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.