A sprawling fantasy masterpiece that needs to be experienced to be appreciated.

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.

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

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.

I'm a firm believer that graphics are a very small portion of what makes a great game great. Take away the pretty graphics in Resurrection of Evil, and what do you have? An extremely repetitive first person shooter that tries to be scary and doesn't even do that all that well.

One of the things which sets Black and White 2 apart from its predecessor is the combat system.

There are some redeeming qualities to this game, however, like that unfinished steak; it urgently needs some more time on the grill. Lots of time and some more seasoning wouldn't hurt either.

The game looks and sound great. The town has great detail and an elaborate layout that makes each new place look different but still seem to be part of the same setting.

With its tight controls and diverse and rewarding levels, beautiful and engaging graphics, and its humorous story, Frogger: Helmet Chaos is sure to be a hit with audiences both new and old alike.

The game looks and sound great. The town has great detail and an elaborate layout that makes each new place look different but still seem to be part of the same setting.

The look of the game is phenomenal. With menu screens that seem like they've stolen from both the images and slogans from Second World War propaganda posters and the appropriate heroic music playing in the background, you feel you've stepped into a navy training film.

It looks nice enough but clumsy controls, a boring ‘stocking up’ system that you’re forced in to and general repetitiveness put this squarely into the ‘coulda, woulda, shoulda’ category.

It's a treat to play something so fresh, and yet so (often frustratingly) familiar. Helmet Chaos strikes the perfect balance between its 20th Century lineage and gameplay for today.

The main problem with Frogger Ancient Shadow, however, is that's its too difficult to play. The controls take a little getting used to.

Although it is not as sophisticated on some levels as the continuing adventures of Sam Fisher, it does stand on it's own as a fine addition to the "sneak and destroy" genre of games.

There's really not much to this game, yet it still had me coming back for more, trying to finish the single player mode.

This is the best game I've seen Activision put out in a while.

Easy to pick up and play and immediately enjoyable.

The game sure looks fantastic but is it fun to play? Without a doubt, although it could do with some fine-tuning here and there.

The realisation that there's a great deal of repetitive gameplay here sets in all too quickly with samey fight sequences and perpetual chasing.

Regardless of the number of variations in outfitting, the combat remains simple and unimpressive.

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.

For fans of the previous game, there’s not much new here beyond a co-operative multiplayer mode where two people are tasked with steering around one katamari. Unless you and your co-player are psychic, though, it’s a tough, frustrating task.

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.

It would have been nice if the storyline was a little more open ended and the RPG element was emphasized.

Parents might suffer alarming flashbacks of their own wedding planning fiascos but the wee ones will have great fun exercising their creativity while also learning to follow instructions.

Disney has all the bases covered and then some to keep a child's interest as they work their way through an assortment of diverse levels.

It's not the most original brawler out there, but the tasty graphics and cinematic comic-book style action help make up for some of the games imperfections.

Heroes is not one of those games that will immediately sieze you by the breastplate but once you have mastered the multi-tasking and on-the-spot strategizing that's required, it really does grow on you like a Shambling Mound and in this case, that's a good thing.

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.

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.

It ended just in time - the end of the game comes down to, more than anything, one big boss battle after another - and left us with a true feeling of accomplishment.

The Mortal Kombat transition from fighting game to action-adventure experience is handled exceptionally well in Shaolin Monks. As Scorpion would say, "Get over here!"

While it's not the most original game of its kind, fans of MediEvil should like this slick redux of the popular PlayStation platformers. The wireless multiplayer minigames are a nice bonus, too.

Another amazing asset is that the opponents that you face aren't stupid. These are some top-notch, intelligent drivers! These opponents actually try to set you up to crash in a race.

With its wide variety of vehicles, numerous tracks and racing modes and its undeniably addictive sense of speed, Burnout Legends is by far the best racing experience to be had on the PSP.

Contrary to popular belief, Revenge is a dish best served hot. It's the best Burnout game ever.

