Much of what was supposed to make Fable innovative was ultimately cut out, but what's left still looks incredible and is amazingly fun to play.

Blending classic platform game elements with a humourous storyline and a cool dimension-flipping gimmick makes this one of the most satisfying Mario games in years.

If not for some small issues with the control, it would have been a great expansion on the original, and deserving of the same accolades the original had.

A lot deeper and a lot tougher than it seems at first glance, Dead Rising is an old-school game posing as next-gen zombie slayathon. It can be frustrating as hell, but like the swarms of undead who don't know any better, you'll keep coming back for more.

A great achievement for the DS that should be worth the wait for fans of the series and those dying for a fully-fleshed out FPS with online capabilities on the dual screen system.

The action is exciting and varied, the puzzles are challenging yet rarely frustrating and the environments are simply gorgeous.

Achieves something many role-playing strategy games fail at. It provides a fantastically involving adventure strategy for those who live and breath RPG, but also allows those who just want the strategy to ignore the wrapping paper and get straight to the gift.

While naysayers can decry the repetition, the strength of the handheld series continues to be that nobody will whip through the games in few weeks. Diamond’ or ‘Pearl’ are worthwhile investments because they represent months and months of gameplay.

Longtime Thief fans who can overlook the game's handful of flaws will find Deadly Shadows a worthwhile continuation of the series, even though some sacrifices were made to bring it to the PC and Xbox platforms simultaneously.

The presentation in MGS: The Twin Snakes is very good because it combines great direction with great graphics, and impressive sound.

The physics are a little clunky at first but ultimately make the game feel a whole lot more natural with a little practice.

A brawler with a deep storyline, based on a cult classic from the '70s? You heard right, suckers. The Warriors is hands down one of the coolest action games of the year.

As a huge fan of standard FPS games, I was a little put-off at first by my personal lack of effectiveness in the game, though I can appreciate the added tactical depth provided by the control of two fire teams.

The career mode is enhanced, giving gamers the ability to not only design their boxer down to the size of his nose and colour of his shoes, but take their virtual pugilist through a training regimen while choosing their bouts with higher-ranked opponents.

Don't get me wrong; it's nice when the PSP gets a little star-power, but what could have been a full-fledged performance feels more like a cameo. Nevertheless, R&C:SM's mix of platforming action, entertaining cast and an abundance of mini-games makes it an honorable addition to the series.

The music will put you in the mood to hit that hole-in-one, and a taunting system that's customizable will be sure to annoy the heck out of your friends when you play multiplayer.

While film aficionados will get more out of it than your regular Joe who will pay full price to see anything starring Rob Schneider, The Movies is for anyone who not only think they can make movies better than Hollywood, they know they can.

Creativity can be one of the deadliest weapons in your arsenal in this free-form third-person shooter. Playing with toy soldiers was never this fun.

Vibrant and charming, Viva Pinata is family friendly fun that engages a child's imagination with its ever evolving gameplay. The more kids play, the more they will be drawn into Viva’s virtual world. Parents be warned though. Keep those ear plugs handy. The migraine-inducing theme song is enough to have you reaching for that bottle of Tequila.

Even if you only have a slightest casual interest in the greatest puzzle video game ever made, the stack of gameplay modes and the introduction of online play are completely reason enough to warrant purchase.

The series could benefit from features such as other playable races or a crafting system, but you'll likely be so busy adventuring that you won't have much time for gathering herbs.

Black Arrow is also the first game to fully implement the Xbox Live 3.0 features, including the ability to recruit squads, schedule tournaments and leave profanity-laced voice messages for Flat Eric. Cool beans.

When it’s all said and done Rise of Legends is a solid RTS. The single player skirmishes with the computer are much better than playing the campaign and the multiplayer option is an absolute blast.

There is an assortment of plot twists too that provide surprise after surprise as you continue forth. If nothing else, X-Men Legends 2 is a well-crafted and executed storyline that gets progressively intriguing the more time you spend playing it.

