The story is forgettable, the atmosphere lacking and any promised scares are absent. The campaigns are too short, even when added together, and the standout moments are, sadly, very rare. The game’s melee combat is commendable, but ultimately hindered by the flawed grab attack mechanic.

The awkward touchscreen controls forced upon a 2D platformer cause physical discomfort and turns the difficulty ramp up from a hard incline to near vertical. Instead, a low-key PC release with controller support would have been better suited. It wouldn’t have resolved all issues, a straight port never will, but it would have lowered the hurdles that cause a barrier to entry here.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time on Wii is a complete mess. It’s simply unpleasant to play, which is a real shame, because content-wise it’s not half bad.

But if there is something to be salvaged in the personality department, amidst the corpses of loveable gesticulations from the old guard and anything at all outstanding from the new - it's kitsch.

It’s totally super awesome. And stuff.

F1 Race Stars provides small doses of enjoyment alongside larger doses of frustration and injustice, thanks to its stubborn insistence of remaining both an F1 and karting game.

Destructopus's bright, 16-bit vibe works well and is fun. But like Rampage before it, there's little variation or much reason to go back once you've played through.

It’s an old-fashioned beat ‘em up done right. The co-op play is excellent and even going solo can make for an entertaining time.

Your CPU teammates will never assist you in easing the pressure of a three-on-one attack, so I can only recommend Live play for people who have at least three controllers (only two Xboxs are allowed, per game).

Contra: Evolution is a fine game. Not a “fine port”, or a “fine remake”, but a fine game.

There is some charm to this little indie game. It's bright, it's colorful and it's unique amongst RPG's with a stylized combat system that manages to successfully replicate the series of games it is based on. The foundation, however, is weak, boring and repetitive. The only incentive to survive its repetitive battles is that you won't have to attempt them a second time.

An entertaining FPS experience. It isn’t perfect; it’s not going to leave an impression on you like Half-Life 2 or FarCry did, but at the same time it will entertain you and keep you glued to your seat.

For a title that many cult followers have demanded others to acknowledge, the disregarding scrutiny on Capcom's part does more harm than good for the cause.

Even "Kingdom Hearts," arguably aimed at an even younger audience than this, offered more meat.

The lack of a second analog stick on the PSP is a huge pain and the system simply doesn’t seem capable of recreating the experiences that have made the franchise so famous and revered.

This could have been an inspired game, and it certainly contains some original touches and good ideas. However, just when it should be hitting top gear it is knocked back into neutral by inconsistencies and average execution.

The sheer variety of playing styles and technical options at your disposal is staggering; this is easily the deepest and most demanding title currently on the 3DS.

A disappointing title. It doesn’t build on the series in any way, basically sticking to Most Wanted’s fundamentals, whilst adding more technical issues.

The Baconing's witty, daft and fun, but also doesn't do enough to improve on the faults of the previous entries in the series, and in some cases pushes those issues to the forefront. The bacon is now well cooked and about to burn.

For some, it may be enough to simply have a new Nascar experience, but as a game, it’s not going to hold an appeal for anyone beyond those who simply want a straightforward replication of the sport.

By including zombies and guns, Sega have provided something new to its cumbersome, juggernaut of a franchise; but it’s been done much better elsewhere.

The problem is that the single-player package stretches the pretty basic gameplay worryingly thin, and leaderboard competition can only keep you interested for so long. If you're looking for a decent arcade romp you could do a lot worse than pick up Zombie Driver HD. It's just that you could do a lot better, too.

Grasshopper has made one of their more mechanically satisfying titles, but to enjoy it you have to put up with all of the other muck. You’ll have to choose whether Killer is Dead is the loveless romance for you.

Exit DS is an incredibly frustrating title because at its most basic core it's fun and incredibly well designed. It’s an absolute shame that Mr. Escape’s adventures are marred with imprecise controls and one insidious game design choice.

Gameplay usually isn’t the most important feature in an RPG, but in Suikoden IV it just drags an otherwise "great" RPG into the realm of "slightly above average."

