A merely serviceable afterthought. [Sept 2014, p.125]

Those able to get a feel for the menu-heavy gameplay will revel in the kind of breathtaking depth and infinite scope you simply won't find in any other console title. [Apr 2004, p.120]

Throwaway fun as strange as it is captivating. [Issue#197, p.83]

Don’t come here expecting one of the wonders of the gaming world, just a solid RTS that delivers what it has to and no more than that. [Apr 2007, p.115]

Without the control confusion, this could have been a modern classic to rival Super Monkey Ball; instead it can only be recommended for people with a serious amount of patience. [May 2009, p.128]

In its 'free' state, Wii Sports is a triumph when presenting the abilities of your new console, but in reality, it's an extended victory for the console itself and not praise that should be bestowed upon the game. [Christmas 2006, p.106]

Square Enix's least enticing DS offering thus far, a disappointment given the company's growing ambition in handheld development. [May 2009, p.120]

A solid grappler, if a little pointless … it's fairly easy to see everything the game has to offer in a very short time. The fact that the only way to unlock many fighters is to repeatedly play through the same modes ultimately proves tiring, rather than bringing out the completist in you. [Aug 2004, p.105]

A solid template, then, and interesting foundations on which for the inevitable paid follow-ups to build. [Issue#110, p.132]

Moments that recall the sparkling brilliance of NiGHTS Into Dreams are, of course, scattered throughout this Wii sequel but they are buried beneath so much filler. [Feb 2008, p.126]

Zoo Tycoon will have a very narrow appeal beyond families. [Issue#142, p.90]

When only a couple of challenges require you to break the million point barrier, only the weakest players will have trouble acing the game in hours. [Christmas 2005, p.107]

We wouldn't put this too close to the top of the pile. [Issue#106, p.120]

A couple of fun mini-games and one intriguing new mode aside, Lost In Blue 2 still doesn’t quite offer enough for those who endured then eventually enjoyed the original. [June 2007, p.117]

Fans of the Mystery Dungeon series will know what to expect from this latest offering: its new additions aren’t radical enough to ruin what makes it fun or, crucially, fix what makes it monotonous.

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

A missed opportunity. [Issue#144, p.102]

This is the first James Bond game of the century in which we met the final credits regretting the unexplored potential. Bravo. [Christmas 2008, p.120]

Lococycle is initially very enjoyable due to its marriage of different elements from popular genres, but the ideas unfortunately soon run dry. [Issue#142, p.93]

Only the coldest of hearts could fail to find joy in whispering sweet nothings to a pretty young girl while an old man is distracted by a giant monkey. [July 2010, p.119]

By trying so hard to justify exciting new uses for the DS's touch screen, NST has forgotten such crucial elements as a rear view mirror or the ability to track your opponents on each map.

It's far from perfect, but Marvel fans have been served well, and those who like their Gauntlet served with extra statistics will have a game they can place just behind the last Dark Alliance. [Dec 2004, p.109]

Silent Hill: Downpour frustrates and irritates, it confuses and confounds. It doesn't scare as much as it should and it doesn't impress as much as we wanted. But there's no denying its ability to keep you playing; to push through to the end.

On an objective level, Frog Minutes is hardly the sort of game that's going to establish the iPad as a hardcore games console, but it does have a strange hypnotic charm that makes those minutes tick by rather enjoyably.

The biggest complaint is the size of the game - despite the 3D stylings making everything seem bigger, the game is just too darn small to last that long for any but the most inexperienced Castlevania player. [Jan 2004, p.110]

There's a lot of frantic back-and-forth; every scenario soon descends into little more than an exercise in plate-spinning. [Issue#95, p.116]

Infinity Ward has really struggled to push the Call of Duty formula forward in any meaningful or significant ways. [Issue#142, p.96]

There is simply no getting around the sheer awfulness of the main characters. From their unoriginal looks to their irritating dialogue, they serve to spoil the game from start to finish. [July 2009, p.122]