A lot of depth lies behind a deceptively simple exterior. Fun to play around with but also possible to make great art.

A summer game through and through; entertaining and enjoyable but it's longevity and difficulty could be improved.

A very solid, fast-paced action romp with islands of greatness in a sea of repetitive combat. Still, there are surprisingly few better Castlevania alternatives on Wii to this day.

Fun and enjoyable with some catchy songs, it's just a shame some of the window dressing let's it down.

Pit's triumphant return doesn't just represent another classic that Nintendo should be proud of it also raises the bar to truly heavenly heights. If this monumental title represents what the 3DS is capable of then owners should consider themselves blessed

An homage to the old coated in a shine that stands it proud alongside the new. We'd welcome a sequel to tighten up the odd area, but if this ends up being Sakaguchi's last story, he can ride into the sunset in considerable glory.

One of the best Resident Evil games in recent years, Capcom have outdone themselves setting a new benchmark for the series which all future releases should follow; Revelations is a Resi revolution and one that you should be part of.

A fun, yet average puzzler. Only those with persistence to test the grey matter need apply.

An obscure yet engrossing multiplayer game that makes a nice change from Mario Party and Monopoly. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but for the strategic Mario fan, this makes for quite a fun evening.

With new driving mechanics to create a fresh feeling, refinements based on all previous games and a solid online system, this is the best entry in the Mario Kart series so far.

The expanded cast and the tactical battles more than make up for the few visual mishaps. Tales of The Abyss is a joy to play.

If you're a fan of Wii shooters, this game is a must. The one issue is with the online multiplayer – when it all flows well it's very good, but when it doesn't it can be very frustrating!

In the case of where everything is already done right, the lack of change isn't that bad. With a great new story, this is Layton's finest adventure yet.

This would make a poor choice for a 99p iPhone game. They're asking £4.50 for it. No satisfaction and no fun to be had from this game.

An exhilarating journey in every sense. Skyloft is an area you'll want to explore and Skyward Sword is well worth the wait. Prepare to be amazed.

A brilliant entry into the much loved series, it's just a shame it has to end so soon.

The same game as last year, but that's not entirely a bad thing.

Captain America: Super Soldier is a fun yet forgettable adventure. Only buy if you're a Marvel nut.

A smart game undermined by price and the lack of care in the porting process. [Nov 2011, p.77]

Enjoyable for what it is, but for the money we should be getting more. [Nov 2011, p.76]

The break from the single player Zelda norm that we never knew we wanted.

We're surprised by how well the Alien 'feel' translates on DS, but not by how refined the gameplay is, as Infestation proves that WayForward are unparalleled when it comes to 2D experiences.

A truly triumphant title that RedLynx should be proud of. This is an unforgettable experience which you'll continue to revel in long after you've finished this Finnish masterpiece.

It's a short game, but it's built to be played many times and still be hugely enjoyable every single playthough.

A great football game, a great RPG and a wonderful mix. If you like football or RPGs its for you. If you like both, and maybe even anime, then it is a must buy.

Monolith provides the biggest and most ambitious game on Wii by a long-shot. Xenoblade Chronicles reignites the JRPG and adventure genres in one classy swoop; that this grandiose spectacle is under the banner of Nintendo is the cherry on top.

It's a shame that the plot of the game is wasted on such dull gameplay. If it was a full-blown point & click or puzzle game it could have been something special.

An entertaining entry in the Resident Evil series, The Mercenaries 3D manages to maintain its addictive quality while gaining portability, allowing you to better your score on your way out the door and beyond.

Fun and enjoyable and a good game to pick up and play if you like puzzles. Plenty to keep you busy and challenged.

If you are looking for something cheap, cheerful but downright fun, this is definitely worth a look-in.

RPG fans - pry your eyes away from Xenoblade; Solatorobo may be the biggest surprise of the summer.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Not much more really needs to be said. The title is almost eponymous with quality and should be in every gamer's collection.

As it stands FAST Racing League is an excellent addition to the anti-gravity racing sub-genre and one that can stand proud as a true rival to F-Zero while retaining enough elements of its own that make it an excellent alternative well worthy of purchase.

The Secret Tree of Life offers up an engaging story with numerous enjoyable puzzles. DS owners looking for an adult adventure mystery could do a lot worse.

A simple gameplay premise pulled off very well. It won't last long but it's certainly fun and challenging while it lasts.

Guilty Gear XX Accent Core + foregoes a lot of fluff and gives you a high-dose injection of lightning fast fighting, sweet combos and heavy metal, but there's not a lot of new content for those who own the previous version. Still, it's a quality fighter.

A strong 3DS title making full use of the consoles features that has been overlooked. This will keep you busy for hours and those looking for a good 3DS game should look no further and give Samurai Warriors: Chronicles a look.

A fun mix of sports in an enjoyable package. Great for multiplayer sessions but could get boring by yourself.

An engaging storyline, memorable characters and wonderful animation make this game a true treat.

PES 2011 offers slick gameplay and striking 3D yet is let down by having no online mode and some sloppy, minor omissions. Still, for football fans, PES 3D offers a lot of mileage until the expected 2012 edition.

If you are looking for a new wrestling game you'd be better off looking for SD vs Raw 2011 or wait for the inevitable SD vs Raw 2012 at the end of the year.

Ridge Racer 3D borrows from the best entries in the series and adds some decent visual depth, a perfectly reasonable racing game... while it lasts.

While nowhere near perfect Rayman 3D is the best portable version of the game to date that's worth picking up if you've never played Rayman 2 before.

One of the best generations of Pokemon titles to date, Black & White take almost all of the best elements from the series and then carefully craft it into something truly wonderful; recreating that same sense of adventure from the very first titles.

