Platform Jumper doesn't bring anything remotely new to the table, nor use the Wii's controller to the fullest, but it does provide a fun platformer for the younger crowd to get started with, and the rest of us to enjoy for a few hours.

Another arrow straight into WiiWare's versatile quiver, My Starry Night delivers in educational value and saves a great deal over regular stargazing equipment just 500 points, with almost as equally proficient a result.

Hellbent Games and TT Games have teamed up to provide one of the most solid real-time strategy experiences on the Nintendo DS in general.

Michael Jackson: The Experience 3D improves on the DS edition through its presentation and song choices, but whether it does in the gameplay stakes is more debatable. It certainly works and gets closer to dancing than the last attempt, pushing the 3DS release to be slightly better than the DS one, but it is perhaps more fiddly than it should be, and more songs are still a must.

Rabbids Rumble may not have turned into the Smash Bros. copycat some thought it might be, but it is a very enjoyable mini-game experience with some engaging Pokémon-esque battles included. Headstrong Games shows how versatile its developers are by from something as raucous as House of the Dead to this extremely light-hearted, slapstick-style affair that does Ubisoft's Rabbids brand proud.

The low price barrier for this Nintendo 3DS eShop release is high incentive for impulse purchasing, though, yet few outside of text adventure enthusiasts will find true value for money in this one.

Whilst more could be done within the realm of Devious Dungeon, that could be saved for the sequel, which really needs to happen. It is a pleasing and accessible dungeon crawler that doesn't over complicate what its goal is. There are almost zero plot points, yet fun hack 'n' slash gameplay, randomised dungeons, and lots of loot and upgrades that help to make this a very fun title to run around in.

This is, for the most part, a disappointment. By no means a terrible game, Vambrace: Cold Soul plays it a bit too safe with its concepts, as most of them are straight up copied from better tactical rogue-likes and RPGs, and especially Darkest Dungeon. Gorgeous character design can only get you so far...

RPG Maker MV has everything it takes to make an RPG. However, the complexity makes it unenjoyable and often frustrating, especially for players that are not well-versed in the ways of creating RPGs. It is simply too much effort to create a single map, not because of the work needed to design it, but because of endlessly trying to figure out how to achieve certain goals. While the simple portability of this title, due to the nature of the Nintendo Switch, is definitely a positive, this title cannot easily be recommended to newcomers in RPG creation.

Although there were a few faults and issues in the game, none are game breaking, and updates have removed some faults and added quality of life improvements. Anyone who likes mostly calm games involving lots of quests and some farming will enjoy being Koa in Summer in Mara. With multiple backpack designs and clothes to collect through quests, and finding all the crabs with messages from early game supporters, there is plenty to do in Mara before the game ends, and afterwards too. There aren't extra quests post game, but fulfilling all the quests is satisfying in itself, and the varying environments with some items to harvest are memorable enough to return to for fun.

Anyone looking for an anime brawler will find this one to be a very good one. It is not to be played for its highly-compressed retelling of a former story, nor its short length; but for mindless action and fighting it delivers fairly well. The combat is fun with enough to it to stay fairly interesting for the ten or so hours it takes to beat, just be warned there isn't some great adventure to partake in here.

Younger players might get a kick out seeing their favourite Pokemon in a new light, but others should probably stick to 'purer' roguelikes like Shiren, or more standard RPGs like the core Pokemon titles.

While some infrequent instances of poor game design prevent the game from being an absolute success, it's still a very worthy entry in the Sonic franchise that can keep up with and, in some areas, even surpass its home console counterpart.

Spirit of the North's enchanting journey is magnificent on the Nintendo Switch Lite's screen, as played on for this review, and is even better on a large TV screen. The, at times, challenging game, has collectibles that add to the replay value, and playing as an unlocked snow fox in the snow magnifies the immersion of the game, with levels that beg to be experienced again simply for the fun of enjoying their beauty.

Colorz plays well, but sadly the challenge is too high for one player due to the insane amount of coordination needed.

There's some cross-country joy to be found in Dakar 18, but it could have been much more rewarding and successful considering the unique brand of rallying it represents. It is fun endlessly launching over sand dunes, hopping out of the car to be sporting by towing a competitor out of a jam, and finding one's way back on track after getting lost. Unfortunately, the fundamentals are out of whack.

