The Sega Rally name may not command the same awe as it used to, but it's a fun racing package for fans of classic arcade racers.

Far Cry Instincts Evolution isn't really an evolution but more of the same which is good if that's what you're after.

It won’t win any game of the year awards, but for a piece of brainless action, you can’t really go wrong with Shaolin Monks.

Tomb Raider: Underworld is fun, but despite its best efforts, does not advance the series as much as it should.

Another one of those games with a lot of good ideas and solid gameplay which just lacks that extra layer of polish needed to make it an A class title.

Monster Hunter Freedom is an improved experience over its PS2 single player counterpart but you won't get the most out of the game until you can find some hunting buddies and really give the multiplayer a proper workout.

Metal Gear Ac!d 2 is unquestionably a title that is better than it's predecessor. The combat is a lot faster and there are more cards, but some of the problems that plagued the original title (like the annoyance of equipping weapons and the dodgy camera work) are still present. Metal Gear Ac!d 2 is an okay title if you're after a turn based strategy game, but PSP games have come a long way in nine months; this game has only made short steps.

The gameplay is solid, but there are far too many mistakes and flaws that really hurt what could’ve been a solid sequel.

More content and substance would have made for a better package, but it's hard to deny the polish and potential for addiction that exists regardless.

Singstar ABBA will only appeal to ABBA fans, but anyone with even a passing interest in ABBA should have no hesitations in picking this game up.

While Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 gives us more new features than last year's outing, the franchise is in need of an overhaul. We want more roar from the Tiger Woods series, and less meow.

High Tetris quality at a high entry price that ultimately comes down to disk versus digital.

The game hasn't changed that much, but it didn't really need to. Pure arcade fun.

Tough but flawed, Tenchu is still an enjoyable mature experience on the Wii.

Guitar Hero: On Tour is a heck of a surprise, it works rather well on the Nintendo DS and while the console versions are undoubtedly better, those who prefer portable gaming are getting a solid alternative with On Tour.

As a port from 360 and PC, Overlord: Raising Hell has some things going for it, and some things detracting from it — more or less creating equilibrium. As a game, though, there's something forgivably enjoyable about Overlord: Raising Hell.

It's a solid collection of some of Capcom's best, if you can get over the various emulation issues, however minor they may be.

Project Sylpheed fits the bill for anyone who is looking for some solid flight combat action, and doesn't mind some anime inspired storylines.

The same Guitar Hero that we all know and love combined with Aerosmith, who we're sure many have a love-hate relationship with. Still fun, but definitely tailored for fans of the band more than anybody else.

With a wealth of options and a large variety of mini-games, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Game is a great partnership for the former rivals.

Geometry Wars: Galaxies is a fantastic game and easily the best Geometry Wars title yet. Any shooter fans should have no hesitation in picking this title up.

Rogue Galaxy does many things right, and changes up the tired fantasy settings of the genre, but is still held back somewhat by convention. But if you're after a solid RPG, Rogue Galaxy will fit the bill nicely.

It may have been the prospect of high-definition Pro Evo that created the most buzz amongst fans, but it's the superior PS2 version that comes out smelling of roses.

The Sims 2: Castaway might have a few issues, but it's the most enjoyable console entry for the franchise thus far.

Theme Park on the DS is essentially just a port, but the game has aged well and is still a fantastic title for those who like sim games.

An ambitious game that hasn't (yet) fulfilled its potential. There's brilliance here, but it's currently being smothered by technical issues and an unfortunately wobbly multiplayer component.

A faithful adaptation of Magic: The Gathering that offers something for players old and new, hindered only by design and presentation inconsistencies. Good value for money.

This HD remake of Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes offers the same great puzzle RPG action with superior graphics and online play, but at the end of the day it feels more at home on the Nintendo DS.

If you’re a fan of High School Musical, you’ll enjoy Makin’ the Cut. Otherwise, stick to Elite Beat Agents.

Still an incredibly addictive game but there are a lot of racing games out there for the launch and this is just a port.

FIFA Street 3 would be a great game if it could manage to find some depth. As it is, the game is immediately pleasing, but runs out of puff too quickly, especially in solo play.

Chocobo Tales is more than just a bunch of mini-games, but sadly this feather powered adventure lacks staying power.

Genji: Dawn of Samurai has plenty of potential appeal and a fair amount of fun. There's just too much of the former and it skimps on the later.

MotoGP 06 is a game that really could have done with 6 months more work, but you can’t deny that MotoGP 06 is still the best of its type, even if framerate problems, online bugs and graphical complaints spoil what should have been a successful debut for the series on the 360.

