A compelling and brave interpretation, let down by an obtuse single-player mode. [PC Gamer UK]

It's got everything going for it and is great fun to play. If you're looking for an original shoot-'em-up that breaks the rules, then this is it.

A beautiful story, told in a brand new way...It's the giant leap that the genre so desperately needed. [PC Gamer UK]

Arcade racing taken to the extreme with bags of variety, modes and upgrades. If only you could explore more of the town... [GamesMaster]

A real surprise - if you liked "Paper Mario" on N64 you'll love this. It's funny, enjoyable and capable of eating up hours on end. [GamesMaster]

We say it's the best Mario Kart ever and if you disagree we'll just have to humble you at battle mode until you cry real tears. [GamesMaster]

It's a completely immersive game, and despite our few niggles with enemies that stay rooted to the spot and missions that don't vary hugely, we're still going back for more. [GamesMaster]

Whether you start as Kain in a towering Nosgoth citadel or as Raziel in the other-worldly Elder God Caverns, you'll find environments lush, solid and atmospheric. [Playstation 2 Max]

The single-player campaign doesn't cover much new ground but the multiplayer takes no prisoners. [GamesMaster]

Oozes the same rare quality of its predecessor, and every element of the game is superbly executed. [PSM2]

An entertaining day, and a day in which you'll learn the full story of The Hobbit. But still, just a day. It needed to be much longer, and much far more difficult. [Advance]

Immersive, dramatic, exciting, detailed, never dull, challenging, extremely good looking and worth hooking up to broadband for. [PSM2]

A tremendous achievement. Genuinely exciting and immersive but not without its faults. A hack-'n'-slash treat, if slightly repetitive. [PSM2]

GTA sells on the back of violence and lives through the unequalled freedom on offer. These are classic games for the best reason there is - they are just fantastic, almost unlimited fun. The Xbox versions are no great leap over the originals but who cares? Brilliant stuff. [Xbox Gamer]

Though it pains us to say this, the official license really does make a big difference. All those real stadia, shirts and club logos flying around the place give it the kind of special event feel that the competition simply can't match. Shallow? Not us.

You don't buy any MMORPG lightly, least of all this one. It imperiously demands massive chunks of your time, patience and dedication but the rewards are commensurately high. The fierce sense of satisfaction as your fame grows and coffers swell is hard to match. [PC Gamer UK]

A stealth game that tries to be challenging but just ends up being punchy, moody and fickle. Not a pleasure to play. [GamesMaster]

We've made up better games involving elastic bands and office chairs. A treat for Quidditch lovers but proper sports fans'd be better off with basketball. [NGC]

The controls are a bit loopy, but the sheer fun you'll have solving the ghoulish mysteries forgive everything else. [Xbox Gamer]

It is a work of staggering genius, delicate like a snowflake, yet rugged like a prizefighter's face. SSX3 doesn't just demand your attention, but commands it, turning heads like a Hollywood celeb mozeying through Rochester Tesco's.

This is the game they should have made last time. Gorgeous, sizey and ambitious. The new modes just need a little more tweaking. [GamesMaster]

It's a fan-frikken-smabulous game. It's the kind of game that'll feed your gaming needs and desires no matter what level you enter it at... The best platform... sorry, character action game on PlayStation 2 to date? You bet your spring loaded arse it is.

Despite the wonderful new physics system, it feels like this is a game out of step with what's happening in action games. It still suffers from odd AI: enemies are hyperaware of your presence, turning on a dime as you enter their sensitive ranges. [PC Gamer UK]

Brilliant, brilliant and brilliant. Everything the last game was plus everything you ever wanted. [PSM2]

It's a ridiculous name, of course, but it manages to sum up how absurdly joyful the game is, a riot of technicolour chopsocky fun that'll immediately have you punching the air in glee. [GamesMaster]

A nearly mindless squad-based shooter, oozing with arcade appeal. Don't expect the world and you won't be disappointed. This is all about the best possible kind of ass-kicking, with an insane amount of firepower. As surprising as it is fun. [Xbox Gamer]

If you're after a completely new experience and don't mind putting up with a few flaws, Billy's your egg-rolling boy. [NGC]

Our one big reservation is that if you strip away the tacked-on extras, even the most dedicated fan will find it hard to tell the difference between Tiger Woods 2004 and "Tiger Woods 2003." [NGC]

As a distraction it's fine, but as a game it's distinctly lacking in challenge and structure. [PC Gamer UK]

The clincher that transforms Homeworld 2 from a good game into a great one is the depth of detail. Every battle is an epic worthy of Lucas' early days; every backdrop a mind-blowing kaleidoscope of nebulae which constantly rams home the very vastness of space. [PC Gamer UK]

