Old school fans and SOTN fans need not despair about 3D mangling their precious--trust that Lament feels the same, but thankfully, it's not at all the same. Everything old is new again.

While it doesn’t really change the genre, even on the PSP, Midnight Club L.A. Remix is a worthy racer for fans of the street racing genre. With all the different options in the arcade mode and the unlockables, it has a lot of replay value, though the lack of online multiplayer is a downside, especially for a game in 2008.

An awesome game. It just could have been better.

The cliffhanger ending promises brighter things, and although this game is unspectacular, the groundwork has been laid down for what will hopefully be a greatly improved sequel.

In many ways, it's a success in showing how comedy can be used to make once-exciting game genres interesting again, but fails to come full circle as a finished product.

Too easy for older gamers, and a little over the heads of younger gamers, Quantum Conundrum finds itself in a sort of purgatory between the two, and like a younger brother it can't help but live in the shadow of its older sibling's success.

Without a breadth of tactical options longstanding fans of the series will be disappointed in its change of approach, and while action fans will get some enjoyment out of its expansive arsenal and competent combat they'll surely find something more worthwhile and noteworthy elsewhere.

There’s just far too much disappointment in PES6 to make it fun; I’m not talking about hype or other people's opinions here, I’m talking about a company too lazy to address the problems that have plagued the series pretty much since the start.

Where Giant Sparrow's narrative vision is clearly focused, The Unfinished Swan's gameplay deviates rather rapidly from that opening castle of wonder.

Any Final Fantasy fan will feel right at home here, and those who are somehow unfamiliar with the series will find an amazing title on their hands when they emerge from cryogenic freezing.

As a whole, Dead Rising 2 is a tuned, tweaked and polished sequel.

This could have been an amazing basis for combat mechanics, but there’s too much mouse lag and unresponsiveness when playing.

Though Rochard's influences are quite evident, the final result is a unique, thoughtful puzzle platformer.

Alien: Isolation is a triumph and one of my favourite horror games ever. That it features such an iconic antagonist is the cherry on top of a delightfully terrifying cake.

For a budget price, Gunslinger provides a hugely entertaining experience, distilling the dime-novel heroics of the pulp Western and an excellent, satisfying combat system into one immensely likeable package. Bravo.

Atlus seem to be masters of creating brilliant sequels without changing more than a few textures and a new script. Persona 4 was an example of this, and Devil Summoner 2 seems to continue that tradition.

The need for strategy, technical handling, and overall expertise with a character has been but on the backburner in favor of interactive environments and limited space to fight.

Clocking in at roughly eight hours, it's a pretty short ride – padding and all. The constant backtracking became quickly annoying, but the solid mechanics and attention to detail won me over in the end.

Whether navigating the labyrinthine hallways of Curien’s Mansion or dodging the reptilian occupants of Death Adder’s Lair, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is the right kind of trip down memory lane.

But for every bit as brilliant Mirror’s Edge is, it’s also equally as frustrating. For every time you exclaim in joyful accomplishment by nailing a series of jumps and lifts, you’ll lament missing a ledge by the width of a fingernail for what feels like the hundredth time, just as much.

It could have been disastrous, but Metroid Prime Pinball is a fantastic example of a series spin-off executed extremely well.

Mega Man & Bass takes us back to the old gaming formula, away from the RPG elements that now dominate the series. It's a welcome blast from the past, the lost gem of the Mega Man GBA series.

A good game. It has absolutely superb audiovisual presentation, extravagant and hugely entertaining action and some of the best FPS set-pieces you'll find on the PS2. It's a shame the experience doesn't deliver a little more variety and there are a few minor flaws which bring things down a little, but all in all this is one of the most explosive, entertaining shooters on the PS2.

It successfully mixes elements from its own genre and simple but addictive endless runners.

But in all honesty, this is a game I'd be embarrassed to own, and I own "WCW Nitro."

The vastly improved graphics offer a kind of detail you normally wouldn't find on the DS.

Having played both the 2K and EA hockey titles extensively this year, there is no doubt in my mind that 2K7 pips NHL'07 to the post as the title of choice again.

We want interesting levels. We want a variety of enemies that challenge us. We want cool guns to kill them with. Instead, the developers did what they wanted. They put doors on ceilings and tables on walls and little switches to hit to pull you where they want you to go. They forgot everything that makes games fun.

The gameplay’s been tightened up, graphically it looks great, the Captain Your Country mode is great fun and most club and international teams are omitted.

With its assortment of tweaks and gameplay additions, as well as a story that evolves with Nintendo-esque pacing, Supermagical manages to feel like a whole lot more than merely another casual novelty.

For those who are fans of the fantasy action genre and who overlooked this almost-classic first time around, I would strongly suggest you not let the negative criticism keep you from missing you on this incredible ride.

While the game's not for everyone, players with enough patience to wade through the tutorial, however, will find an enjoyable, lengthy campaign, complimented by a promising Xbox Live mode that just doesn't have the backing of a strong community.

