An expertly crafted clone that finally shows consoles owners what Diablo is all about. As long as you don't mind playing alone anyway.

The frustrating thing is we have a feeling Dragon Age II is going to be criticised most for its gameplay changes than its storytelling failings. You might not like the new direction but it works as BioWare intended. But the story you carve with your new combat skills doesn't always seem worthy of such risky innovation.

A monument to not only everything that is wrong with escort missions but with bad action game design in general.

An excellent update of the classic old beat 'em-up that maintains the iconic two-player mode and adds some welcome new enhancements.

An allegory of the video games industry featuring consoles as characters should've been comedy gold, but if this were a games machine it'd be the Atari Jaguar.

uDraw Studio comes off second best, not so much because it has less options but because, unlike Art Academy, it doesn't make as much of an effort to explain either itself or any of the art techniques that might be useful.

A slightly disappointing sequel that abandons much of the mellow charm of the original in favour of more action and a lot more aggravation.

An ambitious slice of interactive fiction but not really a very good video game, with unsatisfying and often perfunctory puzzles.

A great remake of an overlooked classic, and one of the few games that can survive close comparison with The Legend Of Zelda and retain a style all of its own.

A satisfying ending to one of WiiWare's few success stories and an inspired mix of retro and modern presentation and gameplay.

Still the best boxing sim around but the justification for this new sequel is pretty thin, despite a number of minor improvements.

The best portable real-time strategy game ever made - even if most of the credit belongs to Blizzard not Gameloft.

It's not a real overhaul for the series, but it is the best version so far - and so by extension one of the best portable video games ever made.

It's not a real overhaul for the series, but it is the best version so far - and so by extension one of the best portable video games ever made.

The laidback atmosphere and gentle flower tending hide a game that is far too predictable and frustrating to offer any lasting entertainment.

In summary we don't think we've ever seen so many good ideas in such a bad game. The spell and crafting system really is amongst the best the genre can offer, but everything else is amongst the very worst.

Watching paint dry really can be entertaining, in this relentlessly cheerful mix of platformer and interactive colouring book.

It's not going to change the world, but at least it manages to change first person shooters back into something more irreverent and fun.

The overwrought storytelling is not the sort of taste many will want to acquire, but that doesn't stop this being one of the best tactical role-players ever.

A few steps forward and a few steps back leave this technically accomplished shooter exactly where it was: still searching for a heart and identity of its own.

Street Fighter with bullets or a one-on-one 2D shooter, whichever way you look at it this hombrew download is an intriguing oddity.

Contra gets a gorgeous new coat of paint, and even an innovative new game mode, but it's still the same old 2D shooter underneath.

More interesting than most official Dynasty Warriors spin-offs, but still deeply repetitive and suffering from both a lack of originality and budget.

WayForward's best work yet and more than just a love letter to 2D art and gameplay, but a hint of how it can continue in the future.

It may not be the deepest of fighters but it is one of the most entertaining and imaginative, not to mention bug-eyed crazy.

Double Fine's best game since Psychonauts is unique in both setting and gameplay, with an enchanting mix of absurdist logic and striking presentation.

Its explosive thunder has already been stolen (twice) leaving this unfortunately-timed platformer to arrive late for its own party.

It doesn't get everything right, and its low budget is obvious at times, but this is still one of the most unique and ambitious racers of the generation.