Ty manages to be a particularly average and uninspiring kart racer as well a particularly average and uninspiring action adventure, with opals.

It's a solid enough game that will test your RTS skills and relies on something more than churning and burning units. It could be a match made in heaven, it could be your idea of hell...

There's something just so attention-grabbing about the game's approach to action and subject, something so intriguing about the story which makes it far more than the FPS-scrolling beat-'em-up early opinions suggested. [JPN Import]

AF does a better job with collision detection, though unfortunately damage balance is regularly far from perfect. Taking out an enemy as insignificant as a rat may only take a single punch, for example, though strangely it takes many more attacks with a metal bar.

Once you understand the animals the levels become small puzzles rather than living environments. You don't see a bear, but rather you see a trampoline that has to be moved.

What we're left with is a game with a cool concept and a real sense of atmosphere that is drowned out by disappointment and frustration. Cold Fear could have been so much better had it built on the positives with a safe, more accessible control system and a few more hours on the design table.

It uses the licensed Kiss characters in a very smart and dark way but lacks rocking Kiss tunes or imagery that the fan might expect.

Put it this way - if this is your first go of a Half Life game, prepare to be shocked by the AI of these guys.

The main problem that Tak And The Power Of Juju has is persuading gamers that it is not a game aimed merely at a young audience and that there is plenty of challenge here whatever your age.

An above average RPG when released on the lesser Dreamcast system, on the PS2 it is merely average.

Graphically, it certainly won't win any awards but the surroundings are suitably gothic and provide a convincing setting for the bloodthirsty business at hand.

The great thing about Mischief Makers is that it keeps you guessing. There's no fixed pattern to the levels, for example; bosses pop up all over the place and one minute you could be running for your life from a volcanic eruption, the next be free-falling down a seemingly-bottomless pit.

Faithful fans will have a good solid game in their collections with six new tracks and an unthinkable amount of extra horsepower to play with.

Perhaps it’s not quite worthy of the asking price, but so long as you enjoy at least six or seven of the games (and you most likely will), you’ll be getting enough to keep any gamer happy for a good while.

The characters and story seem horribly last generation with a complete lack of artistic design and sophistication.

Greater variety in terms of gameplay, the freedom to configure boats with weapons of your choice, deformable terrain and an improved damage system would have seen this as one of the top games on the Xbox, but as it is, it remains one of the also-rans.

If you’re looking at IndyCar Series as an alternative to EA’s F1 games or simply as a detailed simulator then don’t. You’ll be exceedingly bored, frustrated and dizzy before you’ve even finished a race. If you like driving in circles, then buy yourself a Scalextric kit.

The sea battles are great, but they do take quite a bit of time, and it is a shame that the rest of the game does not live up to the high standards they set.

It plays like a cobbled together collection of repetitive, below-par sub-games. Quite simply, it’s extremely boring, and the sensation of fun never once makes its presence felt.

The carefully crafted original is better than this half-baked piece of crapped-out garbage’ type arrangement.

Although Blinx has its flaws, it is innovative and unusual enough to make it a worthy purchase.

It's a weighty quest alright, but much of its size is artificial, being time spent wondering (a) where you’re supposed to go next and (b) how to get there.

Though the graphics and sound are fairly basic (aside from a few lighting touches and stylish cinematics, Sub Rebellion could be a PSone game), the gameplay packs a more detailed punch.

Then you meet the game’s other personality, the ‘stealth’ bits, thrown in to remedy the aforementioned mindless repetitiveness. And it’s an unpleasant little turd whom you won’t be wanting to spend much time with.

Anybody into over-the-top characterisation and cheesy sweeping narrative will lap it up, as will those into their strategy games. People who find them dull, boring and tiresome should stay well clear.

GC's controls have been optimised for the Xbox's pad and as you are never more than a button press away, you always feel in control unlike some early conversions of the Command & Conquer series, which all results in a fun accessible RTS.

The game is a showcase for the lead character and not an inspired one at that.

A major problem (though one that is sadly unavoidable) is the way in which activities can’t be fast-forwarded... The result is that a great deal of time is spent watching a Sim doing something utterly trivial and dull.

A nippy, futuristic, weapon-toting racer which epitomises competence without ever once daring to startle with ingenuity.

There just isn’t enough depth here.

Does exactly what it sets out to do, and as such it comes highly recommended to anyone with more than one controller to their name.

Koei's feudal epic continues to go from strength to strength and while it only offers subtle improvements over Xtreme Legends, it's still a very comprehensive package. Roll on "Dynasty Warriors 5."

