Okay, so the (control) system allows for dramatic angles of spookiness and so forth but it all but kills a game. The fighting system is very poor too, as the computer does it all for you, all you have to do is keep hitting on the X button. Tripe!

A superb game that'll only alienate those who don't really get American football. As that's loads of people, we're unfairly knocking off a point. [Xbox World]

A fun, if not exactly classic, future-racer, riddled with shortcuts and offering plenty to do. Pales in comparison to "F-Zero X," though.

Although it's not an astonishing leap forward, Freedom Force vs the Third Reich does boast better graphics, better AI and better multiplayer than its predecessor, making it a winner all round. [PC Gamer UK]

Forget the 'this isn't what Xbox was made for' cynics. Gear is fast and exciting and we love the 2D approach. Sadly though, there's no real originality to keep you coming back for more. [Xbox World]

From the opening scene to the final, cataclysmic end, KOTOR 2 sucks you in, chews you up, and spits you out the other end. Despite being a parallel to the original, this is a is a superb sequel if ever we saw one. [GamesMaster]

As good a Mario adventure as you could hope for, and a cracking RPG in its own right. [GamesMaster]

Namco runs its formula dry with an expansive campaign, but the action keeps the soul burning. [GamesMaster]

Despite the wonderful new physics system, it feels like this is a game out of step with what's happening in action games. It still suffers from odd AI: enemies are hyperaware of your presence, turning on a dime as you enter their sensitive ranges. [PC Gamer UK]

It's like a digital version of Royston Vasey: the same things happening week by week, a set of unnerving neighbours - but you really will never leave. [GamesMaster]

A romp to remember and a multiplayer taste to acquire and savour.

The closest anyone's got to nailing the mainstream music game concept. If it was just 20 quid, we'd tell everyone to get it. [PSM2]

An obscure Zelda game that's demanding on your pockets - but it's one of the finest multiplayer games ever. [NGC]

The only thing that really got on our nerves was the rubbish dialogue. There are times when it's pretty appalling and it does kind of spoil the magic a little - likewise, the plot can be pretty cliched and RPG veterans will find it tiresome in places. [NGC]

Simply the best golfing simulation available right now.

The most pulsating, nut-chafing, wind-in-the-hair experiences that can be prised from a game console. [GamesMaster]

It's a completely immersive game, and despite our few niggles with enemies that stay rooted to the spot and missions that don't vary hugely, we're still going back for more. [GamesMaster]

A fine home conversion; it's a beautiful, if shallow and short-lived, arcade racer.

Hugely immersive, frenetic, intelligent carnage but it's not a big single-player experience. Warhammer finally has a great videogame... For those who aren't interested in tin soldiers - you'd be nuts to miss the finest sci-fi RTS to hit the PC since "Total Annihilation." [PC Gamer UK]

It is the best adventure game for years, it has a sly, well-plotted purpose and it points the way to the 3D adventures of the future. Don't fear the monkeys: embrace them.

A technical marvel. It moves so fast, and so smoothly, that you'd be forgiven for forgetting that you're playing it on a handheld console.

It won't be for everyone - but the melee combat brings something fresh to the genre and the online games are absolutely cracking. [Xbox World]

It's: Huge, heavy on hitting and quite gorgeous. It's not: A standard MMOG, a life-hoover or run of the mill. [PC Gamer UK]

This is a game that rewards care and attention by making you part of a brutally efficient machine. Other games give you a crusade, but SWAT 4 gives you the job itself - only without the hazard pay or sudden bullets to the face. [PC Gamer UK]

A brash, brilliant arcade game with real substance. It'll blow you away with its unrelenting pace and aggression. [GamesMaster]

Amanda De Cadenet -- remember her? -- once said in an interview that she'd rather have five minutes of filth than half an hour of arduous bump 'n' grind and, at last, we understand what she meant.

Hopefully, upcoming sequels will further tweak an already solid concept into a great game.

Looks stunning. The polygon count has been upped from the coin-op version, and the characters are as lifelike as you could want.

