As it stands Black Monday just cannot compete with the truly impressive games released for the Playstation 2 this year.

There’s a distinct lack of sand for those who flock to the Olympic tournaments and too little action for the casual gamer.

It does make you think what kind of flower power evil dictator would create such laughably psychedelic set of robots.

This feels rushed.

The 'feel' of the Vietnam conflict has been well represented, with the great soundtrack (you expect to hear Robin Williams wishing you a good morning such is the authenticity of the soundtrack) and the lush green forests do look quite nice, but the gameplay is very much lacking, and incredibly buggy.

So, far-fetched and silly this is, but the important thing is its fun! It doesn't re-write the platforming genre but it does provide you with a lot of laughs, and comic capers.

What it does feature (in large amounts) is lazy, un-inspiring map design, shoddy AI and pathfinding and ridiculous infantry micro-management. Hardly the groundbreaking improvements that the paying gamer demands these days, and we certainly don't blame them.

For the veteran of Virtua Fighter, or Tekken, however, it’s a sheep in wolf’s clothing.

There’s something strangely compelling about the story, and the subliminal RPG elements are good enough to build up some atmosphere, without swamping players down with unnecessary micromanagement.

Newcomers really should steer clear though, if you must have a game based on assassinations, you would be better off seeking out Agent-47 instead.

Fair's fair, Shrek the Third is a long way from being all out terrible; the game just occasionally feels unpolished and unloved. Still, young kids will love controlling all the leading characters from the film and collecting all the bonus unlockables. It’s just a shame there wasn’t a little bit more to see and do in far, far away.

Wrestlemania 21 had the potential to be so much more, but ultimately all those little niggly things that are forgivable on their own add up to nothing more than a slightly above average grappler.

In single player the game feels a little monotonous and lonely so thankfully South Peak have catered for those of us that like a little cooperative play.

I like having the option of pairing up thirty years of blood and sweatsocks, and there’s nothing really at fault with anything, it’s just unfortunate that their very accurate rendition of Seventies wrestling compares unfavourably with what Kurt Angle and colleagues are doing now on t.v and in the THQ games.

What we’re let down by is a clunky, cumbersome control system, unforgiving save system and at times some flaky A.I. Now that it’s been re-released on the MAD label, I reckon it’s definitely worth the money, particularly if you’re a fan of this niche genre.

In the end a blatant rip off like this could only happen on a console or handheld. Imagine what would happen if this was released today on the PC for £15 in this state? There would be a riot.

A nice job in bringing a little real history to the hack ‘n slash genre, but far too much of the same kind of thing in every character and every battle.

The idea of a Cold War Russian agent infiltrating the ‘enemy’s’ sector could (and should) have been so much more, but the frustration and abundance of small flaws induced by Hammer and Sickle sadly point to another missed opportunity in our books.

A better multiplayer title then anything in the strategy/world domination genre that has gone before, once you get past the rather shoddy original design interface.

The problems are even more compounded because, on the 360, this is supposedly a next generation game, it simply isn’t. Even Superman will struggle to save this disjointed effort from the bargain bin and only hardened collectors should seek out this disaster.

Star Trek Encounters isn’t really worthy of it’s license. It seems to be stuck together by black holes instead of a plot, which would’ve so easily have been afforded with all of the various Treks at their disposal.

All in all I’d have to say avoid. The camera is a real let down.

The 2D isometric view is a perhaps a little ‘old hat’ nowadays but having said that it was still quite well done. I would still think hardcore fans of 2D RPG games would do well to check Restricted Area out, but the vast majority will probably end up passing this one by.

The magic of the 2D versions have all but been lost in a search for technical accomplishment and it suffers terribly for it.

Overall the Empire Earth series has been a solid strategy title, but Mad Doc have tried to simplify things and have taken it far too far and perhaps destroyed what people wanted in their RTS title.

At the moment though, the game is simply far too flawed to be recommended.

So, far-fetched and silly this is, but the important thing is its fun! It doesn’t re-write the platforming genre but it does provide you with a lot of laughs, and comic capers.

There is nothing that really stands out and grips you by the throat even though it tries's very hard to. Couple the bad sound effects with an average game and a £30 price tag and I would say put down the box and pick up the copy of "Doom 3" if you havent already.

The magic of the 2D versions have all but been lost in a search for technical accomplishment and it suffers terribly for it.

It is rushed, cheap looking, repetitive and gets old fast, and for the price it's not worth it.

This feels entirely more suited to a Mission Impossible branding than the men of string and wood, and unless you have some very enthusiastic fans amongst the small folk it's one to avoid.

The fixed camera problem is actually so bad at times that you could spend a considerable amount of time working your way to a top of a building only to plummet back down to earth again.

I’m sure there’s humour and enjoyment in this title somewhere but I think it’s that of a slightly dysfunctional thirteen-year-old boy – quite a narrow market to be aiming for.

Since it’s the UK version we are reviewing here, and most of the problems from the USA release have been fixed I think I’m being fair in the score I’ve awarded.

The story is very good and the puzzle numerous and that is the point of the game really. We would think it would have a quite select fan base that would really enjoy it but its mass appeal may be limited.

If Grissom really loves his insects he'll be at home here as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is literally filled with bugs. Problems with the mechanics made matching DNA and other samples an absolute nightmare.

The magic of the 2D versions have all but been lost in a search for technical accomplishment and it suffers terribly for it.

It is rushed, cheap looking, repetitive and gets old fast, and for the price it’s not worth it.

Do you really want to have to learn three pages of voice commands just so that you can sit in front of the computer and sound stupid?

This is a game for rent without a shadow of a doubt. The shortness and the general issues with it mean I can’t really recommend anything else.

This is a game for rent without a shadow of a doubt. The shortness and the general issues with it mean I can’t really recommend anything else.

The game installs completely to your hard drive so there is no need to put a CD in once the game is installed, I wish more games did this.

It could have been done so much better, there are so many little flaws that add up to a missed opportunity for a decent game. The graphics and physics are very good but the faults with it cancel these out.

There’s no denying that the game lacks variety, speed or, on the most basic level, well thought out gameplay.

The main problem I have with coming out and labelling it a ‘kid’s game’ however, is not just the Spy vs Spy premise, but the sheer un-likeableness (if I can invent that word) of the two protagonists.

Started with brilliant presentation and gameplay and deteriorated from that point on. Although the novel twist of trying to save the ‘bad’ kids does add something for fans of the book, they’ll be advised to rent this title before the sugar sweet memories turn into a sour aftertaste after shelling out for this lacklustre platformer.

Every aspect of it is extremely poor and badly thought out which is reflected in the shortness of this review.

There is really nothing wrong with the GBA rendition of the popular TV show but really nothing that jumps at you and screams "buy me" either.

If Pinocchio said he loved this game, watch his nose grow and stay clear of the swamp.