London - TV remote controls used to be the most heavily fought-over objects in our living rooms - then iPad came along. Introduce one to your home and there are suddenly warring factions each with their own essential reason for having the device. So, as you can imagine, my request to play Dungeon Hunter 2 HD (iPhone, iPad) HHHH was met with the female raised eyebrow that silences men instantly.
Thankfully for gamers, there’s always the option of depriving oneself of sleep to grab some time to play in peace.
Dungeon Hunter 2 is one of the best iPad games yet: it’s a battle in which one taps the screen to bash monsters and harvest a tide of magical shoes, hats and armour. It’s also available on the iPhone, but the extra screen space on the iPad almost makes it a different game - better looking and far less fiddly to play.
The game is a clone of ancient PC titles such as Diablo, but fast-moving, great-looking and a worthy way to tide yourself over until Diablo 3 returns next year.
The controls have been retuned for the sequel, so you simply tap where you want to go, and tap icons to unleash attacks on the rugby scrums of warty foes who constantly mob you. It’s like a strategy game for one but with all the troublesome thinking replaced by the reassuring tinkle of loot in your coffers.
It isn’t hugely demanding - one of the things that’s been spruced up is the auto-aim, so all you need to do is be vaguely in the right place and you usually survive.
The core skill is knowing when to drink a health potion or run. But it’s all so cheerful, gorgeously designed and packed with silly fantasy stereotypes that it’s dangerously easy to keep playing way past your bedtime.
Mario Sports Mix 2 (Wii) HHH is another cheerful sports compilation, this time offering volleyball, basketball, dodgeball and ice hockey. Ice hockey games have always had a cult following due to the speed and violence of the sport and the matches here are the best thing about Sports Mix 2. As ever, bonuses such as green shells pop up to remind you not to take it too seriously.
The problem is that next to Wii Sports, there’s not much here - and it’s too American. The dodgeball is just duff, because you have to hit opponents several times to knock them flat. The volleyball, likewise, is sluggish and just about everything is controlled by shaking the WiiMote, so you start to feel like a cocktail waiter.
Nintendo has some great sports games, but despite the usual high-gloss presentation here, this is bottom-division material. - Daily Mail