The game is undeniably lovingly made, but it's also disappointing brief. It's - yep - the fastest fun in the west.

The genre-mixing is a nice enough idea but you end up with an exhausted puzzler with some pretty flimsy RPG elements tacked on. It all seems a little flat. [May 2007, p.90]

Simple fun. [Aug 2011, p.91]

If you're after an eight-player game on the DSi this may be worth a punt. [Oct 2010, p.97]

EscapeVektor looks good but lacks charm, and just going up, down, left and right over lines is a little boring. Solid retro gaming, but with a lingering feeling of style over substance.

An entertaining platformer let down by a silly pay-to-play unlocking system.

A fun puzzler, but why should fans spend more money on a game they already played? Stingy stuff. [Jan 2013, p.111]

A very accomplished platformer, but one that will only appeal to hardcore gamers who relish retro difficulty levels.

A good attempt at a tower defence game but it just lacks that little extra magic.

You don't get the resistance bands either, so if you don't have the first game you're at a disadvantage. [Feb 2010, p.83]

Seriously lacking in key areas and too pricey - EA should have skipped this and gone straight to "Rock Band 2" instead. [Nov 2008, p.98]

Fiendishly addictive. [Jan 2008, p.83]

Everything is thrown at you, ramping up the already shocking difficulty level. [Apr 2013, p.90]

An overly complicated puzzler that tries to do too much with a simple idea. [Feb 2010, p.88]

Fun, but if you're not obsessed with your heart rate, the original's similar - and cheaper. [Jan 2011, p.78]

Fall for it and you'll fall hard, but its challenges left our fun glands untickled. [Jan 2014, p.82]

It's perhaps a little easy for experienced gamers, but younger players should have a good time playing it. [July 2008, p.103]

Thoughtful, pretty and just strange enough. [Christmas 2014, p.85]

More physics toybox than game, Little Inferno manages to be both enjoyably mad and annoyingly maddening. Wait to snap it up in an eShop fire sale.

RPG fans will find lots to enjoy. [Feb 2013, p.85]

Great for fans, hard work for everyone - it's not bad, just really heavy going. [Feb 2009, p.80]

The mixture of Sega and Sumo should have made for a game that was as accomplished as it was nostalgic. Instead, it's just a bit flat.

With a good story and fantastic visuals, this Dragon Ball game could have been brilliant if it had better controls and combat.

The gotta buy 'em all mentality is as ferociously addictive as ever, but the delightful characters deserve a more imaginative, better made game. [Christmas 2012, p.108]

So it's a slow dance; a gentle sway of steps with the occasional flourish. That can be far more enjoyable than the most energetic experience - but if you're getting things wrong, the wait to get it over with can be excruciating.

It's all far too familiar. [Dec 2011, p.98]

Slick and well made, but a little too complex for its own good. [Feb 2014, p.83]

It's basic, but a solid puzzler. [June 2009, p.87]

Dull quests make it a step down from the original. [Oct 2010, p.83]

Brown trousers all round, if you don't mind the unwieldy control method. [July 2012, p.102]

Simple and unashamedly one-note. [June 2013, p.85]

A pleasant surprise, this should appeal to fans of strategy and board games. [Nov 2009, p.104]

This feels two decades old and we're not complaining. [Christmas 2013, p.88]

It's a tough game but for all the wrong reasons. For Trauma Center die-hards only.

A mixed bag mangled by repetitive combat and a magic system that could have used a little more thought. But behind its failings is a story that is worth sitting through. [Apr 2008, p.66]

This is flaky, but undeniably fun on 3DS. [Feb 2014, p.90]

Succeeds in offering something genuinely different, but it's still snooze-inducing.

If you must have this game, this is the version to get. [July 2010, p.95]

Not the most complicated game but it's fun, particularly in multiplayer. [Aug 2010, p.97]

Much better value than the straight NES port. [June 2009, p.88]

Perfect for Phoenix fans who want more cases, but with only four stories you'll be left wanting. It still offers great gameplay, it just doesn't last very long. [Apr 2007, p.82]

Star Fox Command has its frustrations but the multiplayer helps make up for these. If you can learn to accept the series' new direction, there's a decent strategy game in here somewhere. [Dec 2006, p.88]

While far from being a bad game, Duck Tales Remastered is a huge missed opportunity and a sad day for fans who were expecting so much more.

As ever, this game will get under your skin. Little need for Tetris Party vets to shell out though.

A decent Mega Man outing, just one that disappoints with its willingness to lazily sit back and join the dots rather than trying to push the DS hardware at all. [Aug 2007, p.78]

Overlook the odd glitch and this is a fitting tribute to a cherished movie franchise.

There's no doubting the quality of the game but veterans really won't be getting anything new here, so we can only recommend this to players who have yet to see where it all started. And even they might find the controls long past their sell by date.

