A focused, thoroughly enjoyable - if somewhat shallow - take on the classic side-scrolling shooter.

In terms of presentation, Hungry Oni doesn’t put a foot wrong, but the rather basic gameplay limits its staying power.

A cheerful and chirpy zoo-management game, with a lot more strategy than visible at first glance. Shame about its unappealing looks and clumsy controls.

It's messy in places, but Orgarhythm is a compelling mixture of strategy and rhythm that you won't see anywhere else.

While Stratosphere lacks a little in the single-player department, multiplayer bouts reveal how tense and exciting this game can be.

Paper Toss with an oddly shaped ball, Rugby Kicks is simple fun for the first ten minutes, and simply dull thereafter.

It might not have layers of intrigue or mystery, but Roar Rampage has exactly the right amount of destruction required to put a smile on your face.

After Burner Climax is appropriately named. It's an excitement that just doesn't last long.

Bright, bold, and casual-friendly, Gamevil will have a tough time topping this outing next year.

Like a blackout at the Super Bowl, NFL Quarterback 13 leaves you wondering where all the football gameplay went.

A pleasantly bright and breezy social word game with a tactile control system.

You'd be forgiven for mistaking Picross e2 for the original, so similar do they look. Here's hoping for something new in the next instalment

Lacking much of the tone that made the movies great, Ghostbusters is about as fun as being forced to slowly trudge through slime, and being overcharged for the pleasure of doing so at a faster rate.

A reasonably captivating casual puzzle premise squandered by poor pacing and monotonous level design.

Fans of hardcore shooters will find a lot to like here, but there are too many omissions to make The DRM Death Ray Manta a must-buy.

While it does what it does very well, Pixel People doesn't have the balance or challenge needed to break the shackles of the genre it inhabits.

A stripped-back, unassuming old skool turn-based strategy game that's been sensibly honed for iOS.

The excellent game book engine underneath can't quite iron out House of Hell's problems. It's still a good game, but it pales somewhat in comparison to its predecessor.

A lack of real Vita innovation lets it down somewhat, but that aside this is a perfect pocket-sized JRPG that'll keep you gripped to the screen until your eyes turn square. A must-have for any Persona fan.

Awful presentation aside, this is a decent enough digital collection of traditional physical games. You've seen it all before, though, and there's not enough refinement or imagination to warrant much attention.

More roll-playing than role-playing, this game promises much and delivers little more than a quick RPG combat fix.

While it may lack the depth of some other racers on the App Store, Table Top Racing has enough gusto and playability to make it a winner.

Truly unforgivable technical issues mask an otherwise run-of-the-mill action adventure game. The toys are cool and all, but the game containing them simply isn't.

Fast, fun, but ultimately familiar, I Am Vegend feels like a plate of tasty but lukewarm leftovers.

Little Inferno is a smart and subversive work of art that pokes fun at freemium games. But its dedication to the joke often hurts the fun little physics toy at the core.

An abstract, atmospheric exploration adventure near-ruined by a breathtakingly ill-conceived iOS port.

While there are some standout moments in Cracking Sands, all too often it feels like it isn't quite finished.

A delightfully silly physics-puzzler that's slightly derivative but highly entertaining.

As gorgeous as it looks, and as clever as it sounds, Wide Sky plays like a mess.

Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable remains one of the most demented, wild-eyed shooters you'll ever play. But as funny, ragged, and carefree as it is, until it's available at a lower price it's hard to recommend to anyone but those who revel in flawed cult classics.

This match-three-puzzler-in-RPG-clothing adds just enough flavour to spice up its otherwise passable gameplay.

While easily the best Slender Man title on App Store, it's unlikely to chill the blood of anyone who's stared down the skinny apparition before.

It's not going to set the world alight with its brilliance, but Dingle Dangle offers a couple of hours of soft, harmless fun.

An intriguing builder with platforming elements that, while aiming for collaboration, seems more suitable for competition and trolling. If you like Terraria or Minecraft, it's worth a look.

Menus could be snappier and simpler, and there are too many systems at play to hook casual players, but those that do get the Kingdom Conquest bug will find a compelling multi-genre blend with high production values.

Clash of Heroes is a monstrous RPG with beautiful graphics; a suite of multiplayer modes; and some of the most smart and addictive battles around.

The best thing to happen to Pinball since Tommy, Momonga is a unique game that has plenty of staying power.

About as Zen as a rock concert, Zen Training is a quick puzzle game that juxtaposes tranquility with frantic gameplay in all the right ways.

Half-3D action game, half-strategic tower defence game, the rough-and-ready Heroes and Castles combines its elements well to create a tough and rewarding genre mash-up.

A fun and simple RTS game, Mushroom Wars lacks the spark needed to really recommend it.

While it has an interesting central idea, Half-Inch Heist is more about frustration than it is fun.

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

Give Crystal Adventure a chance, and you'll find some great gameplay behind its lacklustre aesthetic.

Retro City Rampage pummels you with fantastic video game and movie references throughout, and has the gameplay to back up the funny.

Although it's limited in scope and replayability, Haunt the House: Terrortown is enjoyable and charming enough to make you forgive its shortcomings.

Wave Trip's quirky style and music-driven arcade gameplay make for a refreshing twist on the Jetpack Joyride format.

There's a lot to like about Infestor, and despite a few niggles it offers an engaging, novel platform experience.

While there are occasional flashes of what might have been, Tin Man Can is too bland to recommend.

There's a decent puzzle-platformer in here, but it takes too long to grind out the game's currency to unlock later level sets and see it all.

Battle of the Bulge is as cold, brutal, and unforgiving as the titular conflict, but it's also one of the top choices for hardcore iPad strategists.