It's sumptuously, head-swimmingly, plum-clutchingly lovely to look at. No, really, it's gorgeous. [Import]

Besides the abundance of car wrecking weapons, the most entertaining aspect of Rumble Racing is that the vehicles, including the trucks, can do mid-air tricks. Every time you perform a barrel roll or misty flip its impossible not to raise a cheeky smile.

Alternately frantic, considered and hilarious; utterly gorgeous throughout and outstandingly innovative. Absolutely essential.

[Games Radar Rating = Direct Hit] AvP2 isn't a revolutionary game, but a collection of previously-seen elements, all put together seamlessly and balanced so well that it emerges as a rather beautiful Frankenstein's Monster.

For all its faults [camera, linear progress], this is one of the most vividly imagined, sprawling and openly heart-warming games on PS2. [PSM2]

Obsession can easily set in with certain challenges. You might be able to see how you could earn the required amount of Kudos, but actually doing it is another matter. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

A glimpse at the future of RPGs. A stunningly realised vision of everything that's good about story-driven swords and sorcer. [GamesMaster]

Along with "Star Ocean," "Kingdom Hearts" and "Dark Chronicle," this is one of the few RPGs that dares to throw away the Final Fantasy blueprint, with great results. [PSM2]

Mindbogglingly huge and engaging, this is one of the great space games of all time... A classic. [PC Gamer UK]

Don't let the fact that it's an update put you off. Easy to pick up and impossible to put down, this is a classic RPG. [NGC]

If only the machine's best game actually showed off the possibilities of the touch screen rather than highlighting its lack of an analogue stick. [NGC Pocket]

With the series' clever design and sense of humor fully restored, The Two Thrones is a stellar return to form for Prince of Persia.

A gloriously realised futuristic Gauntlet-style playground where you can chat, trade, cooperate and do battle. Pure magic. [NGC]

As good a turn-based strategy game as you could hope to expect, with a cracking story. [GamesMaster]

Unfriendly, unwieldy and expensive - but put the time in and you'll be rewarded with the most extraordinary online RPG. [GamesMaster]

And it has marvellously crap fighting, which should please you louts out there. Punch him! Hit him in the face! We demand blood!

An immensely satisfying racing sim designed for hardcore racing fans.

Monstrously tough and definitely not for part-timers. Ikaruga is demanding but ultimately rewarding. [GamesMaster]

A tremendous achievement. Genuinely exciting and immersive but not without its faults. A hack-'n'-slash treat, if slightly repetitive. [PSM2]

Too short, too complicated and too clever - but an absolute classic. If only they'd taken the time to fix the pacing and give us some new bits. [GamesMaster]

With solidly rebuilt controls only a little marred by a still-fussy camera, LEGO Star Wars II is even better than last years prequel trilogy-based offering. And, as the first LEGO Star Wars was an amazingly entertaining homage to Lucas's genius, this sequel stands atop the original's shoulders as the pinnacle of LEGO Star Wars fun.

If you're expecting a new GTA from the people who made it, you'll be sorely disappointed but The Warriors nonetheless provides an entertaining and very playable tale bearing the usual high production values and intense violence we've always lovingly associated with Rockstar. [Xbox World 360]

But if you fancy a deep, serious game that represents a huge challenge - and aren't adverse to constantly studying a map and positioning your men before seeing any action - then this war hero is in a league of its own. [Xbox World]

You don't buy any MMORPG lightly, least of all this one. It imperiously demands massive chunks of your time, patience and dedication but the rewards are commensurately high. The fierce sense of satisfaction as your fame grows and coffers swell is hard to match. [PC Gamer UK]

A lovely piece of storytelling with top-notch visuals and sounds, Alice enthrals aesthetically but doesn't quite satisfy gameplay-wise.

Arcade racing taken to the extreme with bags of variety, modes and upgrades. If only you could explore more of the town... [GamesMaster]

Winter Assault is an excellent add-on for an excellent game. While not enough to demand an immediate return to Dawn of War for those sated of its charms, devoted Imperial followers will enlist for this particular crusade. [PC Gamer UK]

Somewhere between the solid first few hours and the game's thrilling conclusion, Silent Hill 3 transforms from a humdrum sequel into a knuckle-searing digital nightmare. [PSM2]

A sublime evolution of a serious sports simulation that doesn't make life easy to start with but rewards you with depth, blood and belts. [Playstation 2 Max]

Yes, it's a little tougher to learn the nuances than in years past, but the final verdict is in - and it's a golden goal.