There's little need for varied strategies throughout Lockdown, and once you figure out how to sweep a room efficiently, the entire game is pretty much open for completion. It makes for an interesting twist on the strategy based shooter formula, because the need for absolute teamwork is almost entirely diminished.

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.

A game which has enough to keep you engaged with it all the way until the final crucial discovery about the nature and meaning of Nibiru.

Mix a basic but solid game of baseball with the usual hallucinogenic properties of Mario's special toadstools and you get this fun and frothy confection.

The developers of 187 Ride or Die definitely had the right idea. The game is easy to just pick up and play and has fun multiplayer modes. But the laughable plot, disgusting language and weak (very weak) single player mode keep this game from being great.

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.

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.

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.

One of the best strategy game franchises gets even better with the addition of new DS-specific features and tweaks.

That's 100 games and 10 dance offs in 10 stages, folks. Yep. Moms and dads, this game will have your kids tied up until doomsday...or shortly thereafter.

That's so Raven 2: Supernatural Style doesn't fair as well unfortunately although it is more of an arcade style experience.

The graphics and sound in Death Jr. are nothing spectacular. The music is catchy but repetitive, and the sound effects are sparse and basic.

Playing as a ghost who can possess people, animals and inanimate objects is a definite novelty, but a lot of the game's action sequences have a been there, done that feel.

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.

For anyone looking for a deceptively solid tennis game, grab your balls and get ready to make some racket with Outlaw Tennis (aren't I creative?).

The graphics in Nanostray are some of the prettiest on the DS, hands down. The environments are varied, there is a ton of vibrant colours and except for some very rare slowdowns, the game runs at a smooth 60 FPS, no small feat considering how much is always going on on both screens.

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.

Just like a Lynch movie, debate over the merits and meaning of Killer7 will no doubt rage for months to come, if not years. But just as some dismiss surrealism as trivial waffle, others will find great delight and much scope within the fixed parameters of what is presented here.

Is it possible for an expansion disc to qualify as contender for Game of the Year?

It's very amusing playing it together as a team.

It is passable as a button mashing brawler with a few interesting concepts (namely the bosses and that fact that you control four, old-school comic characters), but suffers from a variety of game elements that just weren't done quite well enough, such as poor control mechanics, middle of the road graphics, lack of variety with the combat and more.

Insanely long load times are the only major flaw in this amazingly thorough conversion of a console game to the PSP format. Vroom!

This lack of dynamism renders Fantastic Four feeling rather impotent. And unfortunately all that's left is a decidedly average button basher wrapped up in a blockbuster license.

A fun, zany, irreverent, violent (yeah!) and humorous game. It's just not very deep. It makes for a really good rental game as most of the coolest and engaging parts of the game are encountered in the first few missions and are then repeated throughout the rest of the experience.

A phenomenal game if it runs on your machine. While it is not exactly the dynamic battlefield that EA had hyped, it is one of the most enjoyable multiplayer first person shooters to come out in years.

But the fantastic presentation of the multiplayer concept, aided by the single cartridge format, is reason enough for purchase. Bombs away!

The single player section is definitely a letdown, but the multiplayer mode makes up for it in a big way.

With some races you can win in a snap but others are down to the wire and sometimes are way too hard. Juiced is definitely for those who love to put the pedal to the metal and lay waste to some asphalt.

As with most DS games, the WiFi connection works seamlessly, with none of the glitches or slowdowns typically found on online console games.

A Kirby game that's fun and cool? Thanks to the innovative touchscreen control, you bet it is. A must-have for the somewhat under-represented Nintendo DS.

A cool concept with a flawed execution, Yoshi fans with a lot of patience will probably really dig this game. But it's nowhere near as good as it could have been.

PC owners definitely will fare better than their Xbox counterparts in this particular gang war.

A great game made even greater through its translation to two more powerful platforms. But Xbox owners might be miffed that the long-anticipated improvements are in reality so minimal.

