NBA Jam just about deserves release as a proper boxed retail product, boasting a fairly hefty array of modes and other content. What's important is that it preserves the gameplay and spirit of the original games, giving it a nostalgic cachet that makes it almost irresistible, despite its frustrations.

Dance Central is as close to a killer-app that Kinect has to date and Harmonix has gone and proven that they're not a one trick pony. If you're looking for an excuse to get Kinect, ladies and gents, may I present to you, Dance Central.

Achingly beautiful to behold and incredible to play, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood will be the best Roman holiday you'll ever have.

With the console version of The Sims 3, EA have successfully recreated the addictive popular life-sim that's undoubtedly had a popular life on PC, and they've done it with relative ease. Sure it may not be as detailed and have the same community-creative outlets that the PC version does, but it's clear that the console version is for those that don't have an affinity towards PC gaming and haven't otherwise experienced it... Like myself.

Your Shape is truly Fitness Evolved in not only name, but in nature as well, and it presents a great opportunity for people to workout in their own homes with their own fitness tracker and personal trainer. I find it hard to believe that it will replace gyms and your general workout regime for anyone who is currently active already in these fields, but it makes a perfect supplement, and for those who want to do more, this is the perfect tool.

It seems as if Kinect Adventures is included with Kinect to showcase the capabilities of the device rather than provide any substantial gaming experience. It's a game that's fun in short bursts, but requires a ton of space for two-player multiplayer. Admittedly, Kinect Adventures starts off quite well as the Kinect bundle software, but after an hour it demonstrates its lack of depth once you realise that you've pretty much seen and done everything.

Kinectimals is a great start for Microsoft's more family friendly orientated Kinect catalogue and if this can't entice parents to part with their cash, then nothing will. It's adorable, engaging, fun, and really utilises the full potential of the device.

Kinect Sports as a launch title though is extremely promising and it does show that Kinect could very well have a future in every living room – big living rooms that is. As it stands now though, Kinect Sports is perfect for short bursts with friends and is certainly unique, but there are a few annoyances that regrettably hamper the whole experience.

Undead Nightmare might not tie-in to Red Dead's overarching story, but as an entertaining journey into an alternate tale set within that rich and compelling universe, it's an add-on that proves utterly indispensable for any self-respecting fan of the game.

Fable III is pretty much everything you'd want from a Fable sequel: more of the same and then some. There are certainly a few gambles from Lionhead this year, with some paying off and others not so much, but at the crux of it, it's pretty sublime.

Unfortunately for us, DJ Hero seems to be going the same way as the rest of the Hero brand, with little to no innovation upon the last iteration. The freestyle sections are a great addition, the new track list isn't as inspired as the original's and the Empire mode is a complete waste of time. Don't get us wrong, it's still fun, but it's starting to wear a little thin already.

Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 does offer a considerable amount of fun, but it's the same fun you will have enjoyed for the past few years. There are some new ideas here and there, but nothing really earth shattering and it's safe to say that the game never really pushes past the previous incarnations. Fans will enjoy themselves, that's a given, but it's probably time for something fresh and innovative to spice things up.

Instead of being a case of diminishing returns, NBA 2K11 sees the franchise in peak condition. The inclusion of the sport's greatest player is much more than just a stunt for the cover and resurrects a time in basketball that we remember fondly. Nostalgia aside, NBA 2K11 is much like Air Jordan himself – the all-time greatest.

Front Mission Evolved does offer some doses of fun, but the campaign is far too short with a story that is patchy at best. More entertainment can be found online, but even at the relatively close proximity to launch, the community is worryingly small. Perhaps a return to the familiar turn- based RPG roots would be for the best based on this fairly average offering.

Only the rather bland nature of some missions, ever present loading screens and the sometimes murky plot - at least for newcomers - stop Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 from being up there with the greats. As it is, the game is wonderful to look at, brilliant fun to play and is easily the best anime related title out there.

EA Sports MMA is well-made, impeccably presented and could in time threaten UFC's title, just not yet. Fight fans would do well to give EA Sports MMA a whirl though. You won't be disappointed.

Not really a major leap forward over Fallout 3, but certainly not just more of the same either. The variety of missions and random tasks will keep you entertained for hours and the few new additions serve to provide a welcome distraction in terms of crafting, gambling and reputation management. Jump in, but make sure you come up for air now and again.

Lords of Shadow is a superlative start for Castlevania on current-gen consoles and we only hope that developer MercurySteam has more in the pipeline. It might borrow from other hack-and slash-adventure titles of the same ilk, but Castlevania is entirely its own game. With an unforgettable Middle Ages fantasy setting and an epic narrative, Lords of Shadow is the complete package and Gabriel Belmont is the coolest vampire slayer since Buffy. He's not as hot though.

By attempting to topple the genre's leaders and offering nothing new or exciting, Medal of Honor unfortunately pales in comparison to the competition. The single-player is short, but rather than being short and sweet, it's a little soulless, while the multiplayer, which is plagued by some bizarre design choices, falls somewhere between Bad Company 2 and Modern Warfare 2, and in comparison to those two big hitters, it's clear it doesn't offer the same engaging and worthwhile experiences.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a fantastic adventure title that's both beautiful to look at, compelling to play and enjoyable for the most part.

In attempting to start over and give PES its most substantial revamp in a long time, Konami has given the franchise a much-need shot in the arm. There's a lot more to like here than previous, but PES 2011 still feels like an also-ran that's still in dire need of some additional refinement and some of that old fluid magic that once made PES sheer footballing alchemy.

Dead Rising 2 is everything you'd want from the zombie-smashing, free-roaming sequel and although many were after an upgraded save system, the tweaks it's seen are relatively minor. Adding co-op and a hugely original multiplayer have definitely made this a must buy for zombie fanatics the world over, but the painfully long load times, the odd frame-rate issues and retreading the same ground after we've died umpteen times, really holds the game back from the dizzy 90s.

FIFA 11 is almost as perfect a football game as you could ever expect to play and it does pretty much everything right. The passing requires a more deft touch and fine aim than previous, which can throw you off a bit at first, but other than that, FIFA 11 is the beautiful game in every sense. Personality+ seems like a far too subtle addition from our uneducated football perspective, but Be A Goalkeeper, Be A Pro, Career and other modes will keep you irrevocably hooked for months on end. It's a cliché, but FIFA 11 hits the back of the net, every time.

For an F1 fan, F1 2010 is a dream come true. The physics and weather effects are phenomenal, the courses are for the most part accurately represented and the racing is second-to-none, but for everything the game does right, it fails to liven things up between races.

All in all, Liars and Cheats represents sound value for money, offering plenty of new and interesting stuff for the price, but some of the new game types might test your patience a bit.

Bungie wanted to go out with a bang, but instead, they've gone out with a nuclear explosion that not even a Spartan could survive. It's the end of an era, that's for sure, but the beginning of a new one. Step up 343, you have some big boots to fill.

With a tantalising story with some truly gripping and edge of the seat moments, new gameplay elements and some more of that previously promised deeper character interaction, The Lair of the Shadow Broker is what we call in outer space, a doozy.

HAWX 2 is such a letdown after the brilliant original and, if anything, feels like it has gone back a few steps rather than making any kind of progression. There is still plenty of fun to be had, especially in co-op or on the survival maps, but the first game has the edge in almost every regard. Bottom line: get your flight kicks there.