There are many words to describe Contra ReBirth, most of which are just four letters long. Without baiting the censors, let’s just say it’s hard. And we mean HARD! Not that that’s a criticism. There’s nothing we like more than a challenging shooter with that feeling of triumph when we finally beat the boss on level three… ...

Without question, Muramasa: The Demon Blade is the most beautiful game on Wii. Its lavish, superbly animated world shames the system's tepid 3D offerings to the point where "pretty for a Wii game" should be forever stricken from gaming phraseology. ...

At this point in Wii's lifecycle, we've seen enough terrible budget releases that a game like Real Heroes: Firefighter - with its generic title, cover art, and even token press quote -- should very well set off red flags. But resist the urge to cast this one aside on a glance. ...

Mystery Case Files: Millionheir was a surprise hit on DS, as the ‘seek and solve’ genre had previously been the preserve of PC-owning types with too much time on their hands. It’s not too hard to see the compulsive appeal of scouring complex images for hidden objects, but as with Millionheir, Cate West is one for puzzle fans only. Ideally, puzzle fans with short memories and superhuman sight. ...

Perhaps hoping to capitalise on shops selling out of Wii Sports Resort and Wii Fit, Active Life: Extreme Challenge (Family Trainer: Extreme Challenge in the UK) is a collection of ‘radical’ activities (kite surfing, skateboarding and so on) controlled by a dance mat thingy. ...

Why is archaeology always a means to an end, rather than an activity in its own right? In games and movies it’s either a threadbare pretext for one of Indiana Jones’ whip-cracking adventures, or, in Spectrobes’ case, a process for finding new monsters with which to kill other monsters. What’s wrong with unearthing and tidying fossils for the sake of it? ...

With so many ‘horror’ games (Resident Evil, Left 4 Dead) surrendering chills for all-out action, it’s reassuring to find a game determined to put the willies up you with tight narrative and brooding atmosphere rather than cheap shocks. It’s also great to see a mature Wii game that tries to do things differently. ...

It’s Ashes time and the return of the cricketing competition for possibly sport’s smallest trophy: the Ashes urn. It looks a little silly being hoisted aloft, but who cares when you beat the Australians. Codies will be hoping you’ve caught the cricketing bug from the just-finished series with their timely title. ...

We love it when a plan comes together. After years of warmed-over PS2 ports and half-baked attempts at making their hyper-complicated games more accessible, the gang at EA Sports has hit their mark. This season, Madden 10 not only nails the gaming habits of the system’s demographics – i.e families that aren’t hardcore Madden maniacs – but also uses Wii’s strengths to the max. ...

For a brief period, we considered giving Metroid Prime Trilogy a 10. The original Prime, released in 2002, was a near-perfect blend of sci-fi shooting and thoughtful exploration. The version on this disc has been immensely enhanced with spot-on motion controls that make the previously stiff aiming a breeze. ...