Ninja Gaiden II just feels right, never minding the fact that it can be so frustratingly hard at times. It’s simply what we’ve come to expect of the franchise – perfectly well-rounded action-gameplay, but besides a lot of skill, it often requires nothing more than sheer dumb luck.

There can only be one recommendation for car-loving gamers this summer: Get Race Driver GRID! Awesome graphics, a great damage-model and the fantastic driving experience that will satisfy fans of simulation as well as arcade racers should definitely convince any car freak!

There can only be one recommendation for PC-Gamers who love racing games this year: Get Race Driver GRID! Great graphics and the fantastic driving experience that will satisfy fans of simulation as well as arcade racers will convince any car freak. Go already and get it! [Issue#14]

For a movie tie-in, Kung Fu Panda really isn’t bad. Consider me astonished.

LEGO Indiana Jones turned out to be a good game despite the fact that it isn’t as much fun as LEGO Star Wars was. The gameplay with its increased number of puzzles, however, leads to several frustrating moments, especially since you can’t save as often as you might want to. Nevertheless: Fans should definitely give the game a try. [Issue#14]

Anyone who hasn't had the pleasure of playing Everybody's Golf on his PSP yet, hasn’t had any true fun on that particular handheld.

Mass Effect knocked me off my feet: The presentation is fantastic, and many small improvements compared to the Xbox 360 version make the game a great roleplaying experience. Anyone who hasn’t played the title yet should definitely give it a try now! [Issue#14]

Some new content, some general bug-fixes – is that really enough to pay for again or would it have been wiser to provide Colonies as some free content update? One may think about that whichever way one likes to – also about the fact that Colonies players won’t be able to join those only owning the original game playing online. After all the game comes up as a nicely re-worked action shooter that will be fun to play for several hours – especially for those new to the series – but unfortunately that’s about it.

I'm not really happy with Dracula: Origin. At places we get nice old-school gameplay with demanding puzzles. But Origin isn't very extensive, the characters aren't very charming, the story is unspectacular and from time to time the puzzles are extremely hard. Advanced Fans of Adventures will have fun, everybody else will find more accessible alternatives.

Age of Conan might not (yet) be free of bugs but it brings fresh air into the genre. What remains is the question whether you want to try out a game with a new fighting system, a lot of violence and steep hardware requirements or rather stick to more classic MMORPGs. [Issue#14]

Innovative and a lot of fun - just something to get your ass up and do something good for your body. It's a pity that Wii Fit is just an addition to normal exercises. It can't compete with normal jogging or riding a bike but it's a glimpse into our possible future showing us how training may look like in some years where it will be possible to train your body in any area of the world you like just by pressing a button. Wii Fit will however create a new virtual fitness community producing some masters in yoga and other disciplines all around the world.

Compared to the PC-version, the PSP-version seemed to have been worked on a little longer and even though I really missed the be-a-pro mode the instead featured mini-games really made for a good compensation - at least considering it’s a mobile game. So if you really want to win the European Soccer Championship on your way to school or work you won’t make a mistake by getting Euro 2008!

Deca Sports is not even worth your money for a rental. You can play all the sports and grow bored with them within a half hour.

I despair! I despair before the vast amount of things that are simply wrong with this game: Graphics which range from prehistoric to reasonably acceptable, a continuously horrible soundtrack and features that just won’t work properly. For my sanity’s sake, give me a proper movie game, just once!

Echochrome is a complex and fascinating combination of M.C. Escher’s paintings, the Rubik-cube and knot riddles, combined with an elaborate gameplay. All in all, it’s a very felicitous game, simple yet unfathomably deep. This game is a must have for all true puzzle freaks.

As a big fan of the franchise, I had incredibly great expectations. And I haven't been disappointed. All the series' strengths were perfectly brought over to the next generation of gaming consoles, which makes GTAIV a must-have for fans, and probably everybody else as well. But this doesn't mean that GTA IV is without weaknesses. The camera and the auto-aim-system are still giving players a hard time in bigger battles, and the basically great multiplayer-mode isn't perfectly programmed either.

