Though I never though I'd say it, Total Annihilation rises above every strategy game there has ever been. To put it bluntly, it is the best.

The repertoire of tricks has been massively expanded. There are now rail Ubers and hand plants to experiment with but, most interestingly, you can now perform a board press to link combos together for big points.

The sheer scale of the achievement, in originality, variety and technological muscle earns it a 'Best Game Ever' acclamation through sheer muscle, almost regardless of its undoubted and typically Nintendo artistry.

With its groundbreaking realism, intelligent opponents and top playability, F1 2001 has set a new standard in racing simulations.

Everything about Unreal Tournament is spectacular and in your face.

The game delivers an all important experience that harks back to the elements that made the films great when they were originally released, and even from the start it becomes obvious that a phial full of that authentic LucasArts MagicTM has been sprinkled throughout the game.

If I had my time again; the chance to replay every side-quest, to change my appearance, my very morality (and something tells me that I will), I'd do it all differently - just because I could.

If you love real-time strategy but are getting a little bored of tank rushes and linear opposition then you should snap this up as soon as you can – it’s worth every penny and then some.

The balance of gameplay is just right, you are fed gently in to the game and by the time it starts getting tough, you are hooked and unable to leave your machine for hours and days on end!

Fighting games don't come much more accomplished than this though, and Street Fighter Alpha 3 is one of the most addictive and playable we've ever come across.

Turok 2: Seeds Of Evil has -- as a one-player game -- turned out to be good, but not the world-shaker everyone was expecting. It's Doom, basically -- a glorious-looking update of Doom, but Doom nevertheless. What saves Turok 2 is the multiplayer game, which is faster and smoother than Goldeneye.

Psygnosis has managed to improve WipeOut to such a degree that even those that hated the original will find WO2097 accessible and rewarding to play... WipeOut 2097 is a scorcher!

The action is as fast and frantic as ever and it is virtually impossible to play Descent II without bucking and rearing in your seat.

If real aliens turn up while you are playing this, they don’t stand a chance of getting your attention.

Besides the high quality visuals, real time battle is the key element that is arousing unashamed geeks around the planet for Final Fantasy VII.

From the title screen to the sound effects, everything here is right. You can even see the outside decals of the machine around the screen as if you have just popped down to the arcade!

On purely a technical stand point it stands out as looking and sounding like a remarkable achievement but just millimetres below the surface you'll see arguably the most ingeniously crafted game modern consoles have had the pleasure to run.

With the perfect combination of all-out mass slaughtering and stealth missions, Syphon Filter is an unexpected gem that comes highly recommended.

The first thing that strikes you about this game is the feeling of sheer quality that runs throughout it.

Throw in secret characters, such as a certain green burger-loving star of a recent popular movie sequel, and there's enough here to keep you going for ages while the straightforward structure of the game means you can concentrate on having fun.

Quite simply the new Mack Daddy of extreme sports games. Think what might happen if "Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3," "Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2" and "Jet Set Radio Future" all settled down and had a baby together… that’s Aggressive Inline.

It's brilliant. Better than the first game, in fact. It's got everything you could ask for. More Pikmin, bigger play areas, dungeons to explore, multiplayer modes... but crucially, it doesn't feel bloated. [JPN Import]

It feels so alive, so believable, and so utterly charming that the end credits will fill you with a sense of loss and longing rather than one of total relief, leaving you with little doubt that a sequel is begging to be made. More than anything, it sets a new benchmark in gaming.

The sheer quality of every graphic, sound effect, the gripping playability and the level of detail to be found in the game goes to show what effort the team has made to produce a stunning title, congratulations to them!

SEGA has gone the whole way with this one.

This is entertainment on a grand scale, simply on another level to the rest of the clone-driven, deadline-throttled gaming industry. A breathtaking arcade blast which makes the N64 essential.

An enthralling giant of a game, packed with countless delights (not forgetting the superb dramatic music) and a mammoth challenge to keep you playing for weeks on end, at the least.

Brilliant, plain and simple, and another example of why Nintendo have become so dependant on Rare -- the company produces games that are every bit as good as Nintendo's own, if not better.

Tomb Raider III may essentially be more of the same apart from a few new bells and whistles, but with gameplay as engrossing as this, perhaps that's no bad thing. It still walks all over young pretenders like ODT.

The most entertaining, instantly involving and technically innovative PC game of the year so far.

For goodness' sake don't play this on evenings when you have to work the next day because the odds are you'll still be in front of your machine in the early hours, striving to build one more bit of your spaceship, or conquering just one more city before you go to bed.

Sure, some of the textures could do with being of a higher resolution, there’s no multiplayer option and… nope, that’s pretty much all that’s wrong here.

Quite simply Outtrigger IS better than "Quake III Arena" and "Unreal Tournament," even if it is lacking in Internet options. If you want to look at it in percentage terms, think about it like this; Outtrigger with online play would probably get around 96%.

If you're a Star Wars fanatic and you own an N64, then you can't afford to be without this game. If you''re not a Star Wars fan then still buy this game because it's the most exciting, most gripping shoot-'em-up on the N64 so far.

