Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad Of Gay Tony
(Xbox 360) The one when GTA rediscovered its sense of fun. Epic and enthralling as GTA IV was, we missed the ability to jack a helicopter then parachute out seconds before it crashed into a building, like in San Andreas. But it’s finally back in these new missions that bring the saga of Liberty City to a close. At least until GTA V rears its head.

DJ Hero
(Xbox 360, PS3, Wii) We’ve been tracking the development of DJ Hero very closely since our world exclusive first reveal of the game last June. But have we been backing the right horse? Absolutely. Our initial concerns that it was too hard turned out to be unfounded – it was just us being crap and now we’ve cracked it. At least, we’re competent on medium, which is also the standard we reached on Guitar Hero. And it has one distinct advantage over its axe-wielding cousin – even the songs you don’t know are a blast to play.

Tekken 6
(Xbox 360, PS3) It’s been a good year for traditional brawlers, largely because Street Fighter IV was so good. Tekken 6 is a tougher game to master but has some decent features – such as the Rage system, which strengthens your attacks when you’re low on energy. A fine addition to the series.

Football Manager 2010
(PC, Mac) The premier football management sim, but it’s got it all to do this season with Championship Manager already out and, well, really good. It’s been redesigned, the 3D match engine has been improved and you can now bark instructions to your players on the fly. It’s still the best option of the two. But only just.

Fairytale Fights
(Xbox 360, PS3) Bloody romp through various fairytale lands with graphics that look like a blood-spattered take on The Powderpuff Girls. It offers nothing truly original or outstanding in the gameplay, but might have been a decent distraction as a download on Xbox Live. It’s hard to recommend as a full price title though.