A shamefully poor tie-in, even by normal standards, that totally ignores the potential of the license.

Virtual On on a budget, with a fully functioning online mode but very little depth or longevity.

The last of the Fallout 3 expansions is also one of the worst in this bafflingly dull abduction yarn.

The princess may have bitten off more than she can chew with her clever but confused multiplayer melees.

As a prime slice of pure gaming cheese we only hope a new sequel is imminent.

A game insensitive to both the subject matter and the need to offer any real variety or intrigue.

The DS's second serving of Bust-A-Move has little new to offer but the same old coloured bubble matching.

A fun but shallow mini-game collection, whose hobbled simulations still make good use of the MotionPlus.

A disappointing series reboot, with the new graphics proving more trouble than they're worth.

Arkanoid is finally superseded as the best Breakout clone around in this enjoyable retro update.

Sony's super-stylised future racer may still be download-only but this expansion is worth every penny.

Like any good firework display this fun platformer retains its charm even after the novelty runs out.

The consistently surprising offspring of Harvest Moon and Pikmin will make a royalist out of anyone.

A surprisingly high quality tie-in, which for once acts as a good introduction to gaming for youngsters.

Better than My Life As A King but the bad guys still aren't having that much fun with their tower defence.

Unusually complex for a Tower Defence game, but also needlessly obscure and difficult to play.

The landmark script and puzzles override the bland artwork as the classic graphic adventure returns.

A triumphant back-to-basics return to WWII, for the original vehicle-based multiplayer shooter.

It's not a simulation but it is the only semi-serious baseball game with a chance of appealing to non-fans.

The most realistic and versatile soldier sim ever, but also the most bug-ridden and inscrutable.

A welcome return to MonkeyIsland and a promising first episode to a new season of graphic adventuring.

The modern and 8-bit worlds collide again as old school arcade gameplay is given a new twist.

You'll be begging for mercy after just a few hours with this distressingly poor online shooter.

An elegantly designed mix of puzzles and platforming that may well be the best Lost Vikings clone yet.

There's a real lack of magic in what is essentially Harry Potter And The Half-Hearted Mini-Game Collection.

Although it means little given the lack of competition this is the best Wild West shooter for years.

A steaming pile of robot parts that seems to go out of its way to appear more repetitive than it is.

The new 2D fighter from the creators of Guilty Gear trails a blaze of innovative and accessible glory.

An accurate adaptation of the table-top classic, but it fumbles the ball when trying to expand its appeal.

The best boxing sim ever gets even better, with stunning graphics and immersive, if controversial, controls.

The Drudge are a sadly appropriate named for the enemy in this artless grind of a first person shooter.

The best ever portable Shin Megami Tensei, with an interesting spin on the tactical role-playing genre.

A step in the right direction, but still nowhere close to being the ideal Transformers game.

Perfectly judged adaptation of the PC series, with just the right level of complexity and challenge.

A disappointing sequel that is arguably inferior to the original, despite more amusing minion antics.

Gaming's most prolific, but least pioneering, series ruins its best spin-off with an overdose of deja vu.

The evil twin to Zelda: Phantom Hourglass shows just how bad broken touch-screen controls can be.

The controls are superior to Overlord II, but the gameplay and difficulty is even more simplified.

A re-release of the GameCube remake, which remains a masterclass in atmosphere after all these years.

It may be big in Japan but there's little here that is new, in this still deeply flawed mini-MMO.

Building your own medieval empire proves surprisingly attractive in terms of both visuals and gameplay.

It's still the best graphic adventure of the modern age, but the Xbox controls do it no favours.

It's nostalgia first and game second but you'd have to really hate Ghostbusters to not enjoy this tie-in.

It's nostalgia first and game second but you'd have to really hate Ghostbusters to not enjoy this tie-in.

An expansion pack in full price clothing, offering only new versions of admittedly classic songs.

The era of interactive movies makes an unwelcome return with the worst acted lightgun in gaming history.

A pale shadow of the original turning a perfectly constructed platformer into a bland retread.

Five fun, but paper thin, premises connected by perhaps the world's only no-button control system.

Lego does real-time strategy and makes it look easy - rather too easy as far as the difficultly goes.

The initial feelings of power and freedom hide another badly designed and unimaginative superhero sim.

