Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Wii, £39.99, cert 12+, Retro Studios/Nintendo, 4/5

Here's proof - much-needed, according to long-standing Nintendo fans - that the Wii can provide more than mere casual gaming. The much-loved shoot-'em-up/puzzle-solving franchise has gained plenty from the jump to the Wii: the control system, which assigns movement to the Nunchuk and targeting to the Wiimote, works beautifully, and the Wiimote enables kick-arse heroine Samus Aran to indulge in all manner of gesture-based pulling of handles, pumping of levers and so on. Corruption's story is weirder and more wonderful than ever, and the bizarre alien settings are gloriously imaginative. Throw in some outrageously difficult-to-dispatch bosses and a satisfyingly meaty single-player experience (alas, still no multiplayer) and the result is the best Metroid Prime game yet.
Steve Boxer

Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
PS3, £49.99, cert 7+, Sony/Insomniac, 4/5

After a disappointing launch, the PS3 finally has a game that does it justice. Ratchet and Clank is a beautiful sprawling adventure that resurrects the tired platforming genre. Like the Pixar movies to which it has been compared - it looks good, but not that good - this has that ability to appeal to the young and old. Comedy weapons make up the core of the game, with a hugely inventive selection - including vicious bees - of ways to dispatch your foes. Graphically, Ratchet is hugely impressive, with each planet offering you the chance to gawp at the sheer amount of onscreen action. The use of the tilt action on the controller feels gimmicky and at times the game feels a little overwhelmed, with almost too much going on. But when HD gaming often means a first person shooter or serious racing game, Ratchet and Clank is a welcome respite. It is also the best PS3 game to date.
Greg Howson

Hellgate London
PC, £34.99, cert 15+, Flagship/EA, 4/5

You've got to love a game that reduces London to a pile of zombie-infested ruins, and Hellgate has much going for it. Graphically, it's the best RPG yet, with jaw-dropping setpieces from Covent Garden to Big Ben that wouldn't look out of place in Half Life 2. It's also buzzing with randomly generated quests, items and challenges, making no two games alike. With respawning monsters adding to the frustration of multiple deaths and an over-complicated inventory system, this unofficial sequel to Diablo maintains the same insane addictiveness. If only the gameplay had evolved as far as the visuals it would be a true classic. Still enormous fun, though.
Mike Anderiesz