Sony's infamous Halo-beater was gorgeous and clunky years ago; now it's just unattractive and clunky, even in HD. [Jan 2013, p.104]

A rushed, conceptual mess. Even as a kid-pleasing movie tie-in, it's barely acceptable stuff. [Mar 2009, p.74]

Initially it's OK, but as the variety of ghouls dries up and the camera becomes more of an issue Monster House slides into the type of mediocrity that games publishers believe that young kids deserve. [Oct 2006, p.87]

It's not a very pleasant experience and there just isn't enough fun to persuade you that you're spending your time wisely. [July 2007, p.84]

It's very old-fashioned, very familiar and very frustrating - much like it ever was, then - but at least you can still enjoy blowing up all the lemmings for fun. [May 2007, p.76]

Fans will squeeze out some fun but this is the laziest GH yet. [Mar 2010, p.88]

It's old. It's lame. Kill it. Now. [May 2008, p.78]

An unsatisfying mix of psychedelic visuals and gameplay. [Christmas 2009, p.93]

Only Hawk nuts are likely to appreciate this one. [Sept 2007, p.81]

Deeply uninspiring. [Apr 2007, p.86]

The game's problems are much too loud to ignore. [Issue#174, p.83]

It can be compelling, in short bursts at least. [Christmas 2010, p.89]

It feels like clever technology that has been fleshed out without any real thought. [Aug 2010, p.96]

It's all a bit dull. [Dec 2007, p.82]

This dungeon crawler won't satisfy those seeking scares. [Christmas 2012, p.102]

Complex controls put this out of touch. [Aug 2008, p.80]

Has all the right influences, but uses them in all the wrong ways. [Jan 2011, p.92]

Boring environments, repetitive gameplay and poor combat mean this is considerably worse than its predecessor. [Christmas 2011, p.105]

You'll get a kick from smashing the bones of your ragdoll men. [Christmas 2007, p.82]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

A decent PS3 debut quest, but this by-the-book RPG is nowhere near what we expect from Sony's new machine. [Mar 2007, p.76]

Ugly, but addictive. [Christmas 2009, p.94]

The basic combat lacks the depth needed to make the fetch quests interesting. [Apr 2010, p.97]

Shoddy. [Christmas 2009, p.95]

One of PSP's worst games. [Christmas 2006, p.98]

Best Gaiden yet, but not as accomplished as Bayonetta. It is less hardcore than previous games, making solo play enjoyable, but the online is a misstep. [May 2012, p.96]

A so-so mix of tactics and chaotic combat. [Dec 2007, p.82]

Not as good as "Fight Night" PSP, nor even the old PS2 "Rocky" games. So no title contender, but not bad either. [Mar 2007, p.68]

The controls are sticky, the animation is staggered and lumpy, and overall it's not worth playing at all. [Christmas 2009, p.95]

There's no story, no extra modes and merely functional presentation. [Sept 2009, p.77]

Undeniably original, but control clumsiness makes this slow-burning curio hard to recommend. [July 2012, p.111]

Cerberus takes a loved franchise and sullies it with a deeply mediocre and uninspiring third-person shooter. [Dec 2006, p.95]

The 'hardcore' tag can't excuse this. Even fans of King of Fighters will feel short-changed. [Nov 2006, p.68]

It doesn't do too much to suggest it's anything more than a Costcutter GTA, but it's a fun nostalgia-soaked affair. [July 2007, p.80]

They might as well call it Dynasty Warriors 7/10 and be done with it. [June 2011, p.93]

Imitates better fantasy RPGs poorly. It's interesting concept is buried under poor story-telling, a lifeless world, and dull combat. [Christmas 2012, p.89]

A terrible experience, years behind the competition. [Aug 2011, p.92]

Do yourself a favor and steer clear of this one. [Oct 2007, p.84]

A technical mess, ridden with slowdown and glitches. [Mar 2009, p.74]

Low on strategy, devoid of inspiration, it's the same hack 'n' slashing that got more tired than man in full samurai battledress doing a marathon. [Feb 2007, p.78]

You'd get better interactivity in general from buying his Greatest Hits album and tapping your foot. [Apr 2012, p.109]

Releasing this as FIFA 13 is a decision that borders on scandalous. It's a decent game - but a new one? No chance. [Christmas 2012, p.103]

Hellacious. [Apr 2012, p.107]

Swims in shallow waters. [Apr 2012, p.108]

Uninspiring, repetitive and dull. [Sept 2011, p.104]

Looks gorgeous, but the obsessive focus on combat can be as irritating as it is exciting. [Aug 2007, p.76]

Should be reasonably engaging for very young children. [Christmas 2006, p.95]

It has some great ideas, but ruins them with mediocre shooting and a truly shocking frame-rate. [Apr 2008, p.76]

Despite the variety and potential, at its core Zero Gravity is glitchy and little fun. [Apr 2008, p.82]

