Due to the diversity and individuality presented to the player in the game, it's not possible to adequately explain just how involving and rewarding the experience of Oblivion is, or put over the immense scope of the living, breathing world on offer. Bethesda richly deserves incredible success in producing something so captivating.

Samba de Amigo is a seminal title amongst the Dreamcast’s mighty games catalogue, a game that truly stands out. The best music game there is.

Undoubtedly, this game offers far more playtime than the entire series put together, with constant tweaks and updates ensuring the experience remains at its best, through the constant evolving gameplay...a game which sucks you in and refuses to let go, a game which you'll wake up to every morning with that fresh "must play" feeling. [JPN Import]

From the very beginning of your adventure, to the final confrontation against Metroid Prime itself, you will be enthralled and enraptured.

Mario has not grown older, but younger with time: more slender, more supple, more graceful. It is as if the boundaries of the genre have become transparent, allowing a unique light to shine forth. Super Mario Galaxy will influence gaming perceptions, sure to replenish any lost passion. It will frequently hug your inner child, evoke tears of joy and tug at the heart. It is everything we have always desired, more than we could possibly have dreamed.

Thankfully, longevity hasn't been sacrificed for the sake of beauty: the main quest alone will take the average gamer a minimum of fifteen hours and that's without spending a single moment delving into the fabulous subquests, which will double, even triple that time...A stunning and wondrous game.

It's a gamers' game to be truly savoured - here to show anyone who forgot or missed it the first time, just how ridiculously good it is at what it does.

Whether you are a fan of the previous titles or not, the wonderfully incorporated real-time system combined with the villager’s emotional-pull creates a world that has the potential to alter your sleep patterns and actually intertwine and weave its presence into your daily lives.

One sure-fire classic in the making, one surprisingly entertaining competition section and an average battle game...Go on, treat yourself to a slice of 2D magic and show that once again, some of the best multiplayer experiences don't have to be online. [JPN Import]

Not only does it exhibit and exemplify some of the best 2D level design for almost any action adventure game ever seen, but it also offers a wealth of engrossing replayability for those that wish to explore the gloomy depths of the infamous Zebes.

No two battles are ever the same, something new always seems to crop up each time. It is the essence of fun, dedication and competition that causes players to continue competing and hoping to get better. [JPN Import]

Dead Space should`ve been a run of the mill, copycat title destined for bargain-bin obscurity. As it stands, it`s a glorious introduction to a new game world.

The level of enjoyment derived from the game in single player proves that this is a game best played in co-op, which is where Borderlands shines.

It’s a shining example of how the arcade-racing genre should be done, and it is an essential purchase for all gear heads with an Xbox360. In fact you probably already own it.

This version should be rightly deemed as the definitive racing game of this generation, and one of the best ever made. [JPN Import]

Flawed though it may be, it's one of the most atmospheric first-person games ever made and perhaps the standout title of the generation so far. Dazzling, thought provoking, compelling and engaging, it's an experience which refuses to lessen its hold until you've seen it through to the end, and in doing so, lodges itself in the memory in a way that few other titles can.

The title's incredible atmospheric power is derived from how the presentation is conveyed through gameplay, and how the resulting simplicity helps strip the pacing down to a fine line.

It's unique in today's environment, where it seems that every online game is either a FPS or a racer, and the tactical possibilities on display mean that many repeat plays later and it's still feeling as fresh as the first time you played.

Anyone looking for a lengthy, epic adventure featuring hugely memorable characters, a great script, and superb game mechanics, there's no better place to look than Knights of the Old Republic.

But the moment the opening symphony plays until the concluding credits, all fear and doubt quickly vanishes like the cool whispering of an autumn's breeze. Though not flawless, Nintendo have once again demonstrated masterful craftsmanship, challenging design and imaginative artistry.

In an age where Nintendo feel it is fair to repackage individual SNES games and sell them as full price releases on the GBA, this anthology is undoubtedly fantastic value for money and is one of the most convincing arguments for owning a PSP yet seen. Utterly essential.

God of War and its sequel were two of the best games on the PS2. They exist now as an example of streamlined, entertaining and challenging games.

Football Manager isn’t a matter of life or death. It’s much more important than that.

