A terrible map system and dated graphics are only just outweighed by the classic gameplay that lies underneath. This is for die hard Mega Man fans only.

Control of the players feels very responsive, and every charge and slapshot feels suitably weighty, despite the fact the controller didn’t rumble on Gamestyle‘s first play (even though we thought it did).

As an overall package, there is a lot to love about TDU; the concept is sound and exploring never gets tiresome, but the laziness evident in the current build is inexcusable.

What we have in Yakuza is a highly effective Japanese gangster story crammed into a PS2 game, and a visually impressive one at that.

The game is unpretentious and makes no apologies for being exactly what it wants to be - and that is a game with a beautifully crafted storyline, intriguing characters, plenty of humour, and everything you want from an RPG. Forget the naysayers, this is really a class act.

Putting an estimate on how many hours you would need to devote to the game to complete everything is both pointless and a little scary to imagine, but we dare say that someone out there in a very dimly lit room will be attempting it. Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories is a joy to behold, you can dip into it for a short time or lose several years of your life.

It's impossible to understand how the developers came so close to making a good game and then failed so thoroughly.

Refreshingly, the size of the game is just enough and avoids the titanic proportions of GTA.

It feels cheap and tacky, missing things you'd hope for and things you'd expect, and the single player mode is terrible. Still, try as they might, they've not managed to stop poker being great fun, especially with friends.

Like many zombie flicks in history, this is for a cult audience only. It's a genuine shame but it just isn't very good.

It is unfortunate that the solo experience feels uncompelling; despite every effort to do otherwise, it's not likely to maintain interest except to hone your skills for the next time you face a worthy opponent, or earning a few more gold points to buy yourself a silly hair-do.

Chromehounds is an excellent online game, but the single-player suffers because of it, making it no use for anyone without a Gold Live account.

Like a Michael Bay movie, Prey is about non-stop action with less emphasis placed on plot and more on shooting anything that moves.

Ultimately though it is one long drawn out cutscene cut up by little bits of gameplay that do not seem to fit in as well.

There’s something lacking at the heart of Point Blank DS, and at no point does it fell like a cohesive collection.

It’s a nice touch that Climax included the 2005 and 2006 rider line-ups and racing liveries as a response to missing a season of updates. It’s this passion for the title, which makes MotoGP ’06 a great choice for bikers and fans of online racing.

It may not be perfect, but few if any titles of late will generate such a compulsive hold with such economic use of power.

While not the most riveting game experience ever, Rockstar have still done the table tennis community (if there is one) proud with this game.

Quite a decent RPG. What holds it back is that it is far too typical of the genre; there's really nothing new about it nor does it do anything particularly well to make it truly stand out. If you're a fan of RPGs, you'll enjoy it, but it may be something of a forgettable experience.

The sensation of speed and power is immense and the graphics are as good as anything the PS2 has produced so far. The problem with Ace Combat 6, then, is simply that it does nothing new.

Legend is a good, solid game, but it's a short-lived experience that suffers from a wonky storyline and combat/platforming sections that don't really gel together.

End-of-area bosses helpfully announce their weaknesses at the beginning of encounters, coin-laden paths dot their way around levels, and there is always a mammalian helper ready and willing to explain the use of contraptions.

The visuals are lovely, though, and although they're not the most fluid the frame rate is acceptable throughout given the realtime shadows, cloud effects and three-dimensional crowd.

There are a number of good and inspired moments, but for each one, you can think of something else that would have been better.

Far Cry Instincts: Predator would be something special on the Xbox (the original was given an 8, after all), but we've seen it all before and Ubi-Soft have clearly forgotten that we are now entering the next generation of gaming.

It's not a better game all round than "Crimson Skies" but offers quite a challenge for the single player, with several nicely playable multiplayer scenarios thrown in.

When started, you’ll rarely look at another game for weeks if not months (thanks to the downloadable content) to come and beyond. Oblivion is without question a strong contender for the best game of 2006.

The classic single player and the revolutionary multiplayer makes this a great little package.