Fun for a while. [Christmas 2010, p.88]

The random levels are gone, but the blandness remains. [June 2008, p.84]

Traveller's Tales have no excuse for serving up this steaming pile of Minotaur dung. [Nov 2008, p.84]

It's more bad karaoke compilation than game. [Christmas 2007, p.82]

The presentation feels cheap compared to the "Dancing Stage" games, hard mode is ridiculously difficult at times and it's just nowhere near as fun as "Guitar Hero." [Oct 2006, p.78]

Timewarp RPG sends us to sleep. [May 2008, p.81]

It's a decent enough shooter, but the lack of ideas and fiddly controls - especially through zero-gravity sections - make this a dead cert for the bargain bin. [Aug 2012, p.102]

What a terrible shame, then, that a game with such weird possibilities really does end up being well...typical. [Jan 2007, p.84]

A cynical, sterile attempt to ? og cash out of Ski Sunday fans.

14 lightweight games. [Christmas 2006, p.99]

Lacks a strong identity and any real thrills. [June 2012, p.111]

It's slick and it's fast, and when the fighting flows you can almost forget about the flaws. But really, it's just another game where you run from one area to another, clearing room after room of enemies and, graphics apart, it never truly surprises or impresses. [Jan 2007, p.78]

Smashing is fun, but there's no real depth. [Sept 2008, p.78]

With horribly repetitive gameplay and awful graphics the choice between this and armageddon is still a close one. [Oct 2008, p.78]

Hugely samey and mostly joyless. [Nov 2007, p.84]

So Haze, as a PS3 exclusive, is far from a reason to own a PS3.

Feels like it's been hiding in the bushes for years, growing old as it waits to spring out on stealth fans. [March 2012, p.92]

Warfighter isn't big or clever, and it's definitely not original. [Christmas 2012, p.88]

It's a fun game and the graphics are far from - ahem - wack, with impressive detail (especially the funfair on the pier), destructible scenery and progressive vehicle damage, all in solid, smooth 3D. [Jan 2007, p.83]

The rapid succession of games may be suited for handheld play, but they lack the variety to remain compelling. [Aug 2007, p.78]

There's a slight stickiness to your character's response time that makes all of Ninjamurai's other achievements irrelevant - jumping and slashing just don't feel good. [Sept 2011, p.111]

Bomberman Land just blows. [May 2008, p.78]

A strange mix of Western and Japanese RPG that fails to excite. [Mar 2011, p.88]

The early promise soon fades, leaving a repetitive slash-'em-up. A shame, frankly. [July 2007, p.66]

A solid offering. [Nov 2008, p.84]

Ideal for younger players. It's not really for us or you, however. [Jan 2007, p.81]

But while mising tricks and fighting for the ball is fluid and engaging in one on one games , things don't fare as well with four players. [Aug 2008, p.80]

More a showcase for Vita's camera than a beat-'em-up. [Apr 2012, p.109]

Clumsy and uninspired. Avoid this like a mugging. [May 2009, p.64]

Sonic fans can justify it for the sprints. Everywhere else? Beware. [Issue#174, p.78]

Entertains under very specific conditions, but pricey and naff. [June 2011, p.90]

Avoid like Sauron. A shameless hack-and-cash in. [Mar 2009, p.62]

It's actively irritating having to press the same buttons and complete the missions over and over again. [Apr 2009, p.78]

Worst of all, Via Domus fails to work as a decent game - thanks to its refusal to let you explore, dull puzzling and an appalling ending that was already cheesy when "Dallas" did it 20 years ago. [Apr 2008, p.78]

There’s nothing ground-breaking going on here, but the mix of combat - shooting and hand-to-hand - and simple obstacles - jump over, slide under - is diverting enough. Of course it’s nowhere near enough to stop Ghost Rider from being another totally forgettable licensed-game experience.

The only thing less desirable than a 2D Star Trek strategy game in this day and age is a Jethro DVD covered in poo. [May 2008, p.79]

A lazy film tie-in, barely redeemed by some fan-pleasing extras. Only satisfies in brief flashes. [Sept 2007, p.70]

There's no real fun to be had. [Oct 2007, p.85]

A dreadful camera. [Oct 2006, p.86]

A massive disappointment. [Nov 2007, p.78]

A limited mix of mini-games that will delight children, but no one else. [May 2011, p.84]

So-so gameplay. [Apr 2011, p.91]

There's some fun to be had with friends, but none without them. [Oct 2008, p.72]

Decent combat, but 40 quid is a fairytale price for this sub-PSN effort. [Christmas 2009, p.88]

Odd. [Christmas 2009, p.95]

You can't blame a game for favouring fighting over politics, but you can blame it for making the fighting so boring. [Aug 2012, p.105]

Best stick to Monster Hunter. [Mar 2011, p.96]

A truly wretched game. [July 2011, p.94]

A moderately fun game which is more entertaining to watch than play. [Oct 2006, p.80]