An enjoyable game, if a little shallow. It is nothing particularly innovative and almost feels like a portable game, owing to the lack of real depth. However it is an exciting and fun diversion, and definitely worth the budget online price for a racer with something a little different to offer.

The graphics are crisp and sharp, not too snazzy and not too lazy. It all feels just right. It is simple, but intelligent. It feels fresh and familiar. Not too easy, not too hard. Space Invaders Extreme is a walking oxymoron.

While Guns of the Patriots boasts lashings of in-game invention and creativity that's largely wrapped up in superb style and execution, it's all so unforgivably tainted by jaw-dropping gameplay brevity that it's truly difficult to raise the many, many good points above what is, for the most part, a succession of cut scenes that leave the player with an overwhelming sense of disconnection from one of gaming's most compelling characters and interactive franchises.

With a challenging campaign and four mini games to unlock, by itself it offers an enjoyable experience that will keep a smile on your face for some time. When you then factor in the editor, and then add BlastWorksDepot.com to the mix, that smile may become permanently attached to your face.

Soul Bubbles is an original game, beautifully executed, perfectly suited for the DS, using the touch screen to its full potential. I would love to find some fault with it, but I simply can't. Okay, I did get frustrated from time to time, but it was enormously satisfying when I finally got all my little spirits to safety.

There's little reason anyone but a NASCAR fan will buy this game when there's things like GRID, Forza, Gran Tourismo and so forth flying about.

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.

In the face of the political mess in Zimbabwe, the economic mess and knife-happy teenagers here in the UK, and the ongoing disaster in Iraq, the Incredible Hulk: The Official Videogame eclipses them all in making me unhappy.

Overall this game just screams 'middle of the road': a good opportunity that hasn't been fully taken advantage of. Having said that, if you have a spare weekend free and fancy a game that doesn't involve too much brain power and won't take you long to complete, then this is the ideal rental, but nothing more.

NG2 is the perfect fighting-action game, it is the ultimate gaming challenge for 2008, and it's one of the best looking 'gore games' ever created. If you want to know why Master Ninja level NG players give no respect to anyone who hasn't achieved this level of action-gaming perfection, you must become one yourself.

How you like your racing games is a personal thing, for me the delicate balance between pedal to the metal racing and slightly dull car porn is something that GRID gets spot on.

Lego Indiana Jones is very accessible and very well produced. Although for some endlessly smashing Lego scenery and finding keys to fit winches again and again and again in a desperate attempt to reach the next mildly humorous Mr. Bean-injected version of a scene from the classic films may get slightly tedious after hours and hours of it, and this is just about all Lego Indiana Jones' gameplay really amounts to.

Bakushow is, in a way, a tough game to score. I mean, its rubbish, but it does do exactly what it claims to and does it perfectly well. The fact that what it does is quite clearly the most pointless game concept in all of history is obviously a bad thing but it doesn't try to hide its flawed plan so anyone who buys it is hardly in a position to complain.

Did I mention the last two hours are pure gaming and storytelling nirvana?

This is one just for the blasting fans though, game objectives are clear at all times and there's no "pesky" things like immersive storyline or challenging puzzles to "get in the way" of mowing down enemies. Bizarrely enough, Colonies Edition is incompatible with the original game in online play so you can only play with other purchasers of the re-release; make what you will of that.

Death Jr. Root of Evil manages to convincingly sidestep the bargain bucket graveyard thanks to its character appeal, solid platform action, amusing and inventive weaponry, and a control system that largely succeeds in papering over any emergent sense of creeping mediocrity.

It is great fun despite its quirks and flaws, just don't try rushing your way through the levels too quickly. Take your time, getting there is half the journey as they say, and don't expect a polished final product like World of Warcraft, it's still a work in progress but will hopefully develop into a great alternative to Blizzard's opus.

The gameplay itself doesn't really offer anything new but it is a refreshing change to have a futuristic shooter against humans rather than aliens.

Dangerously compelling entertainment.

Wii Fit is going to make Nintendo money by the bucket load. But rest assured there is some pretty impressive substance behind the hype.

Although there is nothing wrong with the gameplay (which is rock-solid), it's as good as FIFA 2008 - if not ever so slightly more fined tuned. My only concern is why any football fan would want a version that is not as complete as other versions already on the market.

Ultimately, this game is really more of an interactive movie - the combat offers next to no challenge and there is very little replay value.

Take it for what it is meant to be, and this is a game where all the family can experience a light Mii-infested slice of alpine skiing heaven.

