It may present some unwanted hurdles yet, as a whole, PlayStation Vita Pets is an enjoyable, long-lasting experience. Naturally, die-hard gamers will probably let this one slip through the net though younger, more casual players should feel right at home.

For those who aren’t invested in the series, Producing Perfection is a hard-sell, especially to gamers not acclimated to anime/otaku culture. Some of the dialogue is genuinely witty and charming, as is the world of Gamindustri itself, yet tedious concert gameplay and a lack of unique content do little to justify the asking price.

Given that Soul Sacrifice was available on Plus for free it’s questionable how many will want to invest their money when there is a lot of recycled content, but for those who loved it, or if you’ve yet to experience Soul Sacrifice, Delta is a highly enjoyable and worthwhile title for your Vita.

Watch Dogs was probably never going to be the ground-breaking “next-gen” experience many had envisioned back in 2012. It’s hardly run-of-the-mill but at the same time only makes a few genuine attempts to break the mould. However, in these areas – such as the online multiplayer – there are genuine glimmers of innovation worthy of merit, and if you look anywhere else, players will still find an open-world game backed by a unique premise and solid core gameplay.

How much you will enjoy R-type will, rather like the game, depend on your age. If you grew up with shooters like Gradius and Xenon II then this is an almost essential purchase. However this is a relic of a bygone age and I don’t think younger gamers will enjoy the R-Type Dimensions half as much.

Worms Battlegrounds is a fun game that can be enjoyed solo or when playing against others. The core gameplay that made earlier Worms titles so great is here, but with many refinement added to it.

If you can look past the poor narrative and weak character dialogue Bound By Flame is a solid action RPG. The combination of fire and sword is an exciting duo which flows seamlessly in battle. However, you can’t help but feel that, with the PS4 in mind, Bound By Flame has been rushed to fill a gap in the market.

Fans will no doubt appreciate the new gameplay features but, as a whole, Mugen Souls Z feels too exclusive a game, even for a sequel. Its niche narrative focus and penchant for superficiality make it a hard sell for newcomers.

The game is a visually nice one, though levels do repeat. The only real problem is the sensitivity of the touch pad on PS4, and then it plays better on Vita. It’s a game that is enjoyable in short bursts compared to a long slog, and it provides a fun distraction.

Following on from Bastion, I doubt many would have begrudged Supergiant from heading down the same path again. While Transistor does hold certain similarities, such as having the constant presence of a voice and the general underpinnings of the action RPG gameplay, the Turn() planning phase completely transforms the manner in which you will tackle a fight, making it a far more considered and tactical experience.

It’s clearly not perfect but it is a very enjoyable and respectably lengthy shooter that embraces its heritage while successfully striving to evolve its core gameplay in a new and interesting direction.

The environment may be small, and the choices are still perhaps too limited in their scope, but watching the events of the third episode unfold – and having some direct involvement – is simply something that’s not to be missed if you’re a fan of The Walking Dead.

After four years with the license, Beenox has yet to deliver a truly ground-breaking Spider-Man experience. Yet, despite not having that “Arkham” effect, this latest movie tie-in is still worth a punt. It may be a little rough around the edges and could have done with more substance, but it’s still fun for a good few hours and ideal for younger gamers.

This is a game that wears its heart on its sleeve while bringing something fresh to the landscape; it’s quite divine.

It’s very faithful to the movie and manages to embellish enough so as to not be a simple retelling, yet doesn’t quite cover enough ground to be anything other than a companion to the films. It’s probably the best Hobbit game you’re going to get – just don’t expect a massive deviation from the LEGO formula.

Whilst there isn’t necessarily much of a traditional challenge to the game, working your way through the different worlds is so enjoyable that you’ll barely notice.

The user-generated content adds plenty of longevity, even beyond the promise of those six DLC packs over the next year and the new trick system – frustrating and difficult to master as it is – is a perfect fit for the game.

The Sly Cooper Trilogy on Vita is one of the best collections available, and it remains so much fun. Sure, the first game does seem a bit dated and repetitive, but the other two titles really open up the gameplay options.

