This just doesn't want to click for me. Skautfold: Into the Fray has some intricate pixel art but the combat is hampered by a small selection of guns and enemy variety. The shooting prioritises precision and I don't think the analogue sticks quite supply it. How you engage with combat rarely changed over my time with it and that results in something frustrating and a little tedious.

Any AK-xolotl fans looking for some couch co-op action will be happy but there might be better rogue-likes out there on PSN for the money.

Parcel Corps is a fun throwback to Sega’s Dreamcast days of yore, being a hybrid with the feel of both Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi. It doesn’t lend itself particularly well to extended play sessions though. It is generally engaging enough and a fun playground to mess around in.

Darksiders II Deathinitive Edition forgoes some of the bells and whistles of the Playstation 5 platform for a port that's more straight forward. It's a sharper looking version but not an upgrade that really puts the old consoles to shame. For anyone new, this is a solid opportunity to discover a game with clever dungeon design, solid enough platforming and engaging combat. There is a surprising amount of craft n display for something that derives so much from other games.

Super XYX is a solid shoot 'em up made by people who clearly love and understand the genre.

Killing Time: Resurrected is a fantastic upgrade to an underrated first-person shooter. There's a great sense of place in the level design and a cheeky sense of character with the enemy sprites. The story, whilst a little goofy is told well by some solid acting and the visual upgrades give it a greater sense of clarity. The key hunting can really damage the momentum and I do find the combat a touch easy. Still, I can appreciate the ideas on offer and the execution can feel ahead of its time.

Go Mecha Ball offers up an impressive mix of twin-stick shooting and pinball and can be a lot of fun but it is let down by some under-developed upgrade mechanics and a level of difficulty that can often feel a little bit unfair at times.

Beyond Galaxyland takes a fairly inoffensive story and marries it to something startling presentation. At times, it can be a treat to watch but there is also some mechanical depth to the turn-based encounters. I found it to be a very linear experience but one that never lacked forward momentum. It's a pleasant surprise that I quite enjoyed, despite some of the narrative not hitting. I didn't find much of a challenge here but there's some clever ideas on display.

In a series that is quickly running out of fresh ideas, World Brothers 2 leans into being fast, fun and cheery. It might struggle to find an audience with both casual players and hardcore EDF fans but it certainly offers up some enjoyable alien blasting action.

Melobot – A Last Song is a nice rhythm action puzzler, but rendered all too brief by the fact that you can effectively negate the challenge by choosing the note display without any penalty. The penultimate world being tougher than the final one is also a head scratcher, but that’s partly down to the use of R3 as a main button. Inexcusable when L1 remains unmapped.

There's some clever ideas in GoobnBalloonsDX but not all of them feel fully baked. I find the arcade mode to feel sluggish with the basic scoring system really slowing down progression. On the other hand, the campaign mode shows a delightful amount of variety. I enjoy how the movement and shooting feels but, on the rare occasions where being shot-shy is an advantage, it can't quite deliver. When it works, there's a smart, enjoyable game that really is trying to expand the core balloon-popping experience.

This remake is a way to play one of the more interesting '90s beat 'em ups and that's good but the original was better in several ways.

The changes have certainly made Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed a more fluid experience. It doesn't bring a lot of challenge but the new visuals have given plenty of life to the environments, even if they're mostly grim and dark. The control changes feel natural. The backtracking in the middle can slightly dampen the pace but, on the whole, I found the experience to be straight-forward. The presentation shines as a wander through some of Disney's vintage heyday but behind the nostalgia is a competent platformer.

Visuals from 20 years ago meet gameplay from 40 years ago. Space Paradox: Noire isn't terrible but it's about as unexciting a shoot 'em up as we can remember reviewing.

Aero The Acro-Bat 2 is a good port of a classic ‘90s platformer with faithful emulation and plenty of extras for fans of the game. It’s very much of its time, but can still be appreciated, with the challenge adapted via save states and any number of cheats to act as training wheels. Despite this reviewer not having played it back when, we still enjoyed ourselves for the most part.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown really lacks an identity. Despite the name, it doesn't bear great resemblance to the previous games. Whilst there is a vast city to explore, the lifestyle element has been somewhat left behind and the car selection has significant omissions. It can be visually inconsistent but the driving model feels very solid. It lacks some detail but there is some decent digital tourism within. The worst of the connectivity issues appear to have been resolved but the way online is handled, and a general lack of atmosphere can make this feel like a lonely drive.

