The developers totally misunderstood what makes The Sims so appealing. There is little opportunity for creativity (furnishing your apartment is tedious), no drama and a mistaken emphasis on conservative conformity.

Variety is lacking, ensuring replay appeal is limited to the fun multiplayer modes only.

Puzzles are wonderfully innovative, utilising the touch-screen and microphone. Solving such tricky conundrums is satisfying but there is little replay appeal.

The handling is remarkable, and the fact the tracks are littered with obstacles that bounce and crash realistically makes it all the more fun. Throw in excellent damage modelling and it's plain to see that this game has nailed the core mechanics of an addictive racer perfectly.

Even amateur sports lovers will find it hard to fall for this slice of lightweight tennis action.

A big selection of different events suggests variety but the action soon becomes repetitive. Full Auto's main competitor, Burnout, offers significantly more diversity in its challenges.

Artfully designed for a young audience, Madagascar will keep kids constantly entertained by serving up a wide variety of fun activities. The amusing movie characters and dialogue also ensure plenty of giggles.

Collecting stars, dashing to the finish line within strict time limits and hunting for tokens are satisfying goals thanks to clever level design.

Mission objectives are not always clear and some youngsters might get lost or frustrated at the lengthy travelling between missions, but there is always something fun to see or do.

Some levels are ridiculously arduous, such as negotiating tricky leaps in a hurricane.

The innovative controls for the sniper rifle don't allow the player to pull off precise headshots when they're needed most, which leads to rising frustration.

The simple nature of the games is a double-edged sword. Anyone can play, but the lack of depth means there may not be any lasting appeal.

The strategy play can sometimes feel mechanical, but budding tacticians will undoubtedly love it.

Many youngsters will simply enjoy hooning around Radiator Springs, although some might get frustrated not knowing where to go next.

The difficulty level is accommodating for youngsters, although the controls can be unwieldy. Sadly, the fun is short-lived, with no multi-player modes or replay appeal.

Most puzzle games are slow-paced but Driller is lightning fast, requiring quick thinking and sharp reflexes. It can be stressful and addictive, and is more complex than it seems.

Shooters need to be special to stand out, particularly on Halo's home turf, but Pariah fails to excite or innovate.

Dark, violent and derivative, but nowhere near as flawed as the movie.

Where Rogue Trooper rescues itself from mediocrity, however, is in the way it utilises Gunnar, Helm and Bagman. They all perk up with humorous quips and helpful advice, while the futuristic gadgetry is inventive.

The 3D view tends to slow the pace of the game as you struggle to find your targets, resulting in play that's not as frantic as it should be. But aside from this frustration, Worms still has a magic touch.

Not only will it keep the younger ones occupied for hours, but they'll be getting exercise.

The new hands-on capture system is not enough to make this an essential Pokemon adventure.

Fast-paced stylus-swiping basketball action best suited to short matches against friends.

Children should have a whale of a time with this approachable and enjoyable adventure, which offers a tasty smorgasbord of game styles served in bite-sized chunks.

It feels much more suited to a low-priced download such as Xbox Live Arcade's "Marble Blast Ultra" rather than a $79 [AU] release.

The strategy play can sometimes feel mechanical, but budding tacticians will undoubtedly love it.

Pity the game lacks GTA's mischievous sense of humour and fun distractions.

The game's biggest weakness is the lack of multi-player options.

Mission objectives are not always clear and some youngsters might get lost or frustrated at the lengthy travelling between missions, but there is always something fun to see or do.

It's a solid poker package, but with plenty of low-cost competitors on the market, Tournament of Champions struggles to offer enough new features to warrant its price tag.

Xbox 360 gamers will be pleased to have a grand RPG, but sadly it's not nearly as enchanting as it could be.

Pity the game lacks GTA's mischievous sense of humour and fun distractions.

It's pitched at a younger audience than the usual Tony Hawk games, so the frantic, no-frills racing may only be fun for casual gamers.

Children should have a whale of a time with this approachable and enjoyable adventure, which offers a tasty smorgasbord of game styles served in bite-sized chunks.

