The combat system is as well done as anyone could ask for and is enough to make you play again and again. Unfortunately, the sections involving Octavianus’ are only punctuated with such pleasures, generally coming across as uninspired and fairly clumsy.

Graphical flair is measurable in bucket loads, and the longevity of the title is not in question since multiplayer and Xbox Live modes are included (with both working well). What confuses me is how I can play the game for half an hour, and then be so bored with it that I'm desperate for the match to end, so I can save my progress and do something else.

The perfect vehicle to kick-off the new era of immediate, accurate control that the DS brings along with it; instantly open, as it is, to new and seasoned gamers alike.

This game probably won’t win any awards for originality. But even as it is, comic fans will be especially pleased, and it’s more than capable of providing the desired bang you’d expect for your buck.

As a Suikoden game, its lacking something - that sparkle, which could be found in the first two in the series. Suikoden IV may not be quite the Suikoden game we were hoping for, but a decent role-playing adventure none-the-less.

We didn't expect that once we had been given our orders by the Sergeant, we would find so many bugs, glitches and plain annoyances to hinder our progress through the seedy underbelly of old London Town.

Best game on the GameCube? Definitely. In fact, if there was ever a game that required the purchase of its native console just to play it, then this is it.

An incredibly solid title, and one that keeps Pandemic's run going strong. You'll be coming back once you've completed the game, just to play with the vehicles.

The single player experience is good enough to practice on before you go into battle with your friends, but the battle itself is where the action is at.

Despite some putting issues that can be worked around and the fact that the “spin” system just doesn’t seem to work 90% of the time, the game holds up well and provides an involving experience that suits the system down to the ground.

Sprung: The Dating Game has a bit of a cheek to include the word “game” in its title. The guys behind it could have at least been honest and included at least one of the words “awful”, “pointless” or “tedious” too.

A tiny map exists in the top right hand corner, but in a full race, it only indicates your position – which renders it useless when you need to know how far in front the leader is.

Absolutely essential twitch gaming, and the perfect way to wear in your new DS.

To be brutally honest, the flaws in the putting system kill the game almost completely dead.

An undeniable classic tainted by an awful control mechanism that still doesn’t feel natural after some ten hours’ play, with a few fun extras more suited to the input method.

Snake Eater just pips "Resident Evil 4" when it comes to boss battles, with Konami's title boasting some of the finest boss confrontations since the first PlayStation Metal Gear Solid; we’re talking Psycho Mantis territory now people, for inventiveness, sheer scope and fun.

Bringing your very own creation up from nothing and turning them into a successful member of the gaming society can prove to be curiously addictive.

There is improvement to be had here, and given that the jungle drums are sending a message that Madden 2006 is on the way to the DS, we’re hoping that the developers can see where they’ve faltered and that they get a chance to try again.

Any sort of challenge or replayability would have turned Asphalt Urban GT into an absolute godsend for Nintendo and their new console. As it stands, the gameplay is hollow and lifeless, and bears little resemblance to an essential title.

A rushed mess of a game that doesn't follow up on its promises.

A cracking effort from Nintendo’s former arch-rivals, but not the longest game you could ever wish for.

Nothing terrible, nothing amazing.

An average game that looks like the characters were developed first, with the gameplay being filled in as the coders went along.

The new "Dual Wielding" option allows you to pick up two guns at once and use them together, which provides a feeling that again, other shooters just don't come anywhere near.

What the game could have done with is more content and a darned sight more polish – both of which it severely lacks.

The only slight downsides to Up Your Arsenal are Clank's solo missions, where the wee robot has to solve ridiculously simple puzzles on his own, which can be a bit of letdown. Not too dissimilar to the previous titles there, then. The other is that in some respects, the game can be slightly too easy.

Excellent gameplay is the order of the day here, and the classic franchises will make Dreamcast and Saturn fans teary-eyed just at the thought of them. This is the best EyeToy compilation to date.

You'll not appreciate the "on-rails" feeling that Killzone provides. You will appreciate the wonderful graphics and score that ' barring the enemy voices ' is one of the best I've heard in a long while.