamers this Christmas.

On first inspection Killer 7 appears to be a confused, disjointed mismatch of ideas, but on closer examination some of its inner beauty will slowly begin to shine through. Before you knock it, appreciate the fact that it really couldn't have been done any other way. The upshot is that Killer7 shouldn't be played so much as actually 'experienced'.

Developers SuperVillain has taken the educated decision to make the series more accessible to the PSP, and while they may make a few enemies along the way, the real winners are the ones that give the title the chance it deserves.

Although frustration is certainly high at times it’ll be a foolish person who totally disregards Full Spectrum Warrior's potential and it pains me not to lavish untold awards onto the title but at times the game just appears flawed.

Ultimate Spiderman has certainly joined our list of most impressive PS2 games this year, and easily so.

Sacred sets out to be little more than you’re typical hack and slash feast but with gorgeous graphics and a storyline/sound effects to match, but why shouldn’t we all devour it anyway?

The only real concern, and unfortunately it really brings the whole thing down, is the camera work. It seems inverted (which I couldn’t change) and gets caught behind things and tends to face the wrong way in annoying scenarios such as near-death. Certainly not enough of a problem to get me to dissuade you from buying it though.

The looks, story line and huge amount of missions and freedom that gave this game so much potential are greatly let down because of the glitches, bugs and terrible AI.

Put simply JetPac is a classic, and JetPac Refuelled is a wonderful testament to the 1983 game.

Medal of Honor: Airborne is certainly an improvement on what many perceived as a dying brand. It’s not up there yet with the likes of the impending Call of Duty 4, but with a little more innovation and improvements to the online side we can certainly see a return to grace for the once mighty series.

Using diplomacy as the first line for your empire expansion adds a nice twist to the usual RTS.

Overall if you prefer your racers arcade style rather then simulations you might well get along much better with Need For Speed Pro Street, and once you forgive the odd behaviour of the car handling you can get along with the game fairly well.

This game is one HUGE, never-ending game of Final Fantasy with plenty of life in it. It left me continuously wanting to come back for more. [Review of FFXI & Chains/Zilart Expans.]

The Sacred Underworld expansion is the natural progression for any Sacred fans still playing the original release. With the Underworld expansion installed, Ancaria is now officially 40% bigger with even more to see and do, it doesn’t quite forward the game much but it does offer a diversion until Sacred 2 hits the shelves.

The enemy AI has been tweaked and this helps to make the title a little better and just that bit harder too. Plus placing the emphasis on General Patton takes you through several important WWII battles. Not a true classic, but one to get especially if you like the Blitzkrieg series.

Certainly the best of the current crop of "Vietnam" era shooters, and for the record it easily beats Vietcong and Shellshock's attempts. It tells a decent enough story using the tried and tested "diary and letters" formula which forwards the plot quite nicely.

Maddeningly addictive.

Fans of the three movies will probably love everything that the Path of Neo throws at them. Essentially it's just a basic brawler with some pretty linear missions thrown in; but every now and then you cant fail to be impressed with some of the fighting sections you get to play out.

Despite a few flaws, the Medal of Honor franchise is still on the right road. It might still be a fair way behind the excellent Call of Duty series but Activision will definitely be looking over their shoulders from this point on.

We weren't particularly bothered that we had to wait while our health/power gauge increased slowly, but what we didn't like was the fact that Spartan couldn't protect himself at all when praying at the statues.

That being said, as far as quiz based multiplayer games go, Scene it! Lights, Camera, Action does exactly what it says on the tin. The game randomises questions perfectly, so the same puzzles rarely crop and the Wireless controllers are a joy to use. However, unless Microsoft adds further games to the series, or even downloadable content, both the game and controllers will inevitably have a limited life-span.

If you are sick of the countless WW2 RTS games on the market today you’ll be a fool if you let Earth 2160 pass you by. With four campaigns and an extensive multiplayer mode we can see this one lasting well into the development of "Earth 2170."

We weren't particularly bothered that we had to wait while our health/power gauge increased slowly, but what we didn't like was the fact that Spartan couldn't protect himself at all when praying at the statues.

The Tony Hawk's series is still in a dire need of a complete overhaul no matter how good the small and subtle improvements to the series are. Since EA and Black Box brought us .skate the bar has been raised and if Neversoft are going to compete they need to start thinking out of the box rather than further improving features that already worked so well in Tony Hawk's Project 8.

The main advantage that Scrapland possesses is that it comes with a fully featured multiplayer portion straight out of the box.

I like my straightforward Eastern swordplay as much as the next player, but just like my beat em ups, or FPS’s, I like at least a little bit of variety, especially given the vast array of options on the shelves and there really isn’t enough in Bujingai to elevate it out of the very, very ordinary.

