'Niche' doesn't come close to describing the bizarrely pretentious Echochrome, which positively oozes self-importance from every pixel and line of code.

Fun to play in the short term, especially over the course of a mission or two, there's a repetitiveness to the gameplay that fails to entice players to experience the campaign for hours on end.

The presentation sets the tone brilliantly and drags the player through, but sadly the gameplay is largely forgettable.

An average tie-in that's not without its merits, and one that will appeal to fans of the film and a younger audience. Jaded older gamers however will find very little to sustain your interest.

The fact remains that F.E.A.R evolved shooters back in 2005, but there appears to be very little progress in the four years since with F.E.A.R 2.

Light, amusing, and fun in short bursts, Cooking Mama seems like such a suitable title for Wii. Unfortunately, the overall result is hampered by an imprecise control system that throws skill and any sense of weight or meaning to one side, along with a lack of structure that leaves the game little more than a novel yet ultimately trivial experience - ideal for the Wii demographic it seems.

The arcade gameplay failed to excite, whilst the lack of depth in gaming modes, vehicle customisation and in general the whole game ensure the final nail has been placed.

Much like the original, it's only a matter of days before you'll whiz through each of the acts on offer. Unlike the original, because the focus on score is by all accounts lost, the urge to keep coming back and improve scores is gone completely.

It’s a very simple concept, if you’re a Pop Idol fan then you’ve probably already put in your pre-order for this game, if you’re not then it’s better left staying away from this game it’s simply too shallow and doesn’t last long enough to warrant more then a rent.

There must invariably be a demand for this sort of title in the West otherwise it wouldn't be worth the expense of localisation, marketing, and distribution, but surely it's a case of having played one title in either Warriors series, you've played them all.

The real problem is that it has been done so many times before that at some stages in the game you get that déjà vu feeling you played the same location, executed the exact move and experienced the same sequence of events but this time it's a Kangaroo you are sharing it with and not another endearing character.

Being a fan of the series it hurts to see the Leisure Suit Larry franchise brought up to date like this, a lot more thought and effort was needed instead of just relying on the boobs.

It would've been nice to see Omega Software's Warriors series move forward with Orochi but unfortunately it seems to have stood fairly still in its mediocre hollow of repetitive combat/strategy gaming. Not much fun even if you were playing it on a very rainy day.

As a light-gun game it’s too awkward and as a FPS it’s just too damn slow and unresponsive.

Strip away the unique “qualities” of the game and you’re left with an average racer that’s sadly left wheel-spinning on the grid compared to Ridge Racers on the Sony PSP.

Like the movie, the videogame isn't as bad as some have made it out to be, and whilst it's far from being a perfect experience, it's also got some solid ideas and elements that'll keep a certain section of gamers hooked.

Wonderful in its mediocrity, it's not a bad game but you could easily lose it in a crowd, even if it had blue skin.

Aliens vs Predator occasionally offers brief moments of entertainment, but it's ultimately let down by an unimaginative approach to the single-player mode that never quite manages to match the terror, suspense and brilliance of the original movies.

The cinematic presentation will certainly appeal to casual gamers; however the sheer repetition, poor AI, lack of depth and longevity issues should be a major concerns to anybody else.

As for gameplay, the controls are well defined, but it does not give the sense of holding the pool stick. It feels more like you are controlling a science project because of the stiffness, but they are precise.

The ultimate issue in front of Dark Void is the fact that it doesn't know whether it's a third-person shooter or an arcade flight game, and does a pretty mediocre attempt at both. An uninspired approach to the design of the game's stages and challenges ultimately leaves Dark Void dangling in the chasm of mediocre shooters.

Basing Rep Bonus upon the choice of weapon you decide to use and whether it's the suit or body armour, there's a great sense of 'risk & reward' to the game; it's just a shame the actual action doesn't require you to put that much on the line, with its entirely predictable nature.

Mercs 2 is nothing short of a monumental disappointment.

A poorly implemented game idea that is by far beaten by Dave Mirra’s BMX game, which incidentally in its first incarnation had much more expansive levels than this game.