Seaven Studios has some good ideas up its sleeves and Ethan Meteor Hunter shows moments of brilliance. However, it is let down by clunky movements and puzzles that don’t always offer a challenging but fair game.

It’s a slow paced game and the Vita version is a little less than swift about its transitions, simulations and loading screens but that’s a small price to pay for those die hard fans that want to take their Football Management career on the road.

If repetition isn’t a problem for you, however, and you just want to blast-off into space and shoot down enemies by the bucketload, then this game is definitely something you should look into.

For new players, Blood Ties may come across as both demanding and frustrating due to its reliance on trial and error gameplay.

Milestone have delivered a fun and different racer that uses rider momentum in an interesting way. However your enjoyment and, probably, the longevity of the game will depend on your interest in the sport or the racing game genre.

Ninja Gaiden Z is an exceptionally intriguing spin-off in premise alone. The thought of playing as someone who actually hunts the series’ protagonist is original, but the execution just isn’t there.

The dark, twisted story is something that has a lot of potential, and the music is great. However, odd design choices like obscuring the action and cluttered menus that don’t mesh together well, along with pretty uninteresting characters makes it hard to do so.

If you’re eyeing up the PlayStation 3 version of Xtreme Legends then I can’t strongly recommend it. New characters are always great, as are new stages, but the lack of thought put into the addition to Ambition Mode is disappointing to say the least.

It doesn’t stray off the series’ beaten path too much, but there are enhancements in terms of gameplay and some stunning effects put to good use to create the PS4′s most fun and best looking game yet...While the narrative might not have the same impact as previous games, it’s somewhat more of a down-to-earth tale of an ordinary man with extraordinary powers, and that’s an exciting new direction for the series to take.

It might not be an extremely lengthy affair, but when it comes to art direction, well paced gameplay, and a brilliant sense of exploration, SteamWorld remains king.

Splitting Ground Zeroes back into a separate release was always going to be contentious. Thankfully, there is a lot more gameplay and depth than the early reports of the main mission’s length suggested and it’s full of potential for exploration, fan service and Kojima’s particular brand of hackneyed allegories.

Underpolished, repetitive, and littered with difficulty spikes, it’s a hard-sell to most gamers and even those who adore the Stallone trilogy.

Though Magus isn’t a complete write-off, it has very limited appeal in an era dominated by outstanding visuals and flawless gameplay systems, especially hovering at the £20-mark.

The visual fidelity is a big improvement, though perhaps not a big enough leap to tempt people to upgrade from PS3, and it’s thoroughly enjoyable to play such realistic replications. Table by table, it is becoming the definitive, one stop shop for die hard pinball fans.

Dustforce may look fabulous and has some really interesting ideas but the overall execution falls somewhat short of expectation. Though still enjoyable, the fiddly controls add an unnecessary amount of challenge, barring both younger audiences and casual platformer fans.

If you can’t get behind the Anime-like over-dramatisation and occasional bit of weirdness, chances are you’ll switch off within five minutes...For those who have the patience, however, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a visual novel as consistent on PlayStation Vita.

It’s a decent game that generally looks very nice and will while away a few hours, but you won’t be rushing to tell your friends about it and you might not want to return after completing it.

I truly believe that Ys: Memories Of Celceta could be one of the strongest Vita titles introduced since the console’s launch.

There’s a brilliant approach to the narrative, while Ellie and Riley’s charm shines throughout, their wonder and imagination matching exactly how you’ll feel as you return to this world.

Outlast is one of, if not the scariest game I’ve played. It’s creepy, suspenseful and terrifying at times. It does lack variation in terms of the objectives you complete, but the unpredictable jumps and scares should be enough to maintain that nail-biting tension you will find yourself strangely craving for.

Though somewhat repetitive, the game is teeming with content and plays well, especially when allied with three other online slayers.

It is an update but the features added are substantial, this seems to be a reworking of the title as opposed to just adding in trophies and shipping it.

OlliOlli is a great game, with a brilliant trick system which is clearly well thought out and has had a lot of development time...It’s just ultimately let down by how it feels on the system it’s made for, and the fact that there’s no sense of challenge against your friends, which is arguably the draw of an arcade-y high score challenge game such as this.

