If you place a pre-order for Halo Reach at Argos for £32.29 and add the code xbox15 on the payment page then you get a 15% discount that will nab you Halo ODST for a mere £5. That’s a pretty good bargain for anyone who hasn’t played ODST and is desperate to play Reach.

• Click here to get started at Argos

Halo Reach is the prequel to the best selling franchise where you get to meet the Noble Team, a squad of heroic Spartan soldiers with deadly talents. This game is the story of their final stand on planet Reach, humanity’s last line of defence between the terrifying Covenant and Earth.

The game brings new weapons and abilities to the Halo arsenal and promises bigger and more funtastic battles for the fans. It includes four player cooperative play, split screen support, and, apparently, surprise content that has yet to be revealed.

This looks pretty awesome I must admit although I haven’t (I know! I know!) actually played any of the Halo series yet, having only recently succumbed to the lure of the Xbox. The discount code mentioned above will get you 15% off your entire order which is why you get the awesome price above.

Thanks to Sliwka at HUKD!

Did you ever play the original game? Did it blow your hair back and make you hide behind the couch, clutching your controller like a girl? Yeah, me too. Oh wait, I am a girl...Anyway, I digress. This is the long awaited sequel to the original jaw-dropping game and it’s down to a lovely £9.85 at Simply Games including free delivery.

• Click here to get game at Simply Games

Right, so those of you who’ve been abducted by aliens, taken away for several years, and only just allowed back to Earth, will probably want to know what this game is about. In this dashing sequel (that has had as good a reception as its big sister), you step back into the beautiful and unforgettable world of Rapture.

Taking place 10 years after the original, the story is not quite the same as the original and you’ll find plenty of new and exciting elements to enjoy as you explore this underwater hell. You can dual-wield weapons, enjoy new plasmids, become Big Daddy, cower away from Big Sister and get wrapped up in riveting multiplayer fun.

Seriously, if you haven’t had a chance to play these games yet then get started now. Although I’ll quietly plug the PC as the best platform to do so...

Thanks to Entrepreneur at HUKD!

While the number of games available for the poor PC may be dwindling, at least the number of deals seems to be on the rise. Here we have the fabulous AvP for the PC down to a mere £11.93 including free delivery from The Hut.

• Click here to shoot down some Xenomorphs courtesy of The Hut

In this all new incarnation of the incredibly awesome and famous series, players can take the role of any of the three species – Colonial Marine, Predator and Alien. Each of the three species has its own distinct story-driven single-player campaign mode that interweaves with the campaigns of the other two species.

AvP has unique three-way online multiplayer so you can fight against each other as each of the three species. The back story here is that on planet BG-386, a mining group discovers an ancient pyramid containing a dark and horrible secret (oh, I wonder what THAT could be).

As they uncover the secrets of the pyramid, a hunting party is alerted to their discovery and sets off to find out who has entered their domain. And inside the pyramid a malevolent intelligence awakens from a century-long sleep.

I’ve played this game and I’ve had chickens. Definitely scary, definitely fun, definitely worth owning.

Check out Brendan's full review here.

Thanks to joey911 at HUKD!

Ok, so the range on offer in the Nintendo deal is not the kind of range that makes you want to weep real tears of joy. No, of course not, otherwise they’d all still be full price. But, if you fancy trying out a title that you’ve been thinking about, or getting all your Christmas pressies sorted, then this is a pretty good place to start.

• Click here to hunt Nintendo down at The Hut

Right, so, the games on offer include titles such as Spybords, All Star Cheerleader, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Ultimate Band, Russell Grant’s Astrology (snort), Riding Star, Overlord- Dark Legend, Movie Studio Party, Facebreaker K.O Party, Babysitting Party (seriously? Who came up with that idea?), Peppa Pig: The Game, Tracy Beaker, Legend of Spyro 2, Imagine Girl Band and the Nintendo Wii Wheel.

That’s just page one and there are three pages for you to scroll through.

However, I think some of you may be excited about the fact that Modern Warfare 2 for the DS is included in the special offer. Fancy getting two copies for only £10 each? Well, one for you and one for a mate and styluses at the ready!

Thanks to wonkey at HUKD!

You may not be a fan of this neverending franchise of doom but, those of you that have waited on getting the expansion will be most pleased with this low, low price of only £9.99. Of all the expansion packs I’ve reviewed to date, World Adventures has to be the best and definitely worth adding to your Sims 3 collection.

