This remake of the 1984 Karateka game revolves around a simple concept: block an enemy's karate chop and dish out some of your own. Looks fun and is fun, but also way too simple. Bummer. [March 2013, p.88]

Destroying stuff is the key element here. Unfortunately it isn't always clear if that one concrete pillar will break or bend. The destructible buildings are indicated with big, inviting signs, but only when you're boosting. [May 2012, p.76]

Moments like convincing a police officer to commit suicide because you made him think he murdered his girlfriend prove that Remember Me belongs in the top league of video games. Too bad that Dontnod does not fully capitalize on these moments by limiting your options when remixing memories. [July 2013, p.86]

With Marvel vs. Capcom: Origins you get two games for the price of one: Marvel Super Heroes and Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of the Super Heroes. Both great arcade classics with a great cast and now with some great online features. [November 2012, p.92]

When Vikings Attack! takes place in England in the groovy seventies (actually anything from the sixties until the nineties could be considered "groovy") where peaceful life is brutally interrupted by wild cartoon vikings. As if there is any other kind. [December 2012, p.92]

Aside from a new environment and some fresh weapons, this is mainly the same game. The developers added some cool details for fans of the original version, but those are not sufficient to buy the game a second time, even at a budget price. [Nov 2011, p.88]

Despite the game's age and thanks to the graphical update, the colorful environments still look beautiful, just don't expect any miracles from a game that's almost ten years old. The only thing that gets in the way of the fun you're having is the sometimes jittery camera. [May 2012, p.86]

The weapon selection is varied, but only has a few standouts, like an explosive catapult or an tranquilizing boomerang. Most of the rifles seem to have been lifted straight from some generic shooter and feel a bit soulless. [March 2012, p.102]

SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 was an ugly bastard. The graphical engine behind WWE '12 is much more evolved. The highly detailed wrestlers are a sight for sore eyes. There are some problems with clipping however. Arms that move through heads for example. [January 2012, p.80]

Fortunately we can't say we have any experience whatsoever with having an alcoholic as a father, but we can imagine its burden you'll carry on shoulders for the rest of your life. Just ask director Vander Caballero who based this game on his childhood traumas. [October 2012, p.79]

Not only do the recognizable levels make a return, the evenly recognizable difficulty makes a comeback. This artificially lengthens an already short game, which makes it very difficult to recommend it to a modern audience. [October 2013 p.95]

After finishing Binary Domain we remember its great setting and atmosphere, but that's only because the overall story is the only thing worth remembering. No matter how exciting the setting may be, the characters populating it have the psychological depth of a goldfish. [March 2012, p.84]

You will have to finish the game three times if you want to see all seven themed levels. Which is not a problem on its own, except that you have to play through the same common levels and puzzles each time you start a new game. [March 2013, p.90]

After Ninja Gaiden came Black, which had better camera controls. After Black came Sigma, in which you had the blonde queen Rachel as company. And now there is Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus, with just as much blood and giant breasts as its PS3 counterpart, but with touch controls. [April 2012, p.92]

Japan Studio succeeded in making the best Augmented Reality game for the PlayStation Vita, even though that is not much of an accomplishment seeing how little most games use this feature. [October 2013 p.90]

Even though my son is just three years old, as soon as the music started we had his attention. Or to be more exact: Wonderbook had his attention. Curious as he is, he joined the action and judged the game worthy of his attention. To see himself on the telly, how cool is that? [December 2012, p.74]

The thing we love most about Golden Eye is the split-screen multiplayer. You don't see this enough in shooters anymore. Luckily Eurocom can be counted on to deliver the goods: four people can fight it out on one screen at the same time in several exciting modes. [December 2011, p.64]

We would be surprised if you told us you've never heard of Brain Training on the Nintendo DS. Just like Brain Training, Smart As challenges the mind with clever puzzles and – judging by the title – puns. You could say it makes you more PUNctual. Muhahahahahahaha. [December 2012, p.92]

In this very challenging twin-stick shooter levels are randomly generated, meaning you'll never be served the same stuff twice. It looks tight and has controls to match its look, but could have benefited from a bit more variation. [February 2013, p.91]

Anarchy Reigns is not a complex fighter like Bayonetta or the Devil May Cry-games. Dodging is pretty basic, the number of combos is limited and the ability to cancel an incoming attack and counter it with one of your own is absent. [January 2013, p.76]