This is a must-have title on PSP. World Tour shows how to combine sporting simulation with easy arcade style and accessibility. The Roger Federer of tennis games. [PSM2]

A pleasant surprise - but it's still disappointing the game doesn't contain options for the future, when Sony introduce a modem and take the PS2 online.

It has lived up to the hype and that's no mean feat when you consider that it's been billed as GTA War. Only the lack of total freedom and iffy handling hold it back. [PSM2]

The characters actually have... well... character. We know their history, their allegiances, their grudges, and even the colour of their panties in certain circumstances.

Technique will always get you further than random button mashing. [GamesMaster]

Whichever version you choose, though, the action is top-notch awesome. With the series' clever design and sense of humor fully restored, The Two Thrones is a stellar return to form forPrince of Persia .

The game play is absolutely superb, with well-balanced armies and some simply brilliant new units including a new building system more akin to the WarCraft series that allows for a more efficient unit production system.

Put simply, if you have Live this is a highly recommended purchase, if you don't then it isn't.

The last great racer on Xbox. Unless the mere sight of a car makes you physically sick, we'd call this a must-buy title. [Xbox World 360]

Sega GT seems to frustrate more than entertain after some time, like GT2 did before it for gamers that played the original.

What MC3 lacks in grace and polish it more than makes up for with its raw power and sheen of cool.

DMC3 is truly hardcore and seriously challenging but partly at the expense of being playable and fun. [GamesMaster]

An enjoyably brainless, highly destructive romp. It doesn't offer anything new but it does do everything well. [PSM2]

There are so many modes, multi-player games and features that could easily have you seeing less and less daylight as time goes on.

Still the daddy in the action-strategy stakes but getting a little long in the tooth. Won't win new converts but it gets the job done. [GamesMaster]

Oops-where-did-the-weekend-go addictive. Buy it, and resign yourself to some five-hours gaps in your memory you may have difficulty explaining to the police at a later date. [PC Format]

If you're looking for a simulation, this ain't it. But then, that's hardly the point.

Some of the most imaginative levels ever. [GamesMaster Magazine, #109]

A sound and stylish - if slightly predictable - shooter. [PC Gamer UK]

With solidly rebuilt controls only a little marred by a still-fussy camera, LEGO Star Wars II is even better than last years prequel trilogy-based offering. And, as the first LEGO Star Wars was an amazingly entertaining homage to Lucas's genius, this sequel stands atop the original's shoulders as the pinnacle of LEGO Star Wars fun.

Midway has delivered psychic splendour with great effect. Like a master hypnotist, Psi-Ops commands your attention and won't let go. [PSM2]

Battlefield Vietnam loses out for just one reason, and that reason is that it never feels like a genuine sequel. The quantum leap isn't quantum; evolution has not created a new phenotype. It's simply not different enough or inventive enough. [PC Gamer UK]

Play it loud, on a big-assed TV, until you've mastered every character, your girlfriend's left you and the bank has repossessed the goldfish.

Fans will love it, newcomers will be entertained, but those yearning for something mind-blowing or wholly original will be disappointed. [Xbox World]

Even with sub-epic myths to draw upon, Factor 5 have put together a well-conceived and thoroughly enjoyable game.

A gorgeous, character-packed curio that combines strategy and arcade action with great aplomb. An essential purchase for nostalgics. [PC Gamer UK]

It's excellent, and if you're a wrestling die-hard, you'll want to get it. But if you're not, we can't honestly say that this is different enough to last year's outing - which itself was hardly radically different to the previous year's - to be a must-have. [PSM2]

Everything or Nothing is dripping with Bondiness. It's accessible and youngster-friendly. Unfortunately it's a little bit more like the popcorn than the movie. [PSM2]

Adds nothing to the well-worn formula but wraps everything up in a glossy package which makes the previous outings look like primary school projects. This is classic Resi at it's finest.

