The game as a whole doesn't stand up quite as well as "LocoRoco's" brilliant simplicity but it's still a wonderfully original experience.

Feels like a hardened old-skool title wrapped up in some lavish next-gen visuals that have unfortunately lost much of their sparkle in the port to PS3. Annoyances with the difficulty spikes are likely to mar the enjoyment for a fair few players and it's hard to recommend this over the far more polished Xbox 360 game.

But if looked at purely for entertainment value, the ten games on offer do give some good, non-violent, simple fun, even if a few of them are practically impossible to beat.

I'd expected its open nature to feel like a series of watered down multiplayer matches, but once you get into the heat of action it's a thrilling experience.

Playing And Then There Were None, you get a feeling that there's an opportunity for someone to do the whole classic detective thing properly - we're talking about playing as Hercule Poirot in a point and click style game based on one of the classic books. With good graphics too. Get it done.

While mildly amusing to begin with, Big Willy Unleashed ultimately falls flat. Pox might go as far as to say his Big Willy is limp, but we're just disappointed that yet another Destroy All Humans! game has woefully underused the excellent idea behind the game.

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.

One of the finest examples of bringing the essence of arcade gaming to modern consoles and a game no adrenaline junkie should pass up.

One of the finest examples of bringing the essence of arcade gaming to modern consoles and a game no adrenaline junkie should pass up.

As an introduction to RPGs Dragon Quest Swords might find an audience, but anyone hoping it will be a proper entry in the hugely popular series will be severely disappointed.

It seems that Omega Force either can't be bothered to breathe fresh air into the franchise, or it feels it doesn't need to because anything in a game box with Dynasty Warriors on the front is guaranteed to make money.

It seems that Omega Force either can't be bothered to breathe fresh air into the franchise, or it feels it doesn't need to because anything in a game box with Dynasty Warriors on the front is guaranteed to make money.

It looks great and has more character than any sports game I've ever played, but its gameplay is too shallow and unrewarding to provide long-term entertainment.

It looks great and has more character than any sports game I've ever played, but its gameplay is too shallow and unrewarding to provide long-term entertainment.

Retro gamers might not be able to resist the lure of a jazzed-up version of such a revered title but I'd recommend the average DS owner sticks to the more user-friendly thrills of New Super Mario Bros and lets this old bird rest its tired wings.

A mess of a game in all senses of the term. Its gameplay is at least one generation behind the competition, its presentation is like a collection of every graphical effect thrown into a mixing pot and poured onto the screen and the online implementation leaves a lot to be desired.

Wipeout Pulse is more of the same, but the new additions, primarily in the shape of online play, mean this is essential for Wipeout fans and adrenaline junkies.

There's no denying that Dark Messiah has a certain bloody charm, with battles against numerous enemies being both challenging and rather gory. By the end though, things do become a little repetitive, and this prevents the game from being anything truly special.

A mess of a game in all senses of the term. Its gameplay is at least one generation behind the competition, its presentation is like a collection of every graphical effect thrown into a mixing pot and poured onto the screen and the online implementation leaves a lot to be desired.

The story gets more mature with the solving of each puzzle, the puzzles themselves will have even the brainiest flummoxed and the art design is up there with anything, and I mean anything, on the console. It's the perfect DS game, it's the perfect puzzle game, it's what everyone should be playing on the tube instead of Brain Training, or some generic Sudoku clone.

A mess of a game in all senses of the term. Its gameplay is at least one generation behind the competition, its presentation is like a collection of every graphical effect thrown into a mixing pot and poured onto the screen and the online implementation leaves a lot to be desired.

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

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

With a little more effort, DMC4 could have been a genuine contender for 2008 game of the year. As it is it's a brilliant, addictive, just plain cool hack and slash action game which goes some way to bringing the series back to its initial lustre.

With a little more effort, DMC4 could have been a genuine contender for 2008 game of the year. As it is it's a brilliant, addictive, just plain cool hack and slash action game which goes some way to bringing the series back to its initial lustre.

Movie licensed titles are often less than satisfactory, but The Spiderwick Chronicles manages to pair decent gameplay with impressive production values.

Movie licensed titles are often less than satisfactory, but The Spiderwick Chronicles manages to pair decent gameplay with impressive production values.

The slick blend of genres and the sheer size of the game make it hard to give an unreserved recommendation: Sins of a Solar Empire will not be everyone's cup of tea. However, if you've been hooked to titles like Galactic Civilizations, experiencing '4X' strategy in a real-time environment may be a revelation for you.