It's extremely rare that a game would be better with less gameplay. [Issue#118, p.113]

This isn't too bad for a couple of hours of button hammering with two friends. [Issue#118, p.112]

It's this fine balance between freedom and linearity that will keep you playing. [Issue#118, p.111]

Since assembling a team is more luck than judgment, Rumble couldn't be further away from the core values of the traditional Pokemon games. [Issue#118, p.110]

Stops short of truly bad, but also some way short of recommended. [Issue#118, p.108]

The shameless cash-grab approach does a huge disservice to what is a surprisingly accomplished card-based strategy title. [Issue#118, p.107]

It's not a game. [Issue#118, p.106]

A pretty big disappointment. [Issue#118, p.104]

A must-play title - as much a part of videogaming as it is anything else. [Issue#118, p.102]

Addictive, fully-featured and far more sure of itself than ever before, Infinity Blade II is as slick an offering as iOS currently offers. [Issue#118, p.100]

On a straight fighting level, SoulCalibur has never been better, and, although it might be locally anorexic, the multiplayer side offers more than any Soul titles since the original Calibur made the Dreamcast a must-have. [Issue#118, p.94]

If Amy ever had a chance of keeping its head above water and surviving these problems, the awful checkpoint system ensures it drowns in them.

Passable fluff. [Issue#117, p.126]

There's a serious case to be made that Disgaea has never been better. [Issue#117, p.124]

Here's hoping the rest of the trilogy also heads west. [Issue#117, p.122]

Just another day at the office for Layton and chums. [Issue#117, p.121]

A generously long-lasting slice of festive entertainment for the peripheral. [Issue#117, p.120]

If you recognised the clever retro nods in the visuals without having them pointed out then this will appeal. If not, scroll on. [Issue#117, p.119]

If this is edutainment, it could do with a lot more of the latter part. [Issue#117, p.118]

We've been spoilt over the years, and we simply expected more from Kirby. [Issue#117, p.114]

Fleeting fun and a mild distraction it may be, but The Run finishes this particular race upside down in a ditch. On fire. [Issue#117, p.112]

Handheld editions of big console titles often feel like straight to video sequels – looking the part but lacking the polish – and Revelations is no different. It nails the atmosphere in its hybrid design, but those crucial sparks of brilliance that make the series so great, no matter which of its eras you prefer… they're as rare as a single use rocket launcher.

A handful of minor niggles, like the inability to pause outside the start of your own turn, and the rather cautious approach of CPU competitors, detract little from an uncommonly smart and genuinely tactical game. It might have fared even better without its primary-coloured fripperies but Boom Street remains good enough to turn a blind eye to its rather untimely celebration of capitalism.

It's frustrating, rewarding, addictive and entertaining in almost equal measure, and as much as you'll rant and moan when your lead is snatched away on the last corner, you'll keep going back for more. To call it the best original game on 3DS might be overstretching the meaning of the word 'original' but, all the same, this is something that no 3DS owner should be without.

The inanely perfunctory gameplay fumbles in its derivative attempt to emulate the LEGO formula. [Christmas 2011, p.126]

It has never looked better. [Christmas 2011, p.124]

It's a party game, so save it for a party. [Christmas 2011, p.123]

While it might be bought for the kids, it'll be enjoyed by everyone. [Christmas 2011, p.122]

It could be worse. Hugh Jackman could be in it. [Christmas 2011, p.120]

Its stylus control is one of the tightest on the system. [Christmas 2011, p.117]

Is it worth it? In a word, yes. [Christmas 2011, p.116]

It's certainly not high-art then, but Saints Row: The Third is a welcome distraction. [Christmas 2011, p.112]

A package with some technical issues and a generally very shallow feel. [Christmas 2011, p.108]

While the deviant design maintains the unsympathetic difficulty, here it feels cheap and archaic within the context of such plodding action. [Christmas 2011, p.107]

Arkham City handles its side-stories gloriously. [Christmas 2011, p.102]

A faithful recreation in every sense of the term. [Christmas 2011, p.96]

So it's a flawed package then, but it's also one that contains some of the best graphics ever seen on a console, and is one of the premier multiplayer games in existence. [Christmas 2011, p.94]

A picture-perfect playground designed to engender pure love in those willing to lose themselves within it. [Christmas 2011, p.90]

It doesn't bring much at all new to the table and can feel derivative at times, even old. Also, while rarely unfair as such, that doesn't stop it from being frustrating at times – and the shooter sections, while fun, do feel a bit overplayed.