They could’ve made so much more of Turok. Some of the grave minus points were luckily eliminated during the porting from console to PC but the biggest demerits remain: Monotone graphics, linear level-layout, a loose story and an AI which I’d effortlessly be able to convince to jump into the gaping maw of a T-Rex. [Issue#14]

If you liked the Rome version of the Total War series, you will definitely be disappointed here. My advice is to download and test the demo version and afterwards decide, if you want to hurry to the local store to get the full game or not.

As much as I liked the game in single player, I am disappointed by the multiplayer-mode. The lack of a lobby or a feature to select who you want to play with are mayor shortcomings compared to other games of today. What's worse though is the missing damage system and flaws in the way penalties are awarded, and the players who abuse these shortcomings. The penalties may be designed to stop players from sliding against the boards or using shortcuts, but often punish victims of assaults by other players using unfair means.

Rainbow Six Vegas 2 disappoints due to the weak AI, the sterile level designs and its “only ok” graphics. Is it too much to ask for more missions in the dark, a better AI and more innovations in the sequels? [Issue#14]

Assassin's Creed is graphically stunning, acoustically impressive, innovative and brilliantly staged. But one thing's definitely lacking: replay value! And a certain degree of monotony can’t be denied either. Like a colleague of mine once said: "It could have been way better then that!" Personally, I simply keep hoping for a massively improved AC2 and lots of merchandise! May Ubisoft Montreal concentrate on many, many successors and spin-offs. [May 2008]

If you want gory action, then you have found the right game for your collection with Viking: Battle for Asgard. If you want a game with Nordic myth or good gameplay - then buying this game might be not as wise as you think. Personally I love this game and the brutality of it. In a certain morbid way I even had fun with Viking, but that might be because of my personal Hack'n'Slay-preferences. Jerking camera, stupid AI, repetitive gameplay - this game could have turned out really great. What a shame!

Despite the lack of Blood the “Ninja-Gaiden-Feeling” could still be carried over to the first mobile installment of the series which makes Dragon Sword as good an investment for fans, as for all other owners of a Nintendo DS with a liking for action games.

For me Crisis Core was the only reason to get a PSP. And I wasn’t disappointed: Crisis Core is the best followup to Final Fantasy VII yet. Only the sometimes boring side missions and the stubborn camera have to be criticized. Buy and enjoy!

As a story-player I enjoyed Kane’s Wrath mainly because it finally closed some gaps in the storyline. But there is much left for those who enjoy multiplayer more: Be it the new subfractions or the global conquest mode, they all make buying Kane’s Wrath worth your money.

Even though the look of the character might be something that needs some getting used to, Clap Hanz' virtual golf game has complex gameplay and all the ups and downs of the real sport. Most interesting is the online mode, which allows eight gamers at once for the first time; the HD-graphics are nice to look at and excel at exotic locations like a golf course in Africa with complimentary animals of the jungle. What more could a golf-player ask for?

Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is more than an add-on, but doesn't feel like a sequel either. The scenarios are similar, and the gameplay mechanics are practically identical. Enough ranting, though: In this game you can control your Alter Ego perfectly, the team commands work well and the scripting is well written. The difficulty levels are designed to give starters and pros a real challenge and keeps you glued to the screen for hours. Extra praise has to be given to the camera feature that lets you include your face into the game. Those who can live without innovations should make their way to Vegas again. It's worth the way.

Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is more than an add-on, but doesn't feel like a sequel either. The scenarios are similar, and the gameplay mechanics are practically identical. Enough ranting, though: In this game you can control your Alter Ego perfectly, the team commands work well and the scripting is well written. The difficulty levels are designed to give starters and pros a real challenge and keeps you glued to the screen for hours. Extra praise has to be given to the camera feature that lets you include your face into the game. Those who can live without innovations should make their way to Vegas again. It's worth the way.