GrimGrimoire is a game that could have been great had it had a little bit more variety and a few minor tweaks. That said its gameplay is definitely one of the best implementations of the RTS genre currently available on consoles.

Sonic Colours is Sega's first step in the right direction towards making a great Sonic game, but they're not quite there yet. This isn't the second coming of Sonic, but it's fun enough for kids and fans of the series.

A short, but sweet little game with quirky writing and simple combat, Costume Quest is yet another charming treat from Double Fine Productions and a very promising sign of things to come.

Ultimate Spider-Man has an excellent comic book style presentation and a great story, but the gameplay seems to hold it back from being one of the better titles released this holiday season.

A fundamentally good, yet rather disappointing experience. Players looking for the real next generation boxing title are just going to have to wait until next year; while Fight Night: Round 3 looks great, it moves like a set of rusty gears, and has far too many balance issues to be an enjoyable experience online.

Superb application of the Transformers license and story help, for once, make the gameplay issues in Transformers: War for Cybertron worth rolling through.

Total Overdose doesn't take itself too seriously; and you shouldn't either. It's a fairly solid action game that puts the emphasis on style.

Hyperballoid HD is meant for the casual gamer, as it's a fun, accessible and very affordable piece of gaming.

Bomberman Live: Battlefest is only worth getting if you missed out on the original and are craving for an addictive multiplayer experience that only Bomberman can offer.

If you can get past the potential motion sickness, you've got a simple but lengthy and engrossing adventure with Marathon: Durandal.

If you've never played any other titles in the series and like a good racing game, this is an easy 8 - higher if you’re a big MotoGP fan.

An incredibly weak update to last year’s title. Virtually every new feature in the game hasn’t be implemented anywhere near as good as it could have been, and it damages the game as a result.

While not as well tuned as other Mario sports titles, Mario Superstar Baseball achieves exactly what it set out to do - provide a good arcade-style baseball game.

Delivers what the DS promised – originality. It’s just a shame there isn’t more to it.

The game itself won't last as long as we hoped it would. Yes, there's wireless multiplayer and yes, it's a nice addition to the game, but without this, this game would only really be worth a rental.

You really have to wonder how long Yuke’s continue to push out the exact same game with minor changes each year when there are so many issues – even EA’s games feature bigger alterations than what we’ve seen from Smackdown over the past few years.

Even with Street Fighter IV currently being the best fighting game in the market, Battle Fantasia is still a solid fighting game that has some interesting Japanese RPG elements as well as fantastic visuals and art.

On the one hand, it is weaker then the mass of counterparts in the genre and doesn’t quite know how to ‘honour’ its heritage. However, on the other hand, it does a couple of things much better and allows you to take on cold mercenaries and dinosaurs with dual wielding shotguns and a knife that makes Rambo look like a boy scout.

The game now leans more towards "run and gun" game play rather than sitting back and plotting your path. The hot swap feature is great though, and isn't just a gimmick.

A perfect port of one of the most popular in the Street Fighter series, sadly let down by the PSP hardware, slow loading times and an unforgiving AI.

Not a huge improvement over previous versions, with only a few minor additions, a few new vehicles and a new setting.

Whilst it's not your traditional survival horror the addition of high-suspense action is a welcome breath of fresh air. If you're looking to be scared it will do the job.

More of the same, the enemies still aren't any smarter and the environments are still a little repetitive, but fans of the previous title should be well entertained with the game.

Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadow is a well-made 3D action RPG, but unfortunately, it ends up feeling like a poor man's Dragon Quest IX.

Homefront does enough to be an enjoyable and memorable ride, and enough to distinguish itself. Given everything that it had going for it though, Homefront could and probably should have been much more.

A highly competent – if not flawed – snowboarding game with a style comparable to no other.

Hotel Dusk hangs somewhere between a game and an interactive story. While we would have liked to see a little more interactivity thrown into the mix, its storytelling elements are nevertheless fantastic.

An interesting 2D action title that borrows elements from Contra and Metroid, while adding a couple of nicely implemented twists of its own, but it could have been something remarkable if it weren't for its lacking design and substance.

A decent game suffocating under a crust of hard plastic cheese.

Tiburon have added a reasonable amount of new material for the 2006 edition of Madden, but we really feel as though they could have done more.

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition is an intense and enjoyable shooter with enough unique features to set itself apart, but we would have expected more polish from this port.

Crackdown 2 is just as fiendishly addictive and recklessly enjoyable as the original, but the single player game has been unwisely compromised for multiplayer and a lack of evolution.

