With so many vehicle parts, places to go and people to see, Nuts & Bolts is going to be a game you keep going back to. Just getting to the end will require hours of commitment, but, it’s not like you need an excuse, right? Apart from a confusing premise (the story is a little bit weak) and the small text, this game is a massive success.

The music is annoyingly repetitive, but the sound effects are pretty well put together.

If you’re a young casual gamer whom is interested in Guinness World Records then this one is for you, if you’re not, then don’t worry, you’re not missing much.

Call of Duty: World at War feels at times like a little brother holding the hand of the more confident Modern Warfare, but keep in mind that it definitely shares the same genes.

Call of Duty: World at War feels at times like a little brother holding the hand of the more confident Modern Warfare, but keep in mind that it definitely shares the same genes.

It’s an understatement to say Gears of War 2 is the epitome of action. This game defines the genre.

Not recommended for anyone with hands big enough to hold the buzzers. But for your very young children, it could well be a goer if you're looking for another use for your Buzz! buzzers.

Overall, EndWar got right the part I thought would go horribly wrong – the voice system – yet didn’t manage to get the more traditional RTS stuff up to the same level. As a result, this game is fun for a little while, but might not hold your attention for too long.

Valkyria Chronicles is an excellent game and it gets better the more attention you pay and the deeper you go.

This is a game with a number of mediocre elements, being released in a season already crowded with other shooters. However, the main thing it does well – capture the spirit and fun of the Bond movies – is enough to draw in a number of people.

This is a game with a number of mediocre elements, being released in a season already crowded with other shooters. However, the main thing it does well – capture the spirit and fun of the Bond movies – is enough to draw in a number of people.

This is a game with a number of mediocre elements, being released in a season already crowded with other shooters. However, the main thing it does well – capture the spirit and fun of the Bond movies – is enough to draw in a number of people.

Resistance 2 is gutsier, it’s gorier, and it’s much, much bigger.

Hardcore fans will appreciate the lineup. There were one or two tracks I missed, and a number more that I didn't know at all, but largely it's a decent greatest hits-type collection.

Hardcore fans will appreciate the lineup. There were one or two tracks I missed, and a number more that I didn't know at all, but largely it's a decent greatest hits-type collection.

As far as strategy games go Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 is the current cream of the crop. The three separate campaigns provide over 15 hours worth of game play not counting the endless skirmishes and multiplayer matches available.

The options presented to you in Fallout 3 are so numerous and complex that you are likely to want to replay the game just to experience them.

Overall, SingStar Vol.2 is a step in the right direction, if only because it’s slightly better than your average sequel on the PS2.

Motorstorm 2 gives us the one feature that the original failed to deliver. The game is fun. No more repeated crashes into the side of a cliff because all of the terrain looks identical and you have no idea which way is forward anymore. No more frustratingly difficult AI that is always directly behind you no matter how well you’ve been driving.

There is a very appealing quality to this game, that I’m pleased to say far surpasses the DS offering.

LittleBigPlanet is just one of those instances where a brilliant idea - a product of the times - combines with smart, polished game design to create something that should be a marker for things to come.

Simply a lot of fun. It has the benefit of being familiar to those who have played previous Guitar Hero titles, and builds in the drum and microphone instruments pretty well.

So are you a diehard nut who can’t get enough Portal action? Then you’ll probably already own this one. And if you’re new to the whole thing, Still Alive is easy to recommend. But everyone else in between, you may be better off saving your pennies for the inevitable Portal 2.

Taken as a whole, as an experience rather than a series of discrete mechanics, this is a game that – if you let it – will draw you into its world…and then let you run loose in it. It feels refreshing enough to breathe new life into this crowded genre, and if you’re an RPG fan – even a casual one – then this should definitely be on your ‘must play’ list.

One of the best survival action adventures you’ll come-across. To be experienced with dimmed lights, the sound cranked up and a pair of diapers handy.

There are certainly some good features in Web of Shadows, but they’re wrapped up in a pile of poor implementation.

There are a number of annoying parts of Far Cry 2, but things are more than held together by both the presentation of the game, and the sheer absorbing joy of exploring the world that has been put together with so much care.

Like candy, but filled with annoying gameplay choices.

Despite the challenging learning curve, Midnight Club: Los Angeles succeeds in exactly the way it should: taking you to heights of adrenaline that are simply unparalleled.

The sound in Carnival Games Mini Golf is disjointed and weird.

All in all, I found EA’s Monopoly unfulfilling and sterile Although the graphics are clean and crisp there is no ‘heart’ to it. But what I find most remarkable is that there is no online multi-player ability. Seeing it’s a multi-player game I would have thought that online play would be a logical extension.

Wii Music is a novel and fun experience that will sweep away the hours while you're jamming with your buddies. Give it a chance and you're in for a good time.

Overall Rock Band 2 makes a few welcome changes to a solid rhythm action title – and the overall soundtrack is a big step up.

With its colourful visuals, animated soundtrack and a real sense of “pick up and play” gaming, Age of Booty is a title most people with Xbox Live should check out, even if it is just for the demo, as chances are you’ll like what you see and purchase it for 800 MS points.

