Dream Daddy is a breath of fresh air. [Issue#191, p.82]

It’s the new Raid that comes out on top, however, and it’s arguably the best one yet. Areas are large and ripe for exploration, jump puzzles are kept mercifully brief, every boss fight feels original and exciting, and there’s a laser focus on skill and coordination during encounters – plus the rewards it offers are largely excellent.

One for the rhythm-action hardcore crowd and those players who don't mind playing keyboard parts on guitar, then. [Issue#102, p.122]

While it may only just escape mediocrity, Deadly Creatures is entertaining enough to keep you playing until the end. [Mar 2009, p.122]

Think of Blood Bowl as a cross between Hero Quest and Speedball, and if neither of these games ignite a fond memory, then this is probably not for you. [Nov 2009, p.122]

Wait for Pro Evo 6 if you can, and in the meantime be happy with FIFA 06 if you really must play EA’s sim. [June 2006, p.122]

It could have been something special, and there’s tremendous potential for a sequel, but for now, Steep feels like a game of two halves. It tries to do too much and fails to capitalise on what it does best, and as such, makes for a tricky game to recommend.

EA has turned it into a story about gain. Whereas the motive of violence was once to illustrate Michael’s downward spiral, here it is merely a tool with which to boost your bank balance. [May 2006, p.118]

Lacks the part, but doesn't have the soul. [Issue#195, p.75]

While the addictive qualities are still intact, the addition of explosives has slightly upset the delicate balance. Big combos here tend to owe as much to good fortune as they do to prudence and it can feel like you're over-working your brain for too little result. [Christmas 2003, p.124]

Tight stealthing and funky style. Not to be missed. [Issue#191, p.80]

Daft, short-lived fun. [Issue#180, p.46]

It’s impossible to ignore the problems that detract from what could have been a fantastic seven hours of gameplay. [Sept 2008, p.118]

With drab visuals, lifeless towns, frequent performance problems and little sign of an enthusiastic player community – the chat channels are very quiet – Auto Assault feels like a game where the key is in the ignition but no one’s quite got around to turning it. [July 2006, p.134]

While your average consumer may struggle to justify another investment of time and money in such an incredibly generic adventure, we genuinely found a lot to like in Sony's latest RPG and we feel a sense of injustice that this enjoyable little game is in danger of being overlooked completely ... the game still delivers an enchanting experience. [Feb 2004, p.122]

It's one of those mixed-bag situations - flashes of genius and genuinely enjoyable moments of success, occasionally mired by unbalanced weapon damage, clumsy AI and the odd bit of unfair level design that requires astounding feats of memory. [Dec 2003, p.98]

Childish, bright and gaudy - but great fun! [Issue#149, p.127]

There’s an overriding feeling of novelty, however, and as much fun as the game can be, it’s hard to shake the impression that your interest will eventually wane. [Aug 2006, p.131]

The music and black-and-white sketch style offer a refreshing change of pace to much of what's out there. [Issue#166, p.100]

A solid puzzle game with some cleverly designed extras. [Aug 2008, p.117]

A tendency to lose track of your player amongst hordes of slathering foes and a constantly changing camera spoils any potential fun ... leaving the whole package somewhat less than we were hoping for. [Dec 2003, p.124]

Nobody is shooting for the moon here, just aiming to give the fans more of what they enjoyed. [Issue#163, p.110]

Infinite raises more questions than it delivers answers. [Issue#194, p.74]

Solid beginner game, but perhaps too casual. [Issue#105, p.85]

A compulsive burst of deeply gratifying challenge. [Issue#147, p.125]

There’s plenty of fun to be had here, but we’re pretty sure you’ll forget all about it once Epic’s hugely anticipated sequel arrives later this year. [Apr 2008, p.120]

It does little to endear you to Tembo's later stages. [Issue#165, p.95]

Super Swing Golf offers the best of both worlds - the fantastical setting for those who loathe real sports, but the physical demands of a game that continually pushes you to improve. [Mar 2007, p.124]

On a mechanical level at least, Symphonica is a decent rhythm-action game, with lots to keep your fingers busy across a variety of proven tunes, but the overall presentation and attention to detail lacks the x factor that iNiS is best known for. Yes, it's a comeback, but it's not quite the comeback we hoped for.

An adventure that anyone but the most black-souled gamer will feel compelled to see through to the end credits. [Christmas 2010, p.114]

As an exercise in flexing evil, it's far more tiresome than it is enjoyable and as an advert for the freedom of evil, it may as well be Hitler's screaming head in a vacuum-sealed bell jar. [Aug 2009, p.126]

Even regular space travel proves trying; rescued from the unconvincing hands-on control by an efficient autopilot system, your journeys become a case of merely clicking on where you want to go and fast-forwarding time until you get there. This reduces the game to a dirge of menu surfing and loses all the sense of adventure on which the genre was built. [Feb 2004, p.119]

Feels very much the stock update, disappointing in so much as it doesn't actually add anything of note or substance. The cruel under-utilisation of the cats, meanwhile, could genuinely disappoint fans of felines everywhere.

