It'd take the most hardcore of fighting fans to put together an argument that this wasn't a decent fighter at its core and they'd struggle even harder to claim that it wasn't at least entertaining. On a base level, though, it's business as usual. It's a beat-'em-up loaded with increasingly damp and dirty scantily clad ladies whose breasts defy physics and one that has an Achievement for watching every questionably shot, moist, groaning defeat pose.

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]

There are worse ways to spend a weekend than playing through your own trashy western novel. [Issue#136, p.119]

Persevere beyond the obfuscation and awkwardness of the opening act and everything begins to click into place: your finely-tuned vessel becomes a labour of pride, and deliberating how best to distribute tokens rewarded post-conflicts – the in-game currency used to build, staff and upgrade facilities – becomes genuinely involving.

A fitting miniature to end this generation. [Issue#143, p.106]

Second Sight’s fair share of nice touches (such as weapons handling and level design) demonstrate terrific attention to detail. It’s a shame, then, that these minor good points seem to be offset by the game’s failings in several more important areas. [Oct 2004, p.110]

The previous games were marred by simplistic, repetitive gameplay. Lego Batman isn’t entirely free from these flaws, but puzzles are more numerous, complicated and diverse. [Nov 2008, p.115]

The core gameplay is somewhat lacking. 'But it's for kids,' we hear you cry. Maybe so, but even kids - or those who are just young at heart - will no doubt want a challenge that lasts longer than it would take to watch the original trilogy. [May 2005, p.109]

An unforgettable few hours for gamers of a certain generation. [Oct 2009, p.122]

You can’t fault it in terms of artistic design, and although it’s no better than its predecessor, it’s certainly no worse. [Oct 2008, p.120]

You cannot earn standard boost with the button held down, so you are constantly having to battle with yourself to lift the finger off the trigger, constantly glancing down at the boost bar, and as a result, constantly snapping yourself out of that glorious Burnout zone. [May 2007, p.110]

Much like the recently released Street Fighter V, Pokkén Tournament is a fighting game that only really comes into its own if you plan on playing it in local or online multiplayer. Solo gameplay is fun in short bursts, but to get the most out of this one you’re going to need a partner to duke it out with.

The 'new' simplicity makes for a fun and fast game that, courtesy of the excellent passing system and decent AI, finds a firm balance between real football and the arcade fun of a five-minute kick about. [June 2004, p.120]

To continually repackage the same hackneyed take on real pain, real suffering, and real people in the mane of entertainment is a sure road to exploitation. [Nov 2008, p.112]

Simple, elegant and deceptively deep. [Issue#106, p.125]

It is a game that has been crafted with care, love and attention and is the perfect antidote to the usual mainstream fare of guns, graphics and gore.

It'd be right to call Castle in the Darkness difficult, perhaps even cruel, but so finely tuned it is that it never borders into anger territory. [Issue#159, p.105]

It's got the speed, but not the finesse. [Issue#174, p.74]

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]

But overall, Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate is a very difficult game to dislike. It was never intended to break the mould, it’s no kind of reinvention and it probably won’t win the series many new fans. It is resolutely more of the same, but robust and varied with it.

Disappointing after such a long wait then, even if Twisted Metal is still immensely good fun at its core.

The detailed town is fun to explore, the dialogue is witty and consistently funny, and the Yo-Kai designs are wonderful (not to mention brilliantly animated). There are just too many occasions where you’ll feel like a spectator and, yes, wish you were playing Pokémon instead.

It it had just managed to add a little more depth to this Windjammers update, it might have made something better than this nostalgic celebration. [Issue#192, p.81]

Terrific for getting a super party started. [Issue#206, p.80]

Its platforming sections won’t be troubling Super Mario 3D Land, but if you’re looking for RPG Mario at his modern best, you won’t go far wrong with this.

Unless Hothead Games can push the fighting mechanic while also ensuring that the comedy and adventuring take pride of place, this series could die out long before it’s ready to. [Aug 2008, p.114]

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.

'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]