Someone finally finds something interesting to do with Pong, with this excellent retro homage.

An inspired approach to co-op and non-player characters turns what could’ve been just another Dark Souls clone into one of the most interesting action adventures of the season.

It’s not aged as well as some of CAVE’s other games, but this is still a fun and imaginative 2D shooter that’s perfect for new players.

The best really has been saved for last – assuming you find Tiny Tina funny – but even if you don’t this fantasy-themed romp is a great way to say goodbye to Borderlands 2.

A step down from the masterful Bowser’s Inside Story, but still a wonderfully imaginative and dryly funny mix of platformer and traditional RPG.

Another cutting edge F1 simulator, with a great single-player story mode and a more accessible range of options and modes than ever before.

A completely pointless remake of one of the best games of the last decade, except with only half the content and at double the price.

A justifiably indulgent celebration of some of indie gaming's greatest triumphs, and one that deserves to be experienced by every Wii owner - and beyond.

A great mix of action, strategy, and endearing silliness – and also a great reminder that there are some games only download services like Xbox Live Arcade can provide.

More than just a standalone expansion, this is another genre-blurring tour de force by Relic.

An excellent reinvention of the Hitman formula that gives existing fans almost everything they want and makes itself highly accessible for newcomers.

State-of-the-art visuals help create one of gaming’s most entertaining open worlds, even if the gameplay doesn’t quite reach the same standards.

It's not quite as fully-featured as its Wii equivalent but this is still an excellent compilation of some of the best indie games of this generation.

A fantastically strange and unique first person adventure that manages to make touchscreen controls seem fresh and interesting again.

One of the best story driven games of recent years, although you do sometimes wonder if it’s focusing on the most interesting aspect of its plot.

A loving homage to Castlevania and another great slice of DLC for Dead Cells, with the two games working together in perfect harmony.

Not much of a sequel but no matter how small the refinement this is still one of the best portable strategy games currently available.

The world’s only cyber ninja simulator is distinctly rough around the edges, but never lets that get in the way of some gory, chaotic fun.

A terrifying vision of future America, that already seems worryingly accurate, and also one of the most open-ended role-playing games of recent years, with a smart line in dark comedy.

A worthy alternative to Braid with its own unique personality and some of the cleverest puzzles around.

A supremely playable action JRPG, which marries gorgeous anime visuals with satisfyingly original real-time combat.

A fantastically strange and unique first person adventure that manages to make touchscreen controls seem fresh and interesting again.

As gaudy and over-the-top as the '80s itself, but not quite as shallow. This masterful reboot of the granddaddy of scrolling beat 'em-ups has real punch.

The price alone will put most people off, but underneath that, and the obnoxious dialogue, is one of the most original first person shooters of the last gen.

The crossover between the two classic puzzlers is a bit of a gimmick, but the huge range of modes for both games makes this the best version of either for years.

A useful upgrade to previous iterations of Virtua Fighter 5 and while it still exhibits the same old flaws, it ably demonstrates why this is still one of the most revered fighting game series in history.

The new content is exactly as good as you'd hope, but the PC version of From Software's classic is also exactly the sort of technical mess you probably feared.

A superbly crafted comeback for one of platform gaming's most overlooked stars, and one of the best-looking 2D games ever made.

A charming addition to the Life Is Strange franchise that has one of the best branching narratives in any video game and one of the most likeable set of characters.

A solid follow-up to the original, which offers a more appealing art style and interface, as well as an even greater variety of macabre murders to puzzle over.

A welcome return for one of the forgotten masters of Metroidvania, and an excellent example of how to remaster a retro classic.

A classic arcade racer that was always ahead of its time and seems both refreshing, and thoroughly modern, even now.

One of the most interesting things to happen to both massively multiplayer online games and shooters in years, and already a hugely enjoyable game in its own right.

Hitman returns to its puzzle-solving roots with an engrossing mix of stealth, violence, and very clever level design.

Not just one of the most versatile 2D game creation tools on consoles but the best collection of new Super Mario courses since the 90s.

