Unfortunately, most – especially pure RPG fans – will find the game is incredibly simplistic, with the actual gameplay being far too shallow, containing a basic fighting mechanic, an innovative 'magic' system and... Well, not much else.

WarioWare: Snapped! is great fun with friends, but can be difficult to set up and offers little value for money.

It's clichéd, it's hokey, and the design could have been far better - while nothing's individually or overly poor, the package just doesn't quite work.

Madden 12 isn't a disaster. It is however, a story about a game full of uncertainty, a game that doesn't know where it wants to go or how it's going to get there.

There is a very playable game hiding underneath some serious issues here. Whether you can overlook them is up to you.

PES 2012 doesn't help itself by remaining in stagnant waters, and if it doesn't receive a complete overhaul next year, then we're afraid the end is nigh.

Sure the character combination of Crash and Cortex is different and the humour makes for a welcome change, but aside from that the game is still very familiar and hasn't even evolved nearly as much as it should have.

After last year's effort, it’s good to see the franchise back on track. There are still plenty of areas where it could improve and there is lots of refinement to be done, but at least it’s a step in the right direction.

It's just a shame the actual game isn't more like the deeper, more realistic 'Army Mode' extra found in the Xbox version and not the limited, linear one we have here.

Although it sets a new standard by giving players the ability to change Wii remote sensitivity and button mapping, at the end of the day The Conduit is an average run and gun shooter.

Rise of Nightmares is a decent horror game with great ideas and a spooky atmosphere but is let down by clunky movement controls.

An engrossing story and above-average presentation. However, flawed gameplay elements make the game less enjoyable then it should be.

TRON: Evolution is a generic and competent action game that will appeal to fans of the franchise the most.

The game may not have aged well in some areas, but given its fair price, newcomers looking for a fun and unique arcade experience should check out this port of Crazy Taxi.

NFL Street 3 treads familiar territory too closely to be considered a must for experienced players.

With some interesting and fun gameplay ideas, Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War is worth playing for fans of this style of game. Unfortunately, its undeniable flaws will keep it from becoming the success it could have been.

The Tenchu series needs a series reinvention, but Z plays just well enough to warrant a look for anyone with a thirst for honourable blood.

Turok is a decent game with obvious flaws. Its first steps as a reborn franchise are decent ones, though it's difficult to recommend over so many other titles on the PC market.

Phantasy Star fans will adore the new title, but after Phantasy Star Online the development of the series isn’t as groundbreaking as the aforementioned title, and often leaves you questioning whether the time and money is worth spending when other titles provide much more.

A wonderful love letter to Disney art and memorabilia, but a disappointing gameplay debut from Junction Point, set back by unpolished and unrefined design.

Link's Crossbow Training isn't going to change your life, but combined with the Wii Zapper, it's extremely good value. For less than $50, you could do much, much worse.

While Virtua Tennis 2009 is still the best arcade tennis game around, it is hard to recommend for anyone who has any of the previous games. With too few changes and a faulty online experience, Virtua Tennis 2009 doesn't quite miss the ball, but it's certainly no ace.

MySims may be a simple game, but it's remarkably easy to approach and watching your town go from a ghost town to a location other Sims want to visit is very satisfying. It's just a bit of a shame the franchise has been dumbed down in the transition to the Wii.

As far as quiz games on the go are concerned, Buzz! Master Quiz is a solid effort for the PSP.

PoPoLoCrois has plenty of personality and charm, but not quite enough to mask over what is ultimately a very easy game.

ProStreet isn't a fundamentally bad game, it's just very different to what Need for Speed fans are used to. If you stick with the game there is still plenty of enjoyment to be had, but the game just isn't as fun as previous Need for Speed titles.

For those serious about improving fitness and losing a few centimetres, there is a lot to like about The Biggest Loser: Ultimate Workout, but ultimately a cumbersome navigation interface and occasional motion detection inaccuracies keep it from being a truly great title.

The game features some fantastic ideas, but most of that is kicked in the arse with the terrible execution of important game elements that actually make games good – graphics, sound and camera issues, for example.

Even though it is unlikely to appease veterans for very long, Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek is a more than serviceable adventure/mystery game.

Whilst not groundbreaking, Two Worlds offers some decent fantasy gaming. It's just a shame for the game that there's others out there that do the 'open world' RPG thing better.

Hellgate: London is one of this year's biggest disappointments. It had a whole bunch of great ideas, but squandered them with weak execution, a variety of technical issues and a ridiculous subscription model.

Crash Tag Team Racing isn't as enjoyable on the PSP, but it's a step forward for the Crash Bandicoot franchise, the game is fun whilst it lasts.