Empires is an enjoyable game, but we'd like to see it become part of the main game, rather than continue to be a standalone add-on pack.

Sonic Rivals focuses on the speed of Sonic, there is never a dull moment.

Purr Pals is a great alternative to Nintendogs and is a game that is a lot of fun for kitten lovers.

If you want an online dungeon crawler with a decent atmosphere, nice visuals and repetitive but social and sometimes exciting action, this will do nicely. Don't bother for offline only play.

While Tomb Raider: Legend is a solid game, Crystal Dynamics just haven’t taken any chances with it – all of the design choices throughout the game feel too safe.

While some areas tend to fall flat and the world can sometimes feel a bit disjointed, Metro 2033 is a unique and unforgettable experience.

WALL-E is a solid platforming game that children will love.

An impressive and enjoyable kids game. It has a few issues, but the campaign is fun and provides enough reason to come back to the game more than once.

A shiny coat of paint isn’t enough to hide the fact that the depth in the fighting has been somewhat compromised, the game is the lowest on content since the original Budokai title and the least friendliest to those who aren’t fans.

Comic fans will get the most out of DC Universe Online, and it is a fun, if shallow MMO. However, once the level cap is reached, there is little reason to continue, making it a game you probably won't be spending a lot of time with.

Square Enix spoons the fanatical bards with its nth-dipped reiteration of the fourth Final Fantasy.

At its core, you’re playing the game with the SOCOM 3 engine making it seem like an expansion pack with new levels and such. It’s a shame they couldn’t completely fix some of the problems with the AI but it’s still SOCOM and if you’re a fan you’ll find enjoyment through the various gameplay options available.

Call of Juarez has a few flaws but is still a solid game that's recommended to those who want a shooter but are sick of killing Nazis.

We appreciate that Activision hasn't delivered just a port, and given us an entirely new adventure, but we wish it was longer and allowed for more free roaming.

Wii Play excels at what it sets out to do, and as a package deal with a Wii Remote is a no-brainier purchase for new Wii owners.

Rarely has a game so clearly demonstrated that 'less is more'. There's a great game here for those who know what it's about, but you have to wade through to it.

Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir is a worthy addition to the DS library. It’s great for quick pick up and play sessions, there’s a lot of replay value on offer, and it’s neatly presented. If you haven’t liked other Touch Generation titles however, then you need not apply.

Sudeki had a lot of potential. It has been in development for a few years now and looks great visually but is let down by a slow start.

Much better than a lot of other Ubisoft launch offerings for the 3DS, Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars is a great title if you're looking for a lengthy strategy game with nice mechanics.

A thoroughly enjoyable third person shooter that has a varied single player mode, and a title that, despite the low hype, is definitely worth trying out. Being a lonesome soldier hasn’t been this fun in a third person shooter for a long time.

The Last Hope offers a pleasant looking and reasonably playable JRPG experience, no more and no less.

A solid FPS with a great storyline, it just doesn't bring too much new to the genre, and at times feels very familiar.

There are far better shooters for the Xbox, including previous Ghost Recon games. Save your money. It would be far better spent put towards an Xbox 360.

If you play LEGO Rock Band as standalone game and then export the tracks to your hard drive, you’ll get the best value out of this title. Anyone playing this merely as a standalone game without any extra DLC, or using it as a track pack, will have to carefully evaluate the included tunes before they Lego of their cash.

Despite its obvious shortcomings, it's difficult to overlook the game's clear enjoyment. Keep expectations low and you could find your 'guilty pleasure' title of the year.

The technology behind Singstar needs to improve; charging $49.95 for what is essentially a cd is fairly expensive. However, the game is still incredibly fun and addictive in multiplayer, plus the songs are some of the best yet.

Ultimate Mortal Kombat isn't quite the Ultimate collection of Mortal Kombat games but is still a lot of fun and is a game that Mortal Kombat fans should definitely pick up.

Burnout Dominator is a good game at heart, but feels quite stale when compared to its predecessors.

Triggerheart: Exelica is a good little shooter that's held back by a lack of value for anyone other than the hardcore.

Without a doubt one of the most surprising games of the year. If you're a fan of the show or the Desperate Housewives television show then the game comes highly recommended.

Mortal Kombat Armageddon hasn't changed much in six months. There are a few new bonuses and executing moves is done different but the game is still very enjoyable.

For all the game has got going for it, which is still a lot, Fable III is unable to transcend the sum of its parts and we're left to lament what could have been.