Despite its fantastic, straightforward combat, Rainbow Moon is a game that buckles under the weight of its bloated runtime.

While its myriad of technical issues are certainly detrimental to anyone’s enjoyment, it’s the lack of ambition in reinventing its aging mechanics and tired mission design that leave Unity treading water.

Style over substance rings true once again.

The story, albeit brief, is involving but also stiffly delivered. Half of the puzzles are well designed, while the other half serves little purpose other than testing your patience. You’ll also wander around Provence as both yourself and your brother, but you’ll discover there really isn’t much point to it all.

This is one best enjoyed in shorter bursts. Cadenza Interactive's work shows promise and if the name Descent brings fond memories this comes recommended.

With such a memorable plot and some passable, yet unspectacular, gameplay, it’s a shame that the bugs are holding it down.

The straightforward progression is perfectly suited for a diet RPG, but the underdeveloped systems and mindless combat bring the breakneck pacing to an exasperating crawl.

Disney Universe is the most enjoyable LEGO game I've played; it's fun and funnier than it often has any right to be, and it does a lot with the Disney licenses included.

Whilst it doesn’t revolutionise or significantly evolve the series in any meaningful way, a purchase will bring a considerable amount of value in both quality and quantity; change isn’t always for the better.

It’s got the first five titles of SNK’s best series. It showcases the best and worst of them all; two of the games aren’t even worth playing because the other three trump them in every conceivable way.

As the first of New Vegas' DLC, Dead Money fits firmly into the 'good' category and has set the bar at a high level for any future additions. As for what the legendary Sierra Madre treasure itself actually is, well, let's just say be sure to leave at least 90lb worth of room in your back-pack.

Nothing more than just another shooter. While its map maker is excellent, the rest of the game lags behind in mediocrity. The singleplayer is hampered by poor attention to detail and a story which confuses the player right from the beginning.

If you look at that game it’s difficult to see how this has taken such a giant leap backwards. With any hope the next iteration in this series will gravitate towards previous successes.

Without a death penalty, X-Men Arcade is a very different game than it was when originally released. That said, it's also very true to its roots, maintaining, perhaps with fault, the look and feel of the original.

While it isn't perfect, most of its flaws are forgivable because of the style and the price tag.

Few games can boast some of the best controls that the Wii has to offer.

Something of a classic.

While the pseudo-sand box nature of this game does give it more than a passing resemblance to some of the best bits of the three GTA titles we all know and love, it has enough original content to save it from being accused of too much plagiarism.

With average graphics, adequate story, standard music and decent battles you truly end up with an average, run-of-the-mill game. Is it worth its selling price? That comes down to how bored you are.

In the end, that’s what Magical Starsign really is; a glorified GBA game with Touch Screen controls tacked on as an afterthought.

The game controls quite sluggishly. It often seems that there is a delay between what you are pressing on the controller and what is occurring on-screen. I was a relative novice to 3D fighting games back in those days, but now I know that such poor responsiveness can kill a fighting game.

In a way, the game does live up to the hype: they wanted to ban it for its gratuitous violence and I can see why. Funny how they didn't just get out and say that the game isn't worthy to be played; that would've made things much easier.

While it’s unattractive and a bit awkward on the PS2, if you don’t own a PSP and you’re a survival horror fan, Silent Hill Origins still comes recommended.

For now though this is a nice, but flawed, distraction whose general approach and gunplay should at least make B-movie fans proud. We just need a bit more substance to go along with all of that style.

It seems set with doing the bare minimum (a lot of the time, not even that) and expects it to be acceptable just because it’s splashing around in a small pond starved of enough shooters to hold the flag without it.

Gyrostarr is a decent game, but it needs some polish to be truly great.

Despite those small issues, BloodRayne: Betrayal works, and works wonderfully. WayForward has done an admirable job dusting off the BloodRayne franchise and resurrecting the red hair dhampir. In the process they did the unthinkable, finding a way to inject a welcome dose of class into the comically trashy franchise.

Stuff like Metal Slug, Top Hunter, and Sengoku are definitely worth playing, regardless of the other games’ mediocrity.

The tedious, unavoidable cutscenes and one-dimensional characters add little to the experience, regardless of the flashy graphics and vivid presentation.

If you’re looking for a cheap Wii shooter and have some friends around, give this a go. If not, stick to the arcades. You’ll find better there.

The missions provide plenty of challenge with a steep learning curve and little forgiveness. Even the multiplayer provides a decent demonstration of what the WiiMote can do. The only truly awful aspects come with the horrendously crafted controls and camera.

When you play a game and find the most immersive sections are cut-scenes and the game isn’t called Metal Gear Solid, then you know something isn’t quite right.

A worthy addition to the series, Blue Dragon Plus is held back by its own ambition, as the graphical beauty and audio design are overshadowed by the uncertainty and aggravation of the battlefield.

When the World Cup does come to an end, I can't envision playing this game aside from the rarest of occasions. Not even the implementation of vuvuzelas would change that.

The Simpsons Game for the DS may not be innovative nor appealing to worldwide mainstream audiences - you really do need to be a fan of the show to appreciate what’s been done here – but it’s a highly creative production nonetheless.