It really is just more of the same, and we don't like playing games that are feel familiar when they quickly become tiresome.

Even when one can look past the sugar-coated glaze, you cannot look past the somewhat plain and lacklustre level design, generic puzzles and that it is difficulty-deficient.

Splendid graphics can't overcome the game's steep learning curve, irritating gameplay elements and overwhelming sense of familiarity.

The lack of innovation in Crisis Zone is the real downfall of the title.

Astonishing graphics do not compensate for underwhelming gameplay.

An enjoyable game for the children but also a title that adults can play. The only real disappointment from the game comes from the fact that it is a little too formulaic and the game is over in just under four hours.

A very solid title for anybody with an interest in superbikes, SBK-08 makes a good debut on the current generation, despite perhaps being a little too complicated for the majority of gamers out there.

It's one small step for Sonic, but we're still awaiting that giant leap for the franchise.

A solid, competent rehash of aging material that has moments of excitement scattered sparsely through an otherwise middling experience.

Echoshift was designed to challenge the most devout puzzle fans, a respectable move but one that ultimately alienates fans of the original.

While it's an excellent package worthy of further investigation for those interested in music, it's likely to be quite a disappointment to those interested in buying a game.

Pangya is a fun golf game that brings just enough new to the table to be worthy of a look. Golf game nuts will certainly get a kick out of it, but for those that aren’t big on swinging their virtual club at the TV; this game is probably better served as a rental.

There is enough of a package here to justify a decent portable game and a nice 3-D quest, the likes of which have never been seen on a handheld. If only Medievil: Resurrection spent a little more time cleaning off the cobwebs.

Resonance is a bold and intriguing role-playing game which is held back by an atypically poor narrative and a preposterous difficulty curve which will alienate all but the most dedicated.

Top Spin has been ported to the PS2 fairly faithfully, but the game is already two years old and looked better on the Xbox.

On the one hand it provides some unique experiences and some great moments, with a superior sense of speed and exhilaration. On the other, there are too many instances of uninspired design and rushed completion.

Infinite Space wonderfully replicates being in command of a fleet of spaceships, but is lessened by poor path-finding and unforgiving and prolonged battle mechanics.

The Sims 3: Pets is little more than a re-release of last year's console port with a few endearing, inessential features thrown into the mix. The core game is still solid fun, but it is disappointing that a little more effort was not made to render this anything more than a minor revision of a known quantity.

Despite the familiarity, the slight improvements mean Ricky Ponting International Cricket 2007 is still at the top of the table. However, you should only get the PC version if you have no other choice.

Wartech: Senko no Ronde is a hard game to recommend to everyone due to its sheer lack of content but fans of this rare and dying genre should definitely check it out.

It's by no means perfect, but Lord of the Rings: War in the North is still one of the better games to come out of the franchise, particularly if you play co-op. If you've been missing middle earth you're bound to get some enjoyment, just be prepared for it to be a little rough around the edges.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire isn't as deep as we'd hoped and there are a few issues like the camera and basic gameplay elements.

The controls are an issue to consider before deciding to purchase this game as well, because although it may not seem like they will make that much of a difference, they do.

Fight Night Round 3 for the PS3 has the same old problems and a bunch of new ones - and a few scant extra features just aren't enough to tip the balance.

Confusingly caught between the world of arcade and simulation, Shaun White Snowboarding provides a competent look at the snowboarding genre that will draw you in for a couple of hours, but won't compel you to stay on the mountain.

Too Human is a very competent action-RPG let down by clunky controls and a pervasive air of sloppiness. It's definitely worth a look for the dungeon-crawling Diablo crowd, but most will regard it as nothing more than an ambitious curiosity which never quite comes together.

Prince of Persia Classic ought to serve as a template for all future XBLA remakes. It had great potential but needed a little extra refinement to broaden its appeal.

Sameish gameplay and graphical issues aside, Thor: God of Thunder does have some pretty decent action-adventure combat and animations that give Thor a life and sense of style of his own.

Nitro does a great job at being an arcade racer for a broader casual audience. It's not perfect and struggles with repetitiveness after long bouts, but it is the best Need for Speed title for the DS yet.

Fans of the original will find more to enjoy from this game, and those looking for some multiplayer action will have a blasts with what’s on offer. However, the game just losses a lot of interests, and fast.

But those wanting an action/adventure game that offers all the elements needed to create the perfect adventure title will be sadly disappointed.

It just gets repetitive from time to time and suffers from average graphics and annoying British accents.