Even with a one-year gap between them, there are enough similarities between Liberation and Black Flag to recommend the former. It’s certainly not the best game in the franchise though does open up yet another chapter in the Assassin’s Creed saga. Still, those who have become particularly attached to Black Flag may find it hard to hoist up their sails and touch down in New Orleans.

The Amazing Spider-Man on Vita is at heart a good game, with all of the content of the home console versions available to you on the move. However the technical flaws and shortcomings that occur could potentially diminish your enjoyment depending on your outlook on such things.

I enjoyed my time with Eufloria HD which surprised me a little, as this isn’t a genre I’ve traditionally played. I think the touch controls make the game more accessible, which will help beginners and this is a solid RTS title that is worth checking out if you’re interested in the genre but haven’t taken the plunge yet.

The inclusion of microtransactions and the need for an internet connection have a major impact on how easy it is to recommend this game. Still, it’s the best basketball game on the market.

It makes me think of what Luca di Montezemolo said, as he rated Fernando Alonso’s season in Formula 1. “My eight is worth a ten because it’s a score I give as an incentive.” He was speaking of brilliance when handed imperfection, and GT6 deals with aging hardware and limited time, when trying to deliver on near limitless ambition. So I give it an eight, as an incentive to push on from here and deliver on the promised potential.

The game certainly provides value for money, given how long it can last. As I said SideQuest has created a game that ticks all the right boxes when it comes to the technical and execution side of things, but the story pacing isn’t good, and something I hope the studio got right for Rainbow Skies.

Housemarque have once again proven that they’re the masters of innovation through old school design. It’s a stunning game, and perhaps one of the best to show off your new hardware. It’s rhythmic, satisfying, hardcore and ultimately a joy to play, and well worth as many hours of your time as it can steal.

Knack is a game with some solid core mechanics which cry out for a bit more polish and a lot more variety in the gameplay. While changing size is truly amazing, it doesn’t bring enough in the table to make the lengthy game fun, and it becomes quite tired after the halfway mark.

It’s beautiful. So wonderfully crafted, and a real step up from the PS3 generation of shooters. There’s more good design than there is bad, and it’s really something you should be experiencing for the visuals, sound and setting alone if you buy a PS4.

Tearaway is the kind of game that the PS Vita has demanded since launch, something crafted and tailored to its form and its capabilities, but rather than feeling forced, creating an easy sense of wonder fun and inventiveness.

Lego Marvel isn’t the most polished game you’ve ever seen, but it doesn’t pretend to be. Instead what you get is a fun action-platformer for young and old that is filled to the brim with Marvel fan service, offers tons of content and entertainment, and is a great latest instalment in what continues to be one of the most enjoyable couch co-op series out there.

Stick It To The Man is such a bizarre and brilliant title overall offering an approximate six hour experience that can’t really be compared to anything else on PS3 or PS Vita.

If you’ve been craving a more traditional entry to the series since A Crack In Time, then this will suit you perfectly. It’s not the longest or best game in the series, but it’s a budget title and full of fan service, though that may turn non-fans away and it’s hardly the best entry point into this universe.

Even a minor shift can turn the large and vocal fan base away, and so this isn’t the big sweeping change to rejuvenate the series in the eyes of those who have tired and moved on.

The multiplayer is the life and soul of the game, and lives up to and improves upon what Battlefield 3 had to offer. There’s greater variety of vehicles, maps which push off into new and interesting directions with changeable elements thanks to Levolution...Yet finding a score is tricky. The single player is quite frankly poor.

It has taken the gameplay of the previous games, refined it, and combined it with a huge open world that is packed with enough content to literally last for days. If you have ever wanted a proper pirate game, this is as good as it gets.

It’s a good mixture of okay ideas, achieved through some nice presentation and a stellar idea at its heart, which makes it worthwhile if you’re really interested in that, but perhaps a reboot is required to do it justice.

There’s some great stuff to see here, but it doesn’t really push the franchise off in a new direction. For a new studio’s first attempt in the franchise, I think that’s really what it needed to be, so they can build their own legacy in the future.

