We were 52% through the single-player game within 45 minutes of starting. [Christmas 2007, p.88]

Never mind the uncomfortably dubious gender politics, the biggest offence here is the inability to capitalise on rock-solid action foundations.

Looks lovely but is just too frustrating and slow-paced to recommend. [Nov 2009, p.99]

A decent little game that should burn an hour or two, but it's a tad pricey. [Feb 2011, p.96]

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

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

A moderately successful blend of familiar genres. [March 2014, p.76]

Distinctly lacking in character and longevity. [Christmas 2010, p.70]

A playable adventure with some clever touch-screen applications, but its disappointing technical cutbacks leave us feeling that our beloved DS can do a lot better. [Dec 2006, p.93]

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

It's not terrible, just awkward. [Oct 2009, p.84]

Mystery Detective looks great but is lacking in the gameplay department because the puzzles are often too obscure to be worked out properly. Trial-and-error isn't much fun. [May 2007, p.84]

Most will find something to like, but it's not even close to the classic it apes. [Apr 2014, p.84]

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

Lack of tactical options makes you feel powerless. [June 2014, p.76]

The only real crime here is a perfectly good mystery turning into "Where's Wally?" [Sept 2010, p.93]

It looks, sounds and plays just as it did well over 20 years ago. So it's dated, but fun. [Sept 2009, p.93]

A simplistic puzzler with a limited lifespan. [Mar 2010, p.87]

The better of the two Bearsworth Manor games, but still rather cumbersonme to play. [Sept 2010, p.94]

It's utterly silly, cheesy as hell and only really worth getting for a bit of a laugh with your horror fan friends, yes, but even so it's still alright. [Dec 2008, p.97]

A decent enough game, but it feels massively out of date. One for Tales fans only. [Nov 2009, p.88]

Attempts to be all games to all parties, but never decides what it wants to be. [Christmas 2013, p.86]

Perhaps a trifle too authentic, but it's slick, fun and so full of 8-bit memories that it feels like watching someone flick through an old game magazine. [May 2013, p.84]

It's good fun at first but the difficulty ramps up far too quickly and it becomes frustrating indeed. [July 2010, p.95]

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

Less chaotic than real cleaning, but that's actually a good thing for once. [June 2013, p.84]

Good fun for a couple of hours, but then its lack of depth starts to show through. [June 2008, p.85]

With its limited tower strategies, bland stretches of desert to navigate and repetitive fight mechanics, this is more a case of chide 'em, cowboy.