Though much shorter and not quite as compelling as its predecessor Until Dawn, Man of Medan maintains the guts of the excellent interactive horror format. Its smart multiplayer modes, complex sub-plots, branching paths and assorted endings make it a blast for movie nights and a great start to a promising anthology.

A few dozen mediocre party games let up to four friends compete in unimaginative tasks such as paddling boats or shooting balloons but add little depth to the package.

Aiming squarely at gamers' nostalgia for mid-90s roleplaying games and hitting nothing but a vast white void, Lost Sphear is a fun game bogged down by a muddle of throwbacks and a cacophony of unoriginal, competing ideas.

Though it looks stunning and is an impressive achievement in open world multiplayer gaming, a lack of variety and completely frustrating single-player mode keeps Sea of Thieves from staying afloat.

Artfully designed for a young audience, Madagascar will keep kids constantly entertained by serving up a wide variety of fun activities. The amusing movie characters and dialogue also ensure plenty of giggles.

The highlight is a brief but thrilling broomstick chase against a fire-breathing dragon. An underwater interlude is less successful, although it provides variety.

The only thing blazing will be the tail section of your plane and your fragile patience.

A trip to Thrillville takes you on a long, unnecessary detour through Dullsville.

There are more trick-based challenges than ever, but aside from the new slow-motion control, Tony Hawk is skating through the same old territory.

Despite its frustrating flaws, there is still an authentic and challenging military games experience to be had.

Aussie expertise has produced the best Spyro game in many years, but the action gets repetitive and some old fans might be dismayed by the emphasis on combat.

It faithfully captures tactics and the energetic pace, with speed and strategic use of cover of equal importance to shooting accuracy.

The highlight is a brief but thrilling broomstick chase against a fire-breathing dragon. An underwater interlude is less successful, although it provides variety.

But if you know the difference between a Mame emulator and a Lame encoder, this could be right up your eight-colour alley.

Puzzles are kept to a minimum but due to the repetitive ship interiors and the absence of a map, players will spend plenty of time meandering.

A decent start to what will inevitably be a games series.

While the gameplay might not be very deep or precise, Frantics succeeds as a pick-up-and-play game that anyone can enjoy regardless of age or gaming experience. The funny characters are ideal for slapstick violence, and the frequent alliances, backstabs and sabotages keep things interesting.

A great Megaman introduction for beginners. But owners of its forerunners will struggle to find enough new features to warrant upgrading.

The swine stealth offers welcome variety but skulking is not as much fun as manipulating time, and a wayward camera becomes annoying.

Dark, violent and derivative, but nowhere near as flawed as the movie.

One of the most enjoyable romps through Gotham in years.

There is less humour and mission variety than in recent GTA titles, plus twitchy car handling and a stuttering pace. But few handheld games offer as much depth.

The levels are so big and detailed that it's a wonder they don't bring your console to a crashing halt.

With friends, the sense of camaraderie and teamwork is fantastic. Working together luring monsters into traps is hugely satisfying.

Serviceable entertainment for kids, but you'll have more fun watching the DVD.

The arcade-style fist fights can get a little repetitive but DC Comic fans should get a thrill out of teaming up their favourite characters.

Serviceable entertainment for kids, but you'll have more fun watching the DVD.

The highlight is a brief but thrilling broomstick chase against a fire-breathing dragon. An underwater interlude is less successful, although it provides variety.

The arcade-style fist fights can get a little repetitive but DC Comic fans should get a thrill out of teaming up their favourite characters.

It would have been good to see the game's accessibility for beginners complemented by combination moves for more skilled players.

It would have been good to see the game's accessibility for beginners complemented by combination moves for more skilled players.

Juiced is instantly approachable but has depth.

The levels are so big and detailed that it's a wonder they don't bring your console to a crashing halt.

It is inventive, creative and strangely compelling, but the more difficult tasks can be frustrating and its lasting appeal is limited.

Controls are sloppy, environments are bland and blasting alien bugs becomes dull. Even a futuristic tank cannot enliven the ground-based missions, particularly as the vehicle is clumsy to manoeuvre.