SWAP Force is in many ways a surprise. It remedies a raft of the series’ biggest issues whilst adding its own twists.

Atomic Ninjas is a blast when you get a full room going and the variety of skills/weapons on offer will give you a lot of choice when deciding your playstyle. It’s just a shame that, so soon after release, it is difficult to find a four player game.

I would have had more respect for Girl Fight if they had the balls to have done the job properly and had some proper porn as a reward. Instead we get a mediocre fighter wrapped in a non existent story with ridiculous sexist stereotypes that they should have been canned decades ago.

Dragon’s Crown delivers in a number of areas, though not in the ones that matter most. Stunning visuals and nods to the roleplaying genre simply aren’t enough to outweigh the repetitive combat and a so-so narrative.

Pro Foosball has plenty going for it and at times it certainly feels like you are playing a game of real table football. I had a good time with it and think it could be fun with friends.

For most savvy gamers there is a wealth of cheaper, better alternatives currently available via the PlayStation Network.

Beyond is a tale of squandered potential. With acting talent such as Page and Dafoe on board, music from legendary composer Hans Zimmer and visuals that give the PS4 launch line-up a run for their money, it’s such a shame that when it comes down to it, the incompetent story and poor gameplay mechanics leave a lot to be desired.

Worms: Revolution Extreme has made the jump to Vita nicely, but it’s a shame that the opportunity wasn’t taken to polish and improve on what Revolution delivered the first time around. It is, however, a quite comprehensive package of one of the biggest shake-ups to the Worms formula in years.

F1 2013 is a solid outing for the series, taking the successes of the past and building on them incrementally, whilst adding an exciting glimpse of what’s to come with F1 Classics. It might leave me wanting more, but F1 2013 is the best and most comprehensive release so far.

It is survival horror right down to the limited effectiveness of your pistol and the scarcity of resources and manages to be thoroughly unnerving despite its low pixel density. The storyline has you questioning everything – even your own character – throughout and is the thing that will keep you coming back if you can bear the incredible tension the game’s atmosphere creates.

A simply beautiful experience, and a perfect example of the kinds of games which Sony have tried to foster on their platforms over the last few years.

The MASS and TrueBall elements make the on-pitch gameplay feel authentic, while Heart makes games much more tense and interesting. It’s the things off the pitch that let down the game, as the commentary needs work, and the framerate issues need to be resolved.

The genre may have changed a lot over the past decade or so, yet the original Kingdom Hearts still stands as one of its most memorable champions. Sure, a number of its mechanics are a little outdated but considering how well the game has been ported, the wealth of additional features, and bargain price, there’s little, if anything, to complain about.

Blizzard really has put the effort in though, and it shows with an absolutely fantastic port that plays brilliantly, looks good, and will keep you interested for hours on end.

It is engaging, compelling, interesting, clever, funny and packed with things to do and see. It’s a personal story, or several personal stories, set in a magnificent world that ebbs and flows with thousands of people who all seem to be living their own personal stories. It’s a genuine landmark event in the history of videogames.

Puppeteer is, at its heart, a charming adventure, though not without its issues; it may have wasted the potential required with the interchangeable head idea to become something really special, but you will no doubt find yourself joining in with the audience laughing along to the antics on show and warming to the characters, be it hero or villain.

Could be described as more of an investment; with Playsets and additional character being cheaper than movie tie-ins and other action games, in the long run it could be a cost effective solution with an additional second wave of content already planned for the coming months.

Zen Studios have to be given some respect in taking a stale genre and breathing new life into it. KickBeat is a good game and it does provide good entertainment, however the game is crying out for more songs in the Story mode as imported songs don’t feel as well synced as the in game music.

A purely basic simulator game. You plant, you cultivate, you harvest, you sell. That is the process over and over, with repetitive missions cropping unless you turn them off. If you’ve ever wanted to run a farm, then this is for you, but other than that there’s no real need for the game on console.

It may not be anything ground-breaking but I feel the title should be regarded as one of the Vita’s best games yet. With vastly improved visuals, animations and control schemes over the mobile version, Real Boxing on the Vita is surely the best version of the game to get.

