Ultimately, Datura comes across as more of a fragmented, artsy homage to Sony's magic wand, rather than a genuine source of entertainment... and for most gamers, entertainment is boss.

While it might not be all that suited to the quick 'pick-up and play' format, Gravity Rush's novel combination of platformer, beat 'em-up, RPG, and puzzler make this a very worthy game for the Vita.

It's a game that asks for a bit of effort at the beginning. But, that's the kind of game it's meant to be. It's a big world to explore, and with plenty of downloads planned, it's only going to get bigger.

Blizzard haven't set out to reinvent the wheel with Diablo III, opting instead to release the ultimate version of a wheel that's already beloved by its niche audience.

The music was too cutesy and grating for my liking (a complaint I have with many Nintendo sports games), and I would have liked the option to be able to turn it off, but keep the sound effects of the match. Still, I would rate it as a good go-to game to pick up for short periods, like the bus ride to work. Just make sure your headphones are firmly plugged in first.

But the truth is, Rockstar know their onions. They understand the importance of a gritty story, concise controls, cinematic visuals, balls-out action, and genuinely fun (albeit not 100% balanced) multiplayer. But above all, they carry with them a sense of style across all of their presentation. Max Payne 3 is yet another fine example of their prowess.

Developers Rebellion have harnessed the insanely difficult, but addictive vibe that die-hard fans grew to love and even added a few extra aces up their sleeve.

A surprisingly solid port - given the switch to controller.

Shank 2 is high energy, gleeful violence. Over the top perhaps, but it's a game that knows what it is and revels in it.

Apart from the poor solo game, every other aspect of the game felt well polished. In fact is was a pleasure to play a game without any discernible graphic or control issues. Stetsons off to the game testers!

If you've got a Vita and like fighting games, buying Mortal Kombat is an absolute no-brainer. There's so much content here, and it's loads of fun, with lots of depth and plenty of challenge to keep you going long into the upcoming cold winter nights.

The only thing you will find confrontational will be the game itself.

A strange mash up of party game and action RPG title that doesn't do either well. However, thanks to it simply being a Lionhead title, it will be useful to Fable: The Journey owners due to its compatibility with that title. Unfortunately, on its own, Fable Heroes fails to provide a solid singleplayer or multiplayer title.

The relationship between Lee and Clementine is handled extremely well throughout the game.

The visuals are decent in Battleship, albeit extremely monotonous, and the controls are solid - but there are just too many negatives in the game to ever appreciate them.

No, it's not perfect, but it is good and the atmosphere herein is valuable all by itself. A must-buy for retro enthusiasts.

Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure is about as connected an experience as you'll find in the genre. The characters are cool, the narrative interesting, and the gameplay (mostly) very enjoyable.

It's big, dumb fun, presented in a package that might be derivative, but at least has a lot of polish. The story is forgettable, and the jumping is entertaining.

The developing relationship between Aeron and Elena is a truly enjoyable one, and it is interesting to watch how the flashbacks Elena gets after eating the Master flesh start to shed light on the mystery of why she was cursed in the first place.

Trials Evolution is so good that the award for downloadable game of the year may already be locked up.

This game feels just right in duration and should be worthwhile for horror fans looking to get more use out of their dusty Move controllers this Winter.

A solid tower wars title with little competition in the genre at the moment. Unfortunately, it's let down by a large difficulty jump and, although it's a visually pleasing title, the grid displaying locations isn't on by default - a strange omission for any tower defence title.

The tutorial aspects of the game are also a bit thin, with the smallest of introductions to the base concepts, while the more intricate aspects need to be figured out as you play through.

The learning curve is steep, and it can be hard to keep up with all the made-up words if you're new to the series, but it's all worth it in the end. This is a fun world to inhabit, and the narrative weaved throughout is deeply satisfying. Not afraid of a little complexity? Then get this game.

For 400 Microsoft points, this Basketball DLC is worth a go for those loving Kinect Sports 2, but probably not good enough to breathe new life into the game if it's been stored away since Xmas.

It's packed full of collectibles and secrets to keep players entertained and while it's aimed at the younger ones, parents who pick up the Vita after dark can while away an hour with it too.

It's just shame you have to put up with the cheap AI and frustrating general mechanics of the core game to get involved.

Really proves authentic flight combat simulators can work on consoles.

