What singles out this series from the rest is that it homes in on the sheer intensity and ugliness of war.

With its simple gameplay and involving story, Spartan: Total Warrior is a perfect blend of strategy game and hack'n'slash romp.

We can overlook the dingy appearance of the redesigned world, but the new style of play, involving a pair of bonded characters and a sort of extra-dimensional training area known as The Battlefields, adds layers of unnecessary complication.

With its simple gameplay and involving story, Spartan: Total Warrior is a perfect blend of strategy game and hack'n'slash romp.

About as interactive as you can get. Controlling your shots is just like real life, and because your movements are mirrored exactly on screen, everything, from how you stand to how you swing the included miniature golf club, will affect your gameplay.

The range of maps is impressive, though this game is likely to appeal most to Lord of the Rings-loving mythologists.

An inspired example of how movie tie-ins should be made.

A clutch of the titles have stood the test of time surprisingly well, but most — particularly the side- or vertical-scrolling shoot-em- ups — are so far past their prime it’s laughable, and many are very similar.

Admittedly, the assorted firepower offers little excitement, but the experience is convincingly upbeat thanks to the game's droll sense of humour.

All this action is complemented by superb graphics and effects that really put across the bone-crunching pain of the competitors.

There is plenty to do in the management of the park and great rewards for success. However, all this is undermined because it is much more fun to play one of the driving, mini-golf, shooting or football games than do all the menial things.

This game looks good and will appeal to fans of the "Zelda" series, although it never touches the heights achieved by some of Link’s escapades.

Sudeki is a competent debut, but, despite the oriental touches, it isn't in the epic "Final Fantasy" league.

This is little more than a random compilation of one long movie trailer, countless tedious game trailers and 20 music tracks.

Total Overdose does not boast the richest and silkiest of graphics, yet it does have 20 levels of gameplay with an appropriate B-movie feel. Although the game’s longevity may be in doubt, its ability to engross is assured.

This update, happily, is more appealing, with improved, streamlined gameplay.

Though The Godfather is competent, it is also bland, despite the voices of James Caan and Robert Duvall, and you rarely feel a sense of power.

The main drawback to Shrek 2 is its slightly flaky in-game camera feature, which does not always let you see the action from the best angles.

Makes up for its visual shortcomings by delivering memorable online play. In this domain, not too bogged down with flashy, sophisticated graphics, the cars race smoothly and will keep adrenalin-pumped players on the edge of their seats.

This gentle time-waster is a relaxing antidote to intense shoot ’em ups.

The first-person caper is satisfyingly immersive thanks to some outstanding graphical touches - heavy rain splatters neatly on Jeeps and we can even see Red’s freckles in close-up.

Nice idea, chaps, but for now I’ll stick to Galaxian on my PSP.

Total Overdose does not boast the richest and silkiest of graphics, yet it does have 20 levels of gameplay with an appropriate B-movie feel. Although the game’s longevity may be in doubt, its ability to engross is assured.

An inspired example of how movie tie-ins should be made.

Disadvantages include not being able to jump the cut scenes — frustrating when the game is hard enough to get you killed often before the end of a level.

Total Overdose does not boast the richest and silkiest of graphics, yet it does have 20 levels of gameplay with an appropriate B-movie feel. Although the game's longevity may be in doubt, its ability to engross is assured.

Now that the game is established in a 3-D world, it has, for me at least, lost a little of its gripping intensity — an option to switch action between 2-D and 3-D would have been a nice touch.

The truly suicidal, meanwhile, will be in awe of the driver's ability to launch himself fatally through the windscreen, screaming, while the rest of us will love the game's easy and responsive controls, and the authentic feel of the cars.

The action is fluid, and the voiceover occasionally knowing, in an archly self-referential, Pixar kind of way.

The graphics are strong and shot from a realistic firstperson point of view, which adds to the disorientation while at the same time immersing you in the story.

Although Ten Hammers has some nice touches, it is nowhere near the gameit could and should have been. This is a case of great original, poor sequel syndrome, I’m afraid.

Graphically impressive, to the point where those prone to sea-sickness should stay away, and the dark bowels of the ship provide an eerily effective gaming environment.

It’s a third-person shooter with smooth, detailed graphics, and a learning curve set so beautifully that even non- shooter fans should love it.

Drive the Goldfinger DB5, fly the Thunderball jetpack and fight some classic baddies in challenging environments. It's enough to make you toss your trilby on to a hat-rack in delight.

