Skylanders Trap Team is announced here's my first look and interview about the game.

Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed is a Sonic kart racer mashing up characters from different game series, but still somehow manages to be a solid, entertaining game.

Dead Island Riptide PS3 is at its best as compulsive as the first game, but don't play it alone - not because it's scary, but because you'll need friends to motivate you through the shoddier bits.

Skylanders is a new experience for seasoned gamers, for me it was like something from another planet. I enjoyed it, and it sparked not a few Mindful considerations.

Tomb Raider and a new adventure for Lara.

Tomb Raider PS3 introduces a new Lara Croft who isn't the heroine you used to know, but may well be the right Lara Croft for 2013.

More Trap Team video content from Family Gamer TV.

I'm planning to have a close look at the Wii version of Skylanders Swap Force to compare it to how the Wii version of Disney Infinity worked. So i've been watching these Swap Force Let's Play Videos.

Update on Skylanders Swap Force for collectors.

News in today as the UK and other European territories get ready for Skylandes Swap Force launch on 18th Oct.

Here are my Skylanders Swap Force let's play videos collected together in one place.

I've been away from the DS for a few months so I've had very little to say about videogames and, to be honest, very little desire to go back to them. But I've been coaxed out of my shell by the most trivial of games, Rhythm Paradise, that has got me re-assessing my take on the meaning of life. The ability of humanity to transform the mundane into something of beauty. And if you think that's just hyperbole, you'd be wrong.

Really got a lot out of Family Gamer TV's Skylanders Swap Force Let's Play. So I collected them together here.

Skylanders Swap Force lands at Toys R Us and we get a sneak peak of the unboxing.

Skylanders Swap Force hands on with the game on PS4 for a good impression of game-play and sound in HD.

I talk to Adam Rosser about Disney Infinity. Also broadcast on Radio 5 Live.

BioShock Infinite is the much anticipated first-person shooting video-game that follows up Irrational Games' breakout success with the original Bioshock. Beautiful visuals, pitch perfect audio and intelligent level design create a world you'll want to explore. That is to say, to the untrained eye this looks and feels like any other video-games released this year.

Animal Crossing New Leaf is the next big first party title to expand the 3DS lineup. It promises the usual unique joys of the series while at the same time expanding game play in new directions.

When video games are described as provocative, it usually means they have found a way to further their joyous dance with violence and promiscuity. Spec Ops: The Line has a different agenda though, which is that it has an agenda -- not the usual prerequisite for most entertaining shooting games that sell by their millions to old and (too) young alike.

Just Dance Kids takes all the best features from the older Just Dance games and wraps them up a younger demographic. Keeping the classic Just Dance play style by choosing songs that suit the younger player make this ideal for young families.

Just Dance Juniors takes all the best features from the older Just Dance games and wraps them up in both Nursery Rhythm and Classic Children's Pop. You have the option to see how age appropriate each song is and the dancers are all of the younger variety.

Greg Edmonson loves what he does, maybe a little too much. Talking over a crackly long distant line, he quickly put me at ease as we both enthused over his recent Firefly and Uncharted projects.

I talk to Adam Rosser about Disney Infinity the new Skylanders-style game that uses Disney characters. Also broadcast on Radio 5 Live.

I talk to Adam Rosser about Skylanders Swap Force game that uses Disney characters. Also broadcast on Radio 5 Live.

Skylanders Swap Force was announced at a New York press event on Time Square. Here are all the details and videos.

Ladbrokes Poker is fast becoming a go-to game for me. As you know I've often written about playing Bingo online, but the complexity and psychology of Poker has me fascinated.

Hitman HD Trilogy brings together a collection of classic Hitman titles, providing the chance to relive previous titles in the series with improved visuals or, for many, a first chance to enjoy these properly.

After much speculation and rumour, today Activision drew back the curatin on the next iteration of their toys-to-life genre, Skylanders: Swap Force. The game introduces new Swap Force characters that seperate at the waist and can be mixed and matched for different combinations of abilities.