Ultimately, your enjoyment of Slamjet Stadium will depend on your respect for rules - not ‘the’ rules, but the basic notion that games should have them.

Anomaly Warzone Earth is not going to revolutionise the strategy genre for home consoles. It does however provide an ideal place to start for those who are somewhat sceptical or intimidated by the genre.

But Lego Harry Potter does succeed in being perhaps the best videogame outing for either franchise thus far.

It's highly unlikely that you'll find a better value on Live Arcade.

Unexpectedly brilliant, then, Motorstorm: Arctic Edge is an extremely likeable addition to the Motorstorm family, which provides a hectic racing experience that will get the blood pumping through your veins.

Prototype perfectly embodies everything you could want from a summer game. It’s exciting, beautiful, liberating, and most important of all, it’s tremendous fun.

It’s got a cast of characters unlike any other, complete with unique fighting styles and a slew of new gameplay strategies to master. The incredibly intense fighting and over-the-top and utterly insane style aren’t too shabby, either. It’s a far cry from the old Hadokens, Shoryukens and Psycho Crushers of old, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a bad thing.

Judgment is a worthy addition to the franchise, but it’s a shame the campaign falls short of the high standard of those that preceded it.

Taking a rather large portion of influence from PopCap's games, Kickin' Momma is a great title; one that could of easily have been a low-priced XBLA release. It's also secured my interest in all future Hothead Games releases.

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.

Chivalry: Medieval Warfare's focus on melee combat with lots of people might frustrate some, but it's an impeccably designed system that throws a huge curveball at anyone who thinks they've mastered the controls.

The Darkness II is the ideal rental game. It's a fun shooter with a decent amount of combat variety and has a fast pace that guarantees players won't be bored any time soon, but it lacks lasting appeal and can be beaten within a weekend easily.

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin offers players its share of great moments, but on a whole, this is just an average game.

For 800 points, this is near essential.

It adds a wealth of new content to the game, not just around the water theme but in other areas as well. RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 feels more complete and polished with the expansion.

It has some great moments in gaming, but most of the time there is only frustration awaiting you at every turn. While it could have been a great start for a new franchise, DICE should have made the game more friendly and open.

Future Soldier does what is expected. It does little else and rarely deviates from the concepts accepted as standard. There's a sense of regret there with the opportunity to be something bigger, something more, but rather than expounding on the stylistic ambition, Future Soldier camouflages itself with borrowed ideas, blending seamlessly into a crowded genre.

Roogoo is one of those games you need to be either on drugs or a zen master to truly appreciate, but regardless, many will find it addictive and possibly infuriating in a cute kind of way.

And while it might not have the longevity of some of their other titles, it's certainly a step above PopCap's recently released Bookworm Adventures 2.

Disgaea 3 is a fantastic addition to both the PS3’s consistently improving catalogue and the strategy JRPG genre. With a lengthy story mode and a near enough endless number of abilities and characters to level up this game may just about take over your gaming life altogether.

Resurrection of Evil ultimately fails on innovation but perhaps just as importantly succeeds with expansion. It’s more of the same, for better or for worse.

A satisfying, occasionally exceptional romp through half of New Marais. In a lot of ways it's the best aspects of inFamous 2 without the fuss of karma decisions, experience points or tedious side-quests.

Rez may not be the greatest rail shooter of all time, but its brilliance cannot be denied.

As charming as Parin and the residents of monster town are, everything else is rather stale and clichéd, and that which has already been done better many times before it.

It may be in competition with its predecessor but the disappointing world of Transformers video games has a new top dog. Perhaps not the crowning achievement but a steady improvement that will hopefully continue with any future instalments.

For what House of the Dead: Overkill lacks in diversity or prudence, it more than makes up for it in style and a sense of humour that dances on the boundaries of acceptability, and at times downright moves it around whilst insolently shouting “na na na na na na”.

Big Bang Mini retails for $20, and it’s truly a lot of “bang” for your buck. There’s a ton of fun and a ton of style crammed into this card, and ultimately, the game lives up to its name – it’s a big bang of enjoyment on your tiny DS screens.

It packs enough scares to warrant having an extra set of underpants on standby; and the mixture of stealth and action keeps things interesting throughout.

Characters, styling, story, modelling, puzzles, conversations, setting - all fantastic, but infuriating let down by design and play constraints.

That joy can turn to frustration later on in the game when your powers lose some of their excitement from the relentless amount of obstacles thrown your way, but there’s enough variety in the missions beforehand to keep you interested till the very end. It’s just a shame there wasn’t a bigger focus on the direction of the game and the graphics engine, otherwise this could have been a real gem.

While Zombies may not feature a definite storyline and doesn't prompt an extensive play-through outside of a lame achievement system connected to the player's profile through the official game site, it does play pretty well, for a touch screen FPS and manages to capture all the things I like about the Nacht der Untoten level from World at War.

That's the entire point. Adventure Rebirth thrives on nostalgia. It's about reliving the old days, when skill was the only thing keeping your character alive.