There's enough blasphemy here to put you off the franchise for life. But there is some good news for Star Wars fans at least... It comes in the form of Microsoft's superb limited edition, pimped-out Xbox 360 Kinect Star Wars console.

If you've got more money than sense, feel free to try it out. But if you're serious about gaming, and look for rewarding and engaging experiences, then stay well away.

There is a lot for Wargamers to like about this game. It's not just challenging from a tactical sense, but it's ease of control and its scale also make it a fun game to play. If RTS games are where you get your kicks, you won't be disappointed with this one.

Another worthy release in a successful series. They've stuck to a tried and true formula: beloved characters, fun, variety and a fast pace, which is easy to play for the whole family.

The presentation of the game is top-notch, with quirky enemies (from flying cakes to something that can only be described as an evil flying comedy nose / glasses / moustache combo), great voices (and sounds in general), and an excellent story. It's funny, and very Nintendo - without feeling at all like any kind of rehash.

With a mixture of action and basic puzzles, they'll spark the imagination, keep them laughing, and soak up a decent amount of energy too. It's perfect for a lazy Sunday when you just want to sit back and read the paper.

As with the previous titles, Ninja Gaiden 3's battles are fast-paced and boss fights are as epic as ever. Streamlining the gameplay, however, removed a lot of the depth that came with collecting dozens of melee and ranged weapons, and upgrading them at the Muramasa store. In the end, Ninja Gaiden 3 is a step back from its predecessors.

Beautifully simple but challenging, addictive, and guaranteed to work those cranial muscles thanks to the logic and scientific themes in every level.

Beating levels will unlock different helicopters. So you can replay missions with birds that are faster and can carry more troops. All so you can get better completion times to move up the online leaderboards.

Its set in a bizarre world, with a straightforward story, quirky humor, and - some might say - it's trying too hard to break the fourth wall, but I actually had fun playing Rayman 3 HD.

The grenades take an age to equip and throw. Considering that chucking a grenade the moment before I die has been the only thing to get me close to a positive kill / death ratio through the years, this is a major concern.

Its historical setting, attention to detail, and engrossing combat mechanic make it a worthy addition the Total War series. Fans of the series (especially fans on Creative Assembly's foray into bullets and bombs) should definitely think about picking this up.

Although Yakuza: Dead Souls gives a negative first impression with chunky controls and lack of an English dub, as you progress you adapt your play style compensate for the awkward controls. In addition, there's a lot to do in Kamurocho - in and outside of the quarantine zone - if you've got the time for it.

Highly recommended.

It consistently challenges you to make use of your latest ability and 'Metroidvania' nuts can take great pleasure in the rewards of backtracking, while it doesn't penalize players who don't.

It's far better suited as a quick kick-around, 'pick up and play game' than it's older and far more serious FIFA sibling - especially with friends.

Sore fingers aside though, The Simpsons Arcade Game not that difficult.

If nothing else, Rhythm Party at least wins points for its insanity. Unfortunately, I don't tend to give a high score based on sanity levels alone, so this game remains hard to recommend over any of the other dance titles out there.

Although a lot of the new content is pretty fun, unlike some of the best expansions, Showtime doesn't feel particularly integrated with the rest of the Sims world, an aspect I always look forward to when I get a new expansion.

It loses points for having a dull singleplayer mode, but if it is viewed as your training ground for the multiplayer it starts to make more sense. The multiplayer is so fast paced and convincingly pulled off it is a blast to play, even with the controls being a tad hard to get used to.

I feel ME 3 is an evolution rather than the revolutions the first two games were. While the ending has certainly left a bad taste in my mouth and soured my feelings on the series a little, I cannot deny that the journey to get there is still excellent.

Whether you're new to the series or a veteran, you may find the later levels to be pretty challenging - and by challenging I mean annoying.

Just about everything in SSX works well. It looks fantastic and is easy to play. Though there is little point to the story, for once that doesn't matter. SSX is thrilling and, most importantly, fun. And like the best things in life, it can be summed up in a very few words. Board, snow, mountain, awesome.

While some gamers may disapprove of the lack of a story-driven campaign, I believe that Unit 13 is exactly what Vita owners want while on the go. It delivers instant action, without the time consuming clutter of cut-scenes. Furthermore, the game features plenty of customisation and is challenging enough to be replayed over and over in an effort to best a highscore or simply try a different character.