Gori: Cuddly Carnage has the air of an Insomniac game in some ways, but its lack of refinement and rough edges make for a frustrating journey. He’s cute at least, but the incessant chatter from his talking skateboard gets older quicker than Walter Donovan choosing the wrong Grail. The ugly character design and the mean-spirited upgrades make this a tough game to recommend, let alone play for an extended period. The combat is a bit generic but is fun enough. We just don’t see ourselves replaying this lots to unlock everything.

We love twin-stick shooters and we love tower defense games. Unfortunately, Road Defense: Outsiders doesn't execute either aspect particularly well.

NBA 2K25 is a solid entry for the series. It is a small move forward with a great feel on the court. Shot making felt reliable to me with only a couple of head-scratching defensive plays letting the experience slide. It is a refinement of what's came before it with MyNBAEras offering a wealth of teams throughout time to play with. It's not quite historically accurate but I enjoy seeing those teams battle it out in anger. MyPlayer feels streamlined with only a brief venture into high school with the main focus being on the big league. It's a very accomplished simulation with great polish.

This is remaking done right. Take a title from gaming history and give it a gorgeous glow up. It might be too tough for some but it's worth persisting with.

Yars Rising takes a old favourite and twists into an odd beast. Whilst framing it as a search action game makes for a more substantial experience, the presentation doesn't blend successfully and I find Emi to be an annoying character. The traversal and combat feels okay with only the bosses providing a genuine challenge. The hacking challenges have an impressive variety but it's a small part of a larger, less interesting package.

Star Wars Outlaws is the open world Star Wars game we didn’t know we needed. Yes, the music is a little lukewarm and the combat isn’t massively overcomplicated, but nor does it need to be. There is no match for a good blaster as is aptly demonstrated here, neither do you need fancy laser swords twirling around. The stealth elements are fun with takedowns being a nice silent way to infiltrate places you shouldn’t be in. Given this is in effect, a game by massive committee, it is remarkable that it’s as good as it is. The fanservice is light and not massively in your face, but we’d not begrudge it if a bit more showed up, even if just as a musical cue.

We can appreciate a compilation of some of retro gaming's deepest cuts, especially when the emulation is well-executed, but the three games offered up here just aren't any good.

The 'Netflix of Retro Gaming' comes to PSN and it works surprisingly well with the streaming performing as it should and lots of features that give you a good reason to stick with the games on offer. We're exciting to see what else they can do with it but what's here already is great.

Mining Mechs is a simple digging/exploration game where you dig to earn money so that you can dig some more. Beyond that, there's not much else to the game but if you're looking for a relaxing time, this game should fit the bill.

Tiebreak: Official Game of the ATP and WTA is an unfortunate mix. The license brings with it some decently rendered players and venues but it also lacks a presentational flourish to do it justice. The tennis is uncomplicated but I miss having better feedback and precision. The career mode can feel slim and there's very little to do away from the court. If the tennis was more compelling, I'd find it easier to recommend. As it is, I find it lacking.

Valfaris: Mecha Therion takes the series into a new direction and it does a pretty good job. But make no mistake, this shoot 'em up is all about the journey rather than pushing the genre forward.

Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse Remastered is a retouched version of a smart and comedic classic that holds up very well. It can be a little light on options but the new lighting gives the characters and scenes more life. The writing remains funny and I really enjoyed talking to the characters and figuring out the puzzles, despite some troubles with the logic. The episodic framing really helps make the package feel focused and it really helped keep the pacing snappy.

Deadlink is a polished cyberpunk FPS arena shooter with fast kinetic gameplay. As is so often the case these days, there’s roguelite elements. Due to the fixed progression, replaying the first few levels can get a bit overfamiliar and a little stale, but it merely adds impetus to progress further into the game. Great weapon balance and nicely done upgrades make for compelling reasons to keep playing.

To be honest, Phantom Spark does well to provide the tools to achieve perfection. The racing controls precisely how I'd want it and the track locations echo the zen-like sensibilities the writing wants to promote. It has a clear vision and executes on it. Unfortunately, it feels lacking in content. The main levels go by quickly and, as someone not desperate to climb leaderboards, there was very little reason for me to return. It's worth checking out if you're up for the post-game self-improvement, but I was hoping for more levels to conquer.

