The PSP version of WRC has a different developer than the PS2-version - and it shows. New developer Traveller’s Tales has done good work in the past, but based on this the team lacks experience in the rally game genre. The cars sound lame, it’s hard to drive the Special Stages as it’s very unclear where you should be driving. Most of the time your car feels like it’s floating above the road. [Sept 2005, p 58]

Earth 2160 is a visually impressive and competent RTS game with lot of interesting game play elements. It doesn’t revolutionise the genre and playing it is feels the same as playing other games in the genre. Still, the whole package is slick, well rounded and plays well. If you’re looking for an deep sci-fi RTS game with a long quest, you could choose worse. [Sept 2005, p.74]

NHL Eastside Hockey Manager 2005 is a step into a right direction after the unfinished feeling given by first game. However, it still needs more polishing before it can become a classic manager game like "Football Manager." [August 2005, p.69]

As the rest of the games in the series, Worms 4 is a blast when played with other people. Single player experience is mostly training for multiplayer, but still quite entertaining. The games biggest flaw is the usual sequel curse: there’s really not enough new content that you’d have to get this game, if you own the previous one in the series. [June 2005, p.72]

As the rest of the games in the series, Worms 4 is a blast when played with other people. Single player experience is mostly training for multiplayer, but still quite entertaining. The games biggest flaw is the usual sequel curse: there's really not enough new content that you'd have to get this game, if you own the previous one in the series. [June 2005, p.72]

Another Code is an interesting pocket sized old school adventure. The adventure and its puzzles are also quite traditional in the unexciting sense. Luckily, the game and all its puzzles cleverly take advantage of DS’s dual screen and touch abilities. [August 2005, p.74]

Inventive game mechanics keep the player hooked and the multiplayer options are refreshingly original. Single player mode could have had a bit more character and spirit in it though. [May 2005, p.89]

MediEvil on PSP feels too much like a half-hearted rehash of the old PlayStation game, but with with some new faults. The fighting degenerates into a simple hack’n’slash, despite different weapons and attack combos. The controls are just not good enough for varied combat. Despite the repetitive and simple combat and platforming sections, the reason you keep on playing is the humour. Sir Dan is a very sympathetic character and its fun to follow his erratic adventures around Gallowmere and his strange interaction with other characters. Voice acting is excellent too [Sept 2005, p.66]

Because of the cheap AI, the single player game is a frustrating experience which is too bad, as the rest of the package is pretty good. Salvation comes in the form of the superb multiplayer modes, which are highly addictive and also feature well implemented online player leagues. If not for the cheap AI, NHL 06 might have been EA’s best NHL game in years, but at the end of the day, this years edition won’t convert the fans of “NHL 2K” –series. [Sept 2005, p 72]

Because of the cheap AI, the single player game is a frustrating experience which is too bad, as the rest of the package is pretty good. Salvation comes in the form of the superb multiplayer modes, which are highly addictive and also feature well implemented online player leagues. If not for the cheap AI, NHL 06 might have been EA’s best NHL game in years, but at the end of the day, this years edition won’t convert the fans of "NHL 2K" –series. [Sept 2005, p 72]

Because of the cheap AI, the single player game is a frustrating experience which is too bad, as the rest of the package is pretty good. Salvation comes in the form of the superb multiplayer modes, which are highly addictive and also feature well implemented online player leagues. If not for the cheap AI, NHL 06 might have been EA's best NHL game in years, but at the end of the day, this years edition won't convert the fans of "NHL 2K" –series. [Sept 2005, p 72]

It feels a bit blasphemous to compare this game to C64 classic "Elite," but there are so many similarities, that it feels justified. And, despite its repetitive nature, BMT 2 is quite fun to play. [August 2005, p.66]

It feels a bit blasphemous to compare this game to C64 classic "Elite," but there are so many similarities, that it feels justified. And, despite its repetitive nature, BMT 2 is quite fun to play. [August 2005, p.66]