As long as you don't mind your games having a bit of a kick to them, you should be picking this up as soon as possible.

Menus aren't quite so easy to navigate as they were previously but then that's only because there's so much more to do now and as trade-offs go, this is one we're quite happy to abide. [JPN Import]

With it’s in-depth and lengthy Career mode and multiplayer that rivals the best the GameCube can offer, Tony Hawk’s 4 should find a home with any true gamer.

The game is fast and smooth, with colourful graphics and easy to control characters. The action is non-stop and there are loads of missions, requiring your expert skills.

There is no doubt in our minds that this is the finest 3D beat-'em-up we have ever played on any system, but as massive fans of both Soul Edge and Soul Calibur, we can't help but be a little disappointed. [Import]

Almost perfectly executed, there is so much to depth to Medieval Total War that only years of play can adequately discover. But take our word for it, this is a cracker!

With lusciously detailed graphics and some superb sound FX and music rounding the game off, Red Alert looks destined to follow "Dune II" and "Command and Conquer" straight into the Westwood hall of fame.

Fans of the original will love RT2 and anyone with even the slightest strategical bent will love the challenge it poses.

You may argue that Mario Advance is old fashioned, but it’s a testament to the strength of the gameplay that it still pulls you in and keeps you fixed to your Game Boy.

This is the evolution of platform games that we've waited nearly ten years for, which is great news for everyone.

These breakthrough graphics also add to the enjoyment of the Colony Wars experience in terms of gameplay, because the stunning attention to detail throws you into the battle like you wouldn't believe.

The voice acting and sound effects are all spot on and technically the game is far superior to the Xbox version that came out first. The graphics are smoother, the frame rate faster and while a huge Jedi battle can cause slow down, there isn't much to slow the game up from its moderate pace.

It's refreshing to see a development team add so much to a sequel while maintaining the spirit of the original.

For the first time ever, there is a worthy alternative to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. Buy it and you will not be disappointed.

That's the great thing about Baldur's Gate, not only does it look "the dog's," it provides the player (and multiplayers) with a living, breathing world complete with specific rules which must be adhered to. Now that's magic!

Add in multi-player action over won.net and you have a truly excellent game that puts "Force Commander" well and truly to shame.

The tracks are stunning and the physics engine manages to feel realistic, but also work perfectly as a game.

A magical adventure in every sense, Abe's Exoddus stands oversized head and boney green shoulders above any competing title. Yes, it's a lot like "Oddysee," but it's ingeniously more complicated and so long they had to put it on two discs!

Dragon Quest VIII's world flows. It moves. It's utterly huge. It reminds one of "Zelda: Ocarina of Time" on a "Grand Theft Auto" scale. It is an adventure. It's possible to get hopelessly lost in mountain paths, or on tributaries in rivers that dissect giant continents with no place to land a boat outside of a shady hidden casino in the rocks. [JPN Import]

Far Cry Instincts not only equals its PC cousin but actually manages to better it.

The depth within blows the likes of "Street Fighter EX3" and "Dead Or Alive 2" out of the picture.

For me, the PC was designed to run Civilization 2. Sid Meier is a God and I'll be playing this for days, weeks, months even!

Whether you're after a quick ten minute distraction of you're preparing to sit in a train carriage for five hours, this game should suit your every need.

Has enough substance behind the dazzle to hold off accusations of it being nothing more than a Descent clone in pretty new clothes. Forsaken 64's deathmatch mode is superb, every bit as playable as that of Rare''s Bondage festival. One of the best games of the year!

It's a high quality product that blends tactics, strategy and management into an accessible and playable game -- just watch out for the appearance of any latent megalomaniac tendencies.

Despite it lacking the scope of challenge that you get in "Dance Dance Revolution," as well as being not quite as show-off friendly, the sheer absurdity of sitting there hitting a pair of bongos and clapping in time to crazy Japanese salsa music proves to be irresistible – not to mention entirely accessible to pretty much any member of your average 2.4 family. [JPN Import]

It's faster, harder, dirtier, louder, and quite simply, the most brutal beat-'em-up we've ever had the joy of playing. In fact it's more than brutal - it's downright vicious. And smack our head repeatedly into an iron girder if it isn't fun.

If the game world wasn't so big and the developer wasn't trying to push the limits of the machine then Mercenaries wouldn't be anywhere near as playable. As it is the sense of immersion in this huge war is inspiring.

The young Prince did a superb job, but amidst the darkened clouds he's aged with some style and the beautifully excessive fighting system creates a much-improved character and a better all-round game. [XBM]

We're in this dream of a game right now and we don't want to wake up and start again- it has to continue and any interruption is akin to a fire alarm going off in a cinema during your favourite fantasy movie. Lovely stuff.

There''s ''playing hours a plenty'' here for all strategy fans, the soundtrack and speech are great and the story is complex and intriguing. Put it this way, it's my present number one pastime apart from swivelling my microscope.

Bubble Bobble is as addictive as it has ever been and for that reason alone this game is a must-buy purchase, regardless of which version you want to play. Buy it now!