The Inpatient is one of the most disappointing games ever made. Even when detached from the excellent Until Dawn, on its own it's a shallow walking sim with glossy production values. This might be okay for a one and done play-through, if acquired for free, and even then it is hard to justify the cost of the time spent playing this husk of a game. This is at best a glorified and expensive demo reel for talented 3D artists and VR programmers - not really a game worth playing at all.

AeternoBlade offers decent combat, platforming and puzzles that involve its time manipulation mechanic. Unfortunately, it is lacking polish, and several cheap segments later in the game can lead to unnecessary frustration.

To put it bluntly, School Girl/Zombie Hunter is exploitative and perverted schlock. It's also a pleasant surprise. Despite its miniscule budget and plethora of issues, this game successfully manages to have solid shoot 'em up action, as well as an inkling of clever level and encounter design. Deciding on the right arsenal for the next stage actually matters, and the moment to moment decisions can seriously impact one's chances of success. Of course, the subject matter won't appeal to everybody, though it's hardly surprising. This is a Tamsoft title, after all, and they know their audience.

Ultimately, for those that enjoy the core shooter element, Radiantflux: Hyperfractal probably delivers value for money. However, it also feels incomplete - a mess of random things jumbled together. While the randomness itself provides some entertainment, it's hard to feel satisfied with the game when it's over. A little more development effort could have gone a long way here.

The biggest thing holding Warden: Melody of the Undergrowth back is its reliance on old school sensibilities that might push away new players or frustrate people who didn't enjoy the likes of Zelda and Banjo-Kazooie, among many other titles. It does offer a lot of its own charms, though, and they are among some of the best reasons why this developer's first game should be in many peoples' Steam libraries. This is a thoroughly recommendable indie purchase for any and all Golden Era gamers.

If you're just looking for a mildly-amusing journey to help pass the time, Warlocks 2: God Slayers isn't the worst choice. However, if your intension is to play on the highest difficulty and invest a lot of hours, then the game's flaws will become apparent. The projectile spam and frequent stutters are the leading sources of aggravation. This is extremely problematic on the harder difficulties, since everyone's a squishy mage. Without post-game content, there's not enough of an incentive to continue playing either. All in all, this title just isn't where it needs to be.

Can cute/sexy anime girls be mixed with the dark fantasy world of Dark Souls and the like? Sure… but that's no promise of a fine product. Now, there are many indies out there that try to sell through fanservice alone, but Lost Ruins is actually not one of those. Yes, it has waifu bosses with big bouncy assets, and they drop swimsuits as the reward, but to be perfectly honest this isn't the main thing here. Actual effort has been made during this title's creation, with the fanservice (or whatever you want to call it) being just the cherry on top of it all. It's just that the end result isn't really a good, or finely polished game, with the slow, cumbersome combat definitely taking the biscuit.

Cold VR has done an interesting job in taking the Superhot DNA and twisting it into something different. It's fun, fast and frenetic, and is a good way to spend 30-minute bursts of action in VR, especially for those who really enjoy similar styles of game. For some, the change of pace from Superhot will be pleasing. However, a tacked-on story that never really gets off the ground and a less refined physics system with some inconsistencies in combat, makes it feel decidedly more like a budget version of its main inspiration, except with a price tag that doesn't quite match.

Line Rider Freestyle takes the template of the popular online game and runs with it, improving on the original in every single way.

Pokedex 3D Pro finishes what the original eShop version began, by becoming the de facto standard database option for Pocket Monster enthusiasts. It remains to be seen whether the Pro will interact specifically with the future mainline 3DS Pokémon titles, but for now, despite the low amount of actual play and the higher cost, there is a lot to see here.

A brave attempt at a new direction for Bleach games that stumbles at key points.

If you want to get away with sticking a book on a console, it is pretty important to make the actual tale an intriguing one, and - better yet - add in some useful interactions. This all feels so empty, even when attempting to drive the conversation in certain directions. Mundane is the perfect word to describe Three Fourths Home, and its Extended Edition post-game story content is simply more of the same weak melodrama. There are so many alternatives out there vying for your attention; check them out instead.

It doesn't do much wrong: it controls well, the music is nice enough, the visuals, while not impressive, do look clean. It gets the action going, yet it fails to capture the attention because it's too repetitive and not engaging enough.

If Crossroads Inn was an Early Access title, it would be one of the most promising ones in the management sim genre. Unfortunately, the team behind it made the wrong move, and decided to destroy months of work by releasing its product without first completing development. Due to the lack of any competitors in the 'medieval inn simulator' arena, some may find it easier to accept its many issues. Most, however, are advised to wait for some - hopefully inevitable - renovations.