Unlike the vast majority of videogame adaptations designed to further boost Hollywood's already bulging coffers, Speed Racer doesn't overreach by trying to justify its existence with masses of unnecessary gameplay fluff, convoluted storylines and flashy worthless extras. Instead it keeps its focus solely on fun-filled Car-Fu racing, not needing to swamp the gameplay with star likenesses and vocal performances in an effort to paper over any developmental shortcomings.

Needless to say Boom Blox gets my highest praise not because of its masterly delivery, clever controls or intriguing levels but because it makes me and my family genuinely enjoy playing it together.

A rotten excuse for a game.

It seems Secret Level somehow managed to circumvent everything that can make games fun as they produced Iron Man. It's not awful, but its decidedly below average from beginning to end. The game is not necessarily the laziest attempt at a cash-in I've ever played, but it's certainly on the right track.

It's time to invite [non-hardcore] players into the back room to find out what we've all known for years. Namely, that games like GTA IV can offer all the story, all the immersion and all the witty, post-modernistic commentary you could ever wish for, wrapped-up in grin-inducing gameplay that never lets up or becomes repetitive. This is indeed a vital game.

The package as a whole works well, not because of the packed in wheel, not because of the new content and innovation, but because Nintendo have proved that they understand what it is that makes this series great - the balance between racing and fighting.

All that said, this is a game that doesn't pander to the casual gamer. Those that persevere will however find a very accessible experience bubbling under the teen angst.

Battle of the Bands is lazy game-making based around a briefly amusing idea.

It's an enjoyable romp of a point and click adventure, it manages to maintain a fun sense of humour, and it is the perfect antidote to the domination of instant gratification in first-person shooters and real-time strategy games.

At a hefty 25 GBP it's a pretty expensive demo, albeit one that should keep you smiling for a good few weeks.

The Wii's best game to-date, if you'll just give it a chance to shine.

There's not much to make Assassin's Creed: Director's Cut stand out from the console release half a year ago. The graphics are still pretty; the gameplay is still simplistic but satisfying, and the information gathering missions are still quirky at first and sluggish by the end of the game. The implication that this version is superior by the movie-like suffix is mainly unfounded.

And so then, with forty long and irretrievable hours of my life behind me, I pressed the Wii eject button on Baroque for the final time. What relief! I promise you, pushing one little white button has never felt so good.

It's easily one of the better PSP racers out there, the potent mix of high-speed racing and spectacular crashes setting it apart from the more clean cut thrills found in WipeOut and Ridge Racer.

The combat is enjoyable, particularly against the government soldiers, but the game would have definitely benefited immensely from a more solid melee mechanic and a bit more variety here and there. Then again some stylish and innovative ranged combat mechanics more than make up for this.

Silent Hill is consistently creepy, Resident Evil is absolutely action packed, while Obscure is undeniably unsure of itself.

There are two types of people who will enjoy this game. People who like very accessible and simple to pick-up games, and people under the age of 18.

Beyond its intriguing battle system, Opoona is simply a monotonous trawl through futuristic cities that never impress, luscious exteriors that are never allowed to impress, gameplay that makes Crazy Frog Racer 2 look impressive, and an anorexic storyline that only succeeds in impressing on the player that the 30 hours required to drag themselves over the finish line will be lost in the pits of gaming hell forever.

Were it not for the plot and the special significance of Final Fantasy VII this game would invariably fail to stand out in a crowded genre, brimming with innovation and quality. Still, this is Final Fantasy, and that still counts for something.

There's nothing inherently wrong with Kane's Wrath - it is a very slick, stable and polished package - and as long as you feel the allure of the C&C universe is strong enough to warrant yet another visit then this purchase will not disappoint.

It more than holds its own against the perceived heavyweights of the genre.

I guess at the end of the day, the new Beetle just served as a reminder of what a good car the Golf is. Content over style is the decider again for me.

While our stay in the city of sin has been an enjoyable and occasionally engrossing one, we won't be needing to revisit anytime soon.

If you were a fan of the first then this is an improvement on that in almost every aspect and you will love them all, however if you hated the first one then chances are you won't take to the sequel either as it is very similar in most aspects.

It does what it does very well indeed providing a version of football that while not hugely realistic plays the kind of fast exciting all action game you wish you watched week in week out on the terraces. Put it this way, my England vs. Croatia game this morning ended 7 - 1 (4-4-2, Beckham on from the start and no untested young keeper), hands up who'd have rather watched that on Wednesday night.