If you're a Guitar Hero-loving Aerosmith fan then go and get it already - add a couple more points to the final score! For everybody else, it could be one to miss; after all, Guitar Hero World Tour (and the DS' On Tour) isn't too far away.

We were genuinely hoping that de Blob would cater to all types of gamers, but ultimately found ourselves disappointed by its lack of development and attachment.

A reasonable action title that manages to serve a purpose on the Xbox 360. Unfortunately the game quickly suffers from issues of repetition.

Tak isn’t the worst platformer we’ve seen and will certainly appeal to the younger gamers out there; however its sheer insistence on the generic platform formula is enough to deter most people.

Sudden Death much like its predecessor is a confusing experience; if you have fond memories of unique Amiga titles then it’s likely you’ll find a yearning desire to struggle through the game, however even then it’s likely to cause more frustrations then moments of enjoyment.

Once again we harp back to the fact that the controls were not as responsive as we hoped and although this probably is tuned into the requirements of Indy racing although it made racing slightly harder or should we say more of a tussle!

Despite offering a freeform control layout, Shaun White Snowboarding still feels like a pretty standard example of the genre at heart.

In terms of the gameplay the changes are minimal and comparing this game to "Pro Evolution Soccer" is a joke, Konami's title is just a different class.

Mushroom Men has some fantastic ideas in it and lots of genuine character, but the short game length and lack of replay value mean that this game is best suited to those who are desperately angling for something to satisfy their 3D platforming fix.

Far from being an icon of the franchise to date, and is more of an anomaly that tries to expand the life of the Final Fantasy VII storyline years after it begun.

Despite a few random pluses, such as the ability to Game Share with up to three other players on a single UMD, Hudson's over-enthusiasm (and near pathological obsession) with messing with the gameplay, creates a rather dull and watered-down 'campaign'.

The real problem is that it has been done so many times before that at some stages in the game you get that déjà vu feeling you played the same location, executed the exact move and experienced the same sequence of events but this time it's a Kangaroo you are sharing it with and not another endearing character.

Perhaps with more development time, The Cartel would have been a more compelling experience but, with a game engine that's showing its age, a confused new identity and a fair few technical issues, it falls sadly short of most FPS fans' high expectations.

A sloppily produced tedious affair with little going for it other than the fact that it had the potential to be good.

Perhaps with more development time, The Cartel would have been a more compelling experience but, with a game engine that's showing its age, a confused new identity and a fair few technical issues, it falls sadly short of most FPS fans' high expectations.

It’s difficult to knock Wolverine’s Revenge too much because it does offer some neat ideas, but unfortunately GenePool has seemingly forgotten about the fundamentals and left us with little to get excited about after the brief initial interest.

Oh EA what have you done; we we're getting to enjoy FIFA once again and now this. We're never ones to severely criticise an average game, however FIFA 06 beggars belief.

The fact remains that F.E.A.R evolved shooters back in 2005, but there appears to be very little progress in the four years since with F.E.A.R 2.

On first sight, Bodycount's gameplay pillars are inviting: with arcade shooters being few and far between this generation and destructible environments remaining surprisingly underused, there's some real potential for compelling gameplay here. Unfortunately, Codemasters hasn't executed either of these features particularly well and unforgivably lacklustre design elsewhere cripples the game.

An average tie-in that's not without its merits, and one that will appeal to fans of the film and a younger audience. Jaded older gamers however will find very little to sustain your interest.

On first sight, Bodycount's gameplay pillars are inviting: with arcade shooters being few and far between this generation and destructible environments remaining surprisingly underused, there's some real potential for compelling gameplay here. Unfortunately, Codemasters hasn't executed either of these features particularly well and unforgivably lacklustre design elsewhere cripples the game.

At the end of the day Grabbed by the Ghoulies is a fun romp whilst it lasts, but unfortunately the sheer amount of repetition and lack of depth will make even the most avid Rare fan begin to question their motives.

EyePet provides a companion that won't die if you forget to feed it, won't pee on the rug, or require incessant attention. It's better then the attention-craving Tamagotchi in this respect but lacks the impulse of Nintendogs. But like a Tamagotchi, the appeal is a little short-lived and we're unsure that an EyePet isn't just for Christmas.

