NHL 2K7 improves upon what is still pretty much the best game of hockey available, but we expect a little more in the way of new features and improvements next time.

The depth of play modes, quality of gameplay and robust online options should have any basketball fan entertained for months.

With such a desirable concept, it's a shame the game hasn't been fleshed out to any great extent. Hopefully future instalments (if any) can provide higher levels of interaction and playability.

Viva Pinata reminds everyone how great a game can be with just a little imagination and the technical prowess to bring it to life. A truly excellent effort from Rare in all regards.

It's a good example of licensing put to a credible use. Nothing will amaze audiences beyond what's been introduced before in other titles, but Ace in Action stands as a confident addition to the ever-mediocre lineup of children's games.

Activision Hits Remixed is one of the best compilations ever - with slick presentation and plenty of nostalgia, you won't find a much better retro compilation than Activision Hits Remixed.

One of the Xbox 360's best moments to date. Gears of War trades off innovation for the sake of high-class production, solid gameplay and enjoyable combat. A must.

Much like the new Star Wars trilogy, there's more than enough to appreciate in the sight and sound department, but delve below the surface, and it just isn't quite as enjoyable as it should be.

As a single player it’s a disappointment and something that would be better played when found cheaper. However, if you’re after a multiplayer game look no further.

Neversoft has reinvented the engine and put the focus firmly on the skating. Project 8 is easily the best skating game since "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4."

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.

One of the best compilations ever, we're just hoping that Sega bring out some compilations for the Sega Saturn and the Sega Master System.

Bigger and better in practically every way.

The best and most substantial Dragon Ball Z experience that you're likely to get outside of watching the show.

Despite a few questionable music choices, Lumines II has everything that you liked about the first game and more. It's still a great game.

A real treat for gamers who enjoy economic simulation games, though depth is minimal and may have you looking elsewhere soon enough.

Its age is starting to show, but the new additions added to this GBA remake make the trip back much more rewarding. An essential purchase for what is ideally a dead console.

By anticipating Final Fantasy XII as the greatest RPG ever made, there may be many harsh instances of disappointment. If you feel up to the massive challenge of appreciating this radical RPG, Final Fantasy XII will astound and mesmerise the heart and soul.

NWN2 doesn’t even come close to matching the high caliber that has been reached with other recent action-RPGs on the market, and is ultimately a poorly executed finish.

Conceptually solid, interesting and potentially enjoyable, but let down by poor execution and a sense of disconnection.

Power Stone Collection has been given a second chance and it shows that not many games have come close to its original formula. Though two players and more is a must.

A great first-person shooter, and thrilling almost every step of the way.

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

Own the City still has framerate issues and a gameplay engine that hasn't really changed, but it's still a fun game.

One of the best games on the PSP. It's a step up from Vice City and little enhancements make the game a thoroughly enjoyable portable title.

A promising start for EA's new FIFA engine, if they can iron out its problems FIFA 08 could be a killer game, but until then it’s still a long way behind Konami’s offering.

A decent hack-and-slash RPG. Even though it’s much simpler and lacks the depth of its PC predecessor, it actually suits the handheld format. However, it’s some of the thoughtless design choices, the lack of good direction and tech issues that hold it back from standing out against, say "Untold Legends."

A reasonable game but its lack of challenge and enticement makes it fall far behind the pack.

Despite a few issues, Climax's game is an excellent first-party title. Solid gameplay, visuals and multiplayer modes makes ATV Offroad Fury Pro one of the best off-road racing titles to hit the PlayStation Portable.

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 superb game, but not without its problems. There are a few unfinished graphical holes, the length of the game is a tad disappointing and the multiplayer isn’t quite attractive – especially with those dreadful load times.

Simply great fun to play. It embodies everything in the Marvel universe, which is a legendary license unto itself, while simultaneously providing an extremely solid Action RPG experience.

Empire at War did a great job of bringing the Star Wars universe to the RTS genre. Corruption continues its legacy offering a brand new, oft ignored, faction into play whilst also adding some extremely new and engadging gamplay to the series.

Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded isn't better than its predecessor but it is a solid compilation in its own right.

Even though most players have been here and done this, Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2 actually provides reasonably portable hack-and-slash action. That is, if you can put up with it.

A generic platformer to say the least. It is obvious the game’s focus is on the franchises rather than the core gameplay mechanics. One for the diehard fanatics only.