Etrian Odyssey 4: Legends Of The Titan is an unashamed homage to the Japanese-style roleplaying adventure. Among it calls back to an earlier age of gaming, it invites you to create your own maps.

Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel promises to bring even more big-action gaming to local co-operative play as well as online support. It's unlikely to be genre-busting, but it should be an exciting ride.

The Legend of Zelda will get a new direction in its next title. Here are 5 things that will likely be part of the shape of the Wii U exclusive Zelda adventure.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is one of the most beloved Zelda games, but has perhaps been played by few. The good news is, it is getting an updated HD version for the Wii U, with a host of new features.

The force is strong with this one. With it's potential for Star Wars characters in game and as toys, Disney Infinity is an interesting new game for Lucasfilm fans from Disney Interactive. It promises to bring a Skylanders-style experience, based on Disney movies and characters. In this series of FamilyGamerTV special episodes, we get hands-on with the figures and the game to see what is in store for Summer 2013.

Pokemon Black 2 and Pokemon White 2 improve over the predecessor in seemingly every way, creating a good that looks - at first glance - like a retread of the same ground, but instead provides a far more compulsive journey.

Skulls of the Shogun is a mash-up of strategy and action as well as sorcery and warfare. Featuring four-player local multiplayer and a seamless progress saving feature across Microsoft devices, this promises to be a unique title.

Colors 3D and Flipnote studio provide two great way to interact with the DS and 3DS beyond only playing games. In this week's FamilyGamerTV, we talk to a gaming family about the ways that they get creative - and even learn - using DS and 3DS software.

Card Games: The Classics DS is less a swish night at Casino Royale and more 3AM at the all night Burger King.

The Pokemon series is worldwide and loved by many of all ages. In this FamilyGamerTV, we talk with one family about their experiences with Pokemon gaming.

Gears of War: Judgement is a return to the exciting and ultra-violent shooter series that earned a place alongside HALO in defining the Xbox 360 experience. A bigger co-op opportunity and improved replayablity could make this an instant classic.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity is the next in the series of popular Pokemon spin-off games. The usual favourite elements will return, alongside new multiplayer and a potentially infinite number of levels.

Alien Breed is a cult classic, a gem of a survival shooter from the 1990's and regarded as among the best games ever released for the Amiga. By me, at least. In spite of the flashy update already released for PS3, this is the version I've been longing to see.

Defiance is a new multiplayer shooter, designed to coincide with and run alongside a new Sci-Fi TV show. As the actors step into their roles and the game's details emerge, just what kind of game is this taking shape to be?

Rise of the Guardians on 3DS at first seems like a perfect partner to the 3D film, with animated characters cheerful seasonal design. So why is it so awful?

Pokemon X and Pokemon Y is the exciting new Pokemon adventure, the first made in 3D for the 3DS. Details hint at a whole new generation of Pokemon to capture, breed and train, potentially taking the new total to over 800!

Okami HD is a beautiful and necessary update. My own journey with this gem is fragmented and has a checkered history going all the way back to the PS2 and Wii versions.

Above everything, bingo is one of the most multiplayer social games you can play. Although these days I play a lot more video games, I still miss visiting our local bingo hall with my Granny.

Street Fighter X Tekken marks the coming together of the fighting genre's two biggest names. Capcom's blend of styles creates a dynamic new experience to master, but the online elite are already dauntingly good.

Tumble is a downloadable title for Playstation Move. PS Move has been around for a while, but it's surprising to look back and take stock of just how much great PS Move content is available for families. This week, FamilyGamerTV sits down with our gaming family to look at a few great Move games.

I'd say it was Crazy in Love that did it, but the truth is it started a lot earlier than that. It's a slightly odd life for a white girl who wants to be Beyonce (especially after watching her performance in Dreamgirls) - but probably not surprising when you come from the home of Northern Soul. I can't say I ever went to Wigan Pier, except on an educational school trip, and to be honest neither did my mum or dad (too busy getting into Simple Minds in the 80s) but there's something about soul music that reminds me of home.