Despite what seems like a sincere attempt at trying to stray away from the typical licensed game pitfalls at first, Cars 3: Driven to Win strays off course almost immediately and winds up just another disappointing movie tie-in. The amount of content packaged in almost feels illusory at times, as the presentation gives the impression of a deeper experience. The Hall of Fame mechanic promotes tedium instead of overcoming challenge, and a lack of online multiplayer severely holds the content back. Tracks with no discernible identity and mechanics that feign complexity only serve to make Driven to Win feel even more like a blatant advertisement. With Mario Kart 8 already out for the Switch and better than ever, there's little reason to give Lightning McQueen the time of day.

Unfortunately, Swap This!, like most matching puzzle games, is exactly that: just a matching puzzle game. It looks good, it will satisfy your need for something fun and casual-friendly, and it carries a killer price... but don't expect something more out of it.

The inherent curiosity cultivated by both Marina and her grandfather for the unusual and diverse wildlife within Beasts of Maravilla Island, makes the several hours of game time a delight to experience. The various issues fail to detract too much from the overall enjoyment of discovering unusual creatures and documenting them all in Marina's inherited journal through photographs, and revealing the true nature of the island which serves as a reminder that humans have a duty to protect and conserve the world, rather than selfishly destroy it.

Way too little rhythm gameplay in this rhythm game, as Witch's Rhythm Puzzle leans more towards a puzzler, with the beat acting only as the "opening" during which you can hit a button and play the darn thing. The actual puzzle aspect is nothing to write home about. As for the anime lasses, aren't something special either.

The Starship Damrey is a solid little adventure title, marred by a limited scope thanks to its origins as part of a three-in-one retail package that never came to light, a low budget, poor control choices and a story that shows potential but is not fleshed out enough to make players really care about the final outcome.

More difficult stages and a much better camera would have put the Pac in a better position to challenge Mario, but his resulting venture is a considerable option for new gamers.

The groundhog day style repeating story was so promising and yet it has been produced in such a terrible fashion. There are plenty of good elements to the dungeon crawling, yet the levels themselves are dull and frustrating. A big disappointment.

Unfortunately, though, as impressive as the in-game content may be, everything ends far too quickly, even with the extra missions to unlock, and means that the RRP of £39.99 is too steep.

It's definitely not on the level of the 'big boys' of music games, but with a better budget, more time and more effort, there's something lurking under there that has potential.

Tharsis is a time-waster. Nonetheless it is a time-waster that's thoroughly recommended wasting time on - particularly good for fans of strategy and decision-based titles. The difficulty will occasionally peak unfairly, as chance dice requirements can cripple a play-through, even on the lowest difficulty setting, often, though, and probably intentionally, requiring one to make a lose-lose decision to progress. Dice physics may also seem to be working against the player on re-rolls, though it's a small niggle. Whether it's despite or because of this, Tharsis kept this reviewer coming back for more. It is compelling attempting to make it to week 10 and the planet Mars - with just enough variance and those difficult choices that it doesn't get boring seeing the same story beats over and over. It's probable that this will stay loaded, on console, for return visits for quite some time to come.

The veteran series has sadly been outgunned by newer rivals such as Total War, which breathes greater personality and more engaging gameplay into this time period. This one suffers badly from poor game design choices, and a visually dull style, which will put many potential buyers off. While the scenarios are detailed and historically accurate, sadly there is little in the way of control in the overall gameplay loop. Battles are disappointing and confusing affairs, while the turn-based chore of filling up hexes to conquer areas gets old very quickly. With a raft of DLC already available, when there are some basic features missing on release, it is a hard title to recommend to fans of the genre or time period. The best word to describe this? Lacking.

Truberbrook's handcrafted backdrops are strikingly beautiful, and its delightful to see such craftmanship woven into a video game. When it comes to the rest of the experience, though, there's very little to sing praise about. As a point-and-click adventure, this fails woefully. As a story-driven mystery, it tediously chugs along without offering anything of substance. Die-hard point-and-click gamers might be able to find some signs of life, but for everyone else there's little here to admire beyond the handcrafted environments.

Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee adds one more dimension, but throws what made the original a classic out of the window. Not only this doesn't have the beautiful visuals of the PlayStation duology, or its fantastic atmosphere and narrative strength, but it's also far from a fun, cinematic puzzle-platformer - in fact, it's not even a puzzle-platformer, but just a collection of boring tasks sewn together, and masquerading as an adventure.

