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]

As great as it is to watch, it's simply nowhere near as much fun to play, and no amount of whips, snakes and Holy Grails can ever change that. [July 2008, p.116]

This is a decent stealth game, held back by missed opportunities.

Fly about, shoot planes, and go home. It’s all you could ask for, and not a lot else. [Apr 2007, p.131]

It's got some sophistication, but it can be silly too. [Issue#154, p.122]

This is EA's take on NHL action as it's always been, rejigged with improved animations and new moves so it's inevitably the best version yet. [Nov 2004, p.119]

Deep and rewarding, if physically a little uncomfortable to play on the DS, this game will set the tone for future EA titles. [Jan 2005, p.121]

The average gamer will find that they’re left with a game that fails to meet the standards set by Diamond and Pearl, and sticks far too rigidly to the ideas found in the original Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. [Sept 2008, p.123]

Despite its shortcomings, remains deep and complex. [Issue#122, p.111]

In the cold light of day, however, it's difficult to see what all the fuss is about. [Issue#107, p.117]

A thoroughly engaging title that easily satisfies any superficial desires. We were left wanting more. [Issue#122, p.114]

We'd happily take this over anything Sonic Team has produced in the last eight years, but we can't help wishing that Let's Tap had a little more longevity. [Mar 2009, p.111]

For true "chillax"-based experiences, however, there are far less pressured examples available. [Issue#107, p.118]

A passable distraction amid higher-profile titles rather than a direct competitor to the smoking guns of the genre. [Dec 2006, p.120]

Despite the bright colours, cute simians, jolly music and overarching joyous abandon, Super Monkey Ball Adventure is a tremendously difficult videogame. And phenomenally frustrating to boot. [Aug 2006, p.130]

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]

Gorgeous. [Issue#111, p.117]

It's a shame that the game is occasionally let down by its control scheme because it is anything but derivative and its visuals, excellent sound design, and mechanics can coalesce to create moments of real impact. [Issue#154, p.126]

Even with its overly ambitious new 'Off The Ball' interface the FIFA series is still a long way from capturing the true essence of the beautiful game. [Dec 2003, p.127]

The evasive gameplay may not be sophisticated, but the original concept will keep you entertained for a few hours, and the sound effects and music provide a real sense of charm. [Nov 2008, p.111]

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]

A mildly diverting and inadvertently funny curiosity. [Issue#111, p.123]

It’s disappointing that Dead Rising 4 sees the series take a backward step. While there’s gory fun to be had, the failure to replace the time-limit based gameplay with any kind of alternative mechanic is a mistake. Even the biggest fan of zombie-killing frivolity will find that the endless slaughter wears thin eventually, and most will hit that particular wall much sooner.

Grow Home isn't the masterpiece you'll hang on the wall, it's the vase of tulips on the coffee table - appreciated at the time, but forgotten once they wither. [Issue#159, p.90]

A dated yet enjoyable stealth affair. [Issue#186, p.78]

A nice collection, but nothing excels. [Issue#186, p.79]

The unmistakable quality persists but only the keenest fans are likely to find the online component draw enough to upgrade, while the same newbie-repelling difficulty as before may struggle to attract fresh followers. [Jan 2004, p.115]

Between the variety, the playability and the great feeling of accomplishment that comes from completing one of the many tasks, FMX is really quite good fun. Overly ambitious but fun nonetheless. [Oct 2003, p.115]

Well-made, enjoyable, and completely forgettable. Kind of like a rollercoaster. [Issue#159, p.102]

Live & Reloaded is an odd package indeed. A great-looking port of a decent yet dated adventure isn't going to help Microsoft get a return on its $375 million acquisition. Luckily, the online multiplayer and its new content could write a different story. [Aug 2005, p.94]

This game had enough potential to be one of the sleeper hits of the year. Sadly, that’s not going to happen. On the plus side, Overdose delivers what you’d expect. [Sept 2005, p.118]

Just another brick in the wall. [Issue#186, p.82]

Unfortunately, the measures included to make the four-way fighting work - the inclusion of a ‘turn around’ button, for example - mean that with anything less than three players, Isuka is all but redundant. [Aug 2005, p.104]

If only the gameplay was as well realised as the engine that runs it, Inversion would be far more recommendable. Regrettably, as it stands, Saber Interactive has created a mechanically robust game, but one that doesn't do enough with the ideas it can lay claim to as its own.

