As a one player game it's filled to the brim with awkward controls and badly conceived gameplay, as a multiplayer title you may be able to convince a friend to take part in a few rounds, but don't expect them to thank you for it afterwards.

Maybe it's because I just don't like the main character, maybe it's because the story is dafter than my opening paragraph, maybe it's because it's a third rate GTA wannabe. In any case, this one should be avoided unless you really liked the first one, although this is actually a step back from the original.

Actionloop offers up a good amount of modes for fans of this format - more so than Zuma by far - but the setting really pales in comparison to similar titles out there.

Smooth animation, a fantastic soundtrack and plenty of variety in the use of combat and force powers make this a game that's engaging and fun to play through.

Despite the amount of complaints on the table, I still think World Poker Tour should be given a chance if you plan to take it online, because as far as I know, this is the only poker videogame that offers such an extensive online mode.

I have always loved well-executed kids' games and hated games that pander to kids to make a quick buck. This is neither - it is a very mediocre and forgettable little budget game that isn't something I would recommend for any child or adult.

The mini-games are what holds this title together and you do get you focused for a short time because of them, but the rest of the game lacks options/choices in game play and rewards are poor for putting the time in to see your results.

A genuinely fun game that only misses out by virtue of low production values. A multiplayer would have been fun, but apart from that it's got everything you could ever wish to encounter in a budget shooter.

I understand that the slow-paced adventure gameplay isn't for everyone, but there is so much to love here that I firmly urge each and every one of you reading this right now to open your mind and try it for yourself.

It does have that 'just once more go' addictive quality to it, buried somewhere deep beneath its many flaws - a trait that all hack and slash action games seem to have regardless of their quality - but beyond that there's very little here to recommend.

Chicken Little is a fun little game for anybody who doesn't get easily frustrated and any kid who wants a challenge.

If you are looking for something more - if you already have chess for a PDA or GBA and are hoping for solid play over the Internet or a great story mode then look elsewhere, because as anything other than a decent chess engine, Online Chess Kingdoms fails to deliver a compelling experience.

The games look and sound beautiful, and after the horrific tinkering Sega made with their classics to make them 'up to date', I'm glad to say that SNK have left everything intact.

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is a weak effort that shamelessly cashes in on the popularity of our web-slinging hero, with the gameplay obviously geared towards the younger gamer. Yet there is little here to challenge even the youngest player, with only die hard Spider-Man fans likely to get much enjoyment from this repetitive title, and even they will almost certainly find the experience wanting.

The addictive hook that was there at the beginning no longer holds your concentration in the year 2009; even gods aren't immortal and while Populous will always have its place in gaming history, most of its worshippers have long since moved on to the more sophisticated simulations that resulted from Populous's bold and, at the time, groundbreaking design.

The main draw to Charlotte's Web is clearly its decently sized story mode and it absolutely delivers a fine family-friendly platforming romp for you and your kids to play and enjoy while it lasts.

Be it frustration at the difficulty level or just boredom at the lack of variety, your Urban Reign is pretty much guaranteed to be a short-lived one.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is certainly prince-like in terms of its presentation but pretty half-arsed when to comes to the gameplay experience.

For the game's younger target audience there is a fun, easy going action-RPG and light-hearted storyline waiting to be discovered in Avatar: The Last Airbender, and one that lasts at least a good six to eight hours with plenty of optional side quests, mini-games and unlockable content.

The fun really does lie in the multiplayer, because the drunken laughs my friends and I have had with this game have been fantastic and they went on and on into the early hours.

Fans of the series will probably find something to like in Growlanser: Heritage of War's forty or more hours of gameplay and selection of extras that include a battle arena and fairy contest; for the rest of us though, there is little to be found here other than an extremely average RPG that seems to do its best to exasperate its already lengthy list of shortcomings.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time isn't a lazy game, it's just that the template it's based upon is far too antiquated to meet the needs of today's gaming audience, yet not enough to satisfy dungeon hack enthusiasts.

While it's not the worst game every made, it's certainly not going to win any awards, and there are plenty of other puzzle titles on the DS that do what 7 Wonders II does only better.

With tons of content and a charm that is missing from many of today's more cynical releases, it's hard to judge Time Crisis 4 too harshly. Its attempts at reinventing the genre may be a bit hit-and-miss, and graphically it could have used a PS3 makeover, but there's enough here to keep the majority of gamers happy.

Mega Man Star Force Pegasus is the proverbial Yin/Yang. The combat - the true essence of Mega Man - is engaging and complex if you want it to be, and can best be described with one word: fun. The battle cards, albeit contrived, add a nice flavor to the game and building your deck to suit your style is quick and easy. But the other side, the story and accompanying cut scenes, have the ability to rip you right out of the game to look for something else to play.

With Ace Combat firmly established as the jet fighter series on the PS2, Heatseeker really needed to be something special. Sadly it isn't, and although it's fun for a little while, the target for this missile disappears from the radar long before you've reached the end, making it a game that Ace Combat could blow out of the sky with a single shot.

If the rest of the game was half as well thought out and interesting as the crafting and combat systems, then Blade Dance: Linage of Light would easily be the best role-playing game for the PSP - but after a while it gets tedious, and neither the crafting nor the combat can save the experience from sinking into mediocrity.

An unusual idea and one with great potential, but unfortunately the dull setting and plodding pace of the game bog it down.