A genuinely amusing game, with plentiful dialogue from the show and fresh contributions from the cast, and for the fan there's a wealth of in-jokes and references (such as the Stonecutters' secret tunnel, or the burning pyre of tyres). [GamesMaster]

A mosh-pit of quality ideas thrown apart with little or no regard. The result? A frustrating and near-unplayable missed opportunity of a gem of a survival horror game. [Xbox Gamer]

Visually scrumptious, and innovative, but lacking the vital fluid of satisfaction. [PC Gamer UK]

A super-stylish, dance-a-minute, well animated shooter. But the repetitiveness, uninspiring bosses and dull design don't do it any favours. [NGC]

Although it can get repetitive and lacks variety, this is incredibly deep and a welcome return for Final Fantasy to a Ninty console. [GamesMaster]

What's going to annoy people most is that the purists will want things like the mobile spawn point of the C-47, but won't be able to have them without the jet fighters and flyable missiles. And ultimately, that might mean these Secret Weapons remain completely unknown to most. [PC Gamer UK]

What really pushes this soulful number to the top of the charts is the fact that it's great fun to play. Easy to pick up, difficult to master - that's the story of a great fighting game. [PSM2]

It's one of the best looking games you'll ever have seen, it's fast, punchy, boasts simple, accessible controls - the Gamecube pad's never seemed quite so complementary to a beat-'em-up - and offers rich depths for those who go looking. [NGC]

This no-nonsense beat-'em-up based adventure will be fairly meaningless to non-believers but it's a tasty treat for Buffy fans. [PSM2]

A sound and stylish - if slightly predictable - shooter. [PC Gamer UK]

So-so bonuses notwithstanding, there's just nothing else like this on the GameCube.

Full of character and charm, but lacking any major challenge. You won't be disappointed, but you won't be pushed to your gaming limits either...and if Bender's adventures had taken up a more substantial portion of the game, then we'd have been looking at a four-star review for sure. [Xbox Gamer]

An amazingly intricate fighter, that will doubtless give VF fans sleepless nights to come. But in the shadow of the superb "Soul Calibur 2" (which offers not only depth, but accessibility and longevity in a beautifully presented package) it's hard to recommend to anyone other than those who already know they want it. [Import - GamesMaster]

Another sprawling, complex, but absurdly playable chapter in the Madden saga - but now online sexiness. What's not to love? [PSM2]

A standard slash-'em-up that is all too nasty, brutish and short to measure up to Capcom's usual quality. It's fairly entertaining but all too brief. [Playstation 2 Max]

Somewhere between the solid first few hours and the game's thrilling conclusion, Silent Hill 3 transforms from a humdrum sequel into a knuckle-searing digital nightmare. [PSM2]

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour isn't going to shake the golf game establishment to its foundations, but it has as much depth as any of its competitors, and considerably more character. [NGC]

The Great Escape is saved by a few good set-pieces and the licence, but it's hard not to feel hard done by. Those willing to endure yet another stealth game could find their morale ebbing away by the end of this. [Edge]

One of the most epic videogame experiences in recent years, and probably the second absolute killer Xbox title. And it's made me love Star Wars again. I really can't believe it. [GamesMaster]

Its strongest asset is the fact that the developers have pulled off the feat of marrying some old-style Tomb Raider gameplay with a brilliant control system that makes Lara seem rather sloth-like by comparison. [Playstation 2 Max]

A real disappointment. Solid and sturdy but a game that seems very dated compared to "GTA" and "The Getaway." [GamesMaster]

Four seasons for the price of one is quite a little bonus, and the F1 action is sound. But there are plenty of better 'pure' racers.[GamesMaster]

It might look old-fashioned, but Advance Wars 2 is incredibly satisfying, pleasingly intelligent and never less than tremendous fun, even when it gets horribly hard. [GamesMaster]

This microcosmic world holds together only because its players agree to suspend their reality and believe in each other's fantasies. If you find yourself too sceptical to join in with this shared hallucination, you'll find little entertainment here. [PC Gamer UK]

The pedestrian pacing of the early levels, the fiddly controls and the fearsomely flighty camera still means that if you have played the entire series from day one or if this is your first encounter, Lara has certainly seen better days. [Playstation 2 Max]

The only problem with this is that the collected ideas that are gathered here - with the exception of the space combat - have all been lifted from other gaming influences. The curvature of Mace's face visor, the enemies with power shields, the control of remote guns... [PSM2]

The single-player is slow and unforgiving next to the white-hot motoring antics of the online experience.

