Infinite Space

The latest game from talented Japanese studio Platinum Games is nothing if not ambitious – a galactic adventure that crams an entire universe into the humble DS, offering myriad worlds to explore with a fleet of spaceships. Each craft is pieced together from hundreds of parts and manned by characters handpicked from a selection of more than 150 space travellers. Naturally, the limitations of the hardware cause a few problems, but a few design choices rankle, too. The most glaring is the lack of a captain's log: some sprawling missions require a pen and paper (!) to ensure objectives aren't forgotten. Elsewhere, there's much to enjoy. The rock-paper-scissors mechanics of ship combat make encounters hugely tense affairs; trying to anticipate an enemy's next move as these hulking behemoths glide silently towards each other is very exciting in a slightly nerdy way. Between this epic and the new Pokémon , DS owners are looking at small-screen satisfaction for the foreseeable future.