Ah, the 1980s. A simpler time when bits maxed out at eight and games could survive on little more than a plinky theme tune and a passably rendered cartoon hero. Reset Generation takes the fondly remembered characters of your gaming youth, gives them a 21st-century twist and dumps them into a multi-player puzzle game.

When characters have names like ‘Level 50 Elf’, ‘Hedgehog’ and ‘The Plumber’, you know you’re in for some gentle gaming sarcasm. The surprise is how smartly Reset Generation sends up its targets. The Plumber, for instance, is no longer from New Jersey but Eastern Europe, complete with spot-on voice phrases and some genuinely funny gags.

So can a hilariously cheesy puzzle gaming for old-school geeks cut the mustard on the modern mobile gaming stage? Darn tootin’, and read on to find out why…

Gameplay is simple enough to pick up – think Rampart meets Tetris and you won’t be far off – while having enough complexity, power-ups and general bonkers-ness (is that a word?) to keep you coming back for more. In each round, you’re fighting to rescue the princess from the castle of up to three rival opponents, taking turns to build blocks, move your hero, fire cannons and deploy special powers.

You can either play AI opponents or use a Wi-Fi handset to compete with PC players online (coming soon). The beauty of the single-player game is that it’s always a little different, and you’ll have to play it pretty solidly to exhaust all the gloriously cheesy pop-up graphics and phrases – not to mention the huge array of Easter Eggs scattered about.

This is more than just a videogame about videogames, it’s a homage that manages that rare achievement – to match (and even surpass) the originals for addictiveness, gameplay and sheer fun.

Reset Generation is a brilliant blend of old school concepts and next-gen innovation, and it’s this mixture along with killer gameplay that makes it N-Gage’s greatest triumph to date.

Key details
Price: £8
Rating: 12+
Size: 30MB
Download: N-Gage

More game reviews >>