It’s difficult to score killer7. Its unique atmosphere and unique style almost manage to bury the faults evident in the game mechanics and the fact that the game is very simple. For those who aren’t that much into style, killer7 doesn’t offer much more than a straightforward shoot ’em up with lacking puzzles. [July 2005, p.57]

It's difficult to score killer7. Its unique atmosphere and unique style almost manage to bury the faults evident in the game mechanics and the fact that the game is very simple. For those who aren't that much into style, killer7 doesn't offer much more than a straightforward shoot 'em up with lacking puzzles. [July 2005, p.57]

Coded Arms feels more like a technological experiment than a fleshed out game. The 3D-engine runs smoothly, multiplayer doesn’t lag, controls are well thought out for a handheld and there’s plenty of imagination in the design of the available weaponry. It’s a shame then, that Konami hasn’t built a decent game around the engine. [Sept 2005, p 58]

Despite its many promising ideas, Fantastic 4 is not successful as a whole. The biggest problem lies in the mediocre execution. Bland graphics and bad animations diminish the gaming experience. The game uses its licence relatively well, but doesn’t in any way rise above other mediocre movie licence games. [August 2005, p.67]

Soaked! is very typical, but also a bit more expansive expansion than these things usually end up being. The original is already a good game, so more variety is always welcome. Soaked! even manages to improve the basic gameplay of the original, which not many expansions manage to do. [August 2005, p.77]

Destroy All Humans! is a successful mix of 3d-action, free roaming game play, conspiracy theories and sci-fi silliness. It has no apparent flaws but there’s still something missing from the mission design and the game as a whole. It promises a bit more than it manages to deliver. [June 2005, p.64]

We can recommend this with a few reservations. Despite its many problems, the single-player experience is what stands out here. The much-vaunted online multiplayer is disappointment. There are much better alternatives available on the Xbox, if Live is your thing. [July 2005, p.63]

Destroy All Humans! is a successful mix of 3d-action, free roaming game play, conspiracy theories and sci-fi silliness. It has no apparent flaws but there's still something missing from the mission design and the game as a whole. It promises a bit more than it manages to deliver. [June 2005, p.64]

Despite its limitations Batman Begins is an okay-ish action/adventure game, which has excellent production values. The voice acting is excellent and helps to make the game feel and sound very authentic compared to the movie. This game certainly is no "Catwoman"! [July 2005, p.59]

Despite its limitations Batman Begins is an okay-ish action/adventure game, which has excellent production values. The voice acting is excellent and helps to make the game feel and sound very authentic compared to the movie. This game certainly is no "Catwoman"! [July 2005, p.59]

Despite its limitations Batman Begins is an okay-ish action/adventure game, which has excellent production values. The voice acting is excellent and helps to make the game feel and sound very authentic compared to the movie. This game certainly is no "Catwoman"! [July 2005, p.59]

Juiced has many interesting features, but they all have been seen before in the games it shamelessly imitates. The game has interesting characters and good career-mode but why bother, when there are better games to choose from? [June 2005, p.62]

Juiced has many interesting features, but they all have been seen before in the games it shamelessly imitates. The game has interesting characters and good career-mode but why bother, when there are better games to choose from? [June 2005, p.62]

Juiced has many interesting features, but they all have been seen before in the games it shamelessly imitates. The game has interesting characters and good career-mode but why bother, when there are better games to choose from? [June 2005, p.62]

With European Assault, EA promised to fix all the errors of "Rising Sun" and reinvent the genre as a whole. A bit surprisingly, the game does almost all of this, but for the first time in the series, the technical limits of the current console platforms negatively affect the game play. Despite these difficulties, European Assault successfully combines the intensity of "Call of Duty" with the cinematic and epic feeling of the Medal of Honor series to deliver a more open and less linear game play experience than before. [June 2005, p.68]

With European Assault, EA promised to fix all the errors of "Rising Sun" and reinvent the genre as a whole. A bit surprisingly, the game does almost all of this, but for the first time in the series, the technical limits of the current console platforms negatively affect the game play. Despite these difficulties, European Assault successfully combines the intensity of "Call of Duty" with the cinematic and epic feeling of the Medal of Honor series to deliver a more open and less linear game play experience than before. [June 2005, p.68]

