Ultimately though the shallow game play means that this is one present that, unlike the puppy, is just for Christmas.

Ultimately though the shallow game play means that this is one present that, unlike the puppy, is just for Christmas.

It is not that the game doesn't have its fun moments, because it can be that, it is just that they are very short-lived and don't really go any further than the first level. Disappointing.

The GameCube may still not be the biggest and baddest console on the block, but someone at Nintendo must have been a very good boy to deserve this.

And amidst a rash of horrendously tedious stealth games, it really is a lot more fun to go somersaulting over a couple of incoming missiles, land among the enemy, pull off an outrageous dance move to mock/destroy everything around you, then to leap back and cartwheel off into cover again.

Granted if you've never played a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up before it is a trial by fire and that may put some people off. But Ikaruga is a damn good game plain and simple. Even though the genre is very old, Ikaruga is original, unique and a welcome breath of fresh air.

The worst aspect though is the story telling, it is watered down to such an extent that I half expected it to start teaching me my a-b-c's.

The novelty value of slow motion has worn off and it's not implemented here with enough panache to make it stand out. On the odd rare occasion you may find everything comes together to create a bit of excitement but these moments are too few and far between.

A fantastic title. If you can forgive the linearity (after all, this is a GBA shooter/platformer) and the slight blips in difficulty, you'll be in for a real treat. You must own this game, after all, it's not very often Samus makes trips out these days.

A great game but it just lacks that killer instinct.

Mario Party though is not a particularly good game and it's up against much better titles like "Super Monkey Ball" that manages to bridge this age gap by having inspired game play and a quirky feel. Most Nintendo games have this quality but it is sadly missing here.

Offering a perfectly balanced and finely tuned experience that proves both addictive and immersive. A very complete and attractive package, overall, and one that everyone will enjoy.