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.

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.

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.

It’s a shame, too, that the levels aren’t more exciting and spontaneous. Such predictability stops this game from being any more than an enjoyable flight simulator.

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.

As for the combat sequences, they rely too much on repetitive button- mashing, and leaderless soldiers stand around like sheep awaiting the slaughter.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Shadow of the Colossus has more style than real substance and it is slightly baffling why Fumito Ueda, the game's creator, didn't develop this into something a little more Zelda-esque in order to make best use of the world he has created. He might have had a classic on his hands.

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.

Strangely addictive. Your fingers may be hurting and your brain turned off, but the desire to try just once more for a sub-10sec 100 metres will get the better of you.

Well-meaning if not masterful, this is clearly a game for children rather than older players.

A little too retro to be anything other than a game to play in short bursts, this new-look Tetris would be just the thing for a short journey.

Well-meaning if not masterful, this is clearly a game for children rather than older players.

The biggest problem with Total Destruction is the lack of things to do, besides building-bashing and car- tossing.

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.

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.

Though NFL Street 2 does enough to entertain for an hour or two, fans of proper football, played with feet, are likely to find it quite dull.

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

It is the clichéd choice of music played on the camp radio that makes you wonder whether it is worth delving deeper into this game: Paint it Black, yes we’ve seen Tour of Duty; Nowhere to Run — yup, we watched Good Morning, Vietnam, too.

Yes, there are tweaks, better graphics and further development on the cars’ physics, but nothing groundbreaking. For the most part it seems that the past four years have been spent improving the playback of your car whizzing around the track once you’ve finished the race.

As any gamer knows, frustration is part of the joy of gaming, but this level of unresponsiveness is something not even the training mini-games on the title can prepare you for. Put that together with poor level signposting and you have an unengaging experience.

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.

Sega seems to be lazily exploiting a franchise that appears way past its sell-by date. Reinvent the character by all means, but give him back his sharp edges.

It’s still not enough to stop my tame ten- year-old tester pronouncing it Project: B.O.R.I.N.G.

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.