The driving (and flying) sequences keep the game fresh, with cars that are an absolute dream to drive.

It’s not often I say this, the hardcore audience may be vocal with the problems, but it won’t stop TRON 2.0 from selling millions.

It's all cute and Lego-y, yeah, but this is also a thoroughly charming, satisfying and faithful tip of the plastic hat to the original Star Wars trilogy. The Force is strong with this one.

A challenging level of difficulty plus next-to-useless instructions makes Def Jam: Fight For NY harder than it needs to be. But once you master your skills (and overlook the camera problems), it's one of the most viscerally fun brawlers in ages.

Does exactly what it's supposed to do - kill time and appease the masses before its full follow up comes a few months from now.

If you like a challenging preconstructed scenario, some with historical overtones to them, you will find this expansion pack a great addition to a great game.

A thinking man's military game, Full Spectrum Warrior's set-piece confrontations tend to force you into one specific course of action. But it's still as close as you'll come to living the real thing - and be thankful for that.

Don’t be put off by this oddball mixture of a casual puzzle game and a fantasy role-playing adventure. Puzzle Quest is stellar as both, and amazingly addictive.

The system works rather well, although it has its quirks. For example, Bond has to be looking toward an enemy for the system to recognize the bad guy.

The keyword here is variety. If you like to try many different things and fight many different ways, then Jak 3 is the game for you.

The game’s tone may have changed drastically from Sands of Time but we personally still love everything it has to offer -- Definite recommendation.

Whether you're starting a new franchise from scratch or simply playing a game of Dodge-the-Barrels, NHL 2K6 is a stunning addition to the world of sports games.

As adorable as it is eccentric, and as addictive as it is challenging, it still may not be everyone's cup of tea. But if happy, singing blobs navigating trippy technicolour worlds sounds like fun, you need this one in your PSP library.

It would have been nicer if the storyline was a little longer, but the ability to go back and replay the game, but choosing to be evil instead of good, or a spellcaster instead of a fighter, will allow you to enjoy this game for some time.

It's a simple, fun first-person shooter, which is what gamers look for most in this series. Rest assured that's exactly what gamers will get. Nothing more, nothing less.

A truly fantastic experience that is so much more than just a mindless shoot-em-up "GTA" clone. The developers almost force you to think outside the box and not spend an hour running over hookers and throwing molotov cocktails into a crowd on the beach (as fun as those things are).

More than any other release in the past, 'The Show' captures all of the intricacies and the essence of the great game itself.

"Picross" is an elegant, alluring option that will keep you coming back for more.

While Spider-Man 2 truly puts you in the webbed booties of the wall-crawler and boasts a ton of freedom to do what you want, there's not enough variety to keep things fresh from start to finish.

If you are looking for a compilation of mini-games to pass the time once and awhile, Clubhouse Games will fit the bill quite nicely.

'Championship' mode though is an ingenious spin on presenting level-based gameplay in a whole new way as there is virtually no pause in the action. For all intents and purposes, Pac-Man has turned into a gruelling video game marathon. 'Championship' mode alone makes this download worth it for any serious Pac-Man fan.

If you play Rogue Galaxy in a straight-line you can beat it in the average-RPG time of about 50 hours. Should you take your time and see everything it has to offer, however, you’re looking at a good 100 hours of gameplay.

While it's not a game so much as a pet simulator that you fiddle with for a few minutes every day, Nintendogs is ridiculously charming and cute. And virtual dog poop is a lot easier to clean up than the real stuff.

Smooth Moves is everything we hoped it would be and then some – it’s quite simply a must-have for any Wii owner.

While it's not a game so much as a pet simulator that you fiddle with for a few minutes every day, Nintendogs is ridiculously charming and cute. And virtual dog poop is a lot easier to clean up than the real stuff.