The cutscenes consist of 2D-animations, a sign that Ninja Theory didn't put everything they had into this DLC. But to be fair: playing with Vergil feels like a completely new experience. [April 2013, p.88]

The basics of Choplifter haven't changed one bit since its debut in 1982. You still control a helicopter on a 2D plane, rescuing people. Unfortunately you don't always feel in control of the chopper you're flying, which can lead to some unnecessary deaths. [February 2012, p.100]

If you have ever played a Dynasty Warriors game, you know what to expect from Pirate Warriors 2. You start out with Luffy, but as you battle your way through hordes of enemies, you will unlock up to 26 more fighters. [October 2013 p.82]

As much as the developer values Spider-Man as a superhero, they seem to be an even bigger fan of a certain billionaire by day/vigilante at night called the Batman. It would certainly explain why this game is an almost exact copy of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. [September 2012, p.78]

Look past the blurry graphics and what remains is the incredibly solid gameplay that defines the series. Every level, from the first one in Hitman 2: Silent Assassin until the last one in Hitman: Blood Money, is an amusement park filled with possibilities. [March 2013, p.82]

Mad Riders' set-up is as old as the ATV itself, a throwback to the classic over-the-top racing, but succeeds in giving it all a refreshing new coat of paint. And the best part is that can get all of this fun for the price of a single pizza. [July 2012, p.92]

Someone who also will make you chuckle pretty often is Professor Nakayama, the antagonist this time around. He sort of sounds like Stewie from Family Guy, not that it matters, but still. Ow, and there's quest that's all about urine. We feel kind of dirty already. [February 2013, p.90]

Those who do not care about the crazy Japanese aesthetics or the not so subtle references to popular anime, may ask them the question if the actual gameplay is any good at all. Well, it is. Sort of. [April 2012, p.66]

Two shoulder buttons to tilt the screen left and right are all you need to play Puddle. It looks neat, but Puddle is a little bit too much like a really hard alchemy exam. Too much trial and error for our taste. [March 2012, p.98]

Unit 13 is the first proper shooter on a handheld console and, if we have anything to say about it, it certainly won't be the last one. If they are all as good as Zipper Interactive's latest outing on the PlayStation Vita, of course. [March 2012, p.50]

Escape Plan's visual style is so well done, you will probably fall in love with it at first sight, just as we did. The game's opening has you waking up Lil by tapping the touch screen as he tries to push your finger away. He is absolutely adorable. [March 2012, p.56]

Joking about how players have to ride from point A to B all time, is not funny, it is bad game design. You can argue for ages about the quality of the jokes and gags, but lets not forget that this high-speed roller-coaster of parodies has some unique and interesting gameplay mechanics to offer. [February 2013, p.94]

Deadly Premonition's saving grace is its main character York, who obviously has more than one screw loose and grants the game its unique and confusing sense of humour. He talks to an invisible friend, reads mysterious signs in his morning coffee and talks about people as if they aren't standing right next to him. [May 2013, p.84]

This three hour long conclusion to the King Washington-DLC does not manage to enthrall us as we would like it to do. But we do have to admit we had a great time transforming into a mighty bear, destroying all who were foolish enough to stand in our way. [June 2013, p.91]

First you are confronted by regular police agents, then SWAT-teams and in the end even the FBI gets involved. To survive the constant stream of enemies teamwork is key. Even more so because you have a long list of objectives to fulfill. [December 2011, p.104]

Doesn't matter which persona you choose, enemies are defenseless. Never before in the history of Assassin's Creed were fights this easy. Countering is optional, not a necessity. Still, we had some fun. Aveline's armory is varied and fun to use. [December 2012, p.86]

The amount of satisfaction you can get from this new Ratchet & Clank mainly depends on your expectations. This is not a direct sequel of the Future-series, but if you are looking for a cool party game with your favorite characters, you can't go wrong with this game. [Nov 2011, p.90]

All of this you control, unfortunately, with the classic Vita controls. The touch screen can be used to navigate the games menus, but is not used during actual gameplay. Neither are any of the other unique capabilities of the Vita. [November 2012, p.90]