It is quite possible to complete the game without understanding classes, geo blocks, assembly ranks and item world, but in doing so you will miss out on the very thing that makes the game hugely intoxicating.

The ingenuity of design, the sheer level of fun, the warmth of nostalgia and the relief that 2D gaming is still alive and kicking, all combine to make NSMB an unmissable experience and show Nintendo are still masters of the platform game.

There can be no more complaints from gamers looking for a unique experience when gems such as this are out there to be sampled. Miss it at your peril.

Jungle Beat was never going to be a bad game but the innovative control scheme and the deep combo-mechanic have elevated it to a genuinely excellent one.

Tales of Vesperia surpasses every Tales game that preceded it, by building on their strengths and adding a series of new features.

Combine this with the game’s superb presentation and you’ve got an excellent, albeit somewhat brief, puzzle title that really will appeal to players of all levels, whilst simultaneously bringing some refreshingly new ideas to the table.

Left 4 Dead is a game which keeps things simple, but this to its benefit. It mixes all the right ingredients of tension, gore and rewards to make it thoroughly enjoyable.

Fast paced and full of relentless action, Uncharted: Drake`s Fortune is a pleasure to play from start to finish.

Brawl has the most characters, is the best balanced, delivers the most and generally trumps both the other games so far.

The game's pacing as the pendulum swings from action to intrigue and tension is a masterstroke with so many memorable sections in such a short space of time that the player will be left breathless and, just like the end of Half-Life 2, wanting more.

Tekken: Dark Resurrection is quite easily the best fighting game available on the PSP and probably all other handhelds as well. It is also arguably the high point of the series thus far.

Ikaruga is not an easy game. Even on Easy difficulty mode it is quite challenging, and the higher modes just ramp things up another notch.

The game plays brilliantly, the controller is sturdy and durable, the songs are facemeltingly great.

Appropriately billed by some as a third-person tactical action/horror shooter it is frighteningly good. Although what's really scary is to think what things will look like with a few more years' development time and the know-how to push the hardware even further.

Demon's Souls asks much of you. For some it may ask too much, but, if you are prepared to rise to the challenges it presents you will be rewarded with one of the most satisfying gaming experiences of this generation.

The game is truly epic and makes the first game feel like a prototype for the sequel. It is a deep and wonderfully involving game that is often breathtaking and constantly rewarding.

This is totally freeform: ride around with a pack, do your own thing whilst occasionally bumping into other people and saying hi, or just stand around watching; it’s all good. This is what the core and vision of Skate is about – freedom and choice.

It's easy to get swept up amongst the hype, but it's hard to deny this is arguably the survival horror genre's most significant landmark title since the original Resident Evil itself.

Whilst none of the levels quite match up to the stunning quality that was Phendrana Drifts, it is, as a sum of its parts, wonderfully evocative as a playing experience and induces the same level, if not more, of internal satisfaction that Prime achieved.

MKDS is a classic reminder that Nintendo created the character-based racer and is still leagues ahead of competitors when making them.

The interior textures could have done with more variety. They get awfully repetitive quickly, and one ends up looking much like the next. Some of the levels use the same layout as well, and you'll get tired of running through one area, only to enter another that looks just like.

Quite simply, Call of Duty 4 is a stunning game and quite difficult to fault. It looks, sounds and plays brilliantly and offers an unrivaled online experience.

There isn’t much else to say about this stupendous game. It is among the very best games to have graced the console, indeed it is among the best of this or any other generation.

Only slightly harmed by a few too many big-name acts and micro-glitches, Amplitude is nonetheless a supreme masterpiece; barring its predecessor no music-centred game will ever come close. No, not even "Rez."

Balanced, tuned and counter-weighted to within a pixel’s distance of perfection, Treasure have masterminded a game both technically adept and visually astonishing. Revel in this pean to the art of destruction. [JPN Import]

Resident Evil 4 on the Wii has taken everything that was great about the Gamecube and PS2 versions and tweaked it just enough to enthrall even vetran players all over again.

Decent physics, clever AI, online racing: this is everything GT4 should have been and wasn't, and it's allowed Forza to take the GT trophy away from Polyphony, at least for the time being. Buy it.