Like watching fish in a tank, Nemo's Reef can be a relaxing and even pretty experience, but there's so little to do that you'll quickly flush it from your home screen.

Wappy Dog possesses just slightly more sophistication than a Furby does. Only the very young and easily amused will get much from Wappy Dog, other than its sheer novelty.

Without the in-app purchases, Final Fantasy: All The Bravest would feel a little flimsy. With them, it just feels tacky.

The core implementation of placing trampolines to bounce your pangolin up-screen is just a little too unwieldy to heartily recommend. Nevertheless, the art's great and the physics are spot on.

A simple and competent ball-flicking game bolstered by largely satisfying mechanics and a well-judged progression system.

A lightweight action-RPG that makes up for its design and technical shortcomings with a weird, woozy, and strangely captivating style.

Solid RPG fun delivered in an interesting package, Life is Magic will help you see the world a bit differently.

A game that prizes exploration and creativity above all else, The Blockheads is a great way to waste a couple of days.

Less a breath of fresh air, more a blast of air conditioning, Temple Run 2 adds little to the endless-runner genre, though it is fun. It's just not the shot in the arm some of us were hoping for.

A cute cat and disarming presentation can't hide the fact that this is a puzzler with staying power.

Visually lush and easy to get into, Zenonia 5 has one big failing: it just doesn't do anything that hasn't been seen before. In-app purchases also upset the experience.

A solid, accessible strategy game with a neat concept, but it's a little too wooden and clunky to really score a direct hit.

A merely adequate Temple Run clone in pretty much every way, Run'n'Gun passes the time but fails to ignite.

If you know your Stan Lee from your Stanley Carter, there's a lot to like in the collection of these beautiful cards, and the math grinding will appeal to the Excel-obsessed. But those looking for an accessible battler will be best served elsewhere.

Tokyo Crash Mobs takes the crown as the Nintendo 3DS's weirdest game yet, with potentially dull match-three action that is rejuvenated by silliness.

Touch Battle Tank 3D has tanks, but not a whole lot else. Avoid, then avoid some more.

A great mobile offering just got even better, as Gunman Clive emerges as one of the best platformers on the 3DS.

There might be a good game somewhere here, but Little Amazon feels far too cynical to recommend.

Its parts might not quite work together, but Death Golf is still a mostly entertaining little arcade game.

A fantastically compulsive, very pretty shoot-'em-up - fans of Parodius (and shooters in general) should make a TwinBee-line for this.

Familiar gameplay doesn't take away from Swing King's fun and challenging presentation.

Repulze may not be as feature packed as some of its rivals, but the focused gameplay and stunning visuals ensure that speed lovers will extract full entertainment value from it.

With plenty of content and a fresh idea at its core, Cognitile is an entertaining puzzling diversion.

Noble Nutlings tries to achieve that elusive Angry Birds-style charm and simplicity, but ends up being frustrating, expensive, and simply rather joyless.

Gorgeous graphics and fun presentation make this game a difficult one to stop playing.

It might not be the most original idea out there, but Time Surfer is executed with such aplomb that that really doesn't matter.

Absurdly funny, perfectly challenging, and massively rewarding. This gorgeous, must-have motorbike game is a mobile port done right.

Crimson Shroud is one of the most finely crafted games available on the Nintendo 3DS, though the tabletop setting may prove difficult for some to engage with.

While some will be disappointed that RAD Soldiers isn't about armed surfers from the early '90s, it's still a massively entertaining tactical violence simulator with plenty of humour and charm.

An impressively comprehensive collection of bona fide text adventures greats, featuring superb presentation and enough bonus material to thrill completists.

With little personality, minimal content, and overly simplistic gameplay, HorseWorld 3D: My Riding Horse is headed for the glue factory.

Alphadia2 doesn't offer anything that we haven't seen previously, but those who appreciate old skool Japanese RPGs will find little to complain about.

It won't be to everyone's taste, but Stone Age: The Board Game is a deep and entertaining multiplayer package.

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

There's an interesting idea here, but Hundreds just isn't inspiring enough for you to want to stick around to find it.

There's fun to be had here, but Emergency Mobile just doesn't put you in enough jeopardy to become truly addictive.

Even if your one goal in life is to play a game where you control a hippo dressed as Santa, it's probably still worth giving Air Hippo a miss.

Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion had the potential to be a neo-old skool classic, but the elements taken from the Epic Mickey series stale those from its Castle of Illusion pedigree, leading to a game that's slower than Toby Tortoise.

Despite putting its own spin on the short Marvel comic series, Zen Studios has managed to strip back the Marvel lore so it appeals to pinball heads everywhere. It's as good as the firm's Plants vs Zombies table, if not better.

A timeless classic is reborn on iOS. The Lords of Midnight has lost none of its ability to captivate and entertain, and serves as a fitting tribute to Mike Singleton's genius.

Playmobil Pirates is full of personality and contains some excellent visual design. The handful of issues present here only slightly detract from an otherwise very entertaining freemium builder.

Miss the days of Beatmania? Meet the new king of Japanese-style rhythm action madness, straight out of South Korea.

Knytt Underground is slow to start and difficult to interpret, but you'll always have fun exploring its environments and surmounting the puzzles that environment presents.

Challenging, competitive word-searching make Wordament a game worth playing whether you're padding your Live stats or not.

Lush graphics and free-roaming environments compensate for a steep learning curve, spotty controls, and a reliance on in-app purchases.

It might have limited appeal, but there's a solid and enjoyable rhythm-action game beneath Santa Rockstar's festive pomp.

A slick physics-based puzzler and gorgeous to boot, Hydroventure: Spin Cycle needs a spot on your Nintendo 3DS.

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.