There are moments of such genius that it is almost impossible not to become entirely immersed within the game’s haunted world. Yet all its terrifying beauty, with a better-judged difficulty and the problems with the second character ironed out, FF2 could have been the finest game in the horror genre.

Exudes a quiet confidence in it's own driving engine, racing, rally and drag are all delivered seamlessly.

Evolution or minimisation? One thing is for sure, if you remain uncertain as to which side of the fence you’re sitting on, you may just be able to allow yourself an immersive and unique period in which to decide.

Some of the puzzles in BG&E will have you tearing your hair out, though their solutions are tangible and never obscure.

It is also a lot more accessible than other multiplayer titles such "Crystal Chronicles" and "Four Swords" because only one GBA is required.

If you get your head round the fact that Avalanche is trying to do its own thing whilst still keeping to the spirit of N64 1080, it gives constant thrills and a slightly new slant on the snowboarding genre that will be returned to time and again until each course is rinsed.

Consider this a bottom-line on the gaming barometer – a reference point where gaming simply does not get any worse.

Its feature list is a master class for the attention of both gamers and developers. Whereas once it was cursed for snubbing widescreen TV owners and indulging in trivialities, the series has matured and finally come of age.

First time through may well take less than ten hours to complete, with possible repeat playing naturally taking much less. But for that time, there are some of the most enjoyable gaming experiences ever to savour and the sheer scope of the game makes it seem like you've spent far more time on it than you actually have.

The mixture of splendidly chunky and vibrant visuals with coy hum-along tunes draws you deep within the game’s deceptively complex system, refusing to allow you out to even take a bathroom break.

Things never slack off either due to the brilliant storyline and characters, whilst the tricky combat and devious puzzles keep attention fixated.

Dipping into the unlocked levels on their own in quick-launch seems without purpose, but the campaign mode scores highly during its first run through, even if there’s not quite enough game to make you want to face the challenge again.

If there is one thing Nintendo can be relied upon for delivering, it is the quality of track design and there is no disappointment within Mario Kart DD. Right from the start on Luigi Circuit, there is an air of simplicity and yet a multitude of hidden complexity, choice, racing line and shortcuts to choose from on the fly becomes evident over time.

The frame rate issues are annoying as is the menu system. The handling, which doesn’t feel right initially, isn’t so bad once you get the hang of it. However, the driving genre is a particularly tough market, especially when the game at the top of league is so good.

And so Mario Party 5 continues the series’ yearly update without breaking the mould. A few extras here, a lick of paint there, a fresh repertoire of minigames and that’s about it.

The best tactical shooter you can buy for the PS2 by far.

The statistic-heavy approach combined with an everyday storyline and some plain presentation, though, will ensure that relatively few gamers will ever see this as anything other than an amusing timewaster.

It joins the ranks of "Winning Eleven" as a title that can be truly decreed master of all it surveys. With the significantly improved gameplay over its peers and additional online elements, it must be considered as an essential purchase.

Jaded grapple-fans will find much to love about Here Comes The Pain. It restores some much-needed faith in THQ’s franchise and stands out as a great game in its own right.

Seeing Konami’s premier Horror franchise rendered in such bland brushstrokes leaves a sour taste in the mouth, which is intensified by the fact that the game engine and combat mechanics are so well-tuned.

The game oozes style out of every orifice; the problem lies with the repetitive nature of the game. It’s not something you can play for great lengths at a time, though these short periods can indeed be fun.

Through all the spinning, the fireworks, the lights and the board trails, the PS2 is just pushed a little bit too far...The toll appears in the form of a radically stuttering frame-rate which does slightly spoil the mood.

The inclusion of the entirety of the previous title, Rogue Leader, in co-operative multiplayer form is unquestionably a generous addition but, whilst great fun, it simply serves to highlight the fact that the slightly easier and less-focused missions of Rebel Strike are a step down from the earlier titles.