Fun. It's not technically impressive in a look-at-that-sun-glare kinda way, and it won't take hours to master its subtle nuances.

Brutal, bloody and brilliant with a massive body count. Few can match its looks. [GamesMaster]

Simply fantastic.

It looks absolutely stunning, but for all but a minority, the game play doesn't match up to expectations.

Not as enjoyable as its predecessor, but still very good. Some of the biggest levels on PS2 and varied, exciting combat collude to form a cracking adventure. [PSM2]

The true brilliance shines through whenever you get enough mates together to unearth the full potential of the multiplayer.

It's still got that old Resi magic and is a great game, but the series is starting to show its age and plod like an old zombie. [GamesMaster]

As a stand-alone game, Unreal Champ doesn't offer the same package as "Halo" or "TimeSplitters 2." [Offline review by XGamer]

This complexity demands your total concentration, resulting in an all-consuming gaming experience. You're gonna lose hours to this game.

The clincher that transforms Homeworld 2 from a good game into a great one is the depth of detail. Every battle is an epic worthy of Lucas' early days; every backdrop a mind-blowing kaleidoscope of nebulae which constantly rams home the very vastness of space. [PC Gamer UK]

A good couple of days stylish thrash-'em-up violence. Not much variety, but plenty of fun to be had, we feel. [GamesMaster]

Though it pains us to say this, the official license really does make a big difference. All those real stadia, shirts and club logos flying around the place give it the kind of special event feel that the competition simply can't match. Shallow? Not us.

Almost the best superhero game on PS2, but let down by the fact that - when you get down to it - we've seen it all before. Still, you should definitely give it a shot. [PSM2]

Fable's social systems are a masterpiece of design and, if the story and dialogue tend towards the prosaic, the compelling action and delicious presentation boost the experience far above the ordinary. [PC Gamer UK]

Pretty and comprehensive but - with the exception of Live play - feels a little outdated. [GamesMaster]

It may be true that those of you who already own last year's version may feel like you're not getting much more than a roster update and the ability to keep kicking it in the sublime 2K online world, but there's no doubt that the proof is in the pudding, and NBA 2K7 delivers a darn good time.

The bit with the insect queen probably ranks as the Most Disturbing Moment In A Game Ever. [XGamer Magazine]

Terrific multiplayer games and an engrossing set of challenges and Arcade leagues, but the Story mode still isn't offering what it should. [Xbox World]

The story is tightly linear, so it's hard to make your character's tale your own.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the game, though, is the way in which it gives a real sense of what war was really like for pilots in the Pacific.

Predictable but top-class racing action. Best enjoyed with friends, and with no expectations of greatness.

With all due respect to all the stat crunchers out there, this is once again the true "fantasy" football.

Sits comfortably between the hardcore elements of the stately "Links," and the cutesy arcadeness of more console-orientated golf. [PC Format]

Unique, and only the fact that it won't be every player's idea of fun (walking, listening, talking, mashing sticks...) holds it back. But to pass up on such a powerful experience based on preconceptions of 'boring adventure games' would be a very big mistake. [PSM2]

It's the perfect way of working out if your flatmate's a robot - only a heartless cyborg assassin wouldn't love these fluffy little pups - but it's not for those that are easily bored of endless, patient training and failure. [NGC Pocket]

For a Microsoft-published game Crimson Skies is refreshingly politically incorrect, with blatantly sexist mid-battle quips from the dashing protagonist.

The best thing you can do if you want a fantastic footy game on your new PS2 is to find a copy of PSone's "ISS Pro Evolution." It'll be half the price, but twice as much fun.

Repetitive in the long-term. But, as a gaming experience, it can't be beaten by anything else on Xbox or other games machines. [Xbox Gamer]

You can't help but be quietly impressed by its speed, its stunning scenery, and its incredibly well-designed tracks.