Instead of sticking to a formula that is for all intense purposes simplistic genius, Team 17 have decided to go for a game with a remarkably unnecessary amount of complexity.

To top it off, an experienced player can get through the game in five hours, and there isn't much in terms of replay value. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II is a poorly executed, thoughtless game that is best to be avoided.

Unfortunately, it looks as if there isn’t enough content or new ideas that will make many gamers readily come back for more once the original challenges are completed.

A fun, yet relatively short lived game that won’t keep you entertained for too long compared to the likes of Pro Evo 08 and FIFA 08 - but there are far worse ways to burn a short while here and there.

In its present state though, I cannot recommend Lord of the Rings: War in the North. If patching is successful, I can only recommend this to starved genre fans, but don't expect much.

Every texture repeats over and over again until your eyes cry out for something different. Even the artificially produced skies are bland and generic, possibly so the clouds don’t upstage the boring enemies you fight again.

Some might call Wii Music a waste of time, but in reality you need to understand what Nintendo was going for. It’s fun and basic. It’s not trying to be Guitar Hero or Rock Band, and really it does its own thing.

Lost Planet 2 may satisfy fans of shooters and Japanese arcade games looking for a hybrid - at its best, it's a mix of Gears of War and pattern-based action games - but it will probably frustrate them, and it will definitely offend everyone else.

I'm sure that younger gaming fans especially, will be able to appreciate swinging around in pajamas. The rest of us can find an entertaining game hidden underneath a pile of little flaws.

If there had been a more expansive single-player mode, smoother animations, and a more variety of levels, Snowboard Kids DS could have been a force to be reckoned with.

It's not the best use of the motion controls, as it's really just an extension of the previously standard dual-analog controller. It's among the prettiest games on the Wii, and has a fun, if tacked on, multiplayer component.

If this game was being judged purely on potential it would be certainly critically acclaimed. However the flaws certainly have to be considered and in this case they keep Confrontation from being in the upper echelon of tactical shooters.

Viewed and played as a single chapter in the game's main story-arc, Lonesome Road is fairly enjoyable, but its blandness, lack of new enemies and uninspiring quests let it down.

Where a game like "Serious Sam" or "Will Rock" is just a repetitive mindless shooter, Dead Man’s Hand tries new things and tries to break the mold, and proves that even at a low price tag; a company can make an entertaining game that doesn’t regress.

If you’re itching for a car-combat game without pretenses and don’t mind the price it’s difficult to make an argument for anything else on Microsoft’s service other than Scrap Metal. Just be aware that what you see is what you get and that the game’s lifespan is severely undercut by the lack of single-player modes outside of the otherwise respectable mission-based content.

Cradle of Rome is an entirely inoffensive puzzle game that relies heavily on its central mechanic of flawless match three gameplay.

Despite the challenge Söldner-X can be an extremely enjoyable and addictive shooter when all is said and done. The poor design decisions do certainly take away some of the luster from this game. However, even after throwing your controller in sheer frustration and disgust there is still enough here to keep gamers coming back for more (if only just as a pastime between playing more major titles).

Scarygirl is riddled with countless inherent flaws that make the game, in no simpler terms, bad.

If you like golf, I think you should buy this, but keep in mind, it might not have all the features you’re looking for.

It's weird, very weird. Mini-game compendiums are usually a mixed bag of sweet and sour, but WTF contains more of the cringing variety.

A surprisingly engaging golf game that’s great value for money and is perfect to appease those post-pub blues.

SimCity Societies feels familiar, but the change is clearly a move in the wrong direction for long-time fans.

I simply wish there was more of it. Not necessarily in terms of length, but more combat, a more fleshed out story and more player agency. It has the ingredients to be great but it’s too restrictive and those aspects of its design are used so sparingly or aren’t yet fully formed, that it’s simply disappointing.

The vastly improved graphics are a joy to behold, the new punishment stations add a dimension to gameplay and the various modes will keep you playing 'til doomsday and beyond. It's almost perfect atmosphere-wise, and I could not have wished for anything more.