It is LA Machineguns that makes Gunblade NY & LA Machineguns Arcade Hit Pack worthy of a look.

For the fun gameplay alone, Iron Combat: War in the Air comes highly recommended. The learning curve is not too steep and it's a joy to play. However, it's not without a few flaws, so it is unlikely to appeal to everybody.

Steven Jenkins does have some interesting ideas and he really should continue developing more because High Strangeness does show promise. Perhaps with a bit more careful planning and more focused management, he can deliver a game that satisfies all his narrative goals, since this seems surprisingly rushed.

Minus a couple hiccoughs here and there, ACA NeoGeo: World Heroes Perfect is a flawless, and 100% faithful version of the original arcade effort. However, this cannot change the fact that World Heroes Perfect was, and still is, nothing more than a generic fighter that pales in comparison to the strong competition in the genre, and even compared to SNK's more famous The King of Fighters line. In other words: this is nothing more than a collector's item product.

Polygod definitely holds some potential, but is lacklustre in its current state. The often unstable frame-rate, unwieldy gyro controls, and lack of polish in general, hurts the experience considerably. Its mechanics do feel unique enough to keep experimenting with, and there's plenty of replay value, but there's so much that brings it down. Fans of first-person shooters will likely get some enjoyment out of it, but it's otherwise hard to say that it's worth checking out.

2D games are enjoying a resurgence on Nintendo's home console this generation, and with its unique premise, Drawn to Life could have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with them. It's unfortunate, then, that the series' transition to disc has brought about new problems that have, if anything, made the basic platforming ever more apparent, and made it rely even more on the editing tools, which cannot hold the rest of the game up.

Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash should, quite frankly, not exist. It is an embarrassment with next to no content, absolutely no strategy involved, and feels like a blatant cash grab more than anything.

Nightmare Boy is a fun experience for a few hours, and a lot of the glaring design choices around the gameplay can be overlooked or ignored for the most part. While Billy may feel heavy to control, he does almost always make it to the platforms, while the fighting systems are quite basic, but it allows for the focus to be on the exploration side of things instead. In terms of the aesthetic of the various areas as well, The Vanir Project has done a terrific job in stylising the different sections and making every area feel fresh and new, without getting bogged down with repetitive enemies. While the platforming-based abilities work well, the combat-based abilities leave a lot to be desired, as they lack any flexibility within the combat arena, and even when those abilities are fired off, they do little damage to be worth its while compared to the base attacks. While this can be replayed, there's very little incentive to do so.

Third time's not the charm in the case of Darksiders III, which is a - mostly - mediocre third entry in a line of games that weren't really that great to begin with. The quality of the Switch port doesn't help either, not so much because of its downgraded visuals, but because of its severe frame rate dips, and long load times, something that plagued the original versions as well. At least Fury looks cool…

While there's one more chapter left to play, Episode 4: Burning Bridges puts the final nail in The Council's coffin by bringing along the same mistakes, plus some new ones, and with the quality of the storytelling taking a big, sad plunge.

A fairly enjoyable experience, coupled with an interesting take on the Wii-remote fighter experience.

Nintendo Switch owners looking for their next platforming adventure need not pay this game any attention. Though it is pretty to look at and plays well, it is so forgettable that anything done right is overwhelmingly overshadowed by how unenjoyable and uninspired it is. From its level design, enemy encounters, and platforming sequences, to its lead character, collectables, and soundtrack, there is nothing worthwhile in Stitchy in Tooki Trouble. Just go buy Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

Sadly this DS version of Boogie fails to spark as much interest as the Wii version, partly due to the lack of singing elements and lower quality music, but mainly due to awkward control system that more often than not fails to register your movement properly, as well as the annoyingly random mini-games thrown in.

Overall, it is an impressive free-to-play title with fair micro-transactions that speed up the experience yet are in no way necessary to enjoy the game.

There are more enjoyable mech games made on much older hardware that still hold up, like Gun Hazard or Metal Warriors, which were made with Super Nintendo specs. It does not take much to realise an enjoyable mecha game, just some imagination. Damascus Gear Operation Tokyo, sadly, copies the most trite aspects of Diablo without understanding what the appeal was.

