Both a decent brain-tickler and a remarkably swift argument-starter. [Aug 2008, p.72]

Like the stick men themselves, Defend Your Castle is a little skinny but not unable to break through your defences. [Aug 2008, p.75]

An old-fashioned platformer with no challenge, no depth and no real point. Buy some classics on Virtual Console instead. [Winter 2009, p.50]

Only inflict on youngsters when you're absolutely desperate. [May 2008, p.75]

A short, sharp blast of pricey fun. [June 2010, p.76]

Not too taxing, but well made. [Aug 2011, p.73]

An RPG-fan-only purchase - but they'll probably love it. [Oct 2008, p.76]

Nothing amazing, but not without cheeky charm. [Apr 2007, p.70]

Digging fanatics will dig exploring every last square of earth, but Namco haven't dug deep enough to create a truly compelling and fresh experience. [Oct 2006, p.68]

It has a slightly goofy and laid-back approach to gaming, but it's solid and way more fun than the other recent movie-licensed launch titles. [January 2007, p.61]

An acquired taste, and definitely not for impatient gamers. [Nov 2009, p.69]

Really hard to put down, even though it makes our palms all sweaty and gives us horrible dreams about chainsaw men. You've got to play this - it's great. [June 2011, p.52]

Do minigames become more playable when coupled with a story that would have cinema goers lobbing popcorn at the screen? Answer: not really. [May 2009, p.60]

Genuinely playable. [Nov 2006, p.77]

Neither bad nor ugly, but reasonably good. [Nov 2008, p.73]

An intriguing title. [Jan 2009, p.76]

It's a perfect fit for the dual screens, and the simultaneous two-rabbit control works well:: each half on its own would be too simple, but playing them together is interesting. [Oct 2007, p.73]

The genre's as old as the hills, and moust pointer to remote pointer is hardly a great leap. [July 2008, p.59]

It's very little fun to play, and since you can play a limited version online for free as a Flash game, there's no good reason to put it in your DS. [June 2007, p.70]

We know the subject matter is huge robots thumping other huge robots, but it doesn't have to be as mindless as this. [Sept 2009, p.67]

It'll take more than invisible crates to win us over. [Nov 2009, p.65]

Looks like it should be fun but the minigames are mostly sub-Monkey Ball rubbish and the controls leave us as cold as Kawawii's frosty peaks. [Nov 2011, p.60]

One of the not-at-all-interesting ideas, though, is that there's no tutorial. At all. [June 2007, p.70]

Captivating adventure gaming, sadly ruined by a horrible port. [May 2010, p.52]

It's not great. [May 2011, p.48]

One of the worst Worms games in memory. [May 2008, p.62]

Exactly what you were expecting from a pinball title. That's either a good or bad thing, depending on your level of Tommy-esque wizardry. [Feb 2008, p.74]

Bizarre controls aside, this is an unusually thoughtful port that at least attempts to do something different. [Oct 2011, p.63]

Everything's got that cute MySims sheen but it feels hollow. [June 2009, p.75]

On par with the 360 version of the same name. This will tingle your heart strings just as much as your fingers. [Dec 2006, p.36]

This one is let down slightly by a poor conversion from the PC original. [Feb 2008, p.71]

If Phoenix Wright is a TV season boxset, Time Hollow is an HBO miniseries. It all feels quite minor, but it's certainly intriguing while it lasts. [Dec 2008, p.74]

A good-looking and solid take on Tekken 6 that packs in a ton of content. But single-player modes are unsatisfying and the fighting feels dated compared to Street Fighter 3D. [Feb 2012, p.90]

Amounts to nothing more than walking along a featureless corridor while somebody tells you an abridged version of the GoldeneEye plot. [Christmas 2010, p.72]

Sky-high production values, lavish special effects and great fun to explore with a friend. A highly enjoyable adventure that you'll happily forgive for its shortcomings. [Christmas 2008, p.63]

Kingdoms is still playable, but after the delights of the two Puzzle Quests, this is a real letdown. [Nov 2009, p.72]

The relaxing way to shoot things. [Aug 2008, p.74]

Unashamed, out-and-out action. [Dec 2008, p.76]

Predictable but okay. [Sept 2007, p.50]

Kudos for embracing the stylus, but you really need to have the basics of gameplay down before the snazzy controls. [Jan 2009, p.72]

A slight game, but novel and satisfying. However, it's not for those with a limited supply of patience. [Jan 2011, p.73]

Utterly tiresome. [Oct 2007, p.76]

There's no denying what it does do is gripping, challenging and enjoyable. [Sept 2012, p.107]

No amount of Simpsons love justifies sitting through this much clumsy mediocrity. [Jan 2008, p.42]

With a few tweaks this could have been quite the sports package. But as things stand, it's as missable as an Emile Heskey chance on goal.

Not disastrous, but lacking finesse. [Sept 2012, p.109]

A limited single-player experience is supported by a brilliant (if basic) multiplayer mode. Very much a case of style over substance, but the substance it does have should keep you entertained for a while.

Pillage and plunder in a nice sort of way. Don't expect to be told what's going on, but as soon as you figure it out for yourself you'll be fine. [Issue#56, p.69]

Spongebob doesn't have the personality to pull it all together. [Oct 2011, p.71]

The races are all linked by a surprisingly solid narrative. [Christmas 2011, p.76]

Very poor value for money. [JPN Import; June 2008, p.68]

BlazBlue's gameplay survives the iffy conversion thanks to its sheer infectious energy, but this should have been a great deal better than it is.