Although it’ superior to the PlayStation 2 version, there still lacks an overall polish and depth to make it stand out from the crowd. Best left for die-hard fans only.

Legends has ruined many of the fun elements of previous Stronghold games, and reuses clichéd real-time strategy themes such as dragons and magic that really make no sense at all to the final product.

One of the finest games to come from a console to a handheld and is easily the best flight sim on a handheld.

Contact has a very strange feel to it, and not just that of a game with over-simplified controls.

A well presented and cleverly executed platformer that’ll be appreciated by fans and gamers looking for a solid platforming game.

Despite it’s shortcomings, Nancy Drew: The Creature of Kapu Cave should once again please Nancy Drew fans and those who are keen for a simple mystery game.

A great game. We would have liked to have seen some more difficult hurdles to overcome and maybe even an extra hours gameplay would have kept us more happy until Episode 2 comes out. If you love point and click this episodic series looks like it could be good.

Jimmy Hopkins is a more entertaining character than any of the GTA leads (except perhaps Tommy Vercetti). This propels Bully to a status of well above average, providing a rich, detailed gaming experience – but not without its flaws.

It's not quite the complete package that "Chaos Theory" was, but it deserves credit for trying something a bit different this time around, even if the changes weren’t entirely successful ones. Few games recreate the sense of tension the way that the Splinter Cell games do, and this latest version does it incredibly well.

Whilst not being overly different from the previous Battlefield games it does offer significant improvements and additions to gameplay to make it an extremely good game. A few bugs bring it down a little.

Enriched with lovely graphics, an inviting gameplay structure and that special Meier something, Railroads! could’ve been a real gem for train simulation fans. However, with a few flaws such as simple and repetitive goals, and a game that is an absolute system hog, Sid Meier’s Railroads! isn’t as great as we expected.

Destroy All Humans! 2 keeps a lot of what was good about the first game and adds enough to make it something of a better experience. Somehow loses a bit to the material and to glitch issues that shouldn't be found in games released in this period of a console cycle.

A vast improvement upon it's predecessors and an extremely enjoyable golf game, there still aren't enough courses but EA are clearly working on improving the franchise.

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.

A better effort for the series but unless you live and breath Ford, there are much better options out there.

While fans of the original and people who are intrigued by the ins-and-outs of rising in a social ladder will enjoy the game, there isn’t enough to grab newcomer’s attention, and everything does become quite overwhelming at times.

Gun Showdown just goes to show that developers need more than just more content to bring console games to the PSP.

Devil Summoner starts out with a bunch of fresh ideas, but still retains many of the problems that plague modern day RPGs.

A dull and poorly designed game. The mini-games are boring, you can't save in-game and you'll be waiting around a lot of the time. This is just a quickly rushed license title.

While it isn’t the perfect Spyro game, it still manages to be a decent and enjoyable action title. Sadly, repetitive gameplay and a short lifespan hurt a lot of its overall quality.

The action can become a little bit repetitive, and the adventure aspects of old Spyro titles are gone, but it does feel like a New Beginning for the franchise.

For doing what it does confidently and without delusions of grandeur in multiple aspects of gaming, God Hand deserves a whole bunch of credit. Very playable, very fun.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 is the best Tiger Wood's game on the PSP, but it's not all that different from it's predecessor.

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon isn't wildly different from it's predecessors, but it features a lot of characters. It's disappointing that the gameplay hasn't really evolved but Armageddon is still a fun title.

To quote a famous wood-stain TV advert slogan – 'It does exactly what it says on the tin.'

Dawn of War was, and still is, a superb real-time strategy experience, and Dark Crusade only adds to what is probably one of the best sci-fi RTS series to date.

Scarface: The World is Yours may not do anything new but it does it somewhat well.

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.

It seems Studio London has ignored everything anybody disliked about the two Getaway titles and just included the problems in Gangs of London. This results in poor AI, a terrible aiming system, repetitive missions and a sporadic frame-rate.

A game that is just fun to play. It isn't fundamentally different from it's predecessor but there is more of everything. It's a great puzzle game.

Saying that the latest FIFA is "beautiful but not as deep as it could be" is becoming a cliché in itself. But it's not without some truth, and although this is engaging for a while (and still the second best football game on the market), it's not quite a keeper.

