The only downside to Night Of 100 Frights is the sheer lack of originality and so-so difficulty level.

To get the most out of this you will need to play it for quite a while, and those of you that do will no doubt find the extra features rewarding – if you only dabble with the game this is not an essential addition.

Despite the straightforward levels, there's a lot of work to be done and when you're finished with the single-player side of the game there's plenty of multiplayer goodness to follow.

It feels less than the sum of it's parts, and though we respect the fact it's aimed mainly at kids, Quidditch's magic seems to be little more than a couple of fast hand movements and a burst of dry ice.

There's little cohesion between one level and another, which makes the whole experience like fast-forwarding between fight scenes while trying to understand the story.

But the puzzles are rarely that puzzling, the enemies aren’t frightening in either their appearance or their behaviour and only the game’s novel use of the ancient lock/key conundrum makes it stand out.

CNK offers nothing new at all, failing to really improve even on its prequel, which even back then, was pretty standard fare.

The biggest indictment against From Russia With Love, however, is that it makes the whole experience of being Bond seem about as much fun as an afternoon spent at a stamp-collecting convention, which is something 007 should never stand accused of. It's dull, banal, boring and any other adjectives that can be used to describe a game unworthy of your attention.

It's still decent shoot-'em-up entertainment, and adding snipers, airstrikes, and mortar attacks to your armoury is a nice touch, but perhaps too much time was spent talking tactics rather than delivering an original game that has true hands-on appeal.

A highly playable and very fast arcade racer.

There’s "MTV Music Generator" and there is this. Personally (and from the viewpoint of this particular reviewer) eJay is the better program purely because it is so user friendly. And we’ve already got a PC thanks.

Thanks to the half-decent camera you can also get right down into the action to appreciate the slaughter even more. It’s worth getting Operation Genesis for this opportunity alone.

It may look a little basic and the style does bear more in common with the mid-eighties mistakes in taste that the game's inspiration can be dated from, but give it a chance and Wrath Unleashed becomes very playable; proving old ideas need not die with bad fashion sense.

An acquired taste, and well worth renting for a weekend's test play.

The main character is nothing special and a character-based platformer needs to have a very strong lead to even stand a chance. In this day and age it takes a lot more than just being 'a nice game' to get anywhere, and Kya is just that: a nice game.

Take a bowl of Capcom's Dreamcast title "Powerstone," add a pinch of Sonic then empty half of the mixture into the sink, and you have Sonic Battle.

It's more indicative of the current crop of racing games that a 15 year-old concept feels so refreshing.

A fantastically frantic, competitive, addictive and exhilarating racer that manages to take the XG series to a whole new level.

Whether it's better than the old 2D games will come more down to personal preference, but it's a welcome twist on the old formula that opens up far more tactical options than ever before.

This is one title most definitely targeted at a very specific niche audience. You know who you are.

If the action sequences weren't so damn good it would be difficult to overlook this.

Tougher than a room full of ninjas, but action hero lovers will have a lot of fun trying to put an end to The Joker’s scheme.

A dull, badly animated waste of money.

Ultimately, Whiplash is a hilariously funny platformer that manages to cruise by on sheer charm and its ludicrously over-the-top soundtrack.

Ninety-five per cent of these games are rubbish, but you just can't help a quick trip down memory lane.

In this day and age, a game can't carry itself on its licensed soundtrack alone and so ultimately Roadkill disappoints. It may be fun for while, but we all know that this sort of thing has been done better elsewhere.

It's no complete loss, for sure, and is likely to moderately satisfy the Resident Evil die-hards waiting for the next instalment. However, it's no classic despite some lovely physics due to some weak gameplay elements and its slightly simple linearity.

The designers have gone for a serious challenge mode. This is not a puzzler for the faint-hearted!

There's plenty of puzzling-out what to do next but it's never too basic or too complex. You get a good sense of achievement out of completing chapters and get to regularly unlock new moves for your efforts.

It's a tough, fun game that will have you coming back for more until you've mastered it. But it all feels a little dated now. Be aware that this isn't your typical shooter either... silent, but violent.

While certainly nothing for the self proclaimed 'hardcore' to worry about, those looking for some light fun will be more than content with Tak and his shit-eating grin.

A beautiful, skilful, tactical and intense experience that will test you in many different environments, each demanding a different approach if success is to be achieved. Occasionally you have to rely on a little luck, but that's war, and this is cracking game.

Walks a middling line between being a straightforward RPG and an action explorer but unfortunately excels at neither style.

It's not a must-have classic but it's certainly one of the best fluffy platformers on the Xbox. The sheer polish of the game should also help broaden Blinx's appeal even further.

Fans of the comic book will rejoice in how their beloved anti-hero has made such as magnificently bloody transition from page to pixel without loosing any of his edge along the way, which is not down to just one singular entity, but rather all involved who strived to keep the game true its dark Marvel roots founded in the adult Max series.

