We've entered the big run up to Christmas now in the videogaming release world, and already there are some big chart topping titles out there.

Batman Arkham Asylum, The Beatles Rock Band, Guitar Hero 5, Colin McRae: DiRT 2, Championship Manager 2010 and Mini Ninjas.

Take a look at that list. I'm going to point out the obvious and say that they're pretty much all safe bets. New entries in popular franchises but none that should be ignored. OK you could get by with making a couple of sensible choices.

Obviously The Beatles Rock Band is more exciting even in name than Guitar Hero 5. The Beatles are back in a big way and Harmonix have gone to a lot of effort to make this title something special. (Apparently they spent six months in legal work alone). I'd definitely recommend this over the latest Guitar Hero, even if you think you know little of the Beatles you will soon be humming their greatest on the way to work.

Football sim Championship Manager will appeal to those who like football, which isn't me so I'll scoot right over that one. (Sorry!) I've been fortunate to play Need for Speed: Shift this week and personally I prefer it to DiRT 2. However that's only because I prefer racing over rally sims and the latest Need for Speed is so much better than any of it's name this generation has seen. Don't get me wrong because DiRT 2 should not be ignored and is a worthy addition to the series, with a very clever use of your 360's avatar should you get that version.

Talk about the new titles, the good ones, Batman! Mini Ninjas!

I'll be looking to do a feature soon on Mini Ninja's in one of my family gaming features soon, and after playing the demo I can't wait to play it! The style of the game is awesome and there is no gore to worry about when playing it with the kids. Some have even compared it to a mash up between a Mario and Zelda game. I wouldn't go that far!

Check out the official web site for more information.

Finally, Batman! Batman Arkham Asylum looks and plays beautifully on any platform and in just the last few days has been complimented with a free downloadable add-on. It has even been awarded a Guinness World Record for Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever! Oh and it's definitely not one to play with the kids!

But why has the game fallen under such acclaim? Well there aren't few that get it right in the superhero genre and the developers of Arkham Asylum realised it just needed some due care and attention to really make a good game. Take a great superhero and do what he does best, beat people up and do the detective work.

That's not all though, as the Asylum itself is very well designed and the characters are faithfully maintained. Fans of some of the animated shows will be pleased to hear Mark Hamill's incredible Joker personality fully unleashed in this title.

Check out the demo on the XBox Marketplace, PSN or the PC if you don't believe me!

This is the one to beat. If you haven't got this game yet and need to fill in the gap before Modern Warfare 2 or ODST comes out you should probably nip down to Commercial Road this weekend and pick this up!

Enjoy your weekend and keep pressing those buttons.