The simplicity of Star Hammer works both in its favour and against it. It is a very easy game to pick up and will appeal to players, like myself, who have little experience or interest in the genre but strategy fans may well be put off by how basic the title is.

I think the biggest compliment I can give The Flying Hamster is that I that I forgot I was playing a mini. Compared to other minis it is rather expensive at £5.99, but there again compared to other minis it's well designed and perfectly polished.

There are still issues with animations, ball physics and AI but nothing that isn't easily forgiven as a quirk of the game. There is one week between the release dates of FIFA and Pro Evo and while it's not yet clear who will be touring the city in an open topped bus, at last PES has earned its place in the final.

There's a solid single player here with some stunning set pieces and the clever Tier 1 mode will no doubt see some serious competition down the line. However, the real star appears to be the multiplayer mode, which despite limited playtesting looks to offer an entirely fresh portion of the game.

The game is good; fans of tense, methodical dual stick shooters will probably really enjoy it. It's just a shame that the wider-reaching problems weren't addressed.

This game wears its heart on its sleeve in terms of what it's all about and is entirely unapologetic in the pursuit of base humour and over the top violence. If you can live with the over-keen loading screens and the infuriating lack of sense from the survivors you attempt to rescue then you should enjoy it for many hours.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is a tough one to score. Whilst it does little wrong, it also fails to raise pulses. What the player is left with is a very solid game, with strong puzzle and combat elements that is well worth a look.

There is a lot to like about FIFA 11 and fans of the series will no doubt fawn over the multitude of minor improvements. It would be dishonest to ignore the, mostly minor, flaws that are definitely present though. Not that those flaws will spoil many people's enjoyment of the game, they just give the franchise room to improve next year.

If you're looking for a racing game that will grow with you over the coming months, F1 2010 is that game. It's not perfect, but it does more than enough right to make it a non-brainer for most – utterly brilliant.

Tumble's prescence at the Move launch shouldn't be underestimated – it's a very clever game with some really impressive ideas and a main mechanic that sets the game apart from the rest of the line-up.

Worms 2: Armageddon is basically the same Worms game that you've been playing for years, with tons of content thrown into the mix.

There is nothing wrong with My Aquarium per se. It does what it's supposed to do. It's just pretty tedious.

Not just the best re-creation of Space Invaders I have played, it is also one of my favourite downloadable titles of 2010. This is an absolute no-brainer recommendation to anyone who played the game or its clones in the '80s, and for anyone who hasn't played it, you will enjoy a very quirky and unusual top-down shooter.

It's priced well (at around £25), offers lots of gameplay and a couple of real gems.

It's not going to change the world and the fact that it's one player at once is a real shame, but it's highly likely to get the grandparents giggling like kids, and, to be honest, when you're buying a game like Start The Party, that's all you can ask for.

Unfortunately, that narrative is never properly realised and the game's control issues and repetitive elements make some sections infuriating.

Whilst you are probably going to have to install it to your memory card if you want the best experience and there are a few flaws, such as the questionable crowd sounds, if you're a fan of the UFC games this is pretty much made for you.

NHL 11 is an absolutely fantastic game that will provide hockey fans with literally hundreds of hours worth of gameplay. If hockey is your thing then pick this up, if it's not but you want something different then I highly recommend trying it.

If you're fond of Eyepet and can look past the niggles, interacting with your chosen furball has gotten a whole lot easier and more intuitive – and whilst it's not going to hold your attention for too long, it's well worth the upgrade for fans.

This game grows on you in a curious way and winds up with you in furious determination to get 'just one level further this time'.

It does take a while for the action to really heat up and draw in the player but if you stick with it you'll find 50 plus hours of fun and a truly original gaming experience.

Everything about Mafia II is average. From the tepid driving controls and the standard cover mechanism to the staid narrative which could still have been enjoyable, had they put a little more thought into it. This game is not terrible but it is some way from being good.

But with so many minis titles out there with an ever-increasing level of quality, it's hard to recommend this title over others already available.

The game didn't even make me want to quote Top Gun once in this review. It's just not good, even if you feel the need… the need for speed.

The new features make the game playable by a much wider audience but all the tools are there for those of you who want to tune your experience and take minute control over your team.

