50 BEST VIDEOGAMES AND GADGETS
New Super Mario Bros Wii
'From golf to football, Mario has tried his hand at all sorts over the years, but this is a return to what he does best - the platform game,' says Toby Green. 'It stands up well to classic Mario titles, while the four-player option is a welcome innovation.'.'
Platform Wii
How much £44.99
A40 Audio System
'Combining top-of-the-range gaming headphones and a dedicated mixer system, Astrogaming's A40 delivers incredible audio, even coming with a built-in microphone,' says Rebecca Armstrong. 'Perfect for playing games at any volume late into the night.'
Platform PS3, Xbox 360, PC
How much £199.95
Heavy Rain
'2010's first real Marmite game,' says Tim Ingham. 'On the one hand, play is often undemanding with progression just a few button presses away; on the other, it offers perhaps the richest storytelling experience available and looks absolutely gorgeous.'
Platform PS3
How much £49.99
BioShock 2
'Anyone who has played the original BioShock will not be able to resist the chance to step into the (rather large) shoes of a Big Daddy,' says Toby. The underwater city setting of Rapture and a complex plot make for a highbrow shooter.
Platform PS3, Xbox 360, PC
How much from £39.99
Forza Motorsport 3
'Imagine all the prangs and scrapes that could be avoided if only we had Forza's live rewind mode in real life,' says Jack Riley. Online play, split-screen and more makes this a must-buy for petrolheads.
Platform Xbox 360
How much £49.99
DJ Hero
'Guitar Hero is great fun, but does tend to make you look like a plastic-fiddling geek,' says Tim. 'DJ Hero offers the same rhythmic joy of GH, but the decks are so cool you can't help but check yourself out while playing.'
Platform PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
How much £99.99 with turntable
GTA: Chinatown Wars
'One of the best DS and PSP games of 2009 now for iPhone,' says Pocket Gamer's Rob Hearn. This sprawling take on Liberty City's Triad gangs bears all of the hallmarks of the GTA: scandalous missions, satisfying gameplay and heaps of satire.
Platform iPhone, DS, PSP
How much from £5.99
Logitech G19 Gaming Keyboard
'Give your PC gaming the edge with this dedicated Logitech keyboard,' says Rebecca. It boasts 12 programmable 'G-keys', which let you programme up to 36 time-saving commands.
Platform PC
How much £129.99
God of War III
'Just as ambitious and theatrical as you would hope a game that sees you taking on Zeus himself would be,' says Toby. Asuper-violent hack-and-slash game, its phenomenal graphics and huge-scale battles do not disappoint.
Platform PS3
How much £49.99
Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII fully embraces the latest console generation by featuring lush visuals and a truly cinematic experience. Utilising a finetuned combat system that sees heroes, Lightning and co, dancing to your tune.
Platform PS3, Xbox 360
How much £49.99
FIFA 10
FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer continue to tussle for dominance. 'FIFA boasts great control and the consensus is that it's edged out PES for playability in recent years,' says Jack.
Platform PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, PSP, PC
How much from £29.99
Napoleon: Total War
Wage war as the master strategist Napoleon across Africa, Asia and Europe with the added twist that your victories won't necessarily have to end at Waterloo.
Platform PC
How much £29.99
LittleBigPlanet
'LBP is not only a hugely enjoyable Platform game, but actually encourages you to build your own worlds,' says Tim. 'Its greatest skill is that, despite being a sophisticated level creator, it still feels like a game.'
Platform PS3, PSP
How much from £19.99
Broken Sword: Director's Cut
'Broken Sword has been ported so well that it's difficult to imagine how it worked before, making the classic adventure more accessible than ever,' says Rob.
Platform iTouch
How much £2.99
Wii Fit Plus with Wii Balance Board
'Nintendo's balance board isn't only good for virtual step classes,' says Rebecca. 'It's compatible with an ever-increasing list of games, including the new Super Monkey Ball game.'
Platform Wii
How much £89.99
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
'Stunning graphics and polished gameplay at the heart of the Uncharted 2 are perfectly complemented by a plot that would not seem out of place in a Hollywood blockbuster,' says Toby.