You can mix and match potions, which is very addictive, but also makes you look like a 5-year-old as you're using the Move controller like a spoon to stir. Luckily these potions are really helpful and sometimes even necessary, thanks to the pretty tough boss battles. [June 2012, p.90]

The three main protagonists have a friend list that is almost as extensive as that of a 15 year old girl on facebook wearing a push up bra. Meaning you have to be a pretty determined collector to unlock them all. [May 2012, p.84]

A giraffe is hungry and it's up to you to do something about it. By stuffing yourself with food your neck will grow and move toward the top of the screen. A simple, but fun mechanism that has already proven itself on tablets and smartphones. [March 2012, p.99]

Even when nothing happens at all, you're still on the edge of your seat. And that's what makes Silent Hill brilliant. The game pushes you towards the edge, never giving you a moment of peace. It drags you up slowly like a rollercoaster, dropping you when you're never really ready for it. [May 2012, p.82]

The former Xbox 360-exclusive finally comes to PS3 and the good news is that the game is a lot better than it used to be. The game received numerous patches on the Xbox 360, which are all integrated in the PS3-version. The biggest attraction are the water effects. [December 2011, p.100]

Rainbow Moon looks like an old school Japanese RPG, but it is actually made by Germans. It is a decent homage to JRPG's, but also made us long for the real classics. The combat system is great, but the excessive grinding sort of spoils the fun. [September 2012, p.87]

This is a pretty good platformer, but we are appalled about how shamelessly Disney rips of LittleBigPlanet. The characters you play with look exactly like Sackboys. A nice touch: you can dress them up with all kinds of costumes from the Disney-universe. [December 2011, p.97]

In this puzzle/platformer you step into the shoes of Kurt, a small boy stranded on an alien planet with just one desire: getting home. Easier said than done, because Pid can be a very tough nut to crack at times. [December 2012, p.93]

Despite Capcom's bandaging these games do show their age. Luckily the gameplay is truly timeless. These rail shooters are inspired by The House of the Dead, an arcade classic which was also remade recently for the PlayStation Move. [September 2012, p.84]

There is not much to be found here in terms of upgrades, story, character development or even new enemies or environments. Jetstream was made for hardcore fans who really just want more of the same. [May 2013, p.97]

Just like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Simpsons Arcade Game is only for the most hardcore fans and nostalgic players who used to spent as much money on playing this game in the arcade as Homer does on donuts. [March 2012, p.99]

Our favourite from the first game, table tennis, has been replaced by good old regular tennis and while it plays well (the game accurately represents your wrist turning and twisting), the avatars all move like they've got a stick up their asses. [December 2012, p.66]

A fun game which makes great use of the PlayStation Vita's touch screen to slice zombies in half. Logical, since the game made its debut on mobile devices. Less logical is the price of the game. Which is three times of what you would pay for the mobile version. [June 2013, p.90]

Not the most original title for a game, but do not let that fool you. This boxing game already appeared on iOS devices with a cheaper price tag, but the Vita version looks much sharper. Too bad the touch screen controls are a bit of a letdown. [October 2013 p.94]

The Bureau is a though game to get into, not because of the difficulty but because of the unreliable Battle Focus, which you use to issue commands to your two companions. Another problem are the seemingly unending waves of enemies bearing down on you. [September p.50]

The game feels right at home on the PlayStation Vita, with its short levels that only last a few minutes and intuitive combination of the classic controls and the touchpad which you use to expand or shrink your rolling ball of mayhem. [March 2012, p.62]

We've always been huge fans of the Burnout-series and we were hoping for a new installment. This isn't it, but nonetheless it is a masterfully crafted spin-off. [Nov 2011, p.98]

During the more than 60 levels, you'll often be drawing the same things, but the game is so cute and lighthearted that you don't really expect more depth. [Nov 2011, p.97]

You can build a house. And put stuff in it. That's about it. [April 2013, p.88]

Aftermath takes place during the aftermath (duh!) of an earthquake and it shows. The four new maps are all fine, but our absolute favorite has to be Epicenter. Even the new Scavenge Mode is pretty good. [January 2013, p.94]

A third person shooter that appeared what seems a lifetime ago on the XBOX 360 and is now available on Sony's hand-held console. The shooting gets boring fast and the graphics are a little bit sickening. [February 2013, p.90]

