Fans of Grand Prix Legends will love it, fans of GTR will love it and we reckon it's just possible that a host of newcomers could also be taken in by the thrill of driving the car you spent your youth pining for. [PC Zone]

Once you enter the realms of multiplayer, Ape Academy really comes into its own, with enormous pleasure to be gained from events like the one metre dash, dodge ball, scissor, paper and stone or Geronimo. Ook - drink deep from the banana inspired mayhem.

DOA4 over Xbox Live is quite an experience. It succeeds on a technical level, but the real reason that it's such a riot is the game underneath. The enjoyable, solid, beautiful game that is Dead or Alive 4. This is the definitive title in the series and, as far as we're concerned, the ultimate game in its genre. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Fritz Chess 9 is designed to teach and train chess players, and should be treated as such. If you're looking for an authentic chess xperience, we suggest getting a real chessboard. [PC Zone]

This is a cracking port of a cracking game with very few compromises. Find three mates to play against and it's better still. [PSW]

Retro purists will like it but most will find the gameplay too basic. The graphics and technology behind the game have obviously improved and grown over the years; it's just a pity the same can't be said of the actual gameplay. [PSW]

Thankfully, nothing's been fiddled with (except the addition of Wi-Fi support), and the inclusion of Marble Madness and Championship Sprint in particular prove that quality gameplay is timeless. [PSW]

Exhilarating because you're tasked with turning the tide of the conflict by hacking through scores of enemies with an array of combos, projectile attacks (including bows and bombs) and some superb special Musou moves that first need to be powered up. Infuriating because the abysmal camera makes it virtually impossible to face the enemy for any prolonged period, meaning you're soon being flanked faster than a bitch on heat in an all-male dog sanctuary. [PC Zone]

While Chaos League: Sudden Death is an intriguing take on fantasy tactical sports, the effort required to get going coupled with the repetitiveness which starts to creep in after a tournament or two will dissuade many. In all, it's a bit of a missed opportunity to polish up a flawed, but novel, piece of entertainment. [PC Zone]

With a great system of matching symbols in order to chat and flirt and a world in which a different life can be dictated for your Sim each time you start a new game, The Sims 2 is great fun and game that'll last you ages.

The thing is, it could have been a great one if only the developer hadn't assumed we'd all like lots more mindless hacking and slashing at the expense of some of the joyful exploring and leaping. [PSW]

Avoid this one like you would an elderly relative at a wedding reception who's suffering from the plague. [PC Zone]

Sure, it's not all perfect - there's still only a finite number of things to do in a day and the upper screen doesn't serve much purpose beyond a dedicated place to put sky - but you'll be so powerless to abandon Wild World's idyllic charms, you really won't care.

The simple, pick-up-and-play aesthetic that Nintendo oozes from its sweaty pores will soon have you thwacking the balls around the court like Roger Federer on Sunny D.

Crime Life fails in both gaming and moral terms. What we wouldn't have given for a few shiny rings to collect. Y'getme?

These great new combat skills, combined with the clever yet simple introduction of stealth play has boosted the Prince of Persia series to a new high. [PSW]

The Two Thrones is quite simply the best Prince Of Persia so far. It builds on what went before and adds a new dimension to the main character.

It's a cracking, clever, and crafty title, packed with surprises and brimming with invention, and a game that makes sure that, once you've completed it, you'll want to go right back to The Sands of Time and play it all over again, if only to spot all those clues that were there all along right from the start. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Nothing much new other than the setting, but a worthy spin-off in the Sim/Theme genre. [PC Zone]

The combat is stupidly easy and as badly designed as MC Hammer's trousers - timing kill moves or complex combos together is rendered fun-free, as you're held by the hand all the way through by giant yellow 'Y' icons that flash over an enemy when he's ripe for a kill move. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

In terms of sheer hold-on-tight entertainment, this is film-to-game perfection. Beat your chest with joy. [PSW]

Yep, King Kong is one very slick package and certainly the best movie tie-in game since The "Chronicles Of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay." If only they'd thought to slap a wig and roller-skates on the big monkey fella, we could've been looking at a classic. [PC Zone]

In essence, the game mechanics are as rough as a butcher's dog, yet it remains a game that will make you smile, and one that you'll finish - not least because it's so damn short.

Fifty quid is a lot of money to ask for a title that any competent gamer can pound through in six or so hours. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Put simply, King Kong is going to the biggest thing this Christmas since Jesus invented presents. Better still, it's every bit as entertaining as its hairy star is huge. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Despite Quake 4's many merits, it fires too many blanks for us to believe that it'll be unopposed for long. The game haemorrhages action in a way that few other blasters can match, but the series relies on too many outdated FPS conventions. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]

Bulletproof is one of the darkest video games around, with its combination of gritty storyline and moonlit night-time setting. [PSW]

The lack of car customisation options, the constrained three-lap race limit, the irritation of having to win each race in World Explorer to progress to the next, and the overly predictable format - even right down to the stereotypical announcer who hollers banalities at you while you race - smacks of by-numbers development. [Official UK Xbox Magazine]