While nowhere near perfect Rayman 3D is the best portable version of the game to date that's worth picking up if you've never played Rayman 2 before.

Ridge Racer 3D borrows from the best entries in the series and adds some decent visual depth, a perfectly reasonable racing game... while it lasts.

PES 2011 offers slick gameplay and striking 3D yet is let down by having no online mode and some sloppy, minor omissions. Still, for football fans, PES 3D offers a lot of mileage until the expected 2012 edition.

A fun mix of sports in an enjoyable package. Great for multiplayer sessions but could get boring by yourself.

RPG fans - pry your eyes away from Xenoblade; Solatorobo may be the biggest surprise of the summer.

An obscure yet engrossing multiplayer game that makes a nice change from Mario Party and Monopoly. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but for the strategic Mario fan, this makes for quite a fun evening.

A very solid, fast-paced action romp with islands of greatness in a sea of repetitive combat. Still, there are surprisingly few better Castlevania alternatives on Wii to this day.

A summer game through and through; entertaining and enjoyable but it's longevity and difficulty could be improved.

Another slice of obscurity from the Sonic Team cake of craziness, it's just a shame that the proverbial cake is half-baked and could do with a bit more icing.

One lazy attempt to bring the Worms franchise to the DS. If only they had put some time and effort in it.

A flawed but worthy entry into the turn based arena. One for the hardcore only.

A game that could easily be made better with a decent story and a better fighting system to seperate the good players from bad.

The enjoyable story, decent combat and overall play mechanics are dragged down by linear level design and a lack of graphical effort, making this title stop just short of being a true force to be reckoned with.

Bubble Bobble is a classic example of what was once a decent arcade game that has been updated badly, the classic gameplay and multiplayer are welcome but the tacked on extras and lack of features means there is little else to warrant a purchase.

Poor graphics and simple game-play detract from what could have been a great film-game conversion.

Not quite hitting pole position, Speed Racer is more like a bronze medalist that you secretly want to support.

Best for darts fans with spare money. Has potential that will hopefully be worked on for next year.

Want a title you can dip in and out of for quick sessions or have a passing interest in fishing as a sport? Maybe you should head to the store and reel in Sega Bass Fishing.

One for the younger members of the family or those of you who think hedgehogs rule.

Shortness and the fact that there's only 2 levels aside, the game had the potential to be fantastic. The more hardcore fans of arcade shooters will love this.

TV Show King is a fun title that can be played in short bursts every so often.

Web of Shadows goes its own way and, plays better for it. But while Treyarch seem confident of their story telling, their overall lack of technical mastery and ability to create an enjoyable combat mechanic kills any enjoyment past the first few hours.

Sonic in name only, this is yet another example of an experimental series off-shoot that while nicely presented does little in the way of gameplay to convince fans.

A very slow SRPG that feels more like an interactive novel. Its characters and story might make it worthwhile for fans, but if Bleach is not your thing, steer clear of it.

What it could have been is great, what it actually is, is pretty average.

While we were worried Planet Moon Studios couldn’t live up to the usual quality of 5th Cell, the team has put out a decent Wii platformer that anyone can admire, despite the targeted, younger demographic.

Prope did amazingly well with Let's Tap but don't be fooled by Let's Catch as it is nowhere near as fun and is unreasonably priced in comparison; here is hoping that the companies next Wii-ware venture proves to be more successful.

Colorz lures you in with its lavish colours & test to your coordination skills but it takes difficulty a step too far, unless you like your hard games with a side of cruelty. But if you’re looking for a multiplayer game, it’s a fun cooperative experience

An amusing game that can be a hoot in multiplayer if everyone can get to grips with the somewhat fiddly controls.

Tales goes out with a wang. [Feb 2010, p.72]

The original Sonic games have aged brilliantly. Unfortunately this collection has been made with little-to-no effort resulting in framerate issues that bring them down.

3D Mahjong does what it was made for perfectly well, even if its appeal will be lost on anyone not into the pastime.

A short, but fun, and visually outdated, but still enjoyable, combination for a reasonable price.

Wii Party threatens to become the life and soul of the party if played in the right circumstances. But without four players, and a stern awareness that the Game Board, House Party and Balance Boat modes are where the fun lies, Wii Party

A lot of effort has gone into designing the game, it's just a shame about the poor execution.

While it seems that effort has gone into making this easy and enjoyable for kids, the price is too high for this kind of game.

Worms is slowly getting stale and Battle Island is doing nothing to prevent that.