Due to its comical demeanor, childish puzzles, brief length, and its absence of violence and crude language, Puzzle Agent 2 would be best enjoyed by the adolescent demographic, or by those looking for pure casual fun. For the more seasoned puzzle fanatic, or those who would expect more from a name like 'Puzzle Agent', may do well to spend their ten bucks elsewhere.

All of the information and progress is efficiently stored, which beats writing things out by hand. Alternatively, running for a while and checking some forums could be just as effective for many people.

The perfect rental.

Across the 2nd Dimension can easily be summed up by the mini games – including ski ball and a crane game – that bookend every stage: pleasant, but monotonous.

So what did it need besides a miracle? Depth. Lots of depth.

Exploring an entire island in order to race is tedious in itself. The need to win first place every time forces you to replay a track until you race perfection. The controls are slippery, and the gameplay seems sluggish. The Touch Screen features are poorly implemented. The difficulty, AI competitors, and convoluted mini-games are pathetic at best.

It’s played safe, and although its jokes might make one playthrough worthwhile even they struggle to maintain the interest of a game severely lacking the nuance and depth of its contemporaries.

By trying to match up to juggernauts such Gears of War and Halo, Fracture ultimately becomes a prisoner shackled by predictability and poor design.

Whether or not this is worth the 400 Microsoft points, is entirely up to how much fun you think you can squeeze out of a very limited game with next to no variety.

The hit detection is more of a miss, the presentation is far below the standards set by so many of the game's contemporaries, and even the Chaos/Order gimmick could have been fleshed out and utilized far more than what the gameplay offers.

I'll say it again, if the game had had the guts to end after the first ending it would have been great.

All in all, The Undergarden is definitely a game that is to be avoided by puzzle enthusiasts, ultra violent droogies, or people who like to be given a clear purpose before giving anything their attention.

It’s definitely more fun than it has any right to be, but its lasting appeal is seriously questionable.

Looks and sounds better than it plays.

I understand that the developers were intending to make a beginners level strategy game that would appeal to a wide audience and, in that regard, I think they succeeded. But once the beginners become familiarized with the product, which won't take long, there isn't much there.

It's nowhere being as wealthy as Dead Money, it's more dishonest than Honest Hearts, and compared to Big MT, it's the real Big Empty.

It’s a supernova of colour, particularly on a HD setup.

If only the game had more challenging foes and made better use of the randomly generated levels, things may have turned out differently. But hey, at least you’ll have plenty of eye candy to ogle. That’s got to count for something.

Developed by Arush Entertainment, this urban-themed FPS game makes a few stabs at greatness but ultimately misses its mark by, oh, about a mile.

It's got a highly polished presentation, a feat that few games on the Gamecube can muster. Sadly, this game has one a single flaw that ultimately denies it from greatness: the damned microphone.

Despite its intriguing but flawed multiplayer suite, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is one of the most underwhelming shooters of recent memory.

Disney and Pixar have a cash cow phenomenon on their hands that is well deserved. This is what makes the game’s mediocrity all the more infuriating. Aside from the authentic look of the title, and perhaps also the jazzy and bombastic tunes, The Incredibles disappoints on every other level.

There’s a mixed bag of ideas present in Wanted: Weapons of Fate, but as a whole it feels terribly rushed.

The levels are gruesomely themed, but their simplicity, brevity, and linearity are disappointing. The sheer amount of glitches, questionable controls, laughable AI, and easy stealth mechanics make the game seem like a poor rendition of "Splinter Cell."

But once you’ve stripped away the enticing pictures, unquestionable innuendo and blatant sexual undertones, you’ve got a wrestling game that is mediocre at best. The story and characters are laughable, gameplay is dull and sluggish, the presentation is a mixed bag, and the incentive to actually complete this game is practically nil.

Does such emphasis on multiplayer make it a bad game? Not necessarily. But solo gamers who've been spoiled with previous games may not appreciate the new gameplay style. Thus Viewtiful Joe's epic saga continues, with justice and style for all.