It’s not for everyone, but those that want to try a game that mixes a bit of twitch with some brain-strain must step up and give Meteos the chance it deserves. [JPN Import]

It’s the perfect zone game, with matches ebbing and flowing as you or your opponent get ‘in the zone’, and the more you play the better you will become. Rockstar Games presents Table Tennisis a perfect example of how a sport should be digitally replicated.

Infinity Ward has made the wise choice of not padding the game out to satisfy angry internet comment posters but has instead provided a completely satisfying experience that sits beside the vast multiplayer components perfectly.

It has nigh-on perfect aiming, hilarious and fun levels, longevity through skill progression and variety not normally seen in an arcade game.

This is proof that a good idea, well-executed, can stand the test of time.

Simply beguiling, a must-experience game, which will firmly cement itself in the mind of the player long after the system has been switched off.

All of this, along with an amusing and twist-laden story, delivered through beautifully choreographed FMVs and equally well-conceived in-game cutscenes, comes together in one of the most visually impressive games with some of the finest gaming moments that gamers are likely to experience during this generation of consoles.

It offers the more dedicated players, who want to explore the depths of its combat system, almost endless scope and gameplay. [JPN Import]

Put simply this is one of the best games of 2009 and arguably the best game yet released on XBLA.

A masterpiece in terms of design and playability. It is enjoyable for the novice, yet deeply rewarding for those who are willing to take the time it takes to learn its intricacies. [JPN Import]

The towering giants aren’t the meat of the experience – it’s the beguiling landscape which proves itself to be the biggest colossi of them all. Sprawling, mystical and dream-like, it can never quite be laid to rest or overcome.

Whilst Nexus is most certainly an Armored Core game, and very good with it, a lot has changed on how the game fundamentally plays. Is it the best in the series? Well, it comes stunningly close. [JPN Import]

A game whose essence is defined by the two player mode is now made essential by the perennially available multiplayer options. Join the revolution - this is what online gaming was made for.

Things never slack off either due to the brilliant storyline and characters, whilst the tricky combat and devious puzzles keep attention fixated.

Umbrella Chronicles achieves greatness by being more than the sum of its parts. It takes the established Resident Evil genre, throws a dormant light-gun element into the mix, stirs it all together and still comes up with something that will amaze and thrill fans of both. This is an essential purchase for anyone who is a fan of Resident Evil, light-gun games or just action games in general. For devotees of all three, this is nothing short of gaming nirvana.

Those who’ve never experienced the story and fun on offer should take a look and owners of the original game still owe it to themselves to buy this game.

Buy this game if you want a challenging title that will eat up long journeys or quiet evenings in darkened room; it’s a great take on the franchise and it’s made for us, for the fans.

What makes it so effective and modern is the variety, quality and consistency in the game world. It truly is in the hands of the gamer which moves to use in any given situation, making Joe such an unusual and unique proposition. [JPN Import]

It’s a stylish and remarkably addictive title that blends gameplay with relaxing tunes, and fits perfectly on its home platform. Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s latest game appeals to everybody who samples its future-retro vibe. Luminescent. Luminous. Lumines. [JPN Import]

It joins the ranks of "Winning Eleven" as a title that can be truly decreed master of all it surveys. With the significantly improved gameplay over its peers and additional online elements, it must be considered as an essential purchase.

Mario instils a sense of longing for when the world was new to all of us. Our childhood bright and full of wonder. When we play in Mario's digital playground, we dream about our own.

It's fun, gloriously slick and executed at the standards we've come to expect. DK94 players should consider this essential; to everyone else it comes highly recommended.

Everything that fans of the original have been craving and much more besides as it surpasses "DMC1" in pretty much every conceivable way. [JPN Import]

Burnout 3 has turned an obsession with high-speed destruction into a masterpiece. No idle sequel, no mere upgrade, Takedown is nothing short of a declaration of war – a nosebleed racer that's faster, angrier and more explosive than practically any video game you've ever seen.

The pinnacle of both stealth and Tom Clancy games, and is light years ahead of its peers. The changes to the gameplay structure accompanied with the very open-ended levels make for a simply brilliant single-player game.