Thank Goodness You’re Here! is a delight from start to finish. Packed chock full of gags both visual and via the script, you’ll be laughing frequently. A genuinely funny game with a great sense of place and nary a mean spirited gag throughout. Some of the jokes and cultural references might go over the head of non-Brits, but that’s their problem, not Coal Supper’s. The inclusion of two unlikely music tracks also make for unexpected earworms in 2024.

Arranger's clever game mechanics and puzzle design make it a true indie gem.

Ninpo Blast combines ninjas and shoot 'em ups to make a game that's oddly unexciting.

Whilst it might be the best option to play Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, it still doesn't excuse the faults of the original. I do adore the polished presentation but the platforming and combat feels stuck in time. The level design can contain great moments of verticality but the continue system can occasionally feel restrictive. As nice as the new controls can feel, it remains an authentic preservation of a fairly average game.

KeelWorks have done well to deliver such a polished entry into the shoot 'em up genre and we're pleased to see them focus on quality. That said, the game can feel a bit messy and complicated at times.

Exo One is a beautiful exploratory journey of a game. It isn’t massively deep but it is contemplative. The sci-fi influences are fairly clear to see, particularly 2001, but it’s none the worse for it. The speed run trophies are a little unrealistic to all but the most dedicated. We could’ve done with a level select too.

It's EDF as we know and love it but instead of focusing on new experiences, Sandlot have just turned a miserable grind into a near-unbearable grind without bringing all that much new stuff to the table. If you're a diehard fan, you know what to expect but even for seasoned campaigners like us, it's not as much fun as it used to be.

Super Woden GP II is a fair isometric racer that apes Gran Turismo in terms of structure, though the margin of error for winning races is minimal. If you crash, you’re generally out of luck but there’s still plenty of fun to be had.

Fortune Hunter: Erza's Wheel of Fortune can be quite cosy at times. The game doesn't lean so much on challenge and exploration can feel rewarding. Whilst it's not doing anything new or special, the ability to tinker with gear helps propel some individuality into the hectic combat. Movement and fighting feels good and, whilst the map is expansive, you can traverse it at a swift pace. Sometimes it's a visual treat and, despite the plot not grabbing me, there's enough in the gameplay to keep me interested.

RPM has a couple of good ideas, a good difficulty curve and a very confident style of presentation. It's a bit short-lived and messy though but it's definitely fun for a day or so.

FROGUE's unique mechanics elevates it from a glut of other rogue-likes. It's a bit repetitive and clumsy but there's a lot to like here.

Busway Islands – Puzzle is a minimalist puzzle game with no frills and a mere thirty-five levels for your £3.99. It’s OK, but can be a bit boring on occasion. At least you can save your progress on those levels where you might get stuck and resume later.

Graven is a console port stricken with a fatal save bug. For anyone wishing to persist, the remaining product is lacking in a few key areas. I love how the levels are designed with clever shortcuts but the encounters can begin to feel stale. The lack of new enemy types and a small selection of weapons really brings the mood down. Magic doesn't really feel special and can often operate like another key, rather than a tool for combat. There's a good atmosphere but the potential this game wants to invoke doesn't really come to fruition.

Parkitect: Deluxe Edition is a fun park builder, though it’s a little unrefined in terms of ease of use via a controller. Very much a PC game with joypad support bolted on. It’s also prone to glitching out on occasion, including during the all-too-brief tutorial in our case. Despite that we enjoyed ourselves. We reckon you will too.

Beyond Good & Evil: 20th Anniversary Edition is certainly the best way to currently play a slice of Ubisoft's past. The remastering is faithful and it has made me realise some aspects that don't quite hold up. The cinematic camera can really land you in trouble and the late game pearl hunt saps the pacing to a crawl. Despite this, there's a lot to like about it. The levels are well designed and intricate and the stealth is competent. The cast of characters have a great charm to them and I'll be interested to see if the sequel follows this blueprint.

If you really like physics-based action puzzle games and are under medical orders to not get excited in any way, then Bouncy Chicken might serve a purpose but for everyone else, there's little to recommend about this tired budget effort.

This is a fun little mash up of ideas from Lollipop Chainsaw, Dead Rising and Fighting Force and while it doesn't live up to those heights, as far as budget games go this is a pretty enjoyable one.

The Land Beneath Us is a fair tactical rogue-like that you might dismiss on looks alone, but stick with it and you’ll be rewarded by an intriguing combat system. We just wish we could save mid-run.

