That Torment: Tides Of Numenera is still a thoroughly engrossing experience despite its issues speaks volumes, and we’ve no hesitation in describing it as a worthy sequel to the original. But even so, this does not seem the best vehicle for its story or gameplay ideas. And it’s ironic that a game set so far in the future is relying on technology and concepts that are clearly decades out of date.

The balloon popping sub-game isn’t up to much, but the rest of Ultrawings is a dream come true for fans of Nintendo’s charming slice of amateur aviation.

A small but worthwhile expansion for one of the year’s best games, that provides a welcome hint of more difficulties to come.

More a new episode than a full-blown sequel, but the clever blend of strategic, tactical, and moral decision-making is as compelling as ever.

It’s weirdly hard to concentrate on what the text is actually saying, rather than simply spotting which sentence fragments go where, so it’s not much of a reading experience, although it is a gentle and long term challenge that turns out to be pleasantly relaxing without a timer.

A surprisingly successful reinvention of the Worms formula that turns the more slow-paced originals into an engagingly silly multiplayer free-for-all.

That Torment: Tides Of Numenera is still a thoroughly engrossing experience despite its issues speaks volumes, and we’ve no hesitation in describing it as a worthy sequel to the original. But even so, this does not seem the best vehicle for its story or gameplay ideas. And it’s ironic that a game set so far in the future is relying on technology and concepts that are clearly decades out of date.

While it shares some of its playful approach to perspective with Gorogoa, this is no puzzle game and involves no player choice, but it does have a pleasing emotional resonance, even if the relentless melancholy eventually makes you want to go back to Poinpy.

As a remaster this is rather shoddy work, but the underlying game is still one of the best homages to Super Metroid from the last generation.

As deep and as beautiful as its legacy demands, but this portable fighter is lacking in solo appeal.

A little rough around the edges, especially in terms of the storytelling, but the interminable wait for this open world zombie sequel has been worth it.

The same old Ratchet & Clank as always: unsettled, fractured, gorgeous and varied to a fault.

A surprisingly deep and absorbing cyberpunk stealth-action role-player that transcends its low-tech visuals and basic presentation.

It’s not much more than an HD update, but if you and your friends have the perseverance this is one of gaming’s most uniquely challenging co-op experiences.

A notable improvement on last year’s game and while it still has a way to go before it reaches its full potential, this is a fun and relatively realistic evocation of running a Formula One team.

A very welcome double pack featuring two of the series’ most notable entries, but which inexplicably ruins the meme-inspiring intro of Symphony Of The Night.

LittleBigPlanet is once again its own worst enemy, as it fails to make the best use of its own fun new characters. Although the creation tools are the most accessible they’ve ever been.

Free-to-player Fire Emblem is pretty much exactly what you’d expect, but it’s an entertaining introduction to the real thing.

A lovingly crafted retro homage, made with skill and obvious affection for the source material – but there’s very little attempt at innovation and little to interest non-fans playing on their own.

Another disappointing port of one of the Wii’s best games, although still a clever and entertaining mix of Pikmin and The Settlers.

Pure fan service in every sense, which ensures an enjoyably nostalgic adventure but also means a number of flaws that wouldn’t be tolerated in other circumstances.

A relatively competent remaster collection but the games are so old now that, without a full remake, newcomers will struggle to understand how they became so beloved.

Qix is great but this does almost nothing to improve it or make it more palatable for modern audiences.

The charmingly dark and brooding graphic style works nicely with the fizzing electromagnetism of each level, but it’s undone by the touchscreen controls. The demanding, pixel-perfect jumps you need to pull off to complete platform sections immediately rendered exasperating by the woolly onscreen joystick and buttons. It’s not in any way a dead loss, but without a physical joypad you should brace yourself for irritation.

It’s highly polished, but somehow lacks the heady compulsion that typified the early days of Clash Royale or Boom Beach, with rounds feeling less fun and exciting than the colourful cartoon characters that participate in them.

A deeply flawed open world role-player but also an extremely ambitious and unique one, whose approach to co-op play and survival deserves further iteration.

It's rare to see any new ideas in a 2D shooter, let alone as many as this game boasts, but they're all suffocated by some hopelessly dull presentation.

Inspired at times but also badly inconsistent, this is certainly the best Shinobi game since the Mega Drive era but still not really it's own game.