A stunning achievement for both Rockstar and Sony. It shows just how powerful the PS2 system is when used right. This game has the potential to last months and months on end, especially for the 100% target.

The game is shorter than the original title, and if you play games to get a great ending, Halo 2 is not going to give it to you. The ending made our jaws drop, but not in a positive sense.

It has its problems and it's a bit of a let down considering the next generation console, but what Nintendo have done is used the Wii's strengths well with this game and that along with an excellent storyline, makes Twilight Princess a must have for early Wii owners.

Visually the game is stunning. You really need a HDTV to see this game the way it should be played but even at the lower resolution its better than anything on the console so far.

There are sections of the game where you hit invisible walls -- presumably to make way for more expansion packs, although at the time of writing the only expansion available for Xbox 360 owners is some rather expensive downloadable horse armor -- and some wacky bugs that'll sometimes see you floating on air when you dismount a horse.

Gone are the drab boring levels from Pandora, in are some fantastic new levels such as a Russian Boat, a security corporation and others.

The best console arcade racing game ever and perhaps the best of all time, even topping the mighty "Daytona USA."

The game is challenging, but the challenge of the game seems incredibly balanced.

An early candidate for 2004's best PC game and quite possibly the smartest game purchase choice you'll make since leaving "Daikatana" on the shelf.

Rockstar have captured the lifestyle of the streets perfectly, adding a few colourful characters along the way, humour, plenty of cars and things to do, making this a must have title.

Its ease of play will allow anyone to pick it up and get stuck in. That ease of play however will turn off people looking for a more challenging in-depth game.

It has the same impressive depth and ability as the highly acclaimed PS2 version.

Tells a brilliant story, delivers intensive action, and produces a fine adventure/platform title for all types of gamers.

If Vanessa Williams sang 'Save the best for last' about Microsoft, it would be about this game.

Where NFL 2K5 really shines from an Australian perspective, however, is that it really nails the TV presentation aspect.

Combining a powerful turn based engine for the management, and an insanely enjoyable RTS engine for the battles, Activision and The Creative Assembly have produced what could easily be the best strategy game of 2004.

One of the finest looking Gamecube games on the system to date, if not the finest. From the moment you first fire up the game, you are thrown into a visual explosion of detail which is enhanced greatly by the scanning systems in the game and also the various enemies.

This is the greatest representation of the National Football League to hit the market thus far and the 2005 additions make the game even more value for money and interesting to play.

It’s hard to explain in words why the peripheral works so well and why you actually feel like you’re the next Dire Straits.

The music comes more towards the player as a cinematic element rather a primary track and it is similar to some of the more recent James Bond films during the faster paced action scenes.

If Shadow Of The Colossus were a movie, it's pretty clear that it'd be Orson Welles' best known work, "Citizen Kane." Not that it's in black and white -- although it's not the most colourful of titles -- but simply because it's a masterpiece of a game in terms of artistic direction and scope.

In all areas it has the credentials but the bugs all point towards another EA title that has been rushed out the door... Its squad based tactics are rewarding and the overall game does have the right fun factor to go along with the diverse gaming options.

A must have game for the Nintendo DS and is possibly even good enough to make you go and buy a DS unit for it.

Once in-game it is clear The Sims 2 has improved greatly as far as neighbourhood interaction is concerned.

Everything up until now has been impressive, but nothing compares to the impact this game will have in terms of what you expect from your game playing experiences.

For the PC gamers out there who like a great story, intense action and varied gameplay, Chronicles of Riddick will really get you going, allowing it to go down as one of the best examples of a game which paired stealth, hand to hand and action in first person gameplay and passed with flying colours.

Without a doubt this game is a must have for any Naval Simulation fan, the flexibility in complexity has so much to offer that allows for beginner all the way through to expert.

Pikmin 2 will probably join a growing cast of quirky Gamecube titles, thinking specifically of fare like Donkey Konga, Luigi's Mansion and Super Monkey Ball, that have their ardent fans but don't quite do enough to appeal to the broad mainstream.

Viewtiful Joe is a very hard game and not just because of the level design.

Somehow Burnout 4 has managed to be faster than "Burnout 3," and while it is not a huge jump it is a very noticeable one. Once you play Burnout 4, you just wont' be able to go back to "Burnout 3" as it feels like your driving a snail.

EA has really created the best balling game thus far with a better storyline than NBA Ballers and better gameplay than "NBA Jam."