There's a lot going on with Backpack Hero. The Resident Evil 4 inventory system paired with some tricky turn-based combat makes for a fun and original concept. It doesn't feel quite ready for consoles though and is weighed down by a cumbersome story mode, although a very welcome quick mode cuts out a lot of the faff if you just want to pack and fight.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree manages to compliment the base game in some good ways. The sense of scale is otherworldly and the levelling system does allow all players to have a place at the table. It does seem lacking in proper dungeons but the wealth of new gear makes the price justifiable. At times, the map can feel barren but the new bosses provide a stern challenge with plenty of flamboyance. It definitely feels quantity over quality but there was enough here for me to really enjoy.

While NeoSprint might not live up to the arcade royalty reputation and legacy of the Sprint series entirely, it's a solid entry that offers decent racing and fun track construction.

Whilst it's not exactly robust, I did enjoy piecing together a story in Times & Galaxy. Opportunities to press a subject can feel limited but the writing is rich enough to convey a full picture. The assignments can inject some surrealism into the mundane and the structure allows for a lot of potential with future playthroughs. The chit-chat with your colleagues can feel realistic and understandable. It can lay the wackiness on quite thick but I found it to be charming and funny.

Despite some issues, Magical Drop VI continues to offer fun, casual puzzling entertainment to fans of the series.

Primal Survivors is (at least) the third attempt for this developer to get in on the survivors-like genre and it's definitely a step in terms of gameplay and ideas for them. The execution lets it down a bit but we actually had a little bit of fun with this one, so they're heading in the right direction.

Still Wakes The Deep is more than just a walking simulator in the tradition of Rapture or Esther. It nails the feel of bleak 1970’s Scotland to a tee and while everything goes to hell in a handbasket, your man Caz somehow managed to maintain his composure. Very much recommended.

The idea of a story-driven pinball game has some appeal but some poor physics, presentation and table design lets this one down.

Dig or Die is a Terraria-a-like that lacks refinement but somehow proves compelling enough to continue with. It could do a better job of introducing new players to this sort of game though.

Whilst it can be appealing to nose around the lives of others, Eternal Threads' cast are lacking in some believability. The writing is fine but the delivery varies in degrees of confidence. Confining the game to a single household should breed some intricate knowledge but the time manipulation removes any stakes from the equation. The butterfly effect of decisions can make things hard to decipher, especially if you're trying to dig for further information. As it is, Eternal Threads is a good premise let down by poor execution.

It's not my favourite genre but there is at least something to Crown Wars: The Black Prince. Being able to tackle missions at my own pace was refreshing, although I was still learning from failure. As tough as battles can be, there's a balance to the units and a definite preferred way of playing with strength in numbers being emphasised. The technical hitches are a problem but regular autosaves does mitigate any lost progress. Unfortunately, the pacing can be hammered by an early grind and a game that is not always the best at explaining its systems.

It's not exactly deep or varied but Horizon Chase 2 pretty much injects high-speed racing fun directly into your veins and it's a treat for the eyes too.

As someone who really likes the original, this new take on System Shock doesn't stray too far from the source. Nightdive have updated the visuals and made things just a little more friendly for new players. Visually, it's very atmospheric and polished. The interface can initially be tricky to read but combat feels punchy and can be tactical. The conveniences are welcome but it still has one foot in the clunky possibility space of 90's PC gaming. Rather than entirely sand off the things that appeal to me about System Shock, it refines them in a way I really admire.

We liked Nuclear Blaze's atmospheric mix of platforming and firefighting back in 2023 but it didn't offer a ton of longevity, so having a free PS5 upgrade and a fresh trophy set to conquer was a welcome bonus and a great reason to jump back into the game.

Doug's Nightmare uses up most of its good ideas and intentions on a weird story about a sleep-deprived banana and while there's some fun to be had from the game's weird and wacky world, as a twin-stick shooter the game feels quite pedestrian and a little dull.

Paper Trail is a fine puzzle game with a lovely origami mechanic that will delight and confound you in equal measure, especially if you’re looking to hoover up the collectibles as you go. Each level has the feeling that the developers expertly crafted the puzzles. On top of excellent presentation, this is a cut above.

With some interesting tweaks to the formula, Morbid: The Lords of Ire can feel like a stripped down attempt at the souls-like genre. The runes system allows for some relatively neat weaponry and the combat has a solid feel. Unfortunately, it lacks some polish and some of the larger encounters can frustrate. The pacing begins to sag in the closing hours and it's a shame the sanity mechanic doesn't quite land.