Rising Board is a fun, addictive arcade-surfing game, almost perfecting the concept of bite-sized play. There's just a couple of flies in the ointment which keep this from being a great time, every time.

The Nintendo Wii U is now here! To our amazement, one of our resident gaming families had not previously heard of the new console or the features it offers. In this Family Gamer TV, we put them in control of Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros U to gauge their reaction.

While initially seeming simplistic but stylish, I found a hidden depth to The Unfinished Swan that few games have matched.

Sesame Street Kinect is a new kind of product for young players, combining the non-participatory entertainment of a TV show with the interaction of a video game. In this FamilyGamerTV, we talk to creative director Josh Atkins to find out more about the new title.

The demo feature recently added to the Wii Shop channel is brilliant. Harking back to the days of demo CD-ROM on the front of magazines, it feels like we haven't had much of a chance to play free tasters of console games in a long time. Even though buying retail means you have more tangible evidence to consider pre-purchase, it's not like you actually know whether you're going to enjoy the game until you play it. However, the virtual distance when shelling out real money for digital points on games that have no physical presence means that getting to try before you buy is even more important, and I'm actually really excited that Nintendo have finally given us this chance.

Darksiders II 360 is a slick, entertaining adventure set in an interesting world which takes far too long to get where it's going.

Rocksmith is the latest in a line of music-based games which have proved so popular with Guitar Hero, Rock Band and You Rock. While former games never really feel like they are teaching applicable, real guitar technique, FamilyGamerTV looks at Rocksmith and how it actually teaches guitar skills.

New Style Boutique takes the fashion series to the 3DS. In this FamilyGamerTV, my young daughter explains to me how the game works and shows me the ropes.

Paper Mario Sticker Star is a different approach to the Mario franchise, with turn-based battles, stickers to collect and a deeper adventure to uncover. In this FamilyGamerTV, we ask for the opinion of our kids, to see if this deeper adventure still appeals to young players.

Ladbrokes Speed Bingo is becoming a favourite way for me to play Bingo online. I've tried a few others but have kept coming back to the features here.

The Sifteo Gaming Cubes are a new approach to portable gaming, with a series of wireless touch-screen blocks which join together to modify the gaming experience. In this FamilyGamerTV, our daughter has a look at them and gives us her opinion.

Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 is the latest game to bring the action from the hugely popular Anime series onto gaming platforms. The animation is incredible, but will it draw outsiders in any more than previous titles?

This week in the family gaming show Adam Rosser invited me to talk about F1 Race Stars and Little Big Planet Karting. We discuss how the these compare with games like Mario Kart and Modnation Racers. Also broadcast on Radio 5 Live.

Elite: Dangerous is an update and sequel to the classic series of space trading and combat simulators which inspired a generation and a genre.

Just Dance 4 comes to the Wii U with traditional Wii controls, bolstered by some new modes which use the Wii U control pad. In this FamilyGamerTV, we play this with our children and look at just why Just Dance 4 is the pick of the crop for families.

Lego City Undercover is an own-brand, WiiU exclusive game which explores new ground for the Lego series and makes innovative use of the new WiiU controller. In this FamilyGamerTV, we get the chance to play the game for ourselves and see how the WiiU innovations stack up.

F1 Race Stars is a new cartoon-style interpretation of Formula One. FamilyGamerTV put the game into the hands of a family of F1 enthusiasts and see how they get on.

Nintendo Land is a flagship title for the new Wii U console, expected to demonstrate the variety and promise of the new controller. In these episodes of FamilyGamerTV, our whole family puts the game through its paces and we find a surprising level of longevity.

Train is a very unusual game, a one off board game that puts players in charge of death camp transportation, but what implications does it have for videogames?

