The most inadequate of games: a platformer that struggles in its platforming. [Issue#110, p.122]

Half the game it should have been. Whoever came up with the inventive level structuring or spent months mapping LA has every reason to be furious with the lacklustre implementation of their ideas. [Christmas 2003, p.106]

This being Pro Evo it’s still possible to knock the ball about with reasonable proficiency and score the occasional memorable goal, but if it’s handheld football you’re after, then this is simply not the right console. [Mar 2007, p.110]

The genre has moved on, and after over two years in the making we expected more than a basic continuation of the PSone game complete with all the trappings of that generation's first clutch of action titles. [July 2004, p.120]

Simply a bit boring. [Issue#142, p.92]

Another unfortunate example of a classic game that has been marred by a shoddy modern redux. [Issue#106, p.124]

A woeful misstep into the pantheon of disposable first-person shooters, and a balsa wood ghost town of a game that no amount of support patching could possibly shore up. [Issue#113, p.96]

The 3D effect itself, cheerfully rotating its wheels in the background, does absolutely nothing. [Issue#108, p.116]

Another Code R commits all the same crimes a bad novel would: the dialogue is uninteresting, the characters unlikeable, the pace slow and the premise so uninspiring that you soon lose the motivation to see what happens next. [Sept 2009, p.122]

The animation is clunky and below par, but the art direction is quite good, in a lowbrow, pulp comic book kind of a way. The script is trite, and music and voice acting both well below par, but you still couldn't accuse it of being a technical shambles. Design wise, though, it's formulaic, tedious and messy.

Calling's biggest failing is that you never ever feel scared. [Issue#95, p.124]

Creation options also feel somewhat limited, particularly as you can't create a female wrestler. [Issue#156, p.116]

It quickly turns into a daily act of attrition rather than anything that promotes mental or physical growth, and a game that is unlikely to hold the attention of anyone - of any age - for very long. [Issue#108, p.125]

The first great sniper-themed shooter still hasn’t arrived.

There’s something strangely likeable about it all – the ambition and passion of the development team is actually oddly appealing. It’s just all so misguided. [Mar 2009, p.124]

Reliance on simple motion controls is bound to put off the more serious sports fans. [Issue#142, p.119]

While Worms 3D essentially delivers what it says on the tin, in surrendering its intuitive interface the concept has evolved into a far less attractive proposition. A shame. [Dec 2003, p.126]

A relentless conveyor belt of cannon fodder ensures the carnage is kept at a suitably frantic rate, yet with every wave of cookie-cutter thrown to the mercy of your crosshair, repetition becomes an increasingly prevalent factor. [Mar 2004, p.116]

The inclusion of the original Splatterhouse titles as unlockables, along with its many old-school sensibilities - such as side-scrolling stages with arranged music from the old arcade soundtrack - just about tip this into guilty pleasure territory. [Issue#104, p.108]

Three games in one it may be, but the sum total of Razing Storm is disappointment, and a reminder that the Time Crisis franchise lost its way a long time ago. [Christmas 2010, p.111]

Vampyr has a bold and ambitious concept at its heart, but the execution is sorely lacking, so while it may be packed with good intentions, it's not really worth the effort. [July 2018, p.68]

Somewhere buried within The Sky Soldier is the kernel of an idea that defies gravity, as well as our expectations. Sadly, despite Naka’s best intentions, Rodea never hits those heights.

TV Superstars is a deeply cynical product that manages to bring together the worst of modern culture with the most vapid shovelware the Wii has suffered. [Christmas 2010, p.112]

Trinity Universe's combat lacks the depth that Nippon Ichi and Gust have shown in the past. It too often feels repetitive, clunky, and lacking the strategy we've come to expect. [Aug 2010, p.124]

It's clear that considerable effort has gone into Shred, but for those with fond memories of the Birdman's glory days, this could be the final insult. [Issue#104, p.118]

It's with some remorse that we bestow upon it a fairly low score, but don't let it fool you... anyone with the means to play Lifeline shouldn't let a chance to sample this unique title pass them by. [July 2004, p.114]

The driving mechanic in itself is an interesting display of ever-increasing possibilities of the kit, and we look forward to seeing its like implemented in more compulsive, sophisticated titles further down the line. [Issue#104, p.127]

There are better examples of the genre for sure, it's just a shame they're not on any console. We'll say one thing for it - it's miles better than "Final Fantasy XI." But then, that's not saying much, is it? [Christmas 2006, p.130]