On the technical side of things, Ninja Gaiden Black has a problem that wasn't present in the original release. The game is prone to bouts of slowdown at impromptu moments and these aren't particularly hectic instances either.

With everything ultimately both bigger and better, with more destruction, and much more depth, Bugbear Entertainment are coming ever close to a winner. If the handling is tightened, and the rest of the game makes another healthy step forward, another sequel on the next generation of consoles could be the first certain winner.

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.

While the graphics may not stand up to today's best on Xbox, and the level design may suffer from quite a few flaws, the sheer thrill of seeing the end-of-level kill total push its way into the hundreds after a hectic half-an-hour's blast can't be beat.

This is by no means the definitive Tony Hawk, but if you’re yet to play THUG 2, it’s certainly a solid enough arena to start.

Most importantly, ExciteTruck is massive fun to play, which is still the most vital of aspects in any game.

The mix of strategy and shooting works quite well, and although there isn’t enough strategy here for Advance Wars veterans, shooting enthusiasts are well catered for.

Patapon is one of the PSP's more original and interesting titles of late.

The calmer style of platforming in Super Princess Peach will not appeal to everyone, but for those that found Sonic too intense to play all the way through, this has a lot to offer.

It’s already been established that Legends is a ‘Best of’ rather than a fully-fledged sequel. Therein lies its greatest failing – in fundamental terms it offers nothing more than ‘Burnout on the go’.

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.

Battalion Wars 2 is a good game with some minor issues that do not detract from its overall quality or enjoyment.

However, the game ultimately stands or falls on its ability to remain fun and dynamic. For a two year old game, that to all intents and purposes feels like a poor man’s God Of war in places, it does still hold-up pretty well.

Another excellent and approachable leaderboard-chasing romp through colourfully lit cityscapes with an upbeat tempo soundtrack. Though it's perhaps a little short-lived due to the limited tracks currently available, it's a lot of fun while it lasts.

The game can be finished in a handful of hours if beating the lairs is all that is attempted, but there are a huge amount of subsidiary side tasks and gold treasure acquisition to complete otherwise. All in all, a polished game that deserves a delve to see if it appeals to you or not.

Hakuna Matata is a unique title and as such will no doubt attract a cult following. There is a lot to offer those who can find the required time and patience required to gain the best from it.

Sadly, it will not take you long to make your way through the stages on offer. Collecting the Calabash presents something of a challenge, and you are given a ranking after each stage which gives a touch of replay value to proceedings.

It is a good pool simulation, for extra realism you could add stale beer stains and fag burns to your carpet. It will take you a long time to unlock everything, but it’s not without its flaws. The length of time it takes the AI to make a shot grates, and the lack of solo practice annoys.

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.

A fantastically fun title, and is a credit to SNKP, who have managed (with considerable skill) to bring the distinctive tang of Slug to the masses. Although easier by far than its arcade brethren, at least this means the game has a chance of finding a (mass?) market ' a shrewd move by the IP's new masters.

A fun, exciting and action-packed game. Beneath its cute exterior beats a heart of granite and any negative aspects are outweighed by points of excellence that allow it to move self-assuredly through the mountain of faceless Gameboy titles. [JPN Import]

It is ideal fun for both the serious and casual games player, and entertaining for those not taking part to watch the participants flinging their hands over the place.

As with the first episode, The Great Cow race is still an immensely difficult title to rate. Though the same engine-based problems remain, the much more intriguing dialogue, and better flow of story and puzzles help culminate in making this second episode an even brighter prospect than the first.

Super Mario Strikers is an evolutionary step beyond Soccer Slam, and gives the small-team football game a new breath of life, trumping its predecessor and stamping other similar games such as FIFA Street into the ground.

It won't be heralded a classic but it is certainly a welcome return to form for a franchise that was beginning to appear languid and certainly promises a lot for Crystal Dynamics' next game which is a reinvention of the original Tomb Raider.

Despite what others may have claimed, this is not "Star Fox Adventures" for the new generation, this is something so much more exciting - Rare back on form.

Definitely the type of game to park your brain in neutral, play and enjoy without expecting too much from it.

It remains a thoroughly enjoyable, good all-round handheld shooter that's accessible to all ages and playing skills, with lots of replay value that demonstrates that, thanks to technology, good portable shooters are now possible once more.