It's the perfect way of working out if your flatmate's a robot - only a heartless cyborg assassin wouldn't love these fluffy little pups - but it's not for those that are easily bored of endless, patient training and failure. [NGC Pocket]

It's a shame that the multiplayer options don't include a cop pursuit mode, but that's a minor omission in a one-game-fits-all package. If you haven't found any of the recent NFS games to be juuuust right, Most Wanted is the one to own.

Catacombs is well worth adding to your Camelot collection - provided that you already have an account and aren't planning to jump ship in the near future. [PC Gamer UK]

Learning and mastering new jobs while mixing and matching new abilities is such a deep and entertaining experience that the narrative becomes secondary. You can easily spend dozens and dozens of hours leveling up jobs and experimenting with them.

It's the multiplayer mode that ultimately makes this well worth your pennies.

It's a well-made game that you can try again and again with numerous heroes and their plethora of powers. If you're a comic-book fan, this is probably the most satisfying videogame ever made for you.

A gorgeous and absorbing space combat sim, but one that takes time to get to grips with.

This is a franchise for those who like games entirely cerebral, with no need for reflexes or marksmanship.

We've happily sat for ages playing around on Arcade mode and vamping our ship up to obscene speeds but, when the chips are down in the League and the autopilot flies you straight into a series of mines, it's all you can do not to chew off your own face.

A fun romp that stays interesting no matter how you play it. It has its share of flaws, but for fans, this is the first Star Wars game to have it all.

It's the perfect way of working out if your flatmate's a robot - only a heartless cyborg assassin wouldn't love these fluffy little pups - but it's not for those that are easily bored of endless, patient training and failure. [NGC Pocket]

It's also undoubtedly Harvest Moon's high point, expanding the freedom of play while retaining the bright, simple aesthetics and pantomimed emotion that have defined the series.

In the six hours that it takes to finish Metal Gear Solid, there is little more than an hour's interaction.

Full of unique touches, with a depth that demands that you come back for more. Addictive, compulsive and, above all, bags of fun. [Playstation 2 Max]

A bit of a dodgy conversion, but otherwise a very good game. This amount of stuff on one UMD is amazing, and the range of things you can do is remarkable. Not perfect, but still great. [PSM2]

It's got everything going for it and is great fun to play. If you're looking for an original shoot-'em-up that breaks the rules, then this is it.

Every second of this game screams skillful design and the result is a liberating game world that feels open and responsive. Nearly every object in the game reacts to Lara's influence, and this applies to the gamer holding the control pad as well - it's impossible to play this game and not fall under its tempting spell.

There's one huge caveat to our recommendations. THQ, in a cost-cutting move sure to infuriate people everywhere, have removed the battery memory back-up and implemented a password system instead.

Prepare for the Poke folk to take over your life. Again. [GamesMaster]

Not a big brave step forward in the world of wrestling games...But the whole game has been pumped up and inflated to such impressive proportions that you can't help applaud both THQ and Yukes for treating the WWE with the care and campness it deserves.

Astonishing stuff. [NGC]

But it it's the most basic beat-'em-up you've ever played, often you'll find yourself simply holding the stick forward while Kong runs on invisible rails. It's beautiful, but oh-so-boring and unchallenging. [GamesMaster]

Barbarian Invasion is tweak-packed and jammed with choices, meaning that even expert Generals will be kept busy for ages. A must for fans of Rome Total War. [PC Gamer UK]

One of the true joys of Madden is settling in for a run of minigames. But there's one factor that's a touch obnoxious: you can't choose what players you compete with.

A beautiful story, told in a brand new way...It's the giant leap that the genre so desperately needed. [PC Gamer UK]

SOCOM: US Navy SEALs isn't quite PS2's online killer app, but it's a worthy beginning.

Fast, varied and exacting, although its near-scientific dedication to perfection leaves it empty in the heart. [PC Gamer UK]

FIFA 2002 might be deeper, but it isn't more fun. The rich gameplay is negated by clumsy implementation, shabby player models and lack of visual finesse.

