HENRY HATSWORTH IN THE PUZZLING ADVENTURE
What's this? A brand new game on the DS? Not a tie-in to the latest kids' anime? Not some shovelware wannabe clone of a successful casual gamers' game? Surely not?!

Yes folks, that's right - not only is Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure a completely new creation, but its unique blend of platform and puzzle action, wrapped in gorgeous, inventive and original presentation, make it one of the best surprises of 2009 so far. Read on to find out why...

BLEACH: DARK SOULS
Bleach: Dark Souls, for the uninitiated, is the second in a DS fighting game series based upon a popular anime. Blade of Fate was a success last year and now the game makes its hopefully triumphant return.

Fighting games aren't exactly common on the DS, but despite the lack of decent competition, Dark Souls' huge character list, varied move set and special attacks that can be activated with a tap of the touch screen make this one brawler that's worth grappling with.

GRAND THEFT AUTO: CHINATOWN WARS
If I can deliver this ancient sword to my Uncle Kenny then I'll be responsible for bringing back honour to my family name. Wait, those guyst don't look too friendly... BANG! ... They shot me in the frickin' head! And took my sword! Uncle Kenny won't be happy...

Will Huang ever find the sword? Will Uncle Kenny become a Triad crime boss? Are there only so many times that you can revisit Liberty City? Is Chinatown Wars on the DS the definitive handheld version of GTA? Read on to find out... it'd be criminal not to!

DISGAEA DS
With all the cash-in shovelware that's threatening to drown the DS, spurred on by the success of genuinely innovative titles like Brain Training and nintendogs, it's heartening to see Nintendo's dual screen fast becoming the new home of the RPG.

And when it comes to turn-based, tactical RPGs, the always amusing, subversive wackiness of Disgaea is arguably king of the sub-genre. Venture onwards to discover if this latest iteration on the DS is worth fully exploring...

FINAL FANTASY: CRYSTAL CHRONICLES - ECHOES OF TIME
Final Fantasy, the ever increasingly ironically named unstoppable franchise, has just launched another release on Wii and DS, this time in the popular Crystal Chronicles series.

Offering online multiplayer and Wii to DS link play for up to four people for the entire adventure is no small feat - but it's not much use if the game itself isn't any good. Can Square Enix's latest effort live up to the proud Final Fantasy heritage? Venture inside to discover the answer...

RHAPSODY: A MUSICAL ADVENTURE
Square-Enix is back to help promote another developer's RPG, and this time the developer in question is NIS America. Square have brought Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure to Europe on DS, the biggest platform for the RPG gamer these days.

The game doesn't live up to the long wait between North American and European releases though, and just feels a tad generic and mediocre throughout. Is this enough to render the game obsolete, or should hardcore genre fans give it a try?

FOOTBALL ACADEMY
It's Lampard up against Fabregas, Lampard's looking to play Drogba in and he does possess a Pass rating of 90, however Fabregas' defence is 87 and the manager's told them to sit back...

Football Top Trumps style is what Football Academy brings to the table. Will EA provides hours of free flowing entertainment or should Big Phil have stayed on as the manager for Portugal? Read on to find out in this game of two halves (the top screen, and the bottom screen)...

DRAGON QUEST: THE HAND OF THE HEAVENLY BRIDE
Dragon Quest is back on DS, and while this may only be the third title in the series to be released in Europe, it's a remake of a seventeen-year-old game.

Dragon Quest V is said to be one of the greatest RPGs by fans of the series in Japan, but has the game's quality survived the long wait for a version on these shores? Not quite, but it's still a worthwhile game for the must have RPG console.

CHRONO TRIGGER
Time's a funny old thing; you can't stop it, it's always slipping away from you. But what if you could turn back time and have another chance - what would you do?

Play Chrono Trigger again, obviously. But since time travel, albeit theoretically possible, is a bit of a pipe dream, Square Enix has offered us the next best thing; a DS remake. Can it ever be as good as the first time around? Read on to find out.

AGE OF EMPIRES: MYTHOLOGIES
After the Age of Kings, the Age of Empires series continues its next instalment with Mythologies, which if you hadn't guessed already is about the mythical creatures and heroes of ancient civilisations.

Viking, Egyptian or Greek - who was the strongest of them all? Will Mythologies rise from the depths for a Poseidon-sized adventure or will it have to spend eternity with only Hades for company? Venture onwards for the answer...