Monster Combine TD isn’t totally polished or totally original but it bears the markings of an eShop sleeper hit. If you’re in the mood for portable tower defence action with a comedic twist, Collavier has you covered.

While the graphics are nothing special and the controls may give you a hard time despite the game being controller-compatible, the story and gameplay are well worth an entire playthrough at least once.

Yes, it's had far more effort that's been put into its presentation than any other example of the genre I can think of, however by its very nature this is a very limited genre, and Infinity Runner just doesn't do enough to prove its merits beyond an iPhone time waster.

Hakuoki is a memorable, deep, and rich visual novel, and one of the finest examples of that particular genre that has ever been produced.

The great problem in creating a game that so emphatically invites comparison to a classic series is that it will be compared to that series. Elliot Quest never had a hope of comparing to those games, but it does a decent job as a modern homage to them.

It is sharp, witty, intelligent, and just the right shade of nasty -, and is a true inspiration for future open-world action adventure games.

It's clear that the same effort that went into historical research in other Assassin's Creed games did not happen here. Rather, it's quite obvious that the team did an afternoon's research on Wikipedia and called it a day.

Anyone who has fond memories of playing Dungeon Keeper will find War for the Overworld to be a nostalgia trip. It’s not as advanced as it could be at a technical level, but further fixes and updates could lead to an improved experience.

While Convoy could easily and mistakenly be wrote off as another 'clone', one of the most challenging and grittiest indie titles of the year would be missed out on. If Mad Max: Fury Road turns out to be half this good, I'll be set for life.

The 3DS isn't the kind of device I would have expected to see such an intense, in-depth simulation game. A-Train 3D is by far the most complex, in-depth and involved game you'll find on Nintendo's handheld, and while it's a very niche title, it's also a very good one that perfectly executes on all of its many systems.

It looks fine and plays flawlessly, but there is one issue that I find with the game. It’s on the Wii U. There is a 3DS version as well, so it may have been a case of the developer finding it easy to port to the system, and there very may well be the audience for word search games on Nintendo systems. But I can't see why people would sit in front of a TV to play a word search game.

Dialing the difficulty up also provides a real test of anyone's management abilities. So look past the satirical elements of Tropico 5. The humour is there, and it's funny, but the real strength of this series - especially with Sim City falling off the map completely in recent years - is that it plays so, so well.

Painting Workshop has alternatives all over the market, several of which are superior and offer some kind of inventive extra, but despite this it works brilliantly as an introductory doodle station.

There's nothing actually wrong with the game. It's just that I can't see many people getting meaningful value out of it.

The biggest problem is that there is no button control alternative to gamepad gyro movement. The game is very playable with these controls, as well as being responsive and sensitive enough to make the quick moves that you'll need to make without being too twitchy, but some kind of button alternative would have been nice nonetheless.

As a handheld game on the Vita, it feels too complicated, confused and overall not polished enough. It feels like a console game crammed into a handheld that can’t handle the pace, and being that this is now the fourth entry into the MLB series on the Vita, I don’t see this changing any time soon, unfortunately.

Football Manager Classic is an incremental improvement on the previous games in the series on the iPad, but between those improvements and the updated roster, people who belong to its niche will find this absolutely essential stuff.

House of Caravan delivers just over an hour of fun, or a bit longer if you struggle to find things like I did. Its intriguing story and 1900’s atmosphere keeps you engaged long enough to be able to feel accomplished once you finish the game, however, its puzzles never reach their full potential.

The use of the gamepad is by far the most enjoyable aspect of Affordable Space Adventures. In fact, it's so well done that it's close to being the best use of the gamepad on the Wii U so far. Sadly the game is held back by some serious game design choices, and while it's still playable, it's just not the kind of game that deserves to be remembered as a classic.

With infinite ammo guns that need no reloading, Tower of Guns is an immensely satisfying (albeit brief) gaming experience that is as engaging to play, as it is stunning to look at.

It’s not perfect and has some thematic inconsistencies that let it down, but it is a gorily beautiful game, and as far as I’m aware, it’s the first one to have exploding testicles.

Blue Estate is a fun little shooter that has a sense of humour, but ends too soon. I did enjoy the game but also did feel that it got a little too repetitive. If you're a fan of on rail shooters this is sure to please. If not, it still might be worth a whirl, since it is priced appropriately for what it offers.

Stealth Inc 2 was not only something different, but it was something different that worked. It isn’t easy to merge several styles, but Curve Studios went for it and it more than paid off.

This is, effectively, an independent game from a small, creative team. And it’s a massive success at being that. It’s a deep JRPG mixed with both satire and humour, it’s something you haven’t seen before, and most importantly: it’s fun. Real, genuine fun.

As a completely free game on PlayStation Plus, Woah Dave! is brief, throwaway fun. There's nothing wrong with it, but its sheer lack of content means I wouldn't want to spend anything on it.

Aside from that energy bar, Record Keeper is a Final Fantasy fan's dream mobile free-to-play game. The combat is simple, but well balanced and engaging, and the presentation and aesthetics are so authentic to the veteran series that it's impossible not to play and get a nostalgic rush.

Boxboy! is confident, assured programming. It’s brave to make a puzzle game in which players control a box with two little slits for eyes. It requires the confidence of the entire development team that they’re going to be able to imbue character into the experience despite the minimalism, and that the level design and puzzles would be interesting enough in their own right to maintain the player’s interest.

Thematically, I find a lot more to appreciate about Dark Souls 2 than Bloodborne, it must be said.