Controlled in much the same way as Tekken, the game is played out at a somewhat less feverish pace and whilst never reaching the compelling heights of the aforementioned titles, bouts are still something that beat-’em-up fans should enjoy.

A tediously simple game, utilising all of two buttons and an analogue stick to do just about everything - which isn't much. This minimal depth repels any desire to want to return to this game ever again.

It’s not going to rock your world, but it looks good, sounds good, plays great and is sure to put a big old smile on your face.

If you like the idea of an RTS but never manage to get the hang of all the complicated tactics and procedures this is the perfect game for you. It's got some good ideas well implemented, it's fun to play and essentially it plays like an introduction to the world of RTS.

The Juiced of 2005 is virtually unrecognisable from the Juiced of 2004, and quite frankly it puts "Need For Speed Underground" to shame.

This is aimed at the younger player so don’t expect too much, but it remains a solid introduction to the genre that’s easy to get into and fun to play.

An enjoyable yet unoriginal game.

The quests quickly repeat themselves and some of the larger creatures are nigh impossible to take down alone. Even so, it's a remarkably unique and thorough title and if you're online with your PS2, there's no reason for you not to get a taste for cold blood and take the hunt online. There really is nothing else quite like it.

It's certainly not bad, but several annoying points prevent it from being truly great.

It's as if Overworks were so proud of their bland, boxy environments that they thought the camera would be put to much better use tracking the grey blocks that constitute 'the world' than actually following the gameplay. If you can actually call it that.

The most obvious problem is the handling, which feels more like you’re controlling a breezeblock than a car, and this carries right through to the crash dynamics, which are now virtually non-existent.

The element most central to the game - combat - is very flawed and completely un-strategic. As such, Throne of Darkness fails to be anything more than mediocre.

Main problem: you can only fire your Batgrapple at specific points...We wanted the freedom of Tenchu and all we received was a hook through the nose with a finger pulling us the right way.

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

Even with the addition of downloadable content via Live (more than likely roster updates), and some inventive cheat modes that can be acquired such as big heads, big feet and various gameplay enhancing modes, NBA Jam is unlikely to be at the top on anyone's shopping list.

A few flashy new moves hardly compensate for the lack of subtlety and polish that was so evident in the original title.

There is so much here to dislike it is generally making us dizzy.

Assuming you have friends then you're in for an average time too. Are these levels atmospheric or just murky? Murky.

Just as T3 was a juvenile-friendly selection of set pieces pulled wholesale from previous Terminator movies, The Redemption feels like cobbled together moments from the videogame archive with a Terminator spin.

Shows a total lack of innovation and desire to improve the gaming experience, but it does have cute animals in it. If you can accept the fact that you are here to manage tigers rather than whatever the focus is in any other management game then you can have a lot of fun.

Another disappointment is the hardcore matches, where instead of the huge selection of weapons we were looking forward to using and abusing, we were presented only with a couple of chairs.

A top-notch beat-’em-up...The only problem that really exists with the game aren’t really Capcom’s fault at all – yep, it’s the controller. [Import]

The end result is that we get another decent Medal Of Honor Game set in the same Medal Of Honor mould when everyone knows that if your going to survive in the jungle you're going to have to adapt to survive.

If you thought your Xbox was only good for driving games and first-person shooters think again.

This entire concept is ridiculous. Why, oh why is your team so rubbish? Falco is supposed to be an 'Ace Pilot' for crying out loud. Your team is supposed to be the galaxy's last, best hope, yet they can't even shoot more than two enemies on any given level. They may as well not even be there and save us the worry.

The ease of moves and the accessibility of the characters makes Guilty Gear X the complete opposite of titles like King of Fighters : Neoblood. If you are no fan of pedantic games, but enjoy a good scrap then this game is definitely for you.

With some perseverance to get past the initial stages, Naval Ops develops into a fun blaster.

The main problem with Bounty Hunter is that it won’t be long before you’ve seen everything the game has to offer and it’s not the sort of adventure that you’re likely to want to play through more than once.

It’s hard not to enjoy No One Lives Forever, it’s difficult not to laugh and need to see the next colourful level. But once you stop, it’s very hard to get excited by what is an essentially a very shallow, but fun game.

The closest you’re going to get to a realistic war simulation. Oh yes there’s no doubt about it we’ve been waiting for Commando’s 2 for a long time and now it’s finally here we’re far from disappointed.

The original game was impressive and perhaps left little room for another but Venom has managed to produce a sequel that really packs a punch.

If you can get past the pastel coloured craziness of it all, then Dragon Ball Z: Budokai provides a decent enough challenge – just don’t be expecting another Tekken 4 and this should find favour.

