When push leads inexorably to shove, there are probably two good games here. The problem is that you have to play them both at the same time. Those of us that would have preferred a pure platformer, or indeed a pure RPG experience, will suffer the most. Those that are happy to live with the combination will find a compelling experience, with well written dialogue, innovative play dynamics and bucket loads of Nintendo charm.

Technical faults such as difficultly seeing where you're going and suspect frame-rates are serious issues when it comes to games of such speed requiring cat like reflexes.

In some areas (like the moveable furniture) it adds interesting enhancements, whilst less successful innovations can simply be ignored. But what it fails to do is to keep the momentum of the first game.

If there's one thing that pisses me off without exception it's a full-price retail tag slapped shamelessly onto a distinctly half-arsed product. Now there's a quote for the box.

It is worth a glance, but if you bore easily you may find this doesn't have the 'wow' gameplay factor to hold your interest for long, and would probably be better off looking elsewhere ultimately.

The opponents seem to always outclass you, with the AI coming across as simplistic, relying instead on superior stats as opposed to any kind of impressive fighting prowess.

This game may be cheap but it often feels even cheaper. It's not just the simplistic mechanics at work but the rough edges which begin to cut once the initial lubrications of happiness at replaying a classic title have worn away. From icons that shift slots on the UI to redundant information screens being favored over the existence of useful ones, Colonization 2008 feels more like an intern project than a game that should be sold to the public.

A decent package, only let down a little by its lack of ambition.

It's a saga that only insatiable hardcore genre addicts will garner any real fulfillment from.

Initially, Pirates! feels extremely open ended and multi-faceted, yet its varied gameplay features soon lapse into the uncomfortable realms of repetition and borderline monotony - there's nothing on offer by way of expansion over its PC and Xbox counterparts.

It's a gigantic, beautiful game, but it's one that irreparably hurts itself with an unforgivably slow introduction.

We'd get rid of power-ups completely, or at least, implement them so they don't murder the flow of each race.

GoldenEye doesn't tarnish the original and doesn't try to be a carbon copy either, but it is hindered by problems which were always going to be hard to surmount. If you're panging for a bit of Bond and something to play with friends round, you could do a lot worse than what is a fine revival of a classic.

Like a certain other sequel David Braben was involved in RCT 3 is a good game hidden underneath a fiddly interface and stricken by numerous minor flaws and bugs.

Mirror's Edge is an impressive feat as a realistic first-person simulation of parkour across the towering roof-tops of a dystopian future. Unfortunately it's also fairly dull and frequently doesn't do enough to motivate the player to continue, this is not a game I was thinking about when I wasn't playing it.

With a game like FFTA2 it's not really about the why as the how, only it's a bit too simplistic and uninteresting to make a winning formula.

It certainly provides a fun portable footballing experience with regards to the actual simulation, but there is still a lot of room for improvement, and I feel that the PSP is still not being used to its full capacity.

The problem is that while to the existing fan base the retro design and gameplay are all part of the experience newer gamers will probably view those same qualities in a far more negative light.

Ignoring the annoying so-called 'geographically appropriate' ads , Battlefield 2142 is a title bound to please fans of the series.

Ultimately Battlefield 2: Modern combat gives PC gamers another reason to feel smug. Despite their best efforts the current generation of consoles can't compete with the capabilities of today's high-end PCs.

Now more than ever if you haven't already started to look at "Pro Evo" perhaps you should, it plays much better and feels like more a game of football than FIFA 06 ever will.

It would have been nice if staying on a slippery metal pole without falling off was rewarded via points like in the Tony Hawk games but I guess you can't have everything. Enjoy the delights of this delicious winter warmer now.

The level of freedom offered may be a dream come true for some but will simply be far too much for others, thusly alienating this title from a majority of gamers.

My only real reservation with Gish is the simplicity of the gameplay and the fact that, despite the unique physical properties of the character it is still a 2D platform/puzzle game...But if you do like this style of game then Gish really is a superb piece of work, and the talented folk over at Chronologic will entertain you for a very reasonable sum of money.

A great fighting game that proves the same excellent home console experience can be translated to handhelds. And whilst the 3D aspect is lacking and even compromises the experience at times and the narrative is flawed in delivery and presentation, the fighting is exemplary.

As a game to stick into your DS and play from time to time, Mini-Land Mayhem will not disappoint. It really does the basics right - very right in fact. Keen puzzle-goers, though, may feel that if it had the charm of Mario and the simple touch controls stripped away, then the game would be a bit too forgettable.

