An extremely successful attempt to reproduce Dota style action strategy on consoles, with a game that's considerably more accessible than its inspirations.

Still a fantastically well-designed action adventure, but this is easily the worst version of the best superhero game ever made.

More accessible and better value than the PC original, and with the same beautiful 2D visuals – Trine 2 sets the Wii U's eShop off to an excellent start.

Grand Theft Auto and a touchscreen device continues to be the worst team-up since Cannon and Ball, but if you've only come for the nostalgia some of the magic is still there.

The most disappointing Mass Effect 3 download so far, which once again emphasizes overfamiliar action instead of meaningful storytelling.

By far the best Skyrim expansion so far, and although the dragon-riding is disappointing, having a whole new world (or at least island) to explore is almost as good.

A horrible disappointment that not only fails to capture the magic of its predecessors but seems oblivious to what made them popular in the first place.

A flawed mix of shooter and Tower Defense, but a far great failure as an anniversary celebration – since it seems certain to decrease the chances of there ever being another.

The story mode has some technical issues but overall this is an impressive effort for a launch game, with the GamePad adding some genuine value to the experience.

Not only is this is very clearly FIFA 12, not 13, but it's not even a very good version of last year's game – with missing features, pointless additions, and flawed visuals.

The best version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 so far, although by such a small margin it still doesn't excuse the game's conservative attitude to the fighting game genre.

Not the best version of Mass Effect 3, but also not the worst – indeed it's only the lack of the other games and their DLC that makes this difficult to recommend.

It looks and sounds the part, and it's definitely a better game than The Power Of 2, but this disappointing 2D platformer isn't half the game Castle Of Illusion was.

The Wii U adds nothing to the experience, but neither does it take away from what is one of the year's most feature-packed and enthralling epics.

Certainly not the worst HD collection so far but considering only one of the games was ever any good it's unlikely to be enough to garner many new fans.

A return to the very worst standards of video game tie-ins, with terrible gameplay and an equally incompetent attempt to mimic the show's humour.

An excellent follow-up to 999, with a thought-provoking plot, compelling characters, and some of the hardest choices this side of The Walking Dead.

Despite a highly emotional finale this is arguably the worst episode of the season, although the overall storytelling remains some of the strongest in gaming.

Another meaty chunk of downloadable content for Borderlands 2, with a great mix of play styles and some wonderfully OTT quests and characters.

A clever demonstration of all the Wii U's features and, more importantly, a mini-game collection that can keep any gamer – from casual to hardcore – equally entertained.

Not quite a killer app but certainly the best New Super Mario Bros. game so far, and an occasionally inspired 2D platformer in its own right.

Easily the best Far Cry game so far, with a near perfect mix of open world exploration, action, impressively ambitious storytelling, and one of gaming's best villains.

Another top notch Lego game and one that surpasses other Tolkien tie-ins, and most other movie adaptations, in terms of both fun and, unbelievably, authenticity.

It's a competent clone then, certainly better than others that have been attempted over the years, but nothing more than that. Clearly the PlayStation deserves a vastly more significant game to honour its influence on gaming. Copying Nintendo's own celebration seems not only wrong-headed but borderline offensive. In this case fans definitely deserve better.

A 3D platformer so bad it brings to mind Bubsy 3D rather than Super Mario 64, in what is a considerable step down from the already mediocre original.

In many ways Absolution is as effective a franchise reboot as we've ever seen, retaining almost everything that was good about the originals and while making the game more accessible for new players. It also has most of the same problems, or at least swaps them out for new ones, but maybe that at least will convince sceptics that IO hasn't sold out.

A superior Mario Kart clone and certainly the best Sega has ever produced, especially in terms of the teary-eyed nostalgia inspired by its endless retro cameos.

Whether you classify it as a game or not there's some very clever technology at work here, but it's hampered by boring mini-games and a meandering story.