Street Fighter X Tekken brings it in some places and slides by in others, yet it manages to be one of the best crossover fighting games in recent memory.

What separates the truly stupendous from the merely amazing is that often elusive je ne sais quoi. Mass Effect 3 burns brightly. But that extra spark would have transformed it from a shining star, into a blazing supernova.

If it was released for free, as a platform to hook people on paid-for DLC, Ridge Racer would be pretty cool. As it stands, at full retail price, it's one of the most preposterously ridiculous and - frankly - offensive attempts at separating a gamer from their money that we've ever seen.

The menu system for character management and upgrades is particularly well done, albeit in a style that is at odds with the rest of the game (more modern in styling).

Clearly limited time has been spent on the tracks and vehicles, due to budgetary and download size constraints perhaps, and it shows.

There's a decent game here overall. It isn't particularly difficult, and experienced gamers will be able to blow through it in a day or two, I imagine. But it looks cool, and it harks back to a simpler time, when 2D platformers ruled the roost.

A phenomenally clever game polished to a new level of perfection by the masters at Q Entertainment.

It's a good effort, and still has lots of good points to enjoy throughout the game, but unfortunately will go down in history as the weakest of the series.

This game is a bit of a conundrum: the fighting engine has been successfully translated, but then the developers did practically nothing with it. That's a big disappointment, and seriously hampers the value proposition of this roughly $80 [NZ] cartridge - not an insignificant amount of money, that's for sure.

Feels like a PS2 game. It lacks that level of polish that the Vita deserves and the game blatantly recycles the same character models and maps over and over.

While there was nothing exceptional or innovative about Binary Domain online, what worked was fine - which sums up the entire game. With the fairly significant exception of the voice recognition, what you have is a pretty good shooter.

A good game. It pays excellent homage to the film series (even though it's set before the movies), and is a really solid MMO.

Its refreshing take on platform-based gaming, humour, variety, challenge and polish are instantly - and enduringly - impressive. Not only is this one of the best games on the Vita, it's one of the best games of the year - period.

Army Corps of Hell feels more like a low-key Mini title; certainly not a full retail game being sold in stores for close to $90! The highlight of the game is probably the thrash hardcore metal soundtrack and even this won't appeal to everyone. Best to avoid this hellish title, at least at full price.

For all of these drawbacks, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an intriguing, good-looking, game that has absolutely brought a new spin to the RPG genre.

A great experience. Those who have had the joy of playing it on the PS3 or XBOX360 won't find anything new here, but for everyone else, this is one fantastic little portable title.

But without the Circle Pad Pro, it's a bit of a bumpier ride - albeit a more portable one. The four face buttons now control the camera, which is vastly inferior, and makes a lot of difference. Seriously, Nintendo can't come out with revised 3DS hardware soon enough.

Graphically the game is great, aside from the multiplayer, and the storyline is one of the most gripping and enthralling we've seen. If you were thinking of buying it for the single-player alone, you could easily give it a rent, but the multiplayer makes it worth the buy.

Trade and economic growth are explored in a simple and deeply engaging way.

It's not the most original idea for a game and there may be some technical issues to be worked out. But, from the all the unlockables, the endless mixture of clothes, rewards, weapons, mods, and kill phases like 'Let me spray you with my awesome', Gotham City Impostors has plenty of awesome to go round.

Did it engross me? Yes it did. Did it frustrate me? Yes, it did that too. Did I want to keep playing? Of course, but only because I wanted to see what happened next, not because I wanted to keep playing. Unfortunately, even for a console title that's as over-the-top as Asura's Wrath, that's an inescapable flaw.

My gaming tastes are such that I'm perfectly conditioned to fall in love with something like Journey. Keep that in mind - if you're more about visceral action or epic 40-hour experiences, you should possibly look elsewhere. But in my opinion, this is one of the best games out there that can provide you with an experience - and a memorable, highly positive one at that.

Seriously, this "game" - and I use this term lightly - is $29.90 on the NZ PSN store. If it was $2.99 I could possibly cut it some slack but, to be honest, it's not even worth the bandwidth to download it.

If you like the over-the-top, extreme nature of this series (and it's not for everyone; the pocket-protector variant of the fighting fan will probably not like it as much as the rest of us), you are going to love every ultra intense moment.

