Its undeniably attractive presentation may make it look like the next must-have, cultish handheld release, but sadly Nervous Brickdown is all style and no charm.

Even with its faults, it's impossible to dislike The Darkness. It's such a stunningly put together game that succeeds far more often than it fails, with storytelling and direction that puts many other games to shame.

With this winter full of high profile shooters it's almost certain that Midway felt a summer release for Hour of Victory was essential, but what's been released is hugely disappointing - especially on a console that has been relatively dross free.

Like having a pint at home on your own, TouchMaster just can't hope to compete with the allure of a good old boozer.

While the core mechanics of Order of the Phoenix are verging on excellent, the game that's been built around them is basically a series of chores in disguise.

While the core mechanics of Order of the Phoenix are verging on excellent, the game that's been built around them is basically a series of chores in disguise.

While the core mechanics of Order of the Phoenix are verging on excellent, the game that's been built around them is basically a series of chores in disguise.

While the core mechanics of Order of the Phoenix are verging on excellent, the game that's been built around them is basically a series of chores in disguise.

While the core mechanics of Order of the Phoenix are verging on excellent, the game that's been built around them is basically a series of chores in disguise.

Quite how Gearbox's pocket shooter turns so many negatives into such a playable game is inexplicable, but sometimes the most unpolished combat boots are the most comfortable.

The core racing is thrilling yet accessible and the amount of content on offer will keep players enthralled for some time. Some inexplicable frame rate problems and a lacklustre online multiplayer mode prevent this from being a classic.

The core racing is thrilling yet accessible and the amount of content on offer will keep players enthralled for some time.

With a cursory wireless mode that lets you share the famous landmarks you have unlocked with other players, and a number of new buildings and concerns, this is definitely worth the money for anyone with an interest in simulations.

If you've got the hardware you'll experience a quite stunning game, but one that doesn't fulfil its potential.

It has a delightful old school feel about it that is reminiscent of The Chaos Engine or the aforementioned LucasArts gem, Zombies Ate My Neighbours, but if you're interested in gameplay over middling next-gen visuals, you'd be better off browsing eBay than dipping your toe in the very American world of Monster Madness.

It has a delightful old school feel about it that is reminiscent of The Chaos Engine or the aforementioned LucasArts gem, Zombies Ate My Neighbours, but if you're interested in gameplay over middling next-gen visuals, you'd be better off browsing eBay than dipping your toe in the very American world of Monster Madness.

It fails to match the sum of its parts. The drug dealing aspect is really the game's only defining feature, and with the rest of the game being merely competent in all areas, the Scarface licence is left to do all the hard work.

A sloppy co-operative mode adds little to the overall experience, and a laughably restrictive customisation mode is the final nail in the coffin for this dreadful game.

It might be strange to criticise a mini-game collection for a lack of depth, but that's Wii Degree's biggest problem. Without 50+ games to play and none of the long-term appeal of Brain Training, what you've got is a game that will please you for a week and then rarely leave its case.

Ray's action focussed levels are great fun and highlight how great the game could have been with a clearer focus. In the end though, the mix of gameplay styles doesn't really work.

Minor modifications to Pac-Man's basic gameplay mechanics have resulted in a new pace and intensity that the original lacked.

Everything a remake should be. It makes the most of modern technology to bring a classic game world up to date, throws in simple but intuitive controls and doesn't rely on constant fire-fights to bring excitement.

With a 360 controller plugged into your PC Halo 2 for Vista is a decent, if rather dated FPS. For a game that is spearheading Microsoft's new operating system though, it's just not good enough.

If you're don't shiver with excitement at the mere thought of a lovely pretty little pony, forget about this, but if you have a daughter who is overwhelmed by the desire to put pink things on mammals, then this is an excellent little package that has plenty more to offer than two halves of a coconut, and comes in at far less than the cost of a saddle.

After a few races it'll have you hooked like the very best MMOs and you won't be able to remove it from your disc tray. With a sublime racing model, superb AI, tons of content, brilliantly simple car upgrades and tuning, an unbelievable paint shop tool and all the online options you can imagine, Forza 2 is the premier Xbox 360 racer and the new king of the genre.

With the core gameplay being dull, the mini-games uninspired and the presentation severely lacking, this is a game that only the most die-hard Nintendo fans will find any worth in.

A huge amount of CRUSH is brilliantly playable and consistently enjoyable. It is bursting with character by puzzle game standards and, even considering its shortcomings, is still a PSP release well worth picking up if you are looking for something fresh and stimulating.

The new motion-controls - a feature we cringed at when first announced - unexpectedly make the game that much more enjoyable.