It manages to enlarge its scope from being something which entertains on a functional level to becoming something that emits enchantment and appreciation on a purely 'emotional' level.

Packed full of limitations and issues, the sense of fun and destruction overcomes the majority of flaws on display.

It might not be the deepest experience, but for a shot of pure action, you can't go wrong. And yes, apparently Rockstar can revive two fallen genres with an almighty kiss of life and in doing so prove once again that they have the Midas touch.

Both entertaining and satisfying yet difficult and frustrating in equal measures, if you haven't already fallen out of love with the series or have never played a Fire Emblem game then there's an awful lot to enjoy.

DDS2 is a great RPG telling a challenging and mature story, over a foundation of solid, if unspectacular, game mechanics, learning from the mistakes made by its predecessor.

It's almost as if the developers WANT you to input the 'free cash' code: at any point during the game, press Up, Down, Left, Right, B, Left, A, Up).

Undoubtedly a showpiece for the PSP, Virtua Tennis: World Tour offers something for everyone - and, despite the laborious loading times, it's a tried-and-true SEGA title that everyone should have in their collection.

It will undoubtedly prove enjoyable for those new to the series, but anyone expecting a fully-fledged sequel might be sorely disappointed.

The Doom experience remains streamlined and ruthlessly efficient, lacking the epic scope that we've come to associate with other first person shooters.

The concept as a whole may be heading ever closer to the clichéd but once you actually start playing, it is nigh on impossible to not feel the Castlevania magic taking you over.

The most average flight 'em up we've ever played.

Heavily reliant on survival, Konami have stripped the game of fun and presented you with something that's too realistic for its own good.

Not a game without its problems: its short length, its stilted dialogue, its murky 3D graphics, its ridiculous name (seriously, what will the sequel be called?!); and yet there is an ineffable quality to the game that transcends these shortcomings.

Superficial clutter like archaic draw-in and control options (not to mention single-player brevity) impinges upon the experience. It's a close-run thing, though - with or without those feral abilities.

The best feature and probably the biggest selling point of Top Spin (at least over Virtua Tennis) is the online mode, so unless you plan on taking this online, grab a copy of the other title.

One word describes Ultimate Spider-Man: disappointment.

A solid game set in a beautifully-created world brimming with life and atmosphere. While it begins unassumingly, the game soon finds its 'furry' feet.

Ingenious and designed with the sort of wild creative flair that most developers can only dream of possessing, Gamestyle loves Katamari.

Unfortunately, due to the irritating camera, steep learning curve and lengthy missions, Gamestyle can only recommend Heroes to the most avid of strategy enthusiasts.

All in all, Fahrenheit tries hard to be that truly interactive story game we've always wanted, but at some point collapses under its own weight, proving that we're not at that stage just yet.

All in all, an improvement over the original, but not a huge step forward by any means.

It's certainly not a 'Klassic' by any stretch of the imagination - and it may not feature the cutting-edge style of other titles - but its furious fighting and mostly wonderful boss encounters provided many hours of enjoyment.

The most accomplished racing game on the PSP by a mile, and it might just be the second best game on the system across all the genres.

While it doesn't qualitatively raise the bar, Gamestyle believes that Burnout is still the premier street-racing franchise - and adrenaline junkies will definitely find it worth their hard-earned cash.

Deep in Gamestyle Towers we have a closet called "hidden gems" where some of the best and most overlooked video games reside. Rebelstar Tactical Command fits this criteria perfectly, if you are in need of a new handheld challenge, then this is a must have purchase.

Gamestyle thoroughly enjoyed Rainbow Six: Lockdown. The campaign is an improvement over previous games, but the ropey enemy AI and prevalence of bugs can soon annoy.

The first superhero game that actually made Gamestyle feel like we WERE the protagonist (unlike wannabe titles such as Batman Begins and Spider-Man 2, which dressed you up in spandex and left you hanging for more).

Despite the outlandish setting and undoubted promise, what survives is just an average first-person adventure without bite.

Authentically real, solidly believable, full of content and supported by a dedicated online community; when handled with care, Ghost Recon 2 hits its target with precision.

Sure, there are a number of gameplay problems at the core, but overall we rather enjoyed playing Outlaw Tennis.

Flipnic almost manages to attach itself to the amalgam of classically-obscure, quality PS2 titles - such as "Rez," "Frequency," "Fantavision," "Gitaroo Man" et al - however, due to one or two structural flaws and frustrating play mechanics, falls slightly short of such nobility.

Despite its flaws, and perhaps a slight over-reliance on gravitational nuance in order to bolster sales, Flat Out is not entirely a 'flat' racing experience; it's always entertaining, and never less than appealing.