Although there's a handful of aspects that lift Excite Truck above being just another run-of-the-mill arcade racer, the overall feeling is that this is a game we've seen too many times before whilst the novelty of the Wii Remote soon wears off and there's little to sustain your interest beyond a few hours.

Despite having good structure, control, sound and graphics as well as a kickass level editor the game is just not as much fun as it could be because of the problems with control.

Despite offering a freeform control layout, Shaun White Snowboarding still feels like a pretty standard example of the genre at heart.

Whilst it doesn’t offer an epic adventure the gameplay is solid enough to offer gamers a good gaming experience for a few hours.

There certainly isn’t much in the way of originality in the game whatsoever, but for its lack in that (and many other departments), it does have two elements going for it: the non-stop action, and its price.

Mediocrity and disappointment, the images that conjure up when thinking about Top Gun are intense action, pumping soundtrack, slick presentation and fun, unfortunately most of these can’t be found in the game.

X-Philes who have a hard time letting go may gain some enjoyment from the storyline particularly.

The game does feel a bit 'by the numbers' and certainly doesn't match the quite frankly sublime quality of gameplay that fellow movie tie-in "Chronicles of Riddick" achieved in 2004. Fans of the film are sure to be satisfied with Batman Begins, but for regular gamers, it's all been seen and done before.

The presentation sets the tone brilliantly and drags the player through, but sadly the gameplay is largely forgettable.

It hints at brilliance on occasions, but is ultimately flawed by poor execution, sloppy glitches and an overall unfinished feel.

It hints at brilliance on occasions, but is ultimately flawed by poor execution, sloppy glitches and an overall unfinished feel.

Colosseum: Road to Freedom is one of those average games that has a lot going for it on the surface but once you start playing it fails to excite and after a few hours play tedium starts to set in.

A messy amalgamation of storylines and side-quests, coupled with poorly executed Quality Assurance and archaic game saving, STALKER is about as radioactive as plutonium, and should be treated as such - behind thick lead-lined walls of concrete. The lead-lined walls being a metaphor for the high spec required to play the game at a decent performance.

Beyond missions that are a touch more variable and slightly better attuned to the story, it's hard to see where HAWX 2 improves over its predecessor. The first game struggled to rise above its own monotonous gameplay and this tedium is only amplified by a sequel - mired in the same monotony - that's been released only a year-and-a-half after the original.

Beyond missions that are a touch more variable and slightly better attuned to the story, it's hard to see where HAWX 2 improves over its predecessor. The first game struggled to rise above its own monotonous gameplay and this tedium is only amplified by a sequel - mired in the same monotony - that's been released only a year-and-a-half after the original.

It's not the worst racing title we've seen, whilst some of the ideas are worthwhile; it's just a huge shame that the actual racing experience just isn't there.

Walking into the club for the first time and slicing through dozens of vampires with your sword is definitely a cool moment. However the rest of the game is so bland and monotonous that you’d have to have been lobotomised to enjoy it.

If you mastered and loved the previous "Dark Reign" you will probably despise this game despite its beauty.

Hooking the headset communicator up and jumping into a game without any problems to irritate as many people as possible has proved to be more alluring then I first thought.

The fact remains that F.E.A.R evolved shooters back in 2005, but there appears to be very little progress in the four years since with F.E.A.R 2.

An average tie-in that's not without its merits, and one that will appeal to fans of the film and a younger audience. Jaded older gamers however will find very little to sustain your interest.

An average title, the gameplay isn't quite solid but there are enough elements to keep you battling for more frantic action.

I really wanted to recommend this game, despite it's problems with controls and graphics I would still have recommended it to fans of the genre and "Evil Dead" movies, however because of the length all I can say is rent it out some time.

Has some great ideas, which are sadly letdown by poor execution and sloppy presentation.

Additions such as the re-emergence of the Dwarves as a playable character class will be welcomed by gamers disappointed by their omission in the main game, and the extra spell classes at least widen a player's armoury.

A poorly implemented game idea that is by far beaten by Dave Mirra’s BMX game, which incidentally in its first incarnation had much more expansive levels than this game.

A slightly lacklustre port of a great game that you should play, but we would only recommend the PS2 version if there is no way you can get your hands on the PC edition of the game.