• Click here to nab the low priced expansion from Amazon

The item is delivered free, and you can add the delightfully reduced Ambitions for only £14.99 too if you wish to get your Sims 3 completely up to date.

I really liked World Adventures. I thought that taking the Sims into the realm of the point and click adventure was inspired. Here was an expansion that showed forethought and a heavy time investment and that delivered a unique experience to the Sims 3 game.

Instead of just the usual random tweaks and a new features that should have been included in the original, you have a game that can be replayed endlessly. I felt that this was the best expansion to come out of the EA Sims stable and would highly recommend this to fans. I didn’t, however, massively approve of Ambitions as it felt a little bit too much like it was a money-maker rather than a fresh experience.

Thanks to DejaEntendu at HUKD!

If you have a Wii then chances are you probably already have this game as part of some or other deal, but if you don’t then this is a pretty cool package as you get a Wiimote included in the price. Only £14.99 at Gameplay it is pre-owned but comes with a whack of guarantees so you get as much safety as if you bought it new.

• Click here to wave your Wiimote at Gameplay

While this definitely isn’t a game for the hardcore gamer, it is a genius gaggle of games for group fun. It’s these games that work well when peeps get together for drinking, chatting and eating, and laughing at each other.

The games included are Shooting range (similar to Duck Hunt), Find Mii, Pose Mii, Charge, Table Tennis, Fishing, Billiards, and Laser Hockey. Many of these are just slightly different takes on the games that came with the original Wii Sports (remember cow racing?) so don’t expect to have the wheel reinvented here.

The games are fun though, and some of them are pretty addictive. While I’m not really a fan of these titles, I much prefer Raving Rabbids, I am usually outvoted and these are stuck into the Wii after a couple of beers. So nab it if you like it, abandon it if you don’t.

Thanks to davver99 at HUKD!

Set in the shattered subway of a post-apocalyptic Moscow, Metro 2033 is a gripping story of underground survival that places the fate of mankind entirely in your hands. In 2013 the world was devastated by an apocalyptic event that destroyed most of mankind and turned the earth’s surface into a poisonous wasteland. A handful of survivors took refuge in the depths of the Moscow underground as the human civilisation entered a new Dark Age.

• Click here to nab your copy for only £17.95 at Zavvi

This is a fab price for a game that really does tap into the future imperfect vein nicely.  Originally the game was a series of online works and a novel, and it offers the gamer a traditional shooter with a sprinkling of HL2, and a whisper of COD.

The game has received some great reviews from the likes of Eurogamer and has been described as well written, wonderfully imagined and grittily realistic. You take the role of Artyom as you journey through the catacombs, fight off mutant creatures and generally have a fantastic time.

If you enjoy this kind of story, especially one that has been well realised, then Metro 2033 is the way to go.

Thanks to steve81 at HUKD!

Platform: Wii

Publisher: THQ

I was recently sent a copy of All Star Karate by THQ. A Wii title that looked like it had the potential to unleash my inner ninja and destroy all furniture within an arm’s length. Perfect. Sadly, the title didn’t quite live up to my expectations and will definitely not make the hardcore gamer feel remotely happy. It just doesn't quite work as well as it should.

The premise is simple, you get to learn basic karate moves as you progress through a single player game that steals liberally from 80s karate movies. You can create your own moves, challenge other people, and complete challenges while simultaneously throwing your Wiimote around like crazy.

To start with you customise and name your character, a part of the game that my teenage sibling spent ages on. Longer, in fact, than she did playing the game itself. That only lasted about five minutes.  And you can really only choose between a male or female surfer dude with aspirations of karate grandeur.

Then the storyline kicks in. A faintly charming movie that sets the scene for the single player game and gets you involved with the characters. Well, it theoretically gets you involved with the characters. As someone who was a kid when Karate Kid came out and Ralph Macchio was her heartthrob (yes, really) the storyline is old, tired and done, done, done to death.

Actually, this made me somewhat annoyed. How hard can it be to deviate from the “young apprentice meets old man in dark alley and saves him from murderous thugs/women/ninjas/chickens (or murderous female ninja chickens) and then learns the art from him and goes on to save the world” theme? Why not just turn into a blasted ninja, kick some ass, and go home to some macaroni cheese and a glass of wine?

But I digress.