If you've always fancied the idea of having the genuine OutRun arcade cabinet experience with added online support then OutRun Online Arcade does exactly what it says on the tin while managing to be a lot of fun to boot.

The Combat Mission games are not for the faint-hearted or action RTS fan. If the prospect of flipping back and forth between the game and Acrobat for a few hours doesn't phase you, then Combat Mission could be right up your alley.

Clunky physical combat, lifelessly linear level design, horridly ill-fitting segue animations, a bland narrative, shallow characters, and an unforgiving first-person viewpoint all conspire to shatter the game's wafer thin novelty value, which all-too quickly reveals Mirror's Edge to be a fabulously innovative concept mired by the old 'all style and no substance' adage.

It has the players, the courses, the intuitive control system, the amusing commentary and loads and loads and loads of options. But, to put it in simple terms, "Hot Shots Golf" is better.

Now more than ever if you haven't already started to look at "Pro Evo" perhaps you should, it plays much better and feels like more a game of football than FIFA 06 ever will.

Despite their continued lack of charm the Wii version of Rabbids Go Home is by far the fluffy maniac's best game.

The additional material in Venice gives the impression that it should have been part of really great enhancement patch, rather than a fully featured and fully priced expansion.

If however you are considering what should be your first folly into World War action, then consider looking elsewhere.

Perhaps it's time that developers Neversoft go away for longer than twelve months and come back with something other than a glorified extension of a series that seems to be short on innovation.

Testing out the new additions and playing around with the new options is more than mildly diverting. However, after a while the tediousness of the city-scape and the simplicity of the driving model conspire to make one think of the other things that could be done with the time.

Yet another example of the dangers of one publishing company gaining a monopoly over a particular genre. The experience becomes homogenised and the resulting games become soulless products devoid of any indication.

As for what was actually made, Transformers: War for Cybertron is a solid but unremarkable effort that occasionally shows glimpses of its true potential. It provides a complete, if a little too short, package of modes and features in a genuinely interesting setting. It just needed a little more spark.

It's definitely worth a look, if only to have something on the shelf that's gently mesmerising and a very nice break from the norm.

All in all, considering that the overall gameplay mechanic is a rinse and repeat exercise of duck and cover shooting coupled with a partially fractured command interface, it's hard to recommend Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway to anyone other than hardened series fanatics.

The RTS foundations are in place and there are plenty of core and online missions to test player mettle (and patience), but, as with Battlestations: Midway, the control interface is still unwieldy, the action is still stodgy and unfulfilling, and the aesthetics are still hampered by distinctly last-gen failings.

It's just a case of proportions - too much storyline and too much random battling - and if we're going down the route of size comparison, hands and shoulders need attention too.

Overlord II is solid enough, but it doesn't go quite as 'over-the-top' as we'd have liked.

While there's no denying it looks great and there's huge fun to be had with it at least to start with, there will be those that fall in love with its ultra repetitive just-one-more-go high score setting nature while others will find the need for such continual repetition too off putting enough on its own.

Medal of Honor certainly has some great elements and ideas but they aren't brought together in the most convincing way. The campaign lacks widespread appeal due to aspects of its realistic setup and narrative, and the multiplayer is too focused to draw a substantial crowd from the established shooters already out there.

Black & White 2, while enjoyable for a while, just isn't full of enough gaming nutrients to make it taste as appealing as it looks in the picture over the counter.

The main criticism though is that there simply isn't enough of it. You almost get the impression that Sonic Team ran out of ideas toward the end, so they repeated some of the boss battles again and then went home.

You have an accomplished, if a little generic, arcade aerial fighter that will please those already in love with the franchise. Equally here's a game that doesn't move the genre forward or in anyway justify the full price tag when you can buy Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War for cheaper - essentially what you get is a new narrative.

I still enjoyed playing Immortal Cities a good deal, yet I was content to help the Pharaohs out for a far shorter period of time than I would have given them in the past.

Folklore is a game that has extremely high aspirations both in terms of storytelling and ethical engagement. Although it is certainly a valiant attempt, I felt it never quite hit the nail on the head.

If you're not fussed either way or Transformers don't especially tickle your fancy, then you'll still find a competent action adventure that whilst incredibly linear and lacking variation, is still essentially sound.

There's a lot of competition in the DS market, and Monster Lab doesn't quite have the raw talent to go up against that. But, there's a good amount of fun in there that a player could eke out if they were so inclined, and I'm certainly glad I got to play it. It's fun atmosphere can't ultimately redeem the fact it's too confused by its own design.