Compared to the similar block-sliding puzzler D-Cube Planet this is an example of just how good some minis are and how minis games are developing. The polished presentation makes this one of the best-looking, sounding and playing minis I have yet tried.

For fans of the PlayStation 3 version of Gravity Crash this is more of the same, slightly refined. That's not a bad thing though, the game is perfectly suited to short periods of play and the PSP's portability makes it an ideal fit.

Fifteen years ago DeathSpank would not only have been regarded as an accomplished and polished retail game, it would likely have been viewed as a leader in its field. It's an indication of just how comprehensive and refined DeathSpank is as a title.

Landit Bandit is quite short and it is limited to a few basic mechanics used to accomplish very similar tasks. The mechanics are solid enough to make it a taxing and entertaining distraction but you might be left wishing there was a little more substance and a bit more polish.

If you loved Leliana you will love this and the price will be the only thing to make you pause for consideration before hitting the 'buy' button. For anyone else it is a far from essential addition to DA:O.

If you're looking for a darts game for when you're on the move, or even just a darts game to play at home now and then, look no further, this provides enough entertainment at a great price.

After about an hour of play you've probably seen just about all there is to see. If the variety was there or the price was that of download title then you could probably overlook some of the technical faults. In the end its biggest crime is that it just isn't fun to play.

So is the game worth buying? If you are a Transformers fan, skip to Option A, if you are not, Option B is for you.

Rocks n' Rockets would be the perfect fit in a retro gamers life. The downfalls aren't entirely its fault but there is a noticeable difference between the consoles.

Overall this is a competent, attractive version of mahjong solitaire, though not without its flaws.

While the gameplay isn't flawed, there is little in the way of challenge.

This game is a league above in terms of design quality, direction and production. The stealth-based gameplay might not appeal to some but it is the core that this series was built on and to see it return to that form is a joyous thing.

It's good, really good. Hello Games might only be four strong but their first game has production values and a sense of purpose many retail PS3 games can only dream of. It's a focused, concentrated game, apparently clear of feature-creep and publisher intervention, and manages to tick all the right boxes.

As a standalone game, Green Day Rock Band doesn't quite offer enough content to warrant a full price release for most people. While it is fun and a very polished game, it just needs that extra spark to make it a great game like The Beatles: Rock Band.

The only realistic emulation of the sport for home consoles. With its myriad of options and game modes there should be plenty to keep you occupied and, as long as you're prepared for the almost lethargic pacing, it is a joy to play.

For some reason Alpha Protocol grabbed me and kept me engaged. For me, the versatility of the story, the way the flow of the game can be altered and the fact it kept me interested enough to finish it and then play it again far outweighed any issues I had with the controls.

Impressive multiplayer functionality and social tools contrast with frequent loading screens and clunky main menus.

This is as close to perfect as any game.

The creation is as deep or as automatic as you want it, the online as time sapping or as casual as your heart desires – MNR is a game for everyone without ever making anyone feel left out, and in the days of hardcore first person shooters and single player epics, surely that's exactly what we all need just now?

There are quite a few single-stick shooters on the PSN store now. In my opinion, this is the best of the bunch. It has been well-designed, balanced and tuned to perfection, and is a big improvement on the original.

An unmissable game for any fan of the genre or great action adventures in general. We don’t often get masterpieces around here, but this is certainly one of those moments in time when gamers will look back more fondly on a dusty old six shooter than anything that involves jacking cars.

With this title Blackrock Studios have established themselves as a studio to watch out for, and in Split/Second they have delivered the most action packed racer this generation.

The Prince makes a triumphant return to his roots in The Forgotten Sands, and all of your fears of this being a rushed game to simply be released alongside the movie can be abolished; we'll put that one down to good timing.

It might not be original, but it's certainly good fun, and all credit to Southpeak for picking up the slightly esoteric title for a European release – spread the word, 3D Dot Game Heroes deserves a place in your PS3 this Spring.

The levels themselves are wonderfully varied, ranging from luscious jungles, deserts and even a rather intense battle on a train.

It was a great concept, but the third instalment has disappointed. There really isn’t much depth to be found with Skate 3, due to the short career mode and lacking extra features.