With Socom: Confrontation that ‘nice job’ is as rewarding as ever, and considering all the obstacles you have to overcome to get it, it feels all the better.

There is so much crammed into Saint’s Row 2 (if you have a juvenile, slightly insane creative side to you) that you will seldom be at a loss for something to do.

Dead Space is also surprisingly long for a shoot-em up, taking over 10 hours to complete. Although parts of it seemed repetitive (often you’ll find yourself trekking through identical corridor after corridor) the combat sequences were varied and enjoyable thanks to the need for different techniques to get through them.

This game is superb and although there are some still slight glitches, offers the most comprehensive and realistic football games on the market.

Overall Shadow Assault: Tenchu feels as though the developers just wanted to put out an Xbox Live Arcade title for a quick buck, so they threw something together and slapped the Tenchu license on it.

Overall Fracture takes parts of Xbox 360’s Halo 3 and Gears of War, PlayStation 3’s Resistance: Fall of Man, GameCube’s Metroid Prime and several other recent sci-fi shooters. Unfortunately, once you’re over the novelty of ground manipulation, it’s not nearly as fun as any of the above.

With the insight and dedication the makers of NBA 2K9 have applied to their franchise, dunking from my couch has never been more fun, more rewarding or closer to the real thing.

Although it’s disappointing that New Zealand isn’t one of the twenty international teams included in the game, that disappointment is greatly outweighed by all the positives.

Viewed as a standalone title, Silent Hill: Homecoming is extremely competent, but as a sequel, it falls short of progressing the series in any meaningful way.

Viewed as a standalone title, Silent Hill: Homecoming is extremely competent, but as a sequel, it falls short of progressing the series in any meaningful way.

The presentation of the game is probably its strongest point – it simply looks really good.

It contains enough content to warrant an actual off-the-shelf product, so it’s really encouraging to see it so cheap.

Just don't play it for extended periods on a big telly - I'm not predisposed to game-induced motion sickness (I've never gotten it before) and Duke makes me want to hurl if I play it too long.

Managing to deliver an emotional story and a big body count with lots of explosions.

If you're after something short term – maybe a rental – then Pure is great: it's an adrenaline shot administered by a supermodel. But after a few days, you will very likely realise just how vacuous that supermodel is (how little Pure offers in terms of longterm gaming).

All psychotic fantasies aside however, Buzz! Quiz TV is an excellent party game that is sure to entertain a wide audience.

It might not be worth playing if you have a console copy of BUZZ! in your home, but for long road trips or prolonged ventures outside the house, it’s definitely worth looking into.

What is particularly interesting about Colonization, as against the Civ games, is the relationships between the different factions. There isn't, for example, the same emphasis on war.

Newcomers might be flummoxed by the dynamics while seasoned gamers will quickly crack this, but you could do a lot worse if you're after a platforming fix. [Dec 2008, p.70]

This is a Star Wars game that reminds you how brilliant Mr. Lucas’ creations can be. But I can’t stress this enough – there are plenty of frustrations to be encountered amongst the brilliance too.

All up though, Speed Racer is colourful, funny, has good music and the graphics still hold up on the aging PS2. In fact, I would go so far as to say Speed Racer makes a much better game than it does a movie.

The expansion has done well to provide a decent singleplayer experience on top of the extensive multiplayer platform.

If you want a story-driven, graphically intensive roleplaying game, this is not going to do it for you. But if you enjoyed the freedom of Sid Meier's Pirates!, Mount & Blade is probably right up your alley.

Overall Rock Band 2 makes a few welcome changes to a solid rhythm action title – and the overall soundtrack is a big step up.

It was one of the best, if not the gold standard for sports genre video games last year, and it looks set to re-claim that title yet again this year.

Spore is one of those titles that jumps genres with ease, while not dipping too far into any one genre, leaving players with a very diverse gameplay experience, and odds are, there will be a lot more content such as monsters and vehicles to expand on the huge worlds already available.

Mercenaries 2 has lived up to its expectations to be a fun and crazy game about having a hell of a time in a war zone.

Your thumbs will ache in the morning and you may need to fork out a hundred dollars on a new controller but sometimes we all need a bit of cartoonish mayhem in our lives.

If, however, you're after something inoffensive to entertain the youngsters without having to explain about death, the birds and the bees or any other adult themes, you could do worse.

It features some classic nostalgia from the 80’s, a fair amount of strategy mixed with skill and is pretty addictive – especially in online multiplayer where you can have four player dogfight mayhem.

It's a decent adaptation of a fun card game, and at 400 Microsoft Points it's priced just right. If a few things were tidied up this would be one of the elite card genre titles, but it still holds its own against the competition.

Yes, it looks wonderful and, yes, it sounds pretty good too. But that’s about as far as the praise can be stretched.

I can’t help but feeling that, while a good deal of effort has gone into enhancing the essential Viva Piñata experience, the limitation of things I can put in my garden when there is so much on offer really does kill my buzz.