Online play would score high 80s but offline SOCOM 3 is an average squad shooter that treads the same tired path as many before it. [PSM2]

Tiger's undeniable quality has survived the tweaks. As impressive as ever but no great leap forward in evolution. [NGC]

Play solo, as we reckon most people will most of the time, and you will find your three AI buddies, while eager, do have a habit of getting killed more quickly than when you're controlling them. It's not a game wrecker but that sliver of mistrust in your buddies' abilities can intrude on your fun in the heat of battle. [Xbox World]

Compared to the massive rendered cutscenes in "Tekken 3," Tekken Advance looks like a small-scale side story of the series, rather than a fully-fledged sequel.

From start to finish, it's a class act, and one that you'll obsess over for months to come. [XGamer]

A nearly mindless squad-based shooter, oozing with arcade appeal. Don't expect the world and you won't be disappointed. This is all about the best possible kind of ass-kicking, with an insane amount of firepower. As surprising as it is fun. [Xbox Gamer]

Once you've got used to the way things work, thanks to the comprehensive training mode, you'll find the combat is far more satisfying than anything other more commercial RPGs have to offer.

An improvement over the original, then. But with still only two areas to choose from and no multi-player mode (an obvious way to improve on the first game that should have been included), it does have a problem with its lifespan.

Sonic may be in a rush, but Sega clearly wasn't when they crafted this glorious game. [NGC Pocket]

Offers just enough variety and story to keep you hanging until its early end. [GamesMaster]

Slow, tiresome and, fundamentally, a bit broken. [PC Gamer UK]

A quirky, memorable title that'll leave RPG veterans spellbound. [GamesMaster]

If you live for 20-inch rims, flame decals and picking just the right door mirrors to accent your neon, you need this. The racing might not be quite the best available, but it's not that far behind. Certainly way good enough for you to enjoy your crazy ride. [PSM2]

With so much chasing and fighting in the movie, the scrolling slasher genre seems ideal. However, the result is a simplistic and repetitive game. [PSM2]

Beneath the flash, the sampled voices, orchestral score, magnificent landscapes and monstrous animation lies a mess of inexplicable design decisions, bizarre mechanics, Fisher Price strategy and a strange disregard for Tolkien's story... It doesn't love the source material as much as you or I. And that's the biggest frustration of all. [PC Gamer UK]

We're underwhelmed by the game mechanic and bot AI but there's a good online game in there if you've got the hardware. Shame about everyone else. [PSM2]

Ignore Harvest Moon and you'll be ignoring one of the cutest and most original RPGs you're ever likely to see. It ought to be on everyone's 'must play' list.

Quake 4 has set-pieces to knock your jaw off, provides flawless, timeless multiplayer and the Doom 3 engine does the business with the graphics, but the lack variety means the earth won't quite move for you. [GamesMaster]

Hardcore golfers will be disappointed that Tiger Woods PGA Tour isn't making revolutionary improvements, and everyone else will wonder why EA can't seem to make fields of green look prettier, but it's still the best golf game you can buy on any platform.

If you're not precious about tactical elements it's a real hoot. With more level consistency, it could've become the shooter king. [GamesMaster]

Being too uncoordinated to dare attempt one of those arcade dancing machines, it's the first game we've played that has actually made us feel light-headed. It's also exactly what DS needed after the disappointing absence of a genuine must-have title among the US launch releases. Virtually perfect. [NGC]

For either a first time fragger or a battle hardened veteran, Doom is simply superb. [GamesMaster]

An unconventional - hence invigorating - impetuous, inciting, and utterly, utterly playable first-person multiplaying affair.

A dull, linear first-person shooter with international conflict as its backdrop, that tries to put players into the boots of a WW2 soldier embroiled in the thick of the things, but fails miserably. [XGamer]

If the work that's gone into TOCA's story element had been put into the game itself, we might now be saluting the PS2's best racing game. Instead we're lightly applauding a rather good one. [GamesMaster]

It's far more difficult to learn than "NBA Street" - still the benchmark for accessible sports games as far as we're concerned. But it's still an American footie game of the highest quality. Just not one for the UK masses, like we'd hoped.

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour isn't going to shake the golf game establishment to its foundations, but it has as much depth as any of its competitors, and considerably more character. [NGC]

It manages to provide an incredibly compelling experience by consistently setting an intense mood, forgiving player errors and providing numerous options for accomplishing your fiendish goals.