It can’t hide the repetitiveness of its template but in the simple act of silently snooping and investigating every corner of the world, while circumventing every enemy, there’s a brilliantly tense, gratifying experience that Eidos Montreal sadly struggles to sustain over the eight hours of gameplay – resorting to cheap enemy types and crushing linearity.

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

Good for the franchise, but still not great. [Nov 2009, p.125]

A brave sequel that tries a little too hard... Its lack of accessibility will annoy "Rainbow Six 3" die-hards, while the new direction will leave fans of the original feeling rather cold. [Christmas 2004, p.102]

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

Rather than providing the knockout punch they are intended to give, the comic extremity of the executions tends to diffuse the tension the game so effectively manages to build. [Aug 2007, p.106]

Unoriginal. [Issue#165, p.96]

Despite its rather generic opening (that lasts for a good few levels),Voodoo Vince hides a surprisingly good game beneath the standard head slamming and general collecting of random objects inherent in so many others platformers. [Dec 2003, p.125]

Forts Under Siege might have enough reward on offer but the series is still relying on gamers to meet it halfway by investing ample time and patience in learning its demanding intricacies. [Dec 2004, p.112]

King Kong is perhaps a redefinition of the cinematic videogame – entirely based on peaks and troughs of excitement, and devoid of any sense of choice. Just like a movie, but interactive. [Christmas 2005, p.98]

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]

Its unique Nintendo appeal and our own innate yearning for self-improvement make it a worthwhile little curio. [June 2006, p.117]

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

No amount of crystal-ball gazing can help Pirates Of The Burning Sea be anything more than a slightly above average MMORPG in the here and now. [Apr 2008, p.110]

Drift Mania can be a reasonably fun and nostalgic racer. Just not a great one. [Oct 2009, p.127]

That it makes no bones about the fact that you're in a game doesn't make it less of an experience - indeed, it's one of the few things that saves Infection from being a run-of-the-mill RPG. [Mar 2004, p.104]

It’s perfectly functional, neatly presented, and consistently enjoyable to play, but there’s nothing here to make it particularly memorable or great. [Oct 2008, p.106]

'Licensed' tunes feel somewhat out of place and are cover versions that veer violently from the decent to the offensive in terms of both selection and quality. Does anyone really want to play bongos along to Blink 182's 'All The Small Things'? Didn't think so. [Nov 2004, p.120]

Essentially you're probably going to hate Mario Smash Football if you enjoy football games. Conversely, if you were a fan of "Sega Soccer Slam" you'll love it. [Christmas 2005, p.108]

It might have started off as a joke, but the funny thing about Goat Simulator is that it’s a much better game than it has any right to be.

Breath of Life will have its fervent champions, but it won't go supernova. [Issue#159, p.113]

After several hours of increasingly punishing shoot/swing repetition, all the good ideas come at once in the last hour or so. [June 2009, p.108]

Unfortunately, the extras and vehicle customisation can’t change the fact that the actual racing feels very average. The tracks seem to be more winding than the last game, which detracts from the feeling of speed, and the handling feels very sloppy when compared to other recent games in the genre. [Christmas 2004, p.117]

This is EA’s take on NHL action as it’s always been, rejigged with improved animations and new moves so it’s inevitably the best version yet. [Nov 2004, p.119]

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]

Good, but nowhere near Housemarque's best work. [Issue#191, p.78]

We were able to sit back and twiddle our thumbs more than we’d like – it all just feels a little dumbed down.