It's a third-person shooter with smooth, detailed graphics, and a learning curve set so beautifully that even non- shooter fans should love it.

The potential is vast, and if this game does not quite make the most of it, it points the way.

The main drawback to Shrek 2 is its slightly flaky in-game camera feature, which does not always let you see the action from the best angles.

It’s surprisingly disturbing and scary.

"Ratchet & Clank" fans may turn up their noses at the largely failed attempts at humour in the dialogue, but if your Christmas games are already losing their appeal, you could do a lot worse than this, especially for the price.

Drive the Goldfinger DB5, fly the Thunderball jetpack and fight some classic baddies in challenging environments. It's enough to make you toss your trilby on to a hat-rack in delight.

Some scenes do not look quite right — the scale of the characters against the width of the Hogwarts Express clearly do not tally. But these minor disappointments are quickly outweighed by stunning visuals in the later levels.

The truly suicidal, meanwhile, will be in awe of the driver’s ability to launch himself fatally through the windscreen, screaming, while the rest of us will love the game’s easy and responsive controls, and the authentic feel of the cars.

Graphics are fresh, with plenty of animation and the multiplayer mode offers some new alternatives to the "deathmatch" and "capture the hill" scenarios.

The rich musical score can sound inspired at times. The main drawback to Shrek 2 is its slightly flaky in-game camera feature, which does not always let you see the action from the best angles.

Graphically, the level of detail in the tracks is simply stunning compared with the scenery on "Burnout," a reflection of the superiority of the new Xbox over the old.

An inspired example of how movie tie-ins should be made.

But if you are a fan, you’ll find that Quarantine ups the ante on battle and quest difficulty, sometimes maddeningly so, and finally ties up enough loose plot ends to satisfy.

Although Ten Hammers has some nice touches, it is nowhere near the gameit could and should have been. This is a case of great original, poor sequel syndrome, I’m afraid.

Impressive graphics and sound effects add to the challenging gameplay to make this a fine addition to the Clancy stable, and one that is particularly suited to online gaming.

The shaded graphics lend the outing a moody and otherworldly air, while many of the puzzles dotted around the levels are refreshingly cryptic. This may not be an epic game, but it is a satisfying spine-chiller all the same.

TMOS has an impressively complex storyline, backed up by superbly detailed background graphics.

Park and his team's creative modelling skills make the films magical, but in replacing them with computer graphics this game delivers pretty average fare. That said, its cartoon visuals and helpful prompts should keep younger children amused for hours.

The control system suffers somewhat from the PSP’s limitations, and the less said about the awful soundtrack the better, but these failings do not detract too much from a fun addition to an ever- increasing series. Just keep the sound turned down.

The FPS game definitely needs revitalising by something new and original. This isn't it.

At £19.99, this is a highly impressive add-on, and although it has only 11 new single-player levels, none of them is a walkover.

Rugby, with its elaborate set-pieces and impenetrable laws, is a hard game to render on computer, but this is an extremely good try.

It’s a third-person shooter with smooth, detailed graphics, and a learning curve set so beautifully that even non- shooter fans should love it.

Now that the game is established in a 3-D world, it has, for me at least, lost a little of its gripping intensity - an option to switch action between 2-D and 3-D would have been a nice touch.

The wild combinations of touch-pad and direction keys required to play make this a game you might not wish to use on public transport, and it somehow lacks the charm of previous Mario-themed games. Good, but not great.

Shark Tale may feel linear at times, but the experience is not so diluted that it delivers a totally flavourless caper. The game is rated 3+ and younger players should enjoy its mix of chases, stealth, puzzle-solving, simple fighting and musical tap-dancing.

Although Ten Hammers has some nice touches, it is nowhere near the gameit could and should have been. This is a case of great original, poor sequel syndrome, I'm afraid.

While older teenagers may snub this Harry Potter outing, there’s still good mileage in the bespectacled chappie for younger players.

Shark Tale may feel linear at times, but the experience is not so diluted that it delivers a totally flavourless caper. The game is rated 3+ and younger players should enjoy its mix of chases, stealth, puzzle-solving, simple fighting and musical tap-dancing.

An inspired example of how movie tie-ins should be made.

The FPS game definitely needs revitalising by something new and original. This isn’t it.

"Ratchet & Clank" fans may turn up their noses at the largely failed attempts at humour in the dialogue, but if your Christmas games are already losing their appeal, you could do a lot worse than this, especially for the price.

