Monster Life is one of the prettiest and best constructed social freemium titles we've ever seen, but its core gameplay systems don't offer anything new or particularly interesting.

Cutesy game based on a fun and original idea of drawing your own world. But, despite lots of innovation, the underlying game is unlikely to captivate older players.

There are some great puzzles in Instantion, but there are some not-so-great puzzles to grind through to get to them.

Despite good looks and lots of variety, The Simpsons Arcade isn't as fun or as funny as it aspires to be.

While it is a lot of fun to begin with, Pinch Peeps loses its spark pretty quickly, and a serious lack of content only adds to its problems.

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

Fantastic to look at and occasionally excellent to play, but too cumbersome and frustrating to do justice to the brand.

Hybrid 2 is a playable, though clearly outdated action RPG that can't shake the sense that it's not at home on iPhone.

Despite biting off far more than it can chew, Thrillville provides an enjoyable – if somewhat limited – ride.

Go Go Ghost is a perfectly serviceable auto-runner hindered by IAPs.

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

Cubit lives up to its title as being hard to the core. It's a neat little platformer, but expect little more.

The basics are creatively executed, but, while enjoyable, the resultant experience falls far short of reinventing anything – let alone brilliance.

The online mode shows promise, but cheap computer-controlled opponents and a curious lack of excitement make Protoxide one for dedicated combat racers only.

If you don't own a Nintendo handheld and want a decent enough Pokemon substitute, then this could well be it. Just prepare to be patient. Very patient.

The fact that Shifting World's flaws are so easily fixable makes this release all the more frustrating.

A sight to see for sure, The Mouth of Madness is unfortunately let down by mechanics thoughtlessly lifted from another game that sit uneasily with its presentation.

Code Atma has a lot of potential as an idle RPG that dives into the intriguing world of Indonesian mythology. The character art is simply stunning, but, unfortunately, looks aren’t everything, as the content of the gameplay itself is nothing to write home about.

No online hurts its longevity, and the generic game design fails to set it apart from the crowd, but deep down there's a fun but flawed auto-runner here.

Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition has plenty of good gameplay waiting to be peeled back, but its raw controls need ripening before it's recommendable.

While Fly With Me is playable, dull gameplay and shoddy implementation of in-app purchases prevent it from taking off.

Gun Bros 2 packs in lots of new bells and whistles, but essentially suffers from the same grind-heavy gunplay and cynical IAP-driven progression system as the first game.

A beautifully made attempt at an interactive narrative, The Act never quite manages to successfully blend its story and the player's inputs.

Diner Dash is about what you'd expect from, well, Diner Dash (frantic customer service), but much of the fun is hidden away behind in-app purchases and premium currency.

Royal Revolt 2 looks, sounds, and plays wonderfully. To get anywhere at an acceptable pace, though, you'll have to spend real money - and lots of it.

The fundamentals of arrow-throwing are executed well enough, but the spirit of the sport in a larger sense isn't, making for a totally acceptable, but soulless game of darts.

An interesting idea that's technically well implemented, high score game Dead Runner is nevertheless thematically confused.

Dual Destinies is disappointing. In general it's more of the same Phoenix Wright we've come to know and love, but the stories and characters are horribly weak.

Glides is a competently created, breezily playable yet thoroughly familiar endless flier.

For all the polish here, there's nothing that original. And if you like Dungeon Hunter, it's probably not for you either.

RoboSockets: Link Me Up is an enjoyable drop action puzzler let down by its stiff difficulty following a gameplay tweak in the latter levels.

Broken Age is still charming and gorgeous, but its second half is let down by recycled assets, utterly obtuse puzzles, and a flatlining narrative.

A facsimile of everything that made Crazy Taxi great. Crazy Taxi: City Rush is fun, but it's not a patch on the original.

Much like its predecessors, WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2009 possesses plenty of breadth but precious little depth. A fun but dated take on the sports-entertainment franchise.