Once you’ve enjoyed (cried) your way through the intro, you’re thrust into a game that doesn’t quite match up to the Wiimote’s capabilities and, after playing titles like Wii Sports, is frustrating and disappointing.

Find out why by clicking here...

The Hut are holding a special deal where you can nab two games for only £20 including free delivery until midnight tonight. It’s a short-lived bargain and there are not a lot of games to choose from, but it’s still well worth a look if you’re in the mood for bulking up your collection.

• Click here to see what’s on offer at The Hut

As you trawl through the titles on offer you’ll see that some of them can be found for under a tenner elsewhere so be careful with your choices or else you’ll end up spending more than you should. However, there are some titles that are well worth the deal such as Avatar, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the Half-Life 2 (Orange Box).

Other titles that caught my eye were Section 8, the SEGA Megadrive Collection, Far Cry 2, Grand Theft Auto IV, F.E.A.R. 2, and Leisure Suit Larry. As I mentioned earlier, there aren’t a ton of titles available in the sale so don’t expect miracles or brilliance at every turn, but there should be enough here to satisfy someone’s hungry gaming appetite.

Thanks to rawtec at HUKD!

Aaah, this is a tasty title of fun and joy and it is down to a loving £15 from Tesco Entertainment and comes with the promise of delivery tomorrow for the more impatient gamer. In The Saboteur, the murky streets of Nazi occupied Paris are at your disposal for stealth and murderous mayhem.

• Click here to sneak up on this deal from Tesco Entertainment

The Saboteur has you take the role of Irish racing mechanic, Sean Devlin, as he roams the streets of WW2 Paris to find the Nazi officer who destroyed his once peaceful life. A full arsenal of weaponry and equipment are placed at your disposal to fight your way to the man who you need to kill.

The game lovingly recreates Paris in great detail with plenty of scope for exploration and open discovery. Players need to use stealth and violence to sabotage enemy plans and move forward through the game. The game offers a striking visual feast that with fantastic use of colour and black and white to add to the atmosphere.

Definitely well worth playing, the low price of £15 makes it even more of a must-have for your collection.

Thanks to jakesdaddy at HUKD

Platform: PC (Reviewed) / Mac

Developer: Sim Studio

Publisher: EA

When it comes to the Sims, there is one thing you can always be sure of – the dreaded expansion pack. The first game spawned so many extras you needed an entire shelf to store them (if you bothered with them at all, that is), and the second tried very hard to capitalise on fan madness in the same way. So it comes as no real surprise that Sims 3: Ambitions is already on the shelves six months after World Travels.

I must confess to approaching this expansion with a certain amount of scepticism. World Adventures at least had the benefit of an unusual concept to lift it out of the “same old expansion” slot and possibly revolutionise the game. At first glance, Ambitions looked to be nothing more than a pimped up copy of Sims 2: Open for Business, although with some neat additions.

The first of these rather lovely extras is the ability to control your Sim during work hours. Oh yes, you can turn them into the company idiot or the local hero, depending entirely on your decisions during work time. It is a massive improvement on having to sit and stare at a speeding clock while your Sim is at work.

There are only a few new Professions that allow this interaction, however. These include; Stylist, Firefighter, Private Investigator, Ghost Hunter and Architectural Designer, or any Self Employed careers.

In addition to the Professions, the game has undergone some additional changes to the overall controls and many of these have made the game even more seamless. One-click interactions with other Sims as well as new lifetime wishes and rewards, plus new skills and activities, add a little spice to the original.

And Sims can do laundry. Yeah. Not exactly something I was looking for in a game.

Click here to find out if The Sims 3: Ambitions has got what Tamsin wants...

If you happen to be one of the die-hard Tekken fans who loves a good collector’s item or two, then this particular deal should be right up your alley. The kit contains Tekken 6 for the PS3, plus a wireless fight stick and a 100-page artbook for your enjoyment.

• Click here to see the deal at Zavvi

PS3 users will be pleased to note that this is a good £20 cheaper than the Xbox 360 version, although you Xbox 360 users may be a tad irked. Beats me why the prices are so varied but anyway.

With this kit you’ll also get additional content and you’ll love the extras that come with this new and exciting addition to the Tekken stable. The game boasts high definition graphics and 3D animation technologies to create the most impressive HD visuals in Tekken history.

The character roster includes 40 unique fighters representing the world’s top martial arts styles (so one for every personality type out there and then some), plus the much loved characters from the older series. The 34 favourites include Jin, Heihachi, Kazuya and more.

