Despite the shiny graphics, catchy music and long-awaited additions and tweaks, PES is showing its age as it's flogged again for another year. It's a great experience, the best we've got so far in fact, but is more of a small step than the giant leap we were once again really hoping for.

But if you’re a retro fighting game fan and willing to support SNK’s release of their anthologies, then give this a go. Nostalgia has its limits, but at least you’ll be guaranteed one quality game overall.

Brawl is easily the most fun I’ve had on a Wii, and could be the most fun I’ve had with a game in ages. It’s just that good. There is just so much to do, and so many different and refreshing things added that it would be a crime not to at least take a look.

Army Of Two adds a lot to the coop shooter genre, and I hope future games take note of some of the additions made, especially something like the aggro meter.

With an engaging story, outstanding visuals, and remarkable sound, Chains succeeds on so many levels.

Despite its shortcomings – even the game-stopper bugs – it simulates almost perfectly the experiences of a typical schoolchild, despite being ridiculously over-the-top in almost every manner.

While it’s unattractive and a bit awkward on the PS2, if you don’t own a PSP and you’re a survival horror fan, Silent Hill Origins still comes recommended.

As far as pitching and hitting are concerned, MLB 2K8 is great. But presentation counts, and when a weak presentation is coupled with fielding issues, it's a lot harder to enjoy this game.

From the sleep-inducing gameplay to the wooden dialogue and stale story, the whole project feels phoned in Hunting ghosts has never been so bad.

Ultimately, there's no real reward, no incentive, no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - there is literally no reason to play this at all. It's very, very average, way too short, has an underdeveloped plot, and only a few good gameplay segments.

A lack of direction within the gameplay and narrative ensures that this is one gamers will overlook like so many before.

If you’re not a fan of Lost in any way, there is just no way I can possibly recommended this game to you.

The idea of a world with a severe oil shortage is a terrifying notion that hits close to home, but the game surrounding that idea is much less engaging.

Its brevity doesn’t merit the fifty dollars you’ll have to shell out for it. The missions are a simplistic mishmash of killing, transporting, and exploration.

The hideous load times serve the player well, allowing him or her to reflect on what they could better be doing with their time than such run of the mill drudgery. Something enriching, perhaps, because life’s short enough as it is.

Anyone with an appreciation for old school arcade games will have a blast with The Club. Just remember to leave your brain with the doorman.

A bad game. You might assume that a company as reputable as the History Channel might take more care to protect their license, but it's clear that they just wanted to make a quick buck.

Unfortunately, it looks as if there isn’t enough content or new ideas that will make many gamers readily come back for more once the original challenges are completed.

A fun, yet relatively short lived game that won’t keep you entertained for too long compared to the likes of Pro Evo 08 and FIFA 08 - but there are far worse ways to burn a short while here and there.

With a meaty single player mode and a fluid gameplay model, FIFA Street 3 for the DS is a surprisingly competent package.

Everything feels crafted with care, and it's a fun and stylish strategy game.

An interesting experiment in genre-bending. Unfortunately, the process wasn't handled with enough care for the result to be anything more than an interesting interlude in between sessions of Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3.

The machine gun fires with the same "oomph" that you'd expect if you were firing a pellet gun. There's no power to the shots.

There are simply no redeeming features to justify recommending Griffin's Story, even for people who are inexplicably fans of the movie.

In the grand scheme of things, they mean so very little because every waking moment spent in St Mystere is an absolute joy to behold.

If you’re ready for some fun multiplayer action and don’t mind a single-player side not as robust as some other puzzlers, Poker Smash is ready for you.

Turok may not be original, or genre-bending, but it is a great deal of fun. It's the classic summer movie syndrome: sure, it won't win the Oscar, but it's still a movie worth seeing.

Devil May Cry 4 doesn't concern itself with much outside of fighting, and here the focus and dedication shines through with a solid and ridiculously in-depth battle system, rivalling even that of modern fighting games like Tekken and Soul Calibur.

For what it’s worth, you could do a hell of a lot worse than The Spiderwick Chronicles. It seems perfectly happy to get through the six or so hours of game time merely meeting criteria to an acceptable standard and never anything more.

Even little tasks, such as assigning new officers to freshly conquered fiefs become annoying. Running an empire is no easy task, and I didn’t find it particularly appealing in Nobunaga’s Ambition: Rise to Power.

Its depth and flexibility are great for letting a player define their own experience but are also part of a laundry list of features that will discourage the new strategy player from exploring this universe.

Building zoos is a piece cake and there are enough options to satisfy most players. Serviceable graphics detract from the experience, as do technical limitations, but those can be forgiven.

One of the most incoherent, bat-sh.t mental videogames ever created has just got itself some clarity – magical.

