Beautiful, fun and Kirby's best game. [Issue#176, p.78]

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

Polished, involving and a great deal of fun, but current-gen in all but the smallest details. [Oct 2006, p.126]

Lumines II is a package no fan should be without. The sublime synthesis of music, light, sound and block manipulation is as fresh as ever. [Christmas 2006, p.123]

The five maps are great now, but they’ll grate if you’re playing them over and over again for weeks on end while waiting for new content. What’s here is undoubtedly clever and thoroughly entertaining, but it’s also limited and given Nintendo’s history with new IPs, be prepared for the possibility that its online community may have dwindled by the time the promised DLC makes up the fuller package envisioned.

The finest game Sports Interactive has released. Games released annually tend to feel incredibly similar year on year, but a lack of progress isn’t something that can be claimed here. Yes, at its core it’s the Football Manager we know and love, only this time it’s a treat for the eyes as well as the head.

Serious gamers after a good mixture of challenge, story and mechanics may be left wanting. [Issue#167, p.79]

Given the sheer time investment required to really do it justice only the truly committed will ever discover the deeper joys and wonderful complexities if the game. Then again, only the truly committed will give Phantom Brave a second look. [Feb 2005, p.104]

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is an excellent update to the already impressive Freedom 2 and features an unbelievable amount of new content and end-game potential. [Aug 2009, p.116]

This sequel has built upon Saints Row’s foundations no end and created an experience that stands alone despite the competition. [Christmas 2008, p.118]

Despite a veritable host of respectable changes and additions, this still can't live up to the standards of the original game. An improvement over the last console effort, but with so much more potential than is actually realised, Bustin' Out still disappoints a little. [Christmas 2003, p.126]

Absolutely Capcom at its best. [Issue#141, p.115]

If you play Call Of Duty online all year round then Christmas has officially come early. But if you’re a sucker for the ludicrous, globe-trotting, re-skinned James Bond adventures that constitute these games in single player, you’ve picked the perfect year in which to take a twelve-month break.

It’s important that The Witcher doesn’t take itself too seriously, because that’s what helps it stand apart from the rest of the pack. [Chrismas 2007, p.134]

A fun game. [Issue#144, p.115]

There's really nothing else like this on Sony's handheld right now. [Issue#140, p.116]

Episode 3 ups the stakes and takes narrative risks that we rarely get to see: it expands the game’s universe not only forward, but outward… and the very last scene makes you question every single decision you’ve made so far, even down to the random photos you’ve taken around the Bay. We say that without a hint of hyperbole, without a hint of drama. Chaos theory in action, indeed.

There's certainly nothing game-breakingly bad about Shift 2, and generally it is a polished, high quality, nice looking product. But it does fail to provide a more engaging alternative to the admittedly quite clinical driving experiences offered by the Forza Motorsport or Gran Turismo series. Underneath its fancy aesthetic effects Shift 2 is also rather on the dry side, with no especially compelling reason to pick it up if you already have one of the aforementioned console racing giants in your collection.

A drama-heavy storyline adds to the already deeply tense, ER-style atmosphere, making this a must-have DS title. [Christmas 2005, p.117]

If you seriously want to leave an impression on the checklists and charts, we're talking hundreds, if not thousands of hours play. Taking into consideration the multiplayer elements and potential for repeat plays there's probably more to do than you ever actually will. [Oct 2003, p.112]

This is by far the finest Hitman yet. The level design is superb, the enemy AI is decent, and the story is suitably entertaining, which all captures the feeling of being a cold-blooded killer wonderfully. [July 2006, p.120]

The pinnacle of the series’ handheld bloodline but also nothing that we haven’t really seen before. [Feb 2009, p.112]

Telltale has redefined what a LucasArts adventure can be, turning a comedy adventure into a comedy drama, and we're sure it will have a lasting effect on where the franchise goes from here. [Feb 2010, p.130]

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

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker may not be Nintendo Japan’s best work, then. But it’s testament to the consistently high bar that their platform developer’s internal teams have set over the past few years.

For newcomers, it's a good starting point, but for everyone else, the series probably needs a rest or at least a graphical overhaul, because despite being a good-looking 3DS game with excellent direction during combat, we have an alternative handheld console in the Switch now, which can do far better visuals. Over to you, Nintendo. [Issue#188, p.76]

It's the strength of the stories that helps carry what would otherwise be a fairly linear and uninteresting concept. A niche title, then, but one that those looking for something unique should enjoy with relish. [Dec 2005, p.118]

The best episodic game out there right now. [Issue#168, p.94]