I guarantee that many of you will be surprised at how many hours of enjoyment you'll get out of this game - and this is from someone who thinks golf is just a great way to get struck by lightning.

While a couple of the games are downright boring, and a few frustratingly difficult, most do definitely have an interesting X-factor about them; even if they're ultimately hamstrung by a lack of polish.

While others might give it a miss, physics majors and pool sharks will definitely get a kick out of this game. And, at a price of $15.50 (and a download size of just 400MB), it certainly won't break the bank for a few hours of solid gameplay either.

If you absolutely must have Plants vs. Zombies on your Vita, or haven't already got it on another platform, it's an excellent - if now familiar - experience. Just be aware that the asking price means it falls somewhere short of the deal of the century, even if twenty bucks isn't exactly expensive for a title of this quality.

Wipeout 2048 isn't just one of the best launch games (an achievement in itself, as the standard is very high), it's also one of the best games in an excellent series.

The graphics, although minus a few polygons in comparison to its bigger console sibling, are almost identical, paying careful attention to both detail and fluid animations. But more importantly the gameplay feels right at home for FIFA fans.

What really sold us on the game was the audio. If it wasn't the John McEnroe ear bashing in practice, or the wonderfully choreographed commentary in each match, it was that little bit extra where you have the option to choose your own serving exultation. All are perfectly done and top off what feels like a realistic play experience.

New players may find all the back story and references from XIII a bit confusing, however with the inclusion of a "beginner's primer" in the menu, there's no reason why longtime fans of the series as well as complete newcomers won't get a brilliant gaming experience out of this title. Two thumbs up!

The fighting is as frantic or as tactical as you want to make it. It's easy to get started, but has plenty of depth. And, lets not mess around, there's a lot of very fit, very brutal men, handing out vicious, blood splattered beatings.

Rarely a dull moment means you always have something to do, and the games can be quick and decisive, or hard won - depending on the skill of your opponents.

Catherine has a niche market in fans of brutally difficult puzzle titles, RPG - Persona fans - may want to rent before buying it due to its high difficulty.

Some story bump up would have been nice, to be fair, but hopefully there's a single player story addition coming up soon too. Pretty please, Ubisoft?

While the cut scenes look good, and Megadeth really gets the adrenaline pumping, the gameplay is too repetitive and buggy.

Revelations deserves to be a full, numbered iteration in the series, in recognition of the excellent (and important) part it plays in filling in the Resident Evil story. It's every bit a fully-blown Resident Evil game and is absolutely worthy of a place in any fan's collection.

It is a shame that V is largely a backwards step compared to IV, at least in terms of value. Playing this game, I get the overwhelming impression that the developers were phoning it in - who knows, maybe the budget was slashed, or they (somehow) didn't have much time.

This is a must buy for anyone interested in fantasy RPGs.

As a package, The Darkness II is an enjoyable story with an appealing visual aesthetic worthy of the R18 rating. Just be prepared for some frustrating moments and, if you enjoyed the first Darkness, you will miss the exploration and side quests - but at least you can turn on all the taps in the mansion.

But, dying is one of the essential parts of old school gaming. Just like jumping, shooting, breaking boxes, electronic beats, and bosses. And, if that's the kind of platform game you want, that's the kind of platform game Zack Zero is.

It's important to note that this DLC adds nothing new in terms of the gameplay. In a similar vein to the previous Kinect Sports Season 2 content for the golf component, this Midnight Mountain Ski Pack just adds new maps or tracks to your library. However, each new map has been well thought out and manages to get more juice out of the original game by offering up new challenges.

I have had to concede it a good score in terms of value. Although it has much of the polish of a $100+ title, Xotic can be yours for only 800 Microsoft Points. I'm genuinely impressed by the production values for a game in this league. I just don't want to play it again.

At its core, All Zombies Must Die is a solid shooter with RPG elements and a decent level of character upgrading. Unfortunately, it's let down a little by the monotonous missions of 'kill that' or 'collect this'. Rachel isn't a particularly likable either - of course, you don't have to use her at all!

And there you have it: three Metal Gear Solid games for your HD console, updated with care, and still with all the elements of the series you may love or despise. The lack of the original MGS is, once again, really stupid. But otherwise, if you're a fan of these games, you shouldn't hesitate in grabbing these versions if you're looking to play them again.