The only thing preventing Soul Bubbles from being a classic is its insistence on telling you what you must be doing, making the game a stroll in the park. It's still well worth playing and a shining example of the kind of originality we haven't seen on the DS all that often in the last year.

Certainly one of the better puzzle games of recent times, I doubt Mario And Donkey Kong will rise to the sort of prominence which inspires expletive-fuelled internet arguments. It will, however, bestow a warm, funny feeling onto those who decide this may be worth a crack.

While the game is not a massive departure from Sonic Adventure, and at £30 it's a tad expensive for the play-time you get, if you're new to the series on DS or love all things Sonic, we heartily recommend it. One of the best games on the system.

Like the best puzzle games, it has a compulsive quality that makes you feel like a genius whenever you work it out.

A formulaic Metroidvania with satisfying combat and a thick mood in the air, Blasphemous uses its pixel art style and fixation on religious iconography to establish a powerful vision of a forsaken world.

Overall, then, it's a fairly robust package with a steep asking price. Adding novelty additions to the mix might incense the grumpy critics, but these map-specific gimmicks seem to be going down genuinely well on Xbox LIVE - just like the blast doors on Radiation or the space rocket on Launch.

Origins has all the hallmarks of a great Silent Hill game, but it does nothing to eradicate the series' faults.

The representation of a familly dealing with the protracted illness of a child is well done, but wasn't as interesting to me as the exploration of faith that was inextricably woven into it.

Condemned delivers an experience that's worlds apart from what is usually on offer for PC gamers. At its core it's about as simple as a game could be, but it's presented in such a deranged and immersive way that it's hard not to get caught up in it all.

Ultimately the Metal Gear Solid Digital Graphic Novel is nothing more than fan service, and those for whom the paper-based version was an essential purchase will certainly get a kick out of it.

Animals aren't the biggest danger you'll face though, with the tombs themselves being the real killers. You can rarely move through a room without needing to perform a huge leap or dodge a trap.

Anno 1701 offers engrossing escapism and a refreshing alternative to more aggressive gaming themes. While it does nothing new for its genre and is firmly stuck in the days of the Amiga when god games were as popular the WWII FPS is today, it is still a great little title that deserves a huge chunk of your time.

There aren’t many boxing games around, unfortunately, and so while Creed: Rise to Glory – Championship Edition isn’t perfect, it’s a must-have for fans of the sport. But even PSVR 2 owners wanting a game that will give them a good workout should check it out, thanks to its demanding physicality. Whether you’re completing a training montage or going toe-to-toe with imposing opponents keen to knock your block off, this is a title that entertains, and exercises, in equal amounts.

Hellishly addictive. The sense of fun is palpable throughout, the characters are mostly pretty likeable, and surprisingly the plot’s fairly absorbing. It helps that it’s been pretty sharply written too, full of excellently corny jokes and one liners.

Genre fans will rejoice in its depth and should grab it straightaway.

SDvR09 is better than last year's effort, no question, and it's a better game than TNA Impact! on account of it being yet another iteration of a tried and trusted game engine and packed full to bursting with features old and new. So yes, on the whole it has met the challenge.

World Tour does nothing to advance golf games to wherever it is they need to go next – I think we can all admit the genre has become incredibly stale – but it still manages to entertain. And that, my friends, is no bad thing.

The most refined version of Rock Band yet available, but not as essential as it once was.

A lack of a local multiplayer mode is a shocking omission, the audio is instantly forgettable (it's a predictable military score), and the single-player mode is boring as hell. But the online component, when you get a game with real people, provides great fun and the Team Fortress 2-style weapons and art style should appeal to most. Better than a kick in the groin.

Infinity Blade 3 has a dark side; a noticeable lack of variety and an inconsistent difficulty. It’s worth the price for genre and series fans, but tread carefully if you’re a newbie.

The fact Mercenary has such strong on-paper ideas only makes its lack of ambition even more disappointing. It’s a smart, fun shooter, with the exact structure needed to slim triple-A FPS down to pick-up-and-play portability, but it never comes through and capitalises on its potential.

It's a great stepping stone if you're looking to really improve on your overall fighting game skills, and it's a meticulously well-made effort in its own right. Just like the dominatrixes flaunting and frolicking about on the screen, though, it's just a little too weird and demanding to fall in love with.

"Pro Evolution Soccer" still reigns supreme. FIFA 07 most definitely beats PES in a few areas, most notably in presentation and the brilliant first-touch control, but it's still not "PES."

