With over 20 weapons and gadgets at your disposal, you can rappel up a wall or bludgeon an enemy into submission with a wine bottle. It’s decidedly low-tech, but pleasing in a visceral way.

The game play is fairly brisk and the obligatory cut scenes are brief and well rendered - it looks like a classic "Iron Man" comic rather than schlocky animation.

The only problem is that unlocking each of the available spacecrafts is sort of like ripping off your big toenails with a pair of pliers. Well within the realm of possibility, but in the end, it just doesn’t make much sense.

While it’s fun to watch the dwarf hacking away with his ax, the death spells cast by the necromancer make for far more enjoyable viewing.

If you pumped more than a week’s worth of quarters into the old "Ghouls n’ Ghosts" machine, you ought to add it to the collection.

While it's fun to watch the dwarf hacking away with his ax, the death spells cast by the necromancer make for far more enjoyable viewing.

There are dozens of dazzling tracks, and the play gets fast, manic and difficult, but somehow always retains a magically fun ingredient.

If you want to make the most of the game, you’ll have to walk through the entire qualification process. Since it’s governed by actual military rules, you’re looking at a good couple of days from boot camp to field operations.

No excuses, you’re gonna have to buy this. Unless you don’t own a PS2, in which case, get out of our Internet!