A puzzle game whose gameplay is very reminiscent of that of Bust-A-Move, except that instead of shooting small pellets upwards, you have to shoot them downwards, trying to clear the screen of various germs. Pretty fun. [April 2013, p.88]

An exceptionally colourful platformer in which you control a groovy dead rabbit. The game often surprises you with its visual style and funny cut scenes, but drops the ball here and there when it comes to precise controls and navigation. [November 2012, p.93]

Aliens: Colonial Marines may not be what it should have been, but maybe you can still get some fun out of this 1991 Amiga-classic. Not that Alien Breed has anything to do with the Alien films or franchise. [March 2013, p.88]

Zombies. Twin-stick shooters. Shooting. That's a good description of the gameplay you can expect in this slaughter fest. Not a bad game, but if you want to kill off zombies, you are better off with the comparable, but much better Dead Nation. [December 2011, p.100]

Believe it or not, but Tony Hawk used to be hip. Recent failures in the franchise have forced the king of skating to step down, so Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD takes you down memory lane to seven stages from a better time. [September 2012, p.86]

So let`s summarize: zombies, a cheerleader and a horny beheaded boyfriend rotting in front of the school gates. And let`s not forget that the 18+ rating isn't just because of a few rampaging zombies. There's a reason why Juliet just turned 18 at the start of the game. [July p.72]

Switching to a different character named Ayane from time to time does not mend the game's repetitive nature. Ninja Gaiden3: Razor's Edge is about slaughtering hordes of different coloured ninja and very, very little else. [May 2013, p.86]

One thing that won't drive you crazy any more is your flash light. In the original Doom 3 you had to choose. Do you want to shoot your gun? Or do you want to see where you are shooting. Sure, it added to the suspense, but in terms of gameplay it wasn't very practical. [December 2012, p.85]

Even though Tecmo Koei didn't make any technical sacrifices compared to previous outings in the series, they shun any form of innovation. The result is a very traditional hack & slash game in which the touch controls are only used in annoying mini games. [April 2012, p.100]

Yet another twin-stick shooter involving brainless, brain-eating monstrosities. All Zombies Must Die tries to change things up a bit by throwing in RPG-elements en co-op, which unfortunately you can only play locally. [February 2012, p.100]

You'll have to think every step through, something we gladly encourage, but it makes the game also boring sometimes. Those who own a copy of Golden Abyss get extra cards if they collected enough treasures, which we think is a bit unfair. [January 2013, p.95]

Without spoiling too much, you could say that apparently Dead Space 3 didn't really end, because this Awakened-DLC could be considered to be an epilogue to the whole mess. Unfortunately, it is way too short and contains recycled content. [April 2013, p.89]

It takes some time getting used to all the different sports, but once you've mastered them, winning becomes incredibly easy. The first time you set a new world record is thrilling, the third time in the same discipline, not so much. [July 2012, p.84]

The brighter ones among you probably know that Angry Birds was already released once as a PlayStation Mini, but that Mini was just a subpar port of the smartphone version. This time around Rovio did its best when it comes to graphics. [December 2012, p.89]

Roll your way through hundreds of levels on your own just like in the good old days, or compete against your friends online. Super Monkey Ball is a pleasant break for anyone who likes bananas or just likes to go apesh.t. [November 2012, p.93]

If you are an adult, you have to be in a really good mood to survive all this over-the-top happiness. But it is however a wonderful game to play together with your kids. The minigames are challenging, but easy enough to be enjoyed by players of all ages. [December 2011, p.86]

We would like to write that Sumo Digital has successfully transferred the PS3 version to the Vita, but alas, a whole list of shortcomings prevents us from doing so. The broken AI and broken controls ensure that you'll never cross the finish line in one piece. [April 2012, p.100]

This is war in its most brutal form and as fans on the series know this translates into a merciless game with a complex control scheme, complicated menus and a shitload of different parts for your mechs. [April 2012, p.98]

When Code Veronica was released on the Dreamcast in 2000, it was an amazing game. Today it feels outdated, especially after the changes Resident Evil 4 brought to the series. [Nov 2011, p.97]

The biggest strength of The Testament of Sherlock Holmes is its atypical, riveting story and the adult themes and settings it explores. Dark dungeons and maimed corpses accentuate the mental decay of the once great detective. [November 2012, p.72]