An accessible glimpse at an obscure yet captivating sub-genre. [Issue#95, p.128]

Cheesy titillation aside, this is very possibly Tamsoft's best game. [Issue#163, p.108]

Quite surprisingly, Moon captures the feel of the Metroid franchise more faithfully than Nintendo's own DS effort….But the main quest runs out of steam around halfway through. [Aug 2009, p.122]

You often die for reasons beyond your control. [Issue#91, p.126]

It finally feels like the studio has taken the first step to delivering something truly genre-defining. [Issue#155, p.128]

Physically throwing that spear and yanking your foe towards you is immensely satisfying – it’s given the franchise a new appeal. [July 2007, p.122]

Feels very much the stock update, disappointing in so much as it doesn't actually add anything of note or substance. The cruel under-utilisation of the cats, meanwhile, could genuinely disappoint fans of felines everywhere.

Most notably, the level design in Kirby Mouse Attack is excellent. With three treasure chests to locate in each stage of each world, there is far more complexity here than a simple dash to the far right. In many ways the cavernous level design here is reminiscent of Super Metroid. [Aug 2007, p.112]

Anarchy Reigns is far from perfect, but despite being less visually striking than the developer's past titles, it nevertheless embodies much of that Platinum Games spirit, blending energy, humour, transforming robots and hammer-wielding cyborg bulls. There's real character here, and at the back end of this generation, there are too few games that can truly lay claim to such praise.

As a game, Bound is clearly flawed – its structure, however, is excellent and well realised to support multiple playthroughs with noticeably different experiences – but as an experience, as a piece of interactive art, it’s frequently sensational.

Essentially it's the same five minutes of entertainment repeated over and over again and it quickly becomes wearing and repetitious. [Sept 2006, p.118]

We found this version to be glitchy and often a little frustrating. [Issue#180, p.47]

The lasting memories of Just Cause 3 will be the small moments where everything comes together to make the most insignificant action feel like a unique event. The fact that all of the mechanics work together so seamlessly is impressive, but the magic is fleeting.

The whole tone of the game has shifted; it's no longer a community, just a vast gladiatorial arena. [Aug 2004, p.118]

While matching up well to its obvious inspiration, CT Special Forces still lacks the spark of imagination and intensity that made Metal Slug so special; nevertheless, it's a pretty good take on the landmark game and a blast to play. [Oct 2003, p.118]

There's enough good will and thoughtful design to spur players through all 204 challenges therein. [Issue#144, p.108]

What we’re getting at is there’s not much space for classic simulation sadism here. It’s all happiness and accumulation, which is fine and pleasant, but not gripping.

Despite its faults, Heroes makes a decent showcase for PlayStation Portable’s power and does justice to the Medal Of Honor series. [Jan 2007, p.95]

It's never unfair. [Issue#100, p.124]

It is hilariously awkward to control. [Issue#136, p.111]

If you're going to play a simulation of something so easily done in the real world, then you might as well do it in the company of the funniest characters in gaming. [Issue#104, p.117]

Feeling somewhat bland against some of its predecessors, Mario Party 6's games come off as lacking in skill, not to mention creativity; the coating may look different, but the core concepts are incredibly repetitive. [Feb 2005, p.106]

It's hardly a disgrace to the Tales name, but there are other games within the series we'd far sooner recommend. [Sept 2014, p.120]

The game suffers from a few technical hiccups in frame rates and broken quests, but there’s a wealth of content here waiting to be unleashed by your own imagination.

Charm shines through in a rough and modest RPG. [Issue#206, p.77]

It’s unfortunate that the design aspect is so much more entertaining than the game itself but that’s not to discredit the actual adventure – it’s still a perfectly enjoyable action RPG title that just suffers from being a little simple. [Nov 2005, p.120]

Feels very much the stock update, disappointing in so much as it doesn't actually add anything of note or substance. The cruel under-utilisation of the cats, meanwhile, could genuinely disappoint fans of felines everywhere.

An admirable effort that just falls short. [Issue#187, p.79]

An engaging game for kids, but no more than that. [Issue#149, p.121]

While Sonic Tean has obviously gone to some lengths to try and make Billy Hatcher play differently to Sonic, the fact that the game still suffers from many of the problems that plagued the original Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast shows that the develpoer still hasn't mastered the basics of 3D gaming. [Dec 2003, p.106]

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.