If the stylish 3D graphics had been paired with a resolutely 2D game, with further time spent on level design, the end result could have been much greater than the uninspiring package present here. [Japan Import]

The tracks are well designed, but with such simplistic gameplay it can get repetitive quickly. The greatest sin, though, is the lack of tournament or tally within the multiplayer game.

What makes it so effective and modern is the variety, quality and consistency in the game world. It truly is in the hands of the gamer which moves to use in any given situation, making Joe such an unusual and unique proposition. [JPN Import]

Those thus far unacquainted with Koei’s output, but well versed in the likes of "Advance Wars" and "Final Fantasy Tactics," will find much to enjoy here.

An enjoyable, though fairly standard platformer, but one that has a great amount of charm to it. You’ll spend an average of 15 or so hours running around, collecting power-ups and items, jumping from high ledges to other high ledges, and fending off beasties along the way. That isn’t very long.

Charming, that certainly covers it. One damned charming game from start to finish. It's not perfect, it's not flashy, but it is a real adventure of discovery, and there are plenty of extras to keep everyone happy.

Despite the gesture of configurable weight distributions, however, the bikes still feel both twitchy and clumsy. Opponent AI is more tempered than before, but few gamers will stay long enough to perfect their grasp of the games flawed mechanics.

Gimmick? Perhaps, but Boktai does enough, and achieves enough, to argue the point otherwise. Besides, sometimes it can just be enjoyable to give into that inner child, or imbecile, and embrace the novelty.

The action is dull, and the gameplay repetitive. Indeed, the very fact that the non-interactive cutscenes are by far and away the highlight of the game speaks volumes. [Japan Import]

Like "Wario World" before it, Banjo Kazooie on the GBA burns ever so brightly during the entire game because it has the class and quality about it in design, gameplay and aesthetics. It is just a pity that it burns ever so shortly as a result.

Striking perhaps for all the wrong reasons. It surprises due to the simplicity and appears original because it bucks the current trend of excess. Yet this originality is indeed false, because it has been so heavily based upon the games of old. [JPN Import]

The story perhaps remains the most poor aspect of the game and the difficulty has been toned down compared to the previous instalment...These niggles are meaningless when compared to the joy the player will gain from the game.

It is quite possible to complete the game without understanding classes, geo blocks, assembly ranks and item world, but in doing so you will miss out on the very thing that makes the game hugely intoxicating.

A masterpiece in terms of design and playability. It is enjoyable for the novice, yet deeply rewarding for those who are willing to take the time it takes to learn its intricacies. [JPN Import]

It offers the more dedicated players, who want to explore the depths of its combat system, almost endless scope and gameplay. [JPN Import]

No two battles are ever the same, something new always seems to crop up each time. It is the essence of fun, dedication and competition that causes players to continue competing and hoping to get better. [JPN Import]

This version should be rightly deemed as the definitive racing game of this generation, and one of the best ever made. [JPN Import]

It's more the case that despite cramming an auspicious set of variables into its equation, Alter Echo’s efforts result in a diminutive single unit which doesn’t entirely work.

It's not a bad game at all, it just feels rather uninspired.

There is nothing quite like having a group of friends around, all buzzing about the screen trying to avoid whacking the ball into the bunker and using the ingame speech modes to annoy merry hell out of each other.

A game that in spite its solid design and adherence to the extreme sports game blueprint, just seems a bit too formulaic. What’s missing is that intangible ingredient, which keeps the player coming back for more.

The experience is refreshing and for the most part enjoyable, so long as you're prepared to endure the first hour or so of the game.

Anyone looking for a lengthy, epic adventure featuring hugely memorable characters, a great script, and superb game mechanics, there's no better place to look than Knights of the Old Republic.

Despite the more comprehensive set of drawn out challenges, it doesn't have the long-term appeal and playability of that title, or the "charm" of "DOAXBV's" well-established character roster.

Who would want to buy this game? Only Sado-masochists who enjoy shoddy frame rates, huge loading times, unintuitive controls, poor menu design, bugged gameplay and boring storylines. It could have been good, that's what infuriates most of all.

