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.