So that's L2 "PvP" for you -- seemingly dangerous at first, but then a disappointment and apparent breeding ground for grief and exploitation. Under any other name, it would just be consensual duels. And other companies were doing those competently years ago. The catch is that this is supposed to be the main draw of this modern MMOG. Without it, there's nothing but a steady stream of intolerably slow-moving experience bars and arrogant, immoral players.

No wonder it was so hard to get into this clubhouse, it appears the foundations are fatefully unstable.

Some of the latter missions are quite fun and Ace Kill skill adds some interesting variety but it seems unlikely the average player will get that far as they’re inundated with a never ending sea of German fighters, useless comrades and clichéd World War II stories of heroics.

While Rich Make Game doesn't move the formula into much new territory, they (read: he) reminds us that the simple and good retro concepts haven't tired with age.

It’s clear that Insomniac have more work to do and with a bit more finesse and a personal approach, there’s enough potential to get this right. For now, there are far worse options for a co-op third person shooter and few better ones.

If you can, try not to play this game by yourself. As a single player game Nazi Zombie Army can become horribly monotonous. The crippling condition that makes the experience stale and repetitive is quickly remedied by the presence of buddies.

When the included episode and a couple of the music tracks are the highlights of the game, there is something not right about the entire package.

As a huge fan of the series it was disheartening that much of what was loved has been removed.

The problem is that the motion sensing is abysmal; the game will frequently misread your commands, resulting in your character shuffling through the stances until he either miraculously makes it through or smashes his head into a bloody pulp.

The Jagged Alliance series has a lot of potential to be excellent, it just requires a lot of attention to the little details to construct a product that acquires that perfection. Back in Action isn't quite that product, though after a few patches it'll likely be heading in the right direction.

Players that pick this game up will find a game that is certainly playable, but if you let this pass by, you won't miss much.

Despite the lackluster narrative and dated graphics, Perseus Mandate still delivers a lot of the fun of the previous games. It isn’t perfect, but it still manages to be a worthy addition to the F.E.A.R. franchise despite the story.

Depending on your patience, Blacklight could be the best fifteen bucks you've ever spent on a game, or a frustrating waste of cash.

A game that just sort of ‘exists’. Dinosaur enthusiasts and fans of the card game and TV show are sure to love the cartoon shenanigans, but for everyone else, it’s most likely not worth your time or your dinosaurs.

It’s got a vast roster of characters, each with their own signature attacks. The technical aspects of boxing remain prevalent throughout the extensive gameplay modes, ensuring that you’ll have to do better than just random button mashing. However, the tedious cutscenes and overall lacking presentation might make a few gamers shake their heads in disdain.

At its core is one of the greatest arcade games ever. Just remember that there’s nothing else waiting for you and that although you can finally get online with a Frogger title, you’ll be more alone there than you would be playing single-player.

The lacking controls and questionable hit detection kills off much the technical aspects of the fighting.

The graphics are by far the best part of the game, but the new stylish camera techniques and gameplay ideas will interest Star Wars fans who don't mind some artistic experimentation with the series. All in all, Lethal Alliance is a good, if unremarkable, outing on the floundering system.

It’s obvious based on the menus within the game that Smash Cars will be further fleshed out with new DLC areas to race in, but at this point it feels paper thin.

The plot wavers between comic-book badassery and awkward melancholy, making you wonder whether the writing team couldn’t come to an agreement on what kind of story they wanted to tell.

There's plenty to nibble at, and for a cent under ten dollars (European pricing and release date still to be confirmed) it's well worth a punt.

There's nothing fundamentally wrong with Jeremy McGrath's Offroad so much as there's no compelling reason to recommend it over other racing titles that have more depth, variety, and make for a more engrossing racing experience for the same asking price. Instead, it's a barebones package with a famous name in the title that nails the basics and nothing else.

There is nothing inherently wrong with LifeSigns, but the ratio of hospital soap opera to actual gameplay is insanely high, making most of the experience a wordy one that will fail to draw in those who couldn’t care less about which bone is connected that bone.