Beguilingly charming. [Issue#115, p.112]

As a PlayStation 3 title, a distinct lack of longevity and a disappointing multiplayer game will see it land short of the hole. [Issue#115, p.111]

It just feels too much like an engaging tech demo that had nowhere solid to expand to. [Issue#115, p.110]

For those who like their shooters feisty rather than thinky, this is the perfect choice. [Issue#115, p.109]

The problem of a distinct lack of variety persists, of course, and the lack of an arena-based dogfight mode feels a wasted opportunity. [Issue#115, p.108]

Destiny is so bad that it could force players to question their cherished memories of Eternal Darkness. [Issue#115, p.106]

A hellish task worth undertaking. [Issue#115, p.105]

It's always refreshing to see new franchises succeed, and Renegade Ops does just that. [Issue#115, p.104]

The sluggish fighting feels surprisingly weighty. [Issue#115, p.102]

Canyon may well become the definitive version of this smile-inducing stunt racer, but unless you're already a veteran it may be worth waiting a while before taking this sequel for a drive. [Issue#115, p.100]

The one area it does get right is the driving. [Issue#115, p.99]

Good for a quick burst of fun in the short term, but gamers looking for a test of skill would be better off playing Angry Birds. Yes, really. [Issue#115, p.98]

Assassin's Creed Revelations, then, is a pick-and-mix of successes and failures. At its core, though, it's just as accomplished a game as Brotherhood before it. All that's required is to dig below the surface layer of frivolous pseudo-innovations to discover yet another classic Creed, and a top quality conclusion to an excellent story arc.

What Super Mario 3D Land does get right is what every Mario game gets right: a high benchmark for quality that virtually no other platform game series seems capable of matching. There's a level of humour, invention and a sheer sense of joy that you only find in a Mario game.

It's a Call Of Duty that feels incredibly focused despite a period in its development of massive uncertainty. Its campaign still toes the line between being smart and being stupid, but for Saturday night, popcorn entertainment, Modern Warfare 3 has the competition beat.

Spellbinding, dramatic and absolutely epic in both the world it paints and the story it tells, Zelda: Skyward Sword is a hugely important event for the Wii, for Nintendo, and for anyone with even a passing love for the venerable series it celebrates.

The dichotomy of play styles breathes new life into favourite stages as they're re-envisioned and redesigned for Sonics they were never originally intended for, while some genuinely imaginative and exciting level design recaptures that core thrill – of rolling a hedgehog around a colourful fantasy world – that endeared so many to Sonic two decades ago.

The puzzles are refreshingly taut, the design and scope bewildering and its conclusion a triumphant crescendo of storytelling. It's completely iterative, derivative and formulaic, holding few surprises during its eight-hour campaign, yet Naughty Dog twists these familiar tropes into an invigorating rush of agile gameplay and seamless cinematic spectacle, proving once again that Nathan Drake is without equal.

While Dance Central 2's selection of tracks still lacks the eclectic feel (and silliness) found in Ubisoft's Just Dance, it still offers dozens of fine danceables.

Fun, but not quite funny enough, and it leaves us still yearning for the hearty chuckles and charm that came so effortlessly before. [Nov 2011, p.120]

The humour and colourful designs are reference-heavy and genuinely quite charming but can only distract so much from what is essentially the same level repeated over and over. [Nov 2011, p.119]

The battle mechanic is intuitive, but hides a tactical edge. [Nov 2011, p.118]

Changes are few. [Nov 2011, p.117]

It may sound strange but, where FIFA might be the better football game this year, there's an argument for PES being the better videogame. [Nov 2011, p.115]

The series' high point so far. [Nov 2011, p.114]

There's definitely enough to do while we're waiting for that multiplayer update. [Nov 2011, p.113]

Cold War's sense of fun is backed up with a more measured, rewarding battle structure. [Nov 2011, p.112]

Beneath lies a pretty average shooter - one that with a little more thought and ambition could have easily been something more memorable. [Nov 2011, p.111]

It's initially compelling, but starts to feel shallow as combat becomes a grind, and a nagging wish for more of RPG elements creeps in. [Nov 2011, p.110]

In the most competitive genre in gaming Bodycount just doesn't measure up, and certainly doesn't get anywhere near the brutal brilliance of Epic and People Can Fly's Bulletstorm. [Nov 2011, p.108]