An even more impressive mix of horror and personal drama than the first episode, with intelligent writing, crowd-pleasing gore, and… far too many bugs.

Three old school JRPGs that are so perversely old-fashioned they force you to draw your own map - and yet they’re surprisingly captivating and fully deserving of this welcome remaster collection.

Pokemon needs evolution not remakes, but it's still hard to resist the most feature rich version yet.

A successful return flight for the veteran franchise, with highly entertaining aerial action that remains accessible for new fans and old.

Another excellent portable Shin Megami Tensei title and one of the best strategy role-players on any format.

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

It may pay homage to the best of 8-bit gameplay but this is cleverly originally and instantly addictive.

A beautifully made first person puzzle roguelite that demands tenacity and patience (and writing things down) to unravel its fascinating mysteries.

No launch game benefits more from the 3DS's stereoscopic 3D than this almost illicitly addictive return to Ridge City.

A reincarnation of the 2021 Japanese role-player, that addresses every flaw of the original – and even if some issues remain it’s still a very enjoyable alternative to the Persona series.

Sometimes its pixel art graphics and relatively modest frame rate can make it hard to figure out what hit you, but its roguelite cycle of upgrades and unlocks soon exerts a powerful, benign addiction.

A fantastically well designed and presented roguelike, that makes your heroes’ mental health just as important as their physical well-being.

Undertale is a superb indie role-player that proves once again that it’s not graphics that make a game entertaining but gameplay and great ideas.

An inspired mix of graphic adventure and Majora’s Mask style time travel, that offers some of the year’s most inspired puzzle-solving.

Another inspired mix of skateboarding and 2D platforming that manages to combine a surprising level of realism with some wonderfully impossible level design.

An unexpectedly brave attempt to once again rewrite the rules on Pac-Man, resulting in another near-classic arcade experience.

One of the best survival horror games of the year and an impressively disturbing mix of EarthBound and The Thing, that also happens to be one of the best bargains of 2025.

The best Mario Tennis game since the N64 era and a hugely enjoyable multiplayer game with a ton of single-player content, although there’ll still be too many gimmicks for some people.

A sloppy port but this is still the best SoulsBorne clone out there, with plenty of unique ideas of its own and some of the best combat of the generation.

An impressively successful follow-up to Vampire Survivors, that features entirely different gameplay but a similarly deceptive sense of depth and nuance to its charmingly low-tech action.

A unique blend of visuals, music, gameplay, and heady story themes combine in one of the most artistically daring video games of recent years.

The Mass Effect trilogy’s classic status is well deserved and while these remasters can’t iron out every problem, this is still a hugely entertaining and forward-thinking trio of action role-players.

It’s almost entirely backwards-looking, and the characterisation is disappointingly dry, but for fans of Baldur’s Gate and its era this will have you partying like it’s 1998.

A meticulous and polished remaster of the classic sci-fi survival horror, which retains the original’s atmosphere and complexity while adding new mod cons, most of which enhance the experience.

Another enjoyable addition to the Fallblox family of puzzle games, with a fun new gimmick and a generally fair and above board use of DLC.

A charmingly offbeat exploration and object finding game which is at least as much about its characters and their stories as it is the mechanics of your search.

One of Cave's finest moments loses surprisingly little in its move to the iPhone, with excellent controls and plenty of extras.

An excellent compilation of seven games from the heyday of Bomberman, but it’s a shame it doesn’t have more online options, to make joining in the multiplayer fun easier.

A textbook example of worthwhile downloadable content, with action that's just as good as the main game but different enough that it feels like a unique experience.

The sheer age of the games are beginning to count against them but Ace Attorney still remains exhibit A in how to make story-based games fun and engaging.

A solid second episode that meanders a little at first but has some of the most complex and thought-provoking moral decisions in any video game to date.

A very welcome return for Sony’s classic future racer, and while it doesn’t represent anything new it does show the WipEout series at its very best.