Hell Warders won't even be remembered as the sloppy low-budget experiment that it is. It won't be remembered at all. It is much too rough to meet the standards of average gamers, and not weird enough to be interesting. It certainly is a huge hassle to play for more than four hours, but those first few moments before the balancing gets out of hand are actually enjoyable.

Multiplayer is a really positive experience, and it becomes very easy to sink hours into just exploration and small side quests, with no attention being paid to the main story. Pick up and play is a feeling so rarely found in JRPG titles that it feels like a really positive step towards what should be seen as the new normal. What is baffling, then, is hiding such a great feature, along with all the other main parts of Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris behind 12+ hours of repetitive story. The honest truth is that players with a passing interest aren't going to put the hours in to get past the initial chapter, and in doing so, are going to miss out on an enjoyable experience with a lot to offer for both casual players and hardcore fans. Stick with it.

Warm Lamp Games has delivered an interesting premise. The only way to progress is to dip toes into the murky grey area of the world. Fight against the State too much and Carl himself becomes a target... or he doesn't earn money - money he needs when his son gets in trouble or his daughter gets sick. It seems promising, but it quickly becomes rather dull. Once the basics are understood, they're repeated ad nauseum, and while the story has some interesting elements, the monotony of the gameplay is indefensible. Few will be able to power through enough to see the many endings hidden here.

Ritual: Crown of Horns is an enjoyable twin-stick shooter, with not much variety, but plenty of challenge - something that may or may not annoy some, due to how it's all executed. Moreover, while the occult gets mixed with a Wild West setting in here, in terms of presentation and atmosphere, Draw Distance's creation is underwhelming at best.

Fans of the series will feel at home with the handling model, which recaptures the feel and behaviour of the original in a new modern context with surprising success. It's not a sim-heavy experience, but it is an appropriate challenge that asks more of the player than the average arcade rally affair does. The car list is lacking in terms of modern options, but existing fans will have a soft spot for the classics on offer. It's just a shame that the career mode fails to distinguish itself, and the online multiplayer is sparsely populated. Any future iterations will need to be more inventive, but V-Rally 4 is a surprisingly fun throwback.

Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson is a very competent brawler, with numerous refinements over its predecessor and a lot more content, making it the better game overall, by far.

Super Yum Yum Puzzle Adventures is able to stand proud amongst its DSiWare counterparts in the same genre, offering a seemingly basic colour-matching gameplay mechanic, but proving to actually be a deeply engrossing, highly engaging puzzle-strategy piece of entertainment that all DSi owners should try out.

For short, nostalgic blasts of fun Venture Kid succeeds in almost every respect. While there's fun to be had here, it's painfully clear that, just like playing the game itself, everything is just going through the motions. The excellent soundtrack may even be enough to warrant a dabble, but with nothing new brought to the table, there's no reason to spend your hard earned cash, when the games that this owes so much to its design and creation can be purchased. There are a lot worse than this, sure, but be aware that once completed the first time, multiple revisits are unlikely. Fun? Certainly, but with little variation in gameplay or level design there is not enough for this to stay interesting in the long term. With a little more risk-taking in development, a craving of individuality, and a creative spark, Venture Kid could have gone far.

Wanted: Dead is a great action game, it has flashy visuals, violent combat full of blood and dismemberment, and mostly it has a great interesting if unusual story, carried by interesting characters, external influences and sinister plot. The world is built in a cool, refreshing way and the moment-to-moment gameplay is engaging though sometimes simple. It promises something unique, and it delivers something not only unique but recommendable to fans of futuristic worlds and action games.

Yes, this is way too expensive; yes, it's in need of a decent amount of fine-tuning here and there; and yes, after getting a taste of a mini-game you have pretty much experienced everything it has to offer. However, while 1-2-Switch is not as good as it should be for a launch title, and although it gives a bitter tech demo aftertaste, it's hard to deny how fun it can be when gathering a bunch of friends ready to go bat-switch crazy with it.

A successful combination of many styles of play, with a healthy dollop of British humour mixed in for good effect, it's definitely one to consider for fans of exploring and Overlord.

Ultimately, it's not quite worth the buy for anyone.

The Long Reach just barely misses the mark thanks to a painfully tone deaf script full of juvenile dialogue and puzzles that rely on process of elimination as much as actual thought-work. The general aesthetic of the world is appealing, with just well-crafted sprites, and the atmosphere is appropriately oppressive, but the overall story feels bound together by a script that can't decide between humour and tension.