The lack of choice over controls, cars, and tracks in Scrap Metal are a disappointment, but excellent handling and fun game modes make up for this shortfall.

Melodrama isn't enough to carry Apollo Justice, a game that feels considerably more weighed down by dialogue and little actual gameplay to speak of than its predecessors.

Inotia 3: Children of Carnia is competent and unexciting, a by-the-numbers level-grinding game that lacks the polish and energy of its betters.

Different, satisfying but also limited.

This remake will struggle to appeal to new players or nostalgics with its obtuse puzzles and budget presentation.

There's not a lot here for parents, but the children of those parents will find their first flight game here, and probably have a jolly good time with it.

Monster Strike squeezes a bunch of puck-launching into a fairly familiar free-to-play model, but it isn't that much fun.

Aralon: Forge and Flame suffers from the same issues as its predecessor, and it's a bit less forgivable five years later.

Charming children's game with a decent turn-based battle system and some neat ideas. It's a little short-lived and environments aren't too large-scale but nothing that should trouble younger players or stop them enjoying the faerie fighting fun.

Armada: Galactic War has the makings of a fine online real-time strategy game, but it�s simply not ready for battle yet.

Red Star boasts astonishing production values and challenging gameplay, but the tacked-on touch controls and unforgiving difficulty are frustrating.

A reasonably entertaining endless-runner, Pac-Man Dash! could replace its fading star with anyone else and still have the same effect.

Kids will love Phineas and Ferb, especially if they're into the TV show, but older gamers will see through its generic puzzle platforming.

A mechanically competent but rather soulless exercise in economic management.

Cast of the Seven Godsends isn't great, but if you've got a retro itch to scratch it's worth a look.

A nicely presented casual physics puzzler that would benefit from stacking up a few more layers of complexity.

A simple, ugly game that doesn't really add much to its predecessor, Farming Simulator 14 still retains some of that ungainly charm.

With a group of like-minded friends PictoImage is worth its weight in gold, but sadly the single player portion of the game is far less essential.

Catacombs mixes classic hack 'n' slash gameplay with twin-stick shooter mechanics to pleasant effect, but it lacks the depth and variety necessary to fight its way to the top.

A cute and clever physics puzzler that can't quite provide the accurate control system to facilitate its creative solutions.

Toad Rider might position you as a toad with attitude in this slick endless-runner, but its lack of originality makes it more of a chameleon against a backdrop of so many similar games.

Excellent controls and great graphics don't make this endless-runner feel like anything more than a routine jog.

It's solidly written with some fresh ideas, but overall Artificial Superintelligence feels lacking and unpolished.

Assassin's Creed II: Multiplayer is a novel take on online deathmatch yet its core movement and combat mechanics are frustratingly unrefined.

By turns enjoyable and frustrating, Tower of Fortune 2 is the slot machine experience in microcosm.

A step in the right direction after the previous entry, but THQ really needs to shelve the touchscreen control for the inevitable 2010 version.

A quite-nice sequel to a quite-nice original, but this Cowboy's from Sleepyville rather than Excitement Gulch.

Fans of Monster Hunter are in for a decent alternative to their favourite action RPG, but a lack of imagination traps Lords Of Arcana on a plane of relative mediocrity when compared to its bigger cousin.

Though you may get an initial kick out of it, Cows Vs Sheep: Mower Mayhem ultimately fails to provide a hook.

The Academy: The First Riddle boasts a vibrant, mysterious setting, though control woes and hit-or-miss puzzles routinely threaten to throw its fantastical adventure off track.

If you can ignore the lingering concerns of greed and mistrust, Dice Mage's fast-paced strategy and memorable soundtrack are enough to be worth a try.

Thuddingly repetitive, but sensibly brief stages and terrific tilt controls (just about) save the day.

Fun but forgettable, this physics-based puzzler is the very definition of 'candidly disposable'.

Planet Diver has its moments, but they're too often hidden behind slippery controls and some poor pacing.