Plabyable and for the most part just what you'd want from an Evil Dead game, but scuppered by some treacly objectives. [GamesMaster]

Good, daft, surprisingly tactical fun. No set-pieces to match Halo, but all the sniping and destruction you could ever hope for. [GamesMaster]

Half the games aren't really up to much these days but they still provide the quick-fix gaming that the GBA is designed for. [NGC]

"Moto GP" was already nicely buffed - this one positively sparkles. Well worth a mention is the gorgeous rain effect - you just have to see it in action. [GamesMaster]

There's little doubt that I've failed to sufficiently convey the sheer enormity of this game. [PC Gamer UK]

Yet another licence that fails to deliver in the same way as its celluliod counterpart but a tasty, violent adventure nonetheless. [PSM2]

One of the most mesmerising and consistently entertaining games on any platform, ever. [PC Gamer UK]

The best action-adventure game if you're looking for something more to get your teeth into once Metroid Fusion is done and dusted. [NGC]

Put simply, if you have Live this is a highly recommended purchase, if you don't then it isn't.

The balance between doing combos and pulling trick moves still isn't weighted enough in favour of the latter, so when things get tight it's tempting to go back to being dull. [PSM2]

Pin-sharp sim that's both challenging and forgiving, with a story that's not just bolted on... A true delicacy in a time of relative famine for racing sim fans, but should feature on any gamer's menu. [PC Gamer UK]

One of the most refreshingly racing games in a long time and the clear, concise, interfaces and controls make it a delight to spend time with - especially if you're playing alongside some mates in the split-screen mode. It's awesome stuff. [Xbox Gamer]

Monstrously tough and definitely not for part-timers. Ikaruga is demanding but ultimately rewarding. [GamesMaster]

A brash, brilliant arcade game with real substance. It'll blow you away with its unrelenting pace and aggression. [GamesMaster]

Superior to the Xbox version in every way... Massively enjoyable yet enormously painful, Splinter Cell is a serious game whose brilliant realism should shake up a few complacent gamers. [PS2 MAX]

A fun game, and the deck creation element is very addictive. Still a bit pointless though, and could be better presented. [GamesMaster]

None of its core ideas, good though some are, are really explored well enough. The linear levels offer little in the way of exploration, and the Geo-Mod technology doesn't add anything especially worthwhile to the game. [NGC]

Compared to the all-powerful "SmackDown!" it gets pummelled into the canvas in terms of variety of moves and subtlety. (Relatively speaking, or course. Neither are exactly delicate games). [GamesMaster]

Pleasant. It’s challenging without being too frustrating, and it’s attractive without being gobsmacking, full of decent set-pieces without anything that seriously demands a bit of thought. [PSM2]

The closest anyone's got to nailing the mainstream music game concept. If it was just 20 quid, we'd tell everyone to get it. [PSM2]

By far the biggest fault with WW is that it has to end - see if you don't find yourself putting off the final boss for as long as possible by scouring the ocean for every last chest... An utter delight for both the mind and the senses to wallow in. [Import]

A game that passes the time, and melds together a number of fine titles, but whose every individual element can be found in a more satisfying form elsewhere. [PC Gamer UK]

Prepare for the Poke folk to take over your life. Again. [GamesMaster]

Short, confusing, ugly to handle and curious, but still has an undeniable eerie charm that will get under your skin. [GamesMaster]

Bigger and, in many ways, better than previous GPs, but the lack of real depth may leave enthusiasts reaching for the (Riding) spirits. [PSM2]

It doesn't do anything much beyond what's expected in an RTS, and what it does do better either isn't quite improved enough (it's highly attractive... but not as attractive as C&C: Generals) or the really clever stuff is so subtle it bores. [PC Gamer UK]

Mindbogglingly huge and engaging, this is one of the great space games of all time... A classic. [PC Gamer UK]

Chaos isn't quite as deep as the Dreamcast's "Powerstone," but outdoes it for raw fun and as a multiplayer game it's tough to beat. [GamesMaster]

It's all top notch Indy stuff and perfectly captures all the ace elements of the man and the movies. Monsters, exotic locations, suspicious characters and back-stabbing. He even looks and sounds like Harrison Ford which makes it all even more believable, charming and utterly essential. [GamesMaster]

We've marvelled at the luscious visuals, wept at a tragic twist in the plot (true), slaughtered untold numbers of evil minions and after 60 hours of adventuring, still haven't tired of it. [GamesMaster]

It's so predictable that a player will find himself quickly out-thinking the designers. [PC Gamer UK]