Kids with better patience than adults will marvel at the great visuals and probably forgive any of the shortcomings we have picked out. For starters it's immensely frustrating in places and perhaps a little on the short side.

It’s repetitive and lacks any kind of real long lasting game play. This is more of a game to play to pass a bit of time.

The Tony Hawk's series is still in a dire need of a complete overhaul no matter how good the small and subtle improvements to the series are. Since EA and Black Box brought us .skate the bar has been raised and if Neversoft are going to compete they need to start thinking out of the box rather than further improving features that already worked so well in Tony Hawk's Project 8.

Many will mock Blazing Angels 2 for its repetitive nature and although it’s true to a certain extent the game is still a marked improvement from the first encounter. Flight sim aficionados will probably do well looking elsewhere for their thrills, but pick up and play pilots will find a pretty enjoyable romp in the skies awaiting them if they give this title a chance.

Overall if you prefer your racers arcade style rather then simulations you might well get along much better with Need For Speed Pro Street, and once you forgive the odd behaviour of the car handling you can get along with the game fairly well.

The move to first person works exceptionally well and anyone who has played "Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth" will feel at home straight away.

Colourful, loveable and extremely enjoyable to play. With the incredibly detailed zoopedia, drip fed online downloads and exceptionally fun and rewarding gameplay this is certainly one game I wouldn’t mind my children playing, that’s if they can get me off the thing first. Genuine family fun and for once, brilliance that's suitable for all.

The game will shock, however it should entertain, and if you don’t take it too seriously it’ll probably end up being one of the better releases this year.

If you are looking for a cooperative first/third person shooter and you fully intend only to use multiplayer, then Army of Two isn't a bad buy at all. But if you are after the single player title, then I'm afraid you are going to be disappointed, the ideas within the game however are very well thought of, and certainly should be applauded.

The epitome of that "game you love to hate", you’ll swear at the TV and throw the controller but you won’t stop until its completed. It’s punishingly hard in places but that only makes the final victory even sweeter.

The graphics looked old, the sound effects where poor and driving round a track for 50 laps was mind numbing.

If ‘old school’ to you means the class of Eton 2003 then this is not your thing, if on the other hand you’re a graduate of the early nineties arcades then it’s a welcome return for some streetwise gaming.

If you like Grand Theft Auto and can put up with a step backwards in graphics you’ll love Scarface. It might not bring much that is new to the table, but fans of the film will certainly love the idea of playing out the ‘what if’ scenario with one of the greatest films of the eighties.

Sadly this particular adventure seemed to be on the short side. Keen adventurers will probably polish this one off on only a few sittings.

Nanostray is a great little shoot ‘em up and of course a portable one at that.

Kids with better patience than adults will marvel at the great visuals and probably forgive any of the shortcomings we have picked out. For starters it’s immensely frustrating in places and perhaps a little on the short side.

Shrek will certainly appeal to the target audience but anyone else will find the gameplay far too constraining.

For what it is, it's the best in it's field, however this will divide gamers between those who love the frantic action, and those who just see the repetitive slice and dice – me? well I like it like my Japanese food – now and again and in small portions.

Its control complexity, I’m sure, would appeal to those players who could give it the time to master and I’m also sure they would be rewarded with the effort. But unless you fall into this group you may find Starshatter quite difficult with a steep learning curve.

It’s genuinely funny without ever bordering on tacky and it really does test anyone who plays it.

We certainly haven't encountered a graphics engine portray an environment as realistically as this. Obviously rocking boats, crashing waves and rain are bad combinations and it's actually possible to find yourself going overboard if you fail to watch your step. That's right, a graphics engine that can virtually knock you off your feet!

Ardent puzzlers will love the complexity and variety of the puzzles; others may find them a little too difficult and frustrating at times.

The puzzles themselves are really very good, varied and challenging.

This murder-detective mystery from the Adventure Company is every bit as gruesome as it is enjoyable, and it certainly had us all engrossed until its eventual conclusion.

If you want to know how it all pans out then please carry on, if not then you may find much more rewarding (and certainly cost effective) offerings. It’s a slightly missed opportunity for me, a good concept allowed to become a familiar rehash of existing gameplay.

Ultimately, there’s perhaps been just enough evolution to make buyers of the series impressed, but for the rest of the market there’s perhaps just been too little revolution to entice us to its charms.

Over-all while there are better FPS titles now available with Call of Duty 4 and others setting the grade, there is a place for TimeShift in the grouping.

The graphics might alarm the purist but they’re big, bold and lurid, just the kind of thing for the eight year old in the house.