Raziel is tremendously well animated and his surroundings are epic. In fact, the whole feel of Soul Reaver is epic, more than just a third-person adventure, but a whole tale of jealousy, betrayal and revenge.

Lightweight footie fans will love VS3 for its accessibility; footie nuts will love it for its attention to detail and near perfect gameplay.

This game is a tasty piece of eye candy. All the environments are not only huge, but extremely detailed. It runs on the Same engine as Hitman 2, but looks much better.

Playing Sands of Time can't help but bring back memories of when games cut the crap and gave you simple games that stood out despite lo-fi graphics and painfully synthetic sound. At its heart is everything that made Prince of Persia '89 such a hot property.

A hugely engrossing game that is varied and challenging enough to last you a fair while.

As you can probably tell from this review, we at TotalGames.net were just slightly impressed by F-Zero. If you've got yourself a GBA, you really have to buy this.

In what has to be a first for rally titles, much of the scenery, which should be breakable... is! No more bouncing off seemingly solid tape barriers - they now snap and even flap in the wind.

If you’re even remotely interested in RPGs, you have to bury yourself in this – it takes a bit of time to grow on you, but once Dark Cloud 2 has you, it won’t let go for a very long time.

Harvester really does combine slick packaging, with true depth of gameplay and innovation. For those with a liking for the strange, unusual and downright revolting, or just a taste for great adventure games, I can''t hesitate to recommend it.

Regardless of how cheesy it may be, we're glad that there's a slow motion 'Spidey Sense' button, it allows you to appreciate all of the work that has gone into the animation.

The visuals are sharp, the audio is awesome (whack up the 5.1) and the action comes thick and fast in what is one of the most frenetic and exciting shooters we've seen for a while.

Visually and aurally, Prince of Persia is right up there with the best that gaming has to offer, although a good gaming-spec machine is required in order to appreciate the finer points of the experience.

The visual splendour of the whole land will undoubtedly entice Xbox owners to the shops - and quite rightly so - but it's the underlying quests that will keep them involved in the game until the bitter end.

Jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

Offers stunning interpretation of its subject sport and stands as one of the most enjoyable PS2 games to date. Essential stuff.

At a time when many games endorse themselves based on the power of a single gimmick, Midway has crammed all manner of ragdoll physics, realworld physics, particle and lighting effects into Psi-Ops, laid an innovation of its own over the top, and left the final product to speak for itself. In a perfect world, all games would be developed with this much attention to detail.

It’s the closest thing to a vaguely taxing "Banjo Kazooie" -style adventure we might ever get.

Damn them… why could they not have implemented the fantastic Player Editor last time? Why couldn’t they have made it easier to get into last time? Why now a better interface, sideline players, cheerleaders and cool boxes?

The fact that NHL Hitz is so easy to pick up and then so playable once you're hooked is the thing that makes the game a total success in our book – there are so few sports games around these days that manage to do the job so well.

Should you feed this particular 12 shiny purple centimetres of powerful, liberating gameplay to your hungry PS2, you’ll be grateful too: you won’t remove it until you’ve finished the whole thing at least twice.

Considering we’re talking about a Game Boy title here, Doom is incredible.

Driven really takes a step forward in playability by actually injecting intelligence, plot and emotion into the traditionally faceless racing genre.

By offering something that is not only new but extremely challenging PopTop have done the strategy gaming fraternity a real service and hopefully the legacy of Tropico will be that more games developers are prepared to attempt political simulations in the future.

It’s the style of the game that makes Spider-Man a cut above the rest. Unlike most super-hero based games, Spidey is created for the fans, who'll lap it up.

An enjoyable remix of all the best that platform adventures have to offer and, ultimately, it can only be your loss if you do decide to pass on it.

What began as a second rate Virtua Fighter clone with dubious buster designs has evolved into a dazzling tactical fighter, littered with original and superbly implemented ideas.

The tracks! Wow! The first ones... well, they''re okay, and they seem fast, but they're not really anything you won't have seen before - that's for the first one or two. But from then on... hold onto your hat, or rather, hold onto your lunch! If you thought rollercoasters were bad, try this! Loops, dips and multiple junctions that make it possible to take a different route for every lap of the race.

This is helped by the huge amount of freedom that the player is granted. If you can see it, the odds are that you can get to it, which means that the whole island is Carver's plaything. The highest peaks can be scaled, rivers can be swam through and ditches can be hidden in.

For twenty pounds you get arguably the greatest arcade fighting game ever created. That’s half the price of the forthcoming (and similarly but differently remarkable) "Soul Calibur 2."

It’s fast, furious and above all, a whole lot of fun.

This is a great combination of fun, education (you never know when you might need those siege tactics in Tesco's) strategy and resource management that is a fantastic addition to the sim stable.

The lack of any kind of weather (wet roads isn't a weather condition, merely a clever effect), the frame-skipping problems (it just shouldn't exist!), and the lack of car damage (erm… this is a simulation, right?) drags the score down from the high nineties. Still, this game is without a doubt the best racer on any platform.