Secret Of The Lost Cavern is an interesting and inspiring environment with stunning visuals, but sadly there is very little gameplay hidden beneath these lovely looks, which is after all, the crucial aspect of any decent game.

EXIT DS is a flawed classic in the puzzle game genre but there's definitely enough here to be worth checking out if you haven't played any of the other versions in the three years since the game's original release, you don't mind hair-tearing frustration, and you have the patience to get to grips with a control scheme that should be far more intuitive than it is.

A nice, fluffy Bomberman clone, which despite being fun at first, is worth it only for the multiplayer side.

Your traditional runaround platform adventure game.

The game may be over before you know it, but for as long as it lasts, it serves up an enjoyable, extremely polished adventure that younger gamers will simply adore.

Assassin's Creed had the potential to be something amazing but falls short due to a lack of direction in terms of game design. I get the feeling that with another six months of development this game could have lived up to its hype, but as it is, it's lacking.

All football games will always suffer from Pro Evolution comparisons. World Tour Soccer 2 is a good attempt at a slightly alternative football title, but as all of us footie fans know too well, form is temporary, class is permanent.

Platformer lovers who are also fans of the license are likely to get a kick out of Curious George for the short time that it lasts, and I don't think anyone can discount the game's beautiful presentation, but in the end I think going with a weekend rental is about all that most gamers will get out of this.

I would like nothing better than to stamp My Frogger: Toy Trials with a must-have recommendation, because it does contain a number of creative game concepts and gameplay that is generally fun and rewarding, but in all honesty I can't go quite that far with my praise due to the often frustrating trial-and-error level design and tricky, counter-instinctive control scheme.

If you're a clubber or even have a mild interest in mixing some tunes then this is surely worth a few hours of your time.

Even if you never touch the new maps or vehicles or game modes (which you will), the skill advancements and extra items for each specialization alone are a tremendous reward that is available for the standard game modes and maps. What this doesn't do is address any core technical issues with the game.

I'm not a huge fan of skating games, but I really enjoyed Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, from the many great graphical touches to the old-style gamer in me wanting to beat my current high scores.

NHL 08 is the finest hockey game on the PS2 to date, although the versions on the next-gen consoles are preferable if you have the choice.

If you don't complete it far too quickly, you may become bored of the missions or the story.

More originality would have been greatly appreciated, as this formula is growing tired, but for what it is, Rare has done a great job and this is a solid addition to any GBA player's collection of cart racing games.

Zen Pinball looks and sounds very authentic, taking everything that makes one of gaming's oldest traditions so much fun and successfully translating it into virtual form, all wrapped in a neat, tight package.

If you're a big basketball fan, go out and buy NBA 2K6, because it's a must and officially it's extremely accurate.

Older gamers may find Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness simply lacks the challenge that they're used to in an RPG, meaning that this is a title best left for those youngsters that were toddlers (or not even born yet) when the series first made its mark on Japanese shores.

Bad writing, average graphics, poor sound and gameplay with seemingly no direction and little resemblance to the Bikini Bottom world combine to bog down a really good storyline concept and what could have been a good platform adventure game, but instead feels like sections of platform adventure jumbled with poor flying and racing.

Amnesia is a very difficult game to sum up. The best way to describe it is the slow, spooky, chilling, atmospheric train ride to Hell rather than the insane, kill all monsters action game concept usually associated with the Land of the Dead.

Personally, I enjoyed the gameplay and story and upon completing it I was left with both satisfaction and the want for more.

The graphics and sound are well put together, the license is put to great use and the gameplay itself is both original and a homage to retro shooters.

A misunderstood and sadly unappreciated diamond in the rough.

Its biggest flaw, no doubt, is its unoriginal gameplay; the few twists on the light-gun formula are minor and largely inconsequential, giving the impression of original gameplay rather than actual original gameplay.

It is like a beautifully handmade plasticine set with cameras lined up, musical and vocal talent at the ready - and then Arnold Schwarzenegger stands on it, comes up with a cheesy one-liner and ruins the whole experience.

Spore: Galactic Adventures is, like the original game, a qualified success.

NCSoft have produced a fine game but, in the end, it's simply too little, too late.

The constant optimism of the characters, the bright and breezy sounds and sights and the constant urge to retry a battle over and over with different chips makes it one to come back to many times.