The problem is it's a one trick pony. The shock of the violence and the speed of the gameplay initially grabs your attention, but it lacks the spectacle to keep itself feeling fresh and inventive, then before long a sense of banal repetition sets in. And you're not even a third of the way through the game. I can't deny that it gives you quite a lot of game for your money, but it also outstays its welcome.

An accomplished and well-crafted battle-axe wielding warrior of a game. Just don't expect anything classic, historically speaking.

The level of freedom offered may be a dream come true for some but will simply be far too much for others, thusly alienating this title from a majority of gamers.

Championship Edition is super-realistic. Perhaps too much so for its own good. For F1 buffs it is ideal, but if you want an adrenaline-pumping ride on PS3, there's another game, with a big desert and mad vehicles, which does it all much better I'm afraid. One for the fanatics, then.

While streamlining the Dungeon Siege experience for the handheld market undoubtedly made sense when it was discussed at design time, the sense of depth and involvement that's been lost in the process leaves a frustratingly shallow game.

A largely unremarkable point-and-click offering that's unlikely to spawn a radical revival for the genre or lure PC gamers away from the (still) superior mouse controller. Wii owners looking for a richer, more modern gaming experience that comes packed with charm and convincingly tests grey matter would be well advised to seek out the criminally unappreciated Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure.

While it remains very much an acquired taste, Forever is ideal for newcomers to the series, but perhaps a roll too far for Katamari veterans. As fun now as ever, we still think that only truly dedicated rollers or Katamari newbies need apply.

This game could only really be suitable for Sonic fans and younger gamers. Sonic aficionados will love a change of pace and a slight return to form for the blue spikey wonder. It also forms a fantastic introduction to the RPG world for kids as it is lightweight enough that they won't get bogged down by statistics yet it'll still introduce them to the basic concepts of RPGs before they move onto some of the true favourites on the DS (such as the Final Fantasys and the forthcoming Chrono Trigger).

A game that fails to truly engage on any level, producing an underwhelming mix of the RPG, action and adventure genres all wrapped up in adequate if slightly retro visuals.

A good game but is flawed most garishly by its awful loading times. It is both more expansive and more entertaining than its closest competitor Need for Speed Underground Rivals but lacking the intense thrills both Ridge Racer and Burnout Legends offer.

This game has graphical beauty but in many other areas it fails to excel. On the other hand, it is still a good game, but it's just a few levels below where it really needs to be to compete with the reborn version of "FIFA."

Medal of Honor Heroes 2 is not a bad game in the way that Midway's Hour of Victory is a bad game, but it is most definitely bland, dull, uninteresting, and yet further proof (if any was needed) that EA is still reticent to relinquish its grip on the profit-turning safety of established franchise titles in order to expand upon those mainstay releases with a much-needed infusion of invention and ambition.

As things stand, unless you go rabid for Egypt or tired old adventure games then I would advise you pass up on this time travelling opportunity.

The Saboteur could have been excellent. It has presentation, usually solid mechanics, characters that you are at least interested in if not actually engaged by, and things look pretty when they explode. However, the simply unforgivable control and climbing mechanic is justtoo hard to get past - constantly interfering with your game to the point of swearing and projectile gamepads.

But why is Medal of Honor: Airborne so difficult and unforgiving? Well, that's a debatable point, but this reviewer would hazard a guess that the distinct lack of single-player mission content likely has some bearing on it.

Silent Hill Shattered Memories will probably feel like a shallow version of the series to veteran players. But as a standalone title it represents a niche that is intelligent, thoughtful and meaningful.

The camera, AI and dreadful respawning conspire to cause great damage to an otherwise enjoyable yarn.

A marked improvement over the first game, this sequel is really only worth seeking out if your Spider sense is tingling for more Marvel action. Otherwise, you may want to use your common sense and avoid.

Mark of Chaos is disappointing. More disappointing that the game itself really deserves, as it is a perfectly respectable RTS that has nothing to be ashamed of on your local game stores shelf next to its peers.

The basic gameplay appeal lives on in City Folk, but Nintendo's laziness is there for all to see.

Investment has been made on the aspects that really matter: control and gameplay. The resulting game is one that will stay with you for some time after you have finished playing.

PES 2011 3D is a great first attempt on the 3DS, with the slick controls carrying over swimmingly. For next year's inevitable release, we're hoping to see some online features, single-cart local play, some stat-tracking and a few extra modes that use the 3D capabilities to their fullest.