A fighting game with subpar graphics and just one attack (the rotating helicopter screwdriver kick... no just kidding, it is the dive kick) should not get more than 10/100, but it actually is pretty fun. When playing multiplayer. [October 2013 p.90]

Every overly patriotic football fan - is there any other kind? - dreams about winning the European cup with his own country. In Euro 2012 that dream begins in the finals, since the qualifying rounds have been mysteriously forgotten. [June 2012, p.102]

Summarized the battle system in Hybrid revolves around tags. Get your second character in the fight at the exact right time to complete a combo and you'll be sure to win most fights. Combinations of certain fighters give access to unique attacks or powerful throws. [January 2012, p.76]

The second part of the King Washington DLC is somewhat better than the first, but also does not reach any new heights. Which is kind of ironic, since Connor gains the ability to fly this time around. [May 2013, p.96]

Like in the previous Eyepet-games you never really get the feeling that you are actually petting the animals. Yes, the animal reacts to the Move, but the interaction is very limited. It's fun to toy around with the technology for a while, but after that it gets boring. [December 2011, p.89]

A mere three hours after our departure from the Bay Area we already arrived at Empire City. Outrageous, especially because The Run is the main mode of the game and the story wants us to believe that we just travelled a whopping 4,000 km by car. [December 2011, p.80]

Sexy Kitten Yamgasm has you spinning a ball of yarn (Katamari-style!) through town leaving a trail of destruction. Sad Panda Skyblazing has you floating through the air chasing mascots with a chainsaw. Just a regular day in Steelport. [March 2012, p.98]

The more you explore Silent Hill, the more it becomes clear that Vatra, despite its good intentions, simply lacks the necessary talent. The fighting system, for example, sucks monkey balls. In previous games you could opt to run, but Downpour forces you to a confrontation. [April 2012, p.99]

Wrecked: Revenge Revisited is the spiritual successor of Mashed, a top down racer for the PS2 and a source of loads of fun back in the day at OPM. Even today the frantic gameplay still amuses, especially if you bring a few friends along for the ride. [May 2012, p.86]

The quests aren't as exciting as you might think. Especially since the world is about to end and all that. So cleaning the house of professor Slughorn for example isn't the kind of task we would bestow upon the chosen one. [May 2012, p.86]

The gameplay is deliberately kept simple, but offers enough depth to sink your teeth in. A combination of light and heavy attacks doesn't surprise anyone any more, but Luffy and his buddies move in such an enjoyable way it kept us entertained. [October 2012, p.74]

Just around the turn of the century Jojo's Bizarre Adventure HD took the stage as an excellent 2D fighter based on the excellent manga by the same name. An HD upgrade may sound spectacular, but there are very few extras to be found here. [October 2012, p.79]

Because new weapons are found instead of bought, every bolt you collect is used for upgrading your base with turrets, shields and mines. Despite all that carnage, it is still necessary to jump into the fray yourself most of the time. [January 2013, p.78]

Unlike its predecessor, which could be described as a brawler that focuses on brutal melee attacks, Dead Souls is a true third person shooter. Pistols, shotguns, machine guns: anything that smells like lead and gunpowder is used to blow those brain munchers back to Yomi. (You'll have to look that one up). [April 2012, p.86]

Your ultimate goal is to slay your enemies with your katana in the most stylish way as possible. Just like in No More Heroes. Killer is Dead is actually surprising similar to No More Heroes. It is all about dodging and countering at the right time. [September p.78]

Q-Games proves it still likes to experiment. Pixeljunk 4AM is not a game, but a music generator controlled by the PlayStation Move. It will definitely cheer up any fan of electronic music, but we doubt if it will keep you up until four in the morning. [July 2012, p.92]

A heartwarming story is what we miss the most. You get the feeling you are doing the dirty work for the real Fellowship. While they are making history in the south of Middle-earth, you need to cause some diversion in the north. [December 2011, p.93]

About the only thing done right in WRC 3 is the staggering amount of properly licensed content, ranging from the tracks and locales to the cars and their drivers. Unfortunately there is no compelling gameplay to accompany all of this. [December 2012, p.78]

A zombie game that lets you control your own Zombies in the way of a classic RTS? Sounds cool. Looks cool, too. Plays … decent. But it gets boring real fast and some mechanics simply are not all that well executed. [June 2013, p.91]