It's fair to say that previous games featuring superheroes haven't exactly set the pulse racing. As a result, titles such as Crackdown and InFamous have filled the void, allowing players to leap over buildings, throw cars into the air and unleash justice on the bad guys.
However, if anyone was going to redress the balance, it was going to be Batman. With his fighting prowess and reliance on gadgets, he's the perfect subject for a videogame hero, and Arkham Asylum is a game which does Gotham's finest proud.
Set in the confines of Gotham City's famous psychiatric hospital, the story opens with Batman escorting The Joker to his cell. Of course the grinning goon manages to escape, Arkham is locked down, and the hunt is on to track the Clown Prince of Crime down before he unleashes chaos.
Arkham Asylum is an amalgamation of genres - with stealth-based sections, environmental puzzle solving, and bouts of good old-fashioned fisticuffs fused coherently together to produce a slick and well-rounded package.
Combat is excellent, with simple button combos unleashing meaty hits and well-placed kicks, while pulling off counter attacks is intuitive and hassle free. At times the combat feels more like a rhythm game, with the player stringing together well-timed flurries with ease.
What Arkham Asylum does better than the majority of superhero games from the past is create an excellent - and slightly uncomfortable - ambiance. The dark, oppressive atmosphere exuding from the asylum's walls brings to mind 2K's BioShock.
And while the asylum isn't an open world for Batman to play about in, the developers have given the player ample opportunity to wander off the beaten track, throwing in a wealth of collectables to discover for those with a sense of adventure.
Chief among these shiny baubles are The Riddler's trophies. The green-clad fiend has scattered hundreds around the asylum, while the criminal mastermind also poses wonderful optional conundrums to solve in most of the levels.
Interview recordings with several high-profile patients are also scattered about, and these audio clips are a definite highlight thanks to the cast's stellar voice acting. Special mention goes to Mark Hamill's portrayal of The Joker. He's voiced the cackling criminal before in Batman's animated series, and his return to the fold adds an incredible amount to the experience. He chatters away over the asylum's speaker system, adding another layer to the game's already excellent atmosphere.
Each new discovery and successful fight rewards the player with experience points, which can be spent on upgrading the Dark Knight and his gadgets.
There is a fair amount of backtracking throughout the game, but usually when making your way across previously explored areas, you'll have a new gadget at your disposal, allowing the player to reach new places. This takes some of the monotony out of trudging across familiar territory, but there's still a bit too much repetition for my liking.
Thankfully, Batman's gadgets are fun to use - from staples such as the Batarang and grappling hook, to more inventive creations such as explosive gel, which blows chunks from walls, revealing hidden alcoves.
Another important feature is Detective Mode, a scanning device which allows Batman to see enemies through walls and reveal clues which are invisible to the human eye. Frequent use of this is vital, as stealthily locating enemies and taking them down quietly is vital.
Failure to take gun-wielding inmates down silently usually results in Batman meeting his end in a volley of machine-gun fire. Luckily, the stealth-based sections are solid, with Batman able to take down foes from behind with a simple button press, before the Caped Crusader returns to the shadows to await his next victim.
All of this would be enough to elevate Arkham Asylum above most of this year's games, but there's plenty more packed on to the disc. Character bios can be unlocked, featuring personal details and back story of some of the comic's most famous characters, including Killer Moth, Mad Hatter, Catwoman and The Penguin. What's more, there's a fine collection of 3D character models to unlock and peruse at your leisure, while a generous selection of challenge rooms adds immensely to the game's replayability.
I finished Arkham Asylum with 73 per cent completion rating - a task which took me a little over 12 hours, so there's plenty of reasons to go back and dig a little deeper.
With its attention to detail, excellent play mechanics, wonderful atmosphere, and engaging storyline twists and turns, Batman: Arkham Asylum is the most polished and enjoyable title I've played all year. Believe the hype, Batman is back.
360 version tested
3D Dot Games Heroes is less than a month away from release and with every new screenshot, it's hard not to be excited.
After the epic battle between good and evil, Dotnia became a tourist attraction, but eventually people stopped visiting. The King then had a brainwave that would hopefully entice visitors back - transforming the flat, 2D gameworld into glorious blocky 3D.
There's obviously more than a passing nod to Zelda, with similar gameplay elements and weapons, including a boomerang - which is used to hit far off switches - and bows. Even the game's music has a Zelda flavour.
