Has just enough changes, including the amazing online co-op, to keep this feeling new while drawing heavily on all the good in RE4. A Gold Edition that includes DLC content will be available in 2010.

God of War is a mighty tough act to emulate and Inferno clearly isn’t in the same league, but though this copycat is flawed it’s a guilty pleasure for those who can’t wait for the real thing.

Let’s keep it good and simple: Modern Warfare 2 is this year’s must-buy first-person shooter.

The best-looking sports game yet “rewards” you by making sure you earn every victory – in blood.

This revival of the classic FPS is deliriously gory, unwaveringly confident and spectacular fun. And, at the very least, it’s far better than the horrid AvP films.

Taking place some years after the original title, BioShock 2 features the first Big Daddy returning to Rapture to stop the Big Sister and her ilk. Also, some long-awaited multiplayer has been added to the series.

Continuing the retro revival that started with Mega Man 9, Mega Man 10 includes the option to play as fan-favorite character Proto Man from the start, as well as an all new easy mode, and will be available via Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and WiiWare.

So far, this generation has been dominated by serious racing titles more concerned with realistic glare and paint jobs than accessibility and immediacy. There’s nothing wrong with that but SASASR epitomises pick-up-and-play fun, and it’s a game we can easily imagine being enjoyed by hardened racers and newcomers, kids and adults, and – yes – Sega fans and Nintendo fans.