The best football/soccer management game ever made.

The best description for Far Cry would be "a game that received hype, but lived up to every last damn word of it".

The AI is still shocking but we see it as a game that you buy to race cars you can't afford not a game you buy to race AI drivers with brains.

Lumines is a game that many people will unfortunately ignore but we can almost guarantee once you've captured all the monkeys, won all the races in Ridge Racer, grinded all the boards and finished all the underground races, you will still be playing Lumines.

Nintendo has really captured the essence and features of what makes the series so popular and why it is one of the most revered and well recognized game series ever made.

With online play and a variety of new modes including the chance to take on some of the greatest golfers in history as well as Tiger himself, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 is the premiere console golf game.

If you were a fan of last years sublime Full Spectrum Warrior then this is a game that continues that style of play and adds even more playability.

It is very pick up and play which is cool for friends but it really can only be recommended to fighting fans.

While some of the horror elements to the storyline may seem a tad cliché, the game's almost perfect fundamentals and solid extra's makes it an instant nominee for 2005 PC Game of the Year.

It does have a sense of familiarity about it and the developers could have been a little more original and innovative but to deliver a game so complete, which such good graphics and so playable for launch was a feat in itself.

It will change the way you think about RPG's and video games forever.

This single player only title is a great market contender to rival platformers such as Jak 3 and Ratchet and Clank 3, however there isn't too much extra to do besides exploring and collecting the clue bottles after the main story has finished.

They have maintained the scared out of wits feel while keeping the framerate stable.

Tekken: Dark Resurrection PSP could have been better, but when the only notable problem with the game – its repetition - is a genre wide problem, then you know you have a winner on your hands.

The only thing stopping Pirates! from becoming one of 2005's best is the lack of variation in the gameplay - it is an immensely enjoyable game at first not to mention very unique, and there are plenty of mini games included, but soon enough repetition sets in with these mini games and it sets in rather hard.

Ridge Racer PSP is everything about the system that is cool. Quick gameplay, fun racing, top soundtrack and it exploits the power of the system quite well.

While the core game has not changed that much, the bells and whistles EA has added has really added to the game and made it an even better replication of boxing.

For the seasoned FPS gamers, Doom3 is a little empty beyond the eye candy, because on top of the predictable storyline, the gameplay basically consists of running around shooting baddies, completing generic objectives in the process, and rarely strays far from this, but is that really a bad thing? This is, after all, Doom.

The graphics of SOCOM II: US Navy Seals is a mixed bag

More cars, more tracks, more modes and some of the most impressive graphics the Xbox has ever produced.

Valve has once again proven that it knows its stuff when it comes to gaming. Half-Life is fast becoming one of the most legendary series of all time and Episode One only enhances this view.

NCAA 06 only sees release in the US, which is unfortunate because it is arguably the best gridiron experience on offer gameplay wise - the game feels alive and completely random, and while this can at times become a negative for realism sake, it still makes for some truly awesome gameplay.

One of the sparklier gems in the GameCube's small but meticulously crafted treasure chest.

It may not be GTA and it doesn't reach the heady heights of San Andreas in terms of crazy missions but for those who want the next GTA clone which is fun, look no further and swap your leather jacket for a school uniform.

Obviously with the port to PS2 the graphics have taken a hit but not nearly as much as many people would have expected.

While some areas could have used more polish, particularly the AI which is a tad disappointing, the experience the game has to offer is unmatched.

If you ever wanted to see GTA3 done in a warzone environment and done very well at that, Mercenaries is the game for you.

It is a game that doesn’t take much time to play making it perfect for traveling and short trips.

Stunning graphics, awesome soundtrack and top notch story combine to make this one of the year’s must have titles and not just for the PSP.

The balance of management and action is exceptional, the visuals are up there with the best RTS titles to date, and the action is plentiful - it is hard to ask for much more than that.

People are crying out for new styles of gameplay, which Psychonauts delivers, but we have a feeling that even if we tell you to go out and buy or at least try, most people will find themselves tempted by a more mainstream title, which is a shame.

Although the initial storyline is a little confusing, especially if the gamer is new to the series, the overall flow of the storyline and game work very well.

With the lackluster control pad support/implementation aside, if you're a PC gamer wanting NFL action, Madden 2005 is the game to get as there literally is no contest, but don't think EA take it easy because of this, as Madden 2005 is the PC's best yet by far.