With European Assault, EA promised to fix all the errors of "Rising Sun" and reinvent the genre as a whole. A bit surprisingly, the game does almost all of this, but for the first time in the series, the technical limits of the current console platforms negatively affect the game play. Despite these difficulties, European Assault successfully combines the intensity of "Call of Duty" with the cinematic and epic feeling of the Medal of Honor series to deliver a more open and less linear game play experience than before. [June 2005, p.68]

During the development of Cold Winter the fps-genre has evolved and unfortunately for the most part the game has not. At its best, Cold Winter is like a big budget Hollywood action-film, but these moments are far too rare. The writing is especially bad. [June 2005, p.72]

Even if Haunting Ground is visually great and is in many ways a refreshingly different representative of its genre, but does have its own set of problems. [May 2005, p.68]

As a multiplayer game this is great fun, but for lonely gamers "Donkey Konga: Jungle Beat" is the better option. [July 2005, p.77]

As a movie licence and a Star Wars game, Revenge of the Sith is not too bad. Still, it’s a disappointment when compared to The Collective’s previous output. The Collective has done what can be done in the relatively short development time and limited freedom offered by the licence. [June 2005, p.60]

As a movie licence and a Star Wars game, Revenge of the Sith is not too bad. Still, it's a disappointment when compared to The Collective's previous output. The Collective has done what can be done in the relatively short development time and limited freedom offered by the licence. [June 2005, p.60]

Pariah’s biggest problem is that, while it is an okay game, the competition it faces is incredibly strong. On the Xbox it’s beaten to the pulp by "Halo 2" and on the pc "Half-Life 2" is light years beyond. Which leaves Pariah somewhere in the middle. [July 2005, p.60]

With its first game, Konami’s franchise-hope doesn’t quite match up to the game it is trying to challenge, "Gran Turismo 4." Still, the more realistic driving model and extremely well balanced challenge level bodes well for the sequel. [May 2005, p.68]

Pariah's biggest problem is that, while it is an okay game, the competition it faces is incredibly strong. On the Xbox it's beaten to the pulp by "Halo 2" and on the pc "Half-Life 2" is light years beyond. Which leaves Pariah somewhere in the middle. [July 2005, p.60]

Empire Earth II’s biggest problem is that it does not fully know what it wants to be. For those who want a real-time Civilization, it’s too simple, and for the friends of regular rts-games, the learning curve can be a bit too tough. For that acquired mixed taste, it’s still a good choice. [June 2005, p.74]

Pac-Pix is an imaginative experiment which shows that developers are getting to grips with the DS and the machine can offer new kinds of interesting gameplay. [July 2005, p.75]

There are not nearly enough decent fps—shooters on the PlayStation 2. That’s why Area 51 is a very welcome release on the console and even on the Xbox and pc, both of which have a much better collection of fps-games than the PS2. Midway's Austin studio has produced from a technical and visual point of view one of the PS2’s finest, if not the finest fps-game. [June 2005, p.52]

PSP’s FIFA doesn’t suffer as much from the design flaws, as it does from technical ones. The loading times are incredibly long and just changing players or tactics during the match is a chore. On the field the game works almost better than the home console versions. Wireless multiplayer is especially fun, even though the frame rate takes a performance hit. [Sept 2005, p 61]

Overall, First to Fight is an entertaining game. The graphics are okay while super-patriotic music is something Hans Zimmer would be proud of. For those who yearn for modern warfare, First Fight is not a bad, if not very original, choice. [July 2005, p.60]

In a perfect world, Polarium would have been a built-in game in the Nintendo DS, just like "PictoChat." Even so, there is no better alternative for a solid DS puzzle game, at least until Meteos arrives. [May 2005, p 89]

Gives a very conflicting impression. Great graphics, smooth frame rate and almost lag free online play make it an ideal game for a night of fast-paced fps-action online. On the other hand, the emphasis on third-person melee combat and adrenalin tricks is quite a turn-off for the hardcore fragfest enthusiasts. The complete lack of personality hurts too. [May 2005, p.70]

Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition cannot be blamed for a lack of trying, but when you are facing formidable competition ("Need for Speed"-franchise), trying is just not good enough. [May 2005, p.66]

Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition cannot be blamed for a lack of trying, but when you are facing formidable competition ("Need for Speed" franchise), trying is just not good enough. [May 2005, p.66]

Overall, First to Fight is an entertaining game. The graphics are okay while super-patriotic music is something Hans Zimmer would be proud of. For those who yearn for modern warfare, First Fight is not a bad, if not very original, choice. [July 2005, p.60]

You simply can’t offer more of the same when being the fifth game in a long running series. Dynasty Warriors 5 actually manages to take few steps backwards when compared to Dynasty "Warriors 4: Empires," mainly by dropping the excellent Empire-game mode. The button mashing action is still fun, but after five games and their extended editions, you kind of hope for something new to spice up the series. [August 2005, p.70]

The problems of the game are uh, rooted in its arcade roots. The content is worthless and clumsily executed. [July 2005, p.61]

Tiger Woods on the PSP suffers from the same problem as the rest of EA’s first batch of PSP games: long-ass loading times. You don’t get a good feeling for the swings using the PSP’s analog pad, which just isn’t accurate enough. Still, the PSP version has almost all the game modes from the home console versions and the new Legend Tour is quite fun as is equipping and upgrading your golfer. One of the EA’s best games in their first batch of games on the PSP. [Sept 2005, p.61]

PSP’s own version of THUG 2 is almost identical to the PS2 version. The graphics have suffered very little and the possibility to make your own skate parks is omitted. Otherwise, it’s basically the same game as on the PS2. [Sept 2005, p.69]

Acid is an interesting new direction for the Metal Gear series. Real time stealth action transforms into a turn based strategy game. The card mechanic, collecting more cards and adjusting your deck keeps player coming back to the action level after level. Still, the story is not on par with other Metal Gear games and playing the game can be an slow and sometimes boring experience. [Sept 2005, p.63]

Untold Legends feels too much like it’s been made for home consoles and then squeezed onto a PSP, losing many small, but important features in the transition. Visually the game is really impressive, but the action is repetitive, the loading times are atrociously long and the slowly evolving story is just not interesting enough. Still, the game’s fun in small doses and especially as a multiplayer experience. [Sept 2005, p 62]

This collection shows, that old and simple games have retained their playability. Games that pushed the limits of the hardware at their time, like "Gravitar," are ironically now the least playable. [May 2005, p.89]

Dynasty Warriors on the PSP is quite a good conversion of the home console versions. Because of the technical limitations big battlefields have been split into separate small sections. This makes the PSP version lose the free roaming battlefields though, so all that there is to do is slash at hordes of enemies. [Sept 2005, p.67]

Musashi: Samurai Legend is hard to rate. Nothing in it is new and everything it has to offer has already been seen in other games in the same genre. Still, collecting the legendary swords and studying the enemy techniques is quite fascinating and keeps you playing. This game is a good choice for those who seek a bit more action oriented adventure than what your average Japanese RPG offers. [Sept 2005, p.70]

The PSP’s version of the Underground series is quite bland. The racing is fun in small doses and hunting for new parts for the cars is still quite entertaining. However the racing doesn’t give you the adrenaline rush it should. The Need for speed is not satisfied. [Sept 2005, p 60]

World Tour Soccer is a good all-around handheld soccer game with nice wireless multiplayer features. It’s most prominent fault is in the speed of the gameplay. Players zoom around the field like on fast forward, making playing a bit surreal. Even the camera doesn’t always keep up with the fast moving action. The only way to play the game is to keep the camera angle as far from the field as possible. [Sept 2005, p.64]

Kessen III contains more action than the previous two games in the series combined. Unfortunately, this mostly means constantly having to mash the square-button without much thought put into action. Strategic and tactical elements are still there, but they suffer too much from the more action-oriented game play. [June 2005, p.58]

