Lumines Plus on the PS2 scores points simply for being a great game and cheap as balls, but alas, this is the frailest version we’ve ever encountered recently (single player, versus, time trial and puzzle mode - that's it), so you know we’ve got to dock it.

Whether you've saddled up with a previous version of Gun or this is your first time strapping on the six-shooters, this title is not to be missed, as it captures this underrepresented genre like no other game.

Running around and making time your bitch is a sensation nothing else on the DS can duplicate.

It looks underwhelming, but spend a little time with Urban Chaos: Riot Response and it quickly stands out from the crowd.

Crash of the Titans is polished and fun while it lasts. We just have a hard time recommending a purchase when it all ends so quickly.

Life is Strange Double Exposure draws you into a mystery full of intriguing twists and turns in a fresh university setting. The new shifting ability that allows for parallel timeline hopping works well in the context of a murder investigation, but can make it harder to feel like you're truly connecting with the characters. Overall, Max's return feels like it finds its feet towards the end, and is building towards something bigger.

With a handmade look, and a different approach to platforming, Rainbow Curse is one of Kirby’s strongest spin-offs, and one of the best uses of the Gamepad to date.

Simple, strategic combat and an assortment of unique bosses make for intense bursts of gameplay that will keep you coming back for ‘just one more go’. And another. And then one more.

Weird West has the ambition of a much larger game, and has made smart choices to be able to meet it.

If you can justify the entry fee, this Puzzle & Dragons two-pack offers a solid hybrid of enjoyable puzzle mechanics and RPG-lite monster collecting.

There's still plenty of fun inside the good ship, especially in the excellent home base where unlockables are abundant, but the LEGO series seems to be losing its new toy shine. Pirates has its moments, but we're ready to set sail in a new direction.

With such impressive new features in store, it’s easy to lose a few hours just fiddling with your houseboat or adding things to your resort. Though its underwater sections are lacking, the rest of Island Paradise is a great display of what The Sims 3 can still offer fans of the game four years after it first launched.

For all the undeniable pleasure of skimming at zero feet in a rickety torpedo bomber towards a hulking metal monster, we’re left with something too slight to sustain us. Expect cult-multiplayer status, and pray for a sequel.

Though it struggles to pace itself evenly due to a short run-time, To a T is a remarkable, life-affirming wonder. Perfectly un-perfect and proud of it, this is a flag waved high for oddballs – and likely to be one of 2025's most memorable games.

Never Alone is bursting with promise and charm, but is savagely let down by technical flaws and maddening design decisions. Not even the cutest fox in gaming can save it.

Even though most gameplay and options tend to be predictably consistent, The Art of Learning is a great tool for skill building and is put together in a simple easy to use package with something to offer everyone.

Scribblenauts Unlimited is easily the best entry in the series to date, thanks to its family-friendly nature coupled with creative, wide-open gameplay.

But its arcade heritage is just a little too strong, so be sure to ask yourself if a game that wowed you a quarter at a time 20 years ago is worth $30-40 today, with only a mild evolution.

Floodland is a city builder that triumphs because it focuses on its citizens as much as the city. A strong narrative both in its story and in your interactions with the clans means constant decision-making that'll always make you think in a way that city builders rarely do.

A cute My First Metroidvania with charming characters, wrapped up in some fairly basic and uninspired platforming levels. It's not Illusion at its best, but should entertain kids.

Martha is Dead will leave you psychologically scarred. Whether you enjoy the process depends on your constitution and hatred of bicycles.

The lack of changes will disappoint some, but for 20 bucks the minor tweaks and new roster nicely enhance what was already a great game.

TMNT: Tactical Takedown is more experimentally thrilling than you might expect from a licensed game, its solo strategy fights packing so much momentum it almost feels like a brawler. A lack of variety in objectives and environments, along with some balancing issues, leave me wanting more from this short but cheesy (complimentary) experience – but this is still a radically easy recommendation.

But it’s short on new ideas, with a fundamental template that hasn’t changed in the last five years. And in this brave, new, post-Arkham Asylum world, we need a little more than that to be really awed.

It may look unassuming, but beneath its well-crafted RTS-lite design, Eufloria speaks to a much more powerful message than many games attempt. It subtly explores the very basic themes that RTSes take for granted, and asks players to find that meaning. In that, it's extremely successful.

Its quick learning curve and devilish AI seem designed to appeal to the hardest of hardcore RTS fans. But it's just these sorts of fans who may be most weary of this somewhat derivative - though surprisingly solid title.

Oxenfree 2 is a disappointing sequel that takes the flawed gem of a first game and rubs out almost everything that made it shine. A reasonable plot and neat audiovisual effects find themselves submerged under ponderous navigation, flat characters, and overly regimented dialogue.

Competent and stylish in its real-time strategy, The Lamplighters League puts an art deco spin on a simplified XCOM formula, but is let down by real-time segments that dilute and distract from its core offering.