Pros:

• It has hidden depth in the strategy.
• The learning curve is nice and smooth with well-balanced difficulty levels to make things more tricky when you need a challenge.
• It feels like the sort of game you could be dipping in and out of for many months with the Skirmish mode adding a lot of replay-value.

Cons:

• There could be a little more content with a few more maps and possibly another game mode or two for the multiplayer.
• The art style is nice but unimaginative and unfortunately similar to other recent titles.
• No online multiplayer means that the friendless will be stuck with A.I. skirmishes.

Verdict: On the whole Mushroom Wars is a very fun game with little to criticise. The look of it may be similar to other recent PSN titles but it fits with the game-play perfectly and it is the game-play that makes Mushroom Wars stand out. There is a subtle but impressive amount of strategy at certain points and plenty of opportunity to replay this compelling little game.
8/10