Serviceable entertainment for kids, but you'll have more fun watching the DVD.

Children should have a whale of a time with this approachable and enjoyable adventure, which offers a tasty smorgasbord of game styles served in bite-sized chunks.

Sloppy vehicle handling, some bugs in the design of the missions and the endless travel means it doesn't hit the same high notes as GTA and others, but the mindless action is still good dumb fun.

Lacking any innovation, the best this game offers has already been done.

Dark, violent and derivative, but nowhere near as flawed as the movie.

A great Megaman introduction for beginners. But owners of its forerunners will struggle to find enough new features to warrant upgrading.

Despite its frustrating flaws, there is still an authentic and challenging military games experience to be had.

But youngsters will need help completing some tasks as it's not always clear what to do next. Boss battles can also be demanding, requiring both button bashing and touch-screen scribbling.

A pale imitation of an age-old PC classic that tries to innovate but fails to grasp what was great about the original.

Attempting to provide both satisfying big-budget narrative adventures and an online squad-based loot-grinding platform, Marvel's Avengers is an extremely impressive effort that falls short on long-term incentives (at least so far), but nails the campaign.

While ploughing through the dungeons becomes repetitive, following your character's evolution and steady growth in skills becomes addictive.

There are more trick-based challenges than ever, but aside from the new slow-motion control, Tony Hawk is skating through the same old territory.

Obstacles prove satisfying to overcome, but enduring a lengthy Benny Hill-style pursuit is frustrating. Patience is required.

Mission objectives lack imagination, and after constructing several cities the game can feel repetitive and formulaic.

Playing Travis Strikes Again is an experience I'm glad I had, even if I wouldn't recommend it as a fun game. As a biting reflection of the ridiculousness of hardcore video game fans it's less successful than previous games, and its smaller scale makes the still-repetitive fighting even more dull. But the weirdness remains, and the Kafkaesque story of the Death Drive console paired with Suda51's signature takes on Japanese and American culture — plus the frequently enjoyable mish-mash of retro aesthetics — makes for a satisfyingly eccentric game unlike many others.

Aussie expertise has produced the best Spyro game in many years, but the action gets repetitive and some old fans might be dismayed by the emphasis on combat.

It's a gas tank full of frustration that could leave you fuming, but Full Auto 2's explosive graphics help to keep it on track.

The action can get a little clumsy due to that bane of third-person games, an uncooperative camera. Despite this the gripping storyline should keep players battling all the way to the finale.

A lot of fun but unlikely to satisfy your gaming appetite.

There's no escaping the awful loot boxes and ham-fisted progression system here. The much-anticipated single-player mode has its moments but it's not as strong as expected, leaving the online play to serve as the core of the experience. Though there are some smart tweaks and changes that could have potentially improved the game over Battlefront 2015, funnelling all your upgrades and levelling through random boxes massively misses the mark. The production values are sky high and in the moment it can be amazing, but Battlefront II's economy keeps me from wanting to jump back in.

The levels are so big and detailed that it's a wonder they don't bring your console to a crashing halt.

A large stock of firearms is available but a steady thumb is required because there is no auto-targeting.

While this rises above its predecessors, its true potential is hampered by restricted game mechanics.

At first it seems too easy to post sub-par scores, but once the more difficult courses are unlocked - along with stiffer winds, constantly undulating topography and tight fairways - the game is a more satisfying and enjoyable challenge.

Replay value is the weakest link, but the bonus missions attempt to offer some variety. It is best enjoyed in small doses.

While conventional, Ty 3 is diverse family fun at a wallet-pleasing price.

The outrageous characters, puerile gags and crass commentary provide chuckles but the jokes soon become stale. Player reactions after each point also quickly become tiresome.

What scuppers a lot of the enjoyment here is the flakey artificial intelligence of the enemies and the sheer willpower needed to persist through many of the technical glitches.

It may lack challenge, but it's a decent start for newcomers who won't be thrown to the simulation lions.