Ultimately scuppered by its lack of variety. [Christmas 2012, p.106]

Basic. [Nov 2009, p.99]

The game's 60 levels and randomly-generated daily missions promise some meaty longevity. Nice. [Oct 2012, p.94]

A nostalgic treat for those who owned a C64 but too punishing and dated for young ones. [July 2008, p.82]

It's good to see Kingdom Hearts on the DS, but this is not up to the standard of previous efforts. [Dec 2009, p.84]

An interesting and stylish game that unfortunately lacks the charm necessary to cover the problems of the port.

One for the game-starved only. [May 2013, p.78]

Hypnotically odd. [Dec 2013, p.88]

Worth a look, so long as you don't mind paying a little extra for a fairly basic idea. [Mar 2011, p.103]

It's shorter than we'd like, but completists will get their money's worth. [July 2011, p.92]

More of the same really. Fans of the previous versions will probably love it but the controls are still suspect.

Better than the Wii U version... It's beautiful and slightly boring. [May 2013, p.86]

There's nothing sophisticated under the hood but the choreography is great fun and the music selection is brilliant.

This is very hard to put down. [Oct 2010, p.82]

A dreamy platformer. [Nov 2013, p.81]

It's a genuine opinion-splitter. [July 2014, p.80]

Wait for Shin Megami Tensei 4. [Nov 2013, p.88]

It's sorely lacking an online leaderboard as well. [May 2010, p.91]

So familiar it's basically an old friend by now. If you've liked it before, you'll like it now.

The relatively high price is a bit of a turn-off. [Sept 2012, p.107]

This is an average-to-good hack and slash that is unfortunately hobbled by some off-the-shelf RPG elements and a well-meaning - if ultimately tiresome - girlfriend management system.

A fine follow-up that does everything the original did and much more besides. [Mar 2010, p.91]

Agreeable. [Feb 2011, p.96]

A conflicted idea. [Feb 2014, p.82]

Yu-Gi-Oh! fans will lap this up, but it's the least beginner-friendly game we've ever played. [May 2009, p.88]

It handles well, it looks decent, but there's not an awful lot for you to do here. [Oct 2010, p.96]

More of the same, but with pirates instead of Jedi. Fun for fans of the series.

With control issues and the disappointing lack of online co-operative play aside, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is a mindless and enjoyable action game that should keep comic book fans happy for a while. [Jan 2007, p.70]

A cash-in that should have been much cheaper, especially when "World Tour" is just over the horizon. [Aug 2008, p.84]

More of the same, a little bit tougher and a little more lame. It's a fiendish, addictive, intelligent game, but if you find yourself cursing, you know who to blame.

A brave attempt at combining two very different types of gameplay. [Nov 2007, p.84]

Designing your own gaming world has so much potential, sadly let down by limited vision and scope. It doesn't help that the gameplay is about as exciting as our bank statements. [Dec 2007, p.86]

It looks cute and sounds great, but it takes too long to grasp its mechanics. [Oct 2010, p.93]

This is undoubtedly a well thought-out handheld port, but it's still slightly lacking for the changes. One for the kids. [March 2013, p.68]

A decent game. [Christmas 2010, p.83]

Multiplayer is where it's at. [Sept 2009, p.95]

Wii U exposes the series' ancient systems more than ever, but sometimes old dogs don't need new tricks. [Christmas 2013, p.88]

Inazuma Eleven, then, retains its charm, quirks and problems. There are a few new facets, to be sure, but this is fan service at its most serviceable.

A solid and well-made example of what we want to see in a DS racer. Juiced 2 impresses on first play but doesn't leave a unique lasting impression to make it a must buy. [Dec 2007, p.80]

There's not much depth here, but for just 200 Points, this is a decent time waster. [June 2010, p.96]

It gets hard quickly but should keep you entertained. [June 2010, p.97]

Requires a forgiving gamer to see it from start to end. [March 2014, p.78]

With more balanced controls for the Remote, this would have been so much better. [Nov 2007, p.79]

A massive disappointment. Play with the analogue stick and it's a great golf game, but try to use the Remote and you're in for a rough ride. [Apr 2007, p.83]

The 3DS version of Origins has the soul of an outstanding platformer, but the body's been lost in translation. If you really want to enjoy Rayman Origins, if you've any love for the 2D platforming genre at all, respectfully sidestep it on 3DS and invest in the Wii version.

Feels half-finished. [July 2009, p.87]

This is a cut above most monster collection games, but won't change the world. [Oct 2009, p.80]

Worth a few hours of uncynical fun. [Christmas 2014, p.92]

While Mouse Attack is a fun, if slightly short-lived, platformer, Kirby has taken a small step backwards after the clever and innovative "Canvas Curse." [July 2007, p.84]

A brilliant idea, handled carelessly. Some of these oldies are far from golden, but with some fine-tuning, a sequel would be very welcome indeed.

An addictive game let down by a crippling lack of gameplay modes. Shame. [Nov 2009, p.102]