I have some notes from the comments that were made while judging. They're not very detailed as my hand writing is not up to keeping track of the sort of fast paced discussions we were having but I hope they give you a feel for what was said.
Jam
Very polished and complete game. The judges really appreciated the attention to detail such as the menu system and tutorial. They thought that it showed excelent production values, especially the graphics. The gameplay was enjoyable but many judges commented on the fact that it was basically a simplified version of Guitar Hero.
Pirate Sea Battle
All thought it was a very fun, playable game. Paul mentioned that he and his young children really enjoyed playing it. All thought that network play would be a great addition. The interface design was popular, they liked the minimal gameplay interface such as using smoke to represent damage instead of a traditional health bar. The different team/AI dynamics were very good and created quite different battles. Some of the keener/experienced game playing judges felt that it had 'already been done' as a game type and referenced a game called Pirates! Other judges who hadn't seen this type of game before enjoyed the novelty.
Kraken
The completely new control mechanic was liked by all. Everyone thought that it showed lots of potential. The quirky style and sense of humour was noted and appreciated. It was thought that the control mechanic could be used in other ways - something like Space Channel 5 but where you have to match a sequence of arm positions instead of dance moves. One judge thought that the kraken would make a great character in a body popping dance game.
Abyss
Some judges really liked the floaty feel of the player movement and found the game very enjoyable. Others thought that it was basically Feeding Frenzy. All agreed on a very good use of other competition elements, especially the concept art background. One judge commented that they might have enjoyed it more if they could have got more of a feel for who/what was inside the diving ball - they felt it lacked human character.
Herriman
Very accomplished and slick looking game. The various graphical effects were very well done while not being over the top. The character design and animation was very popular. The 'old school' collision detection was thought to be a little harsh for an instant death game. It took a while for players to understand all the various game dynamics but they generally kept playing until they did. It was generally thought that with some more time spent on smoothing out the game play and creating more content, that this could be a very good quality game. One judge commented on it being very similar to a Spectrum game called Scuba Dive but none of the other judges had played it...
Ocean Odyssey
Many judges liked the idea of cooperative control of a single game element, they thought that this was fairly unusual and added much to the fun of the game. Many players felt that it was easy to get lost, that the play area was too large and barren of things to eat or shoot. It was also commented on that there was no real feeling of progressing in the game - needed to give obvious positive and negative feedback to a players actions.
Whale Game
The judges appreciated the game concept and message although it took a while for players to get a feel for what to do (more than one happily depth charging whales to destruction). It was felt that the game play was too random - some times the elements were positioned so that the player had no chance, other times the player could win without almost no actions taken.
Fishing
The judges liked the player controlled intro screen but it did cause some confusion as to how to start the game. The large number of fishes moving on screen was noted and appreciated. It was felt that some more balancing of the game was needed as the best technique seemed to be just focusing on the oxygen bubbles. Like Herriman, it was thought that it could have done with a little more warning of impending death - both as a warning for the player to get more air and to increase the tension. Though not part of the game the judges did enjoy reading the developers diary and it's noticable lack of resting periods.