There's even a character editor packed in so you can throw your own blocky character into the action.
I've spent most of the evening playing Spelunky on PC. It's a fusion of ZX Spectrum classic Fred and a Roguelike. The aim is to try and pilfer as much treasure as you can, while making progress though the subterranean levels.
You have access to ropes and bombs to help you through the mines, while shops are scattered throughout the levels selling extra bombs and weapons.
Arkham Asylum is an amalgamation of genres - with stealth-based sections, environmental puzzle solving, and bouts of good old-fashioned fisticuffs fused coherently together to produce a slick and well-rounded package.
Chief among these shiny baubles are The Riddler's trophies. The green-clad fiend has scattered hundreds around the asylum, while the criminal mastermind also poses wonderful optional conundrums to solve in most of the levels.
Thankfully, Batman's gadgets are fun to use - from staples such as the Batarang and grappling hook, to more inventive creations such as explosive gel, which blows chunks from walls, revealing hidden alcoves.
All of this would be enough to elevate Arkham Asylum above most of this year's games, but there's plenty more packed on to the disc. Character bios can be unlocked, featuring personal details and back story of some of the comic's most famous characters, including Killer Moth, Mad Hatter, Catwoman and The Penguin. What's more, there's a fine collection of 3D character models to unlock and peruse at your leisure, while a generous selection of challenge rooms adds immensely to the game's replayability.
FROM Software, the team who brought us the excellent Demon's Souls on PS3, have unveiled their latest title, and it looks wonderful.
While we patiently wait for the Wiimake of Gamecube classic Chibi-Robo to land, Nintendo have released Okaeri! Chibi Robo! Happy Rich Osouji (Welcome Home Chibi-Robo) on DS in Japan.
Jenny, the frog-loving girl from the first game returns as a grown up, with a son - Keith - and a dog called Lucky. However, times are tough, and it's up to Chibi to clean the house and help Jenny redecorate.
With a total of 12 main events set on the sun-kissed Wuhu Island, this heightened degree of control adds a huge amount to the game's playability. Backhand serves and smashes can easily be pulled off in Table Tennis, aiming in Archery is intuitive and responsive, while adding curve to a Frisbee throw is a breeze.
Playing most of the events unlocks new modes or difficulty levels for the 12 main attractions, such as the wonderful Frisbee Golf or Three-on-Three Basketball.
The Air Sports events also deserve a mention. Sky Diving and Free Flight are great activities to relax with, and while shooting at planes in Ariel Dogfighting has its moments, flying at different times of day around Wuhu Island searching for points of interest evokes memories of Nintendo's classic Pilotwings. 
These range from simply getting five consecutive shots in basketball, to harder challenges such as getting perfect 10s in every round of archery..jpg)
The only disappointment I have with Wi Sports Resort is a lack of online leaderboards or rewards for collecting Stamps, while some might find the lack of stat tracking a missed opportunity.
The demo of Katamari Forever - or Katamari Tribute in Japan - went live this morning on the Japanese PSN store.
The first level of the demo tasks you with filling the Katamari with water and turning a nearby desert into a blooming oasis, complete with palm trees, tulips, lions and zebras.
From jazz influenced beats and Latin grooves to bright and breezy electronica, Katamari Forever sounds wonderful.
Retro Game Challenge is based on the bizarre Japanese videogame TV show GameCenter CX, starring videogame masochist Shinya Arino.
The game is a spin-off from the show and is a little slice of brilliance. It was released in Japan in late 2007, and a translated version came out in the US back in February. Unfortunately, there is no word on a UK release, which is a real shame. Still, as the DS is region free, I'd urge you to import.
Once challenges are completed - such as completing a certain stage, getting a certain score, or performing specific actions - the story progresses and new games become available - complete with their own set of unique challenges.
All the games look and sound like their 8-bit counterparts, but all have a certain amount of style and charm.
It's all standard Japanese RPG fare, but where Vesperia excels is in its visuals, story and excellent battle system.
They are also adept at healing and getting stuck into fights, which takes a certain amount of pressure off the player. 
When not roaming the countryside beating up enemies, the player can also synthesise weapons to make powerful items, while learning recipes lets the player cook stat-boosting food for the team.
There are also various difficulty levels, which means that even the most novice player will get maximum enjoyment out of the game.