The prayer-answering adventure game, this is a jaunt the term 'cracking' was invented for. [Xbox World]

If you can master the controls, you'll find a rich, rewarding racer here, one that gives a thrilling sensation of speed and as much edgy, adrenaline-filled action as you could ask for. [PC Gamer UK]

A superb game that'll only alienate those who don't really get American football. As that's loads of people, we're unfairly knocking off a point. [Xbox World]

Moving at a more restful pace than your average game, some may find Children of the Nile a little slow and unchallenging. But when you've put in the work, seeing your population grow and prosper is certainly rewarding, engrossing and even a little educational. [PC Gamer UK]

It's stylish, inventive and, perhaps most importantly, won't fail to put a beaming smile on your face. [NGC Pocket]

A balls-out, seat-of-your-pants ride that shows the lesser known motor sport of rallying in all its rugged glory. At the very least, the most brutal racer on PS2 yet. [PSM2 Magazine]

With more drama than Tekken and more guts than Dead or Alive, Tenkaichi literally has more balls than any beat-'em-up released in the last 12 months. [GamesMaster]

Jungle Beat may be the only game to make good use of the bongos, but it does one hell of a job.

Don't be turned off by the difficult controls right away. Once you get used to the steering and can take the corners, FlatOut 2 is an awesome racer with enough destruction and mayhem to last you awhile.

So basic that you'd think it couldn't possibly be this much fun. A tremendous multiplayer game, but be warned - that's all it is. [NGC]

It proves just as addictive as it is on DS, and should be checked out by anyone who's yet to invest in the dual-screen handheld. [NGC Pocket]

If technical difficulties like a choppy framerate and a maddening enemy targeting system didn't get in the way, this would be one of the year's best games. As it stands, however, it's a darn good one.

Pokemon's winning concept refuses to crumble with age, and Emerald is as much fun as our old friends Red and Blue were back in 1998. [NGC Pocket]

This cracking slice of high-end Star Wars shootery is really very good indeed - but let down by repetition and some avoidable sameyness. [Xbox World]

Pac 'n' Roll is a really good, fun game. And with Pac-Pix already putting a smile on our faces, it seems that Pac-Man is turning out to be one of DS's biggest stars. [NGC Pocket]

More of the same might not necessarily be a bad thing, but we'd be lying if we said we hadn't hoped for better. [Import]

As your handling becomes more intuitive, the detail melts into the background and, with just a tiny eye-blur, you get that huge photorealism kick. [XGamer Magazine]

It's simply good fun from beginning to end - like an unexpectedly violent Disneyland ride.

The quality of the game remains and it's an essential purchase for those who are new to Pokemon but we can't help feeling the update is a little on the cheap side. [NGC]

You're getting the same far-reaching anime fighter that impressed us six months ago, now loaded with sprinkles of new content and a pretty hot multiplayer mode. If only the presentation was up to par with the fighting (enough with the talking heads), we'd be looking at a complete package.

One of the true joys of Madden is settling in for a run of minigames. But there's one factor that's a touch obnoxious: you can't choose what players you compete with.

Hopefully, upcoming sequels will further tweak an already solid concept into a great game.

The only real problem with Warzones is one inherent to the series as a whole - you're always driving, and that's it. You never take to the skies or hop in a boat or mix-up the missions at all.

The action is bloody and satisfying, the story plays out like exceptionally well-written fan-fiction and the spirit of the movie and its characters are intact.

Touch and Go is a new breed of platformer and, while it doesn't quite reach the heights of Wario Ware and Mario 64 DS, it is still an essential DS purchase. [NGC Pocket]

With solidly rebuilt controls only a little marred by a still-fussy camera, LEGO Star Wars II is even better than last years prequel trilogy-based offering. And, as the first LEGO Star Wars was an amazingly entertaining homage to Lucas's genius, this sequel stands atop the original's shoulders as the pinnacle of LEGO Star Wars fun.

It's a well-made game that you can try again and again with numerous heroes and their plethora of powers. If you're a comic-book fan, this is probably the most satisfying videogame ever made for you.

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