Guardians of Middle Earth is a Tolkien-inspired multiplayer blast through tough arenas. With The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey riding high in the cinema, a nicely-timed Bilbo Baggins DLC is just the thing.

Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed is a launch day title for the WiiU. Although it is coming out on other platforms, FamilyGamerTV sat down to look at the amazing WiiU features which this game is exploiting.

May's Mysteries: The Secret of Dragonville DS falls flat in its attempts at whimsical charm, and will stand or fall on whether you like its specific brand of brainteaser or not.

With WiiU's release upon us, this edition of FamilyGamerTV reveals when we talked David Yarnton, former General Manager at Nintendo UK. We look at the intentions behind the console, some of the opportunities for new play and some hopes for the new platform.

Flower easily won my surrender with its fields and cities -- three hours well spent. In undoing my reluctance to spend time on films, books and video games it reminded me of other commitments I'd like to renew during Advent.

This week in the family gaming show Adam Rosser invited me to talk about the Skylanders Giants and how many figures you actually need to buy. Also broadcast on Radio 5 Live.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist is the latest in the popular Splinter Cell series. In this episode of FamilyGamerTV, we talk to Creative Director Max Bleland about the suitability of Splinter Cell: Blacklist's content, the importance of appropriate age ratings and possible future directions for the character.

EX Troopers is a spin-off from frosty ice-world shooter Lost Planet. Sadly, the chances are we won't see its loveliness in Europe.

Fable: The Journey is a very different take on the Fable world, translated from an RPG to a Kinect-controlled action adventure. In this edition of FamilyGamerTV, we interview Gary Carr the Creative Director behind the game to get an insight into the design of the game and how he wanted this game to be suitable for families.

Uncharted: Fight for Fortune is a card-game spin-off of the brilliant Uncharted series, for the PS Vita. It seems a world away from the gunplay and exploration of the main series, so how exactly will it work?

Skylanders Giants continues to be exciting and popular with its unique mix of console gameplay and real-world toys. This week, we present a trio of unboxing videos, featuring the characters Pop Fizz, Fright Rider and Chill.

Unfinished Swan is an unusual puzzle game, told as in interactive fairy tale. Whilst the control scheme may be changeling for very young players, the games visual style and simple physics-based puzzles prove very entertaining when played-though as a family.

I was commissioned to write a song about the issues surrounding mothers and their children playing video-games. Apparently there are quite a lot of issues. Such as mums finding games too violent, over-stimulating, and addictive; and mums wondering whether to let their kids play in their rooms unsupervised or take over the living room with all the noise and technology that goes with gaming. I found it a pretty challenging song to write, and by the end I was overwhelmingly siding with the mums!

Forza Horizon is an open-world take on the Xbox 360-only racing series and features an incredible amount of cars, terrain and detail.

Video games make me happy. In fact I'm realising it's not happiness that I get from them but joy -- that non-productive companion of happiness.

This week in the family gaming show Adam Rosser invited me to talk about family gaming at Christmas, Nintendo Land on the Wii U and Paper Mario Sticker Star on the 3DS XL. Also broadcast on Radio 5 Live.

Journey is one of the most exciting games for the PS3. We take a look at the beautiful and rare "Art of Journey" book, featuring information about the game, concept art and a really nice way to engage with the game's world.

The Pokemon franchise produces some fascinating off-shoots. In this edition of FamilyGamerTV we look at Learn with Pokemon: Typing Adventure and Pokemon Black 2/White 2.

Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident Wii proves itself a cut above the average hidden object game.

Skylanders Giants comes with a great range of figures. Over the weeks, FamilyGamerTV has brought reviews and unboxing videos of all of the Skylanders Giants figures. Here, they are all collected in one place for you to watch, enjoy and decide on your favourite characters.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is Namco Bandai's eighth instalment in the popular fighting series. The second Tekken game to feature a tag system, it allows a second character to be swapped in at will during fights, bringing new levels of complexity to the familiar gameplay.