A triumph. A shining example of what the PSP can do in the right hands and is actually an improvement on the PS3 version.

There are no fancy graphics here or much customisation to help your characters advance, gain better weapons and before stronger – however, for the price this is certainly a neat, fun game and it will most definitely fill in my need for a cowboy related shooter until Red Dead Redemption comes strolling into town.

NIER is far from perfect – in fact, it's decidedly below average at times – but for every sloppy design decision or hackneyed rehash there are charming and often unique aspects that are worth the investment.

To me it seems that EA have learned their lesson from past games and have went all out to provide a game that anyone watching the World Cup will be proud of and you know what? They have succeeded.

I’m a big fan of the pure arcade experience, and AfterBurner Climax offers exactly that. It’s concise to the point of being a little too short, but there’s lots to unlock, a nice smattering of Trophies and a couple of extra secret levels too.

A wonderfully unique and well presented title, the presentation is wonderful, the action fast paced and the experience is an addictive one.

The Conspiracy might not appeal to fans but to a Prison Break virgin, it is surprisingly good. Yes, there are flaws and it won’t win any awards but it should definitely at least be rented. Even just for the simple trophies.

My opinion of Anarchy: Rush Hour was quite bleak until I took it online. That changed the game completely and I’ve upped my rating in consideration of that.

For fans of extreme sports it’s a confident, expansive game with lots of potential and if the developers can push out some DLC down the line the multiplayer side of things will be more than an afterthought.

A fun online experience but I can’t see this continuing to be played long into the future with so many other shooters available. The story may be a little lacklustre but if you simply treat it as a lengthy tutorial, you’ll have a great time online.

Avalanche have managed to make the game feel alive with improved AI, plenty of rounded characters and a smooth learning curve assuming you take early advantage of the flexibility of the game’s key element: the grappling hook. Do so, and you’ll have nothing but fun.

This is your only option if you love the sport and want a console version so it’s lucky that it’s an approachable, realistic and well-realised virtual representation.

The presentation’s nice and there’s certainly a lot of ‘game’ for your money.

The game has basically one trick up its sleeve, but a trick that it executes very smoothly.

With creative freedom, Kratos's latest adventure is staggering in scale, superbly visualised and, for the most part, an absolute joy to play through. And most importantly, where it counts – the action sequences – God of War III is utterly unmatched and unequaled, and therefore absolutely essential for action fans.

Resonance of Fate is definitely for hardcore RPG fans only, but at the same time the map and combat systems make it substantially different from anything you’ll have likely played before.

Visually the game is lovely; distinctly 16-bit era backgrounds with parallax scrolling to add some physicality, nice particle effects and trails when grinding and 3D polygonal ships atop everything.

For fans of traditional RPG games (and especially for fans of the Final Fantasy series) this should be unmissable. However, for those more casual players or newcomers to the genre it may be slightly overwhelming and the repetitive nature and sheer linearity of the early level design might be quite a disappointment for fans hoping for more from this generation’s first Final Fantasy RPG.

As an action game it holds up very well, as an RPG it will keep the average quest junkie enthralled, and as a fishing/karoke/arcade sim, it also manages to tick each of those apparently mutually exclusive boxes with a defiant stroke. As a whole, and, more importantly, as a game, it works.

It’s expertly produced, oozes charisma and energy and the characterisation is sublime.

Greed Corp is a wonderful little title which is highly addictive and quite original in its style of play. It is a tricky game to start with, however if you stick with it then you will begin to appreciate what a great little game it is.

Please bear in mind when considering this game that Echoshift is hard, and it is meant to be hard. If you have a rough time with earlier levels on the likes of Cuboid and Critter Crunch, this may not be for you; for everyone else who are fans of brain bending puzzle games, if you have the patience and stamina, this is an easy recommendation.

It’s flashy, technically stunning but ultimately slightly empty. Characters vary from vapid to engaging, the FBI agent a highlight but lead Ethan tends to look bored rather than desperate. If you’re looking for a decent story with minimal interactivity to occupy a wet weekend, one cut with mystery and suspense, Quantic Dream’s latest might be right up your street, but gamers looking for anything else will be left out in the rain.