Discerning GTA fans will notice that Rockstar's latest isn't quite up to the hugely high standard that the first three PlayStation 2 games have set, but Liberty City Stories is still a GTA game, and ticks most of the boxes.

As a long-term PES acolyte who has favoured FIFA for the last four seasons, I'm heartened to see Konami's series finally approaching something close to its best form – even if it's not the domineering force it was in its glory days of 2004/5.

State Of Decay is an amazing videogame, albeit one hiding beneath one of the ugliest, creakiest engines we’ve seen in some time. It’s a complex, inaccessible beast, but one of the most rewarding and compelling open-world games in years. This is The Walking Dead: The Simulator. And it’s every bit as good as that sounds.

Retro/Grade is built on a unique idea that simply isn't explored in an exciting enough way or to a sufficient depth to keep you interested for long.

Without the distractions of combat, hub worlds and pointless Wii-mote waggling, Sonic Team has been able to put all its efforts into creating a platformer Sonic fans can be proud of. The quality of the level design is what separates this from previous disappointments, and it's certainly better than that on show in Sonic 4.

The 'Feral' abilities make the experience unlike most other games out there and some of the online game types are immense fun.

For once, it's an expansion pack that does exactly what it says on the box. It broadens the experience of the already panoramically wide core game enough to justify a purchase.

Outside of multiplayer, the campaign is a po-faced, nonsensical rehash of greatest hits long past. Extinction (Left 4 Dead meets Zombies) is a lot of fun, and Squads feels like a well-marketed shell for Black Ops' Combat Training mode...Multiplayer is still the star then, but it's diminishing with every return, its addictiveness tempered by over-familiarity.

A gritty and tough combat game that is both fun and rewarding. UFC 5 will keep you coming back until you are the champ.

A thoughtful and charming title that puts a unique spin on the board-game strategy. While it might take a while to rewire your brain to the game's way of thinking, Greed Corp offers an experience quite unlike anything else.

The Disney Infinity 3.0 Starter Pack is a great introduction that will keep kids and kidults alike entertained for a long time.

It's often gorgeous to look at and the story is worth experiencing, but the multiplayer is nothing more than a slight distraction and the lack of co-op is a missed opportunity. Bound in Blood is worth a look, but as a sequel it doesn't take the series on enough.

If the idea of single shot kills causes a sharp pain to run down your spine, stick to modern action offerings, but if you want a challenge look no further.

John Wick Hex could have been a number of different games, none of them as strange and satisfying as this.

The revised focus on the new toys can make your previous investments feel disappointingly redundant.

The overriding feeling you'll get from Viva Piñata is one of depth.

Mercury has always seemed like a great fit for the PSP, and Meltdown improves on an already impressive game.

Little Nightmares is frightening, in a way that gets under your skin. A way that whispers in your ear that you won't sleep well tonight. Little Nightmares takes things you were afraid of when you were a kid, and reminds you you're still afraid now.

It’s maybe playing things a bit safe, but GRID 2 is ultimately a likable, fun, challenging game with hours worth of content.

This is not gaming perfection or a must have title that will be remembered for decades, but if you like war romps, and you long for the feel of Frontline or Underground, pick up this brilliant war game.

Regardless of that feeling of déjà vu, Carbon is another solid racer from EA, and the Auto-Sculpt feature is absolutely fantastic, not to mention the impressive car roster and functional online component.

Assault Horizon can be a frustrating experience at times, but when things are going to plan - when you've waited to the very last second to pull off an evasive manoeuvre or taken out two bogeys at once with a few well placed missiles - you'll be left with an intense feeling of satisfaction.

It can feel a little dated in terms of its approach to combat, but the game is so beautiful, so different, so utterly weird and wonderful that this is of no real consequence.

The attention to detail here shames most other movie-licensed titles and there's plenty of fan service that will please gamers and non-gamers alike. Had the core game been more focused on the hunting and trapping we'd have had a potential classic.

There's plenty of unmemorable fun to be had here, but it's shocking how it only took three goes for Nintendo to make New Super Mario Bros. feel old.

It's simple if judged purely on gameplay mechanics but wonderfully accomplished in terms of storytelling, characters and dialogue. If you fancy a supernatural adventure mystery with a smart plot and clever ideas, don't ignore this.

From the moment it starts, subdued colour palette aside, this is the series as you know it. By the time you find and build the dildo gun, you'll wonder what the fuss was about.