Those who'd like to try a sadistically challenging boss battler, and one that actually gets even more so after the final encounter, will have an enjoyably painful time with this, despite its many, many flaws, and the strokes that it will possibly induce. Of course, Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption is not recommended to just anyone, and certainly not for those in search for a SoulsBourne fix, as this a totally different kind of deal - and that's what makes it so good.

Apart from the wonderful 16-bit audio-visuals, Viviette turns out to be nothing more than a repetitive search for key-item after key-item, with a little bit of puzzle-solving thrown in, next to a simple horror tale that won't really creep you out that much.

Goat Simulator is a bundle of fun. Its baffling lack of polish and crazy misdemeanours are so charming and, in all honesty, hilarious, making this hard to put down... initially. Playing it with a friend will provide a couple more hours of entertainment, and could liven up a party a little if it needs an ice breaker. That said Goat Simulator is a lot of things and in the end it will wear thin. A fun romp but only while it lasts. In the words of its creators, you'd probably be best to spend your money on something else, if it's not on sale.

Both the shooting aspect, as well as the naughtiness on offer is just... ok. While there's nothing terribly wrong with Waifu Uncovered, it's just a very average shmup, with the sexy art not managing to leave a lasting impression. There are much better alternatives out there for both.

Although Drink More Glurp is colourful, creative, and funny at times, it's just not that fun. A competitive player may find joy in replaying challenges over and over, but with mediocre rewards, frustrating level design, and no online modes, Drink More Glurp just doesn't make it to the finish line. Charm and silliness aside, this is a party game that does not bring the party.

Graphically impressive and different from the norm, Lila's Sky Ark is a charming title to look at. The music balances with the presentation splendidly. When it comes to game mechanics, however, there tends to be a lot lacking. With only the ability to hurl stonework and other quirky items, major boss fights almost feel silly. The main story remains a mystery if not actively exploring and may cause some players to feel lost or question the purpose of gameplay. This may be a benefit for those seeking a more thought-provoking game, yet it takes too much time to get there.

Fun is there to be found, in small pockets of good mini-games (although not consistent or regular), but - as a big fan of Mario Party in general - this isn't the greatest of games.

Kirby Battle Royale on Nintendo 3DS is a somewhat fun mini-game collection, but one that doesn't have much life outside of its three-hour or so story, and a handful of hours afterwards. Kirby is once again relegated to a mediocre little release that few will play, and fewer will remember a year from now. The biggest grievance with this, though, isn't the mediocrity or the lack of innovation - it's the cost. This is certainly not worth the asking price and it would be far more appetising if it was a good 50% off the RRP.

Brainseed Factory has pieced together a fantastically atmospheric ride, filled to the brim with engaging word-jumble brainteasers and supremely tight run-and-jump mechanics. Once that old grey matter kicks into gear, planning solutions ahead of time, so as to be able to focus more on the extremely accurate leaps and bounds required, will become second nature.

While the experience is not an entirely negative one, it leaves little to enjoy when problems start coming up. The charming atmosphere and stylization lends itself well to being a sort of survival-lite adventure for a younger audience; the quests are straightforward; and, finally, the difficulty is forgiving. Those looking for an exploration game will find frustrations abound in this title, and unfortunately the design choices lead to a rather disappointing experience as a whole.

The PC version of Dynasty Warriors 9 is frustrating, more for its wasted potential than anything else. The game is difficult to control on PC, and that significantly hinders a lot of the fun, fast-paced combat, which is all-too scarce at times. Additionally, while the open-world approach is a great direction for the series, it doesn't capture the epic battles that the series is known for in the same way. Maps are either too crowded, or frightfully empty. It's nice to see Omega Force taking the series in a new direction, but this entry hasn't quite found its footing.

Ghost Mania is a strong product and a solid addition to your WiiWare library, especially if you're running a little thin on the ground when it comes to puzzlers.

For fans of NISA/NIS games in general, this is a complete let-down. None of the systems work well or are even that interesting. The story is bland, the combat unnecessarily complex and unfulfilling, and the lack of conventional progression against scaling difficulty results in an experience infuriating all the way around. Nearly everything is far more complex than it needs to be, from issuing battle commands, to simply trying to know what is being equipped or what effect is has. If one had to choose between one word to describe the whole experience this would be a battle between 'frustrating' and 'disappointing.'