You can play against other players in Online VS mode, create new characters and customise them down to the tiniest of details, and take them to battle when you visit others online. The environments are destructible and dynamic and the game is as addictive as ever.

Halo wars is a strategy game that’s based on the legendary Halo universe and allows you command armies, strategise and direct legions of soldiers. The game offers a super selection of UNSC and Covenant forces and it easy to play once you get the hang of the controls. The storyline and cutscenes are worth every second and the missions offer quite a bit of variety.

• Click here to nab your copy of the game from Game Gears

Fans of the Halo universe will enjoying playing the game and all it has to offer but it doesn’t quite deliver enough on the strategy front to satisfy the more hardcore fans of that genre. Other down sides include limited multiplayer options and small maps and armies that unfortunately limit the battles to a degree.

However, the storyling and cutscenes, along with some great combat moments make this a worthy addition to any game cupboard. While it has its failings, the game will do what it says on the tin – entertain you for several excellent hours. Also, I can't find a cheaper price anywhere else so this is a total bargain for fans.

Thanks to goonertillidie at HUKD

Mario is nearly thirty years old and he’s still got what it takes to get gamers giggling and, well, gaming. He’s been around since the advent of Princess Diana and Indiana Jones but, unlike the latter, he hasn’t been completely ruined by bad CGI and George Lucas.

The Day The Arcade Came

Created by Nintendo back in the early 80s, Mario was their plan to get in on some of that American arcade action. After all, who didn’t want a piece of that extremely lucrative pie? When Mario first appeared in the hilarious and addictive Donkey Kong, he was the heroic boyfriend trying to save his girlfriend from a very naughty gorilla.

Designed by legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Donkey Kong, Mario was originally called Jumpman. Not exactly the catchiest name on the block. Would Mario have even been as remotely successful if it hadn’t been for a chance and the landowner Mario Segale?

Yes, Mario Segale. He was the wealthy real estate developer who happened to rent out a warehouse to the U.S. branch of Nintendo way back in the early 80s. A recent article by Technologizer revealed all as they uncovered the real man behind the mascot.

“At the time, a financially struggling Nintendo of America (NOA), was preparing the U.S. launch of Donkey Kong. Legend has it that NOA President Minoru Arakawa noticed physical similarities between Donkey Kong’s short, dark haired protagonist and the landlord. So the crew at NOA nicknamed the character Mario, and it stuck.”

Unfortunately, it appears that Segale is not amused by his association with Mario at all...

Mario was originally designed to look the way he does because of hardware constraints. His moustache was to separate his mouth from his nose, his overalls to show the movement of his arms and he wore a hat because hair was too hard to draw realistically at the time.

Needless to say, Donkey Kong was an enormous success and was followed by Donkey Kong Jr. In 1982 and Mario Bros. in 1983. In the latter, Mario and his younger brother Luigi, are first portrayed as plumbers who have to save New York from creatures crawling out of the sewers.

This is one of the hottest prices around for this steaming title and you can get this fabulous price using the code below. Another notch in the wondrous belt that is the 2010 line-up of games, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is a worthy addition to any collection, primarily thanks to its sizzling multiplayer options.

• Click here to shoot down The Hut for this deal

While the single player campaign is not the worlds most brilliant and may leave some a bit disappointed, the multiplayer is hot, hot, hot. That’s not to say that the single player isn’t worth a couple of dedicated hours, of course. The locales are gorgeous, the story faintly entertaining and the action impressive.

DICE did some sterling work on things like the particle effects and game objects and the sense of depth offered up by the final product is worthy of a moments silence. The mechanics are vastly improved on the predecessors and both guns and vehicles handle well.

The multiplayer, as mentioned earlier, continues to deliver what fans expect and things like the destructible environments, strategic opportunities and team-based interaction are exceptional. If you’re in the mood for some fighting, laughing and exploding, then start here.

Hot on the heels of another spate of US-based “violent videogames” drama, comes the announcement that Paddy Power, a retail and online bookmaker, is going to start taking bets on videogame competitions.

This is not a joke.

Now I am torn. On one hand I am thinking, “Cool, this is finally taking videogames seriously enough to suggest that there’s money in it.” However, the vast majority of my brain is screaming, “Oh no! What!”

Let me explain. I’ve always tried to stay on top of videogame news. Not just the latest releases or some release date being dropped (again) or what nasty publisher is introducing yet another hideous DRM measure, but also the scary news where frothing maniacs declare war on an entertainment medium they know nothing about. Oh, and truly interesting debates like this one.