You’re essentially playing an endurance test in videogame form. It’s not terrible, but it is horribly annoying. If you’re aware of that before going in you may just love it. [May 2007, p.121]

Thrilling and fun, but deeply online-focused. [Issue#198, p.76]

You'll be jabbing the square button until fatigue eventually sets in. [Issue#102, p.106]

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]

Forts Under Siege might have enough reward on offer but the series is still relying on gamers to meet it halfway by investing ample time and patience in learning its demanding intricacies. [Dec 2004, p.112]

The atmosphere is electric, the sense of making tiny in-roads to solve a great problem as satisfying as it is frustrating... Spark never allows you to forget that outside the restrictive confines of the first-person viewpoint there's a much, much bigger fight going on involving thousands of men. [Jan 2005, p.110]

Forts Under Siege might have enough reward on offer but the series is still relying on gamers to meet it halfway by investing ample time and patience in learning its demanding intricacies. [Dec 2004, p.112]

A beautiful world marred by irritating controls. [Issue#198, p.83]

The story, writing and the role-playing part of the game is distinctly previous-gen play, if not older.

You'll get most out of the game on Xbox Live. Working alone or with friends, Carve's online races are unique as the properties of water allow for some novel gameplay. By crossing in front of rivals you can create waves that make life more difficult for them - something that works particularly well when working as part of a team. [Feb 2004, p.120]

Sure, it's all beautifully put together, and you'll be hard pushed to find an adventure-lite world as well realised as here... However, despite all the creative effort Jak 3 is exactly the sum of its parts, and feels all the more underwhelming because of it. [Christmas 2004, p.118]

Rumours of am MMO Animal Crossing and even a dedicated Wii Channel had got us very excited about the sequel, but the reality comes as a crushing disappointment. [Jan 2009, p.100]

Beautiful, joke-filled, but ultimately a little empty. [Issue#191, p.82]

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

An interesting idea, but it's fundamentally flawed in its execution, with too much trust placed on trigger-happy gamers to overcome these barriers to play. [Issue#93, p.126]

But as a full game in its own right, Ridge Racer 3D feels like a cold shell that is part of a larger, ageing franchise.

If the game left less to chance, perhaps we'd be somewhat more ready to join their ranks. [Issue#149, p.120]

Explosions certain are fun, to a point, but when that point is all a game has to offer we just can't help wanting something else. [March 2005, p.108]

Voice control just isn’t an improved method of input over just pointing at something and making it happen, but the effort is a worthy one.

As it stands, it's just another indie game lost in the noise. [Issue#139, p.119]

Unfinished, or at the very least, unpolished. [Issue#102, p.112]

While it may not be anywhere near the calibre of the PC titles, it does become a perfectly playable action RPG (with the emphasis on 'action') after the first trudging hour or so. [Apr 2004, p.122]

Nowhere near the shallow quality those infernal Miis would suggest. [Issue#102, p.114]

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]

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]

First Light struggles to display any new ideas. [Issue#153, p.120]

Definitely worth a look, but for anyone familiar with the rest of Nippon Ichi's output, Atelier Iris 2 will dazzle and at times almost insult with its simplicity. [Sept 2006, p.124]

Unfortunately, this ‘puzzle’ system doesn’t have as much depth as you’d want – especially during later levels, with things finishing before they’ve really gotten started. There’s a good idea here, presented in a way that is silly enough to be charming, but not dim-witted.

A fine, yet lukewarm, RPG spinoff. [Issue#193, p.85]

Limited gameplay appeal. [Issue#102, p.116]

If you put any value in the game mechanics that have arrived over the last 20 years with a mind to prevent tantrum-inducing frustration, you might want to steer clear.

While the card and strategy elements work surprisingly well, they don’t really fit the stealth side of the game for which the series is so highly regarded. [June 2005, p.112]

Wii has plenty of other titles that offer a few hours of undemanding fun. The abandoned potential of Road Trip is proof of what a wasteful approach that can be. [Christmas 2008, p.103]

It's a mile-long love letter to the fans. [Issue#148, p.120]

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]

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]