Grand Slam Tennis was a false start after all, as Sega demonstrates the full potential of Wii MotionPlus.

If Crystal Skull made the original films look better, then this does the same for Fate Of Atlantis.

The third Guitar Hero game for the DS isn't as lazy as you'd think but the concept is still deeply flawed.

EA's tennis and Wii MotionPlus debut is a success after all and an encouraging sign for the future.

Wii MotionPlus delivers once more, turning the solid but flawed game into probably the best golf sim ever.

One of the best looking WiiWare games is also one of the most accessible real-time strategies ever.

Part tactical role-player, part bullet hell shooter - this is hard to get into but worth it if you do.

It may be a one trick pony but Saints Row 2 in space will give anyone an appetite for destruction.

The refurbished virtual doll house doesn't look that new, but its voyeuristic charm is greatly increased.

Flawed racer which finds little of interest in its massive open world - least of all the race cars.

Square Enix's addiction to microtransactions ruins another WiiWare release, in this 17-year-late sequel.

The best game on DSiWare is a puzzle platformer hybrid reminiscent of the very best of the 8 and 16-bit era.

Simplistic to a fault but still one of the most addictive, and fairly original, puzzlers of the year.

Amateurish mix of Tomb Raider and Unreal Tournament 2004 that should have stayed as a fan-made mod.

Disappointing superhero sim, whose meagre set of powers prove to be far less exotic than you'd hope.

There's disappointingly little to get your teeth into in this only briefly entertaining consumable.

No matter how much you like your Japanese role-players this convoluted crossover has little appeal.

The classic gets some well implemented new features that extend but don't overwhelm the original.

The closest you're ever likely to get to a new Wonder Boy, but this won't please fans new or old.

A good start to what is likely to be one of gaming's most important new sports franchises.

Steven Spielberg returns with an improved and enlarged version of what is now much more than virtual Jenga.

Bad film tie-ins are nothing new, but this seems more of a waste than usual given the subject matter.

EA beats Nintendo at its own game with a keep-fit package that seems substantially more useful than Wii Fit.

Hugely disappointing retro reboot that fails to offer any of the freedom or fun its premise suggests.

Hugely successful update which may lack realism, but is loaded with charm and surprising depth.

The best straight pinball simulator for some time, with four well designed tables and a fun multiplayer.

The first new Star Trek game in years doesn't boldy go anywhere in this cheap and tacky tie-in.

A host of small improvements helps this action strategy hybrid edge ever closer to classic status.

MegaTen's experiment in action role-playing continues, but it remains a flawed and repetitive ride.

Hopefully the future of Fable won't be any more downloads, as this is another waste of both time and money.

It's a shameless copy of Diablo, but this action role player still has some personality of its own.

If you aren't sick of zombies yet, you will be after this new attempt at a revamped Zombies Ate My Neighbors.

A wasted and over-egged sequel to what was an innovative mix of rhythm action and real-time strategy.

A strange choice of PSone update, but an enjoyable platformer only let down by its lack of challenge.

PopCap Games' best yet and the best ever Tower Defence - whether you think that's faint praise or not.

It has more new content than any other New Play Control! game but this is still inferior to the original.

The sequel to Puzzle Quest is cheap and far from cheerful, but it's still a mostly effective mix of genres.

For a film tie-in it's not bad, but this is not the ultimate Wolverine sim it could've been.

A World War II-themed Splinter Cell, but with too many technical and design flaws to satisfy.

Another classy retro conversion but Rare's platforming sequel feels older than it looks.

A fairly straightforward arcade conversion, but still a unique mix between fighter and shoot 'em-up.

For a Dynasty Warriors game this is fairly innovative, but only if you have three friends to play with.

The longest-running game you've never heard of gets a typically competent but characterless makeover.

The same old Dynasty Warriors formula is reused and abused yet again, and not even giant robots can save it.

Despite all the effort to seem wacky and surreal this is an oddly un-engaging follow-up to Excite Truck.

The highest carat of Sega's golden oldies returns (again) to prove that the blue skies are still the best.

A clever, if not wholly original, action strategy that's only lacking in single player appeal.

One of the worst movie tie-ins ever, which considering the competition is quite the achievement.