So it was with a measure of resignation that I read the news that a new law recently passed in California is banning games for individuals under the age of 18. Yes, the Arnie state. You know, that hypocrite who appeared in all those violent movies back in the 80s which were then considered the cause of violence in children, when TV was The Evil One.

So now this law is moving on up to the U.S. Supreme Court where the decision will be made as to whether or not states can regulate the sale of videogames. Ultimately I think that if this is done cleverly it can have only positive effects. I know this makes me sound like a videogame bashing hypocrite but frankly I think that people who develop and play games like Rapeplay (the fuel that fanned the flames) should be held accountable.

Out of all of the cheap games on offer, it seems that my thing is to write about Red Dead Redemption price reductions every Sunday morning...Now you can get it for as little as £28.90 from Tesco Entertainment including free delivery by using this code: FTSL15-1.

• Click here to shoot your way to the deal at Tesco Entertainment

So, this is how it works. You sign up and use the code to get a lovely discount on the existing price of £34. If you’ve used the code before then just sign up using a new email address, simples! Now, for those of you who aren’t following my posts with ardent enthusiasm (why not!) or have been hiding under a rock, there’s a brief synopsis of the game and why you should get it...

It’s America in the early 1900s and the era of the cowboy is coming to an end. John Marston is forced to cross the American frontier and to bring law to those wild and unruly citizens living on the edges of civilisation. The game is a sandbox style shoot fiesta with bounty hunting, train robberies and endless hours of fun.

Thanks to goonertillidie at HUKD!

Another of the Rockstar sandbox style games, Red Dead Redemption is styled in the wild wild west and looks set to be a corker of a game. Set in America in the early 1900s it follows former outlaw, John Marston, as he sets out to complete a quest given him by the government. Please note there is a slight price difference between the Xbox 360 title and the PS3 title.

• Click here to nab your pre-order from Zavvi

Use voucher code: MVC3

The overarching quest is supported by a huge range of alternative quests that you can fill in your own time. The open world and sandbox-style environments are to offer the player a lot of choice and definitely a lot of shooting.

Fans of the more non-linear style of gaming will appreciate the variety on offer and, if Rockstar’s history is anything to go by, the rich detail of the environments themselves. You can even hunt down animals such as cougars, deer and rattlesnakes. The game also has a Dead-Eye targeting system that slows time down, Max Payne style, to help you place a precise shot on your enemy. It allows the player to paint shots all over enemies and should be quite interesting to play.

Thanks to HT UK at HUKD!

Fallout 3 is an action RPG from Bethesda that's been a big hit with fans and critics. It won several Game of the Year awards and has a loyal following. It's the third (hahah, duh) in the Fallout series that takes place 36 years after the adventures of Fallout 2.

• Click here to check out the deal from Zavvi

You are an inhabitant of Vault 101, a survival shelter designed to protect peole from the horrors of the nuclear fallout from 200 years previously. You have been forced to leave the Vault to find your father who went missing somewhere in the ruins of Washington D.C.

The game sold over 610 000 units in the first month of release and has had five downloadable addons released since October 2008. If the RPG genre is something that appeals to you and you haven't explored this world then you should definitely give this a try. Actually it's worth playing even if you've not quite formed a deep love of the RPG as it has merged the FPS and survival horror genres into the gameplay.

Thanks to SUPERCOOLWILLOW at HUKD!

There are the big blockbusters that have you drooling into your keyboards from the moment they are announced, and then there are those little games that lurk in dark corners and leap upon you unexpectedly. This is possibly one of those titles.

The cold war is in full swing and you’ve seized power of the Caribbean island of Tropico. You are the El Presidente, the Big Cheese, The Kahuna, Bwana, etc etc. It is your choice as to what you want to do with this delightful tropical island but, be warned, your people will want to know why...

• The game is on sale here (with free delivery)

A light hearted and immersive RTS, Tropico III offers up fifteen different missions, a variety of business sectors, editing and modification functions and online extras. It won’t necessarily tip the charts and enthrall the hordes, but anyone who has a tendency to tidy things up and manage people will love it.

The price is good, the game is on its third instalment, so it can’t be all bad, and you are guaranteed enough fun to warrant the expense. May the dictatorship be with you.

Thanks to davver99 at HUKD!