The Dog Island is a charming adventure so full of puppy cuteness that it would bring a smile to almost anyone's face. But at the $50 price point, you might find that titles like Nintendogs and Animal Crossing prove to be a better investment to keep the kids engaged this winter.

EA Playground is an okay game with only seven or so mini games, but they are all enjoyable and quite a few people will find themselves coming back to dodgeball, so you could do a lot worse.

Captain America: Super Soldier is one of the better movie tie-ins of late, but not a particularly inspiring game in its own right; a weak story, bland visuals and shoddy platforming are propped up by an enjoyable combat system which deserves a sequel of refinement.

A bizzare divide between the extremes of playing the game aside, Kinect Joy Ride plays well enough to justify use of the Kinect sensor, but there really isn't enough to it otherwise.

While it can't compare to the likes of Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport 2, Ferrari Challenge proves to be a satisfying drive for the fanatical Ferrari gamers out there.

A fun 2D fighting game aimed at a particular type of gamer, one that is well versed in otaku culture. In terms of gameplay and visual presentation, there are far superior options already out there.

Apart from a few bad design issues and ridiculous premise, The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai has most of the elements required for a good and possibly even a great game.

With a poor story, short quest mode and no real reason to come back to the game there could be better choices for those in need of a platformer for christmas.

The battle presentation is spot on, and the system is half way there, but Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi is still only half way to being the Ultimate Dragon Ball Z experience.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 has plenty of fluster and a heap of bluster for fans but little to keep the interest of non-fans and seasoned gamers.

While Silent Hill: Homecoming is a decent survival-horror romp, the series has seen better days. It's a bit stale, a bit easy, and a bit light-on in the scare department.

It's a real surprise that the single player portion of the game is so under baked, despite the wealth of content featured in the baseball, tennis and golf games – it's almost like the game is worthless without a few friends.

A good game but it’s going to be forced to dwell in the shadows of much superior titles, especially Meteos, as it’s genre has been trumped. However, a lot of the redeeming value is diminished by the fact that the Challenge mode is weak and it is a puzzle game that will only appeal for a finite amount of time.

It's about as middle of the road as gaming gets and suffers from a few lazy design flaws, but is still oddly enjoyable.

A good choice for those looking for a Pool game, especially on the Xbox where there is no Pool Paradise. In fact, this game has a few things that Archer Maclean's title doesn't.

All the elements of a great game are here except the level design. That, however, is a key element in a game with exploration based goals.

Upon venturing deeper into the game it is apparant that Codemasters have had to take a few shortcuts in making the game possible. The game is plagued by poor loading, average handling and really difficult opposition, that makes it seem like the game is warning you not to play it.

The Godfather for the Xbox 360 isn't a huge upgrade from the previous generation versions but despite a few problems the game is thoroughly enjoyable.

Sega Superstars Tennis mixes tennis and mini games and unfortunately doesn't excel at either.

One of the smallest expansion packs released yet, you now have pets running around your house but the lack of human additions is a little disappointing.

Unique and engaging foundations wrapped in a package that fails to capitalise on the potential. If content is king, then this is a pawn.

On 3DS, Sonic Generations is a more half-hearted anniversary affair which somehow misses the point of the whole exercise.

The game play in Donkey Konga isn't as good as we were hoping. There is a severe lack of a proper long game mode which means that often the game didn't hold our attention for more than half an hour.

The fans of Bleach will get a kick out of Bleach: Soul Resurrección, for while at least. Anyone else need not bother with it.

On occasion, Star Trek Online comes together and provides an epic and fun experience. However, these moments are hidden deep inside the repetitive and boring gameplay.

An enjoyable game. The Wii controls do bring the quality of the game down a little bit though.

Rare obviously know how to work their system. It's just a shame they've lost their flair for gameplay. This game overall displayed a total drought of ideas. It's a shame that such a good game be dealt such a troublesome fate.

Prince of Persia: The Fallen King has some good ideas but ultimately is let down by being rushed out the door.

Worth looking at, and would probably keep the kids busy for a while, but doesn't pack the punch it could have with some more titles and unlockables that are WORTH unlocking.

While Global Gemini isn’t without its flaws, it is a game that offers a lot of simple, yet highly enjoyable, gameplay that is perfectly suited for its intended demographic.

Enchanted Arms is something of a run-of-the-mill effort but it does enough differently and enough well to warrant a look.

If you can get some friends together, there's some bashtastic fun to be had with Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom. That is, more than you would have on your own.

An enjoyable diversion a few months in the US/Euro launch lineup, but an irrelevant game now with bigger/better FPS’s now on the 360.

Halo Wars is unfortunately too simple and limited to achieve the great heights that were expected of it.