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 hardcore strategy game fans amongst us will adore this. It's a true challenge and it will last a very, very long time. However if you're any less than a hardcore fan (and I mean the type of fan who will forego sleep for a week just to play networked Civilization) you might not like this at all.

Ultimately, size does matter - but only to the point where bigger is not always better and certainly no substitute for convincing gameplay.

Despite its absolutely luminal reception, there is a strong argument that Brawl will appeal to the two polar opposites of the gaming community but fall flat to the majority of 'middle class' gamers in between. The very casual gamer will enjoy the chaos and the pyrotechnics, the hardcore gamer will love the bizarre mojo they can discover to gain their edge, but the middle of the road party player will probably soon tire of the impetus of play without being able to access the deeper mysteries.

A solid title that delivers a satisfying third-person shooter experience successfully drawing the player into its action via meaty weapon selection and customisation, an intriguingly adult and believable storyline, extremely pretty in-game and pre-rendered graphics and animation, appealing and humorous character camaraderie, immersive if not somewhat flawed partner A.I and Aggro systems, and a thoroughly decent level of challenge.

While a seven-hour freestanding Kratos adventure might be considered a little short by some gaming standards, God of War: Chains of Olympus is quite simply the finest slice of action to grace the PSP since launch and is an essential purchase on every level.

But, all the problems aside it's still great fun when it works and for that reason, had it been released bug free, we'd be looking at a score in the 90's. As it is the painfully obvious nature of those bugs make it impossible to ignore them entirely however much you may want to.

Ninja Reflex, whilst being for the most part competently put together, will leave both solo gamers and party players at best cold, and at worst hot under the collar. Pass this title by, silently and unseen in your black pyjamas.

It's ugly, it's poorly executed, it's riddled with technical glitches, its A.I. is laughable, it's boring, unoriginal and thoroughly unrewarding.

We are offered up a compelling story, classically 'Lost' in fact, and fans will be more than titillated by this.

While the squishy and squashy invention of the PSP's award-winning LocoRoco perhaps comes closest to Patapon in terms of creativity and originality, the genre-straddling ingenuity and intrinsic simplicity of Pyramid/Japan Studios' horrendously addictive rhythm-based, all-action, resource management God game successfully lifts Patapon head and shoulders above most of today's videogames - PSP or otherwise.

A solid shooter. Its visual style at times is stunning, and coupled with the Godzilla-sized enemies remains a challenge throughout. With a control system akin to superior combat games like Rainbow Six the title could have been more enjoyable but if you like your games with Rambo-esque body counts then you will see plenty of enjoyment here.

Its strengths lie in that it's simple to a fault, it's direct and honest, it's damn addictive, and it's the perfect foil for starting (or ending) a fun Saturday night on the town - or any night for that matter. What more do you need from an arcade FPS game?

This is a beautiful, involving, epic example of its type but those for whom the genre holds no interest aren't going to be converted by a game that rarely offers the innovation you may have been expecting and conforms to more of the old frustrations than it probably should.

Was it worth the wait, yes, it did keep drawing me back but through the final missions auto-pilot mode had taken over. Regrettably, for a new game, it already feels dated.

Overall, this game will hit the mark for its target audience, so if you know someone who is a fan it will be perfect. It might be a pleasant diversion for the older gamer, if slightly simplistic.

Unless you are a gymnastic puzzles enthusiast with sharp reflexes it's hardly worth the bother, but it beats playing on your mobile whilst sitting in a waiting room.

As no-nonsense arcade thrills go Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice is something of a flawed diamond. Behind the wheel its huge fun and the jumping from car to car idea works so well you wonder why it's not been done before. The on foot sections however are awkward and frustrating enough to wipe the smile off your face every time they appear.

This sort of incidental fun has historically been the preserve of childhood matchbox cars and track, and it's therefore great to find a videogame that encourages such imaginative play. For me this more than compensates for any shortfall in 'directed' experience, and I'd suggest is an opportunity for the gamer to play a greater part in creating their own fun.

While the plot may be simple in theory, for example, the dialogue is wonderfully eccentric, and always keeps you glued to the screen.

It's most definitely a sink or swim title, but for those eager to take to the seas they could do a lot worse.

Just be warned though, don't expect it to be an easy ride at all. War is hell, especially in Dark Conflict's case. If you're new to the series then maybe start with Dual Strike for a friendlier introduction.

Overall, the game almost has an experimental feel to it.

Here again we find a third-party suffering next to the high bar set by Nintendo with the likes of Wii Sports - a game that no doubt had a much larger budget and longer gestation. At least in NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams we have a passable distraction until the day comes when we find out what exactly the Wii is capable of.