Gorgeous to look at and wonderfully well made, but it's not a revolution. [PC Gamer UK]

It's simply good fun from beginning to end - like an unexpectedly violent Disneyland ride.

Slow, often frustrating, but frighteningly engrossing at the same time. If you're after a leisurely, open-ended experience then it's highly recommended. [NGC]

There's little doubt that I've failed to sufficiently convey the sheer enormity of this game. [PC Gamer UK]

If there were a few more minigames on offer then Everybody's Golf would've been even better. Never mind. The level of sheer fun means this game will appeal to even the most ardent of golf haters. [PSM2]

When you turn to the on-ride camera mode, and the car starts down the big slides...well, I genuinely feel a tug of induced artificial vertigo. A construction game that gets you in the guts. That's rare. This is a golden ticket. Get in line. [PC Gamer UK, Dec 2004, p.111]

Far from being the cash-in we'd all expected, this is one of the best puzzlers money can buy. Excellent stuff indeed.

And once you become Van Wilder, life can becomes easier as you can influence people to help you with homework, leaving you more time to get on with life/earning/relationships.

The new minigames are a bit rubbish, but there's basically no reason for PSP-owning WWE fans not to get this. Finally, PSP gets itself a decent fighting game. About time too. [PSM2]

Despite the dearth of new features and the inherited infirmities, £20 is far too low an asking price for a strategy game this cultivated. [PC Gamer UK]

It's in the interaction with other players that Toontown excels. Basic game-related queries and greetings are automated, and typed chat is heavily restricted to real-life friends. However, this doesn't impede the gameplay in any way.

The main problem we have with it is that, despite having a variety of levels and level-styles, the basic format of each world can start to feel a touch repetitive by the time you reach the third or fourth world. [NGC]

You've almost got to love Mortal Kombat if you like gaming. It's big, it's brash, it's bloody and it's not in the least bit ashamed. Fatality! [Xbox World]

A great game, but it's never going to replace "Goldeneye" or "Perfect Dark." Both games do things bigger and better and more often.

Overall, though, The Fallen doesn't exactly leave you feeling like you've been through the mill, emotionally or physically. Think of it as being a cheerful diversion.

If you like "SSX," you won't like Freekstyle - don't be fooled by superficially-appealing first impressions. [PSM2]

Despite the unwieldy user interface, this will have Dreamcast strategy fans drooling. Definitely not just for trainspotters.

It's the fighting game they threw the kitchen sink at...This isn't just the biggest Mortal Kombat to date - it's the biggest fighting game, full stop. Topping this will take some doing. [PSM2]

The quality of the game remains and it's an essential purchase for those who are new to Pokemon but we can't help feeling the update is a little on the cheap side. [NGC]

The best FIFA yet shows genius, but lacks the cohesion that separates a great team from a team of great players - and inescapably, it pales next to "PES4." [PSM2]

As a distraction it's fine, but as a game it's distinctly lacking in challenge and structure. [PC Gamer UK]

Accessible and instantly satisfying but can become dull all too quickly. A good, but not great, online-focused war game that's just not exciting enough to threaten "Halo 2." [GamesMaster]

The quality of the game remains and it's an essential purchase for those who are new to Pokemon but we can't help feeling the update is a little on the cheap side. [NGC]

This is one Monkey Island you won't want to escape from any time soon. [GamesMaster]

A thoroughly enjoyable two-player game knocked down by an over-too-soon Career mode.

The presentation is feisty, the graphics punchy and the animations gratuitous, plus the game is held together by a sense of fun that you won't get from many American Football sims. Also it has the right sort of aggressiveness that makes it an excellent multiplayer game. [GamesMaster]

The graphics are beautiful and the gameplay is ituitive, addictive and amazingly good fun. It's a shame it is so short - we completed it in four hours - but it is perfectly formed. [GamesMaster: JPN Import]

A delicious blend of pleasure and pain. Everyone should own a copy of this (and practise lots as well). [NGC]