Platform PS3
How much £49.99
Monster Hunter Tri
Slaying Monster Hunter Tri's colossal beasts is tough, but the lush visuals, simplified camera controls and free online play ensures there's joy even in defeat. Hits the shelves on 23 April.
Platform Wii
How much £34.99
Wii Sports Resort
'It's impossible to even mention sports games without bringing up Wii Sports Resort,' says Jack. A worthy update of an original.
Platform Wii
How much £49.99
Flower
Like a fresh spring breeze, Flower has helped reinvigorate the download-only game industry. Guiding a petal through meadows and valleys feels more like avant-garde art than a game.
Platform PS3 Store
How much £6.29
Guitar Hero 5
While it's hard to see where developers Neversoft can take its hard-rocking franchise from here, there's still no doubting its fun factor.
Platform PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
How much from £39.99
Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies
Originally an extra on the home console iteration, Zombies is an unusually good fit on iTouch. With developers, Treyarch, even implementing effective accelerometer controls and solid co-op multiplayer.
Platform iTouch
How much £5.99
Gamers Wii Remote Charging Stand
'Designed to charge your Wiimote controllers quickly and easily, it will pay for itself in no time thanks to the money you'll save on batteries,' says Rebecca.
Platform Wii
How much £9.99
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
'If you have paid any attention to the world of video games in the last 12 months then you're bound to be aware of MW2,' says Toby. This is an intense shooter with unsurpassed multiplayer play.
Platform PS3, Xbox 360, PC
How much from £39.99
Demon's Souls
Although currently only available on import, Demon's Souls is already gathering a huge UK following. Be warned though, if you do import you're in for a tough time with every enemy soldier, trap and demon capable of condemning you to the afterlife.
Platform PS3 (import only)
How much from £30 approx
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10
'Tiger Woods manages to make computerised golf not only enjoyable, but actually exciting,' says Jack. 'With a variety of pro golfers and famous courses, if golf is your sport this shoots a course record.'
Platform PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP
How much from £24.99
Professor Layton & Pandora's Box
Puzzles vary from logic and word problems to spot the difference. Superb touchscreen implementation and an entertaining script make Layton a very enjoyable puzzler.
Platform DS
How much £34.99
Lips: Party Classics
The Xbox 360's definitive karaoke game is a sleek affair. Such genre-spanning songs as REM's Shiny Happy People and I'm Too Sexy by Right Said Fred should ensure the party keeps on into the small hours.
Platform Xbox 360
How much £24.99
Angry Birds
'Angry Birds is the kind of game the iPhone was made for,' says Rob. A solid physics engine ensures that catapulting birds at precarious edifices of rock, wood, and glass to crush green pigs is bizarre yet satisfying.
Platform iTouch
How much 59p
Razer Onza Xbox 360 Controller
'Set to hit the shelves later this year, Razer Onza's 360 controller aims to bring the accuracy of PC gaming to the console market,' says Rebecca.
Platform Xbox 360
How much TBC
Scribblenauts
Anew kind of experience in which only your imagination can limit howquickly you solve the game's puzzles. Almost anything can be summoned to aid you in your pursuit of 'Starites' in order to progress.
Platform DS
How much £29.99
Mass Effect 2
Featuring dazzling special effects and action set pieces, Mass Effect 2 delivers spectacular entertainment hitherto impossible until this generation of consoles.
Platform Xbox 360, PC
How much from £34.99
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
Faster but less skilful fun than FIFA, yet still with a huge hardcore following, it's hard to fault Konami's football flagship for enthusiasm.
Platform PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP, PC
How much from £29.99
LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias
Superb combination of element based puzzles and precise controls and a fine demonstration of what WiiWare titles can deliver.
Platform Wii via Wii Shop
How much Wii via Wii Shop
Wii via Wii Shop
Harmonix has created a title no Beatles fan can afford to miss. The most expensive package comes with period replicas of the guitars and drums used by John, Paul, George and Ringo.
