Downhill Jam isn't an awful game; it's just a game that uses the Wii's new controller in completely the wrong way. Games that would work better on a standard controller have no reason to exist on the Wii, and when they're released with awkward controls and unimpressive presentation you have to wonder what the publisher and developer involved were thinking.

So, there's little doubt that Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor's Edge is a superior game to Ninja Gaiden 3, but in a console market that's about to be assaulted by Dante, Raiden and even Kratos, it's seriously lacking in precision and balance. And considering the subject matter, you'd think that would be paramount.

A wonderfully tense and oppressive atmosphere let down by the restrictions of live action interactivity.

So, Star Fox Zero is a pleasant return for Fox McCloud and his merry squadron, albeit one with a few flaws that stops it from sitting alongside the Wii U's best.

Man of Medan's story and characters fail to reach the heights of Supermassive's homage to the slasher flick, Until Dawn. The Dark Pictures Anthology isn't off to the greatest of starts.

But for those of us who have never played the original NiGHTS, Journey of Dreams is a fun and cheerful game that fits perfectly within the Wii's casual gaming philosophy.

Just another half-hearted port, albeit one that's been released at a relatively low price point.

Fundamentally, this is a very satisfying puzzle game, and one that manages to stay surprising throughout by keeping things incredibly tight. It escalates from the start and doesn't stop, providing more than enough reason to spend a couple of hours pushing around brightly covered blocks.

It's a game that has the potential to be played for hours and hours if you want to go for high scores and all the unlockable items, but many gamers may find the 20-minute campaign to be far too short.

We can't help but come to the conclusion that while EndWar provides DS owners with an alternative turn-based strategy experience, it does not provide them with a better one. That's not to say it's not worth picking up. It's just that Advance Wars is still our preferred fodder when the handheld strategy cravings start to bite.

Nail'd impresses in its opening moments and is fun to hop into for a quick burst, but once you've seen a few of the sights you're left with a game that struggles to excite where it really matters.

It's a real shame that Codemasters hasn't created a more involving set of missions with Red River, its campaign sagging at both ends of its entertaining middle, and while their attempt at streamlining the experience lessens the series' frustrations, the core game will still prove too delicate for many players.

For every good moment there's a handful of annoying ones, with everything from the Wii-mote controls to the game structure causing problems at some point or another.

Blue Dragon fans will probably be willing to put up with the game's failings, simply because it's more Blue Dragon. Everyone else, avoid.

Bionic Commando will frustrate many gamers, but get past the initial swinging learning curve and you'll find a highly entertaining action game that tries to do something a bit different.

Knack 2 doesn't have exactly the same problems as Knack, it's just moved things into different places and ended up mostly the same. Which is at least emblematic of Knack himself, I suppose.

If you don't have a big interest in bikes or MotoGP, this isn't for you. There's nothing here for casual bike fans or anyone who might be on the look out for something accessible in the bike racing genre. It's an incredibly solid package, though, and one that fans will get a lot out of.

Rare's piratical playground looks lovely, but you have to make a bit too much of your own fun. The sound and the fury of the waves is lovely, but for Sea of Thieves to be properly good it needs to give the players more to work with.

You are getting more of the same, but the new mini-games are different enough to warrant a purchase even if players have put plenty of time into Jungle Party, Monster Rumble and Robo Jam.

The Simpsons Game for the DS might not look quite as visually impressive as its counterparts on the bigger consoles, but it offers many hours of fun, and - as already mentioned - is worth buying simply for the lovingly crafted Simpsons cut-scenes.

I'm convinced the team at Hothead have a great downloadable game within them, but they're still not quite there yet.

For nostalgia alone, die-hard fans will get a lot out of this HD remake, but gamers who have been spoilt by current genre favourites may well find Serious Sam HD a bit too simple for its own good.

It’s not bad, but it lacks imagination outside of the singular gimmick that you can change vehicles at any time, and ends up just being rather average.

Nitro's problem is that the game struggles to keep you interested.

The DJ system is unique and intuitive, the visuals well polished and, even with my rock/punk roots, the soundtrack is a commendable mix of uncensored beats. Nevertheless, the broken fighting mechanics and sluggish pacing are enough to keep this game from reaching true icon status.

While it mostly relies on a tried and tired Ubisoft-open-world formula, the exhilarating car combat, the gleeful punk-rock absurdity of its world and the characters that populate it, and its almost flawless presentation make it something more than the sum of its well worn parts.

A fun collection of events, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 has some chaff amongst the wheat, but overall, this an entertaining package that will no doubt be a party favourite.

Turok isn't an awful game, it's just an unbelievably frustrating one.