Still a little too much like looking at a table. [Nov 2011, p.107]

Bland gameplay and weak narrative implementation. [Nov 2011, p.106]

Despite its good ideas, Nuclear Dawn's rough edges, particularly on the FPS side, mean curious players will check it out, but they might not stay for long. [Nov 2011, p.104]

A groundbreaking moment for the future of virtual football. [Nov 2011, p.102]

A real tour-de-force for both a developer best known for comic mischief and a franchise that seemed doomed to eternal mediocrity. [Issue#114, p.92]

A triumphant mix of masculinity and pastiche, an excitable exercise in action gaming that moves the genre forward into exciting new territory, by taking the sim side out of the equation and focusing on the most important thing: action. It's ridiculous in every sense of the word, from the controls to the combat, but it remains an undeniable thrill throughout.

Turn 10's sublime handling model accommodates newcomers and veterans alike, a system that can be tweaked to sit anywhere between 'real car' and 'videogame' settings as the player sees fit. Online functionality is as impressive as ever too, the auction house and plethora of racing options joined by Autolog-style Rivals hot lap challenges to ensure that Forza 4 genuinely has the ability to last forever.

Striding purposefully along the history of a genre it created, id has plucked the best ideas from four generations of first-person shooters and woven them into something not especially original, but truly exceptional nonetheless.

A fine example of how great forethought and a less than tepid attitude towards taking risks pay dividends in the hands of real gamers. It is nothing short of extraordinary, though perhaps a couple of years on from Demon's Souls, it is also less surprising.

It might not be the most robust or laugh-out-loud funny game in Twisted Pixel's catalogue but based on entertainment value, ingenuity and the way the game works around Kinect's foibles rather than pushing its luck and falling down, it'd be downright criminal to deny the talented studio those few dollars more.

Stood side by side with its predecessors, this third and final hurrah is less a dramatically pitched revolution and more a masterfully sculpted evolution, as while the graphical depth, online functionality and cover mechanics are some of the best in the business, when contrasted with Gears 2, they're incremental steps rather than thundering leaps.

Instead of embracing the technology on its own merits, the game is actually more an exercise in forcing Kinect to ape the functions – sometimes for good, but mostly ill – of a standard controller.

Batman could probably take Captain America to pieces with one hand tied behind his back. [Issue#113, p.118]

One of those games where the satisfaction is drawn as much from exploring the world as it is from attaining absolute victory. [Issue#113, p.116]

The main game strikes enough of a balance between accessibility and challenge that it'll likely keep you shooting away the hours without you noticing them pass. [Issue#113, p.114]

Every now and then it just hits that level of cool we all want from a Driver game. [Issue#113, p.112]

It's both a sensory delight and a genuinely brilliant score attack game.. not a combo many games can claim to pull off to this high standard. [Issue#113, p.111]

Fans of the genre will appreciate the smart, varied nature of the concept, and the ethereal, abstract art style. [Issue#113, p.110]

A game that's less concerned with making you think and more with making you feel. [Issue#113, p.106]

There's a ridiculous amount of content here. [Issue#113, p.104]

The real problem is that success is actually down to luck, trial and error, and the whim of a cheating AI. [Issue#113, p.100]

If it weren't presented with such craft and imagination, Bastion would be just another XBLA also-ran. But that's not a criticism, not should it be. [Issue#113, p.98]

A woeful misstep into the pantheon of disposable first-person shooters, and a balsa wood ghost town of a game that no amount of support patching could possibly shore up. [Issue#113, p.96]

As with Dead Rising before it, the complaints cannot come close to outweighing the sheer anarchic fun to be had, the instant gratification Dead Island offers, or the amount that Techland has managed to achieve here despite punching well above its weight.

One of the most refreshing and damn near-essential games of the year, and an inspirational figurehead for independent developers everywhere. [Dec 2006, p.122]

It may not be as revelatory an experience, and in today's age feels as derivative as it does inventive, but it still has us excitingly discussing tactics and angles of approach with fellow players long after we've finished playing. Surely there's no greater testament to Eidos Montreal's success than that.

Beautiful, feature-packed and brimming with creative remedies for the ails of a stagnating genre, that NOA should overlook such a shining example of what a JRPG can be paints a very different company to the Nintendo that went out at E3 with a call to arms for the hardcore.

For the most part this is an excellent strategy game with plenty of mileage. [Issue#112, p.128]

Manages to be inviting without being too condescending. [Issue#112, p.124]