Platform PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
How much from £39.99
Plants vs. Zombies
'Plants vs. Zombies is the definitive tower defence game,' says Rob 'Once the action starts your screen is soon boiling over with projectiles and corpses.'
Platform Xbox Live Arcade, iTouch, PC
How much from £1.79
PS3 Wireless Keypad
'Whether logging on to Facebook or sending in-game messages, trying to type using a console controller is an incredibly frustrating business,' says Rebecca. 'This miniature qwerty keypad clips to your PS3 joypad to alleviate the stress.'
Platform PS3
How much £27.95
Batman: Arkham Asylum
'Batman: Arkham Asylum is just as impressive as Christopher Nolan's films,' says Toby. A dark and adult thriller, which sees the CapedCrusader trapped inside Arkham with Gotham's criminally insane led by the Joker.
Platform PS3, Xbox 360, PC
How much from £29.99
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Spirit Tracks retreads classic Zelda-game territory as once more hero, Link, explores dungeons and battles monsters in a bid to rid the world of evil. One new slant is the addition of a ghostly Princess Zelda.
Platform DS
How much £39.99
Fight Night Round 4
Who was the better boxer, Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson? Fight Night is the promised land for those who've spent time imagining bouts across generations. 'Great controls and addictive gameplay round off a heavyweight package,' says Jack.
Platform PS3, Xbox 360
How much £24.99
Half-Minute Hero
By taking the traditional RPG formula and hitting fast forward, Half-Minute Hero's development team have created an experience more strategy than RPG. Tight controls and dry humour make saving the world every 30 seconds a joyous blur.
Platform PSP
How much £19.99
Buzz: Quiz World
Sony's 'Quiz-em-up' is a great way to entertain friends, featuring a whole host of multiplayer options to choose from and thousands of potential questions from diverse categories.
Platform PS3, PSP
How much from £19.99
Glyder 2
'An object lesson in how to build a title around a platform,' says Rob. 'Tilting and tipping your iPhone steers winged protagonist Erin around the huge fantasy environment, full of gravity wells and thermals.'
Platform iTouch
How much £1.79
Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller
'Instead of filling your living room with ersatz drums and mics, splash out on Logitech's guitar and have a thing of beauty to hang on your wall between virtual gigs,' says Rebecca.
Platform PS3, Xbox 360, Wii
How much £179
Left 4 Dead 2
In Left 4 Dead 2 you may be forced to fight for your life against murderous zombies, but at least you are not alone. 'Teamwork is the only way to survive,' says Toby. 'A great improvement on the original.'
Platform Xbox 360, PC
How much from £34.99
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age is a traditional oldworld fantasy experience with genuine ambitions to tell a moving tale. Your quest will see you befriend vivid characters, fight the good fight and even change the world.
Platform PS3, Xbox 360, PC
How much from £34.99
Colin McRae: Dirt 2
'If you're more into scrambling through mud than gliding across tarmac then Colin McRae is the racer for you,' says Jack.
Platform PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, PSP, PC
Darwinia+
After the virtual world of Darwinia has been overrun by a virulent virus you have to destroy the infection and restore the native Darwinians. Addictive stuff.
Platform Xbox Live Arcade
How much 1200 MS points (approx £10.20
SingStar: Motown
Acompilation of Motown hits that's sure to get everyone up and singing. Compete to the soulful sounds of artists such as Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie and the Supremes and start swinging.
Platform PS3
How much £19.99
1000: Find 'Em All!
'The most successful attempt at a GPS game so far,' says Rob. Players are tasked with locating the game's 1000 'gifts' on foot via their GPS. Mobile gaming in the most literal sense.
Platform iTouch
How much £1.79
OCZ Neural Impulse Actuator
'This PC-compatible controller lets you make things happen in a game with a blink of your eye, a thought or a facial expression,' says Rebecca.
Platform PC
How much £97.91
Vaio - "Bury me at Milanello" R.I.P AC Milan
In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird.
Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
If laughing is the best medicine and marijuana makes you laugh
Is marijuana the best medicine?
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
“If any creator has not played Mario, then they’re probably not a good creator. That’s something I can say with 100 percent confidence. Mario is, for game creators, the development bible.
