A genuine surprise. The intoxicating mixture of exhilarating stunt work and impressive pace help to make this a top-notch racing title, albeit one with a few disappointing issues.

Hardcore devotees of Irem's legendary shooter series may balk at the methodical gameplay but R-Type Tactics ranks as an intelligent and entertaining extension of the R-Type universe.

While not all of the puzzles in Dr Reiner Knizia's Brainbenders will take your fancy, there's enough in here to ensure that at least some of it will appeal. The over-arching mechanic adds flavour to ingredients that are otherwise sometimes bland.

Visually disappointing, lacking in challenge and generally not that much fun, Iron Man singularly fails to communicate the excitement found in its big screen counterpart.

The DS version trumps the PSP edition, but it's a hollow victory - this is lightweight stuff that many players will find is only entertaining for a worryingly short a period of time.

From our perspective, echochrome is easily the best downloadable game currently available for PSP.

The Worlds Ends With You is a deep and multifaceted adventure with clever combat, innovative features and a worrying shop-till-you-drop addictivity.

It may be mildly diverting and moderately entertaining, but this latest entry in the Mystery Dungeon series sadly fails to improve on its already disappointing predecessor.

It may be mildly diverting and moderately entertaining, but this latest entry in the Mystery Dungeon series sadly fails to improve on its already disappointing predecessor.

Like its stars, High School Musical 2 is pretty to begin with, but quickly becomes annoying and repetitive.

Teenage Zombies is a refreshingly irreverent and playable platform romp that is only slightly sullied by some unfortunate repetition and an overall lack of challenge.

It isn't an ancient Chinese secret how Kung Fu Panda spices up side-scrolling action with great graphics and interesting touch-based combat moves. Controls are frequently cumbersome, but the originality of it all makes it worth the trouble.

A fun, inventive slide 'n' slash action game that doesn't get everything right, but stays true to the way of the ninja with satisfying combat and beautiful visuals.

No-frills action makes Warriors Orochi a decent portable experience, especially with co-op multiplayer and the promise of hours and hours of enjoyable - if similar - gameplay.

Spiky-haired hero seeks action RPG with flawed character development mechanics covered up by gorgeous graphics and comprehensive gameplay. Would prefer a Final Fantasy VII fan.

Control issues and a general lack of cohesion prevent Sega Superstars Tennis from totally stealing the show on Centre Court, but it nevertheless remains a commendable purchase.

What it lacks in authenticity, it makes up for in gameplay. Arguably the best football game on the system - once you've mastered the basics.

Offering no discernible improvement over its lacklustre predecessor and paling in comparison to more accomplished DS football titles, PES 2008 is best relegated to bench-warming duty.

Nanostray 2 looks gorgeous and is eminently playable, but sadly it lacks imagination and becomes disappointingly repetitive all too quickly.

Unique in its tranquil style of gameplay, flOw's delightfully smooth experience is punctuated only by technical flaws related to its beautiful visual presentation.

Ultimately it's a testament to the game that the campaign's short length can't keep us from exalting Chains of Olympus's exceptional virtues. It's just too unbelievably polished, engaging, and entertaining a title to miss. Kratos may have wet our palate, but like every magnificent gaming experience ever made, we're already thirsty for more.

One of the best strategy games released on DS, ANNO 1701 brings micro-management to the mainstream.

Fun, but flawed, if you're looking for some strategy for younger DS players, you could do a lot worse than Ecolis.

Ninja Reflex is undeniably attractive and polished, but unfortunately it gives up its secrets far too quickly to be considered good value for money.

It certainly won't be to everyone's tastes but deep within the dusty catacombs of Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer resides a unique and impressively addictive game.

Although Double Shot won't necessarily disappoint fans of the series, and vintage games generally, it's an extraordinarily lazy sequel that trades on the moderate success of a 20-year-old arcade game.

Charm and originality waft through the air like the rhythmic beats of its fantastic gameplay - Patapon is as close as you can get to portable pleasure without an 'adults only' rating.

A charming and competent brain testing game on the surface. But with only ten mini-games and a dubious method of testing your intelligence, Brain Assist doesn't do anything to better its many rivals.

Melodrama isn't enough to carry Apollo Justice, a game that feels considerably more weighed down by dialogue and little actual gameplay to speak of than its predecessors.

ProStreet might be a little late out of the development garage, but that doesn't keep it from crossing the finish line in greatly playable form.

The FIFA Street idea has potential but unfortunately the execution is disappointingly sloppy. If you desire soccer entertainment on your DS, we recommend you stay off the streets and pick the standard-issue FIFA instead.