Double Agent isn't the next-gen Splinter Cell experience that Ubisoft might want us to believe it is, but it's still a very impressive single and multiplayer experience. Sadly, this experience is considerably better on the Xbox 360, where the visuals and audio are far more polished.

If you're after the most realistic feeling tennis game on the market, Grand Slam Tennis for Wii is it, when it works. MotionPlus-enabled shots can be performed by feel alone (as long as you're not lobbing or performing drop shots) and this will be enough for a lot of gamers – just be prepared for a fair few annoying moments. If you're after an in-depth single-player experience you might be disappointed though, as what's on offer here is geared around playing with friends.

Wii owners expecting a motion controlled tour de force will be quite disappointed. For the most part you play as if the Wii Remote is a standard controller, only using its special abilities when you need to shake something, aim a throw or steer a vehicle.

I had a great time with The Pitt, and it single-handedly reinvigorated my interest in Bethesda's masterpiece. It's what DLC should be: good value, interesting, exciting and a concentration of what is best about the game it's expanding upon.

As a teaser for Life is Strange 2, Captain Spirit does its job, but here’s hoping there’s more subtlety to the writing for the next big thing from Dontnod.

Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures doesn't quite live up to its Star Wars cousins, mainly due to the fact that Star Wars is simply a more memorable series, but it's still a brilliant adventure and great fun.

Dead Space 3 is a let down because it’s not a very good action game, and a really substandard horror game. It is devoid of ideas, hung up on laborious combat and obsessed with making even the exciting seem boring. In truth, it’s a bit of a shocker.

Like any standard RTS, R.U.S.E. is an exercise in balance. The difference here is that this game tries to simultaneously balance the interests of the console and the traditions of RTS. What's surprising is how well it actually manages to do this.

Don't expect ico crossed with the mind bending puzzles of Professor Layton, but do expect a well produced adventure game with puzzles that don't make you feel dumb.

There is nothing revolutionary about Ridge Racer 7, but it is one of the best driving games on a console already busy with automotive titles.

Abzu is a testament to where we are with video game development and shows how diverse the medium can and should be, even if it's not quite as emotionally resonant as it perhaps could have been.

Like a Dragon Gaiden might be a short ride but it stands tall among its larger brethren. Bond-like combat refinements, a tight plot, and fun mini-games build on the same old Yakuza heart.

Pokémon Legends Z-A manages to be simultaneously promising, fun and disappointing. Pokémon series is the highest-grossing video game franchise on earth, and as a major release from this series, Pokémon Legends Z-A feels leagues below what it could be. However, if you are able to cut Game Freak some (perhaps unearned) slack, then you’ll find plenty to enjoy on the mean streets of Pokémon Legends Z-A. It’s not a monumental leap forward, but there is genuine innovation here. Amid Pokémon’s reputation for stagnancy, this is very much worth celebrating.

Beautiful and intriguing, frustrating and flawed, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is nevertheless still worthy of your time.

PES 2010 is simply not good enough to challenge FIFA's dominance. It's an improvement on last year's effort, and fans of the more arcadey virtual football will find plenty to enjoy, but as a simulation it pales in comparison.

In an industry that moves forward with such pace, it's refreshing to find a series that is content to stay right where it is.

Top Spin 3 is by far the best tennis sim on the market, but there's still plenty of room for improvement.

While it might not be for newcomers, Ace Attorney Investigations will leave fans of the series squealing with delight. The game is as witty, charming, and engaging as ever, with new features that fit perfectly in place with the new protagonist.

These are another batch of consistently entertaining maps built on the solid bedrock of sprawling architectural foundations.

A game about a game within a game, Legendary Gary is weird and cool and utterly, genuinely unique. Some parts may be frighteningly familiar, and surprisingly emotional.

Some niggles with the inventory system are a little grating, but it's easy to forgive a few slight oversights when the game as a whole is so well put together.

If you've bought your 3DS to show off its new-fangled gadgetry, you might do better to pick up one of the other launch titles. But if, heaven forefend, you might actually want to actually play something fun, or something that requires a bit of thought, look no further. For all its lack of 3D showboating, Shadow Wars offers genuine depth.

The big question hanging over Euro 2008 is if it's worth its price tag, given that it's essential a tweaked FIFA 08 and FIFA 09 is only a few months away? The core gameplay has been tweaked enough to make FIFA 08 feel slightly dated, but chances are FIFA 09 will improve on this even further.

It really isn't often that a Wii version of a multi-platform title comes out on top, but that's exactly what's happened with The Forgotten Sands. While the Wii game still has its fair share of problems, it's one of the best action adventure titles the console has seen.