It's Rocket League but with golf instead of football and that works just fine as a concept and in practice.

Read Only Memories: Neurodiver is a good VN that follows on from 2064: Read Only Memories, but worked just as well for us in isolation having not played the first game. As visual novels go, it is one of the better ones we played, due to the decent voice acting and well done plot. It’s not massively long, but that may come as welcome relief to the trophy hunters that want low hanging fruit.

Whilst this is largely a no-frills puzzle game, Mystic Pillars Remastered does provide an intriguing narrative to pull you through. The tale of Indian folklore is wonderfully told in a warm, native voice that does a solid job of filling in the gaps. It's a shame the remaining presentation lacks the same punch. The puzzles themselves are simple to grasp and there's plenty to work through, if lacking in variety. At times, it's tricky but I never felt frustrated. It's not one long for the memory but offers a decent diversion for a few hours.

So, yeah, Rainbow Cotton isn’t going to win you over if you didn’t like the original and we’re not sure it’ll earn many fans from younger audiences, despite the cheery presentation and cutscenes, but if you’re looking for the definitive version of the game, this is certainly it.

I simply cannot trust Wrath: Aeon of Ruin, at present. For as tense as combat can feel, it can't match the fear of a game seconds from breaking. At the time of writing nobody has finished this game. My save is broken to the point where there are two levels I can't even finish due to scripting errors. If you have to check it out, PC seems to be where the support and community is. Out on Playstation consoles, it's toast.

A Tale of Paper: Refolded combines the 2020 PS4 original with the Unfolded Melody bonus content, but still remains a slight package. Plus the final boss perfect trophy can get in the sea.

Space Mercenary Defense Force is the latest auto-shooting survivors-like to hit PSN and while it offers up a reasonably challenging, and original, take on the genre, it's not the most reliable game technically. We liked it but could have loved it if it was a bit more finished.

All the classic Contra gameplay but with enough polish, modernisation and features to make it worthy of the grand old series. We're just not sold on that price tag.

Moonglow Bay is a lovely relaxing timesink of a game. It’s just a shame that it is bedevilled by bugs of varying degrees of severity. Despite everything we recommend you persevere with it and hope for patches down the line.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants does not breathe easy outside of an arcade setting. The short campaign loses any risk when you're given plentiful lives at the start of each stage. Whilst the new areas are welcome, they don't make the package feel any more complete. In the comforts of home, every imperfection comes into stark realisation. The slim presentation, the decent but ultimately safe combat and the overall small package makes this tough to recommend.

Ready, Steady, Ship! provides an accomplished and enjoyable experience. The variety within the level design means a new mechanic is just around the corner and the pacing of the campaign feels swift. The solo campaign lets the puzzles shine but co-operative play offers just enough moving parts for things both players to feel involved. Vehicles can be tricky to deal with but I was rarely frustrated by this charming effort.

Withering Rooms is a fair 2.5D roguelite exploration game that we found interesting enough at the outset, but it didn’t really get its claws particularly deep into us. It’s very much a game to while away a wet afternoon with, but if it’s sunny out you’ll find something more fun to do, like fixing your Flymo for example.

Loretta is a stylish thriller that does well to make decisions feel impactful. The presentation is top-notch and makes playful nods towards its inspirations whilst delivering some flourishes of its own. The story feels tight and thoughtful whilst giving the player plenty of chances to influence proceedings. I was satisfied with my ending but the others feel equally believable. I do think the dreamy interludes can feel occasionally superfluous and the puzzles don't really allow for much thought. Despite this, the intriguing narrative pulled me through.

Adding a story-driven mission structure to the humble auto-shooter is a pretty cool idea and infusing that with some Lovecraftian horror should produce a game that's better than this.

We weren't fully sold on Flightpath after we finished the story but the Endless Mode hints at the game it probably should have been all along. Either way, this is a competent and enjoyable shoot 'em up but maybe not the most exciting or polished.

An amateurish Survivors-like that'll last you less than an hour and will provide you with pretty much no enjoyment at all.

Otxo is a fair top-down shooter with roguelite elements. The faster you slay, the more you pay. It’s quite derivative and some of the default control mapping leaves a bit to be desired, but it’s fairly fun. It’s a fair way to spend a few hours, if not massively engaging. If you liked the Hotline Miami games this’ll be your thing. Us, we thought it was OK.