Worse than Pele's impotence advert. [Dec 2009, p.67]

Despite being reasonably deep, it's just too dreary to recommend. [Dec 2006, p.54]

Achingly samey, but wholesome fun in small, level-sized bursts. [June 2011, p.63]

Not Pokemon. In fact the very reverse of Pokemon - fixing that which was broken and breaking that which was fixed. D'oh! [Apr 2007, p.67]

While the combat is quite fun, with new skills frequently added, it's also a bit too repetitive, and baddies are quite happy to stand still while you fill them with arrows. [Dec 2006, p.55]

A perfectly acceptable yet unremarkable RPG. [Mar 2010, p.61]

Don't demand an orchestral "Guitar Hero" or instrument simlation and you'll be happy. [Christmas 2008, p.48]

Moonites should definitely wait for A New Beginning. [Aug 2012, p.98]

It's just another drab city full of shallow rent-a-goon fisticuffs. [Jan 2009, p.56]

It's liquid movement... A massive improvement on previous console FPS control... Not only making excellent use of the Wii's controllers, this is huge fun in its own right. For a launch title to get so much right is an indicator of great things to come. [Dec 2006, p.70]

Save your sesterces for something else. [Dec 2008, p.80]

A hugely disappointing sequel to a great puzzler. More of the same would have been better than this. [Nov 2009, p.68]

The innovation of the new Wii gameplay modes is dulled by the fact you're playing a game you probably already own in its 'real' form. [Feb 2009, p.65]

This is the right way to get kids into gaming. A charming romp with plenty in reserve to enchant us oldies. [Dec 2008, p.69]

No beaming down to alien planets filled with beautiful ladies/porridge monsters, though. [Feb 2007, p.82]

If you've never heard of Ben 10 you're too old to play it (which is most of us), but for action-loving tykes this is a surprisingly well-made title. [Christmas 2007, p.58]

Freakyforms comes alive only if you invest the time. Don't, and there's not much here besides sticking eyes on shapes and making them jump through hoops.

The drudgery of seeking is broken up with occasional spot the difference and tile-sliding puzzles but these can be skipped without incurring penalty. [Issue#56, p.71]

Yes, it's a less charming "Mario Kart," but this game is packed with ideas and fantastic racing. [Apr 2007, p.69]

The interactive clues are nicely done. [Jan 2010, p.75]

It's like reading through the wrong end of a pair of binoculars. [Apr 2009, p.76]

Works better than the first. [Christmas 2009, p.64]

Although limited in scope, Flipper executes its few ideas with great panache and bags of charm. [July 2010, p.77]

There's no charm, no innovation and no style, but it is a moderately entertaining game. [Sept 2011, p.76]

It's too mired in tedium. [Aug 2010, p.72]

It's too mired in tedium. [Aug 2010, p.72]

There is the sense that this is a series in need of a real change of direction; but for the time being, rejoice before one of the most entertaining multiplayer games on DS. [Dec 2006, p.42]

A slight iPhone game that feels even slighter on Wii. Get Airport Mania instead. [Oct 2011, p.77]

Despite the clumsy controls and a tendency to keep throwing the same bits at you over and over (and over) again, this is recommended to all. [June 2007, p.46]

Feels more like a budget release. [Jan 2010, p.75]

Dungeon-crawling is deadly dull. [Dec 2006, p.50]

Mario Party has never dazzled but this is the dullest it's ever been. [Aug 2007, p.48]

The controls are a major pain at times, and it can be difficult to make tiny adjustments. Twisting the remote to control the angle of a piece while simultaneously trying to drop it on an exact spot isn't good.

Flacid combat. [Dec 2011, p.66]

Avoid this bad medicine. [Feb 2008, p.75]

No shortage of ideas makes this one of the better licensed titles, but its schizophrenic nature disguises sloppy gameplay. [Oct 2007, p.68]

Punchy, cheap and cheerful splatter gaming. [Christmas 2008, p.60]

Could have done with more ruthless quality control. [Feb 2009, p.65]

Travel In Time doesn't so much scrape the barrel as suck dirt from the barrel with a bendy straw. There are almost no ideas and, as a result, almost no fun.

Perhaps a bit redundant to release what's essentially a two decade old game, but dammit, it still has a place in our hearts. [Mar 2007, p.81]

Fast as you like, fun to control and a mindless diversion for military fetishists. Difficult, even on the easiest setting, but if you're up to the challenge you'll get loads of value from it. [May 2007, p.46]

Neither compelling nor a decent rhythm-actioner. [Apr 2012, p.49]

A lazy addition to a series that belongs on DS anyway. [Apr 2009, p.70]

All it needs is for someone to strip out the associations with the film and you'd have a decent table tennis game. [Christmas 2007, p.70]

It's ridiculous, but it's executed so garishly, and revels in its own absurdity with such confidence, that you can forgive it for being the shallow nonsense that it is. [Apr 2010, p.76]

There's so few games, and it gets so madly repetitive, that you may as well spend your pennies on the site itself. [June 2007, p.70]