If you're likely to get together with at least two friends and have the required extra hardware, there's enough here to warrant a purchase - just know that you're essentially buying the game for three incredibly fun party games. If you're going to be playing solo, there are better options available for the Wii U.

The challenges included are great, the more full-featured games are excellent and the multiplayer games are a must play if you have friends with handhelds.

Devil May Cry 3 is brilliant and now that this HD version is out I can finally sell off my old 60gb PlayStation 3, which I originally bought so I'd have a modern machine capable of playing it. The other games in the box aren't nearly as essential.

The vibrant, retro look reinforces the game's charm even further.

Whichever version of Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing you choose you're going to get a well produced, fun arcade racer, with enough tracks and unlockables to keep you playing for a long time.

Mafia 2 feels like a game that could have been great. Clunky controls are hardly game-breaking, and some might argue part and parcel with the open-world genre, but without the features associated with open-world games Mafia 2 is more easily compared to Uncharted and Gears of War - and in that circle it's simply not action-packed enough.

While MMA might be the better game compared to UFC Undisputed 2010, it would be folly to ignore the void left by the lack of the UFC license. The Strikeforce league might be increasing in popularity, much like the sport in general, but it barely commands the weight of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Its branding is sorely missed, alongside Joe Rogan's and Mike Goldberg's industry-leading commentaries.

Online races with six players were smooth and relatively lag-free, and the downloadable time trial ghost cars come in very handy when trying to better your previous lap records. It's the kind of feature set that hardcore SEGA Rally fans will appreciate, but casuals might be left wondering why more isn't on offer.

While not offering anything groundbreaking as such, this tranquil, simplistic puzzler is a joyous distraction in a medium that can sometimes pride itself on pomp and circumstance.

In an age where most developers are reaching out to embrace casual gamers, ArmA II is something of a refreshing exception. It is unashamedly ambitious in its design and execution, embracing rich complexity at the expense of accessibility.

The only thing really letting it down is the bewildering omission of multiplayer, which a game of this nature relies on to give it legs. Sure, it's great fun for a few hours, but without real players to compete against, it quickly runs out of gas.

The good news is that, as ever, Street Fighter 5 is the leader of the pack, even all these years later. If the servers can offer a solid online playground, too, then we should all be very happy.

SoulCalibur V is definitely a step in the right direction for the maligned series. Despite plenty of changes and improvements, however, the game is still too complex to be casual and too flawed to be taken seriously. Soulcalibur V might have forged its own soul, but it's not burning brightly just yet.

It's often gorgeous to look at and the story is worth experiencing, but the multiplayer is nothing more than a slight distraction and the lack of co-op is a missed opportunity. Bound in Blood is worth a look, but as a sequel it doesn't take the series on enough.

Controls obviously take some time to learn and the maps are a little small, but the game still works exceedingly well, especially in multiplayer.

It's a tidy little package, all in all - probably the closest thing the App Store has to Super Meat Boy, which is high praise indeed.

1200 MS Points might seem a little steep for a game that originally came out ten years ago, but this is a true classic and a game that stands up very well today. Visually it's certainly showing its age, but the HD spruce up means it's by no means ugly and the core gameplay is just as universally appealing as it ever was.

Gameplay still lags behind the mighty "Pro Evolution Soccer" in a few areas, but the 'first touch' and 'off the ball' systems continue to impress. Presentation is great as expected.

PC FIFA fans have wanted a little more effort put into their version for years and finally the moaning and commitment to the series has paid off. FIFA 09 is the best FIFA the PC has seen in years and a great step forward for the series on the platform.

Gameplay still lags behind the mighty "Pro Evolution Soccer" in a few areas, but the 'first touch' and 'off the ball' systems continue to impress. Presentation is great as expected.

The game coaxes out hearty chuckles and swear-laden outbursts in equal quantities, but there's no denying that the resulting blend of emotions make for a memorable experience.

A well put together action puzzler, Figment has truly outstanding musical work. It'd be a great game to discover with children, but you'd probably need one to get the most out of it.

PES 2011 is a good game. It's the best version of PES I've played on the Xbox 360 and PS3, and it's a step in the right direction - but it isn't a FIFA beater.

The Nod-centred story is sure to please any C&C fan, the new Epic units are ridiculous fun to use and the core gameplay essence hasn't been messed about with. Just do me a favour and ignore the Global Conquest mode, OK?