The game mechanics really do show infinite promise, and even with this first attempt there is some dumb fun to be had – except it takes no more than five hours to complete the game 100%. Yes it is simple, short, easy, shallow and a movie tie-in. But I enjoyed it.

If you are a fan of the series, you would need to have never played any other games over the last ten years for this to come across as impressive.

Much like "Darwinia," DEFCON is going to win a lot of hearts. With its incredibly and attractive gameplay, fans of strategy games will have an absolute blast.

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.

ParaWorld is an enjoyable, yet highly simple and traditional, real-time strategy title that gets a few points knocked off purely because of its dated concepts and poor execution.

At its core Mage Night Apocalypse is, although not brilliant, at least passable. However, the fact that the game is hampered by numerous interface problems means it can only be recommended to those obssessed with the Mage Knight universe, or those that want to play every RPG there is.

Caesar IV is by far the best Roman city builder that has been released this year, but honestly that isn’t much of an achievement. A game that isn’t particularly stable, attractive or user-friendly, it’s hard to immerse yourself in the Caesar IV experience.

Too often RPG's, both Japanese and Western, fall into a rut, offering almost the same experience as those that came before them. Valkyrie Profile 2 instead features some fresh feeling gameplay wrapped up in a beautiful looking and sounding package.

Moto GP is a good racer for anyone who wants motorcylces on the go and is willing to work past the controls.

Longevity is unfortunately absent in March of the Minis and is ultimately the thorn in the game’s foot, preventing it from being a much more memorable puzzler.

Aside from game play modes there are barely any enhancements to the game at all, which is seriously disappointing.

Such a broken game that you'd be better off waiting for NBA Live 08 to hopefully rectify some critical issues.

Simply a great basketball game, providing an authentic experience that pulls confidently ahead of the current Xbox 360 selection.

The Xbox has far better racing titles available, this game is a budget title and it shows.

The Godfather on the PSP is too scaled down to be an enjoyable game, and simply has too many flaws which stops the game from being a worthwhile recommendation.

It’s not the hardest game in the world, and it doesn’t quite match Zelda in depth when it comes to puzzles and combat, but it’s a beautiful game, it’s lengthy, it’s packed full with fresh ideas and, most of all, it’s an unforgettable experience that should be experienced by as many people as possible.

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.

Samurai Warriors 2 was a missed opportunity. It had a story, several characters and some multiplayer. Sadly, with low AI, shocking drawing distances and repetitive gameplay, it doesn’t stand out from the crowd.

Mystery Dungeon is far from being a poor game by any standards, it’s just a game that makes terrible choices that limit its appeal greatly.

Simply a remarkable game that hasn’t been witnessed for years. The amount of detail and care that was put into this game shows, resulting in one of the most fascinating experiences for any platform.

Outside of the few nice gameplay options, Faces of War offers absolutely nothing to gamers that are looking for a fulfilling World War strategy game.

The game’s campaign mode is very engaging and fun, with a reliance of strategy the key factor in winning. While the other modes aren’t quite as enjoyable, they do enough to offer a different perspective to the game, especially the co-op mode.

The melee is still a little simplistic and the camera can get in the way, but it really feels like you're in a Lego universe with some incredibly varied puzzles as well as some intense action.

A good first effort for the Blue Bomber's great grand-cousin on the DS. Worth a go for any platform fan, but expect some frustration at points.

A very enjoyable game that gives you greater control over your players than ever before. The series has had a rest on next generation consoles thus far, and the break has certainly paid off.

Solid game of ice hockey that shines brightly in some regards - but it isn't the Holy Grail of universal accessibility we would have liked. It's worth giving this pucker giving a lengthy chance.

An uninspired game, Midway tried to turn the franchise into something it clearly isn’t and as such the game ends up being boring and generic.

Test Drive Unlimited breathes quality in almost every area and is arguably one of the biggest surprises of the year.

Yakuza is quite a decent game. Several components, especially the voice work let it down and detract from its immersive elements. Had these been improved upon it would have been great.

The game proves that the PSP is more than competent enough to handle "pick up and play" titles, which is really the type of games that people want on handhelds. It's an addictive game and i don't think i've ever smiled more whilst playing a game than I did with LocoRoco. It's insanely addictive, and has a unique look that is unmatched on the PSP.

It's ultra-realistic, and terribly serious. But so long as you know what you're letting yourself in for, and can invest the effort required, it should keep you glued for some time.