Brothers In Arms DS

It may be a little short but the replayability comes in from the extra difficult levels and their newly gained in-game bonus features.

Unlike its more strategic predecessors, Brothers In Arms DS is an out-and-out shooter, and the fast action, the usefully wide-angled over-the-shoulder camera, the intuitive controls and the short missions all combine to make this a brilliant handheld game. Make no mistake - shortcomings aside, this is fantastic.

A technically impressive game, but a few weak elements keep it from being a truly great game.

It’s too bad that the game feels so bad. Literally, this hurts to play. The controls are a mess. My hand cramped shooting with L and aiming with a stylus.

Good while it lasts. It’s just a pity it doesn’t last very long.

With some tighter programming, and far fewer invisible barriers and dumb deaths, BiA could have been rather good. As it is - flawed and fun - it's a fantastic signpost.

Besides some seriously bad camera angles where you lose sight of the action briefly and a skimpy wireless multiplayer mode, Brothers in Arms DS is a solid WWII action experience. It lacks the high gloss HD-ness of its console counterparts, but makes up for it in cinematic quality and pacing.

With Brothers In Arms DS, Ubisoft has proven that it's technically possible to bring the series to the DS--but just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

If you're looking for a break from the usual DS fare of brain boosters and quirky "impress the girl by beating a billion mini-games" titles, this game will fill the need. But for those looking for a more definitive way to defeat Hitler -- and in the original "story boards" for the war, he sported a Fu Manchu moustache -- the wait continues.

Quite how Gearbox's pocket shooter turns so many negatives into such a playable game is inexplicable, but sometimes the most unpolished combat boots are the most comfortable.