The developers have really put an effort into getting an original game and storyline on the system and it has really paid off.

The melee action has changed the strategy of the game quite a bit making it much easier to play for a lengthy period of time.

What Irrational have done with the previous game really has worked well and made the game more usable for people new to the series while keeping the hardcore fans happy with the elite difficulty.

Visually the game is stunning however we did have one problem when using lower settings to see how it looked. The game just isn't bright enough, we had to max our TV out with brightness before we could play the game properly.

The visuals of the game are nothing short of stunning. We don't think we're being overly optimistic in saying this game is one of the best looking games you will ever play.

With the ability to travel all around Spira from the get go, this is also going to lead to spoilers from Final Fantasy X, but also allows you to do a bit of exploring should you get stuck at some point in the game.

Even with the high level of detail, and destructibility of the levels, the framerate doesn’t fault even once.

Buying the game just for the All Star Weekend probably will lead to disappointment but as a package overall it is a great basketball game.

The developers have taken one of the most popular mega multiplayer games around and created a highly structured, very playable single player game from the Everquest universe.

Within the adventure mode the stylus control is a somewhat weak idea that shifts the learning curve upwards steeply, making a very accessible game a great deal less so. If you stick to digital control - and it's not that precise a game, to be honest - then you'll find Mario 64 DS to be a great title.

I was the opposite of an encyclopedia of boxing. Now however, if given the opportunity to watch it on TV, I could actually sit down and have a gander at a few rounds with some interest. This shows just how good Fight Night 2004 is.

The Xbox version is superior to the PS2 version but those without the choice will still get some great gameplay out of Fight Night 2004, even if they aren't the biggest fan of boxing.

The Movies isn't so addictive that it will likely cause you to lose sleep like some management games, but the time you do spend with it will probably prove to be some the most enjoyable "tycoon" style gameplay you've had in 2005.

When it comes down to it, Viva Piñata is a pretty basic strategy game in some areas that expands the strategy concept in other areas - areas you may not traditionally expect a game of this genre to expand.

The most complete NBA basketball game made to date.

Not the most glitzy and glamorous racer around, but definitely the closest to the real thing yet.

A very solid tactical action game, that won't break the bank.

Very much worth your time and money if you can't get enough RTS gaming, it's just a shame it wasn’t more than yet another solid RTS.

A game that pairs superb combat gameplay with a mainstream market and as a result comes out as one of the first surprises for 2005 on the PS2.

The Warriors is brutal, and part of what it gets right when it comes to brutal is in accurately showing and depicting large scale gang wars.

It should go without saying that if you already own one of the home console versions of X-Men Legends II: Rise Of Apocalypse, then you can almost certainly live without the PSP version.

The premise of the game may not be original, but the execution of the game is, and the developers have crafted one of the most unique games of 2004 using some of the industries best technology.

It is practically the same thing, just louder, bigger and better.

One of the best tactical action games ever released and also one of the most accessible.

It's relatively easy for the most part, making it a game that some gamers will clear in less than ten hours, which also impacts on its total value.

One aspect of the game which is a bit disappointing is that it is a little easy to complete. We managed to get through the game fairly quickly, but it does increase in difficulty as you complete levels...A crazy game that really shows when a developer sits down and comes up with an original idea, it can be fantastic.

What has been added this year doesn't add to much to the series overall and if you were a cynic you might say that the developers included the retro style to move the attention away from this fact.

Unfortunately, while Fable: TLC does feature a nice open ended single player experience, you're likely going to be done with the game entirely once you've finished it.

It's great that Live now has two decent fighters in one package for people to play but it's a shame the entire package wasn't overhauled.

One on one basketball can be fun but can also become monotonous so its really a case of needing to like the sport because the storyline and other modes really aren't going to keep you playing the game for a great deal of time.

EA has succeeded in taking the game back to its roots, but in other ways not as far as some may have liked.

Those coming to Warrior Within cold probably won't see a lot to complain about at all, outside of the somewhat repetitive and lengthy combat sequences.

The action is sensational and amazingly varied, and the world is totally immersive because of the game's somewhat unique approach to the visuals and environment, not despite of it.

More impressive than the Xbox title if only for the superb visuals the game gives off. Considering the fast aging technology of the PS2 this is quite an achievement and Codemasters can give themselves a pat on the back for creating a quality port that in many ways out does the original.