It’s a shame that the concept was implemented so poorly, an example of sacrificing quality for mindless movie-licensed mush. With the absolute lack of difficulty and simplistic design, it’s a real wonder as to what Activision was expecting when they unleashed this game upon the masses of unsuspecting gamers.

Swarm can be summed up in one sentence: There's a big red button with a giant sign stating 'DO NOT TOUCH'. Regardless of the mission at hand you can't help but interact with everything along the way and Hothead have embraced this by making death as much fun as success. It's silly, immature, creative and ultimately lots of fun from beginning to end.

There aren’t enough new features to cater fans of the series and the gameplay just doesn’t hold up for newcomers.

Turok may not be original, or genre-bending, but it is a great deal of fun. It's the classic summer movie syndrome: sure, it won't win the Oscar, but it's still a movie worth seeing.

Alice: Madness Return has a terrific visual style and intriguing ideas, which is why it's so frustrating to see what could've been a clever game turn into such a tedious, drawn-out mess.

A lazy port of a fairly good game with no effort put into making it work better on a console. Slapping a party system onto it doesn't magically make it something special, and there are so many other things I can think of that could have been done that weren't, such as bringing over the best community maps, the previously mentioned dedicated server option, and making the controls more console-centric.

It shouldn't be a gamble for online multiplayer to work though. In the end, Quake Arena Arcade rings its own death knell and doesn't give Quake III Arena the justice it deserves.

Despite its late-game flaws I’m just so surprised the team at Young Horses managed to make this ludicrous concept work as a fully-fledged game that I still wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

Ultimately, Max and the Magic Marker may be like many other puzzle and platforming games, but it's rarely as accomplished.

There’s nothing new or interesting about this game; it’s just another horribly mediocre third-person shooter with the words “James Bond” stapled on. When all is said and done, From Russia With Love lacks an important quality that previous Bond titles had: fun.

Just make sure people nearby don’t hear the topless maidens cry out “My clothes! Where are my clothes!” every so often.

It may not have the depth of Sim City or the dedicated following of FarmVille but Tapped Out is still a thoroughly entertaining and addictive experience; arguably the best videogame based on The Simpsons yet.

Gets some things right, but if the poor AI and numerous glitches were ironed out then it could have been one of the finest tours of duty around. As it stands, it's an excellent multiplayer game that just can't compete with some of its rivals.

While it’s not really much of a looker, and non-fans won’t find much here besides a series of fights, there’s a ton in here for fans of the series to dig into and enjoy.

A bitter disappointment. It's a soulless, miserable outing that manages to make zooming around on crotch-rockets dull and frustrating.

A workable contender in the Live Community, Biology Battle is a worthy addition to the shmup library, but whether or not players will want to throw down 800MS over other Live titles could keep this quirky shoot 'em up from the ranks inhabited by better games.

Alex Kidd & Co. is a fine, if not uneven addition to Sega’s ongoing Vintage Collections. it finds the return of a couple brands which molded Sega into the company they are today and a retro arcade-centric racing game that’s been broadly overlooked with time.

Fun and frustrating in equal measure, Twisted Dreams blends (rather than borrows) elements from Super Mario Bros., Sonic, and the essentials of many classic platformers that makes the experience feel fresh in an era when the genre has lost its bite.

The Amazing Spider-Man is a weekend's worth of fun and difficult to recommend purchasing for much more than that, yet that's quite the accomplishment considering the extremely quick turnaround.

Even if it is at times too orderly and directed, Shelter remains admirably blunt in its emulation of life throughout its short, two hour length.

Hearthfire will appeal to the player that has made enough headway to justify buying the add-on but for those constantly on the road or haven’t been burdened yet with too much stuff to carry around, it might seem too superfluous to justify the purchase.

The biggest omission from MySims is undoubtedly any kind of online functionality. It’s odd that players can’t visit other towns and share items. As a result, the MySims universe is a lonely place, and will only serve to entertain the player and not anyone else.

I like my FPS shooters to deliver a single-player experience too, and Painkiller: Hell Wars flatly fails in that regard. If you're looking for online deathmatch, Painkiller: Hell Wars is a reasonable purchase, but don't expect anything from the single-player experience, particularly, enjoyment.

Clash in the Clouds is a decent enough diversion until the main event, Burial at Sea, eventually arrives. For as long as the leaderboards and museum can keep you entertained, there’s nothing inherently wrong with what Clash in the Clouds is offering.

Like a forgotten girlfriend, it’s not especially pretty, smart, or fun. EndWar’s simplified gameplay keeps it from being a good real time strategy game, while the mediocre combat ensures the game has few memorable moments.

It’s simply too short and too frustrating to warrant a purchase, unless of course you’re a diehard Jet Li fan and want everything of his that you can get your hands on.

It's a little too comparable to other survival horror titles at times and although it's not exactly pushing the boundaries of the genre, it is still a worthwhile entry.

The controls are somewhat sloppy and perhaps a bit more time could have been spent on shoring up the artwork but above all else Grabbity is an entertaining game which will keep you coming back to your phone or tablet for another go.

