One of the most refreshing RPG games for quite some time. A number of shortcomings only slightly hurt the usually spectacular game. It’s a tough cookie, and one that fans of older RPG games will adore.

Madden for the masses. It's fun, easy to get into and a great fit for Wii.

Sid Meier's Pirates is a shining example of how a game can be ported and made enjoyable for the PSP.

Recettear is perhaps one of the most unusual examples of a simulation game yet; with its engaging storyline, large ensemble of characters and action-RPG sequences, this is a game that really stands out from the crowd.

Midnight Club: Los Angeles is a fun and fast racer for those after an open-ended arcade experience.

While an obvious attraction for the older RPG fan, Etrian Odyssey II will also appeal to anyone looking for a rewarding pocketful of portable exploration and combat.

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

It desperately needs a more interactive in-game tutorial system to lessen the near-vertical learning curve, but there's currently nothing else that can challenge Black Shark in the hardcore heli-sim arena.

ModNation Racers frees gamers from the shackles of the kart racer formula and injects a healthy dose of fun and creativity into the kart racing scene.

Enslaved is a game that has managed to sneak past the hype radar, but that doesn't stop it from being one of the most enjoyable and entertaining action-adventure titles this year.

A fine finish to Strong Bad's Cool Game, and a fine videogame parody in its own right.

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

Pacific Rift is what the original MotorStorm should have been, and is a must for any racing fans with a knack for destruction and chaos.

A worthwhile addition to anyone’s DS collection. And if you love puzzle games, then you won’t be disappointed with Puzzle Quest.

Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors is a mature and rewarding visual novel experience with an unforgettable story that features some truly excellent writing.

The game encourages you to dig deep into your vocabulary and create powerful attacks. It’s surprisingly engaging and when coupled with strategic elements such as Gem Tiles, and can also be quite challenging. To keep things fresh there are also a variety of mini-games on offer. A must for casual gamers.

de Blob is an undeniably infectious game. On all fronts, the game is polished and high quality, making it one of the best third-party titles available for the Wii.

Thanks to additional characters and some enhanced gameplay, animations and modes. Bleach: Dark Souls is a worthy sequel to Bleach: The Blade of Fate that fans of Bleach and fighting games should not miss.

Dark Resurrection is still a thoroughly enjoyable fighting game that should appeal to those who have liked the previous games. It is a little light on features in comparison to other Tekken titles but is still incredibly good value.

Resistance Retribution combines winning gameplay with a rollercoaster-ride of a campaign, and adds a bunch of replay value in to boot.

Despite being a year late, Everybody’s Golf: World Tour brings something little less serious but still quite enjoyable to the club house.

A no-nonsense, old style first-person shooter – shoot first, think later. In that sense, it's brilliant fun. However, expect any more and you should prepare to be disappointed.

For a good, different and brutal action romp with horror/thriller themes, mystery, a great atmosphere and freaky characters, Condemned: Criminal Origins fits the bill.

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."

NBA 2K8 has excellent on-court play, awesome presentation and a packed feature set - basketball video games don't get any better than this.

But my biggest problem with the game is really just the slight lack of craziness that I've come to expect from Wario Ware. I rarely laugh out loud at a game, but the original Wario Ware provided me with much humour with its general wackiness.

The city itself is quite attractive, largely due to the fact that Volition has gone to a lot of trouble creating high resolution textures for all of the buildings and pathways, not to mention the excellent lighting effects which really help bring the game to life.

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.