You get the feeling that this could be a nice little game that is more than the sum of it’s parts, but sadly this is not the case.

Like a number of Star Wars titles in the past, Lethal Alliance tries to introduce a new facet to the already rich sci-fi mythology, but ultimately fails in its execution. Instead, the gameplay quickly boils down to a repetitive experience, with bland environments playing host to a seemingly endless number of bland shoot out.

While boasting some uninspiring mechanics for a first person shooter, the biggest area that Jericho falls down on is its inability to produce a sense of atmosphere and suspense throughout its levels and, in a horror game, that's critical.

Stylised visuals and over the top physics make the game stand out, and the simple premise helps to cement it's pick-up-and-play strengths.

Whereas Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training managed to defy the odds and prove us wrong with its compulsive drive, Big Brain Academy completely misses the point and is hard to recommend as a result.

Fun to play in the short term, especially over the course of a mission or two, there's a repetitiveness to the gameplay that fails to entice players to experience the campaign for hours on end.

It left me with bad feelings not only because of its complete plagiarism but because they haven’t even attempted to do anything with it but change the bubbles to pathetic little Snoods.

Oh EA what have you done; we we’re getting to enjoy FIFA once again and now this. We’re never ones to severely criticise an average game, however FIFA 06 beggars belief.

Disney Epic Mickey is undeniably the disappointment of the year for us. It was a concept that promised so much when it emerged last year but has ultimately ended up falling far short of the mark. What's more troubling than all of this, though, is that it feels like a game that's been held back from reaching its full potential; you do get the sense that it's perhaps not Junction Point's lack of talent but its lack of creative license that's led to these disappointments.

If the franchise is to continue with any sort of longevity then an overhaul of many gameplay aspects will have to be accomplished.

Unfortunately the execution is extremely poor and not at all what we could have hoped for, at the end of the day this is just another action title with a Star Wars license blasted across it.

The result is a title that offers a physics and driving engine that isn’t up to scratch, whilst the actual racing action is turned into a monotonous experience that requires very little skill.

Being a fan of the series it hurts to see the Leisure Suit Larry franchise brought up to date like this, a lot more thought and effort was needed instead of just relying on the boobs.

We've been waiting two years longer than we expected for Hell's Highway and the wait has bought little reward.

The controls and camera cause frustration, the visuals severely disappoint, whilst the combat begins to grate after a short time and leaves very little to carry on with.

The moan continues with uninspired and bland graphics, awful sound effects and ear-wrenching music.

The real problem is that it has been done so many times before that at some stages in the game you get that déjà vu feeling you played the same location, executed the exact move and experienced the same sequence of events but this time it’s a Kangaroo you are sharing it with and not another endearing character.

Those looking for a no-nonsense beat-em-up could find some enjoyment with the fluid combat system and frantic nature of the game, however Urban Reign makes very little attempt to bring the genre back to life - everybody else should check out Rockstar Games superior adaptation of The Warriors.

The PSP version of Dead Man's Chest is quite literally a game of two halves, with fairly satisfying (if frustrating) single-player experience, and quite frankly abysmal multiplayer experience. The combat system is quite an interesting idea that staves off repetition for a little while, but ultimately it's a game that doesn't offer any real chance for replayability.

The dialogue provided brief amusement, however the frustration created by some of the puzzles far exceeded this, and I’ve even got the walk-through.

The ultimate issue in front of Dark Void is the fact that it doesn't know whether it's a third-person shooter or an arcade flight game, and does a pretty mediocre attempt at both. An uninspired approach to the design of the game's stages and challenges ultimately leaves Dark Void dangling in the chasm of mediocre shooters.

On the one hand the Arwing missons are pure StarFox with plenty of frantic button bashing. Sadly, the ground based sections are dull and really makes the game a disappointing one to play.

Essentially a sub-Katamari game on Nintendo DS, Ignition's title offers a decent (if short) campaign for players, though the Bonus Mode is more compelling.

Nothing but a serious disappointment... It just about manages to cover all the criteria but nothing feels as though Croteam have stretched the barrel – in many cases they feel surprisingly weaker then its predecessor.