The Urbz is simply not fun. At all. Not only are your Urbz's bodily functions hyper-accelerated, but satisfying one of them, naturally to the detriment of another, is too time consuming with animations lasting an uncomfortably long amount of time, especially when you'll be seeing them so often.

The only people we can imagine buying this are confused parents who do not understand the world of the mystical home entertainment that is the videogame.

It's always edge-of-the-seat stuff and is guaranteed to put anyone off becoming a real ATC operator.

The weapons are hardly original, the environments good but not graphically amazing, animations are basic and the voices can repeat. But combine all the elements of the game and you get one very addicitive title.

When Line of Contact works, it's superb, but there are way too many problems at the moment that need correcting in order to justify its huge price tag.

Deep it isn’t, but there’s no denying that this is one of the most action-packed titles you’ll play on the GBA for some time.

When useful new features are added to an already excellent title, surely this just makes the experience that much more enjoyable. Go on, swallow your pride and play a damn fine PS2 game on your Xbox. [XBM]

Sadly for Konami, Enthusia is here, slightly queer, and we just can't get used to it.

Crisp and detailed car models and detailed tracks filled with things to avoid or risk destroying makes for some impressive sightseeing.

This imaginatively titled sequel is far from a massive step up, but all of the changes and new additions make that small step seem so much bigger than it really is.

This is possibly the best Formula One game we have played for quite some time and provides a totally entertaining experience.

The level introductions are a bit forced, but the one-liners, comic asides, character interaction and laid back gameplay is the perfect accompaniment for the summer sun.

It is far from an easy game to get into, but once embroiled in the seedy world of crime, the hours tend to drift by surprisingly quickly, and its longevity is assured as it is extremely difficult, even on the easiest of the four computer levels.

The majority of the mini-games are terrific fun, but it does mean that playing this game solo isn’t nearly as enjoyable as playing it with friends.

There's just nothing new on offer to hold your interest for longer then a few races.

Don't worry about what it isn't, just enjoy it for what it is – one of the few playable and, yep, fairly enjoyable superhero games out there.

While Ty The Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue isn't going to rock the gaming world to its foundations or win any awards, it's still an enjoyable and entertaining platform romp that will surprise those of you who decide to take a chance on it.

While the frame rate occasionally dips and pop-up hasn't been totally eradicated Killzone looks stunning. However, Killzone's total focus on fire fights means that anyone that doesn't relish the thought of scrapping for every inch of territory, yearning for puzzles, switches, vehicles to pilot or woe-betide, aliens, should look elsewhere.

The backdrops, too, are marvellous and the ancient Japanese feeling is matched perfectly with a slow and unsettling score. Whenever you are ambushed, this is quickly replaced with an adrenaline-inducing rush of beats, and you'll find yourself dragon-punching in rhythm to the music.

Its mission structure. It is just… so highly structured. You have the freedom of movement that an antigravity board provides and a very strict set of rules to follow – surely we have a paradox here.

It just feels slightly light, the locations feel slightly claustrophobic and there is an overall feeling of tightness in it. It's a slightly good game!

If you’re looking for something to remind you why you spent £300 on a brand-new console, stay away.

This is the most tense and atmospheric tactical shooter available on the PlayStation2. So tense that it manages make you fear the opening of a door.

The previous games in the series have all been relatively successful, and Defiance looked set to continue that tradition, until the poor camera angles and misjudged over-emphasis on combat scuppered things somewhat. As it stands, this is very much a game for fans of the series only.

With no difficulty options there is little extra challenge to be had once you’ve finished the game and with no multiplayer, its lifespan is limited but for a tour de force in stealth and tactics, it beats Delta Force into a cocked hat.

But once you've completed the new missions you'll be looking for further challenges - this is where the online features come in.

A quirky curiosity, not always enjoyable to play and not always fair, either. It'll appeal to small minority - if you like the way that the game looks, then you'll get something out of it, if you don't, then you should avoid Killer7 at all costs... It's just not much fun to play.

Does little to break the classic platform mould but those of you who enjoy these types of games should find enough in it to provide some enjoyment.

An excellent sense of humour that manages to make the older gamer chuckle without offending the kiddies.

Calling them puzzles is a bit of a misnomer - calling them Slightly Challenging Platformy Bits That You Don't Have To Think About is far more accurate, if not quite as catchy.

The game is really not helped by slightly confusing controls, and it will take a few premature deaths before you really get the hang of them but once you do, the excellent nature of the audio-visuals really draws you into the game and leaves you absolutely hooked.

We never thought we’d reach a day where we would say this but, after playing Crash Bandicoot, we’re actually looking forward to "Rayman 3."