Don't expect much in the way of useful tuition if you're an experienced player but for the novice this is a superb place to start.

This puzzle game with a heart is a splendid endorsement of the genre and the DS.

Charming children's game with a decent turn-based battle system and some neat ideas. It's a little short-lived and environments aren't too large-scale but nothing that should trouble younger players or stop them enjoying the faerie fighting fun.

Filled with flaws, underwhelming action and lack of staying power, Assassin's Creed composes a chronicle of mediocrity.

While not terrible, Zoo Tycoon 2 suffers from a lack of sheen that creeps like dry rot into the foundations of the game, dulling the whole experience.

Although it isn't quite the game it could be, Extreme Justice is nevertheless a polished, outrageous and – most importantly – highly competent video game equivalent of the kind of films that have turned high-camp action into an art form.

While not exactly a revolution, Bomberman Land Touch! 2 is a worthy successor to a worthy title, with a credible single-player mini-game campaign and a truly superb range of multiplayer options.

Gorgeous-looking Mario & Sonic goes for gold with multiplayer, despite stumbling across the finish line with a few lame events, the odd control issue and only moderately entertaining solo play.

One for experienced series fans, Advance Wars: Dark Conflict marches in near-flawless fashion to strengthen the cause of turn-based strategy gaming.

Miami Nights might have made a splash on mobile, but it cannonballs Nintendo DS with poor controls and a general lack of fun.

Over-ambitious 3D free-roaming stunt-a-thon which ends up being just hard to control, repetitive and completely unsuited to DS.

Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law flies in the face of habeus corpus, holding a funny animated series hostage to a smattering of bad jokes and non-existent gameplay.

A lack of online play and other minor shortcomings sully MX vs ATV Untamed, although the experience still manages to rev up some excitement.

The Golden Compass orients itself amongst the worst of licensed games, failing to do anything notable beyond tarnishing the name of the acclaimed novel it's associated with.

A side-scrolling adventure based on a great book, with platforms, fighting and puzzles to negotiate. Some levels are fun, as is the touchscreen alethiometer, but a few good puzzles aside it's nowhere near as good as it should have been.

Convincingly crossing dancing with beat-'em-up, Draglade is a fun, frenetic and hugely likeable DS B-movie.

Despite the huge effort that's obviously gone into the graphics and the cutscenes, Beowulf's gameplay never really come to life.

Geometry Wars: Galaxies triangulates arcade action, subtle depth, and intuitive controls for pure fun you'll return to remarkably regularly.

Comfortably defying expectations, Boogie proves to be wonderfully infectious dance floor fun.

While sticklers might argue that Magic Made Fun isn't really a game, there's plenty of enjoyment to be had in mastering its array of unique and sometimes ingenious tricks.

A good idea, an imaginative tale, a scary but heart-warming hero and some lovely childhood memories are all completely wiped out by this atrocious game.

Bright, beautiful and extremely playable, Revenant Wings breathes new life into the portable line of Final Fantasies.

Just add ice. Getting a party started is easy with this multiplayer gem, thanks to a huge assortment of quirky mini-games and single-cartridge play.

A baby simulation for young, baby-loving DS owners. There's not much in the way of gameplay and the mini-games are simple but it's a cute, well structured experience that will strongly appeal to its target audience.

Runaway: The Dream of the Turtle's woeful mechanics and clunky puzzle solving turn a promising adventure into a bit of a nightmare.

There's potential here but it's sadly squandered thanks to a frustrating control system and needlessly repetitive game modes. One for hardcore WWE fans only.

A 'jobber' is a wrestler whose primary role is to lose to other, better opponents. It's what WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2008 feels like.

Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 tries to seduce you with its quirky 3D visuals, but at its core this is just a bare-bones mini-game collection that can only sustain the briefest of relationships.

The best modder on the market, with more vehicles, automotive parts and decals than you can shake a wrench at.

Despite a few irritating stages, this remains a blisteringly fast and entertaining Sonic outing.

It doesn't really add a great deal to the original mobile phone release but Orcs & Elves DS remains an extremely polished and playable adventure that is well worth splashing your Dwarven gold on.

In the unlikely case that you're a complete newcomer to WWII shooters, Medal of Honor Heroes 2 is well worth a look. However, it doesn't add anything to the series besides another reliably decent episode and a generous multiplayer game.

Despite source material that found success on the PC, Aliens vs Predator: Requiem is dull, repetitive, illogical, glitchy, and everything that gives movie tie-ins a bad name.

More fried chicken than duck a l'orange in terms of sophistication, Cooking Mama 2 still manages to be a delicious distraction.