For its price and satisfying-yet-asinine fun, it’s difficult not to recommend unless you’re the kind of person who takes everything seriously. [Feb 2008, p.135]

Too short-lived to justify even the standard Live Arcade entry fee. [Aug 2008, p.113]

The title’s main downfall is the fact that every now and then an event will occur that forces you to take advantage of your full team and use each of their attributes in order to tackle an obstacle or boss... but these sections have been made far too laborious and take what seems like an age to complete. [Nov 2004, p.107]

An amusing, individual game that delivers an initial hit of fun but whose essential concept becomes stale. [Nov 2005, p.121]

Sure, Chapters might be technically temperamental and occasionally get itself tangled in the threads of the series’ narrative, but it is also intelligent, crafts its world skilfully and has an admirable commitment to themes and design principles that make it stand out. We’re left eager to see where it goes next.

While Retro City Rampage does make several missteps, it manages to get so many things right. The end result is a fitting tribute to the halcyon days of gaming and an entertaining game in its own right.

Once you’ve been playing for a while, everything starts to get a bit formulaic.

The series still doesn’t quite work in 3D; you’d need a lot of patience and considerable tolerance to truly enjoy this game. [Aug 2005, p.112]

LEGO Marvel’s Avengers is about the purest and slickest LEGO game you could hope to play.

Ultimately, this offers little over the first Desert Storm other than a new campaign and several engine tweaks but given the game's setting, there's precious little more you could ask of it. [Oct 2003, p.126]

Legacy doesn't convey the greatest of first impressions, but the more you explore of the game's venerable interior the more you find yourself falling under its spell. [Issue#145, p.129]

The non-existent friendly AI combined with the relentless assault of dull attackers makes The Simpsons an almost depressing experience. It doesn’t feel quite right to be laughing when you’re not enjoying yourself. [Chrismas 2007, p.120]

That the development team has been able to retain the mechanisms of play together with the depth of the content in the face of a breed of gamer whose capacity to consume is unrivalled, is perhaps the game’s biggest achievement. Now all Bethesda has to do is keep up the pace.

Between the reworked note charts that often don't feel quite right, and the barebones structure of Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits, a full-price release seems optimistic. [Aug 2009, p.119]

We won't be playing Unit 13 repeatedly. [Issue#120, p.98]

An amazingly fun experience. And when you're occasionally let off the rails and allowed to run wild in some of the larger open areas, it culminates in one of the most freeing experiences that PSVR has so far offered. [Issue#189, p.74]

There are no huge faults here and the key problem is that the series seems happy to potter along without trying too hard - a strategy that is obviously doomed to fail. [July 2005, p.118]

The constant wave of new ideas and alterations on the concept will keep you coming back for more. [Nov 2008, p.119]

Ironically, the developer has actually been very successful in mapping a superbly intuitive control system to the gamepad, and by enabling direct control of your Titan a basic action element is introduced. Yet by totally amputating any strategic scope from the RTS equation, the ensuing battles becoming virtually pointless affairs. [Mar 2004, p.111]

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

An unusual, occasionally powerful, must-play game. [Issue#189, p.79]

Bright in style and execution, but imperfect. [Issue#189, p.84]

A few less serious forms of racing would do a lot to improve to the experience and catapult it into the same realm as the greatest of arcade racers, but what’s on offer represents a commendable attempt at changing the way we think about how competition is served in a racing game.

A strong, if sometimes frustrating debut. [Issue#206, p.81]

If only Namco had put a bit more variation into the actual content of the game instead of placing all the emphasis on the innovative interface, this might have been more than just a good starting point for the future. [July 2004, p.117]

It's the faintest of pulses on a cadaver we've seen many times before - identikit dungeons, faceless monsters and convoluted menu systems should be a thing of the past by now. [Christmas 2003, p.126]

Great gameplay marred by poor ergonomics. [Oct 2008, p.116]

Monolith has done great work in crafting a control scheme that feels completely without compromise and entirely suited to console, and has designed an accessible, familiar and extremely deep MOBA with the just as much panache as the games it imitates.

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]

Its puzzles are unlikely to engage your intelligence or imagination at a particularly deep level, but that might not matter, as Escape Plan's personality might just win you over anyway. [Issue#120, p.114]

Broken up with vehicle and on-rails sections that aren’t nearly as horrible as tradition dictates they should be, Blood On The Sand is an entertaining action title with absolutely no imagination. [Apr 2009, p.102]

All the imagination seems to have been used up in story and setting, leaving little left over for intricate or satisfying problem solutions. [June 2009, p.119]

A cerebral and unusual war game with issues that don’t, in the end, detract from its effectiveness. [Apr 2006, p.122]

From the looks of things the formula is still going strong and is in no real danger of becoming stale any time in the near future. [Feb 2009, p.113]