We all love Mario in our house. And on a rare occasion, we dig out the old Monopoly board for a round of tears and tantrums (and that's just me.) So the chance to play a game that's a mixture of the two was greeted with whoops of excitement.

Wonderbook: Diggs Nightcrawler is the next title to use the fun PS3 Wonderbook item, featuring a hard-boiled (but family-friendly!) private detective bookworm, setting out to solve a series of crimes. This time, the crime scene is in your living room.

Skylanders Giants is well and truly with us, but we discover that many people aren't aware of the new features, the new implications for figures they may already have and just what the buying options are.

Need For Speed: Most Wanted is a recreation of a former Need For Speed classic, updated with modern features and the latest Need For Speed technology.

Trials Evolution is the follow-up to the hugely popular and successful Trails HD, allowing you to fulfil your wildest Motorcross fantasies.

Epic Mickey: The Power of 2 is a sequel to 2010's Epic Mickey, this time for all major consoles. In this episode, we talk to the Studio Director, Paul Weaver, to find out how the new game became shaped the way it is.

Deadlight is a new Zombie survival game, this time eschewing the guns and machismo for running, escape, and survival. In this FamilyGamerTV, we talk to game developer Tequila Works' CEO to find out all we can about this new spin on the Zombie adventure.

Alan Wake is a survival horror adventure on the Xbox 360. You control Wake, an ill-fated writer, as he journeys into the collapsing nether-world of his imagination. If this doesn't sound like your cup of tea, hold judgement a moment as I felt just the same before playing.

Morality and conscience are two vital attributes we must learn to abide by, but somehow Dishonored destroyed my sense of right and wrong in one fell swoop.

Just Dance 4 has been around for a while, just getting into its stride with the inevitable Gangnam Style DLC hitting downloads now. Now it's available for the Wii U and comes with a few extras.

Wonderbook: Book of Spells gives players the chance to go deeper into the Harry Potter world. In this pair of interviews with the game's Director, Dave Ranyard, we get a glimpse inside the game and find out about future plans for the Wonderbook peripheral. We also put Wonderbook into the hands of a real family!

Skylanders: Giants has inspired a number of spin off toys and collectibles. In this edition of FamilyGamerTV, we look at a plush Spyro figure which lights and makes sounds, maybe suitable for younger Skylanders enthusiasts who are not yet old enough to appreciate the console games.

X-COM: Enemy Unknown places you as Earth's last line of defence against an alien invasion. You take control of every element of your strategy but in the end it is the strength of the alien force, and a bit of luck, that will determine who is victor.

Bioshock 2 faces the connundrum of a broken world and lays the blame at our feet. For someone of faith, the vivid conjuring of Rapture is a fascinating challenge to a judgemental deity. In the quiet between the fighting we hear the frightful idea that the world's problems are in part our own doing.

Kinect Sesame Street TV is an interactive TV series, lifted straight from the current production of Sesame Street. It responds to young children's instinctive desire to interact with the screen, but carries on being an entertaining TV show if the living-room participants don't feel like joining in.

House MD: The Official Game DS retains some of the TV show's wit but is otherwise a cheap and overly linear cash-in.

This week in the family gaming show Adam Rosser invited me to talk about Wonderbook the new Pop-Up book peripheral for the PS3 Move controller. Also broadcast on Radio 5 Live.

Wonderbook is a new Move title for the Playstation 3, featuring popup magic and spells from a book in your living room based on new Harry Potter content created exclusively by J.K. Rowling. With our kids well accustomed to the physical presence of game items, through Skylanders Giants, we look at how they take to Wonderbook and how this game can contribute to our family routine.

Imagine you've been murdered. That's it. You think it's game over. Now imagine your soul has the chance to find your killer by flitting between both the land of the living and the dead, to bring the perpetrator to justice. In this unique little gem by Capcom, you can.