For the hardcore gamer, there should be enough here to keep their interest through until the ending.

As if the gameplay wasn't stale enough already, every few minutes you are treated with long speeches from characters in the game.

The single player section is short and simple enough for any youngster to get through (probably with a little help from mom or dad) and best of all, there are plenty of addictive minigames to keep players occupied after the closing credits.

If you happen to be a veteran gamer WITH kids, then Madagascar can provide you with a guilt-free excuse to play video games with your children- or maybe even on your own ("Honey, I'm just clearing this level for Bobby...)

Madagascar is a great deal of fun and is gloriously cute to look at. If you're completely (animal) crackers about the movie, it's just the ticket.

The most challenging levels though are the ones that get all Splinter Cell-ish on you. Even though you don't don Sam Fisher's trademark goggles, the gameplay is similar.

The only big problems with the game itself are that it isn't all that long, and it doesn't take advantage of the dual screens.

Enjoyable, although apart from the upgradeable weapons system and weapon loadouts in the multiplayer, it is not groundbreaking.

Most importantly, it has the all-important replayability that can sometimes make or break a game. This game stands up to any FPS out right now, and surpasses some.

A thoroughly engaging racing game with high production value and an extensive amount of replay. From the multiple game modes, to the extensive customization options to finally the numerous online options, there is an incredible amount of game to enjoy.

It is the answer to those who have bitterly and rightfully complained that not much creativity has gone into the gameplay as the series has progressed.

Jade Empire is THE Role Playing Game to own on the Xbox, the best game on the Xbox period, and probably one of the best games released in the last 5 years. Are you sufficiently hyped yet?

While the graphics are undeniably great (especially after blasting demons and zombies into a bloody pulp) in Doom 3, it's the smart use of suspense and the creepy soundtrack -- including moans, groans and frantic cries for help --which make the presentation downright terrifying.

Had it made use of the wireless adapter it might have been able to duplicate the traditional Mario Party feel.

The great thing about Splinter Cell Chaos Theory is that it's just getting warmed up once you finish playing all by your lonesome. The Multiplayer aspect of it will easily quadruple your time with the game.

The game is a complete port of a much better game (Rayman 2) already in circulation on the Dreamcast, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and PlayStation 2. If you’re dying to play this game you’re better off playing it on one of those consoles (that you probably already own).

But even without taking the game online, the solo, co-op and head-to-head multiplayer modes are enough to satisfy even the most diehard fans of Sweet Tooth and his crew. For this one, at least, technology trumps originality. Hands down.

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.

The game follows a fairly linear path and is plagued by a few invisible boundaries, but otherwise has plenty going for it, thanks to its nearly non-stop combat and reliance on more than just button mashing to dispatch each enemy.

The graphics are some of the best offered in the first run of games, and it’s just plain fun. The only mark against it is the pitiful AI that doesn’t seem to notice you at all if you’re good enough with the nitrous and that power-slide.

Suffice it to say, once you start playing the game and dissolve into that zone of blissful concentration, you'll understand.

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.

Also a little disappointing is the permanent map display that takes up the right-hand third of the screen and can't be switched off. Some sort of heads-up display or radar option would have been nice, so you could roar into battle using all of the PSP's widescreen real estate.

The “big reveal” takes awhile, and because it takes some time to finally happen you’ll be fearing virtually everything that goes bump in the night.

The "big reveal" takes awhile, and because it takes some time to finally happen you'll be fearing virtually everything that goes bump in the night.

Once again Nintendo creates a game for the DS that is perfect for casual gamers, but if that doesn’t describe you, your hatred for this cute title will probably know no bounds.

What's also frustrating is that lower-level foes with no real super powers like Nazi soldiers and Nuclear Winter's henchmen are way too strong. Often you may find yourself swarming an irritating straggler here and there after engaging in a huge rumble that has left your team weaker than Aunt May.