We're positive you'll want to avoid MGS Portable Ops Plus: a lacklustre single-player mode, unfriendly interface, and minimal new content make it comprehensively inferior to its predecessor.

A competent - if technically unimpressive - racer which is enhanced by some neatly branching track design and overall charm.

Squad Command strives to be as accessible as possible, and while the casual slant is clearly a great idea, a few basic issues prevent the game from being all it could be.

A kompelling combination of a klassic bloody brawler and spin-off mini-game, Ultimate Mortal Kombat's few flaws are dealt a good kicking by the game's awesome online multiplayer.

An extremely solid experience that mostly succeeds. The impatient might object to the convoluted puzzles and the combat is a weak link, but as the first serious example of handheld horror, this sets a satisfyingly high bar.

Bright, addictive and fun - Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker is a great addition to the DS adventure line-up.

About as mind-numbing as brain surgery, Lifesigns: Hospital Affairs concerns itself too much with gossip rather than gameplay. It's an utterly dull game that's better left on the operating table.

A brilliant game for Star Wars fans and DS fans alike, The Complete Saga combines childlike simplicity with fiendishly hidden depth, providing an involving experience you'll find difficult to beat.

An intuitive and absorbing puzzle game with a solid central concept. It just needs to branch out a little in order to join the puzzling elite.

Like a sniper taking aim from out of nowhere, SOCOM: Tactical Strike sets sights on PSP and emerges as one of the year's best. Phenomenal visuals, tight tactical gameplay, and unparalleled multiplayer make this a must-have title.

While it doesn't quite measure up to the best of the virtual pet breed, Shrek: Ogres and Dronkeys is an almost satisfying game that younger Shrek fans will enjoy.

Fantastically funny and an unwavering faithfulness to the source material help make this rather average 3D action adventure worth a furtive glance – it's just a shame that it's over so quickly.

While Call of Duty: Modern Warfare isn't likely to bring a unanimous verdict when it comes to FPS on DS, it makes the most compelling case so far.

A polished tie-in for pre-teens but it's singularly lacking in ideas, imagination or depth.

An unlikely classic, Disgaea is one of the most perfect expressions of freeform strategy gaming it's possible to imagine.

It's relatively entertaining but more as a result of its set-pieces, one-liners and occasional clever detail than its gameplay, which is uninspired.

Controversy aside, Manhunt 2 doesn't deliver gameplay entertaining enough to justify its sophomoric sense of humour. A lack of technical polish and censored elements prevent it from being anything more than a fleeting talking point.

A disappointingly half-baked piece of video game entertainment that should be returned to the chef immediately.

Dementium: The Ward comes in a pretty wrapper, offering an entertaining first-person adventure light on fright. Not the best candy in the basket, then, but it's certainly still worth a bite.

A decent mix of action and platform gameplay, but despite an interesting new feature, Crash of the Titans simply doesn't do enough to stand out in a sea of Nintendo DS titles.

A good-looking, deep and engaging package that should be in any self-respecting gamer's collection, save for the fact that many who lack the skill, talent and time to succeed in it won't be able to access at least half of what's on offer.

The third game in the much-loved lawyer-sim series makes a watertight case for classic status.

Naruto: Path of the Ninja may star a sprightly yellow-haired youth, but its gameplay is old and tired. Even fans of the manga are going to have a hard time choking down this stale piece of gaming.

A decent enough experience for younger players, the nine mini-games of EA Playground provide plenty of addictive – if not hugely challenging – fun.

Front Mission may not pack a full house of tactical depth, but that doesn't prevent it from dealing an easy and enjoyable introduction to the genre.

The Sims gets a survival game. A neat package of exploration and item-finding, but one that does get a bit tedious for all but the keenest of collectors.

Instead of setting its sights on liberty, the game should have perhaps concerned itself with offering a more engaging experience. Still, decent multiplayer and great graphics prevent this from being simply ordinary.

With clean graphics and fun mini-games, Music Jam is a good composition let down by slow pacing and poor music.

It's not original, but Tony Hawk's Proving Ground contains more stunts and features than you'll ever manage to roll your way through, and one of the most comprehensive multiplayer modes around.

A brave effort to bring vision training to the masses, Sight Training won't appeal to most and is undone by the blind spot of dullness.

It's been a long time coming but DS owners finally have a decent brawler to enjoy - Bleach: Blade of Fate offers peerless scrapping action.

Combining a colourful cartoon world with the pinball table, Flipper Critters provides an interesting – if unspectacular – mixture of gameplay.

Great action and excellent multiplayer modes make Renegade Squadron an enjoyable experience, even if the short single-player mode and substandard visuals keep it from reaching its full potential.