Time consuming and considering the lack of alternatives, quite good at what it does. But it fails to seamlessly merge the combat and trading that Elite did so well and is, to put it bluntly, a bit on the dull side.

Whilst the team-play system is superbly implemented and the animations have been greatly improved, the game still lacks in originality and any real challenge.

Imagine, if you will, Dynasty Warriors with magic spells, a weirder and more convoluted story, and boss fights, then shrink if all down and add a heavy dose of Anime style. What you end up with, more or less, is Mystic Heroes.

The bikes handle brilliantly, with a real sense of momentum and a transfer of weight to the front and rear wheels under acceleration and braking.

The next time a game developer gets a wacky idea, and an original game design, they should concentrate on offering a full adventure, rather than knocking off a few levels and making it depressingly hard to get through.

You have to endure some horrendously annoying and monotonous commentary and cue-ball control is patchy at best. Nevertheless, you do get plenty of game styles (including snooker) and a trick shot mode, to keep things fresh - for a while.

An enjoyable, fun-filled game which should keep you puzzling for a long time to come.

We'd recommend getting the GBA version instead.

By all means once it appears in bargain bins (and believe us, that'll be sooner rather than later) Galleon needs to be purchased, if only so you can see how such a potential epic has strayed so far off course. Tragic, simply tragic. [XBM]

Despite the lack of smashes, it’s sill a fun game to play thanks to the undemanding and bouncy handling of the R/C cars.

Disregard this misalignment though, and you’re left with an enjoyable aural romp which, whilst slight and, on occasions, extremely forgiving, makes up for most of its shortcomings by hitting you with damn funky music.

This is a shame as the idea behind the Masters Series mode offers great depths, it’s just a shame the core gameplay is found wanting.

A decent game then, but one let down by a lack of direction in a crowded genre.

Though the Chaos mode great fun, there really isn't much to enjoy beyond this. The wealth of game modes, secrets and graphical wizardry we saw in "Kung-fu Chaos" is simply lacking in State of Emergency.

Playing Worms Forts is not entirely unlike finding that you have just been poured the worm out of the bottom of a tequila bottle. You're not entirely sure about whether it's a good thing or not; but swig back this odd looking creature and an hour later good times follow.

But the points at which Haunting Ground really begins to open up and offer something you can't get from other horror titles are the moments when you get to use Hewie to help you.

As always, there are plenty of cards, beans and secrets to find if you've got a craving for that 100 per cent completion feeling, but if not, the credits will be rolling long before the proverbial cows make it home.

It’s a challenging game, but if you like your games to tax that sponge between your ears and have enough dedication to put in the effort required to get the most out of it – this will give you weeks of entertainment.

Although this hackneyed plot does have its high points, the game unfolds at a treacherously slow pace.

We know that The Simpsons Road Rage is neither original nor groundbreaking but it is enormous fun and that's what important, isn't it.

As long as you don't want to be blown away with an audio-visual feast adventure fans will really enjoy it.

Yes folks, Cel Damage stinks – and what's worse it's not one, but a whole shopping list of things that makes it difficult to play with wanting to run away and never play a game ever again.

With exceptional action, puzzles and scripting as well as good graphics and minimal loading times Extermination is a great and imaginative new addition to the horror/survival genre that will teach even Resident Evil a few tricks and ranks as Sony’s best PS2 game to date.

Every member of the CUBE team was looking forward to this, and they all left the first session grumbling words like 'disaster,' 'bollocks' ad 'don't give up the day job Namco'. It's slow, dull and tedious. Don't get too depressed though, because there is a light at the end of this tunnel.

At the end of the day it's best to simply grit your teeth and fight through the odd annoyance in order to gain a better look at the wider picture on offer. It seems that Blood Will Tell is hardly a classic, but it spins a gripping yarn none the less.

The reasonably slick framerate is compromised somewhat in the slightly lacklustre two-player sections. Ultimately, Dark Summit takes a fairly tired genre and breathes some new life into it.

With the bonus of a simple-yet-effective track editor, your ‘stunted’ growth is only limited by your imagination and patience, making this a game that will appeal to those inclined towards all things extreme.

Race Drivin' was one of the earliest 'real' driving simulators but doesn't remotely stand the test of time. It's deadly slow and bereft of any excitement whatsoever. Unfortunately this describes most of the games on this disc.

A decent action RPG that manages to be as good as Baldur's Gate, though not better than it, and so falls short of really offering anything new.

Don't allow that dying glint in your eye be revived by the £20 price tag either - it's there simply as admittance that something hideous lurks inside the case.

Crisis Zone is the proverbial over-egged pudding. The addition of a bulletproof riot shield for ducking purposes is welcome, as is the way you can blast the enemy as the game pulls you on the invisible rails that separate scenes. Unfortunately the excitement in killing is all but neutered.