Colourful, charming, frequently funny and most importantly, fun to play. It’s not the biggest or hardest game, but the good controls, pleasing visuals and wonderful monkeys make it worth any platform fans time.

The sequel throws players into the thick of battle almost immediately with only the faintest of reintroductions to the Wars world. The missions also get very hard, very quickly, with some of the later missions proving especially demanding, even for Advance Wars veterans.

Disposable amusement; if you want to experience an immediate, reassuringly predictable FPS then you may find elements to enjoy here.

Offline, the game is ordinary and without much originality to it. Online, though, it is another kettle of fish all together, and there are few games out there that can match it for thrills, chills, and spills. The variety of play is just incredible.

Ikaruga is not an easy game. Even on Easy difficulty mode it is quite challenging, and the higher modes just ramp things up another notch.

Only slightly harmed by a few too many big-name acts and micro-glitches, Amplitude is nonetheless a supreme masterpiece; barring its predecessor no music-centred game will ever come close. No, not even "Rez."

When one picks up the controller, the ability to step into that time and place (never more hauntingly beautiful than in this latest instalment) never loses its allure. Even the most hardened of cynics would have to admit that this title is something else entirely. It's the stuff of dreams. [JPN Import]

The maddening frustration created by playing what could best be described as a half-finished game with huge potential will lead to a brief dalliance following which most gamers will seek their driving entertainment elsewhere.

It's an entertaining little racer that, despite one or two flaws and glitches, isn't far off the best racing action you can have on the bus on your way to work.

The narrative of Xenosaga dwarfs all of its other elements, which are under-developed in comparison.

Sadly, Dark Cloud 2’s shining moments are outweighed by the mediocre inclusion of the random dungeon, and the tragic design decisions the developers chose to implement.

One of the most disappointing sequels in gaming history.

Fatal Frame feels like a breath of fresh air in a genre which has spent most of the last decade moving forward only in terms of narrative, and while it's a gruesome and disturbing way to spend an evening, the awe-inspiring power of the narrative style, hammered home by a brutally efficient game engine and nerve-wracking game mechanics, makes this the most compelling game of this nature yet to appear on a console.

From the very beginning of your adventure, to the final confrontation against Metroid Prime itself, you will be enthralled and enraptured.

An adventurous trip to the seaside arcade would be more rewarding than this.

In every sense what a gaming sequel should be: bigger, better, and bolder than the previous incarnation in every almost respect imaginable. With huge steps forward in terms of design, graphics, and gameplay, this should equally delight and entertain fans of the original, as well as newcomers to the trilogy.

Mario instils a sense of longing for when the world was new to all of us. Our childhood bright and full of wonder. When we play in Mario's digital playground, we dream about our own.

Beautifully created albeit slightly flawed, filled with some truly stunning gameplay moments and set pieces, it is a game shamefully overlooked by many, and is certainly worthy of greater recognition.

A devilishly addictive and polished little pinball game that delivers in (grave diggers') spades.

This is proof that a good idea, well-executed, can stand the test of time.

The interior textures could have done with more variety. They get awfully repetitive quickly, and one ends up looking much like the next. Some of the levels use the same layout as well, and you'll get tired of running through one area, only to enter another that looks just like.

I can honestly say I loved Ico from start to finish. Even though I may not play it again for a while I know I will eventually go back sometime in the future to remember its magic all over again.

The lack of car damage available is a big disappointment.

A hybrid of a game that, whilst doing nothing outstandingly original, is still enjoyable, especially when joined by a fellow human player.

Whilst Capcom vs SNK Millenium Fight doesn't set the 2D fighting world alight, it's a fun, slightly flawed, yet visually impressive bundle of joy in an orange case. Can we say fairer than that?

Samba de Amigo is a seminal title amongst the Dreamcast’s mighty games catalogue, a game that truly stands out. The best music game there is.

Rush offers a comprehensive package and, whilst it is not uncommon to find games which offer such variety, it is rare to find a gem of a game like San Francisco Rush 2049 where it not only has the width, but the depth too.

Football Manager isn’t a matter of life or death. It’s much more important than that.