Bond actually carries useful gadgets you simply can't wait to use. He flings himself off walls using a very cool rappelling system and can send in the remote and compact Q Spider to blow up things in tight spaces.

A challenging level of difficulty plus next-to-useless instructions makes Def Jam: Fight For NY harder than it needs to be. But once you master your skills (and overlook the camera problems), it's one of the most viscerally fun brawlers in ages.

While it's not a game so much as a pet simulator that you fiddle with for a few minutes every day, Nintendogs is ridiculously charming and cute. And virtual dog poop is a lot easier to clean up than the real stuff.

The game’s tone may have changed drastically from "Sands of Time" but we personally still love everything it has to offer.

MLB '07 still reigns as the premiere baseball title it is just that there aren't enough perks this time around to warrant trading up.

What is surprising is that this game is essentially a perfect hand-held redux of the console version of Tony Hawk's Underground 2, as opposed to being some stripped-down, 2-D reinterpretation.

Offers everything you need to get your mutant mayhem on – minus the blue and yellow tights. You’ll have to get those on your own.

To say that King Kong looks good is an understatement. It's gorgeous. Even on the technologically dated PS2, the imagery is truly beautiful and there are times during the game that you will just stop and look around at the scenery, enhanced yet again by the lack of any menus to distract you.

In the history of gaming, there are a few releases that warrant the cost of purchasing an entire system. 'Goldeneye' and 'Perfect Dark' for the N64 and the groundbreaking PS2 version of 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City' are a few of those extraordinary titles. In my mind, based on its astonishing graphics and feral gameplay, you can now add 'Peter Jackson's King Kong' to that list of rarities.

If you liked "X-Men Legends," you'll love Marvel Ultimate Alliance, with its roster of two dozen playable heroes from every corner of the Marvel universe. But please, let's see She-Hulk in the sequel, OK?

Though the story mode provides a compelling 12 hour experience, you won’t be rushing out to play through it a second time. Still, these minor gripes aside, The Darkness is one of the best games you’re likely to play this year. I’ve seen the light and it’s dark, very dark.

It should be no surprise that such an original title was conceived by Kojima, the talented peeps who brought us the Metal Gear Solid series.

So if you're looking for an all-out melee, then Call of Duty 3 is your game. If you want something that's somewhat stealth mission-based, then you might want to give "SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Combined Assault" a whirl.

It has pretty graphics, plenty of extras and an engaging storyline. I may have taken a whole lot more from it if I was a hardcore fan of the history of X-Men, but it still has enough going for it to keep all types of gamers happy.

Trigger-happy players and those who prefer stealth will both be able to enjoy this game, though those opting for stealth will get a lot more enjoyment in the long run.

May be just a little too easy, but it's one of the best comic stories ever put into a game, and would be worthy of a feature film treatment.

The visuals and sound design really do drive the package well enough to create what's hopefully as close an experience to the real thing as any of us would like to have.

This game truly has multiple paths with multiple choices to make that can affect the conclusion of the game.

What's refreshing however in these times of relentless retro makeovers, is that despite the simplicity, there's considerable depth and longevity here, thanks to the varied outcomes of your every action.

Don’t be put off by this oddball mixture of a casual puzzle game and a fantasy role-playing adventure. Puzzle Quest is stellar as both, and amazingly addictive.

If Lucasarts can tame its networking quirks, deepen the map selection, and iron out a few of its weapons and class wrinkles, Battlefront stands the chance of being the most addictive online game since "Counterstrike."

Tekken V: Dark Resurrection is still fun to play and it's much better than most of the competition. It's just a bit of a letdown because it feels to me that the developers missed a chance to fully take advantage on the PS3's capabilities.

While not the amazing experience we were all expecting, Quake 4 is a worthy successor to the Quake franchise.

The graphics, the sound, the level designs, the characters and their voice acting - everything about this game is truly terrifying and horrific all at the same time. Revel in one of the scariest video games ever made.