The sheer thrill of being able to play better-than-arcade versions of the Rave Racer tracks (probably some of the best in the series) in the palm of your hand is almost worth the price of admission alone... The best Ridge Racer game to date? Without a doubt. [JPN Import]

It is in the depiction of conflict as a state of being where Kojima wins-out, though, with his character's movements on-screen depicting the strain, horror and (sometimes) glory of war.

Underneath the hood is a well-honed, constantly surprising beast and one that isn’t purely for FPS fans, thanks to a generous degree of auto-aim that places much of the emphasis on tactics and intelligent usage of the tools at your disposal.

Between its towering mountains and vast waters there are surprises, in-jokes and events in San Andreas to fill at least a hundred hours. Should "GTA4" be any more involving, there’ll be no one left to see how GTA5 turns out. Half of us will no longer have the jobs to afford it; the other half will be motoring back and forth in the neighbours’ stolen car, endlessly prowling for prostitutes.

An utterly outstanding game. It is also one of the few games in existence where friends gleefully swipe said Nintendo DS hardware in order to play it, resulting in various skirmishes and the subsequent prising of gaming hardware from contorted, cold, dead hands. [JPN Import]

Far Cry 2 is a game that thrives on the moments and experiences caused by its mechanics working in harmony and by making the player think about where they are and what they are doing. If the player can buy into the world and fiction they will have a thoroughly exciting time surviving through the twisting plot and explosive gun fights.

While it is true that the twenty-one bosses won’t take long to dispose of, everything in the game is of such high quality that it does not matter. It’s easy to spend hours without even bothering about the main objectives, just blowing stuff up and admiring the physics at work.

Striking perhaps for all the wrong reasons. It surprises due to the simplicity and appears original because it bucks the current trend of excess. Yet this originality is indeed false, because it has been so heavily based upon the games of old. [JPN Import]

Very little in GRAW2 is designed to convert those who steadfastly refused to get on with the first, something which Ubisoft makes no apologies for. Instead they have provided for the already-converted with a game that will thrill and engage for its duration.

Just get some bloody exercise and enjoy the lunacy – the brilliance – of Eye Toy Play 2.

Despite the fact some may find the concept of mouse gestures a little irritating at first, and the path-finding somewhat of a pain, those that persevere will be rewarded with some solid interactive entertainment.

Stoked is very slow to get going, but stick with it and you’ll find a true gem.

For anyone who is a fan of entertaining, no-brainer old-school arcade gameplay, this is essential.

What will sell Jade Empire (and something it has in spades) is Oriental charm; from the story to the environment, the fighting to the character interaction, it's all very enjoyable and immersive; which is exactly how an RPG should be.

Prince of Persia turns out to be a worthy justification for once again restarting the franchise. It brings the series back to its essential roots, stripping away the superfluous muck that had gathered during the last few outings and at the same time having enough new appeal, charm and content to make it worth trying.

The animation of the sprites is wonderful. There are minute details on sword and cape movement, something which changes when equipping different things. [JPN Import]

The very definition of sensory overload and outright escapism.

Both puzzler and shooter, Every Extend Extra’s tag line is 'Music in Your Mind' and thanks to its combination of simple but engrossing mechanics, captivating sound and visuals, and deceptively simple old-school charm, it really is an apt description for the feeling that will bring the player back time and again. [JPN Import]

All at once it feels very familiar and yet fresh. Indeed the visual clarity really does help propel the game to new levels of artistry but on the other hand, it feels like a game played many times before. Regardless it never stops being anything less than great fun to play and hugely engaging.

The control method and lazy design of the later levels threaten to dampen the early enjoyment, but Crush must be praised for trying to innovate, and is thus a worthy purchase for any PSP owner in search of their next puzzle fix.

Galaxies is a fresh take on the concept, one where all the new additions are a genuine plus for the play experience and add so much to the overall game.

If Mirror’s Edge had only provided the TTs, it would have been perfect for skill-game addicts. The story mode isn’t quite as polished and critics have tended to focus on this mode’s foibles rather than on praising the real highlight: the TT mode.

There's simply so much game here, and so much replay value to be found in pursuing high scores that - for not much more than a fiver - it'd be rude not to buy it.