Frenzic is a solid puzzle game that promises a lot from its premise but fails to deliver due to lack of additional content, there is definite potential here for a more fully featured sequel.

If you're desperate for an FPS on your Cube, Geist is one of the few choices out there, but if you can help it, save your money.

Basically Mario Party 6, but with less fun and [fewer] new ideas.

An attempted brand new direction only proves Travellers Tales didn't have the required monkey balls.

While the groundwork for a great Super Monkey Ball is there, the level design fails to realise this potential.

A smart game undermined by price and the lack of care in the porting process. [Nov 2011, p.77]

Captain America: Super Soldier is a fun yet forgettable adventure. Only buy if you're a Marvel nut.

A fun, yet average puzzler. Only those with persistence to test the grey matter need apply.

Runaway offers a testing environment to frustrate your grey matter.

With none of the scope seen in the PC version, Spore: Creatures is a poor alternative. It’s a quirky & great looking, but soon ends up killing itself with repetitive gameplay and dull puzzles.

NBA Live 09 really nails the All-Play subtitle and is an enjoyable outing when your taking to the court with friends. But play it on your own and both the cheap-shot exploits and ugly looks make it a title you’ll soon tire of.

For a first shot at a WiiWare title, it’s not a horrendous effort from Oxygen, though it is overpriced. It can be good fun, but that feeling just doesn't last long enough.

FIFA 09 is let down by a jack of all trades master of none approach.

Not terrible, but if you like this sort of game, the Wii or PC versions would be much better.

Wacky World of Sports is certainly wacky but is just another party title that will be hitting the bargain bins.

It’s a shame that the game is brought down by repetition and difficult controls. It could have honestly been a lot more fun to play.

So as Jambo Safari threatens to reinvent itself it becomes a jack of all trades, though master only of what it originally was: an arcade cabinet that this old codger loved back in the day but one that should have probably stayed there.

It’s whack-a-mole with a Wii Remote. You won’t find it all that taxing to fill in the gaps yourself.

There is certainly fun to be had in this RTS but only if you can overlook some pretty obvious flaws in several areas.

A clone of recent LEGO games with nothing that made them good.

Too many sports spoil the broth.

Considering the other six games in the compilation, some of them are a lot of fun it's a shame many players just won't touch them half the time.

So warning to all, if you wish to play an enjoyable and gripping game, with a long lifespan, then do not buy Pokemon Dash. If, of course, you just want a senseless game where you play with Pikachu and you wish for a sore hand from constant rubbing, then I urge you to buy this game straight away.

Top Spin 2 could have been so much more; instead of just going down the 2D route they tried too hard and ruined what could have been a great game.

Yet another Movie tie-in falls victim to an evident lack of effort or ambition from it's developer and so ends up being nothing more than the latest in a long line of crudely cobbled together cash-ins that are an insult to gaming itself.

Unless you really need to play a wrestling game while away from home, avoid and stick to the home console version.

"The Incredible Hulk: The Official Videogame" is a lacklustre, technically poor experience that you really can afford to miss.

Competently delivered yet frustratingly unambitious, Pirates: Duels on the High Seas will leave most gamers cold. Best left to drift away with the flotsam and jetsam.

Interesting concept, terrible execution.

No fun at all, once you’ve done the first mission, you’ve done them all.

If you are looking for a new wrestling game you'd be better off looking for SD vs Raw 2011 or wait for the inevitable SD vs Raw 2012 at the end of the year.

Enjoyable for what it is, but for the money we should be getting more. [Nov 2011, p.76]

This would make a poor choice for a 99p iPhone game. They're asking £4.50 for it. No satisfaction and no fun to be had from this game.

If you watch Cartoon Network during the day you may like it, if you prefer their Adult Swim shows avoid.

A depressing, boring, frustrating mess, 'Iron Man: The Official Videogame' is nothing short of abysmal. Wait for the film to come out on DVD.

Alone In The Dark is a truly shining example of both how to make a bad game and how to over-hype a game. Avoid.

There isn't really a lot to say about this game other than "it exists". It will annoy kids and bore everyone else.

A reminder of the 1990's fighting scene. Unfortunately Tournament of Legends is more chump than champ.

Just stay away; this game isn't worth your hard earned cash. Go buy something decent.

If you want to play The Sims, go out and buy a PC and the game too. It may be a lot more expensive this way but for the true Sims experience I would recommend it.

A clumsy attempt of bringing off-road action to the DS, its only joy being strangely a result of it's flaws.

It was a game no-one noticed because no-one should notice this. Ever. Don't bother looking at it never mind buying or renting it.