Mutant Mudds is a retro-style platform game, with wonderfully pixelated visuals being given an up-to-date twist with the 3D visual effect of the 3DS. It's a striking mix of the old and new and promises a great collection of characters and fun.

The Unfinished Swan shows that the appetite for artful, soul-nourishing games continues to grow as a new monochromatic journey gets underway.

With excitement building around Skylanders Giants for Christmas, Family Gamer TV secured a huge interview with the series' developer to find out as much information as we could about this and future plans.

while Kinect Sports: Season Two ultimately awaits, this week i thought i would take a trip back and contexualize next week's review by first revisiting the original Kinect Sports. cast your mind back then, if you will, to the winter of 2010: wooo-wavyflashbacklines-wooo.

Guxt was once another Indie PC title from the one-man game creator that gave us Cave Story. Following the success of bringing an updated Cave Story to the 3DS, Guxt is next in line to appear, taking advantage of the 3DS' wide display.

LittleBigPlanet on the PS Vita offers a step up from previous handheld versions of the world-building and platforming hybrid game. We look at how our family responds to the creative side of the game on the new PS Vita console.

This week in the family gaming show Adam Rosser invited me to talk about the Wii U sales figures and how the Wii Mini (the new version of the original console without backwards comaptibility or Wi-Fi but with a nicer price) may affect this. Also broadcast on Radio 5 Live.

After our first battery test, we were asked about all kinds of other handhelds' performance. So, this week, we put an ever bigger range of handhelds to a real-world test and filmed the results on a time-lapse camera. We'd have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for those pesky kids!

Skylanders Giants has been a title we've been following for a long time. We've been priveleged to be able to bring you preview videos and behind the scenes interviews with the game's creators. We've collected here all of our episodes featuring developer interviews and insights into the technology. Enjoy!

Bang! iPhone deftly recreates the classic parlor game. Secret roles and special abilities combine with a well balanced card set to create an intriguing and addictive experience. Add to this the cross-platform multiplayer and this is an impressive iPhone/iPad/PC offering.

Papo and Yo wears its more-than-entertainment credentials on its sleeve. It's a game about the fear and pain of growing up with an abusive and alcoholic father. Unlike other games I've reviewed here, I know this to be so not because of what I've read into the experience but because that's what creator Vander Caballero has been vocal about in the build up to release.

Borderlands 2 360 is a pretty much perfect sequel, a whole world packed with funny, violent adventures to have alone or with friends.

With so much excitement around Call of Duty Rebecca Mayes asks "Is it everything you hoped for?" in a new recording of her review song.

Journey and Flower are both games which can offer a tranquil and thoughtful experience. In this pair of FamilyGamerTV episodes, we bring gaming into Religious worship in two different places with Flower at the Greenbelt Festival and Journey at Exeter Cathedral.

In this utterly charming action RPG you play as the titular Red, a cocky fox/dog sky pirate who rides a funky robot called Dahak. Red lives amongst fellow anthropomorphic cats and dogs on the floating islands of the Shepard Republic and thanks to a magic medallion has a whole heap of bad guys chasing his furry orange butt.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star is part of a series that feels like an alternative universe Mario platform. Bravely mixing roleplaying elements and combat with traditionally addictive Mario platforming, Paper Mario: Sticker Star promises a unique adventure.

Dead Space 3's announcement of a co-op story mode throughout the entire game will be mixed news. Anyone who has played Resident Evil 5 will know it isn't necessarily a recipe for a great game. But, at least Resi 5 was an experience my partner and I could enjoy together.

i have never been to Disneyland and always assumed that i'd hate it if i did, so it was refreshing to have my instincts confirmed by Kinect Disneyland Adventures, which is now almost certainly as close to the experience as i will ever by free choice come. however, whilst i thought i'd dislike it because of all the twee sparkles, menacing, giant, wide-eyed Disney character-employees with their painted-on smiles and the gender-essentialist, plastic-crap paraphernalia i'd be put under pressure to leave with, what i actually discovered in this game, however, was in fact far more sinister.

