The very best and worst of games merchandise

REAL DRINKABLE PISSWASSER BEER

Rather than an image of this charming in-game advert, we were intending to include an actual picture of one of the real life bottles that Rockstar gave away to publicise Grand Theft Auto IV (as if it needed any more publicity). But we drunk it all.

The beer itself wasn't anything to write home about, seemingly one of those generic brands that allow companies to design their own labels for corporate events and the like, but it was still a very, very good idea. The kind of thing to be encouraged when PR agencies are considering what to give journos as gifts.

Where'd it come from?: Guzzled at the GTA IV launch party, and sent by the crate load to peoples of the press. Sometimes bottles turn up on eBay for extortionate prices.

LARA CROFT EVENING DRESS STATUE

Lara Croft has rather a lot of statues and figures of her likeness available to buy, but this is one of the better ones, and one of the most popular. Only 3500 of this particular 9 inch high statue were made by Steve Varner and his team at Varner Studios, and they now only shift for around $300-$500 a piece.

Perhaps the charm of this particular statue is that although Lara is in her classic spy pose, rather than being in her usual outfit of shorts, top and boots, she's gone decidedly classy and is clad in a slinky black number.

Where'd it come from?: Official Eidos merchandise, now extremely rare and sought after.

NO MORE HEROES TOILET PAPER

It was a toss up as to which list this item made it into - was it art or arse, the height of tackiness or a work of genius? In the end, judging by the number of people who frequent the GR toilet and ask if they can have a roll, it's ended up in the best list.

Intended to be given away as a promo at the Japanese launch of No More Heroes, but after hardly anyone turned up to buy the game on its first day of release, boxes of the rolls were airlifted to American journalists who would appreciate their true brilliance.

Each sheet is lovingly printed with the No More Heroes image on the wrapper, although I have no idea what ply they are, or whether they’re soft, strong, or very long. Why toilet paper?, perplexed readers might well ask. Well, in the game, the main character Travis Touchdown, errr, touches down on the porcelain potty to save his progress.

Where'd it come from?: Given out with copies of the game on launch day in Tokyo, also delivered in boxes to US video games publications.