While Mercenary might not be the best shooter in the world, in its own field – as a handheld title – it’s almost perfect; there’s no other experience like this on a device as small as this. And, judging the game from that perspective, it’s an experience that will stick with you for a long time, much like GoldenEye, Call of Duty 4 and other revolutionary shooters have managed in the past, and one entirely worthy of its acclaim.

It often feels as though Capcom wanted to emulate other, more successful third person shooters, namely Dead Space. It may have succeeded in that pursuit, though the genre continues to expand and surprise, the goalposts constantly moving.

If the jumping was tightened up a bit, and the difficulty spikes not so big then this could have been one of the best platformers of recent memory.

Killer Is Dead is a real missed opportunity. The fighting mechanics are there, the ideas are there, but the end result is just so totally average. It’s a game that’s hard to dislike, but also one that fails to impress on pretty much every level.

Without a doubt the best AR game on the PS Vita. It’s challenging, diverse and addictive.

The Bureau has occasional problems with pacing, it could do with a little more polish and it doesn’t revolutionise shooters but it does adroitly step sideways into a totally unfamiliar genre and it expands the greater fiction while doing so. Another successful XCOM mission.

As a free-to-play experiment, it’s fairly successful. When you download Spartacus Legends you get the full package, not just a few morsels of gameplay, with the rest locked behind a pay-wall. In some ways this is one the game’s biggest strengths but it still fails to dispel a number of its other issues.

It might not have the most imaginative of plots and the delivery of that narrative is just okay but it’s not supposed to be anything too deep – it’s a summer blockbuster. In those terms, Splinter Cell: Blacklist succeeds at every turn thanks to Ubisoft Toronto’s impressive balancing of stealth and action that is, as yet, unmatched in this genre.

A really fun game but it’s nothing at all original. Perhaps that shouldn’t be said about something that’s one of gaming’s few examples of a parody, but it really falters at the times it tries to do something entirely original, whether that difference be within its own series, genre or gaming as a whole.

Ibb & Obb is a game that’s really at its best when playing with a friend and exploring the game’s collage of elements, as you try to puzzle your way through the obstacles and challenges ahead.

WayForward have found that magical Pixar-esque sweet spot of humour that will appeal to both adults and kids. This an absolute triumph of a remake, it’s just a shame the game can be over so quickly.

A brilliant title, and could just be the breakout game that really establishes the series in Western markets. There’s a great story here, with likable characters and voice acting that makes the characters feel real. The streamlined leveling, equipment choices and skill tree make Xillia one of the best RPGs I’ve played.

Quell Memento is just one of those puzzle titles that is pretty much perfect.

Against all odds, KOEI has proven that even the smallest of adjustments are still enough to maintain interest in its hack and slash series. Hardcore fans and completionists will have an absolute field day with plenty of enjoyment to be had by non-regulars and newcomers alike.

It’s trashy, loud, single minded and not without a number of annoyances and flaws. However the utter stupidity and carnage of the game is infectious and there is nothing really like this on the PSN so for those reasons, I am going to award it an explosive and controversial: 8.

A very good game. When you’re on a roll it feels very satisfying, but when you become stuck it can be frustrating. However, Stealth Inc just manages to keep you hooked to play on and beat it. This isn’t fun in the traditional sense but instead a worthy challenge to beat.

Despite the flaws of Epic Mickey 2 I’ve found myself enjoying the game more than I would have thought. The story is charming enough to keep encouraging you through Oswald’s idling and the poor depth of field, with the Mad Doctor’s songs arguably the best moments of the game. The touch screen abilities don’t quite work and you’ll find yourself quickly reverting back to old fashioned buttons.

One thing that really hasn’t changed since 2010 is how Duels presents itself. The UI and playing field have been spruced up with a few fancy animations here and there but it’s still mostly the same. In truth, this isn’t such a bad thing, though if Stainless wants its series to become something more than an adaptation they need to look into adding 3D models and new effects.

Although the touch controls need a tiny bit of tightening up to allow better targeting, and the difficulty curve can be a bit steep at times, it’s still certainly worth a play.