Bangin' drum and bass kicks out of the stolen sports cars super woofers as you prowl the streets for criminal action. Climb behind the furry wheel of a pick-up truck and it's good ole' hillbilly rock. This game knows how to use music and it shows it big time.

The game itself is still a really enjoyable romp, but that doesn’t stop this being possibly the most lacklustre Nintendo release to date – the ‘Magical’ is ironic, surely?

Pretty much everything you could ever want from a rally game is in there, with the exception of a two-player co-operative event. Now that really would put the icing on the cake.

It may not be a "Halo"- or "Halo 2"-beater, but at the moment Pariah is the best alternative - and that alone is high praise indeed.

Stylistically, it's all neon pinks and shiny gadgetry. Think "Halo" or "Phantasy Star Online" viewed from above. Its strange then, for such an organic looking game that the control interface is awfully clunky.

And play through you will as the repetitive nature of the game offers very little challenge despite the inclusion of boss battles, secret areas and herding puzzles. At one point you will have to guide a giant lobster into a cave and seal it with falling stalactites.

Like "SSX Tricky," ATV2 relies on tight playability to keep your mind off the averageness of the visuals. The only real moan is that crashes lack any sort of bone-jarring impact.

Shallow, repetitious and overly simplistic.

It's good fun, but the novelty of these funky worms waving goodbye in surreal style can wear off pretty quickly.

The only factor that might put some players off is the camera movement, something that is crucial in a 3D environment. After a few hours of play you will get used to it, but every so often the camera can still be awkward - not what you want when the clock is running down on a tense decider.

It’s simply a big and frustrating game that will need a lot of time and effort spent on it if you want to get to the end.

The game has scope. And so another question pops into your mind: What exactly has been sacrificed to accommodate this? The answer: A young girl, a goat and, unfortunately for Xbox owners, some technical proficiency.

An engaging and amusing game that should appeal to the young and young at heart alike.

It doesn't include as many next-generation enhancements as we would like to have seen, but at the end of the day the original game was ahead of its time when it launched on Dreamcast.

The only downsides are some cheap-looking graphics, and clunky interface work. But Beach Life is a cool alternative for us pasty-kneed Brits who couldn’t make it to the Balearics this summer.

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.

A well-presented, bland, unforgiving and ultimately undesirable game that’s best avoided amongst an infinity of better racers on the market.

Ever played "Secret Of Monkey Island," "Day Of The Tentacle," "Full Throttle" or "Sam And Max Hit The Road"? Then you’ll love Neighbours From Hell.

The lack of combos is a real problem, making it tough to string together decent attack patterns and this is a real boo-boo for a beat ''em-up. Shame really, because if more effort had gone into polishing up the gameplay by simply making sure there was more to it, Battle Arena Toshinden would have been a blinding piece of software.

The combat, the Karting sections and general exploration is slick making it one of the least frustrating kids games around.

If you're one of the lucky ones who haven't had the pleasure then please, go out and buy it; you'll find it an absolute joy. Unfortunately, it's a joy most of us have already experienced and moved on from.

Despite its range of lewd caricatures, Outlaw Golf is actually less outrageous than we'd hoped for, but then again - that's golf.

Name almost any gaming cliché and Ty is making you yawn by using it.

Tragically, Haunted Mansion is mercilessly short, and combined with the singular solution to each room ensures a frustrating experience, especially as it's so completely linear.

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]

No matter how you approach Maximum Impact, it will disappoint. In trying to drag a 2D series into three dimensions, SNK Playmore has forgotten what made its own King Of Fighters games so celebrated and what makes 3D fighting games fun to begin with.

Quite involving after a while with some excellent puzzles for you to solve and many strange people to talk to, but it does take quite a while to get into.

A lot of fun and should not disappoint gamers who do not know the heritage of the title, but if you are looking for the pure thrills of the original Defender, then you may be left slightly wanting.

It looks like a dog's dinner, so unless you have a forgiving nature and can look past surface effects, this may not be for you. For fans of arcade gun-games though, this is about as good as it gets.

This isn't the most gratifying FPS game out there, or is it the deepest but it does have its place. You all know us, you know what we do for a living so you should realise that we really don't like saying that a game would make an ideal rental.

The implementation of ideas fell to the lowest common denominator, and the end game is a shallow and childish experience.

Admittedly, it has a streak of good humour running through it and a few unlockable two-player mini-games, but they're unlikely to encourage completion.

Scaler is perfectly acceptable - if you're 5 or under. We're much older.

When not having "almost fun" by busting ghosts (see boxout) we're left wondering what the game wants. Gallons of paint and polish can't disguise the fact that the heart of Ghosthunter is very old.