Its simplicity is its strength, and its weakness – while traipsing around looking for annoyingly hidden items and backtracking is almost completely avoided, the limited direction of the game reduces its chances of holding your interest for long enough to play it all the way through.

What this game is about is mayhem, destruction and style, all of which it has in bag loads. It doesn’t have the most original gameplay, nor is it the most sophisticated game of this type, but it is essentially an officially licensed John Woo game, doing what a lot of wannabe John Woo games have been doing for a few years now.

As a game it's fairly average, but the presentation is top notch.

The fact that the game can be enjoyed by adults (provided you don’t mind playing through an extremely easy game) as well as kids epitomises just how strong Madagascar is, particularly as it’s a movie licence.

The fact that the game can be enjoyed by adults (provided you don't mind playing through an extremely easy game) as well as kids epitomises just how strong Madagascar is, particularly as it's a movie licence.

Even with the adapted controls, Ape Escape: On The Loose is a splendid version of the enjoyable original.

One hell of a game. Fans of the series will find answers to some of their questions and find new ones to ponder over by the game’s close, while gamers unfamiliar with the Camera Obscura would do well to check it out right after the first two. It’s chilling, it’s engrossing and there’s even extra unlockable content.

There’s no getting away from the fact that FlatOut 2 is damned good fun, and will bring you back to the days of Destruction Derby and its ilk. However, as much as we appreciate the tweaks – and that’s really all they are – to the first game, there are still a few too many fundamental flaws which bring out a wail of frustration or a tut as you consider how easily certain annoyances could have been avoided.

The great multiplayer and co-op are worthy of the price alone, and as familiar as it feels, the single player game is still a tremendous experience, albeit a little short.

If you know sod-all about sea-faring, and don’t have the desire to spend several hours learning about it before getting to blow stuff up, then watch The Hunt for Red October and get Silent Hunter III.

Roogoo is a strange creature, combining cutesy childlike design and whimsical story with fiendish gameplay and a steep challenge curve. Stripping away the fluffy exterior reveals a meaty core that will satisfy even the healthiest of gaming appetite for the time it will take to finish.

If you’re a dedicated enough player to have a nicely customised character with a reasonably full tech tree, or even just someone who enjoys a weekly dose of almost-massively multiplayer sci-fi FPS gaming without the monthly fees, the decision to get hold of Northern Strike will be an easy one to make.

As a game it’s fairly average, but the presentation is top notch.

GFH will be an absolute boon for anyone who has fond memories of its MegaDrive predecessor, but it's still the kind of game that'll upset people who don't take kindly to frustration. In other words, if you were pissed off by games like "Ninja Gaiden," you'll get pissed off with this.

With more than a dozen planets to fight on, plus the space battles above several of them, and the large selection of weapons, kits and vehicles, Renegade Squadron goes a long way to provide you with the kind of variety and longevity you look for in a game like this.

While the strategy is surprisingly engaging and addictive, you do need a lot of stamina and patience to get there, which instantly alienates a huge number of potential buyers.

Developers Slant Six have done a good job fitting a new genre into both the PSP itself and an existing series: it was about time the third person tactical action sim made its way onto a handheld.

Certainly improves on the original PSP game and in many ways ends up being a better game on the PS2. While it comes much closer to fully capitalising on the ingenuity of the core concept, there’s still a feeling that the series is not quite there yet, with the PSP version lacking refined controls and the PS2 version requiring a little more depth for a home console game.

Offering little in the way of innovation, it will keep fans of the series very happy and is definitely an essential purchase if you have ever enjoyed a DW game in the past.

Nevertheless, we can’t help but feel that it’s all a little on the dated side. An RTS that hasn’t been designed for the C&C crowd isn’t a bad thing, but Rome: Total War has already demonstrated that more tactical offerings are capable of crossing the boundaries and appealing to all sub-sets of RTS gamers.

While obviously not for those seeking an arcade fix, Another Code is an absolute must for those who are always on the lookout for a decent adventure.

As a game it's fairly average, but the presentation is top notch.

While SBK-07 is a game that will appeal to Superbike geeks, it’s only as geeky as you want it to be.

Sega Superstars’ many minigames may be of a decidedly variable quality, but those that are decent easily make up for the duds. All the Sega hallmarks are there, from the robust and colourful graphics to the faithful and sometimes nostalgia-inducing soundtrack.

There’s certainly enough depth here to entertain most combat veterans and with a little more in the way of new content it would no doubt have done better following on the success of Battlestations: Midway. Overall an entertaining history lesson that doesn’t let a few minor flaws spoil the fun.

Project: Snowblind is pretty straightforward stuff and consists mainly of linear, corridor based action, but it does its job as well as any other shooter available on the PS2.

In the end Sudeki is not without its disappointments, but it also has its moments. Unless you take particular objection to the stylistic setting, it's still worth a throw of the dice.

No game can claim to be as visually and aurally stunning as Killer7. There has been no video game as heavily and expressively stylised before, with the beautiful, cel-shaded visuals forming an integral part of the game, rather than a back of the box bullet point.