A stealthily concealed puzzle game, Tiny Token Empires is a hybrid of the best sort, mixing together two styles of play to create something really intriguing.

Rocketbirds is more heavyweight than featherweight, with slick puzzling and oodles of style.

As garish as it might appear, Storm Strikers is a precision piece of bullet-hell gaming that can only add to the gaming credentials of iOS.

Mad Acorn may not be the most polished or generously equipped rhythm-action game, but it's charming, original, and works perfectly in all the ways that really matter.

A sleeper hit in the making, Monster Monpiece's rich battles and complex strategy elements are unfortunately overshadowed by its tawdry artwork and painful fan service.

Epic Skater really isn't all that epic, but it's certainly quite a bit of fun.

A brilliant introduction to the GRAW series, this is intelligent, exhilarating portable gaming at its best. While it lasts.

A gorgeous and addictive entry into the bullet-hell genre, Danmaku Unlimited 2 is worth a look even if you're not a fan of projectile-weaving action.

You have to play Coldfire Keep on its own terms, but if you accept that then you'll find a challenging but rewarding RPG.

There are a few problems here and there, but all in all Manticore is a brilliant deep space shooter.

Despite a hiccup here and there, Second Chance Heroes is full of gut-splattering historical hysteria.

A sharp and enjoyable hack and slash platformer that's never any less than solid.

Speedball 2 Evolution isn't a step forward for the old fighter, but it does offer up some enjoyably violent nostalgic action.

A polished twin-stick shooter with bags of cartoony charm that just needs a little more variety to keep you blasting in longer bursts.

A challenging and gorgeous game, The Rivers of Alice is a mysterious adventure that some will adore.

Devil Survivor Overclocked is the sort of JRPG that made the Nintendo DS the one-stop shop for tactical handheld gameplay - and now it's passing the favour onto the 3DS.

Near console-standard footy on a phone, from a team who go from strength to strength.

Castaway Paradise definitely calls to mind a certain Nintendo property, but it's a surprisingly good fit for mobile.

A blast from Rockstar's past that has found a welcome new home on mobile.

Fester Mudd is a funny game with smartly designed puzzles. You don't have to be a point-and-click nostalgist to love this game.

Like a shoot-'em-up sans bullets, Silverfish offers challenging gameplay that revolves around keeping your enemies close at hand without being taken out in the process.

Slightly bruised by its host hardware, but otherwise a technically outstanding, impressively comprehensive and hugely enjoyable fighting package.

Dungeon Clawler is an entertaining deck builder full of random characters, quirky perks, and engaging turn-based action.

A bright, intelligent puzzler that makes you think through every move that you make.

A quirky mix of Minecraft, tower defence, and FPS elements, Block Fortress makes for an absorbing experience despite some rough edges.

A bright and bold retro hack-and-slash platformer that comes highly recommended.

Very simple, not hugely original, but extremely compelling tower defence fare.

While its single-player sections are decent enough, Lub vs Dub's uproarious multiplayer is more than worth the entrance fee alone.

Fast-paced and full of Soviet-era chic, this novel puzzler is one Red Scare you don't want to miss.

A sharp and wonderfully well put together platformer that's well worth your time.

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is an absolutely essential purchase for any fan of the classic 2D games.

While the Vita version of Rayman Legends is inferior to the rest, it's still a highly enjoyable platforming romp.

Visit the Skate City version of New York, where all the curbs and railing give you lots of options to ride while skating from left to right and running from authority.

Despite its shortcomings with the lack of a second stick, Nano Assault EX is an incredibly pleasant surprise, as it melds the nail-biting appeal of an action shooter title with the delights of exploring a beautifully realised cellular world.

The Jason Rohrer Anthology brings together a great selection of art games that will either be just the ticket, or go straight over your head.

Pumped and packed with action, coming out on top in Aqua Moto Racing 2 may be a touch easy at times, but it's never dull.

You might not be able to say 'Rymdkapsel', but its brilliance is clear enough for all to understand.

There's a paucity of challenges to keep you engaged, but Pinball Arcade makes up for that with sheer power of presentation and rock-solid ball physics.

Mixing elements from Angry Birds, Swords and Soldiers, and the best tower-defence games, CastleStorm is the real deal for PS Vita.

With a bit more content, BloxBox could be a classic. As it is, it's just highly recommended.

A happy coda in a symphony that had lost its flow, Anniversary cannily pairs the refinements of the last decade with the peerless excellence of the original Tomb Raider.

A terrific port for this substantial side-scroller that comes highly recommended if you haven't played the DS original.

A fun, frenetic, and feature-packed tribute to the run-and-gun arcade shooters of yesteryear.

An exciting online arena game that's simple enough for mobile but complex enough to provide plenty of challenge.

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 Deluxe Edition is over-the-top action at its finest, and a great entry point to the One Piece anime.

Castlevania: Encore of the Night skillfully combines addictive gameplay with impressive depth and lashing of fan-service.

Offers the pick-up-and-playability of the old skool shooter, combined with great graphics and surprising deep gameplay.

An abrupt end doesn't diminish this sci-fi adventure's intriguing story and alien locales.

An exquisitely ridiculous high score chaser, Extinction Squad is another brilliant, unique, and hilarious addition to the Adult Swim stable.

Though it is short, it's incredibly detailed and impactful. If it'd be stretched out for the sake of time, the story would have dragged and chase scenes would grow tedious. Instead what we get is a bite-sized adventure with an awful lot of punchy content. It can be a little on the nose at times, but it all comes down to whether you enjoy it or not. Did I enjoy it? Yes, I did.

