Download Games Roundup

DodoGO!

• DSiWare / 800 DSi Points

I face the very real threat of death if I call this 'eggsellent', so let's steer well clear of attributing that particular superlative to Neko Entertainment's superb twist on Lemmings.

As with DMA's enduring classic, the idea is to safely shepherd a gaggle of hapless souls over a hazard-strewn environment to an exit. In DodoGo!'s case, you have to gently guide some fragile Dodo eggs to their nest without damaging, breaking or upsetting them.

Thoroughly depressed at the voting habits of Broken Britain, these poor souls need cheering up before they arrive at their goal, so you find yourself engaging in a bit of gentle cajoling and stroking before they're in the right frame of mind to nestle in the safe confines of their nest.

Fall too far and they either break entirely or are so badly damaged that you have to draw platforms to catch them, burn wooden obstacles, place springs to launch them to a safer route, or even bellow "stop" or "go" into the DSi's microphone to let them know who's boss. With the clock ticking, you have to work fast to gain medals and ensure that as many of your eggy friends reach their destination to extract the best possible grading.

DodoGO!'s bold, captivating cartoon visuals, the requisite jolly soundtrack and 100 levels to plough through mean it offers decent value for its 800-Point 'premium' status. It's absorbing and challenging without being irritating, and you should give it a crack.

Yes, that was an egg joke.

8/10

Rocket Knight

• PC (Steam), PSN, XBLA

Increasingly fond of mining its rich seam of dusty retro classics, Konami has delved into a particularly cobweb-covered corner of its illustrious back catalogue, choosing to revive a brand that has remained dormant for some sixteen years.

Famous on the Mega Drive for about a year over two titles, Rocket Knight has been re-imagined by Climax as a slick 2.5D platformer-cum-shooter. As you did back then (if you were alive, youngsters), you play as Sparkster, a sword-wielding opossum knight who just happens to have a rocket pack strapped to his back.

Tasked with reaching the end of the level quick-smart, you bound, slice and blast your way around 14 colourful environments with cheerful abandon, collecting gems and dodging a procession of traps just like we used to daily in the pre-internet era. It was like a form of gaming national service. Everyone had to do it.

Now and then you face off against stubborn, giant boss creatures with missile-spewing routines, and weak spots patented in the early nineties. There you are, leaping like Bugaboo The Flea after too much Irn Bru in frantic avoidance of their deadly attacks, and wistfully humming the theme tune to World of Sport. You're 37, you're playing bouncy kid-friendly games that, strangely, your kid thinks is a bit rubbish, but you're having fun. Life is good.

It's hard to know how many people are really going to care about the return of Rocket Knight. Climax has done a decent job of giving it a modern sheen, but while it's mildly entertaining and completely inoffensive, it's also forgettable. It's a bit like when one-hit-wonder indie bands get back together and go out on tour to relive their glory days. Some things were just of their time and should remain that way.

6/10