Lego Lord of the Rings is the latest fun-filled take on a movie franchise to be re-enacted by Lego minifigs in this multi-platform romp across the entire trilogy.

Zone of the Enders HD Collection is a great opportunity to catch up with an underrated classic, with great anime art design and animation.

The Internet has the unique ability to polarise humanity. Even a cursory visit to its virtual shores will turn up endearing stories of human sacrifice and love right alongside an underbelly of darkness and pain.

Iron Brigade XBLA 360 is as thoroughly charming as Double Fine's other games, but couldn't overcome this reviewer's difficulties with the tower defence genre.

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a dream collaboration come true featuring a game from the one of the world's best adventure creators with the heartfelt and beautiful animation of arguable the most distinctive animation company around.

Ever fancied playing a game that's a blend of RPG and football? Inazuma Eleven 2 Firestorm is your chance.

my challenge this week, should i choose to accept it, or not, was to push back the sofa, move the rug aside, put on my dancing shoes and get on point with Dance Central 2 for Kinect. and the level of cliché in that opening sentence should instantly give you an idea of just how tired of life it has left me. on a scale of one to protest-suicide, i'm at about a 7.8 right now.

Platform videogames concoct a mix of precision jumping, running, ladder climbing, puzzle solving and exploration. Mario, Sonic, Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy have delivered this kind of entertainment over the last 30 years.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron 360 is even better than its predecessor, War for Cybertron: a bigger, brighter, funnier epic adventure.

Cartoon Network is a channel beloved by children, adults and stoners. With a huge variety of great shows to choose from, it was just a matter of time before someone tried bringing all these cool characters together in one game form.

Skate 3 courts the mainstream with sales targets and an all new, squeaky-clean city as well as team play, Own It and Kill It awards for each challenge and a much expanded online experience. However, despite several improvements, as a former skater, a part of me is mourning the loss of the rough-edged, dissenting streak of the previous outing.

for me, this last weekend belonged Double Fine.

to mark this year's Hallowe'en i treated myself to a festival of horror stories, movies and games, the eerie creeping, delicious jumps and gruesome oozes of many of which are still fresh in my psyche. alas, my task here is to tell tale of one of the more forgettable experiences of the season.

Videogames aren't famous for telling stories. They prefer to engage heart and mind with agency and interaction. Uncharted 3 Drake's Deception folds this premise back on itself in an effort to combine storytelling and action. What results is a game that is about more than shooting, clambering and saving the world.

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift: Arctic Games DS is an uninspired minigame collection barely enlivened by some cinema-quality animated cutscenes.

Dead or Alive 5 from Tecmo Koei continues to build on the fluid fighting of the previous instalments. But as much as the series' combat and sensibilities have evolved I have started to feel left behind; leaving me wondering if I have out grown it, or it has out grown me.

The full Skylanders Giants list of figures (new/lightcore/giant/series 2) is now complete with all the characters having appeared online. The last few gaps were filled in by ToyWiz.com.

When Halo: Combat Evolved was released on Xbox in November 2001, it blew everything else away. Ten years later, after many sequels and spin-offs and millions of units sold, 343 Industries go back to where it all began with Halo: Anniversary.

007 Legends 360 mashes bits of five old Bond movies together and inserts Daniel Craig's Bond to create an indigestible muddle.

Although Journey was a more disruptive presence in the Exeter Cathedral service, it was also a much more engaging one. In the hustle of elements and meaning, both the game and the worship space benefited.

We persuade the Pestridge to take a 3DS on their family holiday to Spain to find out how good the eShop games, 3D Camera, Letter Box and Internet Browser are when out on the road.

We revisit the Pestridge family as they start playing Little Space Heroes. They talk about their experience with the game in story-telling, child-safety and game structure.

Sola to Robo: Red the Hunter DS is a beautifully animated, inventive JRPG... which has anthropomorphised dog characters. The horror, the horror.