If you like your shooters shooty, and your mobile games mobile, then Max Ammo is worth a look.

A great companion to the Walking Dead series that combines fun gameplay with satisfying cast cameo appearances.

A uniquely thrilling, audio-only, science-fiction horror that proves that, sometimes, there's very good reason to be afraid of the dark.

Isaac Newton's Gravity is the kind of game that makes hours seem like minutes, though its challenge may leave you cold.

Simple to pick up and play, but deep enough to keep you coming back, Dead Venture is definitely worth grabbing.

Kind of like XCOM but with zombies instead of aliens, War of the Zombie is deep, rewarding, and massively challenging.

Shump is a brilliant mash-up of shooting, jumping, and dodging, and when it's at its best it'll leave you breathless.

For a game that shouldn't be involving enough to survive five minutes, NOON is a beautiful and addictive experience.

A sweet and endearing adventure, Fetch will wrap you up in its spell and leave you smiling.

A refreshing take on the iOS platformer, This Could Hurt doesn't revolutionise the genre, but it makes a good case for a button-free style of play.

It may take some time to master the game's complexities, but Minos Strategies offers clever design and deep strategy in spades.

Euclidean Skies is really good. It could have been great, but don't let that put you off.

Though Shadow Vamp controls like a slippery little monster at times, there's a clever and original puzzle experience at the (black, unbeating) heart of this game.

Color Collider is a clever physics puzzler that should prove an enjoyable test thanks to its excellent physics and tricky levels.

Excellent design ensures there's nothing funky with the gameplay in this simple, enjoyable platformer.

Rising Warriors is a pleasantly surprising light strategy package that deserves better than its horrendously generic title.

Twin-stick blasting goes online with this excellent and highly addictive title. If you can stomach the large amount of time required to unlock the best weapons, you'll find a long-lasting challenge awaits.

Cult of the Lamb is a fantastic cult simulator with a lot of management and action elements to it. The port to mobile feels smooth and polished, bringing a lot of fun to this pocket-sized cult.

Violent and entertaining in equal measure, Apocalypse Max is a fitting homage to Metal Slug, and a great way to waste a few hours.

A superbly balanced genre blend of role-playing, action and puzzle with some slightly irritating free-to-play embellishments.

A slow-paced and dreamy puzzler that's worth all of your time.

Fallen London will find a way to get under your skin with its compelling world but some odd technical and mechanical choices can break the immersion.

An unabashed celebration of modern otaku culture, Conception II is a dungeon crawler that hits a just right-balance of silly and enjoyable if you don't take it too seriously.

As mad as a barrel of frogs, Disco Kitten is an entertaining little game, and while there's not much to it, you'll still keep coming back for more.

I came into Blue Protocol: Star Resonance thinking I wouldn’t like it at all. I was expecting another bland gacha fest, but I was dead wrong. The combat is really fun, the characters are endearing, and I really enjoyed my time here. There are some things that could do with changing, in particular, the limited character slots and lack of class previews, but I genuinely can’t wait to be able to return when it officially releases.

Knightmare Tower is brash, glitchy, and it doesn't last very long, but it packs a lot of high-intensity fun into the two or three hours it'll take you to finish it.

A shiny and well put together driving sim that captures F1 pretty damn perfectly.

A superb action platform adventure that captures the exuberance of the film brilliantly.

Demonstrating exceptional attention to detail and a clear love for the medium, Pinball Arcade is a wonderful collection of classic tables for a very reasonable price.

Major Magnet is a colourful, playable, and imaginative arcade casual game that suffers from a vertical difficulty curve.

The best PSP football sim to date.

Slow to start, and surprisingly easy to fail at first, give Pocket Academy time and it'll grip just as hard as Kairosoft's previous management games.

Picross DS isn't the most alluring game you'll ever clap eyes on, but it's startlingly addictive and will provide endless hours of utterly compulsive amusement.

It's not original, but Tony Hawk's Proving Ground contains more stunts and features than you'll ever manage to roll your way through, and one of the most comprehensive multiplayer modes around.

Modern day first-person shooters will feel weak after you give Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD a play, thanks to innovative gunplay that still holds its own today.

Frobisher Says is an essential PS Vita download that perfectly shows off the console's various functionality.

A bright and bold platformer that might be a little formulaic but does everything it sets out to do brilliantly.

A squelchy blast of gothic turn-based violence that ticks the right boxes for 40K fans, and offers enough for everyone else too.

Kings and Assassins might not have much allure for the solo board gamer, but it's hard to beat when it comes to multiplayer.

Twitch gamers will need to look elsewhere for their kicks, but anyone who can enjoy a fantastically paced story of childhood will adore the exploits of Sohta and the gang.

Inventive, addictive, and eminently playable, Hermit Crab in Space plays to the PS Vita's strengths.

A relentless shooter with a colorful aesthetic and screen-filling shmup action.

A bright and entertaining endless-runner that gets the formula down perfectly, Outland Games is well worth some of your time.

An engaging, challenging, and terrific blend of different puzzle elements, marred only by uninspired presentation and harsh unlocking process.

Good-looking and instantly accessible, Icebreaker Hockey will be another smash hit for NaturalMotion.

Even if the combat mechanics aren't alive and kicking, with its inventive puzzles and unique sense of style the body of Dead Head Fred offers an experience PSP owners shouldn't miss.

Simple strategies blossom into complex interweaving solutions in this challenging puzzle game.

Laughing Jackal's latest offers challenge and depth in its mechanics, bottling the chaos of a zombie outbreak in a smartly designed puzzler.