Frustrating in places and sometimes lacking in polish, World War Z is still an entertaining movie tie-in.

A bright and humorous point-and-click adventure with excellent dialogue but frustrating gameplay - just like they used to make 'em.

Mekorama has its moments, but compared to Monument Valley it just isn't up to the task.

While it's a solid enough platformer, there are plenty of iPhone alternatives that do what Pixeline and the Jungle Treasure does, and do it better.

Paper Racer is a solid old skool racer, but missing multiplayer and loose controls let it down.

Though it soon turns flat, Ready Cola!'s initial flavour is just enough for it to be worth a try.

ShipAntics: The Legend of the Kiki Beast looks great, but it's a bit too simple even for a kid's game. Except when it's not.

Like a new lottery winner, Monopoly Millionaire makes a few immediately gratifying yet ultimately ill-advised changes to the way it does things.

A decent little arcade game, as you long as you don't expect too much from Icarush you won't be disappointed.

Technical flaws and simplified physics stop this from capitalising on the gap in the market it's trying to fill.

The freemium element isn't handled as well as it could be, but this is a decent game of cards with lasting appeal.

Seasoned Warriors veterans will love being able to take the hacking and slashing with them on the go, but those new to the series most likely won't find much fun to be had.

A charming building game that's full of potential. The core systems and menus are just too much like hard work for all but the most dedicated of virtual grafters, though.

Simultaneously brilliant yet deeply flawed, Heroes of Mana brings novelty to DS strategy gaming. If only the path-finding was up to the standard of the rest of the game, this would be essential.

The DS version trumps the PSP edition, but it's a hollow victory - this is lightweight stuff that many players will find is only entertaining for a worryingly short a period of time.

The House of the Dead: Overkill - The Lost Reels remains a decent virtual light gun game that translates pretty well to iPad, but its graphics haven't aged well and the IAP system is an unwelcome addition.

A fairly bright and breezy freemium base builder with light hack-and-slash RPG elements, Zombie Anarchy: Strategy, War & Survival would be a lot better if it demonstrated more brains and less brawn.

A perfectly passable little waste of time, Captain Bubblenaut isn't bad, but it's not that good either.

A subtly beguiling puzzler that needs a little extra attention paying to its core elements to make it more than just an also-ran.

At this point you might be asking yourself if it's worth downloading Love Island: The Game. And to that I say, sure, why not. I mean, it's not an incredible experience, it won't floor you, but some cringe-worthy dialogue and laughable scenes kept the game entertaining in a completely unironic way. Somehow.

While it's reasonably entertaining in the easier levels, Unstoppable Fist is too quick to swamp you when you up the difficulty, and its control scheme just can't cope.

Casual fun, this modern-day mobile retelling of SkiFree never heats up but it won't leave you cold either.

Despite the huge effort that's obviously gone into the graphics and the cutscenes, Beowulf's gameplay never really come to life.

MapleStory M is a competent port of the 2D side scrolling MMO but issues with a lack of challenge and navigation around the world hold it back from being an enjoyable experience.

Pyramids is a clever puzzler at times, but more often than not it's too leaden to let you fully appreciating what it has to offer.

Evony: The King's Return offers various ways to get your supplies and duke it out with enemies and real-world players. As mentioned, the puzzles add a unique element that is both fun and rewarding, and is a nice change of pace from the usual. Overall, it's a decent game in a classic genre that should offer enough satisfaction.

Shamelessly derivative and lacking likeable characters and an interesting storyline, The Jim & Frank Mysteries: Blood River Files is a well-intended but ultimately disappointing puzzle adventure.

Torn between the two princes, Prince of Persia: The Shadow and the Flame can never quite find its own identity. It's fun, but it's flawed too.

Worms 4 updates the ancient formula in all the ways you might expect on mobile, but technical woes and streamlining hamper the all important multiplayer.

It's a fresh idea but somehow the block dropping antics of Art Style: KUBOS don't live up to its potential.