Manic Mechanics is a fun, well-designed party game that eschews overly-complicated gameplay and puts the fun first.

South Park: Snow Day is a slight effort that feels somewhat underdeveloped. The combat has a chaotic feel to it without any real nuance or precision. The few missions that are here follow a familiar path and it misses some much needed variety. The random card drawing can deliver some variables but not enough for encounters to feel different. South Park's humour is here but it's in much smaller doses and simply can't carry what's a mediocre offering.

Alone in the Dark is a surprisingly competent effort that looks back at its own legacy more than towards where the genre has gone. There's less of a focus on combat and survival with the mystery of Derceto taking up the majority of my attention. The performances from Comer and Harbour add some gravitas to a tale that can occasionally stray into theatrics but there's a solid sense of atmosphere and good foundation for whatever comes next. I do wonder about longevity with the two campaigns sadly mirroring one another. Combat, whilst not front and centre, does seem to lack menace. I'd still recommend it, for anyone curious.

We quite like relaxing island-based puzzlers but this one frustrated us more than it should have. It's not bad but there's much better options out there.

Balatro is a fantastic roguelike deckbuilder with a myriad number of ways to play and eventually beat it. Consume you it will. Resistance is futile. Embrace the sweet dopamine rush and sleep deprivation that will no doubt follow.

Abriss isn't your grandaddy's puzzle game. This is a feast of glorious physics, impeccable style and smart level design.

Llamasoft: the Jeff Minter Story is a fairly comprehensive collection of his 80's catalogue which includes curios like Soundscape and Psychedelia. We get a lot of written correspondence from the man himself but very little in the way of video footage. It can feel a little lacking when compared to the other compilations Digital Eclipse has produced. I still found it fascinating to see how his ideas evolved over time and how the Llamasoft aesthetic coalesced. It's just a real shame the game list halts before the company's modern resurgence. Those games easy to find but it would've been nice to hear Minter and Zorzin cover their more recent projects in-depth.

Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator is fun enough but in its current state, the crippling performance issues and terrible AI drivers that you share the city with are big blots on the landscape. As it stands, the technical issues and dumb implementation of in-car controls are holding this otherwise impressive game back.

The Outlast Trials does something a little different with the survival horror genre and gets a lot of good mileage out of its Fallout-meets-Saw aesthetic. It's not always exactly what you'd call fun though and there are questions over the variety of it in its launch form but we grew to like it a lot.

Highwater is a well-made turn-based battler set in the same scenario as Demagog’s other games Golf Club: Wasteland and The Cub. Sadly, it’s a bit short and it could do with collectible tracking. We really enjoyed ourselves despite that.

With equal focus on story, combat and management, King Arthur: A Knight's Tale offers a very strong RPG experience with really enjoyable turn-based combat.

Anyone looking to revisit the Top Racer series will have a blast with this collection. The racing remains fluid and engrossing. Having all three games here means players can see how the series evolved over time, although Top Racer Crossroads feels more like tweak on existing content rather than something wholly new. Online multiplayer is a welcome addition whilst autosaves and save states makes individual races easier to repeat. I don't think the new menus combine well with the older graphics but the effort that's gone into this product is pretty commendable.

Despite some initial promise, my mood started to sour on Welcome to Paradize when the base defence aspects became more prominent. The rest of the survival elements seem much more relaxed but the regular bombardments of zombie hordes wore on me. The combat is fun with plenty of improvised weaponry and I did enjoy configuring the zombie bodyguards. It's a cheeky world that doesn't take itself seriously but the whole thing just doesn't quite come together.

Inkulinati is an entertaining strategy puzzle game with an interesting medieval graphical style. Only in this game could a snail prove to be the most powerful unit on the battlefield. The campaign lends itself well to multiple replays. Plus there’s local hotseat multiplayer. Get to it.

A remaster of a forgotten, and failed, Atari IP from 1982 is a tough undertaking even for a veteran like Jeff Minter. There are ideas here that could work but with these controls, visuals and difficulty spikes, Akka Arrh is a tough sell for all but the most die-hard of llama lovers out there.

We liked Dead End City a lot. It felt like an actual '80s coin op but with a setting that sets it apart from the usual space shooters. It's not the most exciting shoot 'em up ever but the difficulty is pitched just right and it kept us entertained, and frustrated, right to the end.