Year on year, the main modes in the THPS games have moved further away from traditional over-the-top skating to encompass more and more 'crazy' goals, something we're not entirely sure we approve of. One thing we are sure of, though, is that the core skating engine makes for by far the best extreme sports game of this generation. [Christmas 2003, p.98]

The remaster looks better than the low-budget releases we've played on the PS3, even at the end of its lifespan. [Issue#147, p.104]

Shovel Knight is all about learning patterns. [Sept 2014, p.106]

At times it feels low budget and it’s hard to look past unlicensed teams in 2016, but then that perfect goal happens and you forget; your senses dulled by the unstoppable one-touch move that peeled a defensive line like a big sweaty banana. That’s what PES has always been about, and this is the most satisfying Pro Evolution Soccer ever.

New traps and techniques make for some spectacular exhibitions of skill, and with game being significantly larger than anything previous, there’s enough here to challenge even the most dedicated Prince Of Persia fan. [Christmas 2005, p.94]

While not the most technical or complex fighter on the market, it's certainly among the most enjoyable. [Issue#105, p.110]

Remakes and IP revivals may be raking in the big bucks at the moment, but this artistically unique original is the game that really deserves your love and respect. [Nov 2009, p.106]

If your appetite for RPGs is insatiable ... then four-way multiplayer and online capabilities are excuse enough for a purchase. [Apr 2004, p.116]

There's an evident focus on the five-buttoned six-string as you reach the higher end of the difficulty spectrum. [Nov 2009, p.108]

It’s relatively shallow but contains enjoyable combat, and is packed full of secrets and wonderfully realized worlds. [June 2007, p.102]

Taken as a purely forward-looking puzzle game (with a well-told story, to boot), Layton provides DS entertainment in a unique fashion. [JPN Import; May 2007, p.112]

A game that almost anyone with a love of music will enjoy. [Apr 2008, p.122]

One of the most detailed open worlds to date. [Issue#184, p.83]

By far the most pleasing aspect of Super Mario 64 DS is the consistent quality of the new mini-games, with the bombs and the catapult game adding something to dip into alongside the lure of the main adventure itself. [Jan 2005, p.121]

Brimming with character, with the power to shock you, make you laugh and send you into a testosterone-fuelled rage I just five minutes, it’s a genuine showcase for the power of 360 and the ingenuity of Capcom. This is next-gen gaming. [Oct 2006, p.108]

Broken arms aside, Metroid on the DS is a smooth, attractive and compelling FPS that shows what the machine is capable of, cramming in a fulfilling multi-player mode to boot. [May 2006, p.106]

The studio built great things on weaker foundations with the previous game, so it's going to be exciting to see just how tall a Tower it can build when it's working off an even stronger base from day one. [Issue#192, p.64]

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.

New traps and techniques make for some spectacular exhibitions of skill, and with game being significantly larger than anything previous, there's enough here to challenge even the most dedicated Prince Of Persia fan. [Christmas 2005, p.94]

These were already among some of the best multiplayer maps ever made and these tweaked, rebalanced and remade versions have maintained their verve. The same can be said for the collection as a whole, if not the online connectivity.

Admittedly, the classes and jobs have been wonderfully balanced to make large parties fit together perfectly but this is no excuse for making solo play so difficult for anything but the toughest classes and so distinctly unrewarding. [Oct 2004, p.114]

There's one big problem that can’t be concealed by Boom Blox's triumphs: it's almost entirely devoid of challenge. [July 2008, p.124]

Not only the best NFL game yet on a next-generation platform, but also one that could even rival the best in the series. [Oct 2007, p.122]

PES 2016 is inconsistently superb, but it can no longer be ignored. Football fans have a difficult choice to make this year. You can follow the money and glamour of FIFA or embrace the grassroots love of the game in PES 2016. Neither choice seems wrong to us, but neither is perfect yet either. What we do have finally though, after a decade or so of waiting, is a real contest.

There’s a slight monotony to the enemy design after some time, but each complaint we try to construct feels all but meaningless in the face of how pure and satisfying an experience Rogue Legacy manages to be.

The surprisingly lengthy co-op mode does not experience this fatigue, and coupled with the replayability of the other multiplayer options means there's a lot of fun to be had. [Issue#135, p.117]

Whether you’re a hardened Pokemaniac, an open-minded person with a love of great games or even an impressionable child, you’ll struggle to get better value for money than you will find in this glimmering pair. [June 2007, p.124]

Online mode or not, Virtua Fighter 5 is still the pinnacle of 3D videogame fighting. The engine is flawless, demonstrating the difference each combat style can have on a bout, and allowing for a level of mastery absent in its competition. [Mar 2007, p.100]