So yes, it's yet another old-school shooter for PSP then, but if you prefer a sterner challenge to what's currently on offer, Gradius Collection could well be just the job.

The bigger picture is what Blood Money really thrives on. Ignore the control issues, and bear in mind instead the large scale setpieces that are second to none in terms of both scope and execution.

Original, fun and a fine test of the grey matter as much as it is of the reflexes. It's just a shame that there's not enough meat to make it a must.

A rare example of a video game treating its comic book source with due respect.

While the single-player campaign occasionally gets a little repetitive, up against human competition the game becomes almost Chess-like in its intricate strategies. Completely immersive and utterly compelling.

Lemmings is one old friend we're more than happy to welcome back, and one who's ageing charms have made it across to PSP pretty much unscathed.

With PSP PES proving just a tad disappointing, this was the perfect opportunity for FIFA to mount a serious challenge. While the commentary and visuals are fantastic, the gameplay is far too shallow and imprecise to please those who take their digital football seriously.

A very solid mutant romp, with some cool levels, varied gameplay and pretty sweet graphics to boot. It's certainly better than the average movie tie-in, although we'd advise you not to rush into buying unless you have at least a mild interest in the X-Men universe.

But what it does well it does very well. It gets the feel of the book bang on, offering plenty of new locations, puzzles and setpieces to play through for fans. Newcomers will find a meaty mental test awaiting them with each new problem proving infuriatingly addictive.

It's rare that a PSP game can truthfully claim to be an enhancement of its PS2 forebear, but NBA Ballers Rebound comes pretty close.

Once you've witnessed the beauty of the courses, felt the perfection of the sliding feel and mastered the art of flicking your Ferrari from one powerslide into another, you won't want to go back to any other boring old driving game. OutRun 2006 shows that when it comes to making games you want to play over and over again, realism isn't as important as sheer fun, colour and character.

OutRun 2006 Coast 2 Coast has everything. It's two thrilling arcade machines reproduced in incredible style, it's a vast collection of all-new driving challenges, plus it's an online racer - and one that connects to the PS2 version to unlock exclusive stuff for those who buy both games.

It's like video gaming's very own Rio Ferdinand: it looks the part, but aside from one or two promising moments, the way it plays is totally unremarkable.

The career mode is well structured though, offering tangible rewards as you progress from the smallest table to the high-rollers, but it doesn't stop you thinking you'd be better off with a real pack, a few mates and a sun visor.

The more advanced physics engine adds some welcome variety though, as objects can be manipulated more naturalistically. For instance, there's a bit where you need to get a box onto a raised area, something that can be done by dragging it onto the end of a glorified seesaw and jumping on the other end, propelling the box through the air.

At its core, Tourist Trophy is a very nice game but it's totally bogged down by ripping off too much content from "Gran Turismo 4" and not going far enough with the riding simulation.

The Aston-driving sections are literally a blast and the atmosphere of the film is nailed. But the main event - running and gunning with Mr. Bond - is a real letdown.

A very good game, but it's so close to being something completely out-of-this-world that you can't help but feel just a little short-changed by how strangely bereft of challenge it is.

Ten Hammers is as close as a game has come to representing the genuine battlefield experience. It may have more strategy than you bargained for but damn, it's painfully addictive.

The PS2 game was never going to compete with the Xbox 360's graphics, and neither did anyone expect it to. What we didn't anticipate was a completely dumbed down version that doesn't seem to know whether it's a straightforward first-person shooter or a tactical war game.

The online mode, featuring co-op play and deathmatches for up to three other players, almost salvages the game, but the sheer tedium of the rest of it sinks it.

The only thing that has changed is a slight improvement in looks. Please Koei, stop. We give in. Chinese water torture has nothing on this.

Pitching all the characters into a frantic, objective-based free-for-all, and dressing it up with the visual panache that developer Clover Studio does so well means Red Hot Rumble is a unique and superbly enjoyable button-mashfest.

There's enough quality here to keep retro-heads entertained for some time.

A blatant homage to San Andreas, it even extends to upgrading your character in true CJ style. Against the odds though, it actually works.

The problem with the game lies in the fact that something so fresh 18 months ago suddenly feels a little crusty around the edges and suspiciously soft in the centre.

If you long for those days then Splinter Cell Essentials is right up your street. Not only do some of the missions recall Sam's early years, the game as a whole is one long flashback to the hardcore stealth of old.

You do get the feeling that Sony has gone all out with Dark Mirror. It looks lovely, but more importantly you won't feel like switching it off in order to play a 'proper' console version.