There is no doubt that Sonic & SEGA All-Stars borrows from Mario Kart heavily, however in this case that is no bad thing because this game has depth, it works well and most important of all, it’s great fun.

SOCOM has finally opened out onto a new field of battle, with a more set piece designed gameplay which is just perfect for travelling. The only downside is that the game is short, clocking in at around 5 hours, you just start getting into it as the credits roll. But as an experiment, it works and feels so much better than previous titles in the franchise.

Aliens Vs Predator tries to stay faithful to the franchise but in turn creates a mediocre FPS that is over far too quickly. The multiplayer does add some excitement but rage quitters and bad losers will spoil your games until it is fixed. Movie fans will get a little buzz from playing their favourite monsters but the whole experience is dull overall.

A fantastic game and although the progression may be similar to the first, the action feels a lot fresher.

Yes, purists might not appreciate the changes made to the source (and Dante will be turning in his grave) but as a gamer I had a blast.

White Knight Chronicles is a very good game. What you get out of it really depends on what you’re going to put in. It’ll be over in a few days if you just plow through the story, but if you get into the meat of the game and start developing your town and binding new items together to take on those tricky online group quests and grind up your guild rank, this is going to suck up a lot of your time.

You’ll get more out of the game the more you put in, and there’s some challenge here for the dedicated, but if forced I’d rather stick to the iPhone version which is far cheaper.

The challenge of branding MAG with a number (much smaller than its trademarked 256 and between 1 and 10) to denote its quality is akin to rating World of Warcraft after a weekend of gold-farming, long before the full majesty of the game has blossomed and shown its true potential. The best we can do is rate our early impressions, undoubtedly influenced by the game’s prospects for the future.

If you’re interested in a solid, nerve-shredding jaunt through familiar territory with a few curve-balls thrown in to make the experience somewhat novel, however, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories delivers all the chills and uneasiness the series is renown for.

Ultimately, with so many games around at this time brimming with originality and quality, it is easy to overlook this game and the experience left me feeling a little hollow. But if you have time, then pop this in your rental queue and you might be pleasantly surprised.

If you’re a big fan of snow-based sports and don’t mind the dip-in and out feel, then give this a shot.

Like poker and chess, the rules of Aqua Panic are easy to learn, but the art of winning takes a long time to master.

You may have seen a lot of what Darksiders brings to the table elsewhere, but it’s all combined in such a way with sprinkles of new ideas that keeps the game fresh and innovative.

Sure, there’s a decent game here if you can’t wait for the big hitters just around the corner, but if patience isn’t a virtue of yours then perhaps Bayonetta isn’t the one for you anyway, at least unless you’re going for the 360 version. Shame, as Bayonetta has solid principles and a sequel could very well be amazing.

Van Halen deserved better, and so did Guitar Hero fans. Avoid.

Being a massive fan of the PixelJunk series I couldn’t help but wish there was a little more to Shooter. Sure, what there is is great fun, but the experience is over rather quickly and replaying the game is for purists only.

The Saboteur feels a little rushed and incomplete but has an unexplainably fun side to it. Frustrating and boring at times, it does give way to some great moments and conversation pieces.

It doesn’t have the polish or refinement of SingStar, but it does have heaps of potential, and the career mode will keep you busy for a while, especially when you consider a SingStar disk usually ships with 30 songs and a Lips disk with 40.

Minis are primarily designed to be fun in short blasts and for £3.99, Pinball Fantasies offer up doses of small fun to help reduce boredom on the train to work. Sure, it doesn’t look particularly good nowadays and lacks longevity, but that’s missing the point somewhat.

It ultimately lacks the shear addictiveness of other web-based games or minis titles, but proof that sometimes the best things in life are the simplest.

The graphics are basic, the load times are too long and the game needs a fair amount of balancing – an update could make it much better.

For what it is Gravity Crash is an exceptionally well-realised game in almost every way but whether or not it finds a home amongst modern gamers will be its sternest test. I only hope that it passes that test as it is definitely a title and a style of game-play which deserves attention.

Blast Off, then, plays on your desire to better yourself.

Despite the game playing most of its cards far too early (and never really going anywhere new in later levels) Halfbrick’s biggest issue is the copy for the game on the Store which doesn’t begin to describe the mechanics properly.