The game play is too repetitive and a combination of poor controls and poor visuals make it frustrating to complete the levels. It's hard to imagine many people, whatever their ages, having the supreme patience to actually sit through more than a few hours of this game.

A missed opportunity. It does nothing to ruin the memory of a groundbreaking 8-bit game, but everything to prove that games have moved on since then.

Killer7 represents an original and highly risky concept that could have gone horribly wrong; but due to the skill of the development team we have a highly innovative and visually visceral title that pushes both our senses and the boundaries of what we consider a game to be.

By being different and daring and altogether difficult, it has alienated many. But by sticking to their (un-)fashionable guns, their purist vision and actually getting the game out there (with a Mature rating, no less), Capcom have created something of worth - and something worth remembering for years to come.

It's like Tetris' half-Italian younger brother, Tetrigo: he isn't as old or as wise, and you can't understand him all the time, but he wears a suit and drives a Ferrari... so hop in and enjoy the ride!

Live and Reloaded is a fun and entertaining package for a short while in single player, but dated gameplay and some technical issues ensure that it won't last long.

The humorous parody, satire and carnage of Destroy All Humans is enjoyable, but the experience is significantly lessened by far too much repetition, some frustrating sections, a lack of proper sense of destructive scale, and free-roaming areas that are too small and don't contain that much of interest outside the main story.

Another by-the-numbers film license cash-in which will entertain, but ultimately leave the player wishing they parted with their cash for something that has had more creative and industrious effort put into it.

How can Rockstar follow this? San Andreas is a masterpiece; the outstanding gameplay from the first two games has been extended, tweaked and applied to a fresh, original and fascinating setting. There's more than enough meat to keep you going for months, and the sheer variety of gameplay is bewildering.

From the dazzling introductory sequence, right the way through to the cliff hanger ending, there's not a single section of gameplay that feels it hasn't been smothered with love.

Ultimately, the game is unique, imaginative, accessible and thoroughly refreshing... and perhaps the last commercial gasp for the ailing GBA; however it's no better or worse than its predecessors - it's just WarioWare... with a twist!

They may have tried overly hard to create Half-Life 2 and failed, but the result is another flawed but worthwhile video game.

A great game and worthy of every racing fan's collection. It's no quick-thrill arcade ride, however, and those looking for something more along those lines should think twice before considering Forza.

The game can only be seen as a disappointment for those expecting an online extravaganza (or for series veterans looking for something new).

Fans of the genre will find plenty to enjoy, from the spooky setting to the non-stop action. Live users can also enjoy the excellent lag-free games that it offers, which certainly makes Area 51 a game to consider.

Wrestling fans may find some enjoyment here, but for others, your best bet is to dig out that N64 and play the brilliant WWF No Mercy - the game that Wrestlemania tried so hard to be.

It's a great game if you like the genre, but it won't probably won't win any new fans to the puzzle style of play. Their loss.

Having experienced Need For Speed and Burnout on numerous occasions, Gamestyle can wholeheartedly confirm that Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition is the most complete - and satisfying - package to date.

Overall, Close Combat: First To Fight doesn't have the looks or the sound, but what it does have is the fun-factor.

Having spent considerable hours grinding through DDS, the ending does come as an anti-climax. The only consolation is that the sequel will award bonuses if it reads a DDS save on your memory card.

An annoying camera, repetitive structure and short replay value all add up to a slightly above average game that will only have lasting appeal for younger gamers (or indeed Star Wars fans).

If there's light beyond the fringes of Doom 3 multiplayer, it's the eternal flame of id's past: the perfect emulations of "Ultimate Doom" and "Doom II."

Matches the high intrigue of previous releases, and even throws a few new tricks into the rucksack.

Not only does Sam Fisher dethrone Solid Snake, he snaps his neck when he's not looking. Now that's a sign of greatness.

Wonderful character design, superb visuals and old-school gameplay all unite to form an excellent PSP title.

Don't miss out on this at any cost. If you need a bit more convincing, just remember: you get to have a threesome.

Graphically, the game is - for lack of a better expression - gorgeous.

Easily the most original PSP release to date, it's a great way to start your love affair with Sony's handheld system.

Visually this is the most disappointing PSP title that Gamestyle has experienced to date.

It's just a shame that the online service is so 'imperfect' - because the game could have easily scored an extra point (or two) had it worked properly.

Reaching the end of Wipeout Pure is certainly a challenge, but once the higher ground has been breached (without PSP owning friends) there is little reason to return to the game.

You're actively encouraged to exploit one manoeuvre: trying to suppress and outflank your opponents. While it pretty much becomes de rigueur throughout the game (and extremely important when commanding large numbers of men), its appeal is shortlived - utilising the same tactic can become tiresome.

A well-made little game. It has good handling and controls and is nice to look at, and has little to berate besides the fact that, for all its sparkliness, it's ever so bland.