Admittedly, PixelJunk Monsters doesn’t offer too much different from many tower defense titles, but what it lacks in originality it more than makes up in polish.

Much like the career of English sprinter Dwain Chambers, this title seems like a great opportunity missed, as sheer laziness becomes a huge enemy, and a lack of variation takes its toll.

Paradise is a success because of it's originality within the Burnout series. Innovation isn't always EA's strong suit, but much like "skate," Paradise is an all-new concept that pays off, big time.

No More Heroes joins the ranks of other video games that were too smart and/or bizarre for their own good. Gamers who enjoyed the head trips that were "Metal Gear Solid," "Katamari Damacy," and "Persona" will feel right at home with No More Heroes.

If you have any interest in strategy warfare games whatsoever, then do yourself a favor and get this game. It’s a wonderful departure from the happy-go-lucky Advance Wars games of old.

It's a great MMORPG, and while it begins as a fairly overwhelming experience, it soon evolves into an almost casual game.

I suppose things could've been worse: they could've done a poorly emulated version of the Intellivision hit "Maze-A-Tron."

It’s cheap, plays well and is a nice little time waster. Unfortunately, it's a forgettable experience that will only occupy you for a few hours.

People may turn their back on this thanks to its 2D visuals and oddball soundtrack, but not sampling this small nugget of gold for yourself, for those reasons alone, would be not be sensible at all.

The tedious, unavoidable cutscenes and one-dimensional characters add little to the experience, regardless of the flashy graphics and vivid presentation.

The game may be underdeveloped and flawed, but it’s definitely worth the purchase.

The puzzle sections are great fun, and could have been their own game. As it stands, however, the Race mode just doesn't cut it.

An excellent game. With amazing graphics, a steady framerate and keyboard and mouse support, the PS3 version of UT3 is a worthy companion to its PC counterpart.

Essentially its predecessor with more characters, more challenging content, minor gameplay tweaks, and better controls.

If your like you games over the top, then you can do a lot worse than download this.

A solid, proven shooter, Galaxies is an excellent way to kill time, as well as one of the DS's better shooters, unlike, say, Metroid Prime: Hunters, which tended to feel a bit clunky at times.

No wonder it was so hard to get into this clubhouse, it appears the foundations are fatefully unstable.

The carnival atmosphere makes Rock Band a total blast to play, or to even just watch, waiting for your turn. Even with the high price of admission, Rock Band is well worth purchasing.

If you’re looking for a cheap Wii shooter and have some friends around, give this a go. If not, stick to the arcades. You’ll find better there.

The floodgates have finally been opened and we are starting to see what the console is good for.

There is nothing here for anyone - not even the most ardent of Godzilla fans. It’s like if someone took your favourite ever franchise, made a half-arsed game out of it then spat in your face asking for money.

An enjoyable strategy game which needs more depth and variety to be truly arresting. It does what it does well, however developer 4J Studios have succeeded in making the game perhaps too simplistic, and definitely lacking any narrative pull or long-term appeal.

It's still worth buying UT3, for those who enjoy modding and hacking. For everyone else: there have been far better PC games this season.

Uncharted is a superb but linear action adventure that doesn’t last too long, but anyone with a PS3 or even a soft spot for a grand adventure should definitely check out it.

While I make it a goal to play every game I review to completion, there’s just no way that I am going to waste more my life playing this game.

The story is uninspired, but the actual game is a stunner.

The single-player/co-op mode is underwhelming at best. With poor AI and thematic blurring, even the easiest difficulty – Aspirin – will leave you with a throbbing headache.

Assassin’s Creed is quite possibly the coolest game I’ve ever played. Not only is it satisfying to play, but it looks incredible and is easy to control. Each city is alive with activity, designed with care and attention to detail. Assassin’s Creed may not be perfect, but it offers one of the best singleplayer experiences you’ll play this year, and that’s saying a lot.

Umbrella Chronicles is a must-purchase for Wii owners. While it isn't a killer app on the level of Mario Galaxy, it's probably the best multiplayer game on the system.

The PS2 may have thrown out its last classic titles with Okami and God of War II, but for those waiting to make the next gen leap then you could do a lot worse for yourself in the mean time than picking this up.

SimCity Societies feels familiar, but the change is clearly a move in the wrong direction for long-time fans.

It’s great to see that well-made games that are entirely capable of kicking our asses can still be made and here’s to another 20 years of Contra-ing to come... hopefully.

So, King Of Fighters might be a much-loved series amongst its hardcore fans and it might deliver in all the areas that those familiar with the franchise would expect, but measured toe-to-toe against modern fighting games it just doesn’t fare well.

It's not a bad game, it's just one of the most tediously easy, generic and downright bland games of the year.