I just plain old got bored with the game. The occasional clunkiness of both the presentation and the interface didn't bother me, but when the thrill of getting new items began to diminish under the realisation that the developers had little else up their sleeve other than to keep heaping monsters and loot onto me then I just gave up.

As a full-price purchase Mini Ninjas is hard to recommend to anyone other than those keen to snap up some easy Achievement Points by rushing headlong and unimpeded through its lacklustre adventure - for which a rental would be best advised.

Potential is a key word for discussing HAWX. There's a lot of hope within the engine, and the core gameplay is competent enough to secure its position as an emerging IP. It's still a bit rough around the edges, though, and Ubisoft should perhaps be a little bit ashamed for not allowing its natural potential to shine through.

It might not add anything new to the genre but it's still reasonably entertaining, especially if you're keen on the period it's set in.

In some ways Prinny succeeds in spite of itself.

Its enjoyably lightweight game play combined with a tirade of sickeningly clichéd narrative twists, fit snugly together to demonstrate another indication in the development of The Sims as a whole - and one which EA, love them or hate them, have moulded and managed with an admirable level of expertise.

While substandard scripts and voice acting can be forgiven, when someone pays upwards of £30 for a game lasting ten hours maximum they do not expect to be faced with fiddly controls or to be confused by poorly thought out level structures.

This is a game (famed for its capturing of a hardcore following) that has been made much less palatable for its key demographic. What's worse is that the changes are entirely unsuccessful in convincing anyone but fans of the show that any of this really matters.

Taking it as a whole its blatantly not perfect, in fact it's almost shoddy at times, but there's a nugget of gold inside SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Tactical Strike that shines through bright enough to almost make up for the numerous problems.

If you are a gamer that still sheds a little tear for the long lost "Streets of Rage" or "Final Fight" days then this game might please you by bringing back some fond memories. My verdict would be that it delivers nothing new despite the claims and just becomes a little boring and repetitive too quickly.

Champions Online holds a lot of promise and is the type of game that brings a smile to your face as you play despite its flaws, but it does still need some work.

You can see the core of a decent game in here if you ignore the problems, albeit one that would be let down by uninspired mission design and a dodgy plot.

Deadly Creatures is an interesting concept that is commendable from a technical point of view, and is only let down by a few niggles.

While I can appreciate the attraction Wii-owning Shaun White fans might feel when faced with the latest entrant in Ubisoft's burgeoning snowboarding franchise, there's simply not enough new and worthwhile content in World Stage to justify me doing anything but twisting consumer shoulders towards last year's offering instead.

The game still feels a bit light on content at $10, but Sonic fans will still find it a worthy investment.

The gameplay has its strengths, but as a whole it's hard not to be irritated by the ineptitude on display at times.

A strange double edged sword of a game, as a collection of mini games it's probably the best on the PSP, so good in fact that the theme park management elements you're forced to keep an eye on actually become an irritation after a while.

And while the title's misgivings are obstacles that anyone interested enough in the sport will learn over time to overcome, as a beacon towards accessibility to gaming for non-games players, they'll no doubt serve to hinder rather than endear their experiences.

Scarface is a great technical achievement on the Wii. It looks the part and provides all the required controls via the Wiimote and nunchuck. However, it doesn't seem able to do what all great games in this genre need to do, it never becomes more than the sum of its parts.

At the end of it all, Dragon Ball Z has a solid fighting mechanic behind it. The controls make sense and are responsive. However, I always felt that I was missing out by not being a fan of the show.

Children might not be too critical of the game's smaller blemishes such as the mind numbing collecting of coins and an often unfair camera that is completely fixed in position.

While substandard scripts and voice acting can be forgiven, when someone pays upwards of £30 for a game lasting ten hours maximum they do not expect to be faced with fiddly controls or to be confused by poorly thought out level structures.

It's a real shame that Legends of WrestleMania turns out to be such a slight affair as otherwise it's quite possibly the best wrestling game that developer Yuke's has made in a long time. The control system is a genuine improvement over previous efforts and the strong roster of legends is highly appealing. Had Yuke's fleshed out the WrestleMania Tour portion of the game into a fully-fledged story mode, this could have been something pretty special. As it stands however, Legends simply feels like an incomplete experience, which is a real shame and a major missed opportunity.

The sad thing is that Guitar Hero has actually done more than enough over the last few years to deserve some kind of back slapping celebration of it's success, it's just a shame Activision have decided this quick and easy cash in is the best way forward.