It’s a game that will fit in at any party or family home, but it’s a shame that because of the simple fact it isn’t packed in with the console it won’t necessarily find its audience. For those that pick it up, that first time through, with new people – it’s genuinely magic. After that, there’s little left.

Rocky Balboa is the second best boxing game on PSP, but then there are only two of them. [Mar 2007, p.102]

Although bundled with a Wii Remote, it's still impossible to recommend Wii Play. Many of the mini-games feel clumsy, and the ones that don't are destined to be short-lived at best. [Christmas 2006, p.136]

An odd visual style tops off a very poor title in a suitably poor manner, jumping between looking halfway decent and just plain nasty. An unbalanced and sorely broken mess. [Dec 2005, p.106]

The combat is very well implemented, taking place all round, over large distances and constantly second-guessing the player as to which direction to turn next. [Aug 2004, p.102]

It's a party game, so save it for a party. [Christmas 2011, p.123]

We'd expect a new KOF to offer more depth. [Oct 2009, p.118]

This is a real party pooper. [Issue#143, p.111]

Dirge is an ugly, cynical and tiresome videogame, the likes of which the next generation will hopefully eradicate. [June 2006, p.130]

As a game, it's an unfocused, erratic, undeniably loud but ultimately hollow franchise entry where an excess of energy has been mistaken for excitement. [Issue#195, p.84]

The action is a little too samey, and things become just too repetitive. Aside from scenery variations, FMV cut-scenes and the odd boss fight, the game is practically the same from start to finish. [Jan 2004, p.125]

Considering the scope of its predecessors and how far the genre has come since the series’ inception a decade ago, that’s as unnecessary as it is unwelcome. Still, there’s potential here and approached with the right mindset and a group of friends there’s some fun to be had. Streamline your expectations, in other words, and you’re more likely to view Sacred 3 as slick rather than shallow.

An interesting and complete fighter that deserves the attention of anyone who enjoys the delights of two-dimensional fighting. [Sept 2006, p.112]

It will be every bit as disappointing to those waiting for the marked change to give the series another shot. [Issue#108, p.109]

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]

It’s an immense letdown – so much so that the first few hours of play are filled with disbelief, as players are forced to lower their expectations with each new disappointment...The Getaway: Black Monday should be avoided by all but the most fervent lovers of mediocrity. [Christmas 2004, p.112]

Micro Machines V4’s only genuine problem is its overbearing similarity to "Mashed," a game that can be bought for a third of the price. [Aug 2006, p.120]

If quality control was an issue, we doubt SpyHunter 2 would have passed the planning stage. This will be back in the box before you know it. [Mar 2004, p.117]

Despite ticking all the correct boxes Arenas lacks any synergy between components, making it the "Turok Evolution" of racing sequels. [Feb 2004, p.123]

If quality control was an issue, we doubt SpyHunter 2 would have passed the planning stage. This will be back in the box before you know it. [Mar 2004, p.117]

There are good ideas in Sonic Lost World, and even fleeting moments of brilliance – the wide-open assault course of Desert Ruins Zone 1 stands out as a particular highlight. But for every bit that works brilliantly and provides the thrilling action we want from Sonic, there’s a weak boss encounter or an awkward stop-start stage that dents your enthusiasm.

Invasion’s innocent looks and gameplay do have some cohesion and its very simplicity is its one saving grace. It’s bubblegum for your mind and never offensive. If it had appeared five years ago at the same price it would come recommended for the younger gamer. [Feb 2005, p.108]

If it's meant to be played for laughs, the joke falls flat with repetition. [Issue#157, p.125]

Due simply to its own mediocrity, this is another Bomberman that fails to make a bang. [June 2007, p.114]

It's repetitive, monotonous, and just plain boring. [Issue#119, p.94]

Riptide is full of the juddering frame-rate, buggy environments and unwieldy frame-rate, buggy environments and unwieldy collision detection that plagued its predecessor; it makes it feel and handle like a very long piece of DLC. [Issue#135, p.110]

A game of two halves, neither of which is finished … It is so cursed by glitches and bugs, and so devoid of anything approaching AI, that it's really impossible to believe the code sitting in your local store is anywhere near complete. [Aug 2004, p.100]

Rather than feeling like a mastermind escapologist, your actual role resembles that of an errand boy collecting the pieces of a pre-scripted plan. Yet while nothing here really shines, the overall package is solid enough to counter our gripes. [Oct 2003, p.114]