Blasting an exploding barrel just as a group of foes are shambling past it and watching their aerial acrobatics just never gets old.

Hardcore connoisseur gamers need to stay the hell away from this game. WarioWare Touched will appeal to the young’ens, Women, and casual gamers.

It won't replace Grand Theft Auto in your carjacking, hooker-beating heart, but Saints Row is a surprisingly good clone, and it even manages to do a few things better than the games from which it shamelessly borrows.

As one of the few distinct differences from the original, Lumines 2 features full, non-animated music videos as backgrounds on certain levels. The videos are pretty cool on their own, and yet actually add another degree of difficulty by being yet another visual distraction- something that should please veteran players of the first game.

Taking the pigskin to the asphalt is a novel idea and makes for a fast and fun game of arcade football. It's not nearly as slick and addictive as its sister franchise "NBA Street," though.

With a ridiculous amount of replay value in the single player version, and the always dependable multiplayer fun Nintendo delivers with their Mascot titles, I can easily recommend this game as a purchase.

There's nothing radically new here, but it's got the best variety of missions and the best storyline of any of the Hitman titles.

What makes the Mega Man Anniversary Collection such a fine example of retro-gaming is the care that went into bringing it to the next-gen systems.

The game really shines in multiplayer, where the variety in play styles means that every match is different and challenging. Often players will volley well over 30-40 times on each point, which creates some very intense matches that can easily go either way. Whether playing online or against a friend, multiplayer is the best Table Tennis experience by far.

As enjoyable as the game is, as my roommate can attest to, watching someone else play is about as exciting as watching the real thing.

This is designed as the first game in a new Ubisoft franchise, and I do hope there’s another. The little miscues can be fixed, the stealth tweaked, and I’d be up for free running through the French Revolution next time.

Embodies what a handheld game should be. It has short levels, and the learning curve is very low. You'll find yourself whipping through the game in a short amount of time, but the replay value is there with over 90 levels to try and get that gold star on.

This is my first real experience with the Pokémon universe (I've been told repeatedly that the next gen versions of the game do not capture the fun of the handheld), and I must say I'm quiet impressed.

It's not as brain-blowingly next-gen as some gamers might be hoping, but Perfect Dark Zero is still a solid and slick shooter that deserves to be enjoyed online.

At present, this is the closest you will come to knowing what it is like to step inside a WWE ring. Here’s hoping THQ and the WWE will move past their business disagreements and continue producing superb wrestling games.

Day 1 has upped the ante, and created something far better then their original, but only those who crave Mech games, and need their online fix should give it serious consideration.

Taking the pigskin to the asphalt is a novel idea and makes for a fast and fun game of arcade football. It's not nearly as slick and addictive as its sister franchise NBA Street, though.

An alright game when you play it against one friend, but it gets real fun as a title when you play it with three other friends.

Victim of being a follow up to one of the best adventure titles ever made, but don’t let that stop of you from enjoying a game that is still above most of what’s available in this genre. If I enjoyed this game at all, there’s NO WAY you won’t.

This faithful port - no pun intended - of the seafaring PC game shines just as brightly on the big black box. Beware the siren call of its addictiveness, though.

Even if you decide to skip all the ‘extra’ modes like Superstar and Minigames, you’ll still get a lot out of Franchise. It never becomes too overwhelming – a problem with many sports games in recent years.

Don't let the big-headed cartoon folk fool you, this is a solid (but fun) simulation of golf, and online-enabled to boot. Too bad it's so similar to the previous game in the series.

While Spider-Man 2 truly puts you in the webbed booties of the wall-crawler and boasts a ton of freedom to do what you want, there's not enough variety to keep things fresh from start to finish.

Without giving too much away, I can say this: There is a plot-twist in this game that is so great that even the most hard-core RPG veterans won't see it coming.

Taking the pigskin to the asphalt is a novel idea and makes for a fast and fun game of arcade football. It's not nearly as slick and addictive as its sister franchise NBA Street, though.