One of the best generations of Pokemon titles to date, Black & White take almost all of the best elements from the series and then carefully craft it into something truly wonderful; recreating that same sense of adventure from the very first titles.

While the groundwork for a great Super Monkey Ball is there, the level design fails to realise this potential.

For Tangram nuts, you were already sold. For the other 99% of us, 505 Tangram is indicative of a much wider problem with low-value software dominating Nintendo's downloadable platforms.

If you liked Nintendogs you'll love this. Its adorable but could become forgotten about after some time.

If you liked Nintendogs you'll love this. Its adorable but could become forgotten about after some time.

If you liked Nintendogs you'll love this. Its adorable but could become forgotten about after some time.

Pure classic Street Fighter with some brilliant modern day additions.

A beautiful game with a variety of things to do but unfortunately doesn't last as long as you'd like.

Never before has a game been so uniquely captivating, charming and simultaneously fun for its absolute entirety; truly an epic experience which every self-respecting gamer should own.

Frenzic is a solid puzzle game that promises a lot from its premise but fails to deliver due to lack of additional content, there is definite potential here for a more fully featured sequel.

Too many sports spoil the broth.

A clone of recent LEGO games with nothing that made them good.

Worms is slowly getting stale and Battle Island is doing nothing to prevent that.

A more-than-worthy sequel in this inherently awesome franchise. Once you start playing, you won't put it down. That's a guarantee.

If you're looking for a light-gun game that's quite simply fun to play and requires no practice then I'd highly recommend this as it's an excellent experience that's well worth owning.

A very convincing Vampire themed hidden object game that once again does the genre proud providing an entertaining experience that's enjoyable throughout.

A decent detective title that will often challenge, delight and entertain you throughout a reasonably sizeable adventure. Another solid example within its genre that ticks all of the boxes and provides an enjoyable experience for the player.

While it seems that effort has gone into making this easy and enjoyable for kids, the price is too high for this kind of game.

A lot of effort has gone into designing the game, it's just a shame about the poor execution.

Sonic Colours offers some good times and the Wisps are an interesting alternative to simply running, but it's over in a second and feels like there's a lot that could've been expanded on.

A decent puzzler that has a lot to offer, it's still one of the better 'match 3' games out there, just not one of the best; it's most certainly playable and enjoyable though and you could do a lot worse than this fun single player title.

A love-letter to any gamer who plays for the sheer fun of it. Cave Story is not only the likely WiiWare game of the year, it's also a very serious contender for game of the year.

It's easy to start and has a surprising amount of depth.

A perfect continuation of the Golden Sun series which will appeal to all, even if seasoned players will find it a little too easy.

Another fun way to catch 'em all. With some gameplay changes this is a fine way to spend your time before Black and White are released.

It's not the N64 version but it more than holds up on its own.

The king of the jungle returns blowing away those cobwebs in spectacular fashion.

Sega proves that they still have what it takes to make a Sonic title that feels fun, fresh and quite frankly fantastic, here's hoping that they can replicate this success in the future.

This game is not only a must for previous fans of Call of Duty on the Wii, but for any serious gamer who wants to see exactly what the Wii can do if a developer really pushes the hardware.

Wii Party threatens to become the life and soul of the party if played in the right circumstances. But without four players, and a stern awareness that the Game Board, House Party and Balance Boat modes are where the fun lies, Wii Party

A decent game, but not as good as what you'd expect under the Metroid name.

A short, but fun, and visually outdated, but still enjoyable, combination for a reasonable price.

A title that will both challenge your brain and your gaming skills while making you appreciate gravity a bit more.

3D Mahjong does what it was made for perfectly well, even if its appeal will be lost on anyone not into the pastime.

There is certainly fun to be had in this RTS but only if you can overlook some pretty obvious flaws in several areas.

GameOn's first DSiWare title is an admirably comprehensive card package that does the job, but will find difficulty selling to more casual cards player.

An epic return for the series that once launched on a Nintendo console, we welcome Dragon Quest back with open arms and embrace it for the being the brilliant title that it is.

A reminder of the 1990's fighting scene. Unfortunately Tournament of Legends is more chump than champ.

As a game its suited for children but it will please adult fans of the franchise as long as they don't anticipate too much.

If you feel like kicking back with a literary classic, and a wide selection to choose from then pick this up pronto. If you chose to buy all these books separately, it would cost much more than the bargain price this game is going for in comparison.

An amusing game that can be a hoot in multiplayer if everyone can get to grips with the somewhat fiddly controls.

Galaxy 2 is a genre defining piece of software and one that is, as the title suggests: out of this world.

If you are willing to commit to it, make no mistake, Monster Hunter Tri is one of the best games on the shelves and it’s something you do not want to miss.

Even with its flaws it's a very polished game with great controls, samurais, ninjas, cowboys and robots, what more could you want?

Infinite Space is a fresh RPG not afraid to try new things, that will overwhelm players like a supermassive black hole...

If you’re going to put your heart and soul into just one Pokémon game, put it into this.

If you’re going to put your heart and soul into just one Pokémon game, put it into this.

The original Sonic games have aged brilliantly. Unfortunately this collection has been made with little-to-no effort resulting in framerate issues that bring them down.

Fun, quirky and refreshing. It may not take long to complete but is a Wonderful journey.

It’s whack-a-mole with a Wii Remote. You won’t find it all that taxing to fill in the gaps yourself.

It simple nature makes it perfect for a quick play every now and then.

Get your race on with the All Stars, a good beginning held back in the starting blocks by a few faulty ideas.

While not the Mario Kart beater many may have hoped for, Sega All-Stars Racing is still a stunningly good racer that's both well designed and fun to play; definitely worth buying.

One of Wii’s deepest, most surprisingly enjoyable games.