Were it to include a killer campaign this would be a game that is hard to beat - as it stands it is still an impressive first outing on the PS3.

It's a revolutionary title offering five times more than any other developer would dare. There are potentially infinite playing hours available here, providing you get hooked on Team Fortress 2's zany online experience (and there's plenty of players mainlining daily).

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.

I simply cannot understand the half-arsed approach that has been taken with Godzilla; I played more engaging games 15 years ago on the GameBoy. With every level taking exactly the same design but with a slightly different background it reaches new levels of repetition.

As it is, we're still wowed by Rock Band's ambition, while the Band World Tour mode is truly groundbreaking.

Arcade nuts that simply cannot live without Ghost Squad in their collection should be prepared to receive nothing but a strictly shallow gaming experience, while everyone else would be well advised to consider spending their hard-earned cash on Capcom's far superior Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles.

There is plenty here to justify the purchase. Provided you haven't splashed out for the Xbox Live game and you already have a Classic Controller for the Wii (guess that leaves a good five of you!) then this is well worth the mullah.

For committed (good one - Ed) fans of this rather niche genre, Time Crisis 4 might appeal, and it does offer flashes of high-quality entertainment, but frankly most of what Namco have delivered is largely uninspired, and the GunCon 3 controller is certainly no mould-breaker.

This game is pure, unadulterated, ultra-violent fun, and should perhaps be compulsory for anyone who needs a bit of stress relief in their life, or have an urge to shoot aliens for no other reason than because they can.

This is a game you could think of as real 'summer blockbuster', although this is meant in the best possible way.

Ultimately, what we have here is collection of mini games that range from the dull to the sublime with unfortunately slightly more emphasis on the former.

Crysis turns out to be a pretty perfect woman. It's beautiful, clever, fun loving, doesn't mind what you get up to and does its very best to keep you happy (it even has the option to turn the volume down). In fact if I wasn't already spoken for I may be getting ready to introduce it to my parents.

As it is - in this unfinished state - Kane & Lynch's all-too obvious lack of Q&A follow through makes it impossible to recommend for anyone other than hardcore shooter fans willing to trawl through hours of mediocrity in return for minutes of unfulfilled promise.

Assassin's Creed arrives as a glorious but flawed masterpiece that deserves to be praised for all that it does so brilliantly, not shamefully criticised for a smattering of minor detractions that never threaten to do anything but temporarily blemish an otherwise glistening gem.

By losing the open city nature of previous games and restricting you to organised events the series has lost a large part of what was fun about it in the first place. Add to that the fact that the driving itself seems to have become horribly broken since last year and suddenly you're left with a game that's relying solely on its image to shift copies.

It is just SimCity Lite, and really provides no new challenge or choices. Of course, I did still enjoy raining a meteor shower on my metropolis - probably a little too much, thanks to the frustration I had built up while playing.

All in all this is essentially a game for fans of the series. Its innovations will mostly go unnoticed by the masses and rightly so as they have been primarily designed to titillate the faithful.

Overall, this is certainly a game that will get the family playing together this yuletide, but it is unlikely to see very much action on into the New Year.

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.

AvP:R is an action game that fails spectacularly to doing anything exciting with a license built on the promise of exciting action. Instead it comes off feeling like a shell of a game waiting for someone to come along and add the ideas and fun.

Overall, the game is good for a quick blast of stealth action on the go, but the game is not really deep enough for anything much more.

Galaxy opts for a slow strong confident delivery rather than the showy tricks of its impostors. This may mean it takes a little while before you are really convinced. But, spend a little time and we are sure that you will be coming back again and again, just to be reminded of what it takes to make a great platform game in every sense of the word: running, jumping and exploration.

In actual fact I found this, while admittedly less spectacular, as enjoyable as anything else I've played on the 360. BlackSite never attempts to be innovative, but knows what it does best. A well-oiled working game is ridiculously hard to find these days and, if nothing else, BlackSite is certainly that.

Anyone who is interested in the mythos of Silent Hill will do very well to buy this game, settle back, turn the lights off, and enjoy some good old-fashioned psychological horror.

Despite these few niggles, if you can overlook the moderate repetitiveness of the missions in Bladestorm, and conquer its slightly confusing initial battles, it's an extremely rewarding and fun game.

Unfortunately for Empire Earth III, some very bad AI coupled with terrible path finding, a watered down experience, frustrating battles and terrible use of character speech leads me to suggest that you spend your hard earned cash on one of the finer genre examples of late, such as "Age of Empires 3" or "Supreme Commander."