Darren Edwards

Spacebase Startopia on Xbox is a sim game which is full of character and offers a solid experience, especially for those who are fans of the genre. However, the clunky control scheme and uncomplicated formulaic gameplay may prove too much of a barrier for some.

Iconic. I think that’s a fair word for it. That’s right, it’s been 25 years since Resident Evil was released on the original PlayStation, kickstarting the most successful video game horror series of all time. The Resident Evil universe has since expanded into live action films, books and CG features, showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon as it hits its silver anniversary.

Two Point Hospital: JUMBO Edition on Xbox plays very similarly to the main campaign, with just the right amount of tweaking to keep the offering fresh. It’s an essential purchase for fans of the original, and highly recommended for everyone else.

The Game Boy Advance holds a special place in my heart, as it was the first handheld I can properly remember spending serious time with growing up; it provided countless amazing gaming experiences.

Monster Truck Championship on Xbox Series X|S remains a solid sim racer, with plenty of events to tackle. However, the lack of variety, despite a good level of customisation options, will be a real issue for some. The optimised release has a visual edge over the original, but all things considered there isn’t much of a difference here at all.

Burnout Revenge is well worth a revisit as it blazed the trail for combat-based racing without the fancy items, instead proving that your car can be the most deadly weapon of all.

Kill It With Fire on Xbox is brilliant. It’s original, preposterous, but more importantly an absolute hoot. It does what few games have the power to, which is put a smile on your face and fill your heart with joy. The only snag is that you’ll never look at a house spider in the same way again.

I have a real mixed experience with EA. They are undeniably a huge force in the world of video games, one of the biggest in fact, but their output is rather inconsistent. This is, of course, a risk of being such a giant in the industry. They’ve gotten behind some truly huge franchises in the past, however every now and then a standalone game came along seemingly out of nowhere, and proves to be a pleasant surprise. Black was one such game.

I still can’t quite believe it’s been 25 years since we were first given the opportunity to “Catch ‘em All!”. Today the Pokemon universe is vast and has branched out into all sorts of different directions. As luck would have it, I’m here to remind you of the games that may have escaped your radar when first released, but absolutely deserve a second look.

Endurance: Space Action on Xbox is a decent sci-fi adventure, wrapped in mystery and told over a substantial single player campaign. However, partly due to its length, few will feel compelled to see it through to its conclusion.

I can’t overstate how much I love the Pokemon franchise, and it’s because of these original games that I do. They hold countless precious childhood gaming memories for me, and captured my imagination like nothing else.

Akuto: Showdown on Xbox is simple and fun to play, but feels as if it has fallen short of its full potential, mostly due to an absence of online play.

Get 10 Quest is a brilliant little game which will only cost you a few pennies. For this reason it can be forgiven for being feature light, but at its core it’s amongst the best puzzlers around.

Despite nearly showing its entire hand from the start, Roombo: First Blood on Xbox remains original and hilarious in light of all the bloodshed.

Butterfly on Xbox is an average puzzle platformer that doesn’t do enough to catch your eye. It will only set you back a few quid, but doesn’t do enough to stand out from the crowd.