It may seem as though this collection is full of simplistic, no-hoper games, but underneath the shocking presentation you can find a fair few games that you could happily spend hours on.

For those of us who are open to innovation and who appreciate the fantastical, immersive experiences the craft can throw up, Overlord: Dark Legend is destined to feel like something of a wasted opportunity.

It's the kind of game that doesn't try to imitate any single game, and by combining several ideas into one it creates something new and unlike anything before.

With lively graphics and a real pick-up-and-play attitude, XG Blast is an entertainingly addictive game.

This is a game that wears out its welcome several hours into the show. Eight hours of the same mindless killing of identical waves of bugs is a tiresome ordeal. Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable is a game with too much filler and not enough ambition, packaged in bargain bin wrappings.

Again, what the game aims to achieve is what leads to its downfall, resting securely in the shade of its predecessor's success and achieving some value in that way, without ever coming out to mark its own territory.

While it inevitably outstays its welcome a little too soon, Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition is a charming little game that commands respect for not ending up as another dreadful spin-off that relies entirely on its cover-star, and not the actual gameplay.

Alien Breed is a solid twin stick shooter that, while not providing the challenge of the game on which it’s based, is a great game to play when you have a few minutes to spare, perfect for those looking to take down the alien menace on the go.

The fact that it is built upon completely ordinary tasks may seem pointless, but it's all the more believable for it.

But if you have the stomach for the surreal and the patience to ride its flaws, there's much to appreciate.

Shamefully, Fists of Plastic won’t have you reliving your childhood memories for long, as the tiresome challenges and lack of online execution will have you beating yourself up quicker than you can fling your joypad across the room with dragon-punch shaped irritation.

Though the new gear is lackluster, the path opened to the level 35 cap and new perks is fair compensation.

Viking is a great game, with some great promise, but this feels like a trial run. Hopefully it will sell enough to garner a sequel, one I would be very anxious to pick up on day one.

At times, it can become annoying how slowly the Bones move around the screen, but it does add just a little more longevity to this first installment, which clocks in at just several hours long.

With such terrible pacing, you might not want to continue. But if you do, you'll be treated to a solid, if underdeveloped platformer. Patience is a virtue.

At least know this: I didn't enjoy my crime spree nearly as much as I should have.

It's just disappointing that there are so many issues with the three main games that people are going to be interested in.

What lies beneath is a nostalgic, ornate adventure game, weighed down by a few stifling design decisions, but these alone aren’t egregious enough to detract from how enjoyable its style, setting and stories truly are.

It isn't perfect. It gets repetitive. Most of your time is spent in the same environment fighting a few bug types. And spending 20 minutes and not making much progress can induce a controller throw (or two). But the little touches - like noticing a swarm of small bugs scurrying away from a body as your flashlight interrupts their munching - immerse you fully into the experience.

The only real problems Lead and Gold faces are because of its net code. You'll often be kicked back to the menu, the game may even crash on occasion and there are some issues finding enough players at times, particularly if you're searching for specific game modes.

Although the title is easily accessible, well-decorated and simply constructed, there is very little here to justify a full price tag.

Dishes out more of the colourful carnage the original was well received for and stuffs plenty of additional content into this gun pie. One ingredient missing, however, is innovation.

From Software’s goals with Ninja Blade appear to have been slim to negligible, and with a considerable portion of fans of the infinitely preferable Ninja Gaiden ready to buy up anything with a similar remit, they’re unlikely to be nearly as disappointed as I am.

One mighty fine addition to the series, as well as a quality platforming/action title in its own right.

If there has to be a game that epitomizes the phrase “substance over style,” Break’em All clinches it. The design of this game is based upon some of the most addicting arcade and console games ever conceived.

Sure, it’s got one of the most horribly cliched and overused plots in existence, but it’s saved by a wonderfully implemented spell casting system that will leave you experimenting and developing your character’s capabilities long after the Story Mode has gone stale.

There's not much of a reason to play it after you've beaten it.

There's nothing terribly wrong with The Run - it just doesn't feel entirely put together. Still, it's light years ahead of Undercover, and I'm anxious to see where Black Box can take the series next.

Infinite Undiscovery is never particularly awful or broken. The music is excellent, and overall the presentation is pretty solid. It’s just that this is one of those games that seem to drag on even though it’s a relatively short game.

A four-player wireless multiplayer mode is just icing on the cake for this game. Loading up the game with some friends and fighting scores of foes is even more fun than the single-player mode, but even without a group of buddies this is still a game worth owning.

For those of you that have yet to experience the Fatal Fury series, give this collection a chance. It may not be the best out there, but it still gives you a taste of better things to come.

Advent Rising reminds me of "Breakdown" (the Xbox game, not the Kurt Russell movie) in many ways. Both feature brilliant stories and interesting innovations, but are shackled by flawed gameplay mechanics.

The new story is generic, the exploration hampered by unnecessary backtracking and the dreaded locked door puzzles.

Plays much faster with no noticeable slowdown.

Riviera distances itself well from the mainstream RPG fare, but this is both a blessing as well as its curse.