The controls take some time to master, and there's a surfeit of useless jargon seemingly designed to prevent you getting to grips with the gameplay. Nor is this a game for the short-sighted, since the on-screen captions that supposedly offer guidance are minute and virtually illegible.

There is plenty to do in the management of the park and great rewards for success. However, all this is undermined because it is much more fun to play one of the driving, mini-golf, shooting or football games than do all the menial things.

Drive the Goldfinger DB5, fly the Thunderball jetpack and fight some classic baddies in challenging environments. It’s enough to make you toss your trilby on to a hat-rack in delight.

While the format is fairly standard (flipping switches, collecting objects and solving puzzles), the detailed worlds and neat touches — Kya can tame and ride wild animals, and dribble or kick certain creatures like a football — more than make up for it.

Graphically impressive, to the point where those prone to sea-sickness should stay away, and the dark bowels of the ship provide an eerily effective gaming environment.

The game does move at a slow pace, but with such a complex case to unravel this is no time to rush about, eh, Watson?

Violent and unforgiving, this one is not for children, but it’s a compulsive game nonetheless.

The gameplay is varied enough to maintain interest, and its clutch of quirky distractions adds to the experience.

Park and his team’s creative modelling skills make the films magical, but in replacing them with computer graphics this game delivers pretty average fare. That said, its cartoon visuals and helpful prompts should keep younger children amused for hours.

The gameplay is varied enough to maintain interest, and its clutch of quirky distractions adds to the experience.

The action is fluid, and the voiceover occasionally knowing, in an archly self-referential, Pixar kind of way.

Mind-bogglingly shallow.

Despite the different endings, the game does not have enormous replay values, but the original Christie novel is included for good measure.

Fans of the series will have plenty to be happy about, but you can’t help feeling you’ve been here and done that in the previous games. That’s the real horror here.

Shark Tale may feel linear at times, but the experience is not so diluted that it delivers a totally flavourless caper. The game is rated 3+ and younger players should enjoy its mix of chases, stealth, puzzle-solving, simple fighting and musical tap-dancing.

Fans of the Nintendo SNES classic "Pilotwings" will literally jump at the chance to parachute from any of the aircraft for spectacular views of the vast landscape below. There is bound to be a sequel, because this original is so good.

The best aspect, however, is the fighting, which is easy to learn and control and varies in style from martial arts to drunken brawling.

What really makes this game is the chilling music, which, even though the gameplay might not always be up to standard, builds the tension beautifully and ensures that the shocks that X-Files: Resist or Serve delivers have the maximum impact.

While the graphics impress and the inhabitants all go about their business with a smooth efficiency, the game makes too many demands to maintain interest. Worse, there are few moments in the game that don’t awaken a feeling of déjà vu.

Assorted reference devices, including the handy Marauder’s Map as well as shields and character cards to collect, add a little more depth to the action. The game remains faithful to the spirit of the book, but it is perhaps a little too linear and predictable.

Each district also serves up specific challenges, so that opening a business at a certain time or reaching a profit milestone will unlock reward buildings such as churches and law courts, which please the locals and boost their satisfaction levels.

Unfortunately, the whole experience takes a nosedive when you start to play. Without the excitement of shooting down other planes, or the challenge of a regular flight sim, Pilot Academy would struggle to hold your interest on a flight to Europe.

The action is fluid, and the voiceover occasionally knowing, in an archly self-referential, Pixar kind of way.

The game suffers from sluggish load times, with little Pietro frozen as each fight boots up. In contrast, he moves around his castle home and the surrounding landscape with lightning speed.

There is nothing to get particularly excited about, not even the innovative dual-stick control system that supposedly helps you to groove your swing as a professional would.

The more you play the more both the gameplay and Redmond’s catchphrases err on the repetitive side.

A classic case of style over substance, being little more than a glossy advertisement for the film.

Mafia on the PS2 is a very pale imitation, especially with regard to the graphics, which were resplendent on the PC, and the handling, which I’ve mentioned already. And the load times? Don’t get me started, buster.

There is no getting away from the fact that this series is now showing its age. The linking video sequences are bland, while the colours jar badly.

Once you swap AI team-mates (and enemies) for the real thing, there is no turning back, as you find yourself diligently looking out for your team-mates, with whom you will need to co-operate to sweep scenes clean of troublemakers.

This adventure looks great, its landscape dominated by crooked buildings and brooding grey skies; navigating Jack is simple and the characters are all well realised. A perfect children's game.

Aimed at kids, this is a guilty treat for adults as well.