Sonic Forces is far from perfect, with frustrating controls, brevity, poor level design, and a lack of challenge. The visuals, soundtrack, and the occasional moment of flair leave the game with some redeemable qualities, but it ultimately disappoints even the most forgiving Sonic sympathiser.

Combining cats and other likeable creatures with a café should be a winning formula, but unfortunately Calico fails to offer an enjoyable time. Cute graphics and inventive concepts alone do not excuse the multitude of issues that give the game a feel of a draft version, rather than a finished product despite post-launch updates. Perhaps one day running a cat café will run like a dream, instead of a cute-themed nightmare.

Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers is a child-friendly, happy-go-lucky, time-travelling adventure that's enjoyable... for about an hour or so. Simply put, there are far better JRPGs out there - many of them equally carefree and friendly towards young gamers and newbies, and even more so.

Either going crazy on your own and capturing the results on video or playing around with your friends, Boogie proves to be a surprisingly sturdy effort that will be accepted well by the masses.

Everything is not awesome. Everything is not even okay. Everything is just meh. Tt games haw finally done what a very vocal part of their audience wanted. They changed things. Drastically. And in doing so, they've taken such a huge step backward that this feels more LEPIN than LEGO. A heavily flawed shell of what the franchise had become.

Captain America: Super Soldier is a fairly decent game with very few flaws, though there's nothing spectacular about it and the environments are pretty much the same throughout.

The interest in learning Japanese has always been large for fans of gaming and geek culture, and tangential learning is a fantastic gateway into understanding the language. However, Hiragana Pixel Party works only in a tangential sense to memorise the easiest part of the language. With just a few tweaks, and some greater focus on learning more of the language, this could have been fantastic as either an actual teaching tool or learning aide. Sadly, though, instead it's about as useful as a deck of flash cards.

Even with the hidden scrolls dotted around levels that must be collected, and the odd awkard puzzle that takes longer than expected to solve, there is little to prevent Chronicles of Mystery from being completed within around two hours.

Curse of Osiris doesn't really do anything to enhance the Destiny 2 experience, aside from the new raid and some nice quality of life upgrades. The campaign portion is tedious and doesn't live up to its potential in the slightest. There's also an annoying reliance on the Eververse system for obtaining the expansion's new gear, to the point where it feels straight up player hostile. For hardcore Guardians, Curse of Osiris is a necessity to keep up-to-date with the latest gear and power level increases, but for everyone else, this is not a meaningful addition to the core game.

One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is unfortunately not the hero this city deserves… or needs. While it does a good job of capturing the aesthetic and charm of the One Punch Man universe via its cast of recognisable characters and suitably ludicrous character customisation, it doesn't quite hold its own as a video game. Instead, it stumbles in its presentation, content and, crucially, it's combat. With more of a focused vision on what it wanted to be it might have been able to set itself apart, but this is sadly not the case here.

Caveman Warriors is a fun, if straightforward, beat 'em up. The game's aesthetics and design pay homage to titles of old, and although it has a cartoonish exterior, underneath it is a challenging yet enjoyable brawler. Whether playing solo or with friends, the four playable characters stand apart from one another due to their unique weapons or abilities. However, the frequent deaths that can arise from the knockback are quite annoying, and the boss fights could have done more to test the player's skill. Still, this is a quirky and enjoyable release that's worth checking out.

Log Away aims for calm cabin-building bliss and reaches it…only to lose it minutes later. While its cosy vibes have some charm, with no pressure to do anything besides crafting the tiny retreat of your dreams, the experience is dragged down by poor optimisation, a lack of settings, and shallow, highly limited building options. With nothing to do after quick completion and no world to explore, relaxation soon turns into boredom.

For JRPG fans who are looking to dip their toes into the vast deckbuilding roguelike genre, Kazuma Kaneko's Tsukuyomi is a fantastic first step. It has plenty of familiar elements and gameplay loops, in part because of its common roots in the DRPG genre, and because of many deliberate design choices. It is not a two-way street, though, and fans of pure deckbuilders might be annoyed that they can handpick their deck each run. It does, however, make Tsukuyomi stand out in an oversaturated genre, and this more than makes up for its repetitive nature. It is a refreshing mix of old and new: a monster-collecting JRPG and a deckbuilder. This blend creates a highly unique experience; one that's easy to recommend.

Reel Fishing Paradise 3D is one of only very few options available for people looking for a fishing game on the Nintendo 3DS. It simply cannot match console simulators that really get the feel for fishing down far better than a portable edition can, though.