Makers of "Halo" say that in their action games they repeat the same perfect 30 seconds over and over again. Wario Ware Touched! does the same but it needs to repeat only a few perfect seconds at a time. [May 2005, p.84]

It's a good thing that Star Fox series has returned to its space shoot 'em up roots, but why did they have to include mediocre land-action sequences in the game? Also, some other small details, like a lack of radar or a map, only ten levels and uninspiring multiplayer elements stop this from being the truly next-gen Star Fox game since "Lylat Wars." [June 2005, p.70]

If you're a friend of sim games and can stand to watch roughly animated breasts then Playboy: The Mansion is worth giving a shot. [May 2005, p.63]

The card-combat mechanic does not work quite as well as it could, and the game is a bit too linear and the combat repetitive. Still, the magical union of Final Fantasy characters and Disney's different fantasy worlds give the game enough appeal and charm to keep you playing until the end. [June 2005, p.77]

If you are not familiar with the long-running series then Mario Party 6 is definitely the game to get. It does contain plenty of new features for longtime fans as well. [May 2005, p 81]

Driller is a simple and really fun arcade game, which is very addictive even if it really doesn’t take advantage of the DS’s capabilities. [May 2005, p.83]

Alien Hominid was brilliant and inventive on net browsers. On consoles, it loses much of its charm. Silly graphics and straightforward violence entertain for awhile, but the idea does not translate well enough into a full console game. [June 2005, p.66]

Antigrav is an really ambitious EyeToy-title that plays well. Hopefully it will also inspire other developers to try something new with their own EyeToy-games. [May 2005, p.78]

It’s quite hard to give a score to this collection. All the games are simply dated and don’t offer anything to modern gamers. However, for the fans it’s a trip down memory lane and the collection earns it’s place in a collectors game collection. [May 2005, p.74]

It's quite hard to give a score to this collection. All the games are simply dated and don't offer anything to modern gamers. However, for the fans it's a trip down memory lane and the collection earns it's place in a collectors game collection. [May 2005, p.74]

Otogi 2 is an ultra stylish, straightforward action game that relies heavily on its attractive visuals and Japanese mysticism. It might not be as original as the first game, but as whole, it's better. [May 2005, p.71]

In many ways, Boktai 2 is very similar to the first game. There's just enough new additions to keep players interested, even if the difficulty level is a bit too high. The concept of the game is still charming and this time the ability to deposit solar power in the bank makes it a bit less dependant on your real life surroundings. [August 2005, p.76]

Maximum Impact is a really poor showing for an anniversary game in the series. Visually the game is poor and the implementation of the third dimension doesn’t add that much to the fighting mechanic. [May 2005, p.74]

Because of the game’s slowly advancing but interesting storyline, creative visuals and fun combat, you try to forgive the incredibly unfair difficulty curve. [July 2005, p.67]

The game is better suited for younger gamers, but as an solid platformer, it’s still enjoyable for the mature, genre-loving gamers as well [May 2005, p.75]

The game is better suited for younger gamers, but as an solid platformer, it's still enjoyable for the mature, genre-loving gamers as well. [May 2005, p.75]

For a single player, Monster Hunter doesn’t offer much. It’s designed to be played together with other people over the Internet. Clunky controls and the wonky camera system make it hard to get into, as does the frustrating amount of menus you have to wade through to simply get into the multiplayer part. [May 2005, p 60]

In the end, Blood Will Tell is a very basic action game that consists of a series of battles with few slower moments thrown in for good measure. The rather dark storyline is interesting enough to keep you playing until the end. [May 2005, p.64]

Despite its crap visuals and many flaws, Treasure has managed to create a game, which rewards players for their strategic thinking, sharp timing and developing their characters. [May 2005, p 89]

The developers have shamelessly ripped off elements from more successful street racing games, like "Midnight Club" and "Need for Speed Underground." Unfortunately they haven't been able to make them work along with their own mediocre ideas. [May 2005, p.82]