Taking the dwarves and mining from deep rock galactic, and the auto-aim swarm control of Vampire Survivors, this is a glorious mobile mash-up that proves at least as addictive as its twin inspirations.

Entirely wordless, and with no instructions whatsoever, you’re left to figure everything out for yourself, and along with the near-monochromatic colour palette, it’s a process that underscores the pervasive sense of loneliness.

Being Boney represents a more linear, but more accessible, experience for would-be European dictators.

A Pokémon fighting game may not seem like the most obvious spin-off idea, but the end result is a surprisingly fun and inventive multiplayer game.

More than just a successful reboot of a forgotten franchise, this is one of the most unique and entertaining new fighting games of recent years.

Another perfectly crafted adventure that puts to shame most other retail games at five times its price.

After many uninspired titles, Assassin’s Creed Origins is bigger, prettier and, quite frankly, more fun than any other game in the series so far. It helps, of course, that Cleopatra’s Egypt is a fascinating place that begs to be discovered. Who wouldn’t want to climb the pyramids?

Exactly what the 3DS needed to reenergise its fortunes and restate its purpose, and even if it's not as good as Galaxy it's still the best portable Mario since the Game Boy.

An audio-only RPG adventure which feels like a new benchmark for the genre, through challenging combat and excellent sound design.

The classic 1995 role-player is finally released in Europe and it's almost sad how fresh it still feels.

A great 2D shooter in its own right, but the customisability and four-player options make it one that even non-fans can enjoy.

Samorost 2 is still subject to its genre’s dated trial and error gameplay, but it’s so refined and beautifully presented it’s a pleasure to explore from start to finish.

New modes such as NBA's Greatest are a welcome inclusion and add longevity to the game. Basketball fans will also be excited by the improvements to Franchise mode, and the overall first class presentation.

The best Contra game for decades, even if it’s not an official sequel, with amusingly over-the-top action and a great co-op mode.

A classic indie game that remains as cleverly unique today as it did 16 years ago, even if none of its original flaws have been ironed out in the meantime.

Konami's reinvention of the footy sim still impresses a year later, even if this is largely the same game.

It doesn't even try to reinvent the Counter-Strike formula, but this is easily the best version for consoles and a refreshing retro alternative to the modern military shooter.

It’s a shame it isn’t a full remake, but The Dark Descent remains one of the most frightening and atmospheric video games ever made.

An inventive and fun rhythm action game that keeps the genre alive through the unlikely medium of breakdancing.

Probably the best-looking 2D shooter ever made and an excellent genre introduction for the uninitiated. Not to mention a great advertisement for East/West collaborations.

A gloriously surreal third person puzzle game, set in a hotel where everything from its rooms to its artwork is part of a multi-layered mystery of time travel, mazes, and the occult.

An improvement on last year’s already firm foundations, WWE 2K23 continues the franchise’s rebirth with steady improvements, beefed up game modes, and an epic recreation of WarGames.

One of the best scrolling beat ‘em-ups ever made, with fantastic retro graphics, four-player co-op, and as much variety and combat depth as the genre will allow.

Like Simogo’s classic of interactive fiction, Device 6, this cheerfully plays with the format, exploiting both touchscreen and motion sensing for puzzles that require logical deduction, are never unreasonably abstruse and, above all, make you feel smart for solving them.

One of the most unique racers of the last decade finally appears on the PlayStation and Xbox, and becomes arguably the best arcade racer on either system.

A clever of mix of new and old that blends together several different platforming greats but still maintains a distinctive identity of its own.

An entertaining and well-designed mobile port.

A successful conclusion to one of the most underrated storytelling franchises in gaming, even if some of the presentational changes are too ambitious for their own good.

If there is a complaint, it’s that the aiming mechanic, where you drag your finger in the direction you want to shoot and then release to fire, is prone to inaccuracy, but honestly it’s just nice to have new levels to play through.

It may not have the depth of Street Fighter IV, but this is just as accessible and fun as its big brother.

Indie gaming at its retro-loving best, with some of the most cunningly-designed and purposefully infuriating 2D gameplay of the year.