The Wii version is superior, but Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D has both the simple charms of a gimmick-free 2D platformer and a strong grip on nostalgic heartstrings.

A very worthwhile upgrade of the portable original, that stands up well in terms of visuals and easily exceeds Resident Evil 6 in terms of atmosphere and intrigue.

It would have been a great unlockable extra, but as downloadable content the price of being a robot dog for an hour just doesn’t add up.

A truly great portable strategy game that’s original, accessible, and addictive. And for once the microtransactions benefit the player as well as the publisher.

The action and storytelling fails to satisfy, but the dense atmosphere and uncompromisingly bleak setting almost makes up for the gameplay failings.

The real mystery here is why Nintendo continues to allow such a minimum effort cash grab to dilute the Pokémon name, in yet another bland and repetitive dungeon crawler.

A welcome change of style for the puzzle series, and although its influences are obvious this offers impressive value and variety for an eShop download.

A more immediately enjoyable game than Strike Suit Zero, but although most of the original faults have been addressed they’re still far from eradicated.

It’s not perfect but The Walking Dead is one of the most important advances in interactive fiction for a generation, with some of the most memorable characters of any video game.

A cleverly original strategy game that won’t be challenging the genre’s greats but does offer fun multiplayer at a reasonable price.

An interesting stew of ideas and great presentation can’t make up for a game that goes out of its way to frustrate and discourage its players.

It may have been cutting edge in 1997 but the Shin Megami Tensei series, and Japanese role-players in general, have moved on a lot since then and this entry is really only for completists.

It’s great value for money, as a sort of mini-Far Cry 3, but those that have played the original are likely to find it a rather weak sauce substitute and those that haven’t may just wonder what all the fuss was about.

There are some important flaws but this is still one of the most ambitious and enjoyable games on the PS Vita, even if it still doesn’t feel like a killer app.

One of the best ever multiplayer stealth games and one of the most successful attempts yet at the perfect heist game.

Beneath the saccharine sweet exterior beats the heart of a monster, one that wants to devour your every waking moment with its wonderfully addictive platform action.

As unique a vision as video gaming has ever seen and one able to use its many incompetencies – including the new ones – to entertain and surprise.

No matter what you think of the new movies no franchise deserves a tie-in as timidly generic as this, with painfully bland action and low-tech, not sci-fi, presentation.

The Wii U game was just a few flaws short of a minor classic, but this joyless companion piece is only a couple more problems shy of a complete disaster.

A frustrating ending to what has become an increasingly disappointing download series, even though the premise remains one of the most imaginative for years.

A great value bundle that includes the original game, the new expansion, and some of the best action role-playing since Dark Souls.

It may add up to less than the sum of its parts but in terms of storytelling and presentation this indie favourite has much to teach mega budget retail games.

It’s clearly been made in a hurry and with no more care than the deeply flawed original, which means only the truly zombie-obsessed should apply.

There are too few surprises when it comes to the story and Daud is a disappointingly blunt instrument, but a return to Dunwall is welcome no matter who’s conducting the tour.

The usual mix of the mundane, the inspired, and the not quite fully-formed, but at least two of the five maps are minor classics.

A perfect fighting game for beginners and one of the best uses of the DC universe so far in games, even if it still only feels like the tip of the iceberg in terms of unrealised potential.

A disappointingly trivial expansion in terms of gameplay, story, and new features; although more Metal Gear Rising and Jetstream Sam was never going to be an entirely bad thing.

The interactive equivalent of irritable bowel syndrome and one of the most bizarrely awful video games ever made.