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]