It's one of those games that's simple to grasp, but bastard hard to explain.

Another dollop of glorious GameCube genius.

Every bit of Devil May Cry's been carefully orchestrated, and the effort pays off - there's rarely a dull moment.

[Games Radar Rating = Direct Hit] AvP2 isn't a revolutionary game, but a collection of previously-seen elements, all put together seamlessly and balanced so well that it emerges as a rather beautiful Frankenstein's Monster.

Don't expect depth, merely an ongoing rush of a pure gaming high. Bliss!

It's the perfect way of working out if your flatmate's a robot - only a heartless cyborg assassin wouldn't love these fluffy little pups - but it's not for those that are easily bored of endless, patient training and failure. [NGC Pocket]

The only downsides are that there are no female players (come on Sega!) and in Exhibition mode you can only set up one set matches - there are no full-on grand slams.

The best conventional RPG -- carefully side-stepping "Deus Ex's" entirely different brilliance -- in recent years.

The best console RPG since Squaresoft's "FFVII" on the PlayStation. Get ready for a monster phone bill.

Bungie really has outdone itself, and better than that, it's positively ushered in a glorious new era for the greatest multiplayer shooter on the planet. [Xbox World UK]

An unconventional - hence invigorating - impetuous, inciting, and utterly, utterly playable first-person multiplaying affair.

A fine racing sim, and a fantastic F1 title. Highly recommended indeed.

It would be churlish to criticise the game for a bit of net slowdown because, whether you're playing online or offline, this is without doubt the best basketball game ever. Nothing but nylon!

It's still the most cinematic, engrossing Zelda we've ever played, and as such, deserves nothing but the absolute highest recommendation. Flaws are present, sure, but we'll burn our entire library of games before we say Twilight Princess is anything but incredible.

No matter what your tastes are, after just an hour in Mario's new world, we can guarantee that you?ll not want to move from your chair. Ever.

One of the most rounded and comprehensive packages you're ever likely to see, something that makes it worthy of recommendation to all discerning Pokefans out there.

It's in full-on four-player mode that Power Stone 2 attains genius status. As long as you've got three mates up to speed on the game, you literally won't be able to put your joypads down.

Near-perfect in every conceivable way, "Deus Ex" is pure gaming ambrosia. As in food of the gods, not tinned rice pudding.

Listen: Insane works. It works because it's multiplayer, it works because it's simple, and it works because it's fun. You'd do well to remember that, but you won't, because you're so desperate to replay the cliched gaming you've already experienced on your thousand-pound calculator. Stupid. All the best...

If William Blake made a videogame, it would be this. If that isn't a recommendation, nothing is.

The grand-duke of the soldier sims. If you have even the slightest interest in the subject matter, it's a must.

Pushing the humble PSone to its absolute limits, Square have done the impossible and actually improved on FFVIII's visuals.

Despite the split-screen, there's little discernible slowdown and the visual detail remains spot-on. Psygnosis used Sony's Performance Analyzer, which enabled them to squeeze every last drop out of the PlayStation, and the result is virtually no pop-up and the crispest visuals imaginable.

Madden NFL 2001 pushes the mighty "ISS Evolution" into a two-way fight to be the greatest sports game on any system. Ever.

The most important action game yet made for the PC. Well worth the long wait.

It's the perfect way of working out if your flatmate's a robot - only a heartless cyborg assassin wouldn't love these fluffy little pups - but it's not for those that are easily bored of endless, patient training and failure. [NGC Pocket]

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]

Quite simply fantastic. The most universally appealing Dreamcast title yet.