Best of all, the ball physics and controls are excellent.

Amped 3 is a big success. The physics are realistic, the controls are excellent (and a challenge to master) and the sprawling snowfields provide many hours of fun. No matter what your skill level, there's a lot of fun to be had here.

Larger levels featuring multiple vehicles are also hugely entertaining, but the best map is a sniper's haven with tight urban streets.

Fans of racing games should look at picking this up, regardless of how many wheels they usually prefer to race on.

Exploring the labyrinthine citadel is rewarding, although backtracking and frequent deaths can be frustrating.

Highly approachable and hugely entertaining for all ages, Wii Sports serves as a great introduction and advertisement for the innovative Wii motion-sensing controller.

Tight controls, inventive action scenes and solid artificial intelligence all combine to make the single-player mode an excellent experience.

Loading times and a clumsy menu system are disappointing, but building your ranking is satisfying.

With friends, the sense of camaraderie and teamwork is fantastic. Working together luring monsters into traps is hugely satisfying.

While the battles can get exhaustingly repetitive, most players will have monstrous fun.

While too many are dull head-to-head encounters, the solo missions sharpen your skills.

A glorified Tamagotchi, but infinitely cuter and more appealing.

This is an immaculate remake of a set of fun, important, though imperfect games, breathing new life in Spyro's early adventures and serving as a reminder that the franchise really was great; worthy of the same fond remembering afforded to Crash Bandicoot and Banjo Kazooie.

Owners of the latest tycoon title can expect a wealth of fresh features from this timely expansion pack.

A shining example of why the Tribes universe is so popular, although fans aren't happy with many of the refinements.

The brilliantly stylised comic-book visuals are extraordinary. However, many will tire of the lengthy loading times and protracted dialogue but the script includes clever pop culture references and political commentary.

Despite a flimsy storyline that's riddled with cavernous gaps in logic, Prey's rollercoaster ride of gun-toting action delivers the punch of a blockbuster movie.

Controls work beautifully and patience and timing are crucial.

A challenging, rewarding and innovative puzzle game.

Fans of racing games should look at picking this up, regardless of how many wheels they usually prefer to race on.

Our hero is usually equipped with a sniper rifle, complete with a brilliant targeting scope.

A couple of minor complaints mar this otherwise exceptional role player. Control issues, with the mouse stuttering and movement sticking, can be a little frustrating, while the game world doesn't feel quite as epic as we'd like.

Our favourite move isn't actually documented in the game's manual but if you do a little net search you'll find a way to force your foes to turn their rifles on themselves.

Pool Paradise is one of the best budget games in years. This is an addictive, near-faultless pool simulation, with the various games played in the surrounds of an idyllic tropical beach resort.

The best new addition is a magnetic grappling device that allows Lara to move faraway items and swing across chasms. Puzzles are beautifully integrated into the environment and frustration rare.

Interesting co-operative strategies and deep customisation sets this mascot racer apart, but it's not without its share of potholes.

Battles can become repetitive and backtracking is frequently required, but it is a lengthy journey filled with entertaining scenes and a clever, self-referential script.

The biggest problem is a hardware issue: it can be difficult for players to hit diagonals on the PSP's directional pad. But once mastered, experts should have few frustrations.