Unfortunately, the spark of enduring gameplay is soon extinguished by some bizarre design choices and a ropey camera system.

If you see it cheap, it's worth picking up; for anyone expecting a long-lasting game, however, you'll be disappointed.

A major control issue is the analogue stick, which is almost on a par with the diabolical handling of "Daytona USA 2001." Driving with the stick puts you at an immediate disadvantage, because you have no qualifiable range of movement - the stick needs to be pushed fully to extract any response, and even then it's never subtle enough.

Gamestyle can't recall any similar title that has been created for a peripheral so obviously detached from the maker's intent. If Nintendo really do want to concentrate on innovation moving forward, Jungle Beat is a most promising start.

The PS2 engine may be showing its age ever so slightly, but the fluidity of the action is something Gamestyle did not expect to see until the next generation of consoles.

The control feels tighter, the aesthetics are sweeter, and the career mode will keep you ‘hooked’ (pun most definetly intended) for weeks on end.

Where Ubisoft's teams have exponentially raised the bar for squad-based titles, the LucasArts kowtowers have inconsolably brought the entry level down. Troops: step forward and press 'A' at my command. [Sir, yes sir!]

While it’s not the best fighter ever, Tekken 5 is truly something special. It has the style, sound and longevity you want from a fighting game.

The strong visual style is yet again backed up by the all-purpose Renderware engine; environments are highly-detailed, the resolution is crisp and the lighting effects are startling. The sound too is impressive.

The responsiveness between button-press and what occurs onscreen is likewise dubious.

The same old Street Fighter - which is fine for lovers of the series, but the haters won't soon be impressed. Still, it's a nice enough celebration of Street Fighter, but we do wonder how many times Capcom can recycle the same game again and again.

For a launch title, it's surprising that so much imagination has been tapped from every available feature of the Nintendo DS.

It's pretty much as we had expected: another generic film license that was probably built to a set timescale and with a limited scope.

At medium difficulty, it takes five hours or less to blow through, and considering its other missteps, that's just not enough to recommend Starfox: Assault for purchase.

As an experiment into doing something a little different with shooters, it's certainly a very classy affair and well worth experiencing.

Even for veterans, the addition of wireless two-player support and enhanced touch-screen control is just about worth the asking price.

It's not just an achievement in technical design and visual prowess; it's an entire masterpiece of game engineering. This is one of the finest videogame experiences ever crafted.

Like an empty warehouse it may be huge and imposing, but once inside your options are limited - and disappointingly so.

Aside from an overfamiliarity that threatens to sterilise the series, our only real criticism is the lack of difficulty for much of the game. It is certainly long enough, with so much to see and do, but it doesn't require near as much skill as we'd have liked - only perseverance.

A thoroughly underwhelming package, with a few nice additions that don't really elevate it above 'average'. And its most notable feature - the Xbox Live multiplayer mode - feels somewhat dated and simplistic compared to current Live games.

Extremely playable.

The lack of an Xbox Live option is especially disappointing, as there will be no opportunity to correct outstanding bugs nor offer fans an additional planet or mission(s) to download.

The basic gameplay of Metal Slug Advance is quite entertaining and fun - whilst slightly marred by additions that are rather pointless and don't add anything worthwhile to the experience.

Instead of well-written dialogue, we have semi-naked female characters with implausible breasts; instead of any sort of well-rounded lead character, we have a dislikeable chap with 'attitude'; instead of complex, beautifully-designed puzzles that continually flow from room to room, we have combat and decapitations at every corner.

Niggles aside, Mr Driller: Drill Spirits is excellent fun. It's addictive as hell and if you've got friends with the game - or at least people willing to challenge your high scores - there's almost limitless fun to be had.

Doesn't offer much more than genre traditionalism in the wake of its contemporaries, but it's a nostalgic look back at how this fantastic series started, and has enough hours of playtime locked away to make it more than worthwhile.

For something a little different, Outlaw Golf 2 is certainly worth considering, and the retail price certainly won’t break the budget.

Formulaic, stitched together and delivered bang on time for Christmas, it's hard not to view this as anything other than a cold turkey that won't be enjoyed during the festive period.

Alien Hominid might lack a scripted storyline, but trying to reach the end is a wellspring of emotion.

It's the game we all fell in love with when the N64 launched - and it's looking extremely likely to happen again this holiday season. Unmissable.

There's little point in buying this version. Gamestyle recommends either waiting for the upgrade or renting this for a solid weekend of tactical espionage action.

Another 'me too' launch release that doesn't particularly surprise; those who have played the GBA version needn't bother with this one.

The ability of the handheld to throw around smooth graphics like these can only bode well for a fully-miniaturised 3D Mario Kart - another title we're truly gagging to play.