Whereas FIFA and WE make slow but sure progress with each successive year, the second-party Sony outfit have half-heartedly fiddled with a few aspects of the game instead of improving the general quality of it.

Viking: Battle for Asgard falls too far below the benchmark set by those that have gone before.

Cases of repetitious dialogue occur far too frequently, as does the odd graphical glitch. Plus the somewhat childlike visuals and script may turn off those who fell in love with the more mature humour of the early LucasArts titles.

A must have for those with an interest in online gaming, especially the type of gamers who simply do not have the time to spend hours upon hours finding a party in an MMORPG. The pick-up-and-play formula works very well here and will no doubt keep you addicted for many months. [JPN Import]

It’s certainly fun in short bursts and does provide some interesting mental exercise, but this more of a GCSE than a degree.

A competent, enjoyable game with lots of depth and strategy options, sadly spoiled by the aforementioned niggles.

But the gameplay happily does all of the talking and Shunkan Puzzloop can sit comfortably with the likes of Tetris DS and Meteos as one of the best puzzle games available for the system. [JPN Import]

One of the most disappointing sequels in gaming history.

The impact of the visual style, which was so unique almost a year ago, has in no way diminished, making it just as engaging and as much of a treat to behold as the first.

As it stands, it's a short-term adrenaline spike that sometimes lags under the weight of its enhancements. [JPN Import]

The reality is that longevity is limited to how much the player enjoys swooshing down the snow in the solo game and for some this isn't going to be enough. A beautiful experience, while it lasts.

Without the burden of the name, it would be looked upon as an above-average mix of air and land combat; however Namco had a lot to live up to and haven't quite delivered the quality expected.

A great game with a group of friends, and one which could help shift a pound or two, but the necessity to unlock events for multiplayer and the near-vertical difficulty curve for later circuits are hard to overlook.

Underneath the hood is a well-honed, constantly surprising beast and one that isn’t purely for FPS fans, thanks to a generous degree of auto-aim that places much of the emphasis on tactics and intelligent usage of the tools at your disposal.

Derivative and flawed mechanically, it is nonetheless a superlative tie-in. By integrating into its source material rather than paying homage, it enriches the franchise as a whole – something a great many similar efforts have failed to even attempt.

Although PBP sports no new additives or flavourings, it rehashes the old ingredients successfully enough, for the most part. [JPN Import]

A massive disappointment to hardcore fans of the series.

The game ultimately feels anchored in a very traditional Capcom style, with its fixed viewpoints and the stalwart, somewhat clunky control system, though admittedly it is one of their better efforts.

Exudes a quiet confidence in it's own driving engine, racing, rally and drag are all delivered seamlessly.

With a tweaked combat system and more balance to the boss battles Blood Will Tell could have been a magnificent game. However as it stands the core mechanics are too regimented to elevate it above an enjoyable fantasy romp. An opportunity squandered.

Although there are a few clever mini-game ideas worth seeing, overall it will not hold your interest for long, which is disappointing since the whole concept of using the DS touch screen to control your way around the kitchen seems so natural. [JPN Import]

Any serious puzzler would be strongly advised to look elsewhere for their fix.

If you are willing to forgive some of the niggles with the engine, then underneath lurks a program full of idea, invention, wit and life (although the motorcycle section seems somewhat out of place).

It does, however, have a certain charm to its style and quirks, and those lightgun fanatics looking for something extra to test their abilities on would be well served by this offering. Anyone else is advised to look to Time Crisis 2 or Vampire Night, as both are much better showcases for the genre.

This title falls into the trap of merely satisfying fans, and refusing to even attempt to encourage the less hardcore to play. [JPN Import]

It's great fun in the two-player mode and, like any other lightgun game, is a good laugh for post-pub blasting. It's just a shame that Sega didn't make more of an effort with this release.

The game oozes style out of every orifice; the problem lies with the repetitive nature of the game. It’s not something you can play for great lengths at a time, though these short periods can indeed be fun.

On the one hand SNK Playmore should be applauded for attempting to develop the King of Fighters series beyond its traditional 2D heritage and to take it somewhere new, but on the other it is difficult to see exactly who SNKP expects actually to buy the game.