The multi-surfaced design is a refreshing take on an otherwise stale gaming genre. The simple, responsive controls and steady learning curve ensure that any gamer, be they the child who gets this for his or her birthday or the weathered gaming vet, can sit down and give this game a spin.

A great online-enabled emulation of a so-so fighting game (plus a lame puzzle game) which looks rather anaemic now that violence in video gaming is nothing to rave on about.

Switchball is an innovative new take on the traditional marble game, with a plethora of interesting additions to spice up the old formula, and stunning graphics to please the eyes.

Quite simply Empire Earth III is a game you should never play in your life. It’s boring, it’s structured as well as the leaning tower of Pisa and in one of the best seasons gaming has ever seen, it really shouldn’t be on the shelves.

There is nothing inherently wrong with LifeSigns, but the ratio of hospital soap opera to actual gameplay is insanely high, making most of the experience a wordy one that will fail to draw in those who couldn’t care less about which bone is connected that bone.

For conundrum fans though, this should be welcomed with open arms, as the relaxing nature of the title is sure to fit into the lives of many with a delicate ease.

The strength undoubtedly lies within Extraction Point, as the story and setting is completely terrifying throughout.

Despite the lackluster narrative and dated graphics, Perseus Mandate still delivers a lot of the fun of the previous games. It isn’t perfect, but it still manages to be a worthy addition to the F.E.A.R. franchise despite the story.

I can honestly say that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a superb accumulation to the series, incorporating just enough new additions to keep the hardcore happy and the new players excited.

The intense and difficult experience should be played by anyone who enjoys a good story. Even with an anemic singleplayer offering, the full game is worth a purchase for the multiplayer experience.

Newcomers to the genre may be put off, but the ethically ambiguous questions faced do present a certain kind of draw.

Half-Life 2 has a better story, F.E.A.R. has better combat (complete with bullet time) and Gears of War looks better.

Gamers looking for a solid shooter on the next gen consoles could do a lot worse than Timeshift, but as cruel as it may be, Timeshift will simply not be remembered in any way shape or form in the not so distant future.

Naruto: Rise of a Ninja is good enough that non-fans of the show would do themselves good by playing it.

The Simpsons Game for the DS may not be innovative nor appealing to worldwide mainstream audiences - you really do need to be a fan of the show to appreciate what’s been done here – but it’s a highly creative production nonetheless.

In a way, the game does live up to the hype: they wanted to ban it for its gratuitous violence and I can see why. Funny how they didn't just get out and say that the game isn't worthy to be played; that would've made things much easier.

The levels are gruesomely themed, but their simplicity, brevity, and linearity are disappointing. The sheer amount of glitches, questionable controls, laughable AI, and easy stealth mechanics make the game seem like a poor rendition of "Splinter Cell."

When the included episode and a couple of the music tracks are the highlights of the game, there is something not right about the entire package.

With the new songs and modes, Guitar Hero III is the party game supreme.

It makes a brilliant case of “show, don’t tell”, but unfortunately, it just doesn’t show a heck of a lot.

As a card game The Eye of Judgment succeeds. As a video game it fails.

Just make sure people nearby don’t hear the topless maidens cry out “My clothes! Where are my clothes!” every so often.

Between Rondo of Blood, its beautiful 3D remake and its legendary sequel, there's a lot of quality gaming here.

Rather than merely surpassing the expectations set by its predecessors, Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation provides a foundation for console-based aerial combat games of the future.

If Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure leaves any lasting legacy once the dust has well and truly settled, it’s that there is a need for something different. That simplicity and charm go a very long way in this industry clouded by games boasting hyperrealism.

Advent is clearly a step backwards in this regard and this only serves to prolong the stagnating circumstances that the series is currently in. That said, the game is still as much of a blast as the first one was with more forms to assimilate, plenty of crazy boss fights (those who complete Expert Mode deserve much respect), better production values, and an overall smoother ride.

The premise may seem downright ridiculous and this is reinforced by the witty, pun-filled dialogue bursting with enough memorable and laugh-out-loud quotes to inflame one's haemorrhoids. The actual cases themselves can, however, be quite sombre and very touching at times – sure, you will laugh, but you may also shed a tear.

There are no truly wrong instances in this game that jump out, and many of the problems are just minor enough that they can be easily forgotten about after you actually get into the game and begin to enjoy it.

Football Manager joins the rest of the sports titles this year in flogging a dead and diseased corpse to milk yet more cash from its demanding fanbase.

Sorry, Victorious Boxers veterans. This game is a step back from the titles you know and love. This was the series’ chance to shine, and it’s been doomed to obscurity yet again.

Suspending your disbelief in a theatre is one thing, but engaging in a socially inept character’s seemingly redundant flights of fancy via overtly over-exaggerated mini games is all kinds of messy.