The ability to approach missions as you want to or just cruise around town in a tank, blowing stuff up is something you can't get anywhere else and simply must be experienced.

If you want a co-operative multiplayer game that will keep you hooked for hours, this is the one for you.

A solid expansion of the space stage. You won’t find a deep adventure game here, just a lot of small quests and a solid level editor to add to the strange mix of genres that is Spore.

My biggest gripe with Tales of Vesperia is cosmetic, so let me say that while it bugs the hell out of me, it doesn't detract from the overall playability of the title. The writing, and the voice acting, is pretty effing terrible.

Hardcore golfing fans (and I do mean hardcore) will probably find this a contender for game of the year, but for everybody else there are more charming, accessible, and fun golfing games on the market.

In the end Galaga Legions provides the fast, intense and unforgiving gameplay modern shooters tend to go easy on.

The combat is fast, frantic and fun, requiring you to think and move quickly, and each of the classes are very different to play. Sure there's not much variety in the type of bad guys you come up against but the enemies which are present are generally very nice to look at and very satisfying to obliterate with your weapon of choice. It's easily the best action RPG on the 360 and arguably the best on any of the modern consoles.

The most accurate description of American Football on a videogame console that I’ve ever seen.

The graphics are an amazing painterly mixture of abstract and cartoonish styles – it actually looks like a living painting you’re waltzing through. The music is of an equally high quality, switching between string compositions and folk music.

With its subtle but significant changes to the gameplay, and with the leaderboards providing excellent motivation for just one more go, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 will last players until their skills plateau. Even those that are loath to get into the fuzzy area of downloadable content and digital rights management owe it to themselves to purchase this game. It’s simply that good.

It’s much easier to get into than Tekken or Virtua Fighter, and the characters are generally – in my opinion at least – much more interesting.

Siren is nothing new but is a short, spooky distraction.

Although the gameplay is limited and only takes around 30 minutes to clock (per plane), 1942: Joint Strike is still a satisfying gaming experience.

The game is a success thanks to what has remained unchanged. Though we're now 3D and have some wonderful cinematics, this is still the Final Fantasy IV you fell for in 1991. And for those who have yet to fall for the classic, this is a good place to start.

Elefunk is a nice, addictive puzzle title with enough levels to make it worth the initial download.

Golf: Tee It Up! is an XBLA worth getting your hands on, and at 800 MS points, will provide a reasonable bang for your buck.

For new players, it may be a stepping stone to true greatness. Fans of the older Civ games may enjoy it for nostalgia. It may also serve as a 'nicotine patch' for megalomaniacs; a healthier alternative to wasting whole days taking over the world. The serious Civ fans, however, should keep to their PCs: this one isn't for them.

If shooting your balls into the mouths of clowns is your thing then go for it. Otherwise you'd be better off waiting until it's half price, if only to play the addictive Frog Leap.

Even breaking virtual World and Olympic records and having them displayed online for eternal glory is possible. But for others wanting a fun arcade-like game, Beijing 2008 is likely to just end up being too much work.

If, however, you're like me and have a whole bunch of friends who grew up with Soul Calibur, you're going to be spending all your time in Versus mode.

If you are a fan of the band, then you should most definitely Walk This Way. If you’re simply looking for a new Guitar Hero fix, you may wish to rent the game first, or look towards the next downloadable content for Guitar Hero III.

The change to an actual 3D engine has afforded the designers some flexibility in the layout and construction of the levels.

The real star of the game is the action, which becomes an explosion-filled thrill ride by the end that never gets old – thanks in part, no doubt, to its relatively short running time.

The game is also limited by what is missing. There is no Wimbledon, no Williams sisters and no Ana Ivanovic, and although Roddick and Murray might draw some interest from the US and UK, they don’t have the same effect at this end of the world. And there is also the fact that it’s a sport sim.

The stunning production values in the cut-scenes are worth the price of admission and it is all wrapped up with a comprehensive multiplayer component too. Just be prepared for some brutally tough single-player gameplay.

It’s the kind you pick up if you love tennis and have a poster of Sharapova on your bedroom ceiling.

Guitar Hero on the DS is an ambitious idea which could’ve easily failed but here we are with those ambitions fulfilled. Rock on, Vicarious Visions; let’s hear an encore soon.

Refreshing and original. Unfortunately, the lack of victims running from the buildings makes it feel empty, and the repetitious gameplay loses its novelty value after a few hours.

It's hardly a step forward for the franchise and clearly lacks the polish of earlier titles, but if you're into this kind of game and are looking for more pocket action from your favorite characters, it could have been worse.

The long, over-indulgent cinematic cut-scenes combined with the sometimes inappropriate odd-ball humour has had many gamers scratching their heads in confusion. Regardless of your view point though, very few could question the artistic genius behind this latest instalment.

One of the biggest gripes of Ninja Gaiden on the Xbox – which was solved in a later remake on the PS3 – was the camera: it didn’t have analog stick control. Although in Ninja Gaiden 2 you can, it’s a constant struggle against the camera as it tries to retain the default angle.