Sadly, the ego is about the only somewhat original idea present in Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project. The stages reek of incredibly generic design. Is there an icy stage? Check! A level in a sewer? Plenty of them! A level in space, an abandoned factory and some underground lairs? Check, check and check.

It's not perfect, though. The camera controls are terrible; navigating the mission is a frequently annoying experience. The lack of other additional features and gameplay modes doesn't help, either. Despite its shortcomings, Snake Eater 3D is well worth playing.

Mythologies is also a very sizeable package, offering over 20 hours of play with just the single-player campaigns, and the multiplayer component is a well thought out addition players can break out whenever the mood strikes.

Improvements are constantly being updated and although team mates make or break many matches, there is genuine fun to be found.

It's an example of how and why Lara fell behind the likes of today's occult warriors, anti-hero gangsters, and the God of War himself.

Like its predecessors, simply doesn’t have the presentation strength or storytelling depth to match up with the very best in its genre. But with an interesting array of puzzles, a likeable cast, and a unique Western motif, the game is able to set itself apart, however superficially, from the Final Fantasy clones of the world.

If you have a Wii, then get this game. It‘s that simple. Blast Works is an amazing demonstration of how you can take an old concept and take it in directions that are limited only by your imagination.

The great presentation - especially the audio effects - makes superb use of the handheld’s capabilities.

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

Of all the iOS developers using the free to play model, NimbleBit has come the closest to getting it right.

All in all, if you have even a mild respect for Bejeweled and you don't already have access to a copy of any version, download Bejeweled 3 without delay.

For curious fans of the new Persona games, and people who enjoyed the mangled port for what it was, this PSP edition is a must-play.

A great little downloadable that's completely worth the price of admission.

Appropriately many have labeled Thongs of Virtue as simply DeathSpank 1.5.

Even though the many random encounters and lengthy dungeons pad out the game length to roughly 30 hours (not counting many sidequests), Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga is still one of the stronger PS2 RPGs.

While I'm sure true football fans aren't going to love it (better stick with EA), casual fans and players searching for a true, arcade-style sports game are really going to dig this one.

So much of it is so immensely charming, loveable and inventive that it’s hard to stay mad for too long. You just always feel hamstrung in your ability to extract the full potential out of a conceivably phenomenal game. You want to love it, you do love it, but not its whole, and that’s incredibly disheartening.

A pretty good bet if you fancy your warfare old fashioned and a bit bonkers.

If only the same amount of effort was put into the actual game play as was put into making it so beautifully disturbing to look at, you’d probably have a near flawless result , as it is the lack of mobility and annoying combat situations are just too irritating to ignore.

It is a game that imitates what works from its console big brothers and does enough to also stand out on its own.

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.

It’s a huge improvement over its DS predecessor, treating gamers to a new and darker storyline. Not only does it have the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man doing what he does best, but it also lets you step into the claws of one of the hero’s most amazing and deadly enemies.

35% of it is quite good. It’s just that other 65% that is disappointingly lackluster. The moments where you’re soaring through the countryside burninating trolls and stuff are great but the bland dungeons are far too prevalent.

It really boils down to what you want from your Grand Theft Auto games; fans of San Andreas will likely despise this game for its simplistic style, while others will appreciate this game for what it offers. Don’t buy this game expecting it to be something revolutionary or amazing.

Crimson Gem Saga proves just how much better a game can be if it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

I despise most RPGs. I find them long, boring, and tedious. However, Tales of the Abyss is one of the few games in the genre that truly appeal to me. The story is both entertaining and memorable. The characters are well-written and interesting, and nowhere near as cliched and predictable as their Symphonia counterparts were.

Its weird blend of influences coalesce into an experience that transcends its parts, creating a title that feels familiar enough for the average rhythm fan, but different enough to be considered on its own merits. Retro/Grade is a seamless mix of concept and execution, an essential entry into the music genre.

Its clever use of environmental destruction creates a faster paced game while its light feature set cuts down the steep learning curve the genre can be known for. Greed Corp. puts strategy first, delivering a game that fits the venerable bill of easy to learn but hard to master.

Quite simply, it’s hard to tell much difference between this and the 360 version. Textures are muddy, lines are jagged and it lacks the smooth anti-aliasing of the PS4 edition. It’s hard to tell exactly what this version provides that justifies labeling it as a next generation game.

With two characters and a fairly lengthy story, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is a great game for fans of westerns and fans of shooters alike.

It’s just pure puzzling with some excellent modes and few other frills. Sometimes that’s all you need.

The score at the bottom is almost irrelevant, because I expect almost anyone reading this will already know whether they will enjoy this game or not.

Thomas Was Alone does a stellar job in doing what it sets out to achieve. It uses simplistic visuals and basic gameplay to convey a sense of wonder and tell a very personable, well written and